Several public officers across various Ministries, the Tobago House of Assembly and the University of the West Indies accepted the call to serve on the Inter-Ministerial Social Research Council and were presented with their Letters of Appointment by the Honourable Cherrie-Ann Crichlow-Cockburn, Minister of Social Development and Family Services. A brief Ceremony took place on May 02, 2018 at the Ministry’s Head Office, St Vincent Street, Port of Spain.
During her address, Minister Crichlow-Cockburn thanked the members for their willingness and enthusiasm to serve on this very important committee, and assured them that the Ministry stands ready to assist the team in executing their mandate. She indicated that their contributions to this committee will also prove useful to this Ministry’s mandate for the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of a National Social Mitigation Plan, which is intended to alleviate some of the hardships that are genuinely being experienced by citizens because of the downturn in the economy. Included in the recommendations of the Plan are five research studies in addition to new initiatives, which will require research related activities for implementation.
The Committee led by the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services is expected to serve for three (3) years and will outline the way forward for key stakeholders in the social sector. The Committee comprises members from the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministries of Planning and Development (CSO), Education, Health, Housing and Urban Development, the Tobago House of Assembly, the University of the West Indies and the Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago to name some. The Committee’s terms of reference will include, inter alia:
- Development and implementation of the Social Sector Research Agenda;
- Development and maintenance of a database of social research;
- Establishment of a Social Sector Research Information System;
- Strengthening of the internal capacity of Research Units within the Social Sector;
- Facilitating the nexus between Research and policy;
- Development of Strategic Partnerships with the public and private sector and civil society for research purposes; and
- Provision of oversight of the functioning of the National Statistical System related to the Social Sector
The Board will be led by Chairman Ms Hyacinth Blake, Director of the Social Investigations Unit at the Ministry who expressed commitment to transform the social research landscape of Trinidad and Tobago. Dr. Althea La Foucade, Senior Lecturer & Head of the Department of Economics University of the West Indies will serve as the Deputy Chairman, alongside other members:
- Ms. Nina Antoine, Senior Economist, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development
- Ms. Ann Belmontes, Research Officer II, Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts
- Ms. Hyacinth Blake (Chairperson), Director, Social Investigations Division, Ministry of Social Development and Family Services
- Mr. Makandal Caesar, Labour Market Specialist, Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development
- Ms. Mona Dillon, Research Officer, Division of Health, Wellness & Family Development, Tobago House of Assembly
- Ms. Erica Fortune, Senior Planning Officer, Socio-Economic Policy Planning Division, Ministry of Planning and Development
- Mr. Lawrence Jaisingh, Director, Health Policy, Research and Planning, Ministry of Health,
- Dr. Althea La Foucade (Deputy Chairperson), Senior Lecturer & Head of the Department of Economics, University of the West Indies
- Ms. Lisa Madray-Valadere, Planning Officer III, Educational Planning Division
Ministry of Education,
- Ms. Nia Nanan, Senior Research and Planning Associate, Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago
- Ms Roanna Lalmansingh, Researcher, Office of the Prime Minister