The training was facilitated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development. Deputy Chief Economist Kerry Joseph-Matthew stated that the programme was geared at preparing public officers to build stronger national and sectoral development plans.
“We could appreciate that strategic planning is a function of all agencies, and so we are building the technical capacity across agencies to ensure that we are able to develop our national plan.”
Participants reviewed existing strategic plans to identify gaps and challenges, and develop practical solutions based on data and evidence. The training also equipped agencies to better position themselves to attract donor financing by clearly identifying development priorities and investment needs.
Joseph-Matthew said the timing of the workshop is especially significant as Saint Lucia prepares its National Development Plan and Medium-Term Development Strategy.
“The training would allow us to now go back, reflect and see the components of our plans that we need to strengthen. This also gives us a good opportunity because now Saint Lucia would be moving into developing its national plan and medium-term strategy going forward from 2026 to 2040, and so part of that process would be able to assist us in developing that plan.”
According to the World Economic Forum, organizations that embed strategic planning into decision-making are better positioned to anticipate change, manage uncertainty, allocate resources effectively and build long-term resilience. Rather than reacting to challenges, strategic planning enables governments to make informed, evidence-based decisions that improve outcomes for citizens.
Coordinator of Statistics and Social Development at ECLAC’s Caribbean Sub-regional Headquarters, Abdullahi Abdulkadri, says effective planning begins with reliable information.
“Why that is important is that we need to implement what we call the evidence-based processes, where you look at the data, you look at the evidence, and you use that data to plan the policies and programs which you are executing in the public sector. And in addition, we also need to make sure that there is coherence, what we call policy coherence, such that something we did five years ago needs to inform what we are doing currently, or what we anticipate will happen five years from now, we need to start planning for it. So, what is being done at the national level, also we need to align with that at the departmental level, such that if we’re doing something in a particular department, we should be able to relate it to what is being done by cabinet as a policy imperative for the country.”
He stresses that the true success of the programme will depend on participants applying what they have learned once they return to their respective organizations.
“We’re only here for a week and a half, and whatever we discuss here, if it doesn’t get implemented when the participants get back to their respective offices, then our impact will be limited. So, a critical aspect of this is to create room for those who actually participated in this workshop to be able to practice the knowledge that they gained in the workshop.”
ECLAC’s officials expressed their commitment to strengthening strategic planning across the public sector to enhance policy coordination, improve programme delivery, and ensure that national resources are directed toward initiatives that deliver the greatest impact to the people of Saint Lucia.