Phase One of 'UAE Government Leaders Programme' takes off

Titled 'Authentic Government Leader - Model One', the first workshop of the Executive Leaders Programme focuses on three main areas of leading the self, wise decision making, and communication skills. Held in collaboration with London Business School at the Palace Hotel- Burj Dubai, the first phase will conclude on 29 April.

Launched under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE Government Leaders Programme aims to develop visionary leaders with the potential to drive the strategic objectives of the UAE federal government.

The 26-day Executive Leaders Programme will be delivered over a period of 18 months and comprise various training programmes that promote best international practices in the government sector. In addition to exploring latest practices in strategic thinking, planning and implementation, the programme will help participants enhance core skills in key areas such as, financial management, human capital management, project management, information technology and internal operations excellence.

His Excellency Mohammed AlGergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, said: "The launch of the first programme follows a stringent evaluation process conducted in cooperation with a leading international agency. The highly competitive evaluation identified 30 participants despite close scores by 107 senior officials across the UAE federal entities.

"The programme seeks to enhance the participants' strategic planning competencies and enable them to develop clear and result-oriented visions. It will also assist them to enhance their management skills in various areas such as team building, innovation and creativity, while equipping them with the necessary tools to cope with the ongoing dynamic changes."

Under the Executive Leaders Programme, participants will be assigned experienced mentors to guide them through best practices in personal development to complement their leadership qualities.

The multi-pronged UAE Government Leaders Programme, launched last February, focuses on UAE federal employees across three different levels. To be concluded in September 2009, the Executive Leaders Programme targets Executive Directors and Directors at the federal entities.

The 12-month Strategic Leaders Programme will target 20 Directors General, and the 18-month Future Leaders Programme targets 30 Assistant Directors and the lower cadres. The Strategic Leaders and Future Leaders Programs will be launched during the second half of 2008.