Roadmap for developing an effective government work program

According to Al Qabas, the Council of Ministers has outlined a roadmap for the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with relevant government agencies, to develop the government’s work program for the next four years. It emphasized that all projects included in the draft program must be accompanied by measurable key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation.

The Council of Ministers emphasized in a document reviewed by Al-Qabas the need for government agencies with development projects under the government’s work program to set specific dates and time frames for their initiatives. This requirement aims to facilitate project monitoring and ensure progress tracking. Additionally, the Council directed the preparation of a simplified guide to assist agencies in properly completing the specialized forms for the government’s work program.

Moreover, the Council of Ministers instructed that projects with unresolved obstacles should not be included in the government’s work program until the issues are addressed. It also emphasized the importance of excluding completed or nearly completed initiatives from the draft program.

The Council of Ministers emphasized the importance of ensuring that necessary budgets are available for projects included in the government’s work program and that required financial appropriations have been secured from the Ministry of Finance to prevent funding obstacles or delays. It also stressed the need to avoid overlapping projects between government agencies without a clear coordination mechanism to prevent conflicts in responsibilities and duplication of efforts.

Roadmap

The key features of the roadmap for formulating the government’s work program include:

1 The program must be referred to as the “Draft Government Action Program” rather than the “Government Action Plan,” in accordance with Article 98 of the Constitution, which mandates that each ministry submit its programs immediately upon formation.

2. Emphasizing the need to align government priorities with the proposed projects by ensuring they are linked to initiatives derived from strategic objectives and specific priorities. Additionally, standardizing terminology, such as using consistent names for initiatives and projects, should be considered.

3. Ensuring a consistent methodology for filling out project construction, operation, and implementation forms by incorporating clear sections for each of the following:

• • • Name of the initiative.
    • Project name.
    • Description of the project (its parts and components).
    • The aim of the project.
    • Interim goals during the program period.
    • Measurement indicator.
    • Relevant parties to coordinate with.
    • Expected suspensions.
    • Commitment to defining specific dates and a time frame to enable effective project monitoring, along with the preparation of a simplified guide to assist entities in accurately completing the forms for the government’s work program.

4. Emphasizing the need to prevent project overlap between multiple government agencies unless a clear coordination mechanism is defined, to avoid conflicting responsibilities and duplication of work.

5. Ensuring the availability of necessary budgets for implementing projects in the government’s work program and confirming that financial appropriations have been secured from the Ministry of Finance to prevent funding obstacles or delays in completion.

6. Each initiative must include clear mechanisms for its implementation.

7. It is essential to establish a unified mechanism within the models to define the expected targets for most listed projects on an annual, semi-annual, or quarterly basis, ensuring a streamlined follow-up process.

8. Government work program projects must include measurable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure accountability and effective performance monitoring.

9. Initiatives that are completed or nearing completion should not be included in the government’s work program.

10. Projects with unresolved obstacles that authorities have been unable to overcome by the time of program development should be excluded from the government’s work program.

11. Clear mechanisms must be established to ensure effective coordination between governmental and non-governmental agencies when preparing the government’s work program.

12. The government’s work program must adhere to the specified time frame, with a clear mechanism outlining the implementation stages and their alignment with the program’s intended objectives.