Top civil servants discuss change management |04 May 2005

The two-day workshop is an initiative of the Seychelles Institute of Management (SIM) to guide the public sector toward transparency, increased efficiency and a more customer-oriented focus. Two experts from Canada are facilitating the workshop.

Speaking to principal secretaries from ministries and CEOs of parastatal companies like Air Seychelles and Sepec, SIM chief executive officer Noellie Alexander said the workshop was in line with President James Michel’s call to “re-invent” the public service and how the government conducts its affairs.

She thanked both President Michel and Vice-President Joseph Belmont – who took over the portfolio for the now defunct ministry for administration under the government reshuffling earlier this year – for their endorsement of the new SIM programme.

Vice-President Belmont, while officially launching the workshop on Tuesday, said that resilience, innovation and flexibility were qualities required of all of the government’s top executives. He also stressed the importance of human resources in guiding the process of change.

“The challenge for all of us is to become key agents of purposeful change,” VP Belmont said.

He added that Seychelles could no longer adopt “narrowly aimed” development plans that only concerned a country in isolation. Globalisation has changed that, he said, noting that issues like rising fuel costs and terrorism can greatly affect the country.

Secretary of State Alain Butler-Payette, while fielding queries from chief executives about the new shift in government policy, reiterated the vice president’s sentiments, noting that what might have been appropriate 10 years ago, may not be appropriate for the civil service in the current climate.

He commented that Seychelles’ economic difficulties were reason enough to advocate change, and for the government to look at what could be done differently.

SIM executive director Daniella Larue said the workshop would hopefully be the first of a series involving top government officials.