Twenty-two staff of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL) and the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commissions (NTRCs) from ECTEL’s five Member States gathered in Saint Lucia at the Compass Room, Harbor Club for the 8th ECTEL/NTRC Administrative Workshop. The two-day workshop which ran from September 14-15, 2023 was held under the theme, “Reinventing the Administrative Function – Empowering Staff to Make a Difference”.
The workshop facilitated by Celestial Self Development Center explored numerous topics such as emotional intelligence, problem solving and decision making, critical thinking, managing stress and the stages of team development among others. According to ECTEL’s Human Resource Manager, Mrs. Pat Payne, “We are delighted that after five years both administrative teams from ECTEL and the NTRCs can meet in person to share experiences to strengthen work processes. It is critical that we provide continuous training and personal development opportunities for our administrative staff as they play an integral role in ECTEL’s and the NTRC’s day to day operations.”
Additionally, Mrs. Janelle Augustin-Henry, ECTEL’s Information Systems Manager made a presentation on Artificial Intelligence (AI). She underlined the importance of embracing AI to foster greater productivity in the workplace stating that “The use of Generative AI can positively impact the efficiency and productivity of ECTEL and NTRC administrative staff.” She identified several use cases for AI including drafting documents, task automation, analysing consumer complaints and feedback to identify recurring issues and trends, gathering and analysing data from the telecommunications market to assess competitiveness, market trends, and consumer preferences. She said, “While there are significant benefits for using AI, there are also shortcomings and risks. ECTEL remains committed to developing an AI Use Policy and exploring tools to prepare the organisation for the evolving world of technology.”
ECTEL has been the regional regulatory body advising the NTRCs on electronic communications matters in its Member States – the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines since 4th May 2000. Essentially, ECTEL works with the NTRCs to promote consumer rights and harmonised benefits in the electronic communications sector in its Member States.