The Department of Civil Service (DCS) this week signed a contract with Olive Group for the delivery of a leadership assessment programme in a purpose-built camp in the desert near Al Ain.
Olive Group will work closely with the Department to assist in the delivery of Phase II of the National Programme for Leadership Development, a major initiative to identify and develop the future leadership of the Abu Dhabi Government and a cornerstone of ADG's ongoing succession planning.
Now in its second successive year, the leadership assessment camp represents a significant investment by the Department of Civil Service. The budget for this year’s stage of the project has swollen to AED 66millon and will see an approximate 2,500 participants assessed over a twelve-month period. This figure, coupled with the financial investment seen last year (AED 17million) has seen the Department invest a staggering AED 83million as it strives to deliver a training and development system comparable to the very best in the world.
The Olive Group team brings over 200 years of commercial and military leadership assessment and development to the table. Olive and its partner, Inspirational Development Group have a unique affiliation with the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, the British Army Officer training establishment, to deliver bespoke programmes to a wide range of clients; the Academy counts many of the UAE's senior leadership figures among its alumni.
Launched in August 2007, the National Programme has been designed to better equip tomorrow's public sector leaders in their professional development; acknowledging the need for superior managerial and leadership skills if Abu Dhabi is to achieve world-class administration status by 2012.
Developing an understanding of the current talent available and being aware of potential future leaders is an important first step in the leadership development process. In recognition of this, the DCS has designed a comprehensive approach to assessment that includes:
- personality profiling
- critical reasoning assessment
- experiential leadership assessment
- an international English language test.
The initial assessment stage is to be conducted under the guidance of representatives from Olive Group at a purpose built camp in the desert. This will host up to 2,500 participants in state-of-the-art facilities over a 12-month period.
Each camp can accommodate up to 50 participants at any one time, with several of the camps dedicated exclusively to women; further indication of the DCS's commitment to equal opportunities in both training and employment.
The Leadership Programme's success to date will be reflected at an event on November 27th, when 505 Phase I participants, ranging from Grade I to Undersecretary level, will receive recognition for their commitment to the initiative.
DCS Undersecretary Ali Al Ketbi said the deal with Olive Group and the Government's substantial investment in the National Programme signalled a strong commitment by the Emirate's leadership to nurture top talent in its continuing quest to develop a world-class administrative infrastructure.
"We are delighted to welcome Olive Group on board as a partner as we embark upon the next exciting phase of the National Programme for Leadership Development. This programme is unique to the region and presents our future leaders with an exceptional opportunity to work alongside a variety of the world's leading institutions to benefit not only their personal development, but that of the Emirate."
Gavin Mayhew, Olive Group's Chief Operating Officer said, "Olive Group is delighted to have been awarded the Assessment phase of the ongoing National Programme for Leadership Development. We understand its importance nationally and share the excitement. Our programme is designed to match DCS' vision to improve both individual and organisational effectiveness through better leadership and management skills. We are confident that our balanced approach, leveraging the very best of military leadership with current management development processes, will help DCS deliver a programme that is both memorable and effective for the camp's participants.
