I am pleased, on behalf of the President and staff of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) to address you at this official launching of the Anguilla Community College Development Project. Over the next two days a team from the Bank will work with local personnel who will be undertaking the day-to-day implementation of the project. I am also pleased that over the next two days as well, we will be afforded the opportunity to interact with officers at the highest level of the Public Service to provide some insight into the country’s broad obligations to ensure effective and timely implementation of the project.
This project, the Anguilla Community College Development Project, addresses two key issues – the need for both physical and programme expansion to accommodate post-secondary and tertiary education, and the need to improve capacity to effectively administer and deliver such education in the country. In addressing the first issue, we are providing a dedicated home for the Anguilla Community College, allowing it, in addition to its current and proposed programming, to accommodate the Sixth Form currently located at the Albena Lake Hodge Comprehensive School. Addressing the second issue allows us to strengthen the College’s institutional capacity to manage and deliver post-secondary and tertiary education in the country. These activities are being undertaken at a cost of US$5.8 million, US$3.2 million of which is being provided through CDB funding, and US$2.5 million which is the counterpart contribution of the Government of Anguilla, (mostly in-kind costs). The Bank is also providing a grant of US 90, 000 to conduct two activities – continuation of the Job Link-Up programme in which young people, at risk for engagement in illegal activity, are given the opportunity to develop skills for sustainable employment, and a TVET Summer Camp for girls nine to fifteen years old, to encourage their participation in TVET programmes which hold the promise for well-paid, sustainable employment.
Madam Chair, we are currently in the midst of a global economic crisis, which has been wreaking havoc on the economies of the Caribbean. Many of the Borrowing Member Countries of CDB have seen declines in GDP growth as well as falls in external flows, resulting in deterioration of their foreign exchange reserves, and the abandonment of many of their social programmes. Unemployment has risen, debt has risen, and the poor and vulnerable are naturally the most affected. The consequential social impact has, in many cases, been devastating. Anguilla has not escaped these impacts… but all of the contemporary research in education development suggests that investment in education should not be curtailed in times of financial crisis. Rather, such investment is even more critical because it is, more often than not, the quality of the human resource which allows a country to emerge stronger from economic decline. Further, the research shows a strong correlation between countries which limit their investment in higher education and countries with limited levels of development. The Government of Anguilla therefore deserves to be strongly complimented for recognising the absolute necessity for, and the critical importance of the project at this time, despite the economic challenges currently facing the nation.
CDB is staunchly committed to the social and economic development of its Borrowing Member Countries. Our intention is to support them in their efforts to alleviate poverty, to effect sustainable growth, and to advance the development of their countries. That is our mission! We therefore see the need to assist in building the capacity that is not only required during periods of economic down-turns like the present, but also to build capacity that can take advantage of the post-recessionary up-swings that often invariably follow. This project, which focuses on enhancing the quality of the human resource in Anguilla, will most certainly address both issues.
We expect significant positive outcomes on completion of this project. There will be a modern, fit for purpose facility for delivering both academic and technical programming. The Sixth Form will have a new home. Board members, administrative staff and faculty will be exposed to training which will enhance their capacity to perform their roles. This should assist in enhancing the overall quality of leadership of the College, as well as the quality of services and instruction delivered to students. There will also be an evaluation of the processes for operation of the College and the development of a Master Plan to guide the improvement and execution of those processes. In short, every facet of the operations of the College will be addressed, with a view to consistently delivering quality higher education to the people of Anguilla. CDB is committed to working with the Government and people of Anguilla in achieving these goals. I therefore take this opportunity to extend our best wishes for the effective implementation of the project, and to pledge the full assistance of the Bank in ensuring its successful execution.
Over the next two days, our team will explain the rules and guidelines relating to the implementation of the project, and, based on past experiences on similar projects, answer questions and provide clarifications for the implementation team, particularly with regard to issues which could have the potential for conflicts. Our objective is to ensure that everyone is working toward the same goal. I want to remind you however, and I speak especially those persons who will be working directly with implementation of the project, that an important part of successful implementation is team effort. There has to be cooperation and communication among all the team members and relevant stakeholders. I want therefore to encourage open discussion to resolve potential issues before they become divisive and delaying. I would also like to urge the participants in the workshop to take full advantage of the opportunity it provides for engaging fully in the deliberations. Having said that however, I want also to say that I am exceedingly impressed with the level of engagement to date in getting this project off the ground. We are formally launching this project in fewer than four months after it was approved by the Bank’s Board of Directors. That is significantly above the average for project launches in my experience. Professor Louden and his team, and the Ministry of Finance, who have both moved swiftly to meet the conditions precedent, must be recognised and commended in this regard. This project will be a model for effective project implementation if the execution of the activities can take place as swiftly.
Madam Chair, education is a transformational vehicle for economic growth and development. The commitment to this project is a clear demonstration that the Government of Anguilla recognises the importance of higher education to national development. I therefore want to take this opportunity to indicate the Bank’s pleasure and commitment to partnering with your Government in the achievement of the development outcomes which will emanate from the project. All that is therefore left for me to say is – and I know our young people particularly, but also those young at heart among us will appreciate this – “Let’s get this party started!!”
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
