The occasion was the fifth Visioning Workshop convened by the Agency for Reconstruction and Development Inc. (ARD), at which parliamentarians discussed the proposals developed in the previous workshops by a variety of stakeholders.

In declaring the workshop open, Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell said it has always been his view that there are some issues in the political arena that everyone can agree upon, and the establishment of a National Strategic Development Plan is one such issue.

“Today’s workshop marks a critical milestone in the National Strategic Planning Process, in that it brings together Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as other representatives of political organisations. The National Strategic Development Plan is intended to have a long-term horizon, based on an enduring vision and core values that guide national development for many years to come. As such, this morning’s exercise must be viewed as a national and inclusive undertaking. I believe it is most fitting that we, as parliamentarians and aspiring parliamentarians, have the opportunity to examine what has been accomplished by the various stakeholders in the previous Workshops,” the Prime Minister said.

Participants at Wednesday morning’s workshop examined and built upon the vision statement and core values, as well as the SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis developed at the previous four workshops.

Input from the parliamentarians will be incorporated into the vision statement, core values and SWOT analysis, as the process for formulating the NSDP continues.

Referring to the parliamentarians as a “critically important group in helping to shape the future,” ARD Chief Executive Officer Richardson Andrews said it is envisioned that the NSDP will have a long-term vision of at least 10 years and will be reviewed and adjusted every three years.

The workshop was attended by approximately 25 participants, including Government and Opposition Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as officials from the Grenada United Labour Party.