Q:	What is the Dubai Government Excellence Program?
A:	Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) represents an integrated initiative to develop performance and improve services and practices in the government sector. The Program includes 15 categories, each having specific and integrated assessment criteria and issues defining the requirements of excellence and distinction in all the fields of government work, at both the institutional and the individual level.
Q:	Why was the Dubai Government Excellence Program established?
A:	HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai ordered to establish Dubai Government Excellence Program in view of raising the standards of the government sector, so as to enable it to keep up with accelerated developments in all spheres. He was also keen on strengthening the sector's capacity to implement modern and advanced management concepts focused on customer services and satisfaction, resources development, documentation of systems, simplification of procedures, encouraging the free initiative spirit and giving free rein to talents and capabilities. The Program was set up to help provide a working environment that would motivate government departments and encourage them to adopt, nurture and support comprehensive development strategies, to service the business community and provide excellent investment conditions.
Q:	How does Dubai Government Excellence Program contribute in achieving the goals for which it was established, such as institutional performance?
A:	Since its inception, the Program achieved a number of the noble goals for which it had been established. It helped develop performance and improve the services provided to customers. It contributed to spreading the concepts of creativity, excellence and quality in the government sector, and creating incentives to employees. The Program set up a mechanism for assessing the progress in the performance of the government sector. This was possible thanks to the commitment of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai to develop performance, change concepts and improve services in government departments. In addition, the program criteria are world-scale benchmarking norms for establishments and human resources with regard to the requirements and factors that are needed to achieve excellence and success and to reach objectives. The Program holds as well training seminars for government employees, so they can acquire the knowledge, skills, and capabilities that would enable them to fulfill their work and serve their customers with a high degree of skill and professionalism. The technical reports, submitted by the Program's assessment team, help define the fields and opportunities for improvement and development, which the departments should take into account and concentrate on. These reports provide specialized technical advice contributing to the continuous development of institutions.
Q:	How is the nomination process done?
A:	The Program team explained the nomination procedures to all the government departments in Dubai, through a series of information seminars attended by the officials and employees of these departments. The responsibility for making nominations to all the categories of the Program lies within the government departments. All departments should hold a fair internal competition for all the divisions/initiatives/projects/employees to choose the best ones and nominate them to the Program administration so they can compete for the prizes. Objectivity and fairness was stressed in the internal selection process, because it is the only way there would be a chance of winning in any given category. The Program administration does not interfere in the nomination process. It is left to the government departments and they must choose the best candidates if they want to win.
Q:	How are the winners chosen?
A:	The selection process is conducted according to specific standard criteria defined for every category of the Program. A professional team of Arab experts in management, quality, human resources development and IT, reviews and assesses the nomination applications. The Program guarantees fairness and accuracy in the assessment process, thanks to the scientific and methodological training given to the assessors, to ensure that they have a common understanding of the assessment method. This method guarantees that more than one assessor reviews and evaluates each nomination application. The leader of the assessment team studies and revises the results of all the application forms, to make sure that they are fair and objective. The Program stresses the importance of complete fairness and credibility in the assessment process to make sure that the nominees obtain the results they deserve.
Q:	What does quality give us?
A:	Quality is no longer a mere "administrative plus" that can be dispensable. It has become a vital requirement to achieve institutional success. It contributes to improved efficiency as well as customer and employee satisfaction. It also improves the services and practices and upgrades administrative and professional performance of government departments.
Q:	Do the program criteria take into account the financial performance indicators of each department?
A:	The Program provides an integrated model for achieving excellence in all the fields of government work, including the financial one. The Program criteria include a norm for managing financial resources and another for assessing institutional performance, including financial indicators and specifications. The criterion for managing financial resources comprises a number of important points, including programs for increasing revenue and reducing expenditure, a methodology for defining the needs of the department in terms of financial resources, financial systems, control and auditing systems, financial results and indicators achieved, in comparison with the financial resources that have been allocated and the results of the reports and the financial achievements. There are also other financial criteria related to effectiveness, efficiency, economy, and other relevant indicators.