Questions/Answers
Question 1
Please briefly describe the initiative, what issue or challenge it aims to address and specify its objectives. (300 words maximum)
Preparing a sustainability report proved useful to highlight that responsible business practices are not just about excellent initiatives and the value of their individual impact, but about the organization itself, its governance, management, and core strategy. Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) works towards the development of the sustainability report. The main goal of a sustainability report is to provide transparency on the DCT's contribution to sustainable development, it is also relevant to stakeholders, employees, suppliers, customers, etc. DCT used this tool to voluntarily communicate its performance and impact — positive or negative — in environmental, social, economy. DCT has embarked on developing their own sustainability framework for 2020. A materiality assessment was used to internally assess the level of importance of key topics under the three sustainability. DCT use this tool to identify the topics that the organization should prioritize for the report. Sustainable tourism, a topic key to the long-term sustainable growth of the culture and tourism sector, has been the focus of our efforts for over a decade. DCT is planning to establish a full-fledged sustainability framework for the tourism sector, including both strategic as well as operational aspects. DCT is the regulator of all tourism sector entities in Abu Dhabi. in recognition of the significant contribution of Hotels and the tourism industry to the ecological and carbon footprint, DCT is seeking to conduct a technical review of the guidelines of other government entities to explore the possibility of establishing its own guidelines to safeguard the environment and reduce the carbon footprint of the tourism industry. Sustainability Tourism with its three factors, Economically, Socially, and Environmentally, has a huge impact on the society. Social impacts of tourism are looking after how tourism is affecting the value systems, individual behavior, family relationships, collective life styles, moral conduct, creative expressions, traditional ceremonies, community organization and locals work opportunities.
Question 2
Please explain how the initiative is linked to the selected category. (100 words maximum)
Abu Dhabi is already investing strongly in expanding and upgrading its tourism and cultural offering and in order to support this DCT have a range of sector-wide initiatives to encourage sustainable culture and tourism. Some examples include; ‘Green Hotel Awards’, ‘Eco-tourism Marketing’ and ‘Sustainability Guidelines’ on top of numerous other strategies. Sustainability initiatives will be implemented at sector level, as well as on a corporate level, to ensure that the sector moves towards delivering the ultimate Abu Dhabi experience. By respecting and growing the relationships and maintain working closely with all of our stakeholders, we are sending a message to all those involved in providing the tourist experience, that we need to continue to work closely alongside one another to create a world-class destination that nurtures local prosperity.
Question 3
a. Please specify which SDGs and target(s) the initiative supports and describe concretely how the initiative has contributed to their implementation. (200 words maximum)
The tourism sector has been identified as one of the key engines of growth in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030; this requires DCT to established the Corporate sustainable development initiatives endeavor to contribute to the achievement of SDGs . Corporate Sustainability & Tourism Sector framework covered the 3 essential aspects of the sustainability. Economically, To ensure competitiveness of tourism destinations , so that they are able to continue to prosper and deliver benefits and to maximize the contribution of tourism to the economic prosperity of the host destination. Environmentally, To support the conservation of natural areas, habitats and wildlife, and minimize damage to them and pollution. Socially, To strengthen the number and quality of local jobs created and supported by tourism, including the conditions of service and availability to all without discrimination. All Initiatives have been developed linked to clear goals, indicators to be measured, and outputs that can be used to achieve these goals. Below is a list of the sector-wide initiatives scheduled by DCT for launch in 2020.
b. Please describe what makes the initiative sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms. (100 words maximum)
For 2020 the DCT is planning to establish sustainability framework for the sector, to build a long-term forward-looking sustainability framework for the destination to reduce the adverse economic, social and environmental impacts of the tourism industry on the destination
This 10 aims of the sustainability framework were used as the basis of the framework. A research and development phase then lead to the commitment to six principles, representing a holistic approach to sustainability efforts. These principles were translated into a variety of initiatives and corresponding indicators for 2020. DCT Abu Dhabi maintains relevant business continuity, crisis management and communication plans to ensure its operations are resilient and organization is able to sustain operations and recover after disruptions through a well-thought-out approach, robust processes and tested operational response plans
Question 4
a. Please explain how the initiative has addressed a significant shortfall in governance, public administration or public service within the context of a given country or region. (200 words maximum)
DCT leadership is composed of H.E Chairman, H.E Undersecretary, Executive Directors, in addition to
Department Directors, Section Managers, Unit heads and Leads. Based on the directions of the Chairman and
Undersecretary, DCT follows a highly structured approaches towards its leadership and strategy approaches, where all leaders are required and encouraged to be analytically driven in planning and executing their operations.For that purpose, DCT management spared no efforts in building the capabilities of the management team through various means such as establishing necessary enabling and supporting functions that provide and
facilitate the provision of resources and practices, allowing core functions to carry out the operations in
line with government directions, corporate strategy, and top management expectations.
one of the framework essential aspects was socially where jobs are created for locals supported by tourism including the level of pay, conditions of service and availability to all without discrimination by gender, race, disability or in other ways.
