Seven-member local organising committee, four sub-committees established for hosting of CAPAM Biennial Conference

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DPI, GUYANA, Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Guyana, in preparation for the hosting of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) 12^th Biennial Conference to be held from October 22-24, 2018, has set up a seven-member local organising committee. This committee will be receiving guidance from CAPAM’s executive body, headquartered in Ottawa, Canada.

Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service, Reginald Brotherson updating the media today, during a press conference at the Marriott Hotel, said some 350 delegates from around the world are expected here for the three-day event.

A number of activities are planned for the conference and according to Brotherson, to ensure that all aspects of planning are adequately catered for. Four sub-committees were also established.

The members of these sub-committees are to be selected shortly and will comprise various sector agencies representatives.

Dianna Rajcumar is the secretary of the organising committee and was present at today’s briefing.

This year’s CAPAM conference is being held under the theme: Transforming the Public Sector for Climate Governance.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CAPAM, Gay Hamilton, who is visiting Guyana, explained that the theme was selected after careful examination of one of the trending issues in public service as observed through the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

She explained, “We looked at how countries are doing their planning over the next five to ten years and what stood out was that climate change or particular aspects of climate change or environmental development came to the fore, different things for different countries, but certainly that common theme of environmental issues climbing to the top of the priority list.”

According to CAPAM, with many regions experiencing both shared and unique climate challenges, it is clear that effective and efficient climate governance must occur across government systems and through a multitude of sectors and industries in order to better tackle complex environmental matters.

Within this context, nations and their public service professionals are increasingly being called upon to urgently address, mitigate and proactively manage this global transformation.

Hamilton said CAPAM believes that Guyana is the most suitable country for the hosting of its biennial conference since it not only possesses a strong history of conservation and a green heartland, but has an economy to grow, which is an expectation of its citizens.

The conference, the CAPAM CEO added, will seek to examine how governments deal with this duality of advancing economies while simultaneously ensuring their environments.

“That is the pretext of the meeting and we hope to convene a number of countries, not just from the Caribbean, but from across the Commonwealth …we are inviting the world to convene here and discuss this”, she stated.

A number of meetings were held with partner organisations in relation to the planning of the conference with strong participation from Guyana, not only logistically but in the delivery of the programme.

An important feature of the signature programme is the hosting of the Commonwealth International Innovation Awards to recognise excellence in public service innovation.

Winners are selected just before the hosting of the conference and are awarded on the last day of the event.

Countries submit their projects in various categories online, which are then screened by an assessment panel to determine eligibility. The submissions which are usually in the hundreds, are then reduced to an approximate figure of 60 semi-finalists.

The remaining projects are assessed by the jury, which comprises 12 assessors with three per category. The 12 finalists are then selected following a three-phased screening process.

According to Hamilton, CAPAM has been receiving excellent participation from countries around the world, but is hopeful for greater participation from the Caribbean nations, with strong representation from Guyana.

PS Brotherson has confirmed that Guyana will be submitting projects.

In addition, there is the likelihood of a Public Service Ministers’ Forum and given this year’s focus on climate change, it is anticipated that Ministers with responsibility for the environment will be part of the discussions.

The CAPAM Biennial Conference is designed for an international audience of senior public-sector managers and administrators and offers insightful dialogue, theoretical and practical knowledge exchange and networking opportunities. To enrich and complement the experience, the government of Guyana is organising a unique and special programme of learning journeys for delegates.

The 11^th CAPAM Biennial Conference was held in Putrajaya, Malaysia from August 18-20, 2016 under the theme Innovation: A Public Service Imperative.

 

By: Stacy Carmichael