“In order to have become an Administrative Cadet, you must have earned at least a first degree, but this is only the first tier. Our Prime Minister, the Rt. Honourable Perry Gladstone Christie, in his initial charge to Permanent Secretaries in 2012, reminded that knowledge of your community, country (including its relationship with other countries) and the Public Service is paramount to the success of a Public Officer and the effectiveness of the public service they deliver,” said Minister Gibson.

“As you are no doubt aware, every member of the Public Service must do their part to implement the policies and priorities of the Government, efficiently, and effectively. Generally, the Government’s priorities are the focus of its budget and your task is to determine your Ministry’s role in their implementation. I charge you to familiarise yourselves with the budget contribution of every Minister of the Government for the fiscal year 2013/2014.”

Minister Gibson further advised the cadets to become acquainted with Government fiscal policies to fully understand the boundaries of their citizenship. He said they should obtain a copy of the recent contribution of the Honourable Prime Minister and become conversant with the details. He said they should know what is in it for themselves as individuals, for their families, and indeed for their communities because knowledge is power.

“Government’s business cannot be executed in a vacuum, but in accordance with the law. Therefore, to carry out your duties responsibly and effectively, become familiar with those areas of law that impact your work and terms and conditions of service. I challenge you to gain a working knowledge of the Constitution, Public Service Act, General Orders, and Public Service Commission Regulations as well as any other relevant Acts and their corresponding Regulations,” said Minister Gibson.

“As situations change and plans progress, competencies will be adjusted. It is therefore necessary to ensure that employees remain flexible or adaptable by engaging in continuous learning. I am advised one of the objectives of this special initiative is to provide opportunity for continuous learning and to encourage a personal commitment to professional development. There must be an awareness of the fact that today’s work affects tomorrow and that the onus is on each of you to develop a personal plan for your professional development and advancement. The primary responsibility is yours; we are here to help, to mentor, to coach, to encourage and to provide an enabling environment.”

Minister Gibson further said that the second tier of career development and one that complements knowledge is the development of the correct skill sets. He said excellent written and verbal communication techniques, teamwork, support and the work of inter-related Ministries, analytical skills, synergy, planning and execution of duties, as well,as the efficient management of time and priorities are among the top most attractive qualities of a career public servant.

“Your generation is technologically savvy. The downside is the loss of personal communication. In the Public Service, our clients in the main are human beings and some skills cannot become obsolete. It is the Government’s role to set priorities and policies. It is your role to articulate the policies and to find the best way to bring them to life in ways that will positively impact the stakeholders,” said Minister Gibson.

“An effective Public Service requires persons of integrity, persons who demonstrate initiative, accountability, sound ethical standards and who are able to produce excellent work without constant supervision. A country is judged by the character of its people and first and foremost its public servants. Moreover, I also wish to remind that as the second generation post-Independence it is your responsibility to be exemplars for the third generation and so it behoves you to engage in continuous self-examination.”

Minister Gibson said that knowledge and skills must be undergirded by attitude. He referred to an unknown author who wrote “To educate the mind and not the morals is to educate a menace to society”.

“You are members of the Public Service and ‘service’ must remain your by-word particularly to the public who pay your salaries. As interpersonal skills continue to deteriorate in our society, we are called to create and operate in environments of respect for supervisors, subordinates, colleagues and for diverse beliefs and cultures,” said Minister Gibson.

“Secondly, the advent of globalisation and the recent economic crisis have together placed a burden on all countries. The resultant effect is that each public officer must give value for money. At the end of every day, each of us must be satisfied that we have completed the required hours of work.”

Minister Gibson concluded by adding a third directive to complete the building of a public servant’s character. He said that Administrative Cadets are called to be helpful to those around them. He reminded that each person brings his own skill sets, which may not be that of academia or even similar to what they have.

“Everyone has not been afforded your opportunities in life, but everyone’s contributions have value. Let us strive to remain compassionate and empathetic,” said Minister Gibson.