MINISTER of State, Joseph Harmon on Wednesday charged a gathering of public servants to be the change in shaping the public service here.
“You contribute significantly to the way in which your organisation is perceived; many of you are the first point of contact between your organisation and the public,” he said.

“You, therefore, can be powerful change-agents when you look to the perception and the reality of public service in our country,” he told an audience that was almost entirely made up of women.

The occasion was the Annual Administration and Professionals Seminar, now in its 21st year, which was held at the Pegasus Hotel and saw in attendance representatives from over 41 agencies from all across Guyana.

Delivering the feature address at the opening ceremony, Minister Harmon welcomed the inclusion of representatives from Regions One (Barima-Waini), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) for the first time.

Apart from the three regions at reference, the event also saw first-time attendance from representatives of the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA), the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Agriculture, the Guyana Prison Service, Dynamic Engineering, the Division of Health Sciences, and President’s College.

Seeing the seminar as an investment in improving the quality of the public service, Minister Harmon said:
“These training programmes have had a direct impact on the quality of performance which we see in government and in public service.
“The benefits will endure long after you’ve attended this program, and your organisation will be the better for your attending here today.”

The training was administered by Zoywins Consultancy and Training Institute under the theme: “Look in the Mirror”.

The opening ceremony also saw remarks from a number of notables, including Guyana Water Inc’s Dr. Richard Van-West Charles; University of Guyana’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr Michael Scott; and former Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Frank Narine.

Zoywins Consultancy CEO, Mavis Benn, during her opening statements told the audience that the seminar’s focus is on areas where participants can work on self-improvement, not only in their professional environment but in their personal lives as well.

The day’s agenda included a presentation on “Micro-managing vs Macro-managing against a Professional Back Drop” by Dr. Van-West Charles, while Benn took participants through an analysis of the seminar’s theme.

There was also a panel discussion, following which participants were presented with memorabilia and certificates.