Dubai School of Government signs agreement with the Jordanian Government to support public sector reform in Jordan

The agreement signifies the importance of working in partnership to strengthen regional co-operation and to achieve recognizable acclaim for DSG as a fundamental contributor to public sector reform in the region.

Through the establishment of this agreement, the Dubai School of Government will be supporting public sector reform in Jordan by capacity building in the Government Performance Directorate (GPD), which is in charge of monitoring government performance and facilitating reform in the Prime Ministry. Reform of public administration is part of a wider economic, social and political agenda which aims to transform Jordan into a more forward looking and prosperous state.

The Jordanian Government has recognised the importance of public sector reform as a tool to improve its overall economic development. Furthermore, the technical assistance which the Dubai School of Government will provide will address the following: capacity building efforts within the Government Performance Directorate team ensuring the presence of the necessary skills and expertise required to define the proper key performance indicators as well as the actual running of Government Performance Directorate operations and building the internal work processes within these teams.

Commenting on the MOU, Mr, Nabil Ali Alyousuf, Executive President of the Dubai School Government stated: "The need for governments to ensure that they have a strong monitoring and reporting system is of paramount importance and it is vital that they ensure that they have the correct systems in place to allow them to develop clear statements of where they want to be economically and socially in the future'.

Mr. Alyousuf further added that "The Dubai School of Government through its experiences and expertise in public sector reform will seek to support the Jordanian Government in its quest to achieve efficiency in the public sector ensuring that the necessary structure and tools are in place in order to boost overall economic development'.

Al Yousuf also added that 'The professionals and team in Dubai School of Government will be supporting regional governments with capacity building and technical expertise, and is prepared to provide continuous support in improving the necessary public services structure, which will reflect positively on public services'.

The objectives of the Public Sector Reform Programme are therefore two-fold: to improve the 'machinery' of government; and to ensure the improvements of the 'machinery' is integral to all National Agenda policies and programmes.

The importance of the public sector reform project in Jordan cannot be underestimated. Indeed, governmental reform has long been on the agenda and the case for change in this area is stronger than ever. At a time where most Governments are conscious of streamlining their systems and processes, the Jordanian Government is leading major efforts to improve a number of key areas: by decision making within its various departments and implementing a clearly articulated set of deliverables to be achieved within a defined time period. This in turn will drive performance measurements and standard setting to ensure that there is a clear structure in place to aid effective strategic policy making.

However, it is not enough to improve the administrative 'Machine': It is imperative that the principles of enhanced accountability, efficiency, results orientation and value for money are embedded in all the individual policies and programmes which comprise the National Agenda.

The Dubai School of Government team has regional and international experience in the field of Government performance and has worked on similar projects supporting various regional governments. Moreover, the Dubai School of Government offers various tailored Executive Education Programmes in this field that have been delivered to a number of Government Institutions.