Cruise dinner for EDP participants, trainers

PARTICIPANTS and trainers of the Executive Development Programme (EDP) under Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) were treated to a cruise dinner on board the Tanjong Bakarang ship last night.

Some 29 middle management officers from various ministries and government departments currently taking part in the Executive Development Programme attended the cruise dinner where also in attendance was Hj Ibrahim Hj Hasan, Director-General of the Public Service Department, as guest of honour.

Undertaking the programme is part of the criteria for the officers to be promoted within their respective departments.

The programme consists of training in areas such as public policy, improving civil service, human resource management, leadership skills, human resource and financial management.

Programme coordinator Dr Habrizah Hussin explained that the purpose of the programme was to encourage creativity and to develop an enterprising culture among public servants. "These officers are our future leaders and we want them to be able to bring about change and be different from the predecessors by bringing in new ideas," she said.

Lim Kok Shien, a lecturer in financial management, said that he wanted the participants to be able to appreciate the value of money and also give them the ability and knowledge to analyse a business.

Lim explained how this knowledge could be applied in the public sector. "For example, the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources grants loans to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are the engine of the economy, so the people who grant loans must have the skills to judge which businesses they should invest in."

Most of the ministries and government departments were represented on the programme including officers from the Immigration Department, Royal Brunei Police Force and the Municipal Board.

Hj Ibrahim Hj Bagol, Acting Assistant Director of Planning and Estate Management at the Ministry of Education, said that he appreciated the knowledge and skills he had gained from the programme, citing that "to be become a future leader, you need to know how to apply these tools. Sometimes the skills are there, you just need to realise it."

He added that the course allowed for the sharing of ideas and networking with those from other departments.

The programme, which started on October 12, will conclude on December 17.

The Brunei Times