Ahoud Al-Roumi: UAE Government Experiences are Pioneers in Government Transformation 

May 30, 2024 0108, 3 minutes 

Ali Al Marri: The Meeting Reflects the Importance of the Roles of Schools of Government in Empowering National Cadres to Face Future Challenges 

Dubai – Al Wahda: 

The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), in partnership with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), organized the annual meeting of the OECD Network of Schools of Government for 2024, held under the theme "Public Sector Transformation," from May 28 to 29, 2024. 

The meeting, held at the school's campus, was attended by Her Excellency Ahoud bint Khalfan Al-Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and The Future, Dr. Ali Al Marri, CEO of MBRSG, Naheed Nenshi, former Mayor of Calgary, Canada, Professor Geert Bouckaert from KU Leuven Public Governance Institute, and Mr. Jan Blöndal, Head of Public Governance and Budgeting at the OECD, along with a distinguished gathering of leaders in public sector capacity-building, experts, and specialists from 33 countries and 41 schools worldwide. 

On this occasion, Her Excellency Ahoud bint Khalfan Al-Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and The Future, emphasized: “The importance of the 2024 OECD Network of Schools of Government meeting in discussing global government sector transformation strategies and exchanging experiences to enhance international cooperation in developing governmental institutions and cadres.” 

She added, “In this meeting, we showcased the UAE government's experiences in government transformation, including initiatives to empower government cadres with future skills, projects to eliminate governmental bureaucracy, efforts to activate artificial intelligence in government work, and initiatives to enhance future readiness and institutionalize it within federal government entities.” 

The annual meeting aims to discuss workforce transformation, update learning systems, and strategies for leading cultural and organizational transformation in government sectors. It also aims to analyze challenges and changes in the public sector, focusing on the role of artificial intelligence in driving this transformation and developing learning systems, and how the workforce is responding to global changes. 

Dr. Ali Al Marri, CEO of MBRSG, affirmed “the importance of the meeting as it offers experts and policymakers a unique opportunity to explore best practices and strategies that can be applied to effectively lead transformation in the public sector.” 

He said, “The meeting focuses on the importance of innovation and efficiency in specialized education in policies and public administration, reflecting the commitment of MBRSG and the network to advancing public sector transformation towards a more effective and integrated future. Organizing this event demonstrates the school's and the OECD Network of Schools of Government's commitment to promoting innovation and efficiency in specialized education in policies and public administration.” 

Leading the Transformation 

During the opening session of the meeting, Naheed Nenshi, former Mayor of Calgary, Canada, shared his experience in leading significant transformations in the city, resulting in high levels of citizen satisfaction. The session also discussed leadership vision, cultural change, and civil service reform and modernization. 

The first day's sessions focused on “Leading the Transformation,” discussing strategic management and the cultural changes necessary to drive innovation and efficiency, along with “Workforce Transformation.” Discussions also highlighted the role of artificial intelligence and demographic changes in service development. 

The first day witnessed a plenary session titled “Leading the Transformation – Guiding Organizational and Cultural Changes,” where participants discussed how administrative leaders can design and lead effective transformations in public service. 

In a session titled “Workforce Transformation – AI and Demography,” emerging impacts of technology and demography on the workforce and strategies to adapt to these changes were highlighted. MBRSG presented on the role of schools of government in building the future of government work in light of the spread of artificial intelligence, in addition to contributions based on the school's research in this field. 

Transforming Learning Systems 

The second day's sessions centered around “Transforming Learning Systems,” where participants discussed new and innovative methods in education and training within the public sector. 

These sessions provided a platform for participants to exchange methodologies, best practices, and challenges faced. They also touched on the crucial role of executive leadership teams in guiding organizational and cultural changes within departments. 

The sessions also addressed the impact of artificial intelligence and demographic changes on public service within “Workforce Transformation,” and explored how to design and implement innovative learning methods that align with global transformations, ensuring effective updates to government education and training. 

It is worth noting that the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government is the academic research institution specialized in public administration and public policies in the Arab world, dedicated to supporting the journey of government excellence in the UAE in particular and the Arab world in general, by offering an integrated system of educational programs, training, research, and studies. The school documents the distinguished UAE experience and reproduces and exchanges knowledge among government institutions in the UAE and Arab countries.