Questions/Answers

Human is the main resource and most important element in achieving comprehensive development. On the effect of its construction, communities are developed, and on the raise of his abilities and ideas, civilization is built. The smart awareness initiative reflects the main theme of empowering young people to face challenges in the real world. Due to the spread of many wrongs and unacceptable behaviors in the community in general, and in schools in specific, such as knives, sexual harassment, negative and laziness, underachievement. As we don’t want to reach the state of addiction, criminality, terrorism, and fraud, many leading, ambitious, and effective initiatives were launched in the UAE by different parties, but they are limited in scope and do not speak the language of the young people. Moreover, in order to strengthen national identity, instill loyalty, build a conscious generation and stable family and self-immune generation, electronic awareness games were developed and provided by Aqdar to contribute to building immune and empowered Emirati generation that is able to cope with current and future challenges. Dubai Police launched a Smart awareness initiative that provides a fully integrated program of information, awareness, and learning for students. It includes an innovative initiative, smart awareness, and learning through different electronic means including electronic games, to contribute to building an immune and empowered generation that is able to cope with current and future challenges. The general objectives are: • Developing effective integration between the institutions involved in the healthy upbringing of students. • Raising the student's positive awareness of the national, cultural, religious, and health-related issues • Developing the students͛ sense of social responsibility, personal and leadership skills • Educational goals • promote SDG goals in the Society

Dubai Police harness the digital transformations means by using smart awareness initiatives by adopting strategic approaches and applications of existing and latest technologies. Dubai police aim at enhancing public administration through promoting interoperability among institutions and enabling government platforms such as video games means as a communication and awareness tool. Therefore, this initiative aims to use innovative and engaging delivery methods for learning material, content, and messages to the community and reach all disadvantaged people

Goal 4: Quality Education The initiative increased the interest in using mobile games in enhancing schools’ curriculum across the UAE. Video games mean is considered an innovative and engaging delivery method that speaks the language of the young people for education purposes to the community. Another reason for using videos games is widespread of games on various devices and systems. Most young people have smart and mobile devices these days. Providing devices for all students is a key reason for success. Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities The initiative Strengthen the efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage. Our games promote components of the National Unity, and that we are all equal. The initiative objective is to spread educational content, develop personal skills, strengthen national identity, and disseminate different cultures in an interactive and sensible way. Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions Dubai Police has launched this initiative to build generations that have an inclusive awareness, self-empowerment and meeting the challenges of the present and future. by spreading awareness, this will help to significantly reduce all forms of violence, end abuse and promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and reduce corruption

The initiative promotes WSIS values in Society that includes economic awareness. Learning outcomes includes implementing the principles of saving, explaining, measuring, and comparing some of the common economic phenomena. It aims to educate students about public health, the formation of positive attitudes towards compliance with laws, and the environment in its entirety. The student will be able to distinguish between different nutritional elements, deduce the economic, social, psychological, and health-related effects of stress, demonstrates methods of using clean renewable energy, the manifestations of environmental depletion, and their effects on keeping a clean environment, and explains food safety and preservation techniques.

Before the lunch of the initiative, many leading, ambitious, and effective initiatives were launched in the UAE by different parties, but they are limited in scope and do not speak the language of the young people. These initiatives were independent, have limited scope, efforts are fragmented, and created an extra burden on students. Most of the initiatives are targeting only government schools and ignore disadvantaged people. It is significant to use the latest techniques in the implementation. The use of innovative and engaging delivery methods is a key to success. Video games mean are considered an innovative and engaging delivery method that speaks the language of young people. Another reason for using videos games is the widespread of games on various devices and systems. Most young people have smart and mobile devices these days. Providing devices for all students is a key reason for success. Statistics show that 97% of children play video games, and 53% of adults play video games (The Pew Internet & American Life Project). Therefore, video games are considered one of the important means for awareness.

Our games provide a free learning opportunity and it's in line with SDG that ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all. Our games promote components of the National Unity, and that we are all equal. The initiative's objective is to spread educational content, develop personal skills, strengthen national identity, and disseminate different cultures in an interactive and sensible way. Our games spread awareness that all components of the community are equal and all have the equal rights regardless of their gender, nationality, language, etc.

