| Achong Tanjong |
THE 13th Executive Development Programme (EDP) on Public Policy and Management for senior government officials, conducted by the Ministry of Defence (MinDef), was concluded yesterday with a closing ceremony held at the Officers’ Mess, Bolkiah Garrison. The event was attended by First Admiral (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit, the Deputy Minister of Defence.
In his speech, the deputy minister stressed the importance for policymakers to adopt a systematic approach in planning and decision-making, for the long-term development and sustainability of individual organisations in the country. He also stressed the importance of institutionalising the organisational capability of continuous learning through honest self-reflection and assessment, to effectively meet the demands of a rapidly evolving and intensely challenging environment. Professor Dodo J Thampapillai, the faculty lead from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School) at the National University of Singapore, also delivered some remarks on the school’s behalf.
Represented by Lieutenant Colonel (U) Harmadi bin Haji Mamit, the participants of the 13th EDP then shared their experiences throughout the programme.
This year, 30 participants joined the EDP, comprising senior officials from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), Energy and Industry Department at the Prime Minister’s Office (EIDPMO), Secretariat for the Brunei Vision 2035 Council, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MoFAT), Ministry of Education (MoE) and Autoriti Monetari Brunei Darussalam (AMBD).
The Deputy Minister of Defence, First Admiral (Rtd) Dato Seri Pahlawan Abdul Aziz bin Haji Mohd Tamit, presents a certificate to one of the 13th Executive Development Programme’s participants. – ACHONG TANJONG
Several senior military officials from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam also participated in the programme, which was developed and conducted in collaboration with the LKY School. The three-month programme covered various policy analysis tools from horizon-scanning and scenario-planning, cost-benefit analysis to multicriteria analysis, several case studies as well as key management and leadership approaches.
The course was intended to equip senior officials with the necessary knowledge and skills to be more innovative in understanding policymaking processes and challenges. Furthermore, during the programme participants visited several government agencies in Brunei, to better understand the policymaking process and various initiatives being implemented in the country.
Also present at the ceremony were members of the Defence Executive Committee, the Commissioner of the RBPF, high commissioners and ambassadors to Brunei Darussalam, service commanders, defence advisers/attaches and other senior officers from MinDef, RBAF and government ministries.
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