Public education manager at the Access to Information Unit, Diane Young (left), has the attention of government archivist, John Aarons (centre) and director of the unit, Aylair Livingstone, at Tuesday's start of classes to prepare civil servants for the implementation of the Access to Information Act. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)

CIVIL servants in the Office of the Prime Minister started attending classes on Tuesday to prepare for the implementation of the new Access to Information Act.

The classes, which will run for four months at the Management Institute of National Development (MIND), is the first in a series of training for Government personnel.

Speaking at the opening session, Information Minister Burchell Whiteman told the civil servants that there was a need to improve the relationship between the citizen and the state in relation to the flow of information.

"I have no doubt that the work here today can, and will make a difference to the quality of life of Jamaicans including yourselves... We must remove the gatekeeper and the gatekeepers' mentality. Knowledge is power and we must seek to ensure that each citizen is empowered to make an effective contribution to his or her own development," Whiteman said.

The Access to Information Act was passed seven months ago, despite strong opposition from several quarters. It seeks to promote accountability and transparency by giving public access to official documents in government bodies subject to exempt provisions.

"There are not that many areas of exemption in the act and there is the possibility for persons to make amendments to the act every two years", Whiteman continued.

At the same time, he stressed that the training programme was not to be viewed as "an end in itself" and that some continual assessment of the act's impact should be done.

"Let us find a way of evaluating the impact of the outcome of our work. Are people making better choices (with the added information) and is it reflected in, for example, social indices and the reduction of inter-personal violence?"

Oliver Clarke, president of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ) agreed with Whiteman and charged the trainees to aid in the fulfilment of the Act.

"This one act can do more for modernising the Jamaican society and strengthen democracy here than virtually any other bit of legislation. You (civil servants) are the pioneers that will presumably change the Jamaican society and it will happen if you have the will but it will not happen if you do not."

During the four-month training programme more than 400 workers will be trained from various government agencies.

The sessions were scheduled to continue yesterday at the Management Institute of National Development (MIND), and will include:

* the fundamentals of change management;

* the ATI legislation; and

* records/information management.

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