The Government of the Virgin Islands has signed an agreement to green the Cabinet process to improve efficiency, effectiveness, and increase productivity and security.

His Excellency the Governor Augustus Jaspert and Premier Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, OBE signed the licence agreement yesterday September 17 with Montserrat software company Rovika Inc.

ExcoTrack is a web-based document management tool that will allow the executive branch of Government to prepare and share documents centrally.

Governor Jaspert, who is also Chairman of the Cabinet of the Virgin Islands, stated that the software initiative is important to the Transformation of the Public Service.  He added that public officers are the key and backbone of the service sector and that the management tool will allow officers to operate quickly, efficiently, effectively and critically, while contributing positively to green practices.

Premier Smith said that the event marked an important step towards the vision of a stronger, better, and transformed public service. He said, “My Government welcomes this opportunity to help streamline the processes for Cabinet, the National Security Council and the Virgin Islands Cadet Corps Council meetings to maximise the potential of new technologies to strengthen accountability and foster participation in public affairs.”   

A one week training session is also underway for public officers in the use of the ExcoTrack software. Cabinet Secretary, Ms. Sandra Ward shared that she was pleased to be associated with innovation emanating from Montserrat, one of the BVI’s fellow United Kingdom Overseas Territories in the implementation of ExcoTrack, specifically developed to meet the needs of the Cabinet process.

Ms. Ward said the training is being held under the theme ExcoTrack: Greening the Cabinet Process and aims to enable the Cabinet, the Cabinet Office (Secretariat), and Cabinet Authorised Officers across government to learn and navigate the facets of ExcoTrack to streamline the processes for Cabinet meetings. 

Meanwhile, Director of Rovika Inc. Mr. Dennison Daley said government ministers will be able to interact with documents within seconds of receiving a notification, while sitting in a meeting 1000 miles away.

Mr. Daley stated that ministries will also be able to access historic documents without the need to expose their staff to hazardous storage environments and files long past their safety limits, all with the click of a mouse. “Most importantly, Cabinet will be able to get real-time updates on the implementation status for the directives they have issued to their ministries,” he added.

Mr. Daley also indicated that information will be at the fingertips of the users thereby increasing the efficiency of all persons who form part of the Cabinet process from any internet enabled device.

Deputy Governor David D. Archer, Jr. said this process of the transformation initiative: greening the Cabinet process, also covers e-government services, cost savings and the overall idea of good governance. He shared that the process taken is one of many in making the public service better, and more efficient, utilising all of our resources.

The Cabinet Office provides technical, administrative and policy support to the Cabinet of the Virgin Islands, the National Security Council and the Virgin Islands Cadet Corps Council in addition to monitoring the implementation of Cabinet decisions.  

Attached:

1. First photograph: From left to right, Deputy Governor Mr. David D. Archer, Jr., His Excellency the Governor Mr. Augustus Jaspert, Director of Rovika Inc. Mr. Dennison Daley, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith, and Cabinet Secretary Ms. Sandra Ward.
    
2. Second photograph: Group photograph of attendees at the ExcoTrack Greening of the Cabinet Process.