Building on the momentum of its successful Productivity Awareness Week 2024, held under the theme “The AI Effect: Using Innovation to Reshape Productivity and Enhance Competitiveness,” the NCPC is advancing its efforts to promote transformative innovation.
One notable initiative is Info Cloudsuite, an AI-powered platform introduced by the Government of Saint Lucia through the Department of Finance. This cutting-edge system is set to revolutionize the management of Human Resources, Budgeting, and Finance functions across government operations.
Shantal Ottley, Director of Human Resource Management at the Department of the Public Service said the new Human Capital Management module will revolution the delivery of HR services for the public sector.
“We’ve done some preliminary analysis and we recognize that this system is actually going to allow us to automate about 50 or so of our HR processes at the Department of the Public Service. So that means we will be able to get a few of our functions done in quick time and of course that will permit the HROs now to get involved in the softer side of the human resource management functions.”
Public Officer in HR, Budget and Finance are currently receiving training in the three core modules of Info Cloudsuite. Budget Director, Fiona Hinkson anticipated the productivity gains this new system will achieve.
“So for us in the Budget Office we’re looking forward to the roll out of this system as it will enable the Budget Analyst to do more quality analysis. As we move away from paper base we will be able to build efficiencies in the system, we will be able to work with the accountants to ensure that their expenditure is well recorded, our budget is done in a timely manner and of course we also have our deadline that we have to meet. Sending to budget across to Parliament for approval.”
Deputy Budget Director Swithin Donelly highlighted the platform’s interoperability, emphasizing its ability to improve government data integrity while streamlining essential processes. He noting that Saint Lucia is one of the first in the region to roll out such a system.
“Importantly for the beginning, the budgeting process, must provide the funds for the three to marry. So the Questica Budgeting System would of course look to, in terms of the script would be able to look to a HCM to verify that this in indeed an employee of government who has been promoted so the funds need to be made for that promotion. An employee in one department has been moved to another department, the HCM would of course manage that. So you would have the true source of each of the functions working together which you call the interoperability of the system working together to ensure that the information is correct, the correct budgeting has been made, the correct reports fed from the true source and of course all will be working in tandem.”
The Department of Finance is committee to make productivity gains through the integrating Ai empowered solutions and strategies and the upskilling of public officers to keep abreast with the technological advances.