To Become Agile, Government Employees Need New Skills

When most people think of government, they don't think of innovation; they think of a slow-moving, rigid institution. Policymaking has always been a deliberate, considered process, but in today’s fast-moving era, governments have to be innovative, rapid, flexible and above all, work effectively to meet the changing demands and needs of citizens. 

But what specific skills are required by public sector employees to contribute to and create an agile government? 

To develop “a strong, fit-for-purpose civil service for the 21st century,'' the department of Academic Affairs from the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) in collaboration with the Dubai Future Academy (DFA) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) organised the first Policy Council on Agile Government in May 2019.

The ultimate goal was to identify the specific skills and competencies required in order to develop and deliver the right kind of training for UAE government employees.

According to the council, there is a skills gap, which are identified in three categories: policy entrepreneurship skills, boundary spanning skills and transformational skills.

Download the report to read more on the results and the three recommendations.