Government officials in the Virgin Islands, alongside representatives of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®), officially launched the Excellence in Customer Service CXC® programme on June 3, marking a significant step toward enhancing the quality of service across the territory’s public sector.
The initiative was unveiled during a ceremony attended by Deputy Governor David D. Archer Jr., senior government officials, and CXC representatives, as per a press release. Developed in partnership with Customer 1st Caribbean Ltd., a Trinidad and Tobago-based training company, the programme is geared toward public service employees throughout the Virgin Islands.
Originally conceived in 2023, the Excellence in Customer Service CXC® programme has been described as a strategic investment in human capital and a model that could be adapted for use by public sector institutions across the Caribbean. Development of the programme began with the CXC Research and Educational Development Division and was subsequently advanced through collaboration between the CXC Professional Learning Institute, the organisation’s Business Development Office, and the Virgin Islands Public Service Learning Institute (VIPSLI) over a two-year period.
The release says that the programme seeks to foster excellence in public service through a structured, multi-level training approach designed to transform service delivery. It brings together VIPSLI, CXC as a recognised regional and international certifying body, and training partners such as Customer 1st Caribbean Ltd. Its primary focus is strengthening the skills and capabilities of public officers at every level, from frontline employees to senior managers.
The first completed course forms part of a broader series within the Excellence in Customer Service programme. Reportedly developed around real-life examples and operational challenges encountered within the Virgin Islands Public Service, the training covered areas including ethics, values, professionalism, communication, accountability, operational effectiveness, and service recovery.
According to VIPSLI, participants began implementing improvements within their departments before the course had even concluded, updating procedures and testing new approaches aimed at improving service delivery.
Speaking during the launch and certificate presentation ceremony at the Virgin Islands Public Service Learning Institute, Dr. Eduardo Ali, Pro-Registrar and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of CXC®, highlighted the wider impact of the initiative.
“The CXC® Excellence in Customer Service programme was designed to establish measures and systems for greater efficiency and excellence in public service but also to support each individual through their journey to become better citizens and transformation agents within the public service. This landmark initiative has demonstrated the technical support that CXC® is primed and ready to offer to regional governments and organisations in their educational and systems transformations efforts.”
Dr. Connie E. George, Director of VIPSLI, explained that the institute sought CXC’s expertise after identifying the need for a formal professional development programme that would support the government’s objective of creating a world-class public service.
“We chose CXC® to assist us with this process because it is the Caribbean’s foremost educational, credential authority. When CXC® puts its name on a programme, the programme carries the weight of regional credentialling, academic rigor and the institutional integrity that The Virgin Islands could not provide locally.”
The initiative is expected to continue beyond the first group of participants. Individuals who completed the programme will receive additional training to enable them to facilitate future cohorts, supporting plans to expand the programme throughout the entire public service.
“We want excellence in customer service to be not just an initiative but a standard part of the professional development journey of every public officer in The Virgin Islands,” Dr. George declared.
During the ceremony, 14 public officers were presented with certificates recognising their successful completion of the programme’s inaugural course.
