BACKGROUND

CIVIL Service Week is celebrated every year during the third week of November. It is a gazetted event declared by a proclamation of then Governor General Sir Howard Cooke in 1992.

This year, the celebration was observed from November 17 to 23, preceded by the official launch on Wednesday, November 13, under the theme: ‘Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence’. In addition, preceding the week’s celebrations was the second staging of the Civil Service Week/First Heritage Co-operative Credit Union 5K Walk/Run on Saturday, November 16, 2019. This 5K Walk/Run was held under the theme; ‘Supporting Women in Crisis.’

Each year, a charity is also undertaken by the Civil Service Week Steering Committee during the week. This year’s charity is the Woman Incorporated (Woman Inc). Woman Inc is a crisis centre that addresses issues such as rape, incest, domestic violence, domestic crisis, and sexual harassment.

The activities of the week highlight various aspects of government functions, feature public officers’ contributions to social life, honour worthy civil servants, showcase different types of talent existing within the public sector, and give back of substance in a charitable way to the chosen organisation.

The week commenced with islandwide church services with the main one being held on Sunday, November 17, 2019, in Kingston at the Oslon Church of God located at 35 Hope Road. Other activities throughout the week long celebration includes:

• Monday Nov 18, 2019 – Jamaica Civil Service Association Event

• Tuesday Nov 19, 2019 – Civil Service Week School Sensitisation Tour

• Wednesday Nov 20, 2019 – the Jamaica Civil Service Long Service Awards

• Thursday Nov 21, 2019 – CSWMinistry/Department/ Agency Quiz Competition

• Thursday Nov 21, 2019

– Jamaica Civil Service Association Secondary School Quiz Competition

• Thursday Nov 21, 2019 – CSW in-house sessions

• Thursday Nov 21, 2019 – CSW Domino Knock Out Session

• Friday, Nov 22, 2019 – AfterWork Lyme

• Saturday, Nov 23, 2019 – Charity Handing Over

Civil Service Week is geared towards the development of a task force that is poised with purpose to continuously advance the public sector through celebrations with theme- and objectivefocused activities. The themes are strategically chosen each year to highlight the vision of building a nation fit to work, raise families, and do business. The objective in hosting the week’s activities is to increase the morale of employees towards a motivated effort for effectiveness and efficiency in ‘Building and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence’.

Civil Service Week Steering Committee – exercising and encouraging the principles of a FIT team:

• F – Fairness

• I – Integrity

• T – Teamwork

• T – Transparency

• E – Excellence

• A – Accountability

• M – Mutual respect