Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697798567546.pdf (Dominica)
REPORT ON PUBLIC SERVCE DAY 2016 HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT UNIT JANUARY 2017 The Public Service Day 2016 Report 1 Acknowledgment The Chief Personnel Officer extends deepest appreciation to everyone who contributed individually and in general to the success of Public Service Day 2016!

Public Service Day 2016 Report 2 REPORT ON PUBLIC SERVICE DAY ACTIVITIES 2016 INTRODUCTION Public Service Day was institutionalized as a Public Service activity in the year 1999.
The initial celebrations spanned over a period of one week.

Major objectives of the activities were as follows:    to build camaraderie among public officers.

to recognize the contributions of retired officers in the development of the Public Service.

to recognize excellence in the delivery and performance of services with a view of improving efficiencies and ultimately the administration of Public Services.

Major objectives still remain.


The awards ceremonies have been staged over the years in recognition of excellence in the performances of duties and also, for contributions made by retired officers to nation building.

Traditionally, Public Service Day is observed on the first Friday in December.

Public Service Day was an annual event until after 2006, when celebrations took place every two years.

This year a Planning Committee was put in place to plan and execute all activities.
Activities for this year’s celebration included the following: Theme Competition Launching Ceremony    Sports Day  Hikes  Community Outreach  Art & Craft Exhibition  Games Night Flea Market  Educational Talks  Talent Night   Church Service  Awards and Recognition Ceremony.

Public Service Day 2016 Report 3 CENTRAL PLANNING COMMITTEE The Central Planning Committee was charged with the responsibility of planning and organizing Public Service Day activities.
This Committee was comprised of officers of the Establishment, Personnel and Training Department and representatives from Ministries and Departments in order to augment wider participation in Public Service Day activities.
Table 1: The Central Planning Committee Name Sandra Charter-Rolle Lydia Capitolin-Toussaint Belinda Charles Franchesha Henderson Charmaine Thomas Joanne Commodore Dave Laudat Glenda Irish Tessa Darroux Angela Johnson Donielle Blackmoore Cheryl Darroux Vern Leslie Designation on Committee Ministry/Division/Unit Human Resource Development Unit Chairperson Human Resource Development Unit Secretary Human Resource Development Unit Member Public Works Member EPTD Member Justice, Immigration & National Security Member Health Member Foreign Affairs Member Sports Member Housing Member President’s Office Member Education Member Reform Management Unit Member The first meeting of the Central Planning Committee for the observance of Public Service Day 2016 took place on November 11, 2015.
Emerging from that meeting was a list of suggestions for possible activities to commemorate Public Service Day 2016.
Proposals included: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Theme competition to commence in February 2016; Church Service Hikes Indoor Games Creole month activity Educational Talks 7) 8) 9) 10) 11) 12) Pageant Show Sports Day T-Shirt Day Community Service Activity Debate/Quiz Jeopardy Talent Night Public Service Day 2016 Report 4 At subsequent meetings and in consultation with the Chief Personnel Officer it was decided that the activities mentioned below would be executed in observance of Public Service Day 2016.
Two Hikes   Church Service  Outreach Activity  Cause Walk  Games Night  Sports Day Flea Market  Two Educational Talks   Art & Craft Exhibition   Awards & Recognition Talent Night Table 2: Sub- Committees Name Designation on Committee Ministry/Division Sports Sub-Committee Tessa Darroux Jennifer Nanton Kevin James Yehudi John Andy Burkard Chairperson Member Member Member Member Sports Sports Sports Sports Sports Church Service Sub-Committee Belinda Charles Mrs. Carrie Baron Ms. Verna John Baptiste Mrs. Angela Johnson Charles Raymond Chairperson Member Member Member Member Establishment Establishment Establishment Housing Documentation Center Outreach Sub-Committee Sandra Charter-Rolle Pearl Robin Mathilda Esprit Corletta Felix Chairperson Member Member Member Establishment Audit Statistics Local Government Public Service Day 2016 Report 5 Public Relations Sub-Committee Vern Leslie Ian Anthony John Christian - MOH Lydia Capitolin - Toussaint Chairperson Member Member Member Establishment IRD Health EPTD Name Dave Laudat Ms Melvina Walsh-Leslie Mr. Daniel James Ms Ghislene Paul Ms Helen Ambo Designation on Committee Ministry/Division Educational Talk Sub-Committee Health Tourism House of Assembly HIU/Health IPO Chairperson Member Member Member Member Talent Night Sub-Committee Jo-Anne Commodore Charmaine Thomas Kayan Toussaint Franchesca Henderson Mrs. Vincia Auguiste Chairperson Member Member Member Member Hike Sub-Committee Cheryl Darroux Desiree Pascal Belinda Charles Chairperson Member Member
 National Security Establishment National Security Public Works PMH Education Finance Establishment Flea Market Sub-Committee Pearl Prevost Belinda Charles Carrie Baron Sandra Charter-Rolle Chairperson Member Member Member Establishment Establishment Establishment Establishment The cause walk was held to increase the awareness of the Lupus Disease and a fund raiser was organized to raise funds for the Lupus Foundation of Dominica.
Fourteen meetings of the Central Planning Committee were convened in the planning and organization of activities.

