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A recent study on innovation readiness in federal government entities showed that employees consider innovation as a key element for success in government performance. The first of its kind study was aimed at measuring the adoption of innovation in government services as part of the government’s commitment to promote innovation to achieve the best results.

The results of the study conducted by the UAE government were reviewed at a seminar held recently in the presence of Huda AlHashimi Assistant Director General for Strategy and Innovation in the Prime Minister Office in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, Mariam Al Hammadi, Assistant Director-General for Government Performance and Excellence in the Prime Minister Office in the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and chief executives of innovation and directors of strategy and performance sector in the federal government.

The study looked at various aspects such as work environment that support innovation, and the entity’s status in the innovation field. It also examined the impact achieved, styles of the leadership that support innovation, and structural organization that enhances the components of innovation, and the level of capabilities and practices of innovation.

The study classified the innovative practices in the entities in eight key areas: Aspiration, Selection, Discovery, Development, Accelerate, Evaluation, Expansion and Motivation.

Aspiration involves recognizing the importance of existing initiatives on innovation and implementing the vision and mission as well as functions and objectives of the entity. Selection includes allocation of time and resources to implement innovation initiatives. Discovery relates to creation of ideas which can be translated into innovative initiatives. Development includes new initiatives to change the perspective of service delivery. Accelerate relates to speed and efficiency in implementing and launching new innovations. Evaluation, Expansion and Motivation are about involvement of employees in adoption of innovative practices.

The study covering more than 4,000 employees in federal entities revealed that most entities have adopted a number of innovative practices which is accelerating the pace of work and helping employees generate new ideas to overcome the challenges. The study also showed that entities are encouraging entrepreneurial spirit to lead innovative projects.

The study monitored a number of work values adopted by the UAE government to support innovation in the entities. Most respondents in the study ranked the government’s work culture as excellent. Up to 90% of respondents agreed that innovation will be the basis for the success of the government during the next five years. They also expressed keen interest in increasing the pace of adoption of innovative practices. The study showed that majority of the employees believes that the UAE government has taken up a number of successful innovations during the past three years, and has had a positive impact in the development of services for the community.

The study examined the adoption of innovation in federal entities in daily practices and showed the different levels of innovation adopted in various entities compared to international companies in the field. The study will be conducted on a regular basis to measure the progress in term of readiness and adoption of innovation initiatives in government entities.

The study evaluated all federal entities through a questionnaire to gauge their innovation readiness. The employees involved in the study have identified the main catalyst for innovative practices as supportive mechanisms to stimulate innovative mindsets among employees. It also showed that the entities are promoting and encouraging the culture of innovation and positivity in their practices.