Quality and Governmental Performance Excellence

Eyad Sallam

eyadas@emirates.net.ae

http://

12/26/2003 5:29:11 AM

I'd like to introduce quality professionals to the more stringent quality managwment systems which go beyond ISO 9000 requirements. My name is Eyad Sallam,I am working as quality assurance and industrial and services management specialist in Dubai,United Arab Emirates(one of the leading Arab economic forces in the middle east). What the economic development dept here in Dubai has set is a group of customized quality awards with compliance criteria published and explained to each sector. Dubai is one of the leading cities in the world to develop total quality management and implement it in the government sector,The economic development dept in Dubai has set performance and excellence standards for the government depts and divisions,such as Government Excellence Award, Distinguished Government technical project,Distinguished employee and team in various specializations,and more. By such awards, the government sector depts and divisions will have certainly a competitive edges and will be eager to compete and achieve service excellence in all its performance and key performance parameters,Dubai government sector mostly is a profit sector as its customers are blend of mult-lingual,multi-cultural slides of different incomes,and also due to the fact that Dubai is an international trade center with a relativily high gross average annual income per capita (appr USD 1500 per month) considering all slides of society(locals and expats).In their race to excellence,government sector in Dubai is working hard to apply and qualify for the economic dept quality awards which have also been derived from international standards and criteria( like the publications of international institute of quality assurance,and the ISO organization..etc). The criteria of the government excellence /quality awards are focusing and mandating the existence of leadership concepts within the organization,team spirits,existence and implmentation of quality,environmental and health policies and standards,simplification of procedures and processes for the public(customers),identifying and the provision of resources and training of internal customers(employees),also the criterial concentrate on the ability of the organization to improve its business and measure the financial outcome from period to period due to implementation of quality programmes, as wella s the organization has to have a positive impact on the society (maybe donations, sponserships, preserving the environment..etc). Any government dept or division in dubai who is willing to apply for the awards,they normally do it witin Oct and Nov of every year after which they immediately have to submit a writ-up about their system considering all the award criteria( 30-80 pages) depending on nature of award and size of dept/division. Then the economic dept assesors will notify the applicant if they were selected/qualified to enter the competition, and will specify a site visit date on which the assessors will conduct the actual compliance audit after which they decide the winner appr. in March of the following year of application. One of the major obstucles facing the government sector in Dubai is the lack of quality professionals in the government sector.There is a national programme in UAE to localize jobs in government but for certain job categories there is a severe shortage of specialized staff. Attempting to overcome this obstucle,some of the government depts employ a consultant to help them comply with the awards criteria but they face later a problem of maintainence. Other options to seek for nonlocal quality professionals who are employed in the private sector. The private sector employee seeks job security and continuity of his experience,which he may not find in government sector unless he gets a significant different in the compensation offered, or his revenue from private sector is unsatisfatory for him. On all views, the steps of Dubai Economic Dept in encouraging government sector to do right things right (quality service/production),are one of the most efficient and leading genuine attempts to convert the buerucratic government style into a more professional and scientific provider of real quality services and high performances. Eyad Sallam, Quality,safety ,environment & Management Systems Specialist E-mail: eyadas@emirates.net.ae Tel: +971-50-5341995