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Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Eileen Gillard got it right when she said, ‘Our future growth relies on competitiveness and innovation, skills and productivity […] and these in turn rely on the education of our people.’

The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC), the local body tasked with ensuring that the optimum conditions exist to facilitate an environment of maximum productivity and competitiveness and continued economic growth, remains committed to partnering with organizations which not only understand the importance of but are also invested in the Council’s mandate.

 In elaborating the Work Programme for the 2017-2018 period, the Council identified capacity building as critical component to improving employee productivity and ultimately the quality of service and the output in both the public and private sectors. Similarly it was agreed that investing in the training and development of employees would be key in achieving the mindset change necessary to advance the productivity and competitiveness agenda locally and ultimately encourage sustainable economic growth.

Consequently, when the NCPC Technical Secretariat was approached by the team from Celestial Self Development Centre, the Eastern Caribbean Franchisee for Franklin Covey, to partner to offer the critically acclaimed 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity Workshop in Saint Lucia, the decision was simple.

The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity, one of the many solutions offered by Franklin Covey, is aimed at empowering individuals by allowing them to “be more selective, and make high-impact choices about how and where they choose to invest their time, attention and energy.”

The one-day workshop which was held at the Bay Gardens Hotel in Rodney Bay on Wednesday, November 29, was attended by nine (9) participants from the public and private sector; of which three (3) were from the Department of Finance.

In opening the session, Programme Facilitator and experience trainer Mrs. Thecla Deterville informed that the focus during the 5 Choices training would not be on getting things done but rather getting the right things done. She said, ‘It is so easy to get inundated with activities which have little or no return. The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity is about finding the delicate balance between the important and unimportant activities. Today, we are going to learn how to make the right choices for maximum results in all aspects of our lives.’

Throughout the day, participants had an opportunity to define what extraordinary productivity meant to them from both a professional and personal standpoint, while engaging in lively discussions and exercises and sharing experiences and best practices.

The day ended with each participant sharing on what their key take-away was from the activity.

Donna Louis, Human Resource Officer in the Department of Finance, indicated that the workshop had left her with a renewed appreciation for the importance of living above the noise. She said, ‘Choice 3: Schedule the Big Rocks, Don’t Sort the Gravel is very important in my role as HRO. I am looking forward to applying the concepts learnt here today to identify the tasks which are not only important but yield the maximum output. Training like this 5 Choices Programme makes all the difference in helping to change mindsets and dispel the notion that being busy is equivalent to being productive. I look forward to immediately applying what I learnt here today and helping to change the way things are done in not only my department but within the public service.’

Since 2016, Celestial Self Development Centre has hosted the 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity in Saint Lucia. This recent collaboration with the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council is testimony to the organization’s commitment to addressing the state of productivity in Saint Lucia.

New Deadline- November 15th, 2017

If you are a group of 3 or more firms willing to collaborate on a joint project, this initiative may be for you! This call for proposals aims to fund cluster initiatives that can help Caribbean firms to grow, generate employment and export to new markets.

 

The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) has partnered with Celestial Self Development Centre, franchise owner of FranklinCovey East Caribbean to celebrate Saint Lucia Productivity Awareness Week by hosting a 1-Day 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity work-session.

The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity process measurably increases productivity of individuals, teams, and organizations. Participants make more selective, high-impact choices about where to invest their valuable time, attention, and energy. The programme is designed to provide the in-depth skills, knowledge, and attitudes that allow individual contributors, teams, and organizations to be able to identify, validate, and act on what’s most important. It inspires participants to apply a process that will dramatically increase their ability to achieve life’s most important outcomes. Supported by science and years of experience, this solution not only produces a measurable increase in productivity, but also provides a renewed sense of engagement and accomplishment.

This time and life management workshop will help participants focus on how to get the right things done. This discernment enables them to make wiser decisions, harness technology to enhance workflow, and put their finest attention and energy on executing what matters most.

This is what participants have to say about this training programme

Client Testimonial 1

Client Testimonial 2

The workshop takes place on October 25th 2017 from 8:30am to 5:00pm at the Bay Gardens Inn, Rodney Bay. The program cost US$850 per participant. The cost includes, a Pre and Post Assessment, Participant’s Workshop Materials as well as break and lunch. The more participants you register, the more you save! 

