MBRSG Discusses The Role of global governments and HR Post-Coronavirus and in the New VUCA

The trends and role of global governments post-coronavirus pandemic, and Human Resources management in the new VUCA were the subjects of two discussions hosted by the Mohammed bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) - the first research and teaching institution focused on promoting governance and public policy in the Arab world.

Forming part of a programme of live Instagram sessions on MBRSG’s official Instagram account: @MBRSGAE that are taking place every Monday and Wednesday evening until April 29, the first of the two discussions – the fifth in the series - explored the mechanisms for activating human resources management towards a new reality once the Covid-19 crisis has passed.

Titled ‘Post-Corona Governments’ the activity saw Professor Raed Awamleh, Dean of MBRSG, showcase the major global trends in the future of post-Corona governments, namely, a re-evaluation of the central role of governments in protecting societies and the promotion of new and effective mechanisms to maximise international efforts in combating crises. These include reviewing education and health policies, social protection, the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology, restructuring the sectors of aviation, tourism and entertainment, and reviewing concerns relating to the environment and climate.

Raed Awamleh stated that the current crisis has impacted government actions on five key elements; legislation and policies; organisational structures and human resources; health and education; governance; and infrastructure.

With respect to the first element, Awamleh explained that it is necessary for governments to operate flexibly and quickly, to accelerate their work, to use AI widely and to employ data and behavioural sciences to update policies and legislation. 

With regards to organisational structures and human resources, he stressed that governments should build transparent and flexible structures that create stable work teams and find an efficient formula for mixing flexible work with remote work. He also advocated efficient remote training and creating tools for evaluating the performance of employees, in addition to providing employees with behavioural and technical skills, such as time management and train them on utilizing latest technologies.

With regards to education and health, Professor Awamleh believes that governments should review the concepts of public health, especially preventive health care, and a wider use of data and AI in monitoring and predicting diseases at the level of individuals and society as a whole. He also stressed at the same time that governance systems should be fast, flexible and results-oriented in both the health and education sectors. 

Focusing on infrastructure, Professor Awamleh pointed out that governments will see progress in improving the efficiency and quality of the digital environment and strengthening of technology, while restructuring licenses and commercial real estate to keep pace with the changes.

MBRSG’s second session, the sixth in the series, was titled ‘The Impact Of The Coronavirus On HR: The New VUCA’ and saw Dr.Yousif El Ghalayini, Assistant Professor in Public Administration and Executive MPA Programme Coordinator at MBRSG, address the importance of human resources management as a tool to overcome crises and disasters, stressing that the role of human resources should not be limited to protecting employees, but also to support institutional sustainability with effective strategies.

El-Ghalayini pointed out that dealing with crises usually places a focus on the importance of protecting corporate assets for business continuity, but that human resources have a vital role in this equation with the need to preserve human capital during crises as important as business sustainability. 

According to El- Ghalayini, the role of human resources is twofold during crisis management, having an interactive role and a proactive role. He stated that enhancing staff readiness to ensure proper planning of crisis management is achieved by subjecting the employee to relevant training courses and programmes and enhancing their awareness of all channels.

El- Ghalayini pointed out that the future of work lies in ensuring the welfare of workers by creating more flexible offerings and increasing employee experiences, as well as creating a work environment based on factors such as institutional culture, participation, training and management. In doing so, he said, the strength of influence is transferred from the institution to the employee, which supports employee-cantered new reality management.