DED hails assessors and jury as Business Excellence Awards complete two decades

Assessors and jury members of the Dubai Quality Award (DQA) and Dubai Human Development Award (DHDA) for 2013 were honoured by the Department of Economic Development (DED) at a ceremony held at Jumeirah Emirates Towers today. The Annual Assessors Recognition Party 2014, which coincided with the 20^th year celebrations of the awards, also saw various others including members of the media being honoured for their support for the awards. 

“During the last two decades the Dubai Quality Award and the Dubai Human Development Award have firmly established themselves as the leading benchmark for quality and commitment to best practices in organisational growth as well as service standards and human resources,” Khalid Al Kassim, Deputy Director General of DED for Executive Affairs said at the ceremony. 

Al Kassim added that the awards have continued to enjoy growing participation and the strong support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, during its 20-year journey. 

“It has taken enormous efforts and dedication of a growing team, comprising assessors, jury members, employees at the Business Excellence Department of DED and many others to help the awards evolve into what it is today. In that process, DQA and DHDA have cemented Dubai’s position as a sought after destination to live and do business,” stated Al Kassim. 

Over 2,500 assessors have been enlisted and trained by the Business Excellence Department (BED) as part of DQA and DHDA so far, with emphasis given to bringing more Emirati assessors on board. The assessors and jury members include senior professionals drawn from all key business sectors on account of their expertise in quality management, human resources and general management. 

The assessors, jury members and award managers who have extended valuable guidance to the extensive process of the awards each year were presented with certificates of appreciation. Another highlight of the ceremony was the best assessor teams from DQA and DHDA sharing their best assessment practices with the audience. 

“Both DQA and DHDA has contributed substantially to encouraging businesses to integrate quality as a work culture and our assessors are chiefly responsible for spreading and nurturing this culture,” said Mohammed Bushanain, Executive Director, Corporate Quality & Management Excellence at DED.

“The feedback from these assessors is critical to helping organisations to bridge the quality gap and be primed for success. We thank them for their meticulous efforts,” added Bushanain. 

“DQA and DHDA owes much of their reputation to the assessment and shortlisting processes. The assessors and jurors play the leading part in mentoring and guiding new generations of quality-conscious business champions and leaders in Dubai,” commented Shaikha Ahmad Abdulrahman Al Bishri, Executive Director of BED. 

“With rising number of applicants for DQA and DHDA every year, our assessors have a tough task at hand. However, they work together to ensure that each applicant is screened thoroughly in accordance with the parameters laid down by the awards, conducting consultations and site visits and maintaining absolute confidentiality throughout the whole exercise,” Al Bishri said. 

The DQA is the single most valuable framework for companies to implement a quality strategy to improve their effectiveness by involving all employees to meet objectives and achieve customer satisfaction. The Dubai Quality Award winners are honoured in three categories – the Dubai Quality Gold Award (DQGA), Dubai Quality Award (DQA), and the Dubai Quality Appreciation Award (DQAA). The awards cover key sectors - manufacturing, finance, professional, tourism, services, trade, construction, education, healthcare, real estate, retail and government, as well as 3 new sectors introduced this year which include free zones, transportation and logistics. 

The Dubai Human Development Award recognises the long-term commitment of the private and government sectors in developing its human resources. DHDA is given in three categories – the Dubai Human Development Gold Award (DHDGA), Dubai Human Development Award (DHDA) and the Dubai Human Development Appreciation Award (DHDAA). The award covers trade, retail, manufacturing, construction, real estate, professional, services, tourism, healthcare, education, financial services and government sectors, as well as 3 new sectors introduced this year which include free zones, transportation and logistics.