About the Branch

In harmony with the ambitious plans of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for extensive economic and social development, and in light of the great increase of government agencies and expansion of their activities in the Kingdom at large and the Eastern Province in particular, the IPA Dammam branch was opened in 8.11.1973.  The branch was created to contribute to the effort to fulfill the IPA logo: "Towards Better Administrative Development", and its key objectives are:

1.     To improve the efficiency of civil servants and train them, through instruction and practice, to shoulder their responsibilities and execute their tasks in a manner that improves performance level.

2.     To contribute in meeting the training needs of the private sector.

3.     To contribute in planning and developing the administrative organization of government agencies.

4.     To offer consultations on administrative problems submitted by government agencies.

5.     To conduct research and sponsor academic works related to administration and its applications.

6.     To collect and classify the Kingdom's administrative documents and offer authoritative information services in the field of administration to officials and researchers.

Regarding programs, the branch offers a high number of training and preparatory programs.  At the end of the year 1973-74, the number of trainees who had been nominated by various government agencies was 105.  That number, however, has been increasing as the number of applicants rises all the time.

First: The Training Programs Offered at the Branch:

·        General training programs

·        Special programs

·        Applied sessions offered to civil servants in the ranks 11-13 or at the same level

These programs are carried out by specialists in various fields representing various IPA sectors, such as the sectors of

Public Administration

Finance and Accounting

Libraries

Personnel Affairs

Health Management

Material Management

Office Management

English

Computers

Second: The Preparatory Programs

Since its creation, the Eastern Province branch has offered a large number of preparatory and rehabilitation  programs, designed for intermediate and secondary school graduates to prepare them for civil service.  Over 3,500 government employees have benefited from those programs.  In 1980, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Fahd Ibn Abdulaziz, gave instructions to the IPA to offer preparatory programs to meet the needs of the private sector for Saudi employees.  The IPA, prompted by this instruction, designed a number of programs to meet the actual needs of the Saudi labor market.  These are:

Commercial accounting

Sales

Bilingual typing

Hospital administration

Computers

Executive secretaries

Library science

Material management

Banking

English is used in instructing trainees in all these programs.

Third, Consultative Studies

The branch offers expert advice to solve administrative and organizational problems that face government agencies in the province.  The main objective of the consultation activity is to assist government agencies to:

• Develop their organizational structure in a way that guarantees proper performance of their tasks,

• Draft the bylaws they need,

• Reform their procedures, and

• Choose office equipment and technological instruments that are appropriate for their tasks and goals.

IPA consultations cover the following areas:

·        organizational structures and guides

·        bylaws

·        equipment and technologies

·        the law

·        computer applications

·        administrative conduct

·        labor forces and personnel affairs

·        finance and accounting

·        material management.

Fourth, Research

The branch has recently undertaken a number of specialized research projects, and a large number of these is expected to be completed in the near future.

Teaching and Training Technologies

All training classrooms, as well as the main conference hall, at the branch have been transformed into electronic rooms, where technology is heavily utilized to deliver information and administrative ideas to trainees.  A trainer can use the internet, as well as documentaries and slide shows, in the training process.

The Library and the Document Center

The library's holdings have risen from 160 volumes in 1973 to more than 50,000 titles in Arabic and other languages, in addition to periodicals.  The library also has a large number of documents related to the Kingdom's history since its establishment, and a full collection of Saudi newspapers.