This figure does not include special meetings and meetings of sub-committees.
Public Service Day 2016 Report 6 IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTIVITIES THEME By circular memorandum dated January 26, 2016, public officers were invited to submit themes for Public Service Day 2016 on ‘Innovations through Challenges in the Public Service post TS Erika.’ Seven public officers namely; Trevon Winston, Consetta Warrington, Lydia Capitolin-Toussaint and Carrie Baron from EPTD, Lien Philogen Norville from, Ministry Of Agriculture, Jeannel David from, Ministry of Finance (Treasury Division), Dolores St. Jean and Joanna Laurent-Blaize from the Ministry of Health & Environment, Natasha Labad from Ministry of Planning and Jiselle Allport from Ministry of Housing, Lands and Water Resource Management submitted a total of 24 themes listed in Table 3 below.
A panel comprising of Vernanda Raymond, Chief Librarian, Mr. Abraham Durand and Ms. Dionne Durand from the Ministry of Education, Ms. Mariette Carnoville from the Ministry of Social Services, Ms. Julie Morvan from the General Post Office and Mr. George Maxwell from the Ministry of Tourism deliberated on April 26, 2016 to review the submissions.

Emerging winner was Mrs. Lydia Capitolin-Toussaint with the theme “Embracing the Challenge: Rethink, Rebuild, Transform”.
Mrs. Lydia Capitolin-Toussaint, winner of Theme Competition In its report the committee stated that the theme chosen best captured the intended focus.

The word Transform was included to give value to the output level that is expected as we rebuild.

The committee agreed that it seeks to allow public officers to focus on the results of works through innovation.
Public Service Day 2016 Report 7 Name of Officer Theme Submitted Trevon Winston  “Forward we Strive, United with Pride”  “An Ardent Service: Ameliorating for a prosperous future”  “Amelioration, Motivation, Innovation” Lien Philogen Norville  “Reorganization and Renovation: Bridging the gap with an Innovative Service” Jeannel David  “Reclaiming Confidence to a better Environment” Dolores St. Jean  “Rebuilding Better” Consetta Warrington Carrie Baron Lydia Capitolin-Toussaint  “ A Resilient Workforce; Rising Above the Hurdles”  “A Resilient Workforce, Working to Rebuild”  “Rising Above the Hurdles, We Emerge as Winners”  “The Public Service; Resilient, Despite the Hurdles”  “Working to rebuild, We remain steadfast”  “A Resilient Workforce, Rising Despite the Hurdles”  “A Resilient Workforce, Striving Despite the Hurdles”  “Embracing Opportunities for Transformation and Recovery!”  “Aspiring for Enhancement Though Innovation and Creativity”  Transformation and Recovery”  “Combating challenges, through innovation for transformation”  “The Public Service… Contending the challenge to regain eminence!”  “Contesting the Challenge …… Regaining eminence!”  “Regaining eminence, using innovation and creativity”  “Preserving through innovation…the road to recovery”  “Perseverance and innovation leading to revitalization!”  Rising to the challenge through innovation, creativity and persistence.
 Rising to the challenge through innovation, courage and sacrifice.

 Embracing the challenge: Rethink, Rebuild together  Together we rise to the challenge, together we innovate and rebuild.

 Together we rise: Recovering, Rebuilding, Innovating.

 Embracing the challenge: recovering, rebuilding, innovating.
Table 3: List of Themes Submitted PUBLIC RELATIONS Promotional activities for Public Service Day took various forms with the most common being: official launching ceremony, press releases, press interviews, flyers, radio programme, announcements, email blast, radio/television advertisements, internal memorandums and outreach.

Public Service Day 2016 Report 8  Official Launch: the launching ceremony was organized to commence the promotions of the Public Service Day activities.
All media houses were invited to the ceremony.