The target groups of the initiative were the tourism sector where it reform the way of practicing the sustainability. The framework support the sustainable practices by come up with several initiatives that can feed in the overall goal and lead to better sustainable destination.
b. Please describe how your initiative addresses gender inequality in the country context. (100 words maximum)
The department was keen to enhance the role of women by developing a special program for women’s leaders. The department also prepared a suitable environment for working mothers. The department was also keen on implementing the policies related to the facilities granted to working women & based on the decision of the chairman No. 81 of 2020, a women's council was formed in the DCT. DCT continues to grow on an annual basis and in 2018 welcomed 260 new colleagues. DCT has a wide representation of females (around 46%), this is significantly higher than other government entities in the region.
c. Please describe who the target group(s) were, and explain how the initiative improved outcomes for these target groups. (200 words maximum)
The sustainability report relevant to stakeholders, employees, suppliers, customers & leadership. DCT having a cohesive vision of environmental and social sustainability which help develop brand trust and societal support while promoting a stable economy and healthy, skilled and educated workers. DCT established the Corporate sustainable development initiatives endeavor to contribute to the achievement of SDGs. Below is a list of the sector-wide initiatives scheduled by DCT for launch in 2020
Question 5
a. Please describe how the initiative was implemented including key developments and steps, monitoring and evaluation activities, and the chronology. (300 words)
20 initiatives internally & 14 Externally were developed in DCT for inclusion in the framework & 5 principles were created to form basis of 2020 initiatives which is internal achieved at corporate level. DCT follow a continuous approval and analysis process to evaluate the impact each initiative has on the indicator. The following implementation plan and schedule has been based on the collection of stakeholder feedback and consultant recommendations. Planning for each initiative requires personnel to take ownership and define deadlines for the following year. Implantation and the relevant documents are developed or updated to support the initiative. Evaluation and tracking the indicators understand if the initiative is having a positive effect. And finally Reassing the indicators and intiatives is an important stage in ensuring the overall aims of the framework are achieved. Initiatives and/or indicators may change as a result of the evaluation process. DCT already finalized the stakeholders brainstorms and involvement and now on stage of starting the implementation on reality. Covid 19 was an opportunity to every department internally to review and enhance the implementation plan which has been delayed. DCT has several goals in developing these initiatives (to increase the representation of Emiratis in the tourism sector, to reduce the energy, water and waste consumption within the sector, to educate the departments & Sector on best practices in sustainability, to promote against the environmental and cultural features of the destination, to encourage tourist spending across the local economy through unique experiences, to provide experiences for all tourists regardless of any disabilities, to improve the connectivity of tourist attractions and accommodation, to ensure consistent reviews and feedback of the framework by inclusion of stakeholders, to improve the resilience of the tourism sector to climate change externalities.
b. Please clearly explain the obstacles encountered and how they were overcome. (100 words)
A SWOT analysis was conducted for the Abu Dhabi tourism sector to better understand the impacts, risks and opportunities for the organization. DCT identified all strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges. There are several challenges applicable which are Inefficient use of resources and spending allocated on marketing rather than sustainable practices, Lack of knowledge about sustainable tourism due to inefficient stakeholder engagement, Integration into wider policy and other government entities, Lack of incentives or motivations to implement, monitor and report sustainable practices & Potential negative financial impact of policies on sector.
Question 6
a. Please explain in what ways the initiative is innovative in the context of your country or region. (100 words maximum)
When all the initiatives were put in place, they were all centered around excellence and innovation. the framework came up with practices and implementation plans that improves it gradually over years till 2030 DCT has been studied for each initiative to be presented to the sector to raise the trust of DCT support for example:
•Green Hotel Awards : highlights hotels committed to achieving reductions in energy, waste and water.
