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Officials at the forum which was attended by about 100 participants from 30 Commonwealth countries

Role of ICT in public service highlighted in Commonwealth forum

31 October 2006

Public service officials discuss trends and challenges at inaugural ministers’ conference in Sydney

Ministers are to draw up a strategy to enable the exploitation of information and communication technology (ICT) in national development plans.

This was decided at the inaugural Commonwealth Ministers’ Forum on Public Sector Development held in Sydney, Australia, between 26 and 27 October 2006.

According to a communiqué issued on 27 October, delegates will “promote e-leadership to implement integrated service delivery within the public sector”.

Officials at the forum -- attended by about 100 participants from 30 Commonwealth countries -- agreed to look into investing in executive leadership capability in the delivery of public services. To ensure renewal of their human resources, they will also avail of Commonwealth attachments and leadership programmes, among other methods.

The two-day event -- aimed at advancing public sector development in the Commonwealth -- was held immediately after the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) biennial conference which took place in Sydney from 21 to 25 October 2006.

Convened by the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Governance and Institutional Development Division, the forum was delivered with support from the Government of Australia and CAPAM.

The full text of the communiqué is available here.