Organisational structures are the dominant topic these days. These structures are extremely important, given the fact that they reflect the general trend of the state and the policy of H H the Emir of our country. This policy mainly focuses on reorganising the work of the ministries and governmental institutions in the light of the huge resources Qatar has.
These structures make it necessary for each ministry to present plans that improve its performance and status. These plans must also keep up with the latest in advanced countries in order to improve work mechanisms and facilitate work in ways that raise the standards of government agencies and civil servants.
Technology contributes to improving all aspects of work and saves time and effort. The Qatari legal portal (Al Meezan) is a case in point in this regard. The portal offers legal and legislative information in a fast and modern manner. It has helped legal professionals and other workers in the legal field save around 60 percent of their time. Examples of websites and programmes that facilitate these processes abound. As for those who still depend on traditional methods, including those who still search for information by picking up books from shelves and looking up the table of contents, they still need time and effort to achieve their targets.
When one uses a portal like Al Meezan, one can easily get access to the information one wants by just typing one word and pressing on one computer button. Therefore, people need to learn everything new.
Preparing individuals and training them in the use of technology is an important matter. Some government officials do not know where the button that turns on a computer is located. These people need to be trained and encouraged to learn tools that benefit their work. Learning is important even if one has grown old. In this regard we may need to remember the Prophet’s Hadith that says: “Seeking education is a must for any Muslim”, and the old Arab saying: “Seek for knowledge from cradle to grave”.
This is perhaps why a special programme was implemented to offer training to civil servants who are about to be promoted. These civil servants receive the training in recognised and registered training centres.
I think it is better for the government to make training open to everyone, given the fact that these things break the daily routine for some people. All training methods, such as distance learning, when it comes to languages and information technology, must be available to everybody. This will help civil servants build their skills. Creating a training and upgrade section in ministries can help and facilitate the training of ministry workers, particularly if there are experts specialised in the field in these sections. This is the heart of the mission of the human resources administrations in the ministries.
Government officials need to upgrade the way their administrations deal with the public, given the major changes introduced to the concept of public service at the international level. These services must take on an institutional form that is based on scientific and administrative principles.
Finally, selection of suitable people to occupy vacant positions is an important process. People with skills and expertise need to be selected for these positions. Those whom we trust or like may not be the right people for the position or the most qualified for the job. In all cases, a person chosen to occupy a leading position needs to behave in good way and treat with people with respect. He must also have strong leadership qualities. He needs to know how he can take decisions and solve problems without approaching his seniors or the minister himself. Some managers do nothing but complain and cry in front of the minister. Thanks to Allah that we have many officials who listen to people’s comments and recommendations with open minds and do their best to solve problems and correct mistakes, while some others need someone to wake them up from their deep sleep.
