MD & CEO of DEWA highlights DEWA’s journey towards excellence during Dubai Forum for Government Best Practice

To sustain our excellent accomplishments, we developed strategic plans in accordance with national plans to achieve balance between current and future requirements and expectations. We adopted the Balanced Scorecard to measure corporate performance and benchmark its results. The leadership team regularly follows up with performance results to improve future performance, through an integrated system of performance reports, " Al Tayer said.

He added that the leadership team can monitor performance in real-time on tablet computers. "This supports our decision-making. We analyse the needs of stakeholders, identify priorities, and regularly review our objectives regarding our customers’ needs. We predict future results through planning scenarios. We evaluate progress towards achieving our vision, based on indicators related to our strategic goals. The general rate for achieving these strategic goals in 2015 was 91%," added Al Tayer.

"Our flexibility and agility actively contributes to our journey towards excellence. We define opportunities for growth and development by analysing the internal and external environment, the needs of stakeholders, the needs of the energy and water sectors, and producing short -and long-term demand forecasts. We successfully carry out flexible strategic approaches to support Dubai and the UAE: these include Sustainability 2012, Smart Government 2013, Smart Dubai 2014, and Innovation 2015."

"We translated our strategic plans into initiatives and projects, which were then implemented in record time. Our Risk Management and Business Continuity Management are based on internal and international standards. We launched the first specialist cyber-security centre to protect Dubai Government from potential security threats. Our agility is reflected by reducing the process of getting electricity from 5 to 2 steps, and reducing the time taken to do this from 35 days to 10."

"We achieved a 100% smart transformation in less than a year after the Smart Dubai initiative was announced. We build strong infrastructure and develop excellent corporate capabilities. We work tirelessly to enhance our installed capacity, which is currently 9,656MW of electricity and 470 million imperial gallons of desalinated water per day (MIGD). We completed M-Station, the newest and largest power production and desalination plant in the UAE, with a total capacity of 2,060MW of electricity and 140 MIGD. We are currently expanding it with a AED1.47 billion budget, and will complete it by 2018. The new combined-cycle power plant will add a further 700MW to the installed generating capacity of M-Station at Jebel Ali, boosting its capacity to 2,760MW when the project is completed in 2018."

"We are currently working towards the completion of one of the world’s most efficient smart grids. We have allocated AED7 billion worth of investments to the development of smart grids. We launched 3 smart initiatives to support the Smart Dubai initiative. These include Shams Dubai, Smart Meters, and Green Charger to establish electric vehicle charging stations. We are currently implementing the international SAP Enterprise Resource Management system, which plans to save AED69 million annually. Our people are a major pillar of our success. Over 10,000 employees from 63 different nationalities work at DEWA. We defined our current and future needs to achieve our strategic qualitative and quantitative objectives. Our Human Resources department works based on an integrated framework of policies and systems," added Al Tayer.

"We strive to achieve a sustainable future for generations to come. We are the first government organisation to adopt sustainability as part of our strategic vision, and 5-pillar plan to achieve long-term sustainability objectives, beginning with starting from sustainable growth. In 2014, we updated our strategy to facilitate 3D sustainability, the triple-bottom approach based on economy, environment, and society. We created the Climate Change & Sustainability department and adopted the motto, ‘For Generations to come.’ We also launched the Sustainability Report, which is released annually. The first report was released in 2014, and the second in 2015. We diversified our strategic investment to ensure the continuity of financial resources. We also diversified our business portfolio. We have diversified our sustainability initiatives to include energy and water demand side management, to reduce energy demand by 30% by 2030."

"Electricity and water conservation programmes save over AED 840 million. Our Sustainable Building is the largest government building in the world to secure a LEED Platinum rating for green buildings, and we generate electricity at buildings using solar energy through Shams Dubai," added Al Tayer.

"We developed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and received several international certificates including the Social Accountability Certification SA8000. We launched over 67 initiatives during 2015, and accumulated over 12,000 employee voluntary work hours, achieving a community satisfaction rate of 87%. We have developed a host of international platforms to facilitate sustainability, these include the World Green Economy Summit (WGES), the Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX), Earth Hour, and our expedition to Antarctica. DEWA has participated as a main speaker in different international occasions such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21), and the World Government Summit. We adopt the best international practices to exchange knowledge and improve the lives of Dubai’s citizens and residents, and ensure a bright future for generations to come," concluded Al Tayer.

The Arab Leadership and Government Excellence Programme, organised by MBRSG, featured activities including the UAE Forum for Government Best Practice, which focuses on the pillars of Leadership Challenges in a Changing World, Government Excellence Approach, Development and Implementation of General Policies, Information Technology and Communications, and Best Applications and Practices in Government Management of Leadership, Strategy, Management, Policies, Quality, and Excellence.

The progammme aims to arm Arab leaders with the ability to address the challenges faced by modern governments, improve corporate performance, and support government performance.

Source :WAM