Government Ministers -- Minister of Local Government

Minister of Local Government

Hazel Manning joined the Cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago in 2001 when she was appointed Minister of Education. In 2007 she was reappointed to the Senate following the General Elections of that year and became the country's first female Minister of Local Government. She brings to this sphere of government, which is closest to the people, a vigour for change: to transform this institution to make it more responsive to the demands and expectations of citizens.
Minister Manning intends to pursue, within the framework of Local Government reform, improved service delivery to communities by forging strategic partnerships and fostering citizen participation in the conduct of Local Government business. This transformation effort finds foundation in the Vision 2020 National Strategic Plan and supports the pillar of "Promoting Effective Government."
Her professional career included serving as:
 Head of Research - Ministry of Planning and Development, Town and Country Planning
 Manager of Social Affairs Unit - National Housing Authority
 Business Development Manager - Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago
 International Specialist Consultant in Social Impact Assessment
Senator the Honourable Hazel Manning comes to Local Government with a record of accomplishments as follows:
 Transformation of the education landscape in terms of structure.
 Social research projects using modern social assessment techniques e.g. the Participatory Methodology process advocated by the World Bank.
 Development of curriculum, and policy for Early Childhood Care and Education which included standards for the operations of centers.
 Partnership between UNSECO and the Ministry of Education to facilitate the establishment of a quality assurance unit for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Teacher Education, Distance Education and Education for Democratic Values and Practices
 Leading the charge in the Caribbean for the assessment and certification of key and basic labour competitiveness at the upper secondary level.
 Presidency - Organization of American States Inter-American Committee on Education at the level of Ministers.
 First Vice-President - Board of the Inter-Governmental Committee on Education for Latin America and the Caribbean.
The UWI-educated Senator the Honourable Hazel Manning completed the Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Sciences in 1972. She graduated in 1987 with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Administration and in 2000 to 2001, she pursued the Master of Science Degree in Planning and Development.