Microsoft and Primus organize training workshop for CIOs of 30 government entities

The CIO Summit was held during the period August 2 - 13, to meet the growing demand for IT services, increase the level of CIO management skills, emphasize the business responsibilities of today's CIOs and enhance the operational performance of the various government entities whose representatives were in attendance.

The graduation ceremony of the CIO Summit was attended by H.E Basem Rousan, Minister of Information and Communications Technology, who presented certificates of completion to all attending CIOs.

His Excellency Eng. Basem Rousan emphasized that Public Private Partnership is pivotal in effectively advancing the use of ICT tools, particularly at Public Sector agencies, where realizing efficiencies while delivering faster, better, and citizen-centric services is a main focus of the Government of Jordan.

Rousan said the content of the course was relevant and should go a long way in building CIOs' capacity towards effective implementation of the e-Government programme.

He also thanked Microsoft, citing this cooperation is an example of a Private Public Partnership that can affect real and tangible change.

Zeid Shubailat, Country Manager of Microsoft Jordan, stated:

"The training sessions that were delivered to the various governmental entities are part of Microsoft's commitment to the Government of Jordan, under the three year Enterprise Agreement that was signed with the MoICT back in 2006. The purpose of the CIO Summit is to provide government employees, specifically senior IT executives, with the necessary training to enhance their performance, which in turn will improve services provided to the general public."

Mr. Amer Nasereddin, Vice President/Chief Marketing Officer for Primus, the organizer, stated, "We have successfully delivered the 14 day training course targeting CIOs, IT Directors and IT Managers in the Government sector. The primary focus of the training course is to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of doing business with the Government, with several modules focusing on utilizing best business practices and technologies to advance the IT leadership of government entities in Jordan."

"Primus is committed to supporting the IT and Business worlds through proven strategies and best practices, and we are confident that the course will provide CIOs with the tools needed to help them develop IT strategic plans for their organizations while driving innovation and growth," he added.

Mr. Samer Shamayleh, Strategic Agreements Director, MoICT said, "The long-term and strategic partnership that we have established with Microsoft has significantly contributed to enhancing the skills of government employees, bridging the digital gap, and encouraging innovation in the Jordanian ICT sector. We strongly believe that the governmental entities that were selected for the CIO Summit will greatly benefit from the courses and we are especially thankful to the distinguished trainers who delivered the courses."

The two-week curriculum included ten training sessions that were prepared by White Associates Research & Development, with guidance from Microsoft and Primus. The sessions included CIO Overview, Internal Expectations Management, IT Governance, Strategy & Planning, Enterprise Architecture, Capital Planning, Program & Project Management, Procurement & Vendor Management, and e-Government Implications.

The sessions were delivered by three high ranking speakers who are CIOs of some of the world's most renowned multinational companies. Key Speaker Mr. Chas White, President and CEO of White Associates Research & Development, spent the majority of his professional life working with corporate and public sector leaders to improve the strategic value of information technology as an enabler for the achievement of corporate and business unit goals.

Dr. Rowan Snyder has had 20 years of experience as a CIO, with extensive experience in IT strategy, turnarounds and teambuilding. Before his retirement in 2009, he was CIO of KMPG, the US and Global Chief Technology Officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers Worldwide, the CIO of Nestle Perrier Group of America, and the CIO of LasSalles Industries.

Ms. Cynthia Underwood has had over 20 years of extensive experience in the design, implementation, and integration of data systems including all aspects of project development such as project management, process and procedure evaluation, requirements definition, project design, software design, database design, user documentation training and technology, user support, and data transfer between multi-disciplines and multiple user sites.