TCI Ministry of Education Communication Strategy under construction

#TurksandCaicos, August 21, 2022 – One of the critical reform strategies emanating from the Ministry of Education, Labour, Employment & Customer Services Executive Retreat held in May 2022 sought to strengthen the Ministry’s Communications, Branding and Public Relations capabilities. The agreed output was the development of a Strategic Communication & Public Relations Policy that would provide a comprehensive blueprint to guide and bolster the Ministry’s communication efforts with our internal and external stakeholders.

To achieve this, the Ministry has mobilised a working group inclusive of a representative from each Department and Statutory Agency within its remit, that is tasked with the drafting of this policy. To support the working group and ensure a robust and comprehensive Communications Policy, capacity development in the dynamic area would be essential, to hone capacities and broaden knowledge and skills.

Through partnership with the National Security Secretariat, the Ministry of Education was able to share the services of a hired consultant Dr. Livingston White to facilitate a Training Workshop on Strategic Communications Planning & Public Relations exclusively for the Ministry of Education’s Team.

This Training & Development session took place on July 13th, 2022, and twenty-five members of staff participated in the hybrid session which allowed staff to participate face-to-face and virtually.

Facilitator, Dr. Livingston A. White is a senior lecturer and director (2018-2021) at the Caribbean School of Media and Communication (CARIMAC), at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus where he teaches courses in Communication Analysis and Planning, Social Marketing/Health Communication and Communication Research Methodology both at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Additionally, he has conducted research and facilitated numerous workshops on communication. These include workshops on effectively communicating during crisis conducted for Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) in the Bahamas, the British Virgin Islands and Barbados, as well as for the Department of Disaster Management & Emergencies, Ministry of Tourism, Heritage, Environment and Gaming, Turks & Caicos.

Vivian Easton Tyson, a local journalist with more than 20 years’ experience in hard news, entertainment, and sports writing was invited to make a presentation and facilitate discussions. Having a representative from the local media houses was important in this process, as engagement with stakeholders provides useful information to understand expectations, challenges, and other insights to inform our policy.

The Minister of Education, Labour, Employment and Customer Services, Hon. Rachel M. Taylor, noted the workshop training as “vital, because effective communication is fundamental to my Ministry’s programmes. It allows us to build relationships with stakeholders, avert misunderstandings and enables the Ministry to build a solid respectable image.”

The Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ms. Keisha Taylor lauded the programme as one which promotes “positive relationships between colleagues, media and other stakeholders as well as pro-social behaviours through the development of social and emotional skills.”

She also noted that, direct and open communication is fundamental to the Ministry’s communications Strategy and that effective communication is more than just pronunciation, intonation, or articulation, it enables the building of relationships, trust, unity, understanding, accountability and clarity of goals, objectives, and purpose.