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The Bahrain Institute of Public Administration (BIPA) has partnered with Hewitt Associates, a global human resource consulting firm, to conduct a research programme which will assist in developing the kingdom's workforce.
BIPA was established in 2006 to upgrade Bahrain's public administration by training and preparing staff in ministries and government organisations.
This has been achieved through research studies, workshops and lectures and the new Qudurat initiative will look to build on its success. Designed by Hewitt, it is the first and largest study of its kind in the Middle East to aid BIPA in its development campaign.
It will focus on employees, providing an elaborate overview of what drives and motivates individuals in the workplace. The aim is to better understand the Bahraini workforce and draw up plans to enable it to excel and prosper.
David Jones, Hewitt's market leader for the Middle East, said: "The development of national talent is the single biggest human resource issue and opportunity in the region.
"What we have noticed is that there is a lack of evidence or research in this area about Arabs' orientation of work. That is why we are initiating this study under the Acumena Centre - our research and analysis centre.
"Whatever study we found treated all Arabs the same. But everyone stems from a different culture and surrounding so we need to understand more about individual customs. What may work for Bahrainis, for example, may not for Jordanians.
"Bahrain has always been interested in and open to dialogue and practice around human capital concerns. With BIPA's support, we hope that Qudurat will break new ground. We believe that every organisation which participates in the study will gain rich and in-depth perspectives into their employees' aspirations and preferences.
"Through some of our engagement studies, involving countries from Egypt to Oman, we have found two interesting conclusions that gave us the appetite to go ahead with Qudurat.
"For example, Arabs working in their own countries were typically the least engaged in comparison to foreigners (Arabs and expats) employed in countries other than their own.
"We also found that Arabs working in their own countries were least satisfied with their training and development as well as job opportunities. So, if we can understand more about that, then we can improve the experience of work for individuals and their practice within the workplace."
The study will be conducted via an online survey that can be completed by all employees in English and Arabic. It is expected to be launched this month and data collection will be completed by September. The results and insights should be available towards the year-end.
Radhika Punshi, Hewitt's research leader for Qudurat, said: "Our team of experts will be working with a research advisor from Stanford University, the US, to ensure that the research balances a solid academic approach which would be practical and culturally relevant."
Dr Sofiane Ben Mohammed Sahraoui, assistant director-general for training and learning at BIPA, said: "We are committed to Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030. Qudurat aligns perfectly with our efforts to advance human capital within our government and we urge everyone's support and participation."
The study will coincide with the launch of BIPA's research department as part of its learning and development schemes. A full-time researcher has been hired and part of the agreement with Hewitt is to build BIPA's research capacity to help it conduct further research on its own or with partners.