 Press Releases: a press release was emailed to each media house to promote activities to celebrate Public Service Day.

 Press Interviews: to promote Public Service Day activity press interviews were held.

Employees from the media houses were also present during some of the activities.

 Public Service Day Website/GOVNET: The Public Service Day Website was populated to promote all activities planned to celebrate Public Service Day.
The ICT Unit also designed the Government’s computer screen savers as a promotional tool for Public Service Day activities.

 Flyers: flyers were designed, emailed and distributed to promote activities.

Flyers were emailed to all GOVNET email users and posted throughout the Government Headquarters and Financial Center.
 Email Blast: emails were circulated to public officers to inform employees about various activities  Radio and Television Promotional Advertisements: The following promotional advertisements were developed:- - - Radio - Two 30 seconds audio advertisement were developed to promote the Flea Market which was held on July 30, and Sports Day which was held on September 23, 2016, A 45 seconds advertisement was also developed to promote Talent Night.
Promotions was also made through the Voices Of Changed programme managed by the Reform Management Unit.

Live coverage of the official launch was also aired live on DBS.

Television – The first Educational Talk which was presented by Mr. Ray Harris on Spirituality and the Public Service was replayed several times on Marpin.

 Internal Memorandums: internal memos were also utilized to communicate information to public officers.
 Newspaper Article: a newspaper article was published to publicize all the awardees for the Awards and Recognition Ceremony 2016.

The article was published in the Chronicle and Sun Newspapers.

LAUNCH OF PUBLIC SERVICE DAY 2016 The official launch of Public Service Day 2016 took place on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at the Fort Young Hotel.

Present at the ceremony were Honorable Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service, Hon.
Roosevelt Skerrit, Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr. Steve Ferrol, Chief Personnel Officer, Mrs. Gloria Joseph, Financial Secretary, Mrs. Rosemund Edwards, Permanent Secretaries, Department and Divisional Heads, members of the Central Planning Committee and sub- committees, other public officers and the media.

The ceremony was carried live on DBS Radio.


Public Service Day 2016 Report 9 In her opening remarks, the Chief Personnel Officer, Mrs. Gloria Joseph commented that despite the many challenges we face in the public service; foremost amongst this is limited resources, capacity and the ever shifting global social, economic and environment landscapes there has been notably successes.
She mentioned the continuous use of ICTs within the public service in service delivery like the mobile application for the Traffic Division thereby replacing the traffic books with mobile devices thus creating efficiency in the manner in which traffic checks are conducted.

Also the Mail Registration System within the public service is fully computerized and the delivery of mails is done via mobile devices.
An overview of activities commemorating Public Service Day 2016 was delivered by Ms. JoAnne Commodore, member of the Central Planning Committee.

In her remarks she urged participation of the wider Public Service in all activities specially crafted for recognition of outstanding performances and for building camaraderie among officers.

She particularly highlighted the Cause Walk which was geared at increasing the awareness of the general public of the disease and to raise funds for the Foundation.
Mr. Steve Ferrol, Secretary to the Cabinet also delivered remarks at the launching ceremony.

In his address, the Cabinet Secretary called on public officers to be more effective and responsible when delivering government services to the general public.
The Honourable Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service and noted that the theme for this year’s celebration is indeed, fitting, as we work towards transforming our island with creativity, innovation, sacrifices and determination post Tropical Storm Erika.

He stated, “These events, however, provide Government the opportunity to strive to achieve high success levels in the new environment.
Consequently, the focus of the public sector will be to creating appropriate conditions for unrelenting economic growth and development”.

He continued “Amidst all of our rebuilding efforts we cannot lose sight of the Public Officers who make the sacrifices every day to keep the wheels of Government grinding to produce, excel and to transform our country into once again a beautiful society”.
Public Service Day 2016 Report 10 Sections of the attendees at the Launching Ceremony SPORTS AND HIKING ACTIVITIES A number of activities were planned leading up to Public Service Day in December 2016.

Two of these activities were hiking and the Public Service Sports Day.

One committee was given the responsibilities of planning the Hike and a separate committee for the Sports Day.

Hike Number 1 The first hike was held on June 25, 2016 from Laudat to Grand Fond utilizing the Chimen Letang route.
On the day of the hike a group of about 70 public officers, family and friends gathered at the Roseau Bay Front from 5:00 a.m. After a word of prayer was offered by Mr. Dave Laudat the buses left the Roseau Bay Front at 5:45 a.m.

