BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – CEO of The IT Facility Russell Williams has shared his knowledge of donor-funded projects in the Caribbean with a view to improve the local business climate and building capacity.
The young entrepreneur has worked with regional projects funded by international organizations since 2006 and his most-recent experience convinced him to share his experiences with the public so more persons could identify business opportunities, as well as opportunities for further cooperation and information sharing.
Williams was most recently attached to the European Union-funded OECS Shipping Study as the IT Expert. The project sought to establish the viability of creating a shipping line to assist with the agricultural diversification of the Windward Isles – Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
In an information sharing seminar held at the Maltin Moving Conference Room at the ECCB yesterday (Feb. 9), Williams engaged a cross-section of private and public sector stakeholders on the challenges of such projects and the opportunities that can be capitalised on.
“The purpose was to give people an insight as to what has been happening with various donor projects, not only in St. Kitts and Nevis but also throughout the wider Caribbean. I’ve been involved in a number of projects within the Windward Islands predominantly, and I have seen similar shortcomings and opportunities where we can do better.
“I don’t want to be involved in another project in three year’s time and find the same kind of response, so we can get these thoughts out there and try to improve the opportunities for local businesses,” Williams noted.
The IT expert encouraged all agents to be involved in donor-funded projects that support collaboration and include young persons in their project plans. Williams asserted that it is also critical for such projects to support and advance local goods and service providers.
“I think some of the challenges that we have is that we don’t recognize the value of our own people; there is this sense that a prophet has no honour in his own town. The talent we have here is unquestionable. People here have great talent, whether it is fully utilized is another matter.
“When we take CIDA or EU or even government funds and give it directly to groups and organizations from the USA, does that make more sense than paying somebody locally to do it and have that money stay in the economy?” Williams questioned.
From his experiences, he noted that stakeholders in these projects and the general public must raise their standard of service and develop the quality of their businesses in order to capitalize on all the associated opportunities.
“We have a kind of a laissez-faire work ethic when we are working for a local business, but when we work for the Marriott or Four Seasons, we raise our game. So why can’t we do it all the time? We must raise our standard. If we could put on the charm and the style when we are working for local companies...and keep it consistently high, that is how we are going to develop,” he emphasized.
Attendees were given the opportunity to interact with Williams, as they made commitments to take what they learned and seek to apply it in their own social and professional spheres.