Work-session Objectives:

v  Understand the key productivity problems of the 21st century.

v  Articulate the language and methodology of ‘discerning’ important from less important.

v  Structure what extraordinary looks like in your current, most important roles.  

v  Implement weekly and daily planning processes to identify, schedule and execute on high-impact priorities.

v  Explore how to manage appointments, tasks, contacts, notes and documents.

v  Apply demonstrated Outlook or Lotus Notes ‘master moves’ and planning system to align your technology.

v  Understand the impact of brain health and the 5 Energy Drivers on day-to-day performance

v  Put together a process for implementing the 5 Choices

The Process:

The 5 Choices process includes a Pre-assessment, which gives participants an opportunity to examine their level of productivity;  a one-day work session, where participants learn how to apply the 5 choices; a 5-Week Quick Start Action Plan to ensure skills, language, and behaviors are practiced and become part of the day-to-day culture; a Post-Assessment, and Report Session 5 weeks after the workshop to share their success stories and give concrete examples of improved productivity.

CEU (Continuing Education Unit) credits according are awarded to all those who participate in this world-class seminar according to the number of instructional hours associated with the program.

Are you ready to reach Extraordinary Productivity?

Complete the registration form Registration Form and return to celestial@candw.lc.

As part of ongoing efforts to increase awareness and cultivate a greater sensitivity towards productivity and competitiveness among Saint Lucians, the National Productivity and Competitiveness Council (NCPC) of Saint Lucia is getting set to host its fourth annual Productivity Awareness Week (PAW) from October 16 to 20 under the theme: ‘Empowering Human Resources for Greater Productivity.’

According to Executive Director of the NCPC, Mrs. Fiona Hinkson, this year’s activities will focus on reinforcing the importance of investing in the human resource as means of enhancing productivity as this ultimately impacts Saint Lucia’s competitiveness and economic growth.

“Human capital is a firm’s greatest asset. By investing in the capacity and ability of employees, companies are able to drastically improve employee performance and productivity. A critical component in addressing the productivity and competitiveness challenges that we continue face, is ensuring that we are able to adapt to the ever-changing environment by equipping our employees with the necessary skillset to face these challenges. Training and development is the first step towards developing employees who are competent, productive and solution-oriented. We are happy to start this process by working with the Public Sector this year for Productivity Awareness Week.”

The highlight of Productivity Awareness Week will be three days of workshops drawing employees at all levels across the various Ministries and Departments within the public sector. This training will run from Monday, October 16 to Wednesday, October 18 at the Finance Administrative Centre at Pointe Seraphine.

Participants will tackle the theme of Emotional Intelligence on Days 1 and 2 in a workshop entitled, “Enhancing Productivity Using Emotional Intelligence.” These sessions will be co-ordinated by Trainer and Psychologist, Ms. Constance-Ann Akuffo-Paul of Employee Assistance Solutions.

Day 3 will be facilitated by local Human Resource and Business Consultancy and licensed facilitator of the FranklinCovey franchise in the Eastern Caribbean, Celestial Self Development Centre. The areas of Delegation, Employee Engagement and Motivation will be covered in a workshop coined “Building a Highly Empowered Workforce through Effective Delegation.”

The training exercises for the week will develop and build on some of the core skills which are critical to job performance. The attitudes and current practices among participants will be assessed with a view towards improving the employee efficiency.

The NCPC recognises the importance of productivity as an issue of national importance and has issued a wider call to the private sector and individuals to use Productivity Awareness Week as an opportunity to reflect on ways in which they can empower themselves for greater productivity.

 About the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC)

Established in October 2013, The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) is responsible for the identification of key issues related to competitiveness and productivity in Saint Lucia.

The NCPC and its Technical Secretariat is committed to providing the necessary advocacy and research to produce timely and effective recommendations to policymakers on issues that affect both competitiveness and productivity on island. For more information about productivity or on the NCPC, visit www.stluciancpc.org; www.facebook.com/stluciancpc, call 468-2592/2591/1587 or send an e-mail to stluciancpc@gmail.com

Move your team “Beyond Effectiveness” and help them learn how to survive, thrive, and excel at making intentional and consistent high value decisions!

Celestial Self Development Centre, franchise owner of FranklinCovey East Caribbean has partnered with National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) to celebrate Saint Lucia Productivity Awareness Week (PAW) by hosting a 1-Day 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity work-session.