The drive from Roseau to Laudat took about 30 minutes and it was 7:00 a.m. when the count was taken by the three fire officers who made themselves available to hike with the group.
Equipped with bags, water, a small pack of fruit and nuts, the hikers began the trail; The walk was easy and within one and a half hours or less the first group of hikers reached the end of the hike in Grand Fond.

By 10:00 a.m. all hikers had successfully completed the walk with no pain or complaints, still full of energy.

During the two hour wait on the buses, hikers took the time to munch on the fruits and snacks and enjoy nature at its best.
It was approximately 12 noon when the hikers began the drive back to the capital.

It was a morning well spent.

Public Service Day 2016 Report 11 Hikers on the Chimen Letang Route (June 25, 2016) Sports Day The Public Service Sports Day took place on Friday September 23 from 9:00 a.m. at the Windsor Sports Stadium.
Dressed in different colour T Shirts, the teams gathered on the grounds for the brief opening ceremony which commenced with the National Anthem, followed by a word of prayer and brief speeches by the Chief Personnel Officer- Mrs. Gloria Joseph and the Honourable Minister for Sports and Culture Mrs. Justina Charles who also declared the Sports Day open.
There was participation from eight teams as follows: Team Sports, Youth, Culture & Postal Service, Team Housing and Public Works, Team Inland Revenue Division, Mixed Team Health & Tourism, Mixed Prison Service Team, Team EPTD, Team Customs, Team Finance.

The teams competed in fun games, cricket, football, volleyball, and rounders, The fun games which were played are: Lime & Spoon, Pass the Plantain, and Sack Race.
The teams looked forward to the other fun games but due to time constraint they were not played.

Public Service Day 2016 Report 12 PHOTOS FROM SPORTS DAY Added to this year’s event were two new sports namely; Fish cooking competition with fish provided by the Fisheries Division.

This activity certainly created a hype among Public Officers.

Participants were asked to bring along their cooking utensils and the fish was provided with a given time frame for cooking and display for the completion.
There were three competitors two from the Ministry of Health and one from Postal Services.

The team from the PMH won the competition with an award winning recipe.

Public Service Day 2016 Report 13 The other new event which was the introduction was of the Fastest Man and Fastest Woman in the Public Service and this was won by Khaddim Alphonse from Ministry of Health and Ms Vernice Thomas from Ministry of Finance respectively.
There was one disappointment- time did not permit to play the “old time sake” games such as morals, marble hole, hopscotch and skip.

The day could not be complete without the Master of Ceremonies –Eversley Colaire who kept the participants and supporters alive with his jokes and lively commentary of the activities.

Feedback received from the participants of the various activities indicated that they were well organized and enjoyed by all.
The committee expresses its gratitude to all participants and everyone who assisted and contributed to the successful execution of the activities.

FLEA MARKET The Flea Market was organized to raise funds to undertake the community outreach programme.

Public Officers and the general public were solicited for items to be sold in the Flea Market.

Items were donated from staff members, private individuals and companies.
This was a laborious venture which called for the engagement of most of the staff from EPTD in sorting and organizing the items for sale.

A radio advertisement was done with Pearl Prevost advertising the event which took place downstairs Government Headquarters on Saturday July 30, 2016.

As a result of the sale of items $3,000.00 was raised and the balance of the items not sold was donated to communities through the village councils..
The funds were therefore, utilized to purchase the items needed to paint the school wall at the Coulibistrie Primary School and other related expenses.

Funds from the Flea Market were also used in the purchase of items for the Games Night, expenses incurred for the hosting of the Art & Craft Exhibition and some expenses for Sports Day.

Public Service Day 2016 Report Flea Market 14 LUPUS WALK The Lupus walk was organized to highlight the disease and to raise funds for the Lupus Foundation.
The awareness included radio programme on DBS and a fund raising drive among Public Officers with donation sheets distr.

On the day of walk, patrons were invited to wear something purple – the colour the Lupus Foundation has adopted in support of Lupus sufferers.

As a result of the fund raiser a cheque in the amount of $3,000.00 was presented to the President of the Lupus Foundation at the PSD Awards & Recognition Ceremony on December 2, 2016.
Cause Walk for Lupus Presentation of cheque to Rep. from Lupus Foundation Public Service Day 2016 Report 15 EDUCATIONAL TALKS Two Educational Talks were organized the first one was on Spirituality and its Relevance in the Public Service which was presented by Mr. Ray Harris, Attorney at Law.

