CSSI and Stakeholders workshop underway

The Correctional Service of Solomon Islands (CSSI) and Stakeholders commenced a series of workshops on the theme “Capacity Development” on Monday at the IPAM Conference room, in Honiara. The dialogue will run till Thursday October 14, 2021

The official opening was attended by (Guest of honour) Chairman of Leadership Code Commission Mr. Solomon Kalu, Assistant Rector, St. Albans Parish Fr. James Malanga, and DFAT Advisor to Correctional Service George Samuel, CSSI Commissioner Gabriel Manelusi, Deputy Commissioners, Provincial Commandants, Ranks and Files

Commissioner Gabriel Manelusi in his opening remarks acknowledge the Chairman LCC Solomon Kalu, Assistant Rector, St. Albans Parish Fr. James Maelanga, Advisors, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, Commandant and Directors.

“Our workshop for this week is focused on Capacity Development to provide you with professional awareness, understandings, guidance, and direction in relation to areas of your roles and responsibilities.” Manelusi said

“This major initiative is begin undertaken to provide in these presently challenging times, senior officers of CSSI the opportunity to listen, learn and acquire better understanding and awareness from the government and administrative workings of offices of Solomon Island government ministries” he said.

“In particular those officers who play an integral part in the governance and day to day core business activities of CSSI”.

“It is believed that once armed with a better comprehension and understanding of the important functions and administrations of the various presenter’s offices, including a strong understanding of ethical, professional and leadership standards, you as the senior managers will be better equipped to take on stronger leadership roles in the organisation”. Manelusi said

Manelusi believes the outcomes will provide a frame work for positive future projections of CSSI Projects and within this capacity and capability professional development initiative, assist in informed, timely and appropriate decision making in the relevant offices of responsibility.

“CSSI is focusing on developing its organisational plan for Capacity and Capability as part of ongoing professional development in the organisation, one that should include external environment needs and influences in which the CSSI operates, including physical environment, demography, economy, constitutional and legal framework and crimes in Solomon Islands”. Manelusi said

Chairman of Leadership Code Commission (Guest of honour) Solomon Kalu said the workshop is about CBD for participants – senior managers of CSSI.

“With that in mind, by analogy, I would like you to capture that the focus of these 4 days’ workshop will be on the software. Not the hardware. You cannot touch a software, yet you can tangibly handle what it produces. In my view, that is what this CBD aims to achieve”. Kalu said

“I noted from the workshop program outline that other integrity institutions and important public offices would be conducting their sessions with you. Bearing in mind that you will examining issues that seriously demand interacting with the software: the skills, knowledge, experiences that you have or ought to have” he said.

“As a leader, you must be a reader. I often (and other enforcement agencies I believe) come across situations where senior public officers make poor decisions that exposes their ignorance of the obvious. They either do not know or neglect their powers and authorities or they know but exercise them improperly” he said.

“Correctional Services Act 2007, Regulations, Rules General Orders, Standard Operating Procedures. Those are some of the authorities that you ought to acquaint yourself with. They guide the decisions you make in your in your daily activities. As a manager, you must be ahead of your subordinates by arming yourself with the relevant armories.

Mr. Kalu said, I am not urging you to memorize every relevant guidelines applicable to the CSSI. That is impractical. Rather, you must be able to know where to get answers or guidance when the need arises. That demonstrates your competency and responsiveness to your superiors or subordinates. These 4 days of CBD workshop should equip you to be more efficient and effective in your role as a manager.

“I want to demystify the norm that as a public officer, you can put on two hats: your official life and your private life. A person with two heads is but a monster. You are not! Thus, you cannot live two lives in the public service. The only one life that you must live as an officer whether in your public or private life is to be a role model” Kalu told the managers

Kalu reminds the managers your subordinates in the CSSI hierarchy ought to see to you as role models to be imitated. Research has proven that visualization (as oppose to hearing) is more effective in reinforcing desired behaviour. As managers, you are and must be exemplar. There is no short route.

“The CSSI is a one of the discipline organizations in the public service. As the name speaks for itself, discipline is about setting and living up to the standards. That is what you are and continue to be as long as you are officers of the CSSI.

“As disciplined officers, you are not employed. Rather, you are deployed. You have a particular community to serve. They are the inmates. The state called this group of people lawbreakers – criminals. Therefore, the state entrusts you to make those lawbreakers better citizens by providing and facilitating for them correctional measures and standards as contemplated under the Correctional Service Act 2007. But that will not be possible without you being the living conduits”. Kalu added

He said, COVID-19 brings new challenges to your workplaces in an unpresented way. You may not have the needed financial or human resources available at your disposal to carry out your tasks. But do not be discourage, crisis should give you the opportunity to explore and exploit your creativity.

Commissioner Gabriel Manelusi thank all external stakeholders for the support in these workshops planned, the Australian Government, through the Australian High Commission here in the Solomon Islands (DFAT) for providing support funding and all other who will participate and provide valuable insight and information’s in the next four days. Those agencies participating include: The Ministry of Police National Security and Correctional Service, Australian High Commission, Policy Secretary – Social Sector, Prime Minister office, Ministry of Development and Aid Coordination, Integrity Commission Against Corruption, General Secretary – SICA/SIFGA, Ombudsman office, Police and Correctional Service Commission, Leadership Code Commission and Ministry of Public Service.

-CSSI Press