part in a two-year Management Development Programme, which has been designed to enhance their managerial skills and knowledge.

The participants, who have been identified as potential department heads, will be instructed on all aspects of modern management techniques and skills in order to prepare them to be "future leaders in Bermuda's public service''.

Much of the training will be in-house, but for specialist courses, instructors from the Institute of Public Administration International and the Manitoba Institute of Management will be used, a Government statement said.

Senator the Hon. Michael Winfield, Minister of Management and Information Services, launched the Department of Personnel Services administered programme last week, congratulating the participants on being selected from among 60 internal applications.

"You have demonstrated a commendable desire to develop your managerial skills and have shown that you have a long-term commitment, not only to working in the public service, but to ensuring that the public service is more effective, more dynamic and more customer-oriented,'' Senator Winfield told them.

The programme consists of eight "modules'' which include such topics as: The Organisation of Government, Leadership within the Public Service, Planning and Decision Making, Policy Formulation, the Management of Organisations, and Government and Its Public.

Successful completion of the programme will lead to the award by Government of the Diploma in Government Administration.

Sen. Winfield also addressed participants on Government's "Value for Money Initiative'', including particular work being done which could have a substantial impact on the way Government does business.

He said the community was asking the civil service to be more client-oriented, easier to access and simpler to deal with, all at a time when there was a real need to reduce budgets and costs.

This, he continued, would require a "significant management capability'' and those involved in this programme would be "instrumental in shaping a new commitment to quality and productivity''.

The Senior Management Development Programme is part of a wider Government management development initiative. Some of the courses will be offered to other senior officials.