The Director General of the Institute of Public Administration (BIPA) Dr. Raed Mohammed bin Shams stated that the Kingdom of Bahrain will host the largest international gathering of public administration which is held once every 3 years. Dr. bin Shams revealed the most recent ongoing preparations for holding the (29th) International Congress of Public Administration during the period from 1st to 6th June 2013.
Dr. bin Shams said ” BIPA has succeeded with distinction in gaining international support for the approval of the international community of public administration to set up the 29th Congress on the land of the Kingdom of Bahrain.” Dr. bin Shams added that 76 countries supported the Kingdom of Bahrain in hosting this international congress, that the main theme will discuss (The future of administration: leadership and professionalism) as well as sub-themes represented in the future risks and strategies, leadership in the future and creating innovative services for the future.
Dr. bin Shams stressed the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab region and the Middle East would yield great benefits as a result of hosting this congress. Dr. bin Shams indicated that for the first time in the history of this congress, the Arabic language was adopted as an official third language in the congress as well as English and French, in addition the congress will develop a local plan for public administration by offering local practices and experiences such as shedding light on the role of women in public administration, along these lines Dr. bin Shams stressed that this plan is introduced for the first time that no previous host countries have sought to put their experiences on the congress table.
Dr. bin Shams said that the Kingdom of Bahrain will contribute in the working papers presented at the congress, where practitioners of public administration, researchers and academics from the Kingdom of Bahrain will participate in presenting and displaying 49 working papers discussing various issues concerned with the future of public administration, and these resemble the equivalent of 78% of the participating papers from the Middle East, which amounted to 75 worksheets. Dr. bin Shams indicated that the biggest challenge for hosting this international congress will be in forming a dynamic working system linking between the minds existing in the Arab world, in order to generate an intellectual product that serves the government action, then substantiate the existence of this organization and link its outputs to work, pointing out that work will be proceeded on establishment of first electronic congregation for public administration (LinkedIn).
What was the beginning like for Bahrain to host this international congress?
First we should know that both the International Institute of Administrative Sciences IIAS and the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration IASIA are the largest two organizations specialized in the affairs of Administrative Sciences at the world stage, both organizations are organizing the (29th) International Congress of public administration, which the Kingdom of Bahrain succeeded in hosting this year during the period from 1st to 6th June 2013. It is a congress that is held every 3 years in one of the countries that their right to host the congress is voted for by a majority of the Member States in both organizations. With regard to the Kingdom's hosting of the international congress, this has been achieved after the success of BIPA in obtaining the approval of 170 official institutions representing 76 countries, within 400 members from IASIA, the Kingdom of Bahrain has competed on the right of hosting this year's congress with five countries, including South Africa, Argentina and India. The hosting of this congress comes from the belief of BIPA on the importance to highlight researches and researchers’ assets and national administrative achievements that we own in the Kingdom of Bahrain and other Arab countries, which reflects the uniqueness of the Arab and Islamic model with its characteristics in the field of public administration. This congress will focus on (the future of administration: leadership and professionalism) and will include sub-themes concerning the future risks and strategies, leadership in the future, and the creation of innovative services for the future.
What BIPA seeks to achieve through holding this international congress, and what would be the benefits for the Kingdom of Bahrain?
Great benefits, would be accrued to the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab and the Middle East regions, we at BIPA, are determined to create a network of relationships to build research plan that serves working in the government sector, it is well known to everyone that the development must be built on a proper knowledge, and we have many experiences and they are rich of successes, as they may contain failures, but we may perhaps learn from these failures than successes.
This congress will contribute to the cross-fertilization of ideas to create a product of knowledge based on sound scientific bases, which will be reflected on the ground and will have a solid base to build sophisticated and advanced system of work in the field of public administration. Also we have the expertise, and you know that science and knowledge exist everywhere in the world west and east, north and south, but what distinguishes these experiences, is the diversity and the uniqueness of their characteristics which cannot be owned by any party because of our different experiences, our multiplicity of structures, history and thinking. During this congress we will also attract competencies to pass on expertise and knowledge while retaining the essence of the content, which will help us in creating an Arab system for scientific research in general and for public administration in particular.
What is the new, BIPA has to offer for the International Congress?
BIPA has succeeded so far in adding two steps to the events of this international congress, the first is developing a local agenda for public administration by introducing our experiences and expertise as shedding the light on the role of women in public administration, and this issue is raised for the first time where previous hosting countries haven’t sought to put their experiences on the working table of the Congress.
The second step is represented in attracting experts, academics, researchers and those interested in public administration at various local, regional and international levels, especially in light of the adoption of the Arabic language for the first time as a third language in the working papers alongside English and French. As well as the side meetings on the sidelines of the congress will be an opportunity to build global meeting networks (Networking), in addition to other social events which will contribute to closer ties between the participants.
Has BIPA participated in previous meetings of the International Institutes of Administrative Sciences?
Recently we have participated in the meetings of the International Institute of Administrative Sciences held by IIAS and IASIA in the Belgian capital Brussels during March of this year, during the meeting BIPA was granted the membership in these two international organizations; the first organization is concerned with reviewing and following-up achievement of IASIA’s mission, and the second organization is concerned with reviewing the Association's organizational structure, including the membership of the Board of Directors and its working groups. BIPA’s joining these international committees reflects global international standing occupied by the Kingdom of Bahrain in support of such effective international organizations, BIPA will apply to get the membership in the Executive Committee of the International Institute in 2016 for vice president position.
Is it possible to know what has been done up to this point regarding the hosting of the International Congress?
The work in the Institute is on in full swing, and meetings are continuous, IIAS and IASIA have announced in Brussels the acceptance of 276 working papers out of 322 presented to discuss the theme of the 29th International Congress of Public Administration on (Future of Public Administration: leadership and professionalism), and the abstracts of working papers submitted from the Middle East region alone amounted to 75 of which 60 abstracts from the Kingdom of Bahrain, which shows the growing awareness and interest in the region in general; and Bahrain in particular.
Public administration practitioners, researchers and academics from the Kingdom of Bahrain will participate in presenting and displaying 49 working papers revolves around various aspects concerned with the future of public administration, which is the equivalent of 78% of the participation papers from the Middle East, which is a clear indication of the leading role played by BIPA – on a regional level – in spreading the culture of public administration and to highlight the importance of administrative sciences in improving government performance and excellence in providing citizens’ desired services.
The sub-themes of the congress will include future risks and strategies, leadership in the future and providing innovative services in the future, in addition to nine working groups that will discuss vital issues, including energy management, education and training programs, financial management and others, as these themes aim to concentrate on the future aspects of public administration to face the challenges of government sector with a view to reducing or ending them, depending on the outcomes of the congress recommendations and suggestions, which will be prescribed by experts and researchers.
Is the opportunity to participate still open till now?
Yes, certainly the registration is still open till now for participation in the 29th International Congress of Public Administration, which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in the period from 1st to 6th June in the conferences hall at the Gulf Hotel, and participation in the congress could be completed via BIPA’s website at the following address www.bipa.gov.bh.
Finally, what are the challenges while hosting the Congress?
God willing, we will overcome all the challenges, the biggest challenge will be to succeed in forming a dynamic action system linking between the minds existing in the Arab world, in order to create a thoughtful output that serves the government action, then substantiate the existence of this organization and link its outputs to work, because the added value to be provided by this organization will be a motive to depend on it, thus the modern technology has given the opportunity to cross over borders allowing rapid connection and integration in the field of public administration. With this in mind the work will start to establish the first e-gathering for public administration (LinkedIn), and this is a call to participate and benefit from it at the same time, where the surroundings would be open to communicate with the owners of veteran minds of public administration in the Arab world.