The President directs the launch of the “Virtual Authority for Community Management” coinciding with the end of the “Year of Community”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him,” directed the launch of the “Virtual Community Management Authority,” which is inspired by the approach of the late founding father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, “may God rest his soul,” in enhancing the role of community members, especially those with competencies, in developing their country and building its future, coinciding with the end of the “Year of Community” in the country.

The “Virtual Authority for Community Management” is considered an unconventional model in government work based on community participation, as the model allows, for the first time, members of the UAE community with skills and competencies to fully manage the authority, as the General Director and the relevant team of community members will be appointed periodically to manage the authority, work on its tasks, and develop its outputs of real value that serve the nation.

The UAE is a pioneer in introducing this innovative model in engaging community members, which comes from the vision of His Highness the President of the State to build and empower people and invest in their energies and capabilities in serving their community and nation.

The new body works to provide a pioneering global model in participatory governance based on human-based development and community empowerment.

The Authority’s model was also designed in accordance with the UAE Centennial 2071, which stipulates that the state provides the best environment for members of society to unleash their abilities and skills, and the government works to innovate new administrative models and systems that stimulate people to experiment, innovate, and take initiative in a way that benefits development in the country, in addition to making the UAE a global reference in developing future governments and a global laboratory for innovating and testing new business models in a way that serves the UAE community and enhances interaction with its individuals.

The “Virtual Authority for Community Management” adopts a flexible mechanism in selecting its general director and community team, based on clear criteria for competence, experience, specialization, and the ability to make a practical contribution to achieving the Authority’s objectives.

The Director-General and team members are selected from those with skills and competencies in the community according to a periodic assignment system for specific periods of time, to ensure the renewal of ideas, the exchange of experiences, and the opportunity for the widest possible segment of community members to participate in the management of the Authority.

This approach reinforces the principle of alternating roles and responsibilities, and enshrines the concept of community leadership based on giving and initiative, in order to achieve sustainability and deepen the sense of shared national responsibility in accordance with the general objectives of society.

The “Virtual Community Management Authority” aims to attract various categories of UAE society with competencies and energies to participate alternately in its management and work within its teams. This includes experts, specialists, professionals, and academics, as well as young people, entrepreneurs, and retirees who possess accumulated expertise and qualitative practical experiences.

Each category has the opportunity to contribute, according to its field of experience and knowledge, to the management of the new authority, in a way that enhances integration between generations and experiences, and turns societal diversity into an effective force in supporting national development.

In its work, the Authority focuses on tasks of tangible national and societal value, stemming from the needs and aspirations of society, and contributing directly to enhancing the quality of life and consolidating community cohesion.

The nature of the Authority’s work includes developing initiatives, programs and practical solutions that are applicable, and proposing innovative models that enhance community participation and support sustainable development in a way that ensures that its outputs are effective and have a long-term impact that serves the nation and its society.

The “Virtual Community Management Authority” ensures continuity and sustainability in its work through clear regulatory frameworks and approved references that govern its tasks and direct its outputs, ensuring stability of goals and accumulation of experiences despite the rotation of community management teams.

The business model is based on specific policies and procedures, phased work plans, and mechanisms for documenting and transferring knowledge between successive teams, in a way that maintains momentum and prevents interruption of initiatives.

The Authority also bases its performance on the national trends and strategies adopted by the state, in order to achieve consistency with public priorities, ensure the sustainability of the impact, and enhance confidence in the participatory governance model in the long term.

The model of the virtual body for community management has a pioneering global dimension, as it presents an unprecedented formula in government work based on entrusting the management of an entire body to members of society according to an organized institutional framework, which reflects the development of the concept of participatory governance to an advanced applied level. This model is considered a pioneering experience that can constitute a reference for future governments, because of the administrative flexibility, community empowerment, and direct investment in human capital, away from traditional structures. It also enhances the UAE’s position as a global laboratory for innovating government work models. The new program confirms its ability to export inspiring experiences in developing governments and building real partnerships between the state and society.

The launch of the “Virtual Community Management Authority” comes as a practical and sustainable extension of the outcomes of the “Year of Community” and a direct translation of the slogan “Hand in Hand,” which established the concept of community partnership as a work approach that is not limited to a specific period of time. The Authority represents an institutional framework that maintains the momentum of the initiatives launched during the Year of Community, and transforms them into an ongoing practice based on involving community members in assuming responsibility and contributing to making solutions, with the aim of establishing a permanent pillar in the development process, and for community interaction to transform from temporary initiatives into a sustainable business model. Serves the nation and its people in the long term.