The UAE government has always endeavored to respond to the needs of the community, and to translate this, in addition to all the initiatives and programs launched across the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has adopted innovation in the creation and design of its services. The Ministry was recognized by the country’s wise leadership in September 2021, as it was ranked among the top 5 government agencies in digital services following a performance evaluation of the federal government, the efficiency of its services, and customers’ access to services at any time and anywhere.
In implementing the seventh principle of Principles of the 50 as part of digital, technical and scientific excellence plans set by the UAE to design its development and economic journey, and to consolidate the country’s stature as a capital for talent, companies and investments in these fields and make it the next capital of the future, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation seeks to engage all segments of society in the innovation and design of its services and the way they are provided to customers within a pioneering methodology that contributed to their upscaling to meet the needs of each individual in the community through the involvement of customers in designing the services they need, and how to obtain these services.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation elaborated an integrated strategy to hone its digital services, as it aimed to design and develop sustainable digital services in partnership with the community, to enhance customer trust and quality of life. The Ministry then assessed their needs and expectations regarding the speed of services and various delivery channels. The digital services team in the ministry remains in full swing to continuously refine all available services and work on digitizing them.
The Ministry’s work teams spared no effort in a comprehensive re-design of processes and services with the aim of transforming them in line with the UAE digital government strategy 2025 and under the supervision and follow-up of Emirati competencies specialized in the field. They employed emerging technologies for capacity building and data collection through user engagement, placing customer needs and comfort as main determinants in the re-designing processes, services, and policies. The ministry rolled-out comprehensive mechanisms to ensure user involvement in all stages of service design and development, making user voice and opinion a reference in identifying needs and bridging the gaps that may exist in the service provision process.
Work teams got together with a number of customers from various social segments to get a closer look at how they use all the services available through the ministry’s website and smartphone application, and to collect opinions and feedback about steps, technical elements, and improvement possibilities. They were thus able to draw up and implement the necessary plans and test the resulting changes.
As the UAE sails towards its centennial, the government sector must periodically test the services it provides, to keep pace with global developments and the achievements of the country where all is possible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation remains committed to continuing to meet the aspirations of customers and enhance their confidence in using its digital services through effective communication and their involvement in the development process of seamless and integrated services.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Cooperation