What makes a great public officer?
That was the question Deputy Governor David Archer Jr. sought to address during his monthly message for September 2022.
The Deputy Governor said, ” I believe that anyone that decides to work for the public service must have people at their heart. They must decide that coming to work at the public service is about service, about ensuring persons are served well and what we deliver is of high quality”.
Archer said that in his own experience in public office his mentors taught that a public officer should be punctual and always try to do everything the right way every time, because of course there will be mistakes.
Most importantly, he said that one must consider what kind of service they would want from a public officer and strive to deliver just that.
“For me, I never want to leave files on my desk for tomorrow if I can finish them today, because unlike the private sector where you can go to a different restaurant or somewhere else, the services we provide – We’re the only ones. So we need to understand that we’re impacting lives, businesses and overall the economy”, he said.
While being a public officer may not always be the easiest job, Archer said that it is one, once approached with passion, that can be a fulfilling career for any Virgin Islander.