The meeting discussed detailed strategic plans of individual ministries, developed following the UAE Federal Government Strategy that was approved in April this year by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The two-day cabinet meeting reviewed ministries’ 2008-2010 strategies along with details of implementation plan which included a number of creative initiatives and key performance indicators.
Casual setting
The ministerial meeting held at Dhadna, Fujairah, in a casual setting, was the second such retreat called by Shaikh Mohammed. The objective of holding such a retreat reflects his keenness to adopt a flexible approach in public administration and enable it to swiftly advance into the future.
The previous such meeting called by Shaikh Mohammed was held at Bab Al Shams resort in mid-February.
During the Dhadna meeting, Shaikh Mohammed expressed his satisfaction about the team spirit demonstrated by the working groups at the ministries and termed this as one of the most important achievements of the strategy.
Better results
He also stressed the need to implement programmes and initiatives according to schedules, while constantly reviewing them to incorporate amendments to obtain better results. He said this was necessary because of the changes brought about by the country’s rapid economic growth in the last few years. Shaikh Mohammed revealed that an integrated system for performance management is being developed to monitor ministries’ performance in general and to implement the strategy recommendations in particular. The Prime Minister’s Office was tasked with preparing performance reports to be submitted to Shaikh Mohammed on regular basis.
e-services
Shaikh Mohammed called for widening the e-Government programme and transforming 50 per cent of public services to e-services by end of 2008 and to 90 per cent by the end of 2010. He also ordered ministries to work towards achieving 70 per cent customer satisfaction levels on service delivery, noting that a special team of ‘Mystery Shoppers’ will be formed to monitor performance. The team will directly report to Shaikh Mohammed.
He added: “After several discussions prior to the launch of the strategy on the employees’ ability to cope with the changes, I was glad to realise everyone else too is completely convinced in the success of this strategy.
“I am confident, when anyone who has a clearly defined vision and the determination, obstacles can be easily overcome. Therefore, I have faith in all employees and their abilities to participate actively in the implementation process of the strategy.”
At the Fujairah meeting, each minister presented his ministry’s achievements in line with the directive of Shaikh Mohammed. Operational plans of ministries and federal authorities were forwarded to the Ministry of Finance and Industry to start the preparation of the 2008 budget draft.
This is the first time budget allocations are linked to strategic planning which will contribute to raising productivity as well as efficiency in spending.
The UAE Strategy marks a new phase in government operations, aimed at achieving balanced and sustainable development and ensuring a high standard of life for the citizens. The strategy outlines mechanisms and initiatives that promote economic growth and focus on global best practices in all sectors in order to enhance the level of service provided to citizens and residents in the country.
Autor(en)/Author(s): (WAM)
Quelle/Source: Khaleej Times, 15.07.2007