The 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity process measurably increases productivity of individuals, teams, and organizations. Participants make more selective, high-impact choices about where to invest their valuable time, attention, and energy. The programme is designed to provide the in-depth skills, knowledge, and attitudes that allow individual contributors, teams, and organizations to be able to identify, validate, and act on what’s most important. It inspires participants to apply a process that will dramatically increase their ability to achieve life’s most important outcomes. Supported by science and years of experience, this solution not only produces a measurable increase in productivity, but also provides a renewed sense of engagement and accomplishment.

This time and life management workshop will help participants to make wiser decisions, harness technology to enhance workflow, and put their attention and energy on executing what matters most.

The workshop takes place on October 25th 2017 from 8:30am to 5:00pm at the Bay Gardens Inn, Rodney Bay.

PAW is slated for October 16th – 22nd, 2017 and will focus on enhancing human capacity in the form of the knowledge and skills acquisition that ultimately affect performance and have a huge bearing on productivity.

Celestial SDC has had the privilege of conducting the 5 Choices work-session for organizations in the; Financial, Hospitality and Healthcare sectors.

The program will be co-facilitated by Geraldine Lendor-Gabriel and Ms. Thecla Deterville, licensed FranklinCovey Facilitators, East Caribbean.

For more information or to register contact Celestial SDC at 1(758)453-1924 / celestial@candw.lc

 

Building an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the importance of competitiveness and productivity to our economic well-being is one of the key mandates of the NCPC.

Every year, for Productivity Awareness Week (held during the month of October) the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) co-ordinates activities aimed at raising awareness of productivity and encouraging initiatives that lead to productivity enhancement.

Productivity Awareness Week will be observed from October 16th- 20th, 2017, under the theme, Empowering Human Resources for Greater Productivity.

The focus for PAW 2017 will be enhancing/developing human capacity through the acquisition of knowledge and skills which will improve employee performance with a view towards enhancing productivity.

To find out more about Productivity Awareness Week and the work of the NCPC.  Find us on Facebook;  www.fb.com/stluciancpc or visit our website; www.stluciancpc.org .

 

Against a bleak global backdrop characterized by slow to stagnant economic growth, members of the ECCU and ECCB converged on St. Kitts and Nevis during March for the Inaugural Growth Dialogue aimed at addressing the economic decline in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) over the past two decades.

The forum which was held under the theme, “Working Together to Achieve Higher and More Inclusive Growth in the ECCU” afforded Social Partners the opportunity to directly engage the Monetary Council of the ECCB and other key development partners (namely OECS, World Bank, CDB) on the issue of economic growth and development, by identifying key challenges which they presently face and pinpointing opportunities which should be prioritized as part of the Growth Action Plan.

In his overview on the performance of the ECCU, ECCB Governor Timothy Antoine, highlighted the slow   economic growth of the ECCU and noted that it was an opportune time for the region to collectively “ defend our vital economic interests and advance the well-being of our people [,] especially our youth.”

The Dialogue on the ECCU Growth Action Plan, which was held in Saint Lucia on  September 5 as a  follow-up to the Growth Dialogue held in March sought to solidify the Growth Action plan by reaching a consensus on key regional and more particularly national action points that will address growth challenges and promote further economic growth, competitiveness and employment within the ECCU.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Senator the Honourable Dr. Raymond commended the ECCB and the OECS for initiating and spearheading this timely discussion on economic growth within the sub-region. He said,

 

“This one-day consultation on growth, though small, is a critical element of a broader strategy on achieving greater, sustainable growth within the ECCU.  […]

Saint Lucia, and by extension the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union is at a critical juncture in its history, particularly on the heels of the economic difficulties of the recent past, and a future filled with uncertainty occasioned by, inter alia, de-risking, more frequent and extreme weather events, and geopolitical developments such as Brexit. In this moment, it is imperative that our leaders both locally and regionally, band together and find common cause, stand tall and take decisive and collective action to protect our economic interests and advance the well-being of our people. “

 

Similar national consultations are scheduled to be held across the ECCU during the month of September. The ECCU and the OECS Commission will work with national focal points to host these interventions which will bring together a network of policymakers, youth leaders and activists, private and public sector representatives, civil society organization representatives and  religious bodies to name a few.

An initiative has begun in St. Lucia to determine what sectors, policies and regulations could spur St. Lucia’s competitiveness and drive inclusive long term economic growth.

The Dialogue for Private Sector Development and Economic Growth held on July 27th at the Finance Administrative Centre was driven and facilitated by Compete Caribbean through its local focal point the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council. 

