On the private sector side, the perfect partner proved to be the
Jamaican Exporters Association (JEA). "We knew that the exporters
association could deliver a level of credibility to the private
sector that the government just could not" says Lisa Bell,
Vice-President of Jamaica Trade and Invest (JTI), the public body
that championed the strategy design process and soon was working in
tandem with JEA officials. The strategy design team also included
the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, the Planning
Institute of Jamaica and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade.
The NES builds upon Vision 2030 Jamaica, the country's first
25-year National Development Plan which seeks to achieve developed
nation status in Jamaica within the next 20 years. Prime Minister
Bruce Golding, who launched the export strategy in February 2008,
continues to express his support, together with other key leaders,
throughout the NES design and implementation.
Over 80 participants from the private sector were involved in
the numerous consultations for each of the priority sectors
(agro-processing, aqualculture, coffee, education, entertainment,
information communication technology, fashion and minerals). The
strategy's focus on non-traditional exports positions the Caribbean
island to seek new ways of earning revenues from exports, as
profits from traditional sectors sink.
With the completion of the design stage, the strategy-makers
faced a task of achieving widespread support and action to
implement the strategy. The next phases of the five year strategy
included: a stakeholders workshop to validate strategy, the NES was
tabled in Parliament and then in Cabinet, and the NES Secretariat
was established in JTI.
The major business associations were among the representatives
of public, private and academic institutions who attended the third
stakeholders' workshop to validate the strategy. The strategy also
received endorsement and support from trade and commerce bodies,
such as the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce, Jamaica Manufacturers
Association, Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica, and the Small
Business Association of Jamaica.
The Secretariat moved fast to act on the proposals in the strategy
and action plans. A resource mobilization meeting held at JTI in
November 2009 gave strategy-makers the chance to explain their
ambitions to donors.
The strategy team - and leading politicians - praised ITC for
general support as well as technical assistance in conducting the
process. JTI found the ITC methodology invaluable as a model in
moving government from being a controller to a facilitator and
partner of the private sector.
ITC's team was able to help build consensus, to ensure that
ownership of the strategy remained with Jamaica, provide for
dialogue on many contentious issues, and bring in experience from
other countries on how others had proceeded. Others on JTI's staff
found the ITC's ability to talk the language that business managers
could understand gave instant credibility to proposals and
explanations, while professional commitment to the process -
particularly from ITC staff with experience elsewhere of the
difficulties and opportunities Jamaica faces - gave the
strategy-makers essential encouragement in difficult times.