Workshop on "Leading in the Public Sector" a success

The workshop was hosted under the patronage of HE Shk Ahmed Bin Atiyat Allah AL Khalifa - Minister of Cabinet Affairs, attended by dignitaries from all ministries and government organizations.

The 3 days forum started on 31st March and concluded on 2nd April 2008.

This workshop was the 1st module of a comprehensive "Executive Leadership Programme" organised by BIPA and National School of Government from UK. The content of the Workshop mainly focussed on three main subjects: Leadership, Policy Making and Media Management.

Ms. Kay Evans - Senior Leadership Consultant at the UK National School of Government on developing personal leadership, influence and persuasion skills and Dr. John Potter - Senior Associate with the UK National School of Government, led the first day of the Executive Leadership Programme.

The first day programme focussed on the skills of leadership. The participants were provided with an insight on the history of leadership covering a variety of tools and techniques and looking at the relationship between leadership and management.

Group discussions were held on the role of a leader and a variety of frameworks, which highlighted areas to which leaders in government organisations need to pay attention, including the links between 'individuals/teams/tasks' and 'strategies/operations/front line'.

The second day of the programme titled, 'Policy Making' was facilitated by Mr. Graham Davey - Head of Policy Making and Government Team at the UK National School of Government in change leadership and Mr. Rob Wright - Senior Associate with the National School of Government on policy development and international negotiations. Discussions concentrated on the definition of policy and strategy using examples specifically relevant to the public sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Interactive activities included a stakeholder mapping exercise.

The group engaged in creative work to explore a wider variety of options available to them as policy makers, including reverse brainstorming, empathetic thinking and forced relationships. Participants worked through the policy development cycle, using current examples from their own departments and case studies to illustrate key points.

The last session of the workshop which was held on day three covered, 'Government Communications and Media Management'.

Senior Associate with the National School of Government and lead consultant at UK's Central Office of Information, Mr. Kevin Traverse-Healy and Ms. Kay Evans addressed the audience on this subject.

With conclusions from the learning's of the first two days, the third day discussions centred on skills and methods of communication and the leadership role.

Participants worked through the policy with case studies to understand the importance of identifying their market and choosing the most appropriate media methods with which to communicate.

Deliberations covered the difficulty of changing behaviour and participants considered the value of social marketing and how to identify the 'insights' that will enable them to produce the most effective marketing and communications strategy for government organisations.

The workshop concluded with a review of the participants' learning and an opportunity for them to plan the application of their learning with the support of a colleague.

A feedback survey was conducted with the participants on all three days and the comments received from the participants indicated the need and the value of such an extensive workshop.

Participants appreciated the content of the workshop and shared that the information and knowledge that they have been provided at the workshop is intensive and valuable.

What was most admired was that the management tools, strategies and methods discussed were applicable to their work environment and the participants felt that the workshop enabled them to increase efficient leadership in their place of work.

It was highlighted that the interactive style of the workshop, case studies and examples shared by the facilitators made the 3 days workshop very interesting and out of the ordinary.

Various attendees complimented the Bahrain Institute of Public Administration for the quality of the 1st module contents and the facilitators on their professional presentations, style and methods stating, they felt the material for the programme was well prepared and well designed to apply to their work environment which makes it highly effective and practical.

Finally Dr Raed BenShams announced that BIPA has planned a follow up event for early June 2008 in which participants will be invited to share their applied learning experiences and illustrate ways in which they have put their learning into practice within their work environments at the Ministries.