December 11, 2020 – Staff of the Department of Public Administration (DPA) and the National Disaster Management Agency (NaDMA) engaged in a day-long retreat on Thursday, to examine the past year and look ahead to 2021.

The retreat comes at the close of a particularly challenging year, given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Government operations.

Prime Minister, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell, who also holds responsibility for the portfolios of public administration and disaster management, addressed staff at the start of the retreat.

Dr. Mitchell said, “No matter how well we think we are doing, there is always room for improvement in all that we do. The fact that you are coming to the end of a very special year, in which we faced challenges that none of us could have predicted, it is commendable that you have decided to reflect on where you are and at the same time, consider options for going forward in 2021. It is important to ask what are some of the goals we need to set; what are some of the changes we would like to initiate going forward? This retreat is a positive initiative and I think the leadership of DPA must be commended for this approach.”

The Prime Minister acknowledged that there is a lot of work to be done to improve operations in the public service. He said, “The public sector helps to drive the entire society and if it lacks innovation, especially in this technologically advanced age, this will have a negative impact on the society as a whole. Although the private sector may seek to implement many initiatives, it must do so within the context of laws and policies set by the public sector. Therefore, Government must see itself as extremely important in facilitating overall growth and development and particularly in the context of the current pandemic, we have to take a closer look at our entire operations.”

Dr. Mitchell told the staff he expects recommendations to be made following Thursday’s retreat, so that appropriate decisions can be made at the policy level.