Batch 6: Organizational strengths and change

Tonga’s Ministry of Information is the newest addition to its governmental portfolios, and additionally combine with six other ministries under the portfolio of the Deputy Prime Minister. MEIDECC which is the Ministry of Meteorology, Environment, Information, Disaster, Energy, Communication and Climate Change, each has a department head. The information ministry is under the director of information with four staff members. Although the staff members of the information ministry are overworked and overloaded, however they all seem to be enjoying what they are doing, and are working with due diligence.

During my tenure as an intern, I actually observed a lot of times to see how each of them copes with the challenges and issues. They seem to be coping well and never once that I ever hear any complaints. This is the strongest strength that I encounter with this ministry and its staff. Their work belief “God, King and Country” is an excellent work ethic  

The information ministry can become the most powerful department in Tonga should it designs its policies and roadmap for Tonga’s information to be consolidated into one. There are many areas that can make a lot of changes to Tonga’s current information policy. Tonga’s population is very little and changes can be done effectively and efficiently. The current government is planning to shift everything to e-government which is a very good thing to do. Medical and dental records can be obtained online and that will eliminate a lot of paper work, filing and cabinets. It is more efficient by doing so. Tonga’s 103,000 people is a very small number, and I’m sure the current files in most ministries could be easily done in six months.  The information ministry will be able to spearhead changes in areas to develop and buildings to be built in order to house and preserve Tonga’s monuments and archives.

If I were in charge of a similar organizations I don’t think I will be able to change anything at all given Tonga’s resources, current financial challenges, and scarce resources. As previously mentioned Tonga survived on generosities of the United States, European countries, New Zealand, Australia and China. There were so many things that I think can be changed but they all depend on finance in order for me to make those changes, however I would write up grant proposals in these specific areas;

a)      Grants for desk top computers

·         currently staff members bring their own laptops to use

·         all files of the ministry are not safe – they are being risked if the employees’ laptops are misplaced

·         need to setup network and large computer filing systems

·         there are no computers at all in the office which puts a lot of work by the ministry at risks

·         the unsafe procedures of the current existing computer issues at the ministry, I will deal with immediately

b)      Staff support wages

·         increase budget to include staff wages in the next fiscal year budget

·         hire an additional four more support staff at minimum wages to support the current staff members and promote them to senior executives

·         write up a grant proposal to the Government of Japan who funds this kind of manpower support – where the additional support staff can assist the current staff to avoid burnt out and stress escalation that might lead to voluntary termination of employment

·         the four staff at the ministry are paid $15,000 a year which is about USD$7,500 and I will increase their salary as well hiring new staff and pay them good wages

·         I will establish an internet radio where revenue from this internet radio will be used for staff wages by selling advertising and radio programs to other governmental ministries

c)      Grant for scanners and manpower support

·         the need for consolidation of all files into e-files is necessary not just the information ministry but to provide assistance to other ministries such as ministry of health, ministry of justice, statistics departments and so forth

·         the scanners and the same manpower support who had been trained to do this can actually start with the information ministry then continue on to other governmental ministries as well

·         it will be more cost effective and more efficient if the same company from either New Zealand or Australia to do this with their own equipment and support staff paid by this grant

·         hire a company to look after all the e-files and governmental documents, perhaps ask the Government of India or Singapore for assistance

·         other countries are willing to help out Tonga and the Ministry of Information and I will jump at the opportunity for assistance with this initiative

d)      Large grant for renovation to an existing building

·         China funded 10 million dollars to build King George V Palace to house the Prime Minister’s office, Ministry of the Foreign Affairs and Trade

·         Grant is needed to renovate existing Prime Minister’s office to house Tonga’s New Museum and Archives

·         I will spearhead change to push this project through to completion, it is essential for Tonga to have a museum and a place to house archives and monuments

e)      Government initiation of free internet for the information ministry

·         There was a multi-million-dollar project to have fiber optics run from Fiji to Tonga

·         The government awarded the management and operation to Cable Tonga Ltd as one of the public enterprises of the government

·         I will fight to have a percentage of revenue from this fiber optics internet administration awarded to the information ministry to assist with its daily operations

·         I will also fight to have powerful internet sources for the information ministry to rely on for its governmental core functions on e-government where it is also free for the ministry