US Ambassador Beatrice Wilkinson Welters and the Minister of National Security, the Hon. Brigadier General (ret.) John Sandy congratulates Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar as she receives bouquet of flowers from the CHDS Director during the opening ceremony
CHDS conducted a highly successful one and a half day National Security Policy Workshop (NSPW), Building Decision Elements for the National Security Strategy 2012-2016 in Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain on January 21-22, 2012. The Honorable Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar opened the event stressing the importance of the workshop as a part of her government’s emphasis on attacking crime, the third pillar of her government’s seven pillar government manifesto, thanking CHDS for facilitating the strategic discussion on this topic.
Under the direction of Dr. Richard D. Downie, CHDS director, four CHDS faculty members worked with Cabinet Ministers, directors and deputy directors of various specialized agencies to create a process for identifying and prioritizing program actions and resources necessary to create a more secure Trinidad and Tobago.
The workshop employed a methodology practiced by multiple national security and defense institutions to identify end results desired to accomplish three of the strategic goals identified in the strategy. The benefits of this approach, according to Downie, is that it lets the participants determine priorities, identify processes to accomplish them, and finally establish a roadmap to follow at the national level. This is a critical exercise for government’s seeking to optimize strategic results with limited resources.
Downie expressed satisfaction with the results, noting that “CHDS is satisfied that this workshop helped the government of Trinidad & Tobago to focus on the development of prioritized solutions to its security needs.”
On behalf of the Trinidadian Government, Minister of National Security, the Honorable Brigadier (retired) John Sandy thanked Downie and the CHDS team for their assistance, noting that the event had provided critical insights, constructive dialogue, and an action framework can advance Trinidad and Tobago’s national security agenda.