In his address Minister for Finance Senator Dr. Ubaldus Raymond, noted the timeliness of the initiative coming as St. Lucia lagged behind in productivity and innovation.

He lamented that “Unfortunately, St. Lucia is no longer ranked first place in the region in the World Bank’s Doing Business indicators. This situation is further compounded by low levels of productivity and innovation, as well as lack of competitiveness”.

The Minister noted that government has been working on a Private Sector Development Strategy and a National Export Strategy in its efforts to stimulate economic growth.

Dr. Raymond added that “The Government is therefore committed to leading the process by creating the enabling environment which will support private sector-led growth. This support will be channelled through the NCPC and other agencies of government in collaboration with our development partners such as Compete Caribbean”.

Mrs. Fiona Hinkson of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council detailed the successes of the NCPC in advancing the island’s competitiveness and noted her organisation’s readiness to facilitate the dialogue.

The NCPC Executive Director expounded on the functions of her organisation noting that “We actively research on factors and principles of productivity and competitiveness in order to inform policy, project design, and dissemination of key indicators”.

Dr. Sylvia Dohnert, the Executive Director of Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility said this private sector development program has agreed to fund three projects that will lead to meaningful reform or the institutional strengthening needed for business growth in St. Lucia. Similar offers are being made to other OECS States.

She noted that one call for proposals “is at the national level in each country and is about a policy or regulatory reform or institutional strengthening projects that St. Lucia wants Compete Caribbean to fund.”

The Compete Caribbean Program was launched in 2011, with a view to increasing productivity and stimulating private sector development in region. Building upon the successes of Phase 1, Phase II (2017-2020), funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development and the Caribbean Development Bank is intended to further facilitate private sector development and economic growth in the region.

The second call for proposals targets clusters with bias towards job creation. Dr. Dohnert described clusters as “groups of firms that do things together. In the first phase of COMPETE Caribbean we found them to be very powerful, over 5000 jobs were created through 8 clusters that we supported”.

A deadline of August 31st has been set for the receipt of submissions. Proposals for clusters can be submitted directly to Compete Caribbean (competecaribbean@iadb.org).  Proposals for policy or regulatory reform and institutional strengthening should be forwarded to the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council:

The Executive Director,

National Competitiveness and Productivity Council,

4th Floor, Finance Administrative Centre

Pointe Seraphine

Castries, Saint Lucia

Further details can be obtained by downloading the Compete Caribbean Partnership Facility Call for Proposals  or from the NCPC via e-mail stluciancpc@gmail.com or telephone 468-1587.

 

 

 

According to the recent IDB publication “Engine of Growth?”, Caribbean enterprises are performing worse than those in the Rest of the Small Economies (ROSE).  It was estimated that average sales and employment growth of Caribbean firms was only 40 percent and 66 percent, respectively, of ROSE comparators.   Further, Caribbean firms’ performance has worsened over time, and most firms are stagnant, with the proportion of stagnating firms increasing from 50 to 87 percent from 2010 to 2014. It is in this context, that governments and local, regional and international development agencies have been intensifying efforts to support private sector development as a catalyst for growth.

Compete Caribbean is intended to support the region in increasing productivity and Caribbean firms’ contribution to economic growth.  Phase I of the Compete Caribbean (2010-2017), formally concluded at the end of February 2017. According to an end-of-program evaluation, Compete’s 101 technical assistance projects that involved national regulatory or policy reforms, institutional strengthening, and direct support to the private sector and knowledge production generated over 12,000 jobs in the region, increased revenues of firms and clusters by USD$153m (41%), and increased overall exports by USD$37m (23%). Phase II  (2017-2020) is a joint initiative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Caribbean Development Bank.

In an effort to support the region in increasing productivity levels and Caribbean firms’ contribution to economic growth, Compete Caribbean and Saint Lucia’s National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) are collaborating to host an important dialogue titled “Stimulating Private Sector Development and Economic Growth”.  Executive Director of Compete Caribbean, Dr. Sylvia Dohnert, says this dialogue is an important milestone for the Caribbean region.

“The intention is to not only sensitize stakeholders on the state of private sector development (PSD) in the region and the importance of PSD for economic development but similarly to increase awareness of current private sector development best practices and solutions that have achieved successful outcomes in other countries. We are elated to be collaborating with the NCPC on this initiative. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to create an environment which is increasingly competitive and in which businesses are able to flourish” she said.

