Dubai Customs hosted an introductory workshop on the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Initiative for Government Innovation- Ibda'a, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide a work environment that encourages employees foster a culture of innovation in their work and avoid falling into routine in order to boost corporate performance and services delivered to customers of government departments.The workshop was attended by H.E Ahmed Butti Ahmed, the Executive Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone and Director General of Dubai Customs, who welcomed the members of the Dubai Government Excellence Programme (DGEP). He stressed that H.H the Vice-President of the UAE has revolutionized the concepts and performance of government work over the years, which is now managed as per highest world-class business standards for the private sector and government services are delivered in high quality according to business criteria and methodologies based on best world practices.
Dubai Customs Director General affirmed the importance of innovation and how it positively reflects on the employee, the corporation, the economy and the society. The employee will be awarded monetary and nonmonetary benefits and advance his/her career. On the other hand, the corporation will achieve its goals and strategic objectives.
The workshop, which was held at Dubai Customs main building, was attended by executive directors, directors of departments and customs centers and sections’ managers. It is part of a workshop series that DGEP is carrying out in cooperation with various government entities that took part in previous meetings to be familiar with the initiative and make suggestions in its regard.
Mr Hazza Khalfan Al Nuaimi, Senior Manager of Excellence Initiatives at DGEP, presented a lecture to educate attendees about the Mohammed bin Rashid Initiative for Innovation- Ibda'a. He shed light on the goals of the initiative, its categories, standards, nomination and assessment mechanisms, awarding and all related events and activities.
Mr Al Nuaimi explained that the initiative is part of the Dubai Government Excellence Programme. Winning nominations for categories are announced in the annual award ceremony. Nominations will be accepted in January 2014 and will be assessed during the first quarter of the same year. Thus, winners will be honored during the annual ceremony of 2014. He indicated that awareness workshops, held in cooperation with government departments and entities in Dubai, are fundamental to DGEP work and involve Dubai government entities to talk about new initiatives in order to collaborate for the purpose of realizing excellence and innovation.
He said that the initiative, which was kicked off by the “Patron of Excellence”, H.H the Ruler of Dubai under the theme “Corporate Environment for Government Innovations”, is aimed at providing an innovation-fostering work environment in the public sector, encouraging government employees to come up with creative ideas, developmental projects and initiatives that contribute to enhancing their departments and developing their community, upgrading corporate performance and government services, pushing forward the wheel of national development, enhancing Dubai’s competitiveness and upgrading its innovation-related results.
Al Nuaimi stated that the initiative comprises of a number of categories, including “Innovative Idea” which must be a developmental measurable idea that leads to performance improvement, “Innovative Employee” who must have offered innovations such as an invention or exceptional project, “Innovative Leader” who must be a director or a manger who provides an environment that caters to innovation and initiates to make a change, “Innovation Fostering Entity” which is a government entity that works on supporting innovators and provides an innovation-stimulating environment.
In regard to the initiative criteria, he stated that they include a set of different standards for every category. The standards for the Innovative Idea category involve the idea’s originality and authenticity, how it responds to customers’ needs, how it is based on facts, its efficient implementation to achieve its quality and quantity goals and how it is used as a general model that can be applied at other entities.
On the other hand, standards for the Innovative Employee category are linked to the number of creative ideas he/she submitted, their innovation, how well they respond to customers’ needs and their contribution in making a fundamental change or tangible improvement in government performance. Moreover, the most important criteria for the Innovative Leader category are represented in the innovation degree, providing an innovation-fostering environment, being a role model and influencing the surrounding community and environment.
The criteria for Innovation Fostering Entity category are represented in the existence of a work environment and the leadership that support innovation. Managers and directors play a significant role as a good role models for the rest of employees by encouraging and awarding them.
Concerning the nomination mechanism, Al Nuaimi said that government entities select the categories they wish to participate in and name their candidates for every category in an official letter, accompanied by a separate file that contains a brief in the Arabic language for every category. The letter, which can be paper of electronic, is sent to DGEP management at the General Secretariat of the Executive Council before the end of January 15 of every year.
At the end of the lecture, Al Nuaimi expressed his gratitude to Dubai Customs for hosting the workshop, as the initiative contributes to achieving the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, that Dubai government entities become a corporate environment for government innovations.
H.E Ahmed Butti Ahmed, the Executive Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone and Director General of Dubai Customs, presented Mr Al Nuaimi with Dubai Customs shield to mark the Department’s appreciation for DGEP and its role in stepping up government performance and enhancing a culture of innovation and excellence.