The Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG), the first research and teaching institution focusing on governance and public policy in the Arab world, held the eighth station on its “Futrue Trip” programme in collaboration with the Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR).

Now in its second edition, the “the future trip programme” seeks to empower future government leaders and equip them with up-to-date instruments and best practices in the field of government administration.

The event brought together DGHR Director General His Excellency Abdulla Ali Bin Zayed Al Falasi; MBRSG’s Executive President H.E. Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri; and Professor Raed Awamleh, Dean of MBRSG; along with representatives from the Public Prosecution of Dubai, Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Courts, Community Development Authority, Dubai Government Workshop, General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners’ Affairs in Dubai, Islamic Affairs & Charitable Activities Department, Department of Land and Property in Dubai, Directorate General of Civil Defense in Dubai, Dubai Maritime City Authority, Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai Media Incorporated, and Dubai’s Department of Finance.

H.E. Abdulla Al Falasi said: “We, in the Dubai Government Human Resources Department, are always working to build bridges of cooperation with prestigious research and academic institutions, as well as governmental bodies, both local and federal, to empower Emirati professionals with the expertise and knowledge they need to transform and improve local work environments in accordance with best practices and global government standards.”

“Promoting cooperation between various entities is a critical step towards achieving our strategic objectives. With its successive stations, the Future Trip programme, organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government, offers an ideal platform for this kind of connection, cooperation and teamwork. This, in turn, firmly establishes the programme as a leader and role model in government knowledge,” H.E. Al Falasi added.

For his part, H.E. Dr Ali Sebaa Al Marri noted: “Now in its second edition, the Future Trip programme’s series of field visits allowed it to establish itself as a veritable gateway to knowledge-sharing and the exchange of institutional best practices. The successive visits covered various areas including public policies, governance, resource management, development of government work and other related topics.”

“The objective of the programme is to create a platform for decision makers and government officials to come together in creative activities and experiences, allowing them to capitalise on valuable opportunities for cooperation and come up with solutions to overcome obstacles and drastically transform their respective fields of work,” Dr Al Marri continued.

Activities during the eighth stop reviewed various aspects of the DGHR’s scope of work, as well as its future directions associated with the Dubai Plan 2021. Aisha Mohamed Al-Mahyas, Director of the National Capacity Building Department, gave a presentation detailing the services her department provides, which include the Competency Assessment Centre that evaluates behavioural proficiencies according to the standards and frameworks of the Dubai Government Human Resources Management Law.

Al-Mahyas gave a detailed explanation about behavioural proficiencies and their role in empowering the workforce and equipping them with future-focused technical skills such as programming, artificial intelligence, advanced engineering, big data, Fourth-Industrial-Revolution technologies, and cloud computing.

Also included in the activities was an interactive exercise to determine participants’ strengths and development opportunities. The experiment includes a typical character classification, which is an effective tool the Department uses in its hiring process to create candidate profiles and determine areas for potential development.

The event’s agenda included a session attended by H.E. Abdulla Al Falasi, covering such strategic topics as: “The Dubai Government’s Aspirations and Current Challenges”, “Government Human Resources Strategy and Road Map”, and “Emiratisation”. The session also included a Q&A component where H.E. Al Falasi answered participants’ queries regarding the HR Management Law, and listened to their views on how to improve the system.

Furthermore, the session underlined the importance of developing local talents and skills at all career levels, stressing the need to correlate between education and corporate development in order to produce young graduates with expertise that caters directly to the job market.

The participants applauded the Future Trip programme for its role in creating an innovative environment that bridges the gap between government agencies and unifies visions and objectives. The attendees considered that the enthusiasm from officials to actively participate in the programme reflects the importance of its takeaways.

The workshops and activities that took place promoted teamwork and cooperation, which reflects MBRSG’s efforts to achieve the vision of the UAE’s leadership for a unified government working together to achieve the strategic goals of the National Agenda of the UAE Vision 2021 and the UAE Centennial 2071.