The second one was an Overview of General Orders and the presenters were Mrs. Tamika Burton, Solicitor General and Mrs. Jennifer Astaphan, former Chief Personnel Officer.
Both talks were well attended and appreciated by all who attended.

The first talk was aired several times on Marpin thereafter.

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES A decision was taken by the Planning Committee to undertake a project in one of the communities affected by Tropical Storm Erika to allow public officers as a body to assist community members.

The Sub-Committee after much discussions selected the community of Coulibistrie and worked with the Village Council in identifying possible projects.
A visit was made to the community by members of the committee with the Chairman of the Village Council and based on this visit a decision was taken to paint the school was which was under construction.

The Council gave the commitment that it would be completed by the time we were ready to undertake the painting.
On September 30th, members of the committee along with other staff members from EPTD and assistance from Inland Revenue and the Fire Department, a team of thirteen were assembled armed with paint, paint brushed and cooking supplies landed at Coulibistrie at 8 am and commenced the painting of the Primary School wall.
Outreach team of painters Public Service Day 2016 Report 16 Coulibistrie Primary School Wall being painted by Public Officers TALENT NIGHT One of the highlights of the PSD celebrations is the Talent Night.

This year was no exception as public officers looked forward to a night of laughter and fun.

By circular memo officers were asked to register to participate to showcase their talent.
This year the night was dubbed Rock the Runway to reflect the modeling section of the event which was geared at highlighting the proper attire to work and do’s and don’ts.

Also included was a creole and evening wear section.

The night was a success with the varied acts and support received from public officers and the general public.

The show has been replayed several times on Marpin.
Public Service Day 2016 Report 17 NOMINATIONS FOR AWARDS Request for nominations for awards was made by circular memorandum dated 26th January, 2016, Ministries and Departments were required to submit the names of nominees for the various categories of awards.

Due to the low response by the stated deadline, the deadline was extended on several occasions to encourage submissions.
The Chief Personnel Officer heightened her efforts and personally undertook the task to implore the support from the Heads of Departments and Divisions.
The various categories of awards were defined according to level of officers as instituted in the Public Service in as follows: Junior Officer Senior Officer Middle Management Senior Management The Jerry Augustine Levels 1 – 4 (I –IV) Levels 5 - 8 (V –VIII) Levels 9 -10 (IX –X) Levels 11-16 (XI-XVI) Outstanding Messenger Information submitted on nominees by their respective Ministries and Departments on forms listed below: Form 1- Biographical Data and Self Portrait of nominee (completed by nominee) Form 2- Supervisor’s Reference Information Form-3 Colleague Reference Information     Current Employee Assessment and Development Review Reports (EADR) Twenty-three nominations were received from Ministries and Departments in the various categories as listed in Table 10.
Table 4: List of Nominees Award Nominees Ministry/Department Temporary Officer of the Year Junior Officer of the Year Senior Officer of the Year Middle Manager of the Year Khadijah Paul Kimelda Samuel O’Neill Benjamin Lucia Lawrence-Walter Deborah George-Bazil Sherine Carbon John Christian Carlene Luke Franchesa Henderson Verna Jno.
Baptiste Cassandra Williams Biola Aminde Consetta Warrington Joycelyn Cuffy Belinda Charles Public Works EPTD Public Service Commission Foreign Affairs Health Health Public Works EPTD Public Works Health EPTD Physical Planning Establishment, Personnel & Training Public Service Day 2016 Report 18 Senior Manager of the Year Team Shaka Dangleben Vanya Bruney Loblack Carrie Baron Beryl Alexander Health Promotion Information & Communication Technology Unit Amphibian Project Department Public Works Health Establishment, Personnel & Training Department Planning, Economic Development & Investment Health Establishment, Personnel & Training Department Forestry Division A selection committee deliberated on the nomination submitted and presented the results.
This year two Officers were awarded the Middle Manager of the year which was a tie based on the scores and other supporting documents on the work of the officers.
Table 5: List of Awardees Public Service Day 2016 Award Name of Awardees Temporary Officer of the Year Khadijah Paul Jerry Augustine Junior Officer of the Year Senior Officer of the Year Middle Manager of the Year O’Neill Benjamin Sherine Carbon Cassandra Williams Belinda Charles Shaka Dangleben Carrie Baron Health Promotion Lydia Capitolin-Toussaint Cassandra Williams Senior Manager of the Year Team Theme Minister for the Public Service (Individual) Minister for the Public Service (Division) Chief Personnel Officer Ministry/Department Cash Award Public Works Public Service Commission Foreign Affairs Public Works Establishment, Personnel & Training Department Public Works Establishment, Personnel & Training Department Health & Environment Establishment, Personnel & Training Department Public Works $1000.00 $1000.00 $1000.00 $1000.00 $1000.00 $1000.00 $1000.00 $4000.00 $300.00 $800.00 Ministry of Public Works Administration Section None Public Officer of the Year Sherine Carbon Emeline Burnette-Honore National Employment Programme Foreign Affairs $1000.00 $1200.00 Public Service Day 2016 Report 19 AWARDS AND RECOGNTION CEREMONY The highlight of Public Service Day is the staging of the Awards and Recognition Ceremony which celebrated on the first Friday in December and this year it was on December 2 at the State House Conference Room.
The ceremony began promptly at 6:00 p.m. with the entrance of His Excellency the President Mr. Charles Savarin and Mrs Savarin.

The singing of the National Anthem was led by Ms. Angel Joseph from the Ministry of Education and Mr. Ian Anthony from the Inland Revenue Department; this was followed by a word of prayer by Mrs Maylina Jno.

Ville, Director of Audit (Ag.)

and welcome remarks by Mr. John Fontaine, Local Government Commissioner.
The proceedings were chaired by Mrs. Esther Thomas, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Commerce, Enterprise and Small Business Development.

Angel Joseph and Ian Anthony Maylina Jno Ville John Fontaine The Honourable Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service in his remarks praised the retirees for their invaluable contribution to the Public Service and commended the awardees on their performance.
He reiterated that as the public’s demands increases, public officers must respond and utilize proactive approaches which will lead to economic development.

He applauded the retirees for their hard work and dedication and encouraged awardees to continue the work that has begun.

As Minister for the Public Service, he outlined that our delivery of services must be timely, transparent and cost effective.

He highlighted that the public service is a leader in innovation and technology.
He commended the Chief Personnel Officers and her team for leading the Pubic Services Day activities, one which initiates pride, camaraderie and public awareness.

The Honourable Prime Minister appealed for continuous accountability and partnership with civil society.

Public Service Day 2016 Report 20 During the ceremony the audience was treated to spectacular performances from the Convent High School Choral Speech Choral and the Venezuelan Institute Cuatro Group.
Convent High School Speech Choral Venezuelan Institute Cuatro Group The Feature address was delivered by Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General of CARICOM, Amb LaRocque is also a former Permanent Secretary of the Dominica Public Service.

Amb Larocque expressed his deepest pleasure to be part of the Public Service Day hallmark event.

He quoted a statement of the Hon.

Prime Minister in his budget address, as it relates to the effects of Tropical Storm, Ericka.
“No day was too long, no task too difficult, no sacrifice too impossible, as they worked tirelessly to bring comfort and security to those suffering from loss, and to restore some measure of normalcy to life in the country".

He expressed that indeed, the hard work of public officers must be recognised and that of the ones who have contributed significantly to the development of the Nation, our retirees.
Public Service Day 2016 Report 21 Ambassador Larocque stated “as government employees entrusted with the administration of the service to the country, and mandated to carry out the policy of the government of the day, the twin virtues of professionalism and integrity are the core values that underpin the approach of a public servant to the task at hand.

It is no exaggeration to say that a nation stands and falls by the professionalism and integrity of its public service.
The primary role of the public service is to work for the success of the government of the day, within the confines of the constitution, the laws and the rules and regulations of the service.

Those twin virtues must remain the bedrock of your performance.
That approach of professionalism and integrity is all the more important, given that the world in which we live today, demands that we adapt and change in order to ensure that we deliver our services to the public, in a manner that is expected and deserved.
This delivery is in an environment of expectation of instant gratification, which calls upon us to be managers of that expectation, even as we seek to satisfy the public that we are conducting their business in a timely and efficient manner.” He further encouraged all to work for excellence.
The highlight of the evening was the presentation of awards to 136 retired officers in recognition for their dedicated and outstanding service and public officers who are currently serving for exceptional performances for the period 2014 – 2016.

Token items in the form of bags and coin purse were presented to retirees and all nominees for awards.

The retirees received plaques with inscription ‘for long and outstanding service to the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica’.
Public Service Day 2016 Report 22 Pictures of Retirees Ms. Sherine Carbon, Junior Officer of the Year and Public Officer of the Year 2016 O’Neill Benjamin, Jerry Augustine Awardee and Mrs. Sherine Carbon, Junior Officer of the Year Public Service Day 2016 Report 23 Senior Officer of the Year and Punctuality Award, Ms.Cassandra Williams Middle Manager of the Year, Ms. Belinda Charles Senior Management Award – Mrs. Carrie Baron Outstanding Team of the Year 2016, Health Promotion, Ministry of Health & Environment Mrs.Emeline Burnette-Honore Chief Personnel Officer’s Award 2016 Ms. Khadijah Paul Temporary Officer of The Year Public Service Day 2016 Report 24 Public Service Day 2016 Expenditure The actual amounts spent on Public Service Day activities, 2015/2016 and 2016.2017– EC$56,887.88 and EC$42,680.86 respectively.
The total amount provided in the budget for Public Service activities for the financial year 2015/2016 was EC$35,000 and for financial year 2016/2017- $35 000.00.

Based on the financial data, the actual expenditure exceeds the budgeted amount.

Special Thanks The Establishment, Personnel and Training Department sincerely thanks everyone for their invaluable contribution to the successful observance of Public Service Day 2016.
Our appreciation to His Excellency the President, Charles Savarin and Mrs. Savarin for their presence at the Awards Ceremony and for assistance in the presentation of awards to retirees and senior officer of the year respectively.

The Department also wishes to thank His Excellency, Irwin LaRocque, CARICOM Secretary General for the sterling delivery of the feature address at the Awards Ceremony.
We express our gratitude to the Honourable Prime Minister and Minister for the Public Service for his unwavering support to Public Service Day activities and his contributions to launch of the Public Service Day.

Thanks go out to the Committee of Permanent Secretaries.
Special mention has to be made of the Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr. Steve Ferrol, Financial Secretary, Permanent Secretaries, Mr. Davis Letang (Immigration & National Security), Mr. Lucien Blackmoore (Housing, Lands & Water Resource Management), Mrs. Sylvanie Burton (Foreign Affairs & CARICOM Public Service Day 2016 Report 25 Affairs), Mrs. Helen Royer (Health and Environment) and to Mr. Kendell Johnson (Public Works & Ports), for assistance given in presentation of awards to retirees and outstanding officers, Mrs. Esther Thomas, Permanent Secretary Commerce, Enterprise and Small Business Development has to be thanked and commended for her exceptional delivery in the chairing of the Awards and Recognition Ceremony thus contributing immensely to the success experienced at the staging of the Ceremony.
The Selection Committee for the Theme Competition have always provided strong support to the Department.

In this regard, we express our deepest gratitude to Mrs. Vernanda Raymond, Chief Librarian, Mr. Abraham Durand and Ms. Dionne Durand from the Ministry of Education, Ms. Mariette Carnoville from the Ministry of Social Services Ms. Julie Morvan from the General Post Office and Mr. George Maxwell from the Ministry of Tourism.
Our appreciation goes out to the many public officers who came out and supported the activities of Public Service Day whether through their donation of cash or kind or their participation in the Hike and Sports Day.

The hard work of members of the Public Relations, Sports and Hiking, Church Service and Talent Night and Outreach sub- committees, is commendable.
Committee members exhibited excellent leadership skills in the execution of duty and worked beyond the call of duty to ensure success of activities.
The Establishment, Personnel and Training Department also wish to express its deepest gratitude to the following individuals and organisations: Launch Ms. Angel Joseph - National Anthem Ms. Janae Jackson - Calypso Rendition Public Service Choir - Musical Entertainment HIKE Police and Fire Officers DONORS FOR FLEA MARKET Staff of the various Ministries Members of the Public Harris Paints Dominica Ltd. Josephine Dangleben – St. Maarten GAMES NIGHT Ministry of Social Services, Family and Gender Affairs Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division Customs and Excise Division Lands and Surveys Division LUPUS WALK Public Officers The General Public The Lupus Foundation Public Service Day 2016 Report 26 Mr. Anthony Webster (Sound System) EDUCATIONAL TALKS Mr. Ray Harris - Featured Speaker UWI Open Campus (Dominica) Government Information Service (GIS) Featured Speakers: Mrs. Jennifer Astaphan Mrs. Tameka Hyacinth-Burton SPORTS DAY Fisheries Division (fish donation) Sports Division (officiating and use of sports gear) Participants and Judges of Fish Competition Participants in various sporting disciplines Kervin ‘Mr.
Mix’ Sorhaindo (Music) Masters of Ceremony - Mr. Eversley Colaire and Mrs. Tessa Darroux CRAFT EXHIBITION HRDU Team - Establishment Department Craft Designers and Vendors COMMUNITY OUTREACH Harris Paints Dominica Ltd. Ms. Claudette Dangleben Coulibistrie Village Council Fire Officers Officers of the Inland Revenue Department Police (Transportation) Staff of the Establishment Department TALENT NIGHT Public Officers King’s Garment Bernadette Royer Paulette Joseph St. Ville Kimara Matthew Fashion Line (Mr. Kelvin Pacquette) Kathleen Sorhaindo Carlton Henry CHURCH SERVICE Dominica Public Service Union PUBLIC SERVICE AWARDS CEREMONY Staff of the Office of the President Staff of the Local Government Division Staff of the Government Printery Ushers and Waiters Public Service Day 2016 Report 27 Citation Readers Miss Roanna Joseph Mr. Hazary Williams Ushers Miss Dellina Dalrymple Miss Lisa Philbert Miss Shernel Mills OVERALL SUPPORT Staff of the Establishment Department Members of Central Planning Committee and Sub-Committees CONCLUSION Generally, it can be concluded that Public Service Day has met the objective of recognizing outstanding performances at various levels in the Public Service through the successful staging of the Awards and Recognition Ceremony.
However, there needs to be greater participating and interest in PSD activities by the heads of Ministries/Department particularly in rewarding and recognizing officers who are dedicated and work hard through-out the year.

The Planning Committee must also review the number of activities planned to engender greater participation.
RECOMMENDATIONS At a review meeting of the Public Service Day Central Planning Committee on December 14, 2016 a number of suggestions were forwarded by those present with the view of improving future activities.

Suggestions from other public officer and attendees at the Awards and Recognition Ceremony were also noted.

The following are recommendations listed in order of activity.
Central Planning Committee  In order to encourage wider participation of ministries and departments in public service activities and the Rewards and Recognition Ceremony, it has been recommended that Officers be identified to serve on the Planning Committee rather than have a representative from each Ministry.

 Officers with specific skills such as, Events Planning, to be part of the Committee.

In this regard, the Committee could benefit from new ideas for the enhancement of activities.
Each of the activities was deliberated upon by looking at the benefits, level of participation of public officers and work involved in executing it.

Then a decision was made as to what should be kept going forward, what improvements can be made and what activities can be discarded.

Public Service Day 2016 Report 28 DISCARD FLEA MARKET – execution was excellent with over $3000.00 raised but it was a lot of work and time.
CAUSE WALK – only a few public officers participated GAMES NIGHT – low participation of public officers though more participation of KEEP LAUNCHING - time limit should be allotted to each speaker and the talking points to be covered in speech should be given to them as well.

HIKE – committee needed to take ownership EDUCATIONAL TALK – excellent execution by sub- committee SPORTS DAY – excellent execution by sub-committee; participation was good.
FISH COMPETITION – exceptional collaborative work with the Fisheries Division ministries is needed CRAFT EXHIBITION – Planning was not too hectic and the participants asked for a do over.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH TALENT NIGHT – show was of high standard; collaboration with other ministries and retired persons with experience can be done going forward.

CHURCH SERVICE – excellent; collaboration with Protocol Office is needed going forward.
AWARDS CEREMONY – well executed; going forward, the way the Central Planning Committee is formed should be re- examined Nominations for Awards  The Ministries need to put in place an Awards & Recognition programme whereby every quarter an employee would be recognized and this would feed into the PSD Awards & Recognition  Greater participation from Ministries particularly the Heads of Departments Awards and Recognition Ceremony  A special committee should be put in place to coordinate this activity.
Too much of the work fell on the HRDU staff  All awardees should sign a document as having received plaque, trophy, honorarium or token at the ceremony.

This would mainly be for record purposes and for future reference.

 Memorabilia’s for the retirees should be more substantive rather than the bag and the corsage they should be presented with something more tangible.
Post-Public Service Day Activities  Thank-you cards and commendation letters to be sent to all those who assisted in making PSD 2016 a success.

Public Service Day 2016 Report 29 Other Recommendations  Greater outreach for activities of PSD particularly in the out districts.

 A list of resource persons such as barmen and interior decorators should be documented by the Central Planning Committee for future reference.
This may allow for a choice in the selection of individuals in the execution of certain activities and also serve as a cost cutting measure.

 Activities like the Sports Day and the Hike should be a yearly event.

 The need for an increase in the budget.

Public Service Day 2016 Report 30