Project Analysis Workshop Participants
Charlestown, Nevis
October 21, 2008
Public Servants on Nevis have the opportunity to improve their knowledge in the area of project analysis. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) Mr. Laurie Lawrence said the workshop from October 20-24, came at a very important juncture in Nevis’ development.
The workshop [Project Management Training Programme ““ Project Cycle Fund] is the first of its kind held on the island and in the Caribbean, is funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). It is being held on Nevis in collaboration with the Department of Statistics and Economic Planning here.
Mr.Lawrence said due to the high level of debt in the Caribbean, the difficult global financial situation and poor fiscal accounts, the governments of the region had no choice but to give higher priority to project planning and management.
“With proper project planning we can ensure that priorities are given to projects that increase the rate of economic growth and generate adequate returns to repay debt,” he said.
According to Mr. Lawrence, the workshop was a step in the right direction for Nevis.
“We intend to equip all of the ministries with the requisite skills so that the government is better able to manage its Public Sector Investment Programme and thus its overall fiscal performance,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary encouraged the participants to take the workshop seriously since the skills they acquired would enhance their marketability in the government service and in the private sector in the case of those who leave the Service.
He told them while the course focused on the fundamentals of project planning they may want to secure funding to pursue advanced studies in that area if they wished to make it a career.
Meantime, Caribbean Consultancy Group (CCG) Consultant Dr. Jeffery Dellimore during remarks gave an overview of the workshop and explained that the programme was specifically designed to meet the needs of a Caribbean scenario.
Dr. Dellimore told the participants they were first to receive the training in the Caribbean and explained that the CDB hoped about 180 participants would receive post graduate certificates; up to 450 participants would be trained in the specialised areas and at least 90 participants would be trained in project cycle fundamentals.
“You are in fact in the vanguard of the latter group, you are the first group to receive training in project cycle fundamentals under the CDB programme,” he said.
Organization of American States (OAS) representative in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis Mr. Starret Greene also addressed the gathering.