The Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs has developed its inaugural five-year Strategic plan under the theme “The Season of Growth: to Reflect, Reform and Forge Ahead.” The plan will be operationalized under the following areas:
a. Organizational Development: The Ministry is made up of six (6) departments/units. These are: 1. Administration Office of the Permanent Secretary and Policy, Planning and Projects Unit 2. Community Development and Social Services 3. Gender Affairs 4. National Counseling Center 5. New Horizons Rehabilitation Center 6. Probation and Child Protection Services
For 2024 – 2028, the Ministry will rebrand each of its Departments and Units to clearly communicate its vision, mission, and value statements for which the internal and external customers can hold the officers accountable.
b. Workplace Safety and Security: The foundational tool used by each officer is their knowledge, skills and self when engaging with internal and external customers. To this end, the Strategic Plan has outlined our commitment to staff to provide a safe and secure environment for them to do their work. This is critical for productivity and performance.
c. Learning and Growth: Human development and behaviour in the context of human rights is an ever-changing sector which requires innovation and creativity in response. To aid in the response of each staff member to this sector, the Ministry has outlined its commitment to building the skills, knowledge, and competence of staff to perform their respective functions.
d. Operational Excellence: Recognizing that the Ministry has been in existence for twenty-two (22) years and noting the evolving landscape, the Ministry is required to incorporate best practices to streamline operations to ensure climate friendliness and the utilization of technology to expand reach and response to the public. To do so, the Ministry is committed to introducing technologies and tools to improve its operations and responsiveness.
e. Program and Service Implementation, Delivery and Management: The Ministry is best known for the programs and services it renders in its quest to empower lives and transform communities. Recognizing that many of these programs have been in place since the inception of the Ministry, the stage is set for critical review and evaluation of procedures, processes and the value and impact of the assistance. This is the focus of the Ministry moving forward.
f. Promotions and Awareness Raising: As the Ministry engages with persons from birth through to death, the general population must be aware of its existence, its services, locations, and requirements. As such, the focus for 2024 is to ensure a greater footprint in mass media to connect with and serve the public.
g. Education and Information Sharing: Knowledge is key to behaviour change. As such, recognizing all of the information and knowledge captured by the Ministry owing to its experience and membership in regional and international bodies, it is critical that this knowledge and information is shared with the public to support the change required.
h. Advocacy: The Ministry represents the most vulnerable in our society – children, the poor, seniors, persons with disabilities and those whose lifestyles do not align with the cultural norms. As such, the Ministry is required to continue to push for inclusivity, equality and protection.
i. Financial Stability: The annual fiscal allocations to the Ministry must be administered in keeping with public policy. Additionally, all sources of income generation are maximized to support the mandate of the Ministry and its individual departments.
Management Representation Statement
On behalf of the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs, it is my duty to submit for tabling in Parliament the Annual Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP) complete with the objectives and expected outcomes for 2024 for the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs.
The information presented results from consultations with the Ministry’s Management Team, staff, and partners. As such, it can serve as a working guide for the operations and as a critical instrument tool for the assessment of the Ministry’s performance in 2024.
The Ministry, therefore, stands committed to implementing the initiatives and programmes using all resources available to us as we strive towards child protection, poverty alleviation, gender equality and the creation of communities where vulnerable persons, including children, women, older persons, and persons living with disabilities can say with pride that the Federation is the best place to grow up and grow old.
Azilla Clarke (Ms.)
Permanent Secretary (Ag)