DUBAI, 26th March, 2024 (WAM) — The UAE government launched the Global Accelerators Ambassadors Programme, a-first-of-its-kind project exhibiting cooperation between the Government Accelerators and international organisations.
The first cohort started in collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), aiming to share the UAE government accelerators methodology and empower the international organisations taskforces with the knowledge, experience, and tools needed to accelerate the design and implementation of transformational projects.
Furthermore, the programme spreads the culture of acceleration by building the capabilities of a generation of accelerator ambassadors from employees in international organisations.
The programme is the second project launched by the Government Accelerators Centre at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs in cooperation with international organisations. Earlier, the centre launched an exceptional partnership and a successful experience with the World Health Organisation (WHO), empowering it with the accelerators’ work methodology to support the efforts of the WHO to achieve its “Triple Billion Targets”.
The programme was launched in a workshop held at the ICAO’s headquarters in the Canadian city of Montreal, in the presence of Juan Carlos Salazar, Secretary-General of the ICAO; Dr. Radhiya Al Hashimi, Executive Director of the Government Accelerators Centre; and Saeed Alsuwaidi, the UAE Permanent Representative to the ICAO, and a number of officials.
The Global Accelerators Ambassadors Programme seeks to enhance the UAE’s leading role in sharing the model and concepts of government accelerators and developing a platform for sharing knowledge and building global capabilities, through which the accelerator culture is spread internationally, building and strengthening partnerships with international organisations, and developing future cooperation frameworks.
Huda AlHashimi, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Affairs, stated that the programme lays the foundations for a new phase of knowledge partnerships between the UAE government and international organisations. These partnerships focus on sharing experiences and the UAE’s successful accelerators model to support organisations and enable them to accelerate the achievement of their goals.
She added that this cooperation comes within the bilateral cooperation agreement signed by the UAE government and the ICAO in 2022.
Salazar expressed his thanks and appreciation to the UAE government for its keenness to support the partnership with the ICAO, which effectively contributes to the development of the global aviation sector and supports investment in future business models aiming to enhance the aviation industry’s readiness.
The ICAO’s Secretary General emphasised that the accelerators workshop is a model for best practices in future cooperation between Member States and the ICAO General Secretariat. It complements the ICAO’s ongoing transformational efforts and promotes efficiency and effectiveness.
Through the workshop, the ICAO is accelerating transformational projects related to people, processes and systems. They further support the organisation’s innovative endeavours to achieve its transformational goals by enhancing employees’ access to the latest methodologies, tools and standards, building the foundations for a lasting impact that goes in line with the organisation’s goal of delivering value to the global aviation sector.
The programme encompasses six courses divided into three main stages: design, planning, and implementation, over 100 days.
The Government Accelerators team held multiple workshops to enable the ICAO team with the accelerator methodology. During the workshops, 15 employees were trained and provided with the knowledge and skills needed to implement the 100-day work methodology of the government accelerators.
During the four-day workshops, participants discussed more than 135 innovative ideas, 30 initiatives, and six transformational projects, within three main challenges that include re-structuring procedures, automation and data unification, talent development and building capabilities.
The workshops introduced the UAE’s experience in developing government accelerators, the first of its kind in the world, the concept of accelerators, the 100-day methodology, and several success stories that ministries and government entities in the UAE were able to achieve through the accelerators. The pivotal role of the accelerators in the strategic partnership agreements between the UAE and various countries in the fields of government modernisation and development was highlighted.
During the activities of the World Governments Summit 2022, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of the ICAO, signed a memorandum of cooperation focusing on institutional development, knowledge and experiences exchange and providing support by sharing the UAE’s experience in civil aviation.
The partnership aims to share best practices and exchange knowledge and expertise in the field of international civil aviation, in line with the directions of the UAE and the ICAO and its strategic initiatives to enhance the performance of the global aviation sector. It focuses on innovation in civil aviation and e-security, and the spread of development models and exchange of experiences to serve the international aviation sector and enhance its readiness for the future.