With a vision for a more accountable and results-oriented government, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced the launch of a process called “transformative governance.”

The prime minister’s announcement came during his address at the second annual Conclave of Chambers of Commerce at the Meliá Resort yesterday.

Christie explained that the process of “transformative governance” encompasses the establishment of a Centre of Government approach within his office.

“I firmly believe that such an approach to governance will support accountability,” he said.

Christie expressed that as prime minister, he wants to be able to show what he and the government and has done for The Bahamas because Bahamians are seeking results from his administration.

He indicated that he has partnered with IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) to implement greater results-based management within the public service.

The IDB will assist in designing a computer application (“an App”) to help the Office of the Prime Minister, as the Centre of Government, to monitor progress with the key goals elucidated through the National Development Plan (NDP).

“We have recently completed the preliminary work on designing the governance arrangement around this reporting tool to ensure that it is used appropriately and that public servants are held accountable for reporting their progress in achieving the government’s key initiatives,” Christie said.

“This approach to governance ensures that the silos of the ministries can be penetrated to avoid duplication and ensure greater coordination.”

In addition, the prime minister said work on the NDP will begin to unfold over the next few months and Bahamians will see evidence of a transformative approach to governance, which places planning and results based management at the forefront of the government’s activities.

This will allow the government to achieve the best opportunities for Bahamians, according to Christie.

The NDP will guide the course of the Bahamian economy over the next decades and Christie is confident that it will yield the necessary economic and social benefits for the country.

According to the prime minister, the second phase of the NDP project involves a series of public discussions designed to establish a shared vision for The Bahamas.

“I have instructed my officers working on the National Development Plan to be as inclusive as possible,” Christie said. “This nation will not have a sustainable plan if some are excluded from the process of developing it.”

Therefore, the prime minister said he would like to encourage the opposition political parties, civil society, entrepreneurs, Bahamians who feel marginalized and Bahamians abroad to play an active role in the development of the NDP.

The prime minister stressed that the NDP is not only for Nassau, but the entire Bahamas and Bahamians must recognize the strengths of the Family Islands and the strategic role they play in developing a renewed and sustainable Bahamas.

“At the end of this process, our result should be a national plan that shapes budget allocations, identifies actions for the public service and opportunities for the private sector that are critical to achieving our transformation and enhancing the quality of life for Bahamians over the next 25 years,” Christie said.