Workshop: How to streamline your nation

Challenges to the government's regulatory functions, adopting a risk-control approach and its implications for organizational and inter-agency behaviour, as well as the consequences of operational methods were the key focus areas of a workshop organized by the Critical National Infrastructure Authority (CNIA) in Abu Dhabi today.

Held under the patronage LT General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the one day CNIA workshop at the Armed Forces Officer's Club reviewed interagency coordination and strategic management of regulatory and enforcement agencies.

In his opening remarks, Staff Colonel Pilot Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Head of CNIA, expressed gratitude to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed for his continuous support.

He emphasized that the role of CNIA extends beyond the physical protection of key national assets and infrastructure to safeguarding the country's economic and social welfare.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoon added, “The full quorum at the workshop underlines the common determination of the UAE regulatory bodies to explore new avenues for enhancing interagency collaboration. Such a wide degree of participation will help optimise coordination levels to meet the requirements of law enforcement bodies and boost their capabilities.''

Stressing that handling a nation's security is an integrated process, Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoon said coordination between public and private sector organizations plays a crucial role in maximising security operations.

Led by Dr. Malcolm K. Sparrow, Professor of the Practice of Public Management at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the workshop primarily focused on methods and practices such as enforcement strategies, fraud control, and risk management. It also evaluated the analysis adopted by leading regulatory agencies around the world.

Richard A. Clarke, Chairman of Good Harbour Consulting, and an expert in homeland, national, cyber security, and counter-terrorism said, “Government agencies should strive to identify appropriate mechanisms to work together as a unified team, particularly in today's scenario, which poses several complex problems that cannot be resolved by any one ministry alone. Sustained and seamless synergy between regulatory bodies is the foremost need of the hour.''

Broadening the regulatory toolkit, the notion of ‘regulatory craftsmanship' as an organizing framework, understanding different types of discretion risk-management infrastructure and protocols, performance measurement as well as information and analytic support were the workshop's other focus areas.

Case studies used in the workshop ranged across multiple regulatory fields, including policing, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, tax, customs, fraud control, counter-terrorism, and corruption control.

The executive workshop was part of CNIA's strategy to explore key challenges facing regulatory and law enforcement bodies and propose successful solutions to enhance their capabilities.