The newly established Ministry of Economic Development and Youth Economy has launched a comprehensive strategic planning exercise designed to define its vision, priorities and organizational direction over the next five years.
The initiative brings together the ministry’s leadership and staff as it transitions from a department into a full ministry, with the objective of creating a unified framework to guide policies and programmes aimed at advancing Saint Lucia’s economic development.
Permanent Secretary Paul Hilaire said the planning exercise marks an important milestone in the ministry’s evolution.
“We are transforming from a department to a ministry and that’s why it is important now for us to come together and to put the various activities, the mandate, the vision, the strategic objectives that we want to have as a ministry,” Hilaire said.
He stressed that the ministry is expected to play a central role in driving the country’s economic future but noted that its internal structures and direction must first be clearly established.
“We recognize the importance of this ministry in driving economic growth, in driving a nation forward, in building a nation, in bringing the country to where we want it to be. But before we can do that, we have to fix ourselves,” he stated.
Minister for Economic Development and the Youth Economy Wayne Girard said achieving the government’s development agenda would require the collective efforts of the ministry’s staff rather than the work of any one individual.
“As Minister, I have the privilege of helping to articulate a vision for our country’s future. But a vision, no matter how compelling, can only become reality through the commitment, professionalism, and expertise of the people entrusted with bringing it to life,” Girard said.
He emphasized the importance of teamwork and collaboration in delivering meaningful results.
“Leadership is never the work of one individual. It is built on trust, collaboration, and a shared commitment to a common purpose,” he said.
Girard described the strategic planning workshop as an opportunity for employees to help shape the ministry’s future.
“That is why I see this workshop as not simply as a planning exercise, but as an opportunity for us to shape our future together,” he added.
Strategic Planning Consultant, Victor Poyotte, explained that the five-year strategy will provide the foundation for annual operational planning and continuous performance monitoring.
“Once you have that strategic plan, it is cascaded into annual operational plans,” Poyotte said.
“You set objectives, targets until you get to the end of the five-year period, but of course you’ll be monitoring, evaluating every year, determine what you achieved, did not achieve, make adjustments until you get to the end of the strategic plan period.”
The strategic planning exercise is expected to establish the ministry’s long-term priorities while providing a framework for measuring progress and adapting policies to meet Saint Lucia’s evolving economic development needs.