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Dr. The Hon.
Omar Davies
on Jamaica Social Investment Fund
To what degree do you place importance on social development? response is to locate skips at different points
Generally, to a very high degree. Apart from the theoretical discourse, national throughout the communities. However, if the
socio-economic advancement is dependent on the social development of the garbage in the skips is not collected by the
population. Such advancement cannot be removed from the context of social NSWMA on a regular basis, then residents will
development. Even in my own constituency, I have seen that when one tries to revert to unacceptable methods of disposal
simply respond to a specific need -such as that for housing, for example- unless and you are back to square one. Consider
the population is socialized in a way that would allow them to appreciate the also, if JSIF responds to a request from a
“value” of the units, the mere transfer of ownership of the physical units to the community organization to build, or renovate
new owners can yield less than positive results. a basic school or community centre, the
“benefits” arising from this intervention will
How did you become involved in the work of JSIF and what caused you to quickly disappear without the institutional
maintain such a long relationship with the program? support for continuing the work. In summary,
I was the head of the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), (I have not always the objective of sustainability should receive
been a politician). We were charged with conceptualizing and developing some more attention.
programmes to alleviate the adjustments which were being administered under
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Programme. The Social Investment Fund What potential do you see for Jamaica’s
was one such programme. Fortuitously, having left the Planning Institute of continued social development through the
Jamaica, I then became the Minister of Finance and Planning with responsibility work of JSIF?
for the Planning Institute- so I had an extended period of responsibility for that Given the need/demand for the services and
programme. programs to which JSIF responds, there will
be a continued stream of requests. There
Tell us about two (2) programmes on which you worked with JSIF that has stood are however two factors to which I would
out and why? recommend that closer attention be paid.
Whilst at the PIOJ, I worked with a team that came up with the idea of developing The first is the sustainability of the projects/
objective criteria for the selection of specific communities which would benefit programmes being considered for support.
from interventions by state agencies. Essentially, the idea was that we would link The second is a greater willingness to work
interventions to data which demonstrated social and economic deprivation by with members of the political directorate
community. Consequently, if one looks at the projects undertaken by JSIF, one who have a track record of collaborating
will observe that, in general, they are based on the use of the poverty index. The with community groups, as well as sharing
reality is that, in Jamaica, programmes tend to become politically controversial. common objectives with JSIF.
However, once it is established that selection is based on empirical data, this
goes a long way to eliminate such conflicts. I should add that when I headed the Though JSIF has made great impact in so
PIOJ, we had developed several programs in communities which spoke to the many realms of social development, do you
need for interventions in early childhood education. Given the empirical basis see where there is potential for growth in the
for selecting such projects for specific communities, one could approach other organization?
institutions to collaborate with JSIF to implement these projects. Because the needs of the population continue
to expand, there will always be the need for
In your opinion, how impactful has JSIF been over the years? the organisation to grow in order to respond
I would say, given the monitoring and the manner in which the various programs to the demands. My hope for JSIF is that it
and projects have been selected- it has been very impactful. However, I am never will remain a “strike force”, working in tandem
quite satisfied with where we are. One issue which has worried me (which I with complementary ministries, departments
have shared with JSIF) relates to the sustainability of some of its interventions. and private sector organizations.
Consider, for example, the existing program which is being conducted in Trench
Town- solid waste disposal is an issue and in the absence of skips, residents
disposeoftheirgarbageinwayswhichareinimicaltopublichealth. Oneimmediate
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