A student from The British University in Dubai (BUiD), the region's leading postgraduate university, has found that self-assessment is a key measurement tool in improving and developing organizations throughout the UAE's public sector. The study, conducted by Shaikha Rashed Rabeea Al Shemaili who completed her masters in project management at BUiD, also found that the planning and preparation phases of self assessment practices need focus and proper measurement by management to avoid problems in later stages. “My aim was to identify the public sector's self-assessment objectives and benefits of the implementations to evaluate the results seen. Self-assessment is already a practiced tool to enable public sector departments to identify their strengths and weaknesses; however, the larger concern lies in the accuracy in planning and early stages of self assessment to enable our public sector to reach even higher standards of performance,” said Shemaili. The study is based on the evaluation of key departments within Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Government against the Excellence Model of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). EFQM uses self-assessment as a way of taking management teams through a process of increased shared awareness about the availability of resources and how they have been allocated. The practice also builds common understanding of how well organizations' capabilities and performance compare to leading outside examples. The majority of the study focused on the factors that trigger the evaluation and feedback that change processes. These factors consisted of management commitment and self-assessment of participant's knowledge. The study found that the planning and preparation was the most crucial stage in the process because it involves planning for all stages and preparing the management and staff to undertake the process. If the early stage is not given great attention, then the process could lead to negative results. “This study reflects the importance and growing interest of higher education studies in Project Management, with many UAE-based professionals looking to become reflective practitioners able to initiate and implement change, and make valuable contributions to the industry and society,” said Mohammed Dulaimi, senior lecturer, The British University in Dubai. The Project Management program is offered in partnership with the University of Manchester. Manchester has a worldwide reputation for teaching and research and has won several major awards for its work with industry. he aim is to transfer this expertise, working in partnership with BUiD, to form productive and mutually beneficial university-industry links within the UAE and wider region. Degrees are awarded by the British University in Dubai in association with the University of Manchester.
