Dubai Women Establishment to launch a new series of Professional Development sessions

Dubai Women Establishment is set to launch a new series of Professional Development sessions to be held over four days, from 22-25 May at the Dubai School of Government, on the theme "Strategic Planning and Performance Management in the Public Sector." 

The two integrated modules will explore theoretical frameworks such as the Strategic Triangle for Creating Public Value, the practical utilization of key Strategic Analysis tools and techniques, setting of objectives and measurement of performance, and the ways in which Strategy, Policy and Performance work together to enable public sector employees to lead high performing government organizations.

The session will be conducted by Dr. Yasar Jarrar, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers Middle East and Leader, PwC Middle East Public Sector Institute. Dr. Yasar has worked as an advisor, and delivered executive programs, for regional governments (including UAE Federal Government, Dubai, Libya, Jordan, and Qatar) and leading international organizations, including DHL, Emirates Airlines, Shell, Saudi Aramco, the Bank of Scotland, and Arla Foods. His main focus is on strategy and performance management. 

UAE women leaders participating in the last Professional Development session held by Dubai Women Establishment (DWE) acknowledged that the session enabled them to recognise how success in positions of responsibility depended greatly on the leader’s ability to recognize the link between leadership and authority. 

The session entitled “Developing Potential – Women Leaders in the Public Sector” was the most recent in the special series of sessions regularly held by DWE, that build on the organization’s strategic goal to promote leadership qualities among working women by conducting activities and training aimed at enhancing their individual performance and career development. 

“The Professional Development sessions offer UAE women a unique opportunity to boost their professional capacities through interaction with industry-leading trainers and women in positions similar to their own who are highly successful in what they do,” said Shamsa Saleh, CEO of DWE. “We are very pleased with the feedback received from participants and the quality of discussion that the Professional Development sessions have incited among UAE women leaders involved in this pioneering exercise,” she added. 

According to one participant, Aisha Mubarak, Head of Corporate Performance at Mohammad Bin Rashid Housing Establishment, the session on leadership offered attendees an opportunity to glean knowledge from the combined experience of the group, many of whom face the same work place challenges. “The interactive approach of the sessions, led by two highly respected trainers, played a big role in its success. The fact that it brought together women from different organizations throughout the UAE drove home the reality that most women leaders today face the same challenges in climbing the career ladder irrespective of where they work,” said Mubarak. 

Another participant, Maryam Al Sadah, Operations Manager at DWE, said the theoretical content of the sessions was also very enlightening. “It was one of the best courses I have attended. I went in thinking I would learn the traits of how to become a good leader. However, at the end of the course we all realized that success has more to do with the amount of authority we hold in our workplaces and learning how we can exercise it successfully. It’s not so much about the title but about authority and responsibility,” she said. 

The session on “Developing Potential Leaders” was conducted by two faculty members/trainers at Dubai School of Government with strong academic backgrounds and international work experience which was an added value to the learning experience. 

DWE’s Professional Development Sessions are based on the results of a survey conducted among working women in Dubai in 2008 that highlighted 9 areas that women need to focus on to build leadership qualities and achieve success in their professional lives. The sessions, which were launched in 2008, have to date covered a number of these pertinent issues, including change management, the development of influencing skills and the identification and discussion of problems related to personality dimensions and group dynamics, setting boundaries and dealing with diversity issues in the work place.