Culture department to put in place risk management plan |15 January 2015

Setting up a culture risk management plan, promoting cultural tourism and pushing for the country to have a maritime museum are but only some of the projects the department of culture has set itself to realise this year.

Culture principal secretary Benjamine Rose revealed these projects during the Ministry of Tourism and Culture’s annual general meeting on Tuesday.

Ms Rose said the department of culture has a good number of new projects on its agenda for this year.

The department is also going to put in place a culture risk management plan.

“Years back we were faced with the threats of a tsunami so we need to prepare and be ready to face any eventualities. We need to protect our historic documents. To do that we need a plan as to how to go about and a committee made up of all heads of the different units in the department was set up last year to draw up that plan,” Ms Rose added.

Working closely with key actors in the tourism department as well as the ministry responsible for community development to promote cultural tourism will also feature high on the department of culture’s agenda this year, Ms Rose said, noting that this will benefit the creative industry.

More effort and vigour will also be put in realising the maritime museum project this year, Ms Rose pointed out.

She said two committees, including a technical one, are working to develop and explore ways with both local and regional help to realise the project.

“Consultative meetings have already been held with key stakeholders and different ministries to ensure they are all on board to discuss numerous issues of the project but which relate to them,” Ms Rose pointed out.

“The department also plans to fully apply the Quality Management System (QMS) which it started last year. This is a system which, among other things, helps an organisation to measure productivity, employees’ competence, effectiveness all with the aim to better meet customers’ and clients’ needs,” Ms Rose said.

“It is a long process which will be applied across all the different units of the culture department,” she added.

The culture department’s strategic plan expires this year and Ms Rose said a team has already been put together to work on its update. At the same time the department also aims to review its cultural policy so that it meets present day demands and requirements as well as bring it on par with international norms.   

Ms Rose further noted that this year the department plans to launch a public awareness campaign aimed at ensuring people know the work and functions of the different units which fall under the department.

“This will not only give the department more visibility but is also expected to bring more value to all the hard work done by the small but committed team of workers whose work and effort very often go unnoticed,” Ms Rose remarked.

“We aim to use the media to ensure the public, both local and foreign, know what we do so that our work can be better appreciated and the services we offer used more by the public,” Ms Rose pointed out.

New laws namely the Copyright Act which was passed last year as well as a number of new policies will come into effect during the course of this year and awareness campaigns surrounding them will also be carried out.

Noting that these are but only some of the projects that the department of culture wants to carry out this year, Ms Rose stressed that there are challenges to overcome along the way and she has called for the commitment and responsibility of all members of staff and expressed the wish that they will all work better as a team and with more devotion and enthusiasm to make these projects happen.