Winning Secrets: Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority manages around 700 KPIs related to productivity

Improved employee availability, maximised unit production per employee, and improved response time are some of the high-level KPIs that ADCDA is tracking.

Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority (ADCDA) plays a pivotal role in protecting lives and property; ensures safety in commercial and industrial premises and facilities; and maintains achievements and gains in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

At the 11^th annual edition of HR Excellence Awards - Singapore in 2023, ADCDA won the silver award for 'Excellence in Business Transformation'.

To celebrate this milestone, we catch up with the Workforce Allocation Modelling Team (WAM) at ADCDA, on how the company gains the collective efforts of all parties to forge business success through a focus on leadership development.

Q Congratulations on your top performance at the HR Excellence Awards! How has your HR and people strategy contributed to your success this year?

Abu Dhabi Civil Defence follows and promotes agile people strategies. Our human resources and people strategy has played a crucial role in our success this year within the Abu Dhabi Civil Defense Authority (ADCDA) organisation. We've implemented several key initiatives that have significantly contributed to meeting ADCDA's strategic priorities.

First, early engagement of the right stakeholders through our unique stakeholder management and communications approach.

Second, the leadership of the Abu Dhabi Civil Defense organisation has emphasised the importance of following HR agile principles.

Third is, data-driven decision-making. Our HR strategy incorporates data analytics to inform decision-making. By leveraging data on employee performance, satisfaction, and other relevant metrics, we've been able to make informed adjustments and improvements to our strategy throughout the year.

Q Looking back at your achievements, what aspect of your HR initiatives are you most proud of and why?

We are really proud of the human resources planning and management capabilities that we have built internally through our multidisciplinary team. Additionally, we are so proud of the results achieved in terms of the methodological comprehensiveness and robustness, and meeting the initial plan deadlines.

The best practice under discussion is an innovative, robust, and scientific tool for modelling and managing workforce requirements in an efficient and effective manner at the branch level, knowing that the branches are the smallest organisational unit for Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Authority.

Embracing the agile approach toward workforce allocation modelling (WAM), successfully replaced the traditional way of negotiating and bargaining human resources requirements by adopting seven scientific approaches.

Q During your HR journey, what were some significant obstacles you faced, and how did you overcome them to achieve excellence?

The main challenges were having a complex organisational structure with over 6,000 employees distributed across three geographical locations. The following summarises the main actions taken to overcome the challenges.

• First, early engagement of the right stakeholders through following the stakeholder management and communications approach.
• Second, the establishment of Employee Productivity Centers (EPC’s), which are sections under every sector. Structurally, they belong to the sector (departments), and they facilitate and coordinate with the WAM team, which is part of HR. 
• Third, involve the EPCs and WAM coordinators in the workforce for quick wins and potential solutions.
• Fourth, involve the senior management and department heads with the selection of WAM approaches. 

Q How does your organisation measure the success and impact of your HR initiatives?

Success is measured through various productivity indicators. Abu Dhabi Civil Defence manages around 700 KPIs related to productivity, where every branch has a minimum of one KPI and a maximum of three KPI’s, knowing that we have around 400 branches. Moreover, improved employee availability, maximised unit production per employee, and improved response time are examples of the main high-level KPIs.

Q In what direction do you see the HR/people function evolving in the future, considering the emerging trends?

The HR/people function is expected to continue evolving in response to emerging trends and shifts in the workplace landscape. Here are some key directions in which HR is likely to evolve in the future from the perspective of Abu Dhabi Civil Defence.

HR as a strategic partner:

• HR will evolve from a transactional role to a more strategic one, with HR professionals playing a key role in shaping organisational strategy.
• HR leaders will collaborate closely with business leaders to align HR initiatives with broader business goals.

Agile workforce and gig economy:

The gig economy and flexible workforce models will continue to grow. HR will need to adapt to manage a more fluid workforce, which may include freelancers, contractors, and temporary workers.

Data privacy and compliance

• HR will navigate an increasingly complex landscape of data privacy regulations, particularly with the rise of remote work and data sharing.
• Ensuring compliance with data protection laws and safeguarding employee data will be a top priority.

Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets' section!

Lead image / Provided by ADCDA