After five years of work, the parish of Clarendon is boasting its inter-agency coordination network that links the citizenry with social services and development agencies. Mayor of May Pen, Winston Maragh and Baldvin McKenzie, Social Development Commission Parish Manager, said the parish has emerged as the leader in local sustainable development planning. The network has a monthly meeting that identifies priorities and provides coordinating support to contribute to national development goals. The Clarendon network has not been stalled by COVID-19, as community meetings to decide on matters such as budget priorities are still being held in which 25 public sector agencies and the chamber of commerce regularly participate.
The Clarendon model was revealed at a panel discussion at the 2020 Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) Best Practice Symposium which was held on November 25, 2020.
From left: Moderator, Antonette Richards, PIOJ; Cllr Winston Maragh, Mayor of May Pen; Baldvin McKenzie, SDC Clarendon Parish Manager; Mona Sue-Ho, JSIF Senior Manager, Social Development; Charles Clayton, Programme Director, Community Renewal Programme, PIOJ.