The US-based Reputation Institute has awarded Qatar’s Ministry of Interior (MoI) a certificate for integrating reputation management systems in its operational process.
In this regard, the organisation granted a completion certificate to the MoI as it became the world’s first interior ministry to integrate reputation management systems in its operations through a series of stage-wise specialised processes.
The ministry identified its primary stakeholders accurately and analysed the public trends and impressions about the services provided by the MoI in various areas internally and externally, according to a press statement.
The certificate was awarded at a special ceremony in the General Directorate of Civil Defence headquarters. Present on the occasion were a number of security leaders and the team in charge of following up work on the project, consisting of the departments of Public Relations and Strategic Planning at the MoI.
Reputation Institute, a leading research and advisory firm for reputation, explained in a report on its website (www.reputationinstitute.com) that the project has focused on how the flow of information between the MoI and various categories related to its services and activities, ranging from workers in the ministry to the rest of the beneficiaries, in a way to ensure the provision of correct and adequate information about the ministry and its services in different areas at a time when multiple sources of information became the most important challenge faced by institutions in image-building and reputation.
The project, which lasted for more than two years, included a variety of methodological and research programmes targeting stakeholders that had been identified accurately as the most influential in building a mental perception and reputation of the MoI, namely citizens, customers, tourists, employees, the media, and human rights organisations, in addition to benchmarking to a number of regional and international ministries and police forces of similar nature.
The firm carried out the scientific research employing manual and electronic questionnaires, interviews and media content analysis, which helped provide evaluative information on the image of the ministry and its reputation among all parties.
Brigadier Abdul Rahman al-Sulaiti, director of the MoI’s Strategic Planning Department, said the project had been designed in line with the ministry’s strategic plan, which has “building an image” as one of its most important features. The project will play a key role in the development of all departments in the ministry that support and enhance the competitive value of the services they offer, he observed.
Brigadier Abdullah Khalifa al-Muftah, director of the ministry’s Public Relations Department, stressed that the MoI was keen to keep its communication channels open to the public in order to promote the principles of transparency and credibility in the media services of the ministry.
He said the MoI would continue moving forward in the execution of the image-building and reputation management project through operational plans and programmes.
Further, he announced that the MoI will be the first interior ministry to initiate the formation of an office for the management of institutional reputation as part of the functions of the Public Relations Department. The tasks of this office will include leading the project and the placement of programmes and plans along with enforcing the recommendations and proposals in order to reach the desired goals.
Nicholas Trad, executive partner of Reputation Institute – Middle East & Africa, lauded the MoI’s achievements in terms of making noticeable progress in building an image of institutional reputation.
Brigadier Abdul Rahman al-Sulaiti and Brigadier Abdullah Khalifa al-Muftah. Right: The certificate awarded to the MoI.
