The service integration document will avoid duplicity between Ministry of Community Development and Community Development Authority in Dubai.
Dubai - Collaboration between federal and local services to improve social programmes
Published: Fri 3 Jun 2016, 8:00 PM
Persons with disabilities, families relying on social funding and NGOs looking to get licensed here will be the main target group benefitting from a new services agreement that is set to change the social services scene in the UAE.
Private sector needs to do moreFor Indian expatriate Jyotindra Ganatra, news of the 'service integration document' is positive. "The document signing is a positive step forward for inclusion for all."
Father of a visually-impaired son, he said many businesses here are only "commercially minded", but he hopes this mind-set changes sooner rather than later.
"The business community in Dubai needs to take heed. The majority of businesses are pathetic when it comes to inclusion in the workplace for people with disabilities," he said.
Visually-impaired Emirati, Mohammed Al Ghafli, also welcomed the move. "As a person with a visual-impairment, I see these new social initiatives as a means of serving people with disabilities. The agreement will ensure the provision of a decent life for us. I really hope all kinds of public services will one day include us (people with disabilities) in the workplace."
Khaled Al Kamda, director-general of the Community Development Authority (CDA), recently made reference to the lack of private sector companies employing people with disabilities.
He said they need to redouble their efforts in providing opportunities for this segment of the community - which sits at 13,000 people in Dubai.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
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On Thursday, the Ministry of Community Development (MSA) and the Community Development Authority in Dubai (CDA) signed a 'service integration document' to boost the collaboration between the federal and local services to improve social programmes.
Though both entities have collaborated in the past, the document "institutionalises the partnership" and aims to set down a more comprehensive coordination to ensure high quality services.
"This document is an agreement to form a steering committee that will set out the priority needs of the UAE citizens," Sana Mohammad Sohail, Undersecretary of the MSA, told Khaleej Times. "In turn, a specialised task force will be formed to develop an integrated and detailed action plan for services."
The goal of the 'service integration document' is to avoid duplicity between both the CDA and MSA services. "Through this partnership we are complimenting each other," Sohail added.
With an aim to empower people with disabilities as well as families on social welfare through better employment opportunities, Khaled Al Khamda, Director-General of CDA, said the document signing will see "a lot more tie-ups" with other government departments too. "The ministry and CDA serve the same segment of society. By working together, we can make these services stronger," he said
And with better services comes better empowerment. "We don't want families to be reliant on social welfare," he added.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, he also noted that the CDA is meeting with the customs authority to ensure more opportunities are given to empower people through employment - including the disabled community.
The five-head committee, which will be chaired by the CDA, will form joint teams to work on the main priorities, which Sohail outlined as: Services for the elderly, family policies and services, disability empowerment and a more streamlined licensing process for NGOs.
Al Kamda said the new agreement constitutes a "new stage for the community services" and added that it will help meet the targets of UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021.
kelly@khaleejtimes.com
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