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Last Updated: Feb 13, 2017 - 1:45:37 AM |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDyUdNMHj98&feature=youtu.be
 We have heard very little about the National Development Plan for The
Bahamas. People from all quarters of the Bahamian society have
clamoured, begged and pleaded for someone to commit to creating a proper
one for a new Bahamas. For years, the calls have gone unanswered. Until
now!
The government of The Bahamas has launched the initial phases of The
National Development Plan. The plan is being funded by the
Inter-American Development Bank, and costs for its production has been
slated at over $450 thousand.
A national secretariat has been created, with Director of Financial
Services, Dr. Nicola Virgil Rolle, slated as the chairperson heading a
team of six.
The plan itself is in the planning stages (I hate to sound "punny", but
it's true...). However, the thought of such, how it will be designed,
the agencies involved, the process it should take and the overall
outcome for Bahamians is something that should make the citizenry
excited about the possibilities.
The usefulness of a development plan for the country also has strong
merit. For far too long economic planning and development in The Bahamas
has been virtually nil. Subsequently, a new department has been created
under the Office of The Prime Minister, with carriage of this
department laying with the Minister of State responsible for
Investments, Khaalis Rolle.
There were previous attempts at providing a pathway forward with regard
to national planning born out of the private sector, albeit from an
aspiring politician, John Bostwick and his "Bahamas Vision 20/20".
The good part about Mr. Bostwick's "Vision 20/20" document was that it
was pregnant with ideas. The document put in written and clear form what
most Bahamian people saw as important for national development.
However, the document was void on the "how to", the "how much" and the
"which ways and means" should we proceed. Also, it wasn't as much of a
plan as much as it was a statement of wishes and hopes for the future.
One can say that Mr. Bostwick's 20/20 vision was created without
universal consultation, insufficient funding along with an expedient
approach to an initiative that just takes a great deal of doing. But one
cannot argue against the sincerity of his attempt, and one would hope
that some of his ideas are embraced in the context that if it makes
sense, we should investigate the possibility of these things coming to
be.
In addition, The College of The Bahamas, as it continually moves towards
university status, have long since had in concept research facilities
and advisory consultancies with regard to national development. In fact,
the college has been extremely candid in their bids to be involved in
the development and planning of The Bahamas. The research put out from
the college has been scant due to underfunding and the very disturbing
matter of the college being without leadership with a clear mandate, not
just for research, but leadership overall.
The college will be a part of the process even though they do not have a
seat on the board of the secretariat. We hope that this is a slight
omission and that someone will be there to represent the college when
the process begins in earnest.
So, here we have it: The national development plan project being
officially launched at The College of The Bahamas; funding, and no doubt
technical support, being provided by The Inter-American Development
Bank; a secretariat formed with a seasoned civil servant at the helm
with a supporting team of six; a moribund governmental department being
given new life under the office of the prime minister; and a slew of
ideas from the public and private sector just waiting to be fleshed out
in a systematic and mechanical manner that makes sense.
But before we titter with glee, we must be mindful, as is Dr.
Virgil-Rolle, on the pitfalls that a process like this may encounter.
And with that we should add a few more notes along with that to boot.
For starters, we hope that any document, work or theoretical rendering
offered up through this process, does not end up on the shelf along with
the other reams and reams of documents, as Dr. Virgil-Rolle suggests
that we should not want to happen. This is why my initial reaction to
this undertaking was: Will this plan and the works produced prove to be
useful as a final product?
Without a doubt it must be seen as useful, and public buy-in essential.
To that end, we should strive for a superior product, one that goes deep
into the recesses of our culture, attitude towards social living and
government and find the root causes of things and seek ways and means to
correct them.
We are under the assumption that this national development plan is being
designed with the sole purpose of building a better, common life for
all of us. So the final product must be one that speaks to that
primarily, and not one that speaks just for speaking's sake or offers up
what conventional wisdom from the current structure says is good for
us.
Another point for consideration is with the notion of something like
this can be done by June, 2015. I'm not certain that a properly done,
well reasoned, well researched and well drafted plan that has any
intentions of execution on any portion can be completed in that short
space of time.
For example, extensive consultations with experts, both local and
foreign, need to take place. Extensive research, engineering studies,
international and national risk assessments, scientific studies and
other various means of studies must be produced from these consultations
and a focusing of this information must then be channelled. In
addition, financial analysis, economic impact assessments under
different scenarios and stress indicators need to be taken into
consideration along with various counter-measures and policy
recommendations when something works too well, works half-way, doesn't
work at all, or is deleterious to the entire framework of national
development.
During the 2002-2007 political administration, there was a study done on
how to enhance the human resources of the civil service. The time it
took to analyse, detail, collate and present a document that made sense,
even without the necessary recommendations for policy changes and
legislation drafted, took more than 2 and 1/2 years. This was just with
regard to the proper alignment of the human resources of the civil
service, and not anything with regard to technological modernization,
product and service efficiency, or facilities maintenance or how does
one finance all of this.
More fundamentally, you need data. Both historic data along with
actionable and working data in real time. Data, statistics, quantitative
studies and qualitative logical-frameworks have historically been
neglected in The Bahamas.
Just to give you an idea of what I mean, I was a guest on the talk-show
"Connected" a few days back with a colleague of mine, Lester R. Cox, on
Guardian Radio's, 96.9fm. Cox presented to the listening audience a
study on social progress and asked the audience that, out of 150 plus
countries, where they thought The Bahamas ranked in the world? The
answer was that The Bahamas wasn't ranked at all, because there wasn't
enough data provided from The Bahamas on any of the study's indicators.
I'd also have to add that when doing research on The Bahamas, or reading
any working paper or policy document on The Bahamas, Caribbean,
regional or world comparative document, other than broad based,
macro-economic and financial data compiled through virtue of our budget
process that the international organizations like the IMF, IDB, World
Bank and the UN use to make their broad assessments, The Bahamas is
always noticeably under-represented, or figures absent due to lack of
available and reliable data.
This is just for starters when we talk about crafting a meaningful
development plan that one wishes not to be placed on the shelf with the
other un-read and under-utilized policy recommendations for The Bahamas.
From my estimation there is a lot to be done. A lot to be done properly
if we are about to do what it is that was said will be done.
We shouldn't waste our time on a product that would just sit on the
shelf. We should have a totally defined document based high minded
methods and see it as a working and living document. A working, living
document that induces action on first best information and not reduce
itself and all of us to low-ball expectations.
Along with it being a perpetual work in progress, it should also be a
check-list for things we are about to do and the things we actually want
done. Not what a small sub-section of the structure feels would be
best, but what we as Bahamians want and need done.
We deserve no less than that.
Read more by Youri Kemp
Youri Aramin Kemp, is
President and CEO of "KEMP GLOBAL", a Management Consultancy firm, based
in the Bahamas which serves all markets. Our core competencies are:
Business and Project Planning and Design; Project Execution; Market
Researchn and Analysis; and Operations Development. Through our
affiliates, we offer Construction Services; Public Relations Services;
and IT and back office support to small and medium sized businesses.
Email: globalviewtoday@gmail.com
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