Congratulations to the successful graduates of the first Cayman Islands Joint Interagency Command and Staff Course.
Following an 8-week experience (spread over 5 months) a core group from the Police, Prison Service, Regiment, Coastguard and Customs & Border Control completed a journey that has taken them through international affairs, politics, international law, governance, building integrity, risk and disaster resilience, effective writing, public speaking, operational staffwork, capability development, media management, operational planning, maritime security, strategy, leadership and much more.
In-person guest speakers in the final 2-week segment included the 4 Executive Directors from the CARICOM Security Cluster - Commodore Errington Shurland from the Regional Security System (RSS), Lt Col Michael Jones from the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM IMPACS), Dr Joy St John from the CARICOM Public Health Agency (CARPHA) and Liz Riley from the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA). Not only a highly experienced but impressive gathering of talent that the course was able to benefit from in an all-day session of presentations and panel discussions. The course also heard remotely from Simon Jubb on Risk, Duncan Potts on Maritime Security and Richard Gordon MBE on Disaster Management.
The final module brought together all the skill sets and practical tools covered throughout the course in a series of exercises ranging from strategic to coal-face, including an exciting air crash command-and-control exercise using the innovative Stormkestrel NEST simulation software platform (supported by experts from CEO Albert Anderson's Cayman Islands Airport Authority). The course has now been completed and has produced a cohesive group of talented professionals, well-equipped to move into the most senior leadership positions within their organisations and beyond, with a deep understanding of the necessity for interagency thinking and the breaking down of stove pipes and barriers.
UDSS member Anton Gash designed and led the course through its successful first full cycle of the through-career training programme for the Cayman Islands Security Sector, with John Kingwell CBE as overall programme manager, and supported by Ian Milton FCMI PGCert and Paul Nanson for the Junior Leadership Programme, John Kingwell and Craig Lawrence CBE for the Strategic Leadership Programme, and John Sutcliffe (co-delivering the Interagency Staff Course), plus Chief Inspector Beersingh Patrick as overall local project coordinator.
UDSS extends its huge thanks to Commissioner Derek Byrne for his vision and to the wider team at Universal Defence and Security Solutions under Duncan Potts, and Cayman Islands Deputy Governor Franz Manderson for his support and engagement.
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