Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis officially opened the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit (PMDU) for Public Financial Management and Performance Monitoring Reform May 8, 2018 at the Office of the Prime Minister.

On hand were Cabinet Ministers, other government officials, representatives from Canada, which utilizes a similar concept, and representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank.

The Prime Minister formally welcomed Marie-Claude Bibeau, Canada’s Minister of International Development, and members of her delegation to The Bahamas.

He also thanked Florencia Attademo-Hirt, the IDB country representative in The Bahamas, for the bank’s support.

The project is as a result of an IDB Public Financial Management and Performance Monitoring Reform (PFM/PMR) loan to The Bahamas, which is to increase the government’s capacity to monitor and implement key projects through performance management.

Viana Gardiner is the chief operating officer of the unit and will have a staff of around 12.

It will be supported by a state-of-the-art information, communications and technology system to facilitate the collection, collation and analysis of data.

The government has identified six key priorities to be the initial focus of the work of the PMDU.

These include: focus on the Over-the-Hill Rejuvenation Project; Land Reform; Energy Reform and Infrastructure; Ease of Doing Business; Education; and Safety and Security.

One of the key objectives of this facility is to assist The Bahamas in increasing its capacity to monitor and implement its key priorities through performance management.

At the heart of The Bahamas model is data collection and analysis. Provisions have been made under the loan facility to develop a state-of-the-art information and communications technology system to underpin the work of the PMDU.

Pictured: The Prime Minister along with Delivery Unit chief operating officer Viana Gardiner conduct a tour of the new unit at the Office of the Prime Minister, May 8, 2018. (BIS Photo/Peter Ramsay)

Pictured: Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis welcomes Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of International Development for Canada, among other guests, at the official launch of the Prime Minister’s Deliverables Unit (PMDU) on May 8, 2018 at the Office of the Prime Minister. From left: Viana Gardiner, COO/PMDU; Marie-Claude Bibeau; Prime Minister Minnis; Laurie Peters, high commissioner-designate of Canada; and Justine Lesage, press secretary for the Minister of International Development for Canada.
(BIS Photo/Yontalay Bowe)