His Excellency Humaid Mohammed Al Qatami, Minister of Education and Chairman of Board of Directors of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources launched today (Wednesday) the Performance Management System and the Training & Development System for Federal Government Employees. The two systems are among the most outstanding initiatives that reflect the Authority’s strategy and exemplify the best practice in the field of human resource development.

In the opening speech of the launching ceremony organized by the Authority in Dubai to introduce the systems, priorities for the next stage and steps for implementation, HE Al Qatami confirmed that the Performance Management System and the Training & Development System represent an integrated package of HR policies, legislation and systems which is based on best international practices, and establish a new culture in the work of Federal Government units.

“A few days ago, the Authority launched Phase 1 of the HR Information Management System “BYANATI”, amended some provisions of HR Law and before that the governance system of Federal entities. Now, the Authority launching Performance Management and the Training & Development Systems, to ensure its philosophy based on consultation and interaction with the Federal entities and competent officials”,  Al Qatami said.

With regard to these tow systems, HE explained that they are inseparable in any way and integral part of each other, as our training and development needs are basically rely on the outcome of Performance Management which has been piloted in seven Federal units during the 2^nd quarter of 2011 before it was formally launched at the Federal Government level.

He further explained that the Performance Management System establishes principles of fairness, transparency and equal opportunities for all employees, and lays the foundations for a new era of serious work by all in order to increase productivity and enhance the role of training and development in upgrading the Federal Government employees’ skills and competencies, creating linkage between performance and achievement and bridging learning and training gaps.

HE Al Qatami also highlighted the importance of continuous training in promoting innovation, adaptation to change and ability to encounter the challenges imposed by accelerating knowledge, to form a tool for the development of human capital in the Federal Government.

He drew the attention of the audience to the fact that the Authority is planning to establish a governmental training centre, streamline standards for accrediting training providers, and set a general framework for training and development policies, stressing the need for encouraging self-development in employees to enhance their skills and capabilities.

“While we see the introduction of these two systems as one of many initiatives achieved by the Authority, we hope that they will constitute a reference manual for all ministries and Federal entities in managing their employees in a proper manner and identifying their training and development needs at all levels”, he said.

He explained that the establishment of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources came to translate the keenness of our wise Leadership on the development of human resource concepts in UAE and for the purpose of instilling and promoting these concepts in the Federal Government. It is also an embodiment of the UAE vision 2021, the Federal Government Strategy and the Leadership’s resolve to see the UAE among the world’s leading countries in the field of HRD.

“We on our part, endeavor to make a breakthrough within our jurisdiction”, he added, and “by developing effective policies, regulations and legislation that are being launched regularly, in compliance with the aspirations of our wise Leadership represented in President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates”.

Dr. Abdelrahman Al Awar: the Human Capital – A Pillar of Sustainable Development

For his part, His Excellency, Dr. Abdelrahman Al Awar, Director General of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources confirmed that the UAE has made great strides towards the implementation of HR best practices and systems, in order to nurture the growth and revival of human capital, which is regarded as the basis for comprehensive development at the level of the Federal Government ministries and agencies.

He called on the beneficiaries of the Performance Management System to take this important opportunity through being strictly committed to organizing training workshops and staff performance management sessions in a timely and objectively manner, (performance planning, interim review, annual performance appraisal, determination of allowances and bonuses).

Regarding the objectives of the training and development for the Federal Government employees, Dr. Al Awar said its aim in general is to raise the efficiency of the career structure by provision of skills and qualifications through setting individual for employees, enhancing the strengths and identifying weaknesses, assisting ministries and Federal Authorities to train staff to fill vacant posts, developing training and development activities using the best practices, and measuring the impact of the results of applying the system of training and development to individual and organizational performance.

He expressed thanks to the Council of Ministers for their great trust in the Authority’s capabilities and its creative initiatives, and to the ministries and Federal authorities for their continued support to the initiatives of the Authority and its projects, which contribute to achieving the vision of our wise leadership and the aspirations of our citizens and our staff towards a brighter future. He also thanked the seven agencies that have implemented the pilot scheme of Performance Management System and their work teams, as well as the work team members within the Authority, who have been working and will continue their work to provide support during the formal application of the two systems.

Performance Management System

 The Authority held a press conference on the sidelines of launching ceremony on the two systems, addressed by Mrs. Aisha Al Suwaidi, Acting Executive Director of HR, and Mrs. Amna .Al Suwaidi, HR planning expert at the Authority.

Aisha Al Suwaidi explained that the Performance Management System is based on five basic principles: promoting and developing a culture of individual performance, involving employees in planning and setting goals, encouraging supervisors to provide feedback on the performance of their employees objectively, linking promotions, incentives, bonuses, training and development to performance level, and observing justice, consistency, fairness and credibility in implementing the system.

By introducing this system, according to Aisha Al Suwaidi, the Federal Government seeks to establish an approach  that ensures linking performance to achievement and outstanding results, improve and increase employees’ productivity through aligning annual performance appraisals with the objectives of the Federal Government, match the strategic objectives of the Federal Government departments and consolidate the same at individual levels, promote individual achievements within the spirit of teamwork, foster a culture of continuous learning and increase opportunities for professional development, enable Federal Government agencies to identify and recognize employees with outstanding performance, efficiency and skills that contribute to achieving excellence in the Government.

Training and Development Systems

 On Training and Development System, Amna .Al Suwaidi stressed the importance of the system in encouraging and organizing training and development processes in the Federal Government sector, and upgrading the capabilities and skills of employees, especially those holding specialized positions. She argued that the issue of training must be viewed today in the light of the huge changes that occurred to the concept of training following the emergence of specialized centres and facilities, rather than dealing with it in a traditional manner.

She added that the system which will be applied to employees working in the Federal Government sector can address the employees’ training gaps, and is considered an essential tool for human resource efficiency in the sector, as it will effectively impact performance and productivity, in addition to its role in supporting other systems like the Performance Management System.

Al Suwaidi explained that the system will be applied institutional and individual levels in an integrated manner, and presented a review of the general framework of the system, the tasks and responsibilities, training and development stages at the level of the Federal agency and individual level, and forms of training and implementation mechanisms

The system is based on a number of  principles, the most important of which is to establish an integrated relationship between the strategic priorities of the Federal Government and training and development requirements, strengthen the link between Performance Management System and Training and Development System, provide sustained and comprehensive training and development opportunities for all Federal Government employees, ensure transparency, fairness, and equal opportunities in the process of training and development , regardless of occupational categories of employees, and establish criteria to measure the impact of training and development programs outcome on individual and organizational performance.

She concluded by saying that the Training and Development System will go through four stages at the institutional level: identification of training and development needs, planning, application and review of the training plan, annual review of effectiveness of training and development. Training itself takes different forms, including training courses and programs, study leave, job rotation and secondment, applied tasks, job shadowing, loan, conferences and seminars, and career succession planning.