Dr. Dohnert elaborated that the Forum provides a strategic platform for the private and public sector, civil society and academia to discuss national PSD priorities within the context of technological change and innovation.

The dialogue will feature presentations on The Imperatives for Innovation, as well as inspiring examples from the Caribbean region that demonstrate how to use innovation to stimulate development and growth. Representatives from local and regional agencies are expected to attend this event. These include members of professional associations, financial institutions, entrepreneurship associations, academia, non-governmental organizations and the public sector.

 

The idea of productivity seldom conjures up thoughts of eating healthy and staying fit. The truth however, is that without a healthy body, one cannot be productive. Generally when we speak of productivity, reference is made to improving on time management, working efficiently, and making effective use of our scarce resources. 

It is also critically important for the country’s workforce to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Our people are an important endowment that Saint Lucia is blessed with and making productive use of our human resources is essential in promoting productivity as well as competitiveness.  Therefore, we need a workforce that is well qualified and healthy.

In today’s fast-paced world, the idea of eating a balanced diet and maintaining an exercise regimen can seem like a luxury rather than a necessity. However, in the long run, taking the time needed to eat well-balanced meals and to exercise regularly increases productivity.

Studies recently conducted at University of Los Angeles have found that many individuals employed within the business sector are falling sick due to poor diets and the lack of exercise. The result of this is ultimately a loss of productivity within organisations due to days lost as a result of persons being away from work.

Within the publication ‘Smart Business’, Dr. David Heber, professor of medicine and director of the UCLA Centre for Human Nutrition states,

‘By not being active, many are losing muscle and putting on fat because they tend to eat the same amount of food that they ate before. Skipping meals doesn’t really help (either) because your body tends to compensate later. Also, by skipping meals, you often don’t get the vitamins, minerals and protein that you need. The end result is that you lose muscle and gain fat, usually around the middle. This leads to a lot of serious problems. An example of which is ‘metabolic syndrome’. This is a form of high blood pressure, high blood fats and high blood sugar. It occurs in about 50 percent of people between the ages of 40 and 60. It can lead to heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and cancer.’

What can we do about this? Dr. Heber believes the solution is a simple one- eat a healthier diet, (which means a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables), and exercise about 30 minutes a day. He stresses that from a business perspective, an employee’s health is vital to productivity. For this reason, people should not skip lunch due to a meeting, or ignore sleep with the intention of finishing a report.

‘The brain requires blood glucose, or sugar from food and it also needs the protein that you find in foods. So when people don’t eat, the number one thing that happens is that they become less energetic, less able to think clearly and less able to do their jobs. Productivity will go down when you’re not eating properly. Nutrition is very important for mental activity, maintaining productivity.

For those employed within a profession that demands physical activity, it is even worse. Anyone employed in such a job requires very good nutrition, exercise and rest or they will lose the muscles needed and possibly suffer an injury’.

Although employers can play a major role in encouraging their employees to be healthier, the onus truly lies on the individual to recognise that performing at full potential requires attention being paid to one’s health.

Recently in a post for linkedin.com called ‘Productivity Hacks- It’s All In The Eyes’, entrepreneur Richard Branson discussed how his eye sight at one time limited his productivity.  He found a solution through the use of reading lenses. Even with this being the case, Branson still practices certain measures that as a businessman enable him to function positively and productively throughout the day. He writes,

‘As so many of us spend hours glued to our mobile, laptop or tablet screens, if you aren’t careful you can damage your creativity as well as your eyes. By resting your eyes from the screen you can also relax your mind and create the space to come up with new ideas.

Look at your emails in bursts, don’t constantly check them all day or you will never get anything done. Manage your mobile, don’t let it manage you. And remember to look after your body – including your eyes! You’ll soon see you get lots more done, feel healthier and can read all about it’.

About the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC)

Established in October 2013, The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (NCPC) is responsible for the identification of key issues related to competitiveness and productivity in Saint Lucia.

The NCPC and its Technical Secretariat is committed to providing the necessary advocacy and research to produce timely and effective recommendations to policymakers on issues that affect both competitiveness and productivity on island. For more information about productivity or on the NCPC, visit www.stluciancpc.org; www.facebook.com/stluciancpc ,call 468-5571/5576 or send an e-mail to stluciancpc@gmail.com