This theme “Empowering Communities through Improved Governance” comes at an opportune time as it re-engages leadership to revisit purpose and to align same with
outcomes. We often hasten to look at leadership within the context of politics but for me leadership is embedded in all of us - All of us independent of a child whom
accountability rest with the parents.
Empowering communities creates the platform for governance and governance creates the platform for empowering communities. This means we are all in this together one
team – one success – one celebration. It is important that individuals consider themselves critical to the decision making process of the country. As the President of ALGAJ, I want all of us, especially those chief in responsibilities, to empower our communities to action through improved governance. How do we do this?
We do this by:
1. Knowing our key stakeholders – our influencers and non-influencers and create a map for engagement.
2. Knowing the history of your community– the good, the bad and the indifferent. This allows you the opportunity to know the culture and the space in which you
operate. It is an absolute waste of time and senseless to ask a carpenter to diagnose a medical problem. We want us to get it right the first time by engaging
the right people at the right time.
3. Knowing your assets – tangible and intangible. Know needs, ambitions and capacity within the environment in which you lead or live.
4. Be current and maximize on emergent technologies and social media.
5. Know what success looks like in the eyes of the people
6. Know what success looks like collaboratively – You and your people breaking the
thoughts into pieces; preparing each for action
7. Document/record- your plans, strategies, actions, successes or failures must be traceable and retrievable as lesson learns.
8. Think business, set targets and succession planning for continuity.
9. Develop self and that of your people. Your ideas may become redundant and new schools of thoughts are emerging.
10. Help to develop centralized repositories to share your stories and create the platform where lessons learnt are reinstituted if good and discarded if
meaningless.
11. Know me, focus me, value me and celebrate me – Know your people and let your people know you; focus decisions on the people and it is always important
to celebrate. Celebrate through appropriate rewards and recognition for work without play is futile. Value each person as a vital component to community
success. Listen to their needs and log them so that no need is forgotten.
As we continue to shape this nation, ALGAJ is proud of its achievement and continues to realize its mandate in:-
1) Demonstrating inclusion of citizens participation in the decision making process
2) Establishing inter-agency network in respective parishes for efficiency in quick response to the people's concern
3) Playing a vital role in amendment of the constitution for the inclusion of local government in the constitution - bringing the people to center of the
development and decision making
4) Participating and buy-in from property owners and by extension the communities to be tax compliant which has seen the target of $7 Billion
achieved in 2014/15
5) Develop systems to control climate change, mitigate disaster risks and promote a sustainable environment.
6) Accelerate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
7) Encourage peace and safety so our people enjoy their freedom
8) Alleviate poverty and discrimination through the promotion of all human right regulated measures.
9) Train and develop our people through the teaching and learning process with an aim to provide better service at all levels.
Local governance is seen as one of the most strategically positioned platform that can allow this nation to see real economic, political, social and financial growth. This lends
the opportunity to improve our communities and make Jamaica a place of choice. Local government wants to hear all views and therefore opens its door for consultation
and inclusion.
Act now!! Speak up and let us improve all our communities.
God Bless You.