In-School Productivity Campaign | Partnerships exceed expected impact

The continued thrust towards greater awareness about the power of productivity can benefit from increased and sustained public-private partnership.

Recently, the Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC) impacted residents and staff of the Maxfield Park Children's Home in St Andrew through a partnership with the St Matthew's Optimist Club of Kingston and LASCO Distributors Limited.

During the visit to the Maxfield Park Children's Home, members of the JPC, Optimist Club and LASCO teams toured the facilities and interacted with the children up to age five.

Afterwards, the children, ages 6-17, were gathered in the auditorium for an energetic wrap session which addressed various issues ranging from how to deal with bullies, to how to manage their time, as well as the importance of having good nutrition.

Following the session, the students and staff were treated to meals prepared by LASCO. In addition, the management team was presented with baby products such as diapers, wipes and formulas, as well as breakfast items, including oats and teas.

The sponsorship offered by LASCO, in this regard, is considered value added to the work of the JPC as productivity awareness and improvement takes more into consideration than systems, processes, information communications technology, but also the state of the human mind and body, among other factors. After all, one would find it difficult to operate productively - efficiently and effectively - without appropriate systems in place, but also without the proper elements in place to support physical and mental health.

FACILITATING the cultural shift

The JPC recognises that some of the productivity issues that we face in Jamaica are not always technical, but have a great deal to do with the state of being of the people who operate within these technical systems. As a result, it behoves us to continually seek opportunities to collaborate with private and other public-sector organisations to facilitate the cultural shift that is necessary to experience positive growth in the economy through the current and future labour force.

It is the quality of the work-force and the level of output per worker that drive labour productivity and, ultimately, the gross domestic product (GDP). In the majority, if not all, the cases, it is the individual who becomes part of the workforce that is expected to turn the economic wheels of productivity. Therefore, since 'Productivity is everybody's business', we must encourage those who know the way, to show the way in building a better Jamaica through knowledge sharing and social support. It is always an excellent and pro-productivity idea to help our neighbour to prosper.

- Sandrea Dennis Plummer is a communication specialist at the Jamaica Productivity Centre