Chairman’s Statement

Many a time organisations tend to lose focus of the underpinning strategic elements that are critical to their success. In reviewing their performance and the quality of their service, organisations often allow their attention to stray towards organisational structures and related functions, technology development, processes and similar aspects. Important as these matters are, they are not, however, the core of what constitutes a successful or a failing organisation in providing a quali ty service. When all is said and done, organisations are not about organisational boxes and the position titles within them but, rather, about the real people that make up that entity.

Chairman Joseph R Grima

Directors Anthony Diacono, Anne Mckenna Elizabeth Micallef & Joseph W Izzo

Many a time organisations tend to lose focus of the underpinning strategic elements that are critical to their success. In reviewing their performance and the quality of their service, organisations often allow their attention to stray towards organisational structures and related functions, technology development, processes and similar aspects. Important as these matters are, they are not, however, the core of what constitutes a successful or a failing organisation in providing a quali ty service. When all is said and done, organisations are not about organisational boxes and the position titles within

We at MITTS Ltd have learned that our success in terms of providing excellent quality services is dependent primarily on the competence, commitment and integrity of the staff members who constitute MITTS Ltd. This Annual Report is about our people: their contribution, development, growth and progression within the company.

MITTS Ltd recognises that commitment demands a relationship of mutual trust and respect; and to achieve this we are continuously strengthening our environment to establish the company as a model employer. Only thus can we optimise the intellectual talent that we collectively have in providing a high quality service to our clients in the Public Service.

MITTS Ltd is proud of the measures it has introduced to ensure that our staff grow and develop, and command respect.

In order to ensure that MITTS Ltd maintains its focus towards assuring a work environment that allows staff to flourish professionally and personally, MITTS Ltd has this year anchored its work ethic to a fivepoint value system that attaches importance to people, professionalism, empowerment, ever continuous improvement and client satisfaction. Whilst we recognise that we have to be vigilant lest we falter to maintain these values, the core value system we have embraced provides board, management and staff with transparent points of reference against which we can judge ourselves.

Moreover, we recognise the importance of women in our workplace and in this regard we have taken steps to support our female staff members to balance their family responsibilities with those of the work place without the fear of placing their professional career at stake. We are proud to state that we were possibly the first organisation in Malta to have introduced, over two years ago, teleworking together with other friendly measures such as assistance for child care facilities.

MITTS Ltd is a knowledge-based institution: the environment within which it operates continues to change at an accelerated pace. MITTS Ltd cannot deliver excellent quality services to the Public Service if it does not invest in team-building and keeping current the intellectual material and knowledge of its staff. In 2002 MITTS Ltd achieved an average of 6.5 training days per employee; an investment that underlines in no uncertain manner the importance we attach to our people, individually and as members of a team. Yet skills based training is only one part of the professional development that MITTS Ltd promotes. Through a scholarship bursary programme it provides opportunities to its staff members to undertake accredited and career professional development studies leading to Masters degrees in areas that are relevant to MITTS Ltd in providing a continuously improved service.

A large and complex organisation such as MITTS Ltd can only operate effectively if its staff members are informed of how MITTS Ltd is performing. Considerable effort is invested in this regard by a number of initiatives including the publication of a synthesis of the minutes of the Executive Committee, quarterly status meetings with all the staff, one-to-one and one-toeight sessions with the CEO and executive management, on-line electronic suggestion box, intranet and internal newsletter.

There is no doubt that MITTS Ltd is not a self-serving institution. Its mandate is to provide strategic value added services to the Public Service in its own daunting challenges to better serve Government and the public at large. Continuous improvement in MITTS Ltd performance is therefore not only necessary but mandatory.

The heart of our organisation lies in our people. It is no rhetoric to state that our people are our most precious asset.

On behalf of the Directors and on my own behalf I would like to thank the staff at MITTS Ltd who in 2002 made MITTS Ltd Board proud. As Chairman of the Board I am grateful to my colleague Directors and to the CEO and his management team for their support.

J R Grima

Chairman