Our target group is students in specific, and the community as a whole in general, worldwide. Dubai Police developed cutting-edge smart video games as an innovative and engaging delivery method for awareness to the community by communicating messages, concepts, and different awareness lessons to different sectors of the community, especially students. Electronic games are considered one of the best ways and means to contribute in spreading awareness because of the widespread of games on various devices and systems. These games contain the awareness and learning messages in an interesting, enjoying and funny form for both kids and adults. The following are some of the results: • The evaluation results of students about knowledge about different subjects was: Drugs (97.2%), smoking (91%), Security service (87.3%), coordination with police (87.2%), Academic excellence (91.5%), Successful personal (93.9%) and time management (85.6%). • The number of juveniles that have registered cases against them before implementing the program (415) cases. The number reached 55 cases in the last year • The program contributed to the sense of security. This led to an increase in the number of calls from students and their parents to security service to report everything that threatens their security and the security of other

The project implementation plan is prepared on an annual basis and discussed by the higher committee and the Executive Committee of the initiative (headed by the commander in chief of Dubai Police). After approval of the plan, the work is carried out under the supervision and follow-up by the Chairman of the Executive Committee. More than 40 community partners collaborated in the initiative and played a role in planning and implementing. This includes the Ministry of Education, Knowledge and Human Development Authority (DHA), Women's Association, Dubai Foundation for Women and Children, Parents of Handicapped Society, The National Human Resource Development Authority, The Ministry of Youth and Culture, and Community Development. Measurements were done through different tools such as questionnaires, surveys, observations, and focus groups. For example, for the process of developing electronic awareness and educational games, we had 40 focus groups of 1200 students. Questionnaires were distributed to students in order to know their favorite games. We tested different games prototypes on students and used Psychologist and Scenario writers to design the games, determine the targeted ages, awareness, and educational content, and know the effects. A third-party specialist certified by the UAE government evaluates the program in accordance with the following mechanisms: • 360-degree evaluation on students, parents, lecturers, teaching staff, schools administrators, and partners. All feedback collected, from students, teachers, and parents, either in schools or online through the games or social media sites, are used to improve the games. • Kirkpatrick model to evaluate training: the model consists of 4 levels, level 1 (Participants Reaction) by measuring the level of satisfaction, level 2 (Learning Assessment) by measuring the extent of reaching awareness messages by students, level 3 (Behavior Evaluation) by measuring the extent of the application of learning through everyday life, level 4 (Return on Investment) by measuring targeted indicators.

The following states some of these challenges and how it is dealt with: • The existence of excessive workload on the student because of frequent visits by third parties that provide awareness materials: Coordination with all the agencies that provide awareness materials from inside and outside the police to develop a joint work program. • Lack of involvement of parents: Meeting with parents accompanied by the officials of the Educational Zone and Knowledge Authority and schools directors to clarifying the importance of the program, And the expected roles of parents, and the placement of many parents to be active lectures in the program

The project uses an innovative and engaging delivery method for learning materials and awareness messages, to different sectors of the community, through video games. Digital games are considered one of the best ways to contribute to spreading learning because of the widespread of games on various devices and systems. These games were made available by Dubai Police to most public and private schools in UAE. Ipad devices with these games installed are distributed in schools. Electronic games are considered one of the best means to contribute to spreading awareness because of the widespread of games

The initiative increased the interest in using such technologies for other needs such as enhancing schools’ curriculum across Dubai. The initiative started with Dubai and now covers all cities in the UAE and can be applied regionally and internationally. Technology has opened the door to new ways of learning. Video games, for example, have traditionally been viewed as detrimental to the development of children and youth. But growing evidence indicates that when properly used, gamification can support learning in both traditional subjects/basic skills and the development of 21st century skills through learning by playing

Through game making, participants can acquire digital skills, break out of their social isolation and positively contribute to their community. Through video games, governments are able to use the latest technologies to spread awareness and improve the current ways used to reach the whole community. Games now are considered an important part of the digital government and the digital transformation. A huge community is available on the game means on websites or through the apple and google platforms. Therefore, they should be targeted in order to have an effective digital government.

The initiative increased the interest in using such technologies for other needs such as enhancing schools’ curriculum across UAE. The initiative started in the city of Dubai. It started with one school, then 7 schools (grade 8), and then covered all schools in Dubai. After the success, it is replicated to all other cities in the UAE. This initiative can be applied internationally. One of the important things, in order to get the initiative, is to unite all awareness efforts in the country, to be under one umbrella.

According to a news report published by DFC Intelligence, there was nearly 3.1 billion video game consumers by the mid-2020. The world's population is around 8 billion people, meaning almost 40% of the population is playing video games. Therefore, there is a great potential to transfer the initiative initiated by Dubai police to spread awareness and learning, where Dubai police succeed

The development of electronic awareness games is done in-house. So, all costs are controlled. The Human resources for developing the games cost $200,000 The effectiveness of implementation and efficiency of fiscal spending: The program works to achieve its vision through the activation of the role of all stakeholders related to student, where the student communicates: • Bodies, government, and civil institutions through seminars, forums, and consultative meetings and companies, where (120) meetings were held with stakeholders • Parents: through the implementation of training courses, lectures, and workshops of their own, where (20) events were held and (8) training courses.

