Professional public service central to democracy- Pierre Giroux

Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, Pierre Giroux speaking during the recent launching of the Canadian Leadership Programme said a professional public service is central to democracy, pointing to the fact that public servants are called to provide sound advice on the implementation of government policies. Hence the need to strengthen these institutions and human resource capacity.

He noted that the programme is part of Canada’s governance initiative to assist the Caribbean region in the development of a new cadre of public sector managers, helping them to play a part in leading to resolve the complex governance, environmental and economic challenges of the region.

The Professional public sector, he pointed out, especially as it relates to the advancement of certain fundamentals such as public values and fostering public trust are important issues that will be addressed in the module.

High Commissioner Giroux expressed confidence that this cohort will contribute meaningfully to the project, highlighting that this is an opportunity for participants to brainstorm solutions to address local and regional challenges.

Through collaboration and learning from each other, the High Commissioner noted that managers could build on shared experiences.

Meantime, Deputy Secretary-General of CARICOM Ambassador Manorma Soeknandan highlighted a number of objectives of the programme including assisting the region in the development of a new generation of leaders.

Within the context of the strategic plan 2015/2019, Ambassador Soeknandan said the service providers need to be on board so that the implementation deficit can be speedily addressed.

She reminded that among the service providers are the highest authorities, parliamentarians and called for an inclusive approach to public service development.