The
Development Planning Unit
Government of the British Virgin Islands

NATIONAL INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

Public Order and Safety

Project Background

The National Integrated Development Plan (NIDP) attempts to integrate economic, population, social, and environmental objectives in a simultaneous fashion to obtain a more sectorally balanced and sustainable development pattern.

THE PROBLEM

In the absence of a Territorial Economic Development Plan many departments/agencies have developed planning processes suited to their own purposes with no established mechanisms to ensure that programmes collectively constitute a coherent and realistic strategy for development. In addition, many of the projects to be carried out by one department or agency may require complementary developments which are the responsibilities of other departments or agencies. Thus it is sometimes possible for one agency to frustrate the intentions of another.

Within the BVI Government, responsibilities for matters concerning public order and safety are shared by several government agencies. Policies are thus advocated on a more or less sectoral basis by such agencies. Since there is very little coordination of policy formulation, the identification of policies over a fairly wide range of social subject matters is rather substantive.

There are also other obstacles to the rapid identification and assessment of social policies:

(a) written policy statements tend to be scattered in various documents;
(b) the location of documents is sometimes difficult to establish;
(c) advocated policies which might otherwise have been endorsed, sometimes form part of plan documents which are not approved by Government and are therefore neither officially endorsed or adopted; and
(d) where agencies discharge functions without the benefit of written policies, conflicting perceptions of policy objectives occur.

THE SOLUTION

The Government of the BVI is in the process of preparing a medium-term integrated development plan which will harmonize sectoral policies, priorities, strategies, programmes and projects in order to ensure that public investment across sectors is coordinated in an efficient manner. The package of strategies and priorities will be the vehicle whereby policies will be transformed into material outputs. Programmes and projects will be the inputs essential for realization of outputs.

Objectives of the Plan

The plan is to provide a framework combining private initiative, energetic entrepreneurship and the efficient functioning of national markets with well-defined policies and targets for human development.

A clear vision of human goals over the next five (5) years or so and an institutional framework for their implementation are needed.

The human development objective of the plan is to ensure that British Virgin Islands enjoy longer, healthier and more creative lives.

Description of the Plan

In physical terms the plan will consist of three (3) main documents or elements namely:

(i) background and analysis of the current sectoral situation,
(ii) policies, priorities, strategies and implementation strategies; and
(iii) a Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP).

The background and sectoral analysis will review the past and current events which got the sector in its present position. The policies and implementation strategies employed will examine the success of past action and recommend appropriate ones anticipating the likely environment. The PSIP will list programmes and projects together with required resources for their implementation.

INTRODUCTION

Public Order and Safety institutions in the BVI include the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, BVI Fire and Rescue Service, the Law Courts, Her Majesty's Prison Service, and private security services. The police force is responsible for maintaining law and order and is often the first agency which victims of crime approach. The courts are responsible for the administration of justice and based on evidence accepted from the police, they determine innocence or guilt and impose penalties according to the laws applicable. Her Majesty's Prison Service keeps in custody those committed by the courts and helps them to lead law-abiding and useful lives after their release. These three agencies make up the criminal justice system in the BVI. They are closely linked and since one service's output is another's input, coordination and cooperation are vital to the smooth running of the system and to the effective fight against crime.

Fire Safety

The BVI Fire and Rescue Service Department endeavors to protect life and property from the effects of fire and all other man-made accidents and disasters. Losses from fires in government property, costs of contingent liability, loss in income from tourists and airlines deterred by poor fire safety and loss in income from businesses ruined by fire are all losses to be borne. There is no guarantee that fire precaution measures and effective fire services will stop all losses, but they will stop or reduce many. Add to these factors the need for governments to provide a safe environment for their citizens, and the need for fire and rescue services is easily justified.

Next Section>

Webmaster: Jerinice Stoutt
Website designed and created by CPMD
This page was last updated on: Monday, 21st November 2005