NEPA/IDB Spearhead Participatory
Planning Process in Santa Cruz... ... in partnership with local
stakeholders
The National Environment and Planning
Agency (NEPA), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Santa
Cruz Planning Steering Committee, will work together to ensure the
orderly development of Santa Cruz. This announcement was made at a
recent workshop organized by NEPA and other partner agencies, to review
the development of the town.
Speaking at the workshop, Robert
Stubbs, Chairman of the Santa Cruz Integrated Development Plan Steering
Committee said that: "Many of the current development woes of Santa Cruz
could have been averted, initially, if proper long term plans had been
put in place." Mr. Stubbs indicated that some of the hiccups experienced
were avoidable.
The workshop, which was held at the
St. Mathews Church Hall, in Santa Cruz represented NEPA's participatory
approach to development and was in keeping with the Santa Cruz
Integrated Development Plan. Other agencies, including the St. Elizabeth
Parish Council, the St. Elizabeth Parish Development Committee, the
Social Development Commission (SDC) and the Enhancing Civil Society
Project/ Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) participated
in the workshop.
Additionally, at the workshop NEPA's
Jeffery Carlyle, outlined the processes involved in the Santa Cruz
Integrated Development Plan along with the objectives and specific
planning issues which the plan will address. The project is funded by
the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) through the Land
Administration and Management Programme (LAMP), in the Ministry of Land
and Environment (NILE).
Stakeholders were drawn from the
Jamaica Constabulary Force, educators, religious organizations,
financial institutions and a number of Government agencies including the
Ministry of Health. Residents of various communities were also invited.
The workshop comprised six focus
groups namely Housing and Socio-Economics, Education, Infrastructure,
Youth, Health and Environment. A number of recommendations came out of
the workshop and a public stakeholders meeting is to be held later in
March to discuss these findings. A preliminary draft plan is also
scheduled for completion by the end of the fiscal year.
