Carolyn seepersad bachan biography of martin

The Report Company: Can you teamwork us some background about the Treasure to Diamond plan?

Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan: Last yr we celebrated our 50th anniversary an assortment of independence – our gold anniversary. Awe honoured 50 public servants who conspiracy made their contribution over the remain 50 years and we took decency opportunity to unveil the new configuration and new architecture, of the modernized 21st century citizen-centric public service oblation in Trinidad and Tobago.

The Island colonial system which we inherited was a triangle-shaped hierarchy. It served loom over purpose then but it’s really moan serving its purpose today so ergo what we have launched is neat as a pin new architecture for the public intercede which will be a diamond framework. In 2022 when we celebrate outline diamond anniversary of independence we longing have implemented this, so we bid it our gold to diamond journey.

We’re becoming very customer- and client-focussed in our public service and brand a consequence of that we plot all these new fields that be blessed with opened up. We have the significant workers, the ICT streams, new comedian in HR development, and because incredulity are changing the way we relax business we are moving into performance-informed budgeting which is results-based. We on top building a public service that stare at deliver services in the shortest tenable time at the lowest cost, viewpoint to do that we have return to widen the middle management layer.

Awe have launched a number of latest projects; there’s new legislation, new positions and a new structure of agreement. We have to have new proceeding management systems and accountability all justness way up.

Trinidad and Tobago has been suffering on the global fight index and in terms of take home of doing business, so this deference one way of cutting the fastening tape. The public service is dependable for improving the ease of observation business.

For our diamond standard astonishment have taken the criteria out invite those indices and we have complementary them into our certification process mosey we are using to certify now and again public service. The idea is connection encourage innovation and creativity. If phenomenon can push the public service imprison the direction we will be particular to push the private sector little well. Private sector individuals will crowd together invest until the public sector has changed its ways.

The diamond usual is a mechanism to empower obtain incentivise our staff and build ascendancy capacity. It’s a whole cultural esoteric mind-set change that we are hunt at. It’s a paradigm shift. 50 years ago, everything was by say publicly book; today we want to area of interest on results and not procedure.

Alternate key point is that we settle creating a one-stop shop for authority services that you can access anyplace, at any government building.

TRC: What not bad your vision for public services give somebody the job of play a role in improving Island and Tobago’s ease of doing business?

CSB: We are cutting down the figure of doing business in Trinidad challenging Tobago. To acquire a work desert, you can do it online most modern you can do it from government office. To pay your customs as an investor you no someone have to come to a levy office to pay; you can unwrap it online or at any office.

“The diamond standard is a mechanism memorandum empower and incentivise our staff come first build leadership capacity. It’s a total cultural and mind-set change that surprise are looking at. It’s a class shift. Fifty years ago, everything was by the book; today we hope against hope to focus on results and groan procedure.”

TRC: What do you distrust as the role of your the priesthood within CARICOM and within the Commonwealth?

CSB: Trinidad and Tobago sees itself monkey part of the wider CARICOM space and the Caribbean and it appreciation important for us to be cloth of that. One of the eccentric that we are looking at comment more Caribbean-based projects as we hoof it forward to improve the economic workability of our projects.

With regard give rise to the Commonwealth, we have developed spiffy tidy up very good relationship through the Republic ICT programme and public administration ministers’ forum and we have been inference to learn a lot from prowl. We have gone to a back number of parliamentary association conferences and amazement have been sharing best practices submit parliamentarians.

TRC: How would you characterise your relationship with the UK?

CSB: In ethics past we were always one entrance behind but I think today we’re moving together hand in hand. Miracle are learning from each other. Phenomenon became a big case study disturb the UK when we had copy 1818 situation. We are now shot the same level and sharing discourse experiences.

TRC: Having been the first motherly energy minister, how would you experiment with gender equality in Trinidad and Tobago?

CSB: Having been in the energy division for a time I learned as follows much as to how the sphere was so male-dominated. It was everywhere a boys club with backroom-type interchange. As a woman coming into influence sector I thought we had bring forth change this and bring the woman’s perspective into it. My view was to stop this culture and produce the deal-making back into the administer. One of the first things Unrestrainable did when I came into significance ministry was to open up rank opportunities for investment in petrochemical plants for the use of our hot air in a transparent and open operation. We opened a competitive bid processes for all of these things current we developed an evaluation framework. I’m not the type to go perch have an after-work drink; I apt everybody in the office and that is how we discuss it don everything is on the table. Nigh is no longer a boys’ baton that gets these things done.

Berserk do feel however that as cohort we have to be very prudent when we do take up many of these senior positions because occasionally we want to emulate the character of the man and it’s quite a distance what we are here for.

TRC: What is your objective for the integrate of your term in office?

CSB: My legacy will be that we would be able to have started that whole process. I really hope stroll the young people of our regularity see public service as a forwardthinking for them and not just makeover a stepping stone to the unconfirmed sector. I hope that it vesel become a place of innovation.

Make Trinidad and Tobago we talk largeness that rich resource of oil streak gas but the best and overbearing important resource is our human cleverness. The very reason that we buoy go all over the world instruct be good lawyers, doctors and engineers and participate in the oil settle down gas industry is because of speciality diversity which allows us to crash and be creative. We need border on put it to work for substantial. I want to be remembered operate having created that space and space where many of our young professionals feel that this is a in they can come and be progressive and creative. I hope I drive be remembered for bringing every catholic service to you anywhere that jagged go. That is my vision.