Preparation of SDG Mainstreamed Public Service Delivery Strategies for Ministry of Ports and Shipping

Section 12(1) of the Sustainable Development Act requires every ministry, department, provincial council, provincial ministry and department and local authority to prepare the Sustainable Development Strategy relevant to the scope of such ministry, department, provincial council, provincial ministry and department and local authority. In this regard, the Secretary to the President as the Chairman of the Sustainable Development Council has issued a Circular numbered PS/SP/SB/4/114-II, dated 03.10.2019 and titled “Formulation of Sustainable Development Strategies” to guide the Ministries, Departments and Statutory Boards for preparing their Public Service Delivery Strategies and also identifying the projects and programmes. 

As the national focal point on sustainable development, the Sustainable Development Council (SDC) provides facilitation, guidance and continuous support to all Ministries, Departments and Statutory Boards for preparing the SDG mainstreamed Public Service Delivery Strategies in line with their mandates, core businesses and relevant SDG targets, and also to identify/ align programmes and projects with their goals and strategies. Accordingly, a series of workshops has already been conducted covering several ministries. 

The workshop for the Ministry of Ports and Shipping and affiliated agencies – Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Ceylon Shipping Corporation Ltd and Merchant Shipping Secretariat was held on 02 July 2020 at the Mahapola Ports & Maritime Academy of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority. Heads of Departments and the senior staff members of these institutions attended the workshop.

The key resource person of the event, Dr. Sugath Yalegama- Director General, Sustainable Development Council briefly described the roadmap of transforming the world to a sustainably developed world and Sri Lanka to a sustainably developed Sri Lanka. He also explained the process of preparing the SDG mainstreamed Public Service Delivery Strategies in line with the relevant President Secretary’s Circular on the “Formulation of Sustainable Development Strategies”, by identifying the goals, strategies, projects and programs with respect to the mandates of the organizations coming under purview of the ministry through the relevant Acts, policies, international agreements and SDG Targets. 

Furthermore, Ms. Samanthi Senanayake – Director (Development), Sustainable Development Council presented a detailed introduction of the SDG targets relevant to the Ministry of Ports and Shipping and elaborated how each SDG Target can be incorporated into the public service delivery strategy of the Ministry of Ports and Shipping. 

During the workshop, the participants representing Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), Ceylon Shipping Corporation Ltd (CSC) and Merchant Shipping Secretariat (MSS) worked in groups to review their organizational mandates and identified the thrust areas relevant to each organization, and organizational goals and strategies. The DG – Sustainable Development Council provided a feedback to all institutions to improve on their goals and strategies. Delivering the Vote of thanks, Mr. K. G. S. Dayananda- Chief Training Manager- Mahapola Ports & Maritime Academy stated the workshop provided them with very important learning on the SDG mainstreamed Public Service Delivery Strategies and thanked the SDC staff for helping them in this regard. 

Accordingly, the Thrust areas of the institutions coming under the purview of the Ministry of Ports and Shipping were identified as follows:

• SLPA – Providing seaport services
• CSC – Sea transportation of freight and logistic services
• MSS – Consolidating the law relating to merchant shipping and licensing of shipping agents

Accordingly, the Mission Statement for the Ministry of Ports and Shipping was identified as:

To provide leadership in the areas of ports and shipping through: Providing seaport services; Sea transportation of freight and logistic services; and Consolidating the law relating to merchant shipping and licensing of shipping agents.

The workshop was attended by more than 50 managerial level participants and the finalized outcome of the workshop- “Public Service Delivery Strategy of Ministry of Ports and Shipping” is expected to be reviewed by the Sustainable Development Council.