•Tourist Site Connectivity :Updated bus network that better reflects the tourism infrastructure in Abu Dhabi
•Local Experience App: that is available for tourists to download, contains numerous vouchers to avail in local Emirati restaurants/ experiences& integrating content with existing application to avoid developing one from scratch.
b. Please describe, if relevant, how the initiative drew inspiration from successful initiatives in other regions, countries and localities. (100 words maximum)
The framework has been started with benchmark of the best practices around the world with the local entities & three largest groups of international tourists to the UK include: France, United States and Germany and regionally Dubai. The purpose Is to get the best practices for Abu Dhabi. Data collected and reviewed against 140 GRI indicators, 5 principles were created to form basis of 2020 initiatives & 20 initiatives were developed for inclusion in the framework. 8 indicators identified as gaps in DCT current sustainability practices.5 topics of importance were identified from DCT materiality assessment, 11 responses received from top management on the materiality assessment.
c. If emerging and frontier technologies were used, please state how these were integrated into the initiative and/or how the initiative embraced digital government. (100 words maximum)
DCT have a range of sector-wide initiatives to encourage sustainable culture and tourism. Some examples include; ‘Green Hotel Awards’, ‘Eco-tourism Marketing’ and ‘Sustainability Guidelines’ on top of numerous other strategies. We were keen to keep up with the future and changes in the implementation of these initiatives.
• A future phase of the initiative (Capacity Building Program) would be to integrate opportunities for tour guides to provide services directly to tourists through mobile applications.
• future phase for the initiative (Sustainable Tourism Awards) may consider awarding hotels based on their ‘cultural’ achievements in line with Estidama programs.
Question 7
a. Has the initiative been transferred and/or adapted to other contexts (e.g. other cities, countries or regions) to your organization’s knowledge? If yes, please explain where and how. (200 words maximum)
Since the department has currently completed the preparation of the Sustainability Report 2019 and developed a clear framework at the corporate level & tourism sector level & moving forward towards achieving all the goals and initiatives This report, another achievement for our sustainability credentials, captures our vision and mission towards Abu Dhabi becoming a world-class tourist destination whilst representing and encouraging local culture. It portrays the DCT’s performance and future ambitions on the topics most important to our stakeholders; we look forward to reporting back on our combined impact and performance in creating a sustainable tourism destination that reflects and enhances our rich culture and heritage. In the near future, this report will be shared as best practices at the local and global level.
b. If not yet transferred/adapted to other contexts, please describe the potential for transferability. (200 words maximum)
DCT is committed to annual GRI reporting to ensure transparency between internal and external stakeholders. Also DCT commits to widening their corporate initiatives to demonstrate sustainability leadership sector-wide in the UAE & will ensure it is translated to every employee throughout the organization through knowledge transfer.
The framework has been developed based on best practices around the world and the sustainability has been an ongoing trend among the tourist to seek sustainable tourism experiences and minimize their impact on local communities so regional destinations can bench mark with Abu Dhabi experience. There are common challenges across the region so the potential of implement in the region.
Question 8
a. What specific resources (i.e. financial, human or others) were used to implement the initiative? (100 words maximum)
DCT to follow a continuous approval and analysis process to evaluate the impact each initiative has on the indicator. The implementation plan DCT Abu Dhabi has been allocated a budget to collaborate with biggest consultancy regionally to create the framework as well as several workshops with relevant governmental entities and workshops with the tourism sector representatives such as hotels and attractions to brainstorm and clarify the different roles. For example:
• Hardware(marketing campaign- materials)
• Software (mobile application- online services)
• Work teams
b. Please explain what makes the initiative sustainable over time, in financial and institutional terms. (100 words maximum)
DCT has developed a set of initiatives linked to indicators and has identified support resources for each initiative to ensure its sustainable implementation. All the initiatives in the framework will lead the destination to be more sustainable through different sustainable practices suggested to be implemented gradually over years. It will fill the gap that is already existed years ago of unsustainable practices.
DCT Abu Dhabi has been allocated a budget, software, hardware & work teams to collaborate with biggest consultancy regionally to makes this initiative sustainable over time.
Question 9
a. Was the initiative formally evaluated either internally or externally?
Yes
b. Please describe how it was evaluated and by whom? (100 words maximum)
After and/or during the initiative launch, the indicator should be tracked to understand if the initiative is having a positive effect by the relevant leading departments at DCT and relevant government entities. the relevant departments internally who will lead on it and of the governmental entities and the expert matters who will implement which is the tourism sector. For each initiatives we identified the name of the initiative, owner team, indicators-establish the baseline , Major tasks involved, Resources required, Deliverables & evaluation.
c. Please describe the indicators and tools used. (100 words maximum)
When identifying initiatives, indicators are set to ensure the completion of these initiatives and the achievement of their objective. Each initiative in the framework has been assisted and dedicated different indicators based on the nature of the initiative and its output. One (max two) indicators are defined to track the annual success of the initiative in some cases the indicator is only valid for one year, describes reasoning to why the indicators were selected include:
• Level of existing programs/ initiatives – level to which any similar program is in place or if a similar data collection process is existing in the sector.
• Level of burden to sector – typically the level of cost for the sector to participate or if no cost is required then level of time/resources to prepare documentation.
• Level of positive impact to indicator – how much the indicator will improve after the first year of implementation.
d. What were the main findings of the evaluation (e.g. adequacy of resources mobilized for the initiative, quality of implementation and challenges faced, main outcomes, sustainability of the initiative, impacts) and how is this information being used to inform the initiative’s implementation? (200 words maximum)
This report, another achievement for our sustainability credentials, captures our vision and mission towards Abu Dhabi becoming a world-class tourist destination whilst representing and encouraging local culture. It portrays the DCT’s performance and future ambitions on the topics most important to our stakeholders. DCT already finalized the stakeholders brainstorms and involvement and now on stage of starting the implementation on reality. COVID-19 was an opportunity to every department internally to review and enhance the implementation plan which has been delayed. Internally the implementation of all initiatives is evaluated and followed up through a monthly tracker with the concerned departments to ensure the quality of achievement, it’s cover all the indicators & achieved the targets.
Question 10
Please describe how the initiative is inscribed in the relevant institutional landscape (for example, how is it situated with respect to relevant government agencies, and how have these institutional relationships been operating). (200 words maximum)
Sustainable tourism, a topic key to the long-term sustainable growth of the culture and tourism sector, has been the focus of our efforts for over a decade. We aspire to cement Abu Dhabi’s place at the forefront of the sustainable tourism business, to lead the way for the region, and establish the Emirate as a world-class sustainable culture and tourism destination. The tourism sector has been identified as one of the key engines of growth in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030; this requires resource management to significantly reduce the impact on the natural, historical and cultural heritage of Abu Dhabi, whilst simultaneously increasing the number of visitors and encouraging local prosperity. DCT publish a sustainability report are the GRI Standards to increasing pressure from different stakeholder groups – such as governments, consumers and investors – to be more transparent about their environmental, economic and social impacts. The sustainability framework for sustainability reporting helps businesses identify, collect and report this information in a clear and comparable manner
Question 11
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development puts emphasis on collaboration, engagement, partnerships, and inclusion. Please describe which stakeholders were engaged in designing, implementing and evaluating the initiative and how this engagement took place. (200 words maximum)
DCT has a dedicated Stakeholder Management team to ensure strong communication and engagement channels with key stakeholders. DCT’s process for identifying and selecting stakeholders includes a review of the stakeholder type (operational or strategic). DCT also ranks their stakeholders based on organizational readiness, dedicated resources and responsiveness which generates a ‘willingness to engage’ score.. DCT aims to move Tier 1 & Tier 2 strategic stakeholders and transform them into strategic partners. DCT developed and implemented a stakeholder management framework where stakeholders are identified, mapped and engaged, depending on the nature of the type of engagement. Key findings from value mapping exercise:
• Importance of Culture
• Environmental impacts not adequately addressed
• Increased engagement of locals for social sustainability
• More eco-tourism opportunities required
DCT held a sustainability workshop to gauge feedback from a number of tier 1 and tier 2 stakeholders.
Stakeholders were introduced to the topics and the key sustainability issues in the sector. then presented and overview of the initiatives proposed in response to the research and engagement to date.
Overall positive feedback was received and no stakeholders were completely against any initiatives proposed.
Stakeholders stated a preference for quarterly workshops and annual surveys. A number were also keen to participate in pilot programs of certain initiatives.
Question 12
Please describe the key lessons learned, and how your organization plans to improve the initiative. (200 words maximum)
• On COVID-19 pandemic ,DCT have placing heightened importance and increased scrutiny on how can implement the initiatives under this situation Using alternative tools.
• Create the sustainability committee for DCT. The committee with be formed by individuals (sustainability champions) that are responsible for implementing the proposed sustainability corporate initiatives. The committee should be formed by representatives from each of DCT’s core departments to ensure sustainability is translated throughout the organization.
• Gathering data take long time & to avoid that DCT provide data gathering systems and reporting processes linked to projects and initiatives
• leadership , internal drivers including efforts to make practices more responsible and inclusive, assess performance and progress, improve, and further establish and communicate sustainability play a key role in the report .
• Benefiting from basic experts and local and sectoral expertise through best practices.
• providing a wariness among leaders on key issues for sustainable development and strategies and approaches to improve the alignment of practices with sustainable development objectives
• Providing coaching on a methodology for preparing sustainability reports in line with GRI’s standards, making the DCT able to prepare a sustainability report on their own efficiently and effectively.
• alignment with ongoing international initiatives focused on sustainable development and key issues for sustainable development, from occupational Health and Safety, training and Development, accurate Marketing & Innovation