Work Permit Department sees increased productivity

THE WORK Permit Department in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is experiencing significant efficiency in operations under its Productivity Improvement Project implemented in December 2016.

Spearheaded by the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC), through partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the project is boosting productivity through business process re-engineering.

It is part of a thrust to modernise and transform critical areas of the ministry in keeping with the Government’s public-sector transformation programme.

Among measures undertaken are streamlining of the filing system, the establishment of a chart depicting key performance indicators (KPIs), and the implementation of team-building measures.

“The result has been very far-reaching,” said director of the unit, Lisa-Ann Grant, during a media tour of the ministry’s North Street offices in Kingston on March 11.

“We are now able to track our results based on the KPIs that we have developed. We reward those who have worked and those who keep the team going. I am really proud of my team,” she noted. She said that the department is now delivering high-quality service and that team members accept that they have to be “more productive with the resources that we have”.

Grant said that the Unit intends to share its experiences and successes with other entities.

Chief technical director at JPC, Tamar Nelson, credited the success of the project to the training provided by JICA and financial assistance from the Inter-American Development Bank.

“We are very happy with the outcome. We could not have done it without the cooperation that we have received through JICA,” she noted.

‘Among measures undertaken are streamlining of the filing system, establishment of a chart depicting key performance indicators, and the implementation of team-building measures.’