…establishes mechanism to monitor implementation of decisions

THE CARICOM Results-Based Management (RBM) System, a monitoring and evaluation arrangement that seeks to ensure that member states implement the decisions of heads of governments in a timely fashion, is now being promoted here in Guyana.
Leading a team from the CARICOM Secretariat, on Monday, was Deputy Secretary General, Manorma Soeknandan, who is here to conduct the latest in a regional series of sensitization seminars on the RBM.

“We were too much focused on activities. RBM is the change that we are bringing,” Soeknandan told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on South Road.
The idea of the RBM System, although floating around some 18 years now, was finally realised to deal with the implementation deficit about which member states and heads of governments have been complaining for years.

Soeknandan told this publication that, at the moment, decisions of heads of governments are not being implemented in a timely way, or in some cases, not at all. Furthermore, she said the benefits of regional integration cannot be seen. “The RBM System will indicate to people where things are not being done where they are supposed to be done,” Soeknandan expressed.

She told reporters how an evaluation report will be done by the end of April which the media will have full access to, just after the sensitization seminars wrap up with Trinidad and Tobago.

“There is still an implementation deficit and in member states, [if] you are not doing what you’re supposed to do, it will have a backlash; it will have a negative effect,” Soeknandan said regarding the need for the said performance management system.

“You’re not performing. A waste of money, a waste of human resources, a waste of financial resources, you’re not meeting deadlines. You become a headache, and what happens then? You have an informal sanction,” she added.

The first phase of the project was funded by the Caribbean Development Bank to the tune of US$500,000 and the second phase will commence after the evaluation report is done.
Guyana’s Ambassador to CARICOM Charlene Phoenix, along with Director of Strategic Management at CARICOM Craig Beresford, were also present for the press briefing.
Phoenix observed that once the critical persons in the various agencies partner with the process, then it should be easy to implement.

Meanwhile, the seminars are being conducted for both state and non-state actors, including permanent secretaries, deputy permanent secretaries, international development partners, the private sector and the media, among others.

The seminars aim to inform and educate stakeholders on the functions of the RBM system, its importance in achieving the outcomes of the Community Strategic Plan, and on their own role in its utility, implementation and sustainability.

The first seminar was held for non-state actors Monday afternoon at the Police Training Centre, Eve Leary.

A CARICOM RBM Leadership Group has been established, comprising representatives from all regional institutions and member states to serve as champions and coaches in their respective entities, by promoting the adoption and utilisation of RBM and Monitoring and Reporting (M&R).

In addition to improving implementation and achievement of desired results, the RBM System is expected to improve transparency and accountability at all levels among the three implementation partners:- member states, regional institutions and the CARICOM Secretariat. Such will be facilitated by the Performance Measurement Framework which has been developed for each Pillar of the Strategic Plan 2015- 2019.