Participants of the UAE Government Leaders Programme discuss future government trends

The seminar was attended by participants of the UAE Government Leaders Programme, bringing together leaders from all three categories - The Strategic Leaders Programme; the Executive Leaders Programme and the Future Leaders Programme.

During the course of the two-hour session, one hundred UAE federal government leaders discussed the latest trends and theories in government administration, and the possibility of applying these modern tools to the UAE system of government. In addition, leaders reviewed new forms of government.

Ohood Al Roumi, Director General of the Prime Minister's Office said, "The participation of Professor Kamarck, a distinguished expert in government innovation and future government practices, makes this seminar a significant contribution to the development of government administration policy."

"This was the first occasion for participants from all three categories of the UAE Government Leaders Programme to come together and should be beneficial to both career development and skills enhancement through the opportunity to interact and exchange views and information with colleagues. This seminar represents an advance towards the achievement of the objectives of the Programme, in exposing government leaders to the highest standards of expertise and experience, and share best practices in government administration," Al Roumi added.

Abdulla Al Basti, Director of UAE Government Leaders Programme said, "The discussions between Programme participants and Professor Kamarck included a review of the latest and future trends in government administration around the world, and the importance of using exact and authoritative methodologies to track and evaluate government performance."

Al Basti added, "The seminar also covered new forms of government, including the composition and administration of 'Government by Network' and the formation and administration of 'Government by Market'. Professor Kamarck focused on the types of policy problems each new mode of government is best suited to address and factors contributing to success."

The relevance of governance as an important factor influencing economic growth was also discussed, along with other factors such the quality of leadership and managerial skills that successful future government leaders need to acquire.

Participants also discussed the feasibility of applying these new concepts in a practical way to the UAE system of government, and the impact that factors like differences in culture, government and community have on their implementation in the UAE. Attending government leaders agreed that seminars like this provide a valuable platform for the exchange of ideas and an opportunity to discuss new trends in government management in a systematic manner.

Dr. Kamarck is a lecturer at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University. Dr. Kamarck also holds the post of Director of the Government Administration Theories in the Twenty-first Century Program in the Kennedy School. During the administration of U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton Professor Kamarck chaired the 'reinventing government' group for the administration and served as a consultant to the President Clinton for the Renovation of the U.S. Government Award.