Public Information Minister: First 100 Days
[Updated with video] To mark the first hundred days of Premier Paula Cox’s administration, Government Ministers today [Feb 3] held a press conference to highlight the accomplishments of the various departments and agencies which fall under their portfolios.
Public Information Minister Neletha Butterfield said both the Bermuda National Library and the Bermuda Archives had broadened their audiences in recent months, launching new databases, expanding community outreach programmes and initiating travelling exhibits highlighting the island’s calypso heritage and 17th century Bermuda mapmaking.
She also said the E-Government Department had embarked on a programme of restructuring the Bermuda Government web presence to provide improved content and easier navigation for both the public and Ministries.
Her full statement appears below:
Good Afternoon Everyone,
I am delighted to present some of the accomplishments of the Ministry of Public Information Services in the first 100 days. Going forward, these accomplishments will bear fruit in delivering key services to the public provided by the Bermuda National Library, the Bermuda Archives and the Registry General including charitable organisations and also improve the information technology services required by other Government departments.
The Bermuda Archives has also increased awareness and use of the archives by new audiences through events such as a travelling exhibition on two of Bermuda’s calypsonians, Al Harris and Celeste Robinson. This exhibit was developed for display in the community and presentations to students and senior citizens on Bermuda’s calypso heritage. The Archives has also prepared a travelling exhibition about the mapping of Bermuda in the 17th century. In addition, the public can also look forward to the release of the 1980 Cabinet proceedings, which I am sure will be great interest to students, researchers and historians and the community in general.
The Bermuda National Library launched its Digital Newspaper Collection and during the period between November and December a total of 4205 people accessed the databases. The Library has also sought to expand its Outreach Services to the community through the use of its custom designed van by delivering books, magazines, CDs and DVDs to seniors, seniors homes and the Correctional facilities.
The E-Government Department has taken steps to improve portal navigation among Government departments to enhance online content, transactions, and services in order to meet the needs of the Government, citizens, businesses and the volunteer sector. The Department has also re-organised the navigation to reflect the restructuring of the Ministries and has also developed an internal Government Savings Suggestion Box facility which will be furthered developed over the next few months into an internal Government website.
The Information Technology Office (ITO) continues to maintain its priority on IT systems training to realise productivity at the individual level and their Training Centre at Channel House, Southside has trained 403 people during the first 100 days.
Finally, to improve accountability in accordance with recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Registry General will propose amendments to the Charities Act 1978.
It is my belief that these various accomplishments and initiatives by the Ministry of Public Information Services will go a long way to resetting the dial in providing key services to the public.
Read More About
Category: All, News, Politics, technology
So, who besides Neletha revealed anything.
403 people trained in 100 days in IOT.
How long were the classes. How much did it cost in overtime, or did they just say..press this icon.
This is Bermuda, not Baracks 1st hundred days.
Terry…your comments are not adding anything to the debate. Jumping all over every submission with adolescent negative banter is not impressing anyone. Submission quantity does not make up for quality.
Quite frankly these announcements strike me as a waste of time and resources (and one also wonders whether these time and resources should be Government’s or the Party’s). I would be much more happy with these resources being applied to bringing us real political reform, minimum living wage and unemployment insurance (for starters).
A Lenonist….There is hope.
Our library kinda sucks. Sorry to my bredrins who work their; it’s not your fault. But where else in the world is the local community college’s library more extensive and better organized than the national library?
there, their, and they’re gets me again! curses! if only the library was better, I might have learned to use those words right.