ABU DHABI // An international development firm has been hired to put the country's top civil servants through their paces in a leadership programme in a secluded desert camp. The Olive Group has been brought in by the Department of Civil Services (DCS) to conduct the training as part of the Emirate's national leadership development initiative. The camp is the centrepiece of the programme, which was launched in August to identify and develop the future leaders of the Emirates by overhauling the bureaucracy through career and succession planning.
"We want Abu Dhabi to be among the top five governments of the world within the next five years, so the nature and structure of the Government has had to change and adapt and, in fact, is constantly developing," said Ali al Ketbi, 34, the DCS undersecretary in charge of overseeing the project. Each of the camps, which will be held in the desert in Al Ain, can accommodate up to 50 participants at a time.
Teams of 10 will be put through physical, psychological and individual tests to determine their suitability, against 10 competency criteria devised by the DCS and the Olive Group, which conducts management and risk training around the world. This year's budget for the programme is Dh66 million (US$18m) - up from Dh17m last year - and will see an about 2,500 participants assessed over the next year.
Marcy Fletchall, the DCS's manager of career and success planning, said: "It's going to be a serious programme that really tests the participants, and with an emphasis on how they react and behave, rather than how successfully they have performed." hkhalaf@thenational.ae
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
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Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
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Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the next stage of qualifying, in Malaysia in August
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Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by eight wickets
Oman beat Bahrain by nine wickets
Qatar beat Maldives by 106 runs
Monday fixtures
UAE v Kuwait, Iran v Saudi Arabia, Oman v Qatar, Maldives v Bahrain
