Government starts final evaluation of innovative ideas for Afkari

The UAE federal government has launched the final phase of evaluating innovative ideas submitted by federal government employees for Afkari, a government initiative launched last year to support innovation in the sector, the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation said on Saturday.

Some 750 innovative ideas were submitted and the huge number required a higher evaluation standard, Assistant Director-General for Strategy and Innovation at the Prime Minister's Office Huda Al Hashimi noted, saying that only 10 ideas have made it to the finals following intensive evaluation.

Launched in November 2015 by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Afkari, Arabic for ‘my ideas’, includes setting up a fund to finance employees’ ideas while a dedicated team of experts - made up of innovators, pioneers of global businesses and representatives from both public and private sectors - will evaluate the ideas and back the best of them, she added.

Winning ideas will be backed and implemented at respective government institutions within three months.

The public will also participate in the evaluation online via the initiative's dedicated website http://afkari.gov.ae.