The public sector in the Gulf is leading the way in the application of strategic concepts and management techniques, according to Dr. David P Norton, co-founder of the Balanced Scorecard. Dr Norton, who will speak live and in person in Riyadh on May 23 in an event organized by Global Leaders, explained that the Balanced Scorecard concept is better suited to government organisations as it forces them to articulate their vision, mission and strategy. Saudi Aramco, Saudi Telecom and King Fahad Specialist Hospital have already incorporated the Balanced Scorecard into their management strategy. He said: “To date, the difficulty with government organizations and NGOs has always been defining a measurement of success. Once you can do that, the whole approach to strategy execution is pretty similar to using the Balanced Scorecard in private sector companies. “Government organizations have been highly successful in the Balanced Scorecard approach. Two of most active users come from the Gulf, and from government or the public sector: Ministry of Works in Bahrain and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. “The Ministry of Works is a world-class application: the organization is committed to investing in the future of itself and the country by building on the best management techniques they can find. Their program is as good as anything we have seen.” The Balanced Scorecard concept (BSC) was selected by the editors of the Harvard Business Review as one of the most influential management ideas of the past 75 years. Norton was voted on as one of the world's 12 most influential management thinkers by Sun Top Media's “Thinkers 50” in 2007. This is the latest in a series of thought leader events in the Gulf from Global Leaders, following events in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. Norton will present “The Balanced Scorecard: “Executing Strategy for Competitive Advantage.” “Strategy is like a pot-pourri of issues, ranging from customer intimacy, speed to market, product development and so on. If you can't describe your strategy, you can't manage it.” Global Leaders has a track record of delivering unique content ith influential business and thought leaders in the field of leadership, strategic management and competitive strategy. __