Dubai Police plays its part in sustainable development through social and community programs aimed at creating a real impact for a better tomorrow. The initiative enabled effective engagement with local communities, contributing towards the development of safe and sustainable societies. It includes working on ensuring the sustainability of prevention efforts among student groups and their communities, such as families and youth institutions. The students of today will be the lawmakers and the government officials of tomorrow, meaning the time is right to educate the youth and help them to feel that they are an important part of our futures.

Yes

A third-party specialist certified by the UAE government evaluates the program in accordance with the following mechanisms: • 360-degree evaluation on students, parents, lectures, teaching staff, schools administrators and partners. All feedback collected, from students, teachers and parents, • Kirkpatrick model to evaluate training: the model consist of 4 levels, level 1 (Participants Reaction) by measuring the level of satisfaction, level 2 (Learning Assessment) by measuring the extend of reaching awareness messages by students, level 3 (Behavior Evaluation) by measuring the extent of the application of learning through everyday life, level 4 (Return on Investment) by measuring targeted indicators

Some of the indicators are: - The number of downloads of the games. Target indicators were 10 million worldwide. - The rank of the games. Target indicator to reach rank number one in 20 countries. - Improving the strategic objectives of the stakeholders - The percentage of knowledge about different subjects from the games. - The availability of games in the schools in UAE. - Providing lectures and workshops to all community sectors including Parents, Teachers & Students. - The involvement of stakeholders in the planning, implementation, and evaluation.

• Games downloads reached 40 million globally, ranked no.1 in 74 countries in the Educational category. • Games are available in PCs and iPads in most schools in UAE. Students with a limited budget were provided free iPads. • Evaluation results of student’s knowledge about different subjects increased such as Drugs (97.2%), smoking (91%), Security service (87.3%), coordination with police (87.2%), Academic excellence (91.5%), Successful personal (93.9%). • Improving the strategic objectives of the stakeholders such as Educational Zone strategic objectives by Reduction of students dropout out of the educational system. Also the program has six associated topics. The topics and the results of these topics are: child knowledge about the importance of school (94.9%), time management (84.5%), Successful personal (92.5%), Planning to choose the right specialization (88.2%), Academic excellence (91.6%) and preparation for university life (87.4%) • Number of fire incidents decreased • Number of fire incidents decreased from 595 incidents to 193.

The project implementation plan prepared on an annual basis and discussed by the higher committee and the executive Committee of the initiative (headed by the commander in chief of Dubai Police). After approval of the plan, the work is carried out under the supervision and follow-up by Chairman of the Executive Committee. More than 40 community partners collaborated in the initiative and played a role in planning and implementing. A Supreme Committee that have the following functions: • Placing the basic system of the program • Set the strategic goals, policies and strategic plans of the program in line with the government strategy • Approve the proposed program budget according to the program's statute • To develop the vision, mission and values of the program and to update its objectives according to developments • Determine the role and responsibilities of each organization or program entity • Adopting the regulations and decisions necessary to implement the program in accordance with the program's statute. • To develop, apply and update work systems and manuals by developing the appropriate organizational structure to implement strategic objectives, and to ensure the implementation of effective operational management systems • Work on reviewing and developing key performance results, enhancing continuous improvement processes, and adopting effective measurement systems

The program works to achieve its vision through the activation of the role of all stakeholders related to student. (120) meetings were held with stakeholders through seminars, forums and consultative meetings. (41) Internal and external party, (305) trainers, (115) coordinators participated in the program. More than 40 community partners collaborated in the initiative and played a role in planning and implementing. The following demonstrates examples of the rule of each partner: • Ministry of Education: The ministry played an important role in assigning scenario writers to provide the scenarios of each game and making sure that each game target different age groups, assigning phycologists to study the effect of the developed games, providing the learning and educational material that it included in the games. • Parents of Handicapped Society: Preparation of scientific material for people with disabilities. • The Ministry of Youth, Culture and Community Development: participation of cultural convoys and presenting the electronic games. • Student Counselling Department within the Ministry of Education: Preparation of scientific material and include them in the electronic games. • Stakeholders where members of executive Committee of the program, that was responsible for planning, implementation and evaluation. • 1200 students played a role in focus groups.

This initiative reflects the main theme of empowering young people to face challenges in the real world. The main approach, the so-called 360-degree scale, reflects the comprehensive collaboration of multiple entities stretching from government to academia, students, the private sector, and others. The main partners on which the program relies are students who have absolute freedom to design the content and suggest ideas that will raise awareness about the different topics and issues. The government is there just to realize and support these ideas. The philosophy of this program is one of teamwork, diversity, professionalism, and sustainability. It is important to have strategic partnerships and involve all stakeholders in the initiative in order to have a successful program that is accepted by all parties. One of the main reasons being the program successful is to have a broad range of partners.It is significant to use the latest techniques in the implementation of the program. The use of an innovative and engaging delivery method is a key to success. We are planning to increase partnership with other organizations, and to target university students, to cover all public and private universities and colleges.