More than a dozen trainees from five of East Timor's most important ministries have started work in the new Government Information Office (GIO). The 13 trainees and other government staff receiving more focused support will learn communications and public relations skills to help the government provide timely and reliable information about its activities to the media and the public.

The training is based on one-to-one mentoring rather than classroom teaching to help the trainees with their on-the-job needs. Internews, an international NGO that specializes in communications training, is providing two expert advisors to the GIO to work with each of the trainees. The initial training period lasts until April 2005.

To focus on the areas that have the most direct impact on the lives of East Timor's residents, the trainees have been chosen from the following ministries:

• Health
• Education
• Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries
• Communications, Transport, and Public Works
• Development and Environment's Investment Office.

Internews mentors are also providing training to the office of the Inspector General, which investigates allegations of government corruption.

In an important cross-ministry collaboration supported by the GIO project, trainees from the Ministry of Transport, Communication, and Public Works are preparing a national road safety campaign with help from the ministries of Health, Interior, and Justice, as well as the Parliament.

The GIO reports directly to the Prime Minister and is based in the Government Building in Dili. Its Internews mentors are funded through USAID's partnership with Internews to help build capacity for good governance, improve the government's service delivery to citizens, and provide a higher level of transparency in the government's development of policies, laws, and budget.