Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi Reviews IGCF 2016 Workshop

His Excellency, Sheikh Sultan Bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre, today (Saturday) reviewed a workshop titled ‘Smart Government through Smart Citizens’ organised ahead of the fifth edition of the International Government Communication Forum 2016 (20 – 21 March) for members of the Sharjah Executive Council and Sharjah government officials at the Expo Centre Sharjah.

The workshop focused on leveraging human behavioural sciences in the formulation and evaluation of public policies in order to serve citizens better.

The two hour workshop witnessed the attendance of HE Sheikh Majed bin Abdullah bin Majed Al Qasimi, Director of Governmental Relations at the Ruler’s Office, HE Sheikh Faisal Bin Saud Al Qasimi – Director of Sharjah Airport Authority, HE Sheikh Majid bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Director of the Department of Suburbs and Village Affairs in the Emirate of Sharjah.

At the start of the workshop, His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre welcomed the members of the Executive Board of the emirate of Sharjah. He noted that the hosting of the important workshop hours ahead of the start of IGCF 2016 articulated Sharjah Media Centre’s sustained efforts to contribute to the enhancement of government performance in the emirate in order to meet the aspirations of its wise leadership and match the expectations of its public. He added that the workshop also consolidates the important role of Sharjah in the cultural and communication landscape of the UAE. 

HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre, said: "Government communication today forms the basis of all government work related to official policies that focus on individuals, groups and services targeting the public. For decades, governments and public sector organisations have leveraged human behavioural sciences to assess individual behaviour in formulating economic and social policies that impact them.

“In the emirate of Sharjah and the wider UAE we have a clear mandate to achieve sustainable development through advancing science and knowledge. Given this priority, we work to realign public attitudes and integrate an empowered human capital as drivers of the economy to achieve a knowledge-based society.”

He added: “This workshop has been convened in collaboration with the Executive Council of the emirate of Sharjah to offer participants up-to-date insights on human behaviour that can be used to develop an enabling government communication framework for the benefit of the people of the UAE and the wider region.”

In the first part of the workshop, CEO of TNS BMRB and executive director for the UK WPP Government and Public Sector Practice, reviewed case studies and best practices in the governments’ use of behavioural sciences in the implementation of various policies. She cited real-time examples from a number of leading countries around the world. The second part of the workshop comprised a series of exercises and group discussions on the challenges facing the federal and local governments in the United Arab Emirates and examined the solutions that human behavioral sciences could offer to overcome them.

Desiree Lopez, CEO of TNS BMRB and executive director for the UK WPP Government and Public Sector Practice,said: "TNS BMRB, the UK Public Affairs business of Kantar and WPP, are delighted to contribute to the International Government Communication Forum.  We will share our work on how behavioural insight, science and economics is helping to shape public policy in UK and around the world.  Our interactive session will showcase some of the leading examples of how behavioural economics is being applied to activate citizen centred change and offer an opportunity to explore how behavioural theory can be applied to some of the key issues facing the UAE and in particular the Emirate Sharjah."

The members of the Executive Board commended the efforts of the organisers of IGCF 2016 for the high-quality workshop that offered insights into outstanding government practices through using behavioural sciences. Reiterating the importance of government communication in enhancing dialogue between the government and the public, and in improving government performance levels, the participants concurred that only through such dialogue can governments meet the expectations of the public in today’s dynamic urban landscape towards delivering best-in-class, innovative services round-the-clock.

Desiree Lopez holds more than 20 years of global experience in social and educational research across Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. She is a specialist in multi-media research that aims to monitor and evaluate the development of programmes and policies in the public and private sector.

In 2014, she was appointed to the World Behavioral Council under the World Economic Forum. Lopez has carried out important studies for leading government departments in the UK including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Global Development and Ministry of Education, among others.