Under its custom initiatives, REDC held a comprehensive management excellence programme for officers of the Election Commission of Pakistan from December 16 - 21, 2019. Designed as a 6-day intervention, during which participants were exposed to areas such as strategic planning and execution and leadership best practices. The programme consisted of essential discussions and exercises related to collaborative teams, resolving conflicts, communication skills, performance evaluation and appraisals, effective public speaking, gender and social inclusion at work.
The objective of the intervention was to enable participants to develop a holistic management perspective in order to take-on challenges critical to leadership positions and policy-related decision making in their current roles. This immersive programme was led by programme directors, Dr. Jawad Syed and Dr. Abdur Rahman Malik, who were supported in teaching by Dr. Arif Nazir Butt and Dr. Anjum Fayyaz.
Over the 6-intensive days, participants were given exposure on how to identify leadership characteristics, recognise strengths and challenges for organisational change, negotiate effectively, manage group dynamics, develop strategic capability and hone their interpersonal skills. Interactive simulations, extensive exercises, speaker sessions and local case studies were included to ensure active participation and fruitful exchange of views amongst the executives. The programme was much appreciated by the participants, who lauded faculty’s area expertise and ability to impart knowledge. Muhammad Ahsan, District Election Commissioner Quetta, said the programme accomplished a huge task in a very limited time in terms of the depth and breadth of the topics covered. Salma Hassan, Training Officer at UNDP, said, “I feel lucky to have attended this management excellence course and am really excited to see its reflection in my professional and personal spheres”.
At the end of the programme, participants shared their learning through action-plan presentations on how the learnings of the programme may be applied to specific challenges at the workplace. The programme concluded on a high note with an inspiring address by Secretary Election Commission of Pakistan, Baber Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad in the esteemed presence of Provincial Election Commissioner Punjab, Zafar Iqbal Hussain.
