Recognizing the need to maintain an effective local government interface, the Ministry of Social Transformation, Local Government and Community Empowerment last week provided Conflict Management Training to local government council staff.

The Deputy Director of Administration in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Affairs, Planning and Social Security, Ms. Peggy Ann Soudatt, facilitated the workshop.

Ms. Soudatt said the training was intended to guide council staff to deal with conflict on the job in a way that minimizes the escalation of inherent individual differences into unmanageable circumstances.

 “When we are confronted with situations, because of our personalities, our reactions are not the same. Just the way people approach one other—one’s body language—may cause another person to react in a manner that is probably not the best way to react. Consequently, conflict management is important to effective management,”  Ms. Soudatt said.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Social Transformation, Local Government and Community Empowerment, Ms. Juliana Alfred, encouraged participants to apply the training provided appropriately. “Upon completion of this workshop, you will be better skilled at being able to deal with the many issues that confront you as managers of constituency councils,” she said. “I am hoping that you will take the information and put it to good use. The intention is that you utilize the skills you learn to ensure you become more efficient and effective managers.”

Local constituency councils are the primary points of contact for a number of community interventions. As such, conflict management training is invaluable to staffers who interact with a variety of people on a daily basis, to help them effectively perform the functions of local government. 

The training sessions were held on April 15 and 16.