Sharjah Workshop Improves Government Case Referral Services

Photo: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

The General Secretariat of the Executive Council of Sharjah recently organised an important workshop. This was done through its Government Development Department as part of the “Sharjah Programme to Improve Customer Experience.” The workshop was called “Designing and Developing Case Referral Procedures between Government Entities.”

Why Was the Workshop Organised?

The main aim of this workshop was to bring together leaders and directors from different government departments in Sharjah. They wanted to improve the way they work together, especially when it comes to handling social cases. These are cases that need help from different departments at the same time, like housing, family support, or financial help.

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They wanted to build a unified system so that all departments can manage and refer social cases easily. This means that if someone comes with a problem, their case can be moved to the right department without delay. It will make things faster and more organised for people who need help.

Part of a Big Programme to Make Government Services Better

This workshop was not just a one-time event. It is part of a bigger programme called the “Sharjah Programme to Improve Customer Experience.” This programme is working on making government services better for everyone in Sharjah. It wants to simplify procedures so that people do not get confused or tired by long processes. The goal is to make government services quick, friendly, and useful, which will also improve the quality of life in Sharjah.

Who Participated in the Workshop?

The workshop lasted for two weeks and included nine different government departments. Some of these departments were:

• Sharjah Social Services Department

• Judiciary Department (Family Reform Centre)

• Sharjah Police General Command

• Districts Affairs Department

• Housing Department

• Human Resources Department

• Sharjah Digital Office

• Family Development Administration

• Sharjah Charity Association

More than 30 government employees took part in this workshop. They were all working together to analyse how current procedures are working and what problems people are facing.

What Did They Do in the Workshop?

During the sessions, participants focused on:

• Looking at how things are currently done

• Finding out what problems users face

• Understanding the needs of different groups who use these services

• Reviewing the actual experience of people using these services

They did a lot of data analysis to understand what needs to be improved. They studied how things work in other places (benchmarking) and then created preliminary service prototypes. This means they came up with first versions of new ways to improve their services.

Problems They Found

One of the main problems discussed was that people have to submit the same documents again and again to different departments. For example, if someone needs help from the housing department and the social services department, they have to give their documents twice.

Another issue was the delay in processing requests. Because there is no clear tracking system, people do not know how long their request will take or where their case is at that moment. This causes confusion and delays in getting the help they need.

What Solutions Were Proposed?

The workshop discussed the future vision of a unified digital system. This system will help transfer social cases electronically between departments. It will integrate all departments so that everyone knows their role, and people get fast and correct services.

Here is how the proposed digital system will help:

• People can submit their requests to the right department using an interactive tool. This tool will ask some guiding questions and send the case to the correct place.

• It will reduce wrong referrals and avoid doing the same case review again in different departments.

• It will make services faster, easier, and more accessible to everyone.

What Digital Tools Will Be Included?

The new system will include many smart tools such as:

• Login through digital ID for security and easy access

• Smart search to find departments and services quickly

• Electronic referral submissions with all documents attached

• Inter-agency information requests so departments can ask each other for details without delays

• A dashboard to track and categorise referrals, so people know the status of their case

• A portal showing social data to help officers assess and make better decisions

Closing Ceremony with Senior Officials

The final day of the workshop was held at the Sharjah Archaeology Museum. Many senior officials attended the closing session. Some of them were:

• His Excellency Ahmed Ibrahim Al Mail, Head of the Social Services Department

• His Excellency Judge Saeed Abdullah Al Kalbani, Head of the Family Court

• His Excellency Ahmed Hamad Al Suwaidi, Assistant Secretary-General of the Executive Council

• His Excellency Dr Abdullah Suleiman Al Kabouri, Director of the Districts Affairs Department

• His Excellency Eng. Lamia Obaid Al Shamsi, Director of Sharjah Digital Office

• His Excellency Majid Hamad Al Marri, Director of the Human Resources Department

• His Excellency Eng. Salem Hamid Al Abdouli, Director of the Housing Department

There were also senior managers and officials from Sharjah Police, Family Development Administration, and Sharjah Charity International.

What Did the Leaders Say?

They all praised the efforts of different departments in coming together to make life easier for people in Sharjah. They said that when all departments work as one team, they can solve problems faster and help people in need without confusion or delay.

They agreed that the future digital system will make government services in Sharjah one of the best in the region because it will save time, reduce mistakes, and make things simple for everyone.

This workshop is a big step towards creating a smart, efficient, and caring government system in Sharjah. The idea of having one digital system for all departments will surely make things better for the people. It will also make government employees’ work easier and faster because they can focus on helping people instead of doing repetitive paperwork.

The Sharjah Government has shown once again that it always works hard to improve the lives of its people by using modern ideas and technology.