Ms. Dorine Monica Brooks, Director, International Labour Agencies and Information, ILO Desk Officer, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Jamaica tells how external expert advice is called upon.

“We call upon professionals from our main University of West Indies, Mona Campus, and sometimes University of Technology to advice the Minister and all the persons within the Ministry on ILS matters.”

Ms. Dorine Monica Brooks, Director, International Labour Agencies and Information, ILO Desk Officer, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Jamaica contributes practice on involvement and follow up.

“The Social Partners are usually invited to take part in all events (training, seminars, conferences etc.).  In addition, every document of importance is circulated all both areas, followed by telephone calls to ensure that documents are received.”

Ms. Dorine Monica Brooks, Director, International Labour Agencies and Information, ILO Desk Officer, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Jamaica describes how exclusive responsibility can help responsiveness.

“Jamaica is one of the few Caribbean islands that has created an office in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and that has an officer that deals exclusively with ILS matters. This has helped to facilitate greater ease in locating documents sent to the Ministry by the ILO, because what happened is that whatever comes in sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but it is then sent directly to the ILO Office at the Ministry of Labour. This is a guarantee of greater promptness in producing responses and replies to most requests, e.g. questionnaires, report forms, unratified conventions, etc.”

Ms. Dorine Monica Brooks, Director, International Labour Agencies and Information, ILO Desk Officer, Ministry of Labour and Social Security, Jamaica describes the benefit of operational planning.

“Each Section of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security is required to submit a yearly operational plan, or operational work plan, to its Monitoring and Planning Unit. The proposed work schedule is taken into account, and thereafter performance reviews are held on a quarterly basis. It is here that all Offices, including that of the ILO Desk, are required to outline all work tasks accomplished in any given period. This exercised our features, prompting offices and departments, so increasing efforts in delivering the required work output for each period.”