THE MTDS MAPS A CLEAR STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR THE DEPARTMENT TO OPTIMIZE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

A four-year Strategic Plan has launched, to guide the operations of the Department of Economic Development as it rolls out the Medium Term Development Strategy (MTDS) and other products. In a November 5 ceremony at the Finance Administrative Centre, Pointe Seraphine, the Division officially adopted the Plan for the period 2020-2023. This document establishes a clear strategic direction for the government department to optimize its operational efficiency, improve its relationship with stakeholders and successfully to deliver on its mandate to manage resources of the state to maximize output in a sustainable way while preserving the authenticity of brand Saint Lucia.

In light of new and emerging global risks such as climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, Chief Economist in the Department of Economic Development, Tommy Descartes, asserts the need for revitalizing the development planning agency and its framework to successfully navigate these 21st century challenges. According to Tommy,  “The division although being part of the Government of Saint Lucia’s machinery since post-Independence has seen its prominence and efficacy as the development planning nucleus of Saint Lucia wax and wane over the years. This strategic plan is a bold attempt to reverse those fortunes but more so to establish a systems approach to the work of the Division.  As a guiding instrument, it will limit the internal operational risk of the Division and in due course will result in the Division becoming a more cohesive and coordinated economic planning vehicle. Additionally it will ground the Division in an ethos of evidence-based policy interrogation and implementation while ensuring that the vision remains on the frontier of international development policy dialogue and ideation.”

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport & Civil Aviation, Claudius Emmanuel commends local consultant Betty Combie who developed the Strategic Plan and the agencies that provided input and feedback during drafting including the Department. 
“This plan is the result of significant indigenous or in-house work from my team here at the department”, states Emmanuel, “This is not the work of an overseas consultant that came with a template that has been imposed upon us. Instead it highlights our own reflections on how we can, with existing resources take a critical look at ourselves and make the necessary adjustments to deliver our mandate.”

Priority Initiatives of the Division’s four-year Strategic Plan are:

Customers/Stakeholder Engagement

·         Policy fora and national discussions on local, regional and international socio-economic trends

·         Annual perception surveys

·         Donor engagement and resource strategy

Operational Efficiency

·         Monitoring and evaluation of the Medium Term Development Strategy (MTDS) and Public Service Investment Plan (PSIP)

·         Evidenced-based policy and strategy formulation

·         Deliver on flagship products of the MTDS and the reformed PSIP

Learning and Growth

·         Human resource and capacity development plan

·         Establish an official organizational structure for the unit

·         Development of team building plan

Financial Efficiency

·         Prioritize resources based on annual work programme aligned to government priorities

·         Development of cost saving/Efficiency policy

·         Quarterly monitoring and controlling of budget allocations

The launch of the Economic Development Division’s Strategic Plan follows the MTDS Launch held earlier this year in February. Descartes says,

“Having launched the 2020-2023 Medium Term Development Strategy, this Strategic Plan will invariably buttress and compliment the implementation of this landmark development policy instrument for Saint Lucia. Working in tandem, these two critical policy instruments will serve as the guiding document of the division as well as Saint Lucia and the many development partners and stakeholders.”

In congratulating the staff on the launch of their Strategic Plan and commending them for their efforts to date in rolling out the MTDS, Prime Minister Hon. Allen Chastanet indicates that the MTDS projects have helped tremendously in generating revenues and stabilizing the economy,

“We got our October numbers and I think it was $89 million in tax revenue [for the month of October] and the goal was $103 so we have come a long way. We were at one point $50 million and I think one month we did $44 million in tax revenue. So we’re seeing that we can [the combination of the] construction, the ICT sector as well as what we’re seeing in tourism that its working and a large part I want to say thank you to all of you. The extra hours to try to implement these projects quicker because the longer that they stay as a piece of paper the more opportunities that are lost.”

Minister for Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport & Civil Aviation, Hon. Guy Joseph looks forward to the successful implementation of the Strategic Plan, as seen with the MTDS to date,

“I don’t want what we have planned to become another set of documents on the shelf or on a hard drive… it must become something that is realistic, that there is buy-in by our department first and foremost… As a country, we ought to know what we need, how do we plan for it and how [do] we can achieve it. That is the key because we can have the best plan on paper if we cannot achieve it; it is as good as the paper it is written on.”

The Department of Economic Development’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2023 was developed within six months and validated in March 2020 for implementation.