St Helena : St Helena - Revised Policy Framework and Priorities
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Public Relations Information Office) 21.08.2010 (Article Archived on 04.09.2010)
This month sees SHG departments preparing their Strategic Plans for the next 3 year period 2011/12 – 2013/14.
Revised Policy Framework and Priorities
This month sees SHG departments preparing their Strategic Plans for the next 3 year period 2011/12 – 2013/14. This follows on from the Away Day that took place at the Jamestown Community Centre on 25th June 2010, when Elected Members, Heads of Department, the Managing Director of SHDA and other officials undertook a review of the St Helena Government’s Policy Framework in order to identify the priorities for allocation of resources for the next three years.
The Policy Framework consists of three high level Goals and eleven Strategic Objectives which underpin the Vision for St Helena. This framework, which has as its base the National Strategic Objectives, builds upon the structure developed as part of the Sustainable Development Plan 2007 -10) and sets out Government’s policy intentions.
As a result of this year’s annual policy review, elected members have selected 10 policy priorities for the planning period 2011-2014. The priorities selected support each of the three Goals as follows:
Goal 1: A sustainable and vibrant economy
It is the St Helena Government’s (SHG) intention to develop and promote policies and processes which will encourage and promote local and overseas investment and, at the same time, improve productivity and efficiency thus creating an environment which embraces growth and prosperity.
To this end a number of priority areas/activities have been identified which will be addressed in support of this goal. These include:
· Improving access and ensuring the continuing availability of an affordable sea passenger and freight service to the island
· Improving the standard of education through provision of compulsory education and implementation of the Life Long Learning Strategy for Adult Vocational Education Strategy (AVES)
· Ensuring the efficient and effective implementation of an infrastructure plan that adequately responds to changing circumstances and addresses future needs
· Fostering a business climate that supports innovation, profitability and competiveness to enable local business to expand and develop particularly in areas of tourism, fisheries and agricultural production.
Goal 2: A healthy community in a safe environment
SHG aims to provide a quality health care system through improved policies, services and work practices, education and promotion of healthy lifestyles and providing a social environment which supports the community as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Addressing the following priority areas will help to ensure that this goal is met:
· Strengthening preventative health measures and health services
· Ensuring effective implementation of a contribution linked social security system,
including an island-wide pension scheme, employment minimum rights and protections enshrined in legislation and effective measures in place to safe guard children
· Strengthening capacity and performance in policing and internal security
· Improving the integration of disabled people into society.
Goal 3: Strong institutions of governance
In taking the island forward, it is essential that SHG ensures its policies and procedures are sufficiently robust, effective and accountable in its delivery of democratic values.
In achieving this goal, SHG has identified the following as priority areas to be taken forward within the next strategic planning period:
· Continuing to modernise the public service
· Establishing a long-term national plan.
These priorities have now been endorsed by Executive Council and will form the basis of SHG’s planning and resource allocation for the next three year planning and budgeting cycle.
The Strategic Planning Co-ordinator has in the meantime produced and issued all departments with a set of Instructions and guidelines which departments will use when preparing their departmental Strategic Plans.
The instructions/guidelines will help departments to identify their own key areas of development, as well as decide what action needs to be taken in order to achieve set targets and monitor progress.
To further assist departments in preparing their plans, the Strategic Planning Co-ordinator will be working with individual departments during this month as all plans must be completed in draft by 3 September 2010.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
18 August 2010
|
