Welcome to the United Nations
CHALLENGE
The vision for Guyana is to be a fully modernized and digitalized country. Guyana also aims to transform its economy for future generations. Digital should be at the center of its transformation. The latter will require new people’s mindsets, an understanding of the required changes, and a willingness to learn, re-learn, and adapt. Changes in culture, mindsets, communication, empowerment of staff, institutions, and processes are needed to achieve Guyana’s vision. Challenges include (i) using digital platforms for education at all levels and moving forward to achieve the SDGs; (ii) increasing food production, creating new markets for farmers, increasing exports, and decreasing imports to move forward financially; (iii) digitalizing agriculture; (iv) promoting e-governance across different ministries and digitizing public services; and (v) strengthening systems for appraisals, transfers, and promotions.
SUPPORT PROVIDED
In 2021, the Ministry of Public Service of Guyana requested UN DESA to provide support in developing capacities for public sector transformation through the promotion of innovation, digital government and changing mindsets. To respond to the request, a workshop on “Innovation, Digital Government, and Changing Mindsets for Public Sector Transformation in Guyana to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” was organized in March 2022. The capacity development workshop, which was held over the period of two weeks, was attended by around seventy Permanent and Deputy Permanent Secretaries, Regional Executive Officers, and Chief Executive Officers from across the Government of Guyana.
APPROACH ADOPTED
The approach included adapting to the local context the Curriculum on Governance for the SDGs’ Toolkits on changing mindsets and on innovation for public service delivery. The workshop included presentations by experts, interactive activities, group discussions, and innovative practices in support of peer learning. Participants engaged in a co-creation process, working together on identifying strengths, challenges, recommendations, actions, and priorities to inform a roadmap for public sector transformation, innovation, digital government, and changing mindsets in Guyana. The 11 principles of effective governance for sustainable development, developed by the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration, were presented as a framework for change. The UN DESA digital government capability assessment (DGCA) and institutional readiness assessment for policy coherence, which are part of the Curriculum on Governance for the SDGs available on the UNPAN, were used to identify institutional gaps and strengths. The workshop introduced the following key structural building blocks that are helpful for governments when embarking on public sector transformation: 1. Political commitment; 2. transformational leadership and changing mindsets; 3. institutional coordination and system thinking; 4. coherence between national and local/regional levels; 5. organizational structures and processes; and 6. financing 7. Digital technology and data management; 8. stakeholder engagement; and 9. monitoring, reporting, and evaluation (including mechanisms for citizen feedback). In addition, activities on changing mindsets were undertaken to identify challenges and opportunities related to promoting a collaborative mindset, an evidence-based mindset, an inclusive mindset to leave no one behind, an innovation and experimental mindset, and a digital data mindset. Finally, the challenges identified by the participants were utilized as key elements of an action plan to develop a roadmap and recommendations on how to promote public sector transformation in Guyana.
RESULTS
UN DESA/DPIDG’s support resulted in the agreement among the various institutions including ministries, authorities, regional council, etc. to establish a new institutional arrangement for public sector transformation, i.e., an Inter-ministerial Steering Committee in Guyana. The recommendations and roadmap that were co-created by the permanent secretaries of all ministers during the workshop will be presented to the Prime Minister’s Office for further action. Participants agreed that all Permanent Secretaries, Deputy Permanent Secretaries, Regional Executive Officers, Heads of Departments will have a role in the strategy development and implementation efforts as the Ministry of Public Service will aim to lead in the formation of sub-working groups of the committee that will respond to sector specific/priority driven areas identified during the workshop. Key partners were identified as the Office of the Prime Minister, National Data Management Authority that has responsibility for telecommunication and the ICT sector, especially in view of ongoing efforts to launch a revised ICT Strategy for Guyana, as well as CARICOM and CARICAD; in addition to UN DESA and the UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana. According to the Ministry of Public Service, the Workshop has started a journey toward “exceptional things for the public service as there is an abundance of resources that need to be supported by an advanced/modernized public service framework.”
LESSONS LEARNED
• Strong ownership and commitment from the government as well as strong collaboration with the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD), and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and with the support of the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Guyana, was instrumental to the success of the workshop.
• Adopting a whole-of-government approach, involving several stakeholders, including ministries, authorities, regional councils, marketing corporation, etc. was critical in achieving the expected results.
• Peer-to-peer learning on challenges, trends, innovative practices, and lessons learned on how to promote public sector transformation in Guyana through inter-ministerial dialogue was essential in creating a Roadmap for public sector transformation.
Relevant documents: Workshop event page; Curriculum on Governance for SDGs; Principles of Effective Governance