Thirty-three Senior leaders within the Government of Montserrat will from August 2021 to June 2022 embark on an 11 month accelerated executive learning programme intended to foster the development and sustainability of strong leadership within the public service.
The Senior Leaders Development Programme was designed by the Learning and Development Division within the Human Resources Management Unit (HRMU) at the direction of the Honourable Deputy Governor, Mrs. Lyndell Simpson to address the leadership gaps that exist within the service. The intervention will allow public officers from the Senior Assistant Secretary level up to the Permanent Secretary level to gain insight into strong effective leadership, thereby supporting succession planning within the Government of Montserrat.
This is intended to promote the development of a well-trained, motivated and ethical public service, capable of competently managing resources, people and programmes. The leadership gaps that will be addressed in the programme include effective planning, building stakeholder relationships, customer service and delivery, leading in complexity, relationship management, conflict management and emotional intelligence.
The participants will first be required to complete a 360 assessment which will provide data on their leadership competencies, strengths and weaknesses, after which they will be paired with an executive coach to address identified areas for improvement. The 360 assessment tool will be used to measure nine (9) competencies which align with the Government of Montserrat’s competency framework. These are communicating, meeting and presenting, coping with pressure, driving for results, innovating and creating, leading others, planning and organisation, problem solving, and working well with others.
The Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD) will facilitate the second module of the programme which will consist of virtual and face to face workshops, as well as one on one and group coaching sessions over the next year.
To further realize the Office of the Deputy Governor’s mandate of digital transformation, the Government of Montserrat’s Human Resources Information System (HRIS) InSync will be used to track and monitor the progress of the programme.
The system will provide participants, facilitators and coaches with an interactive, virtual platform to interface and exchange resources for maximum impact. The InSync platform will also enable quality assurance by the Learning and Development Division.