About the ​branch

Establis​hment

The IPA women’s branch was e​stablished on 1/12/1403 H. in Riyadh. The inauguration of this branch reflects the government awareness of the role of administrative development and the need to fulfill its requirements including preparation and development of female personnel to assume their responsibilities, and upgrading the efficiency of women’s departments in the government agencies operating in different areas of development.

Aided by its six departme​nts (Programs Dept., Research and Consultations Dept., Trainees' Affairs Dept., Computer Centre, Administrative Affairs Dept., and Public Relations Dept.), the General Department of the Women’s Branch seeks to realize the following objectives:

1. Raising the​ administrative efficiency of State employees and preparing them scientifically and practically to assume their responsibilities in a way that ensures high level of performance and secures administrative developm​ent;

2. Contributing to the preparation and development of administrative regulations for the women's departments in government agencies;

3. Counseling to resolve administrative problems facing the regulations;

4. Carrying out research and scientific studies related to administrative sciences and their applications;

5. Contributing to the fulfillment of the training needs of State employees; and

6. Cooperating with women's administrative bodies in raising the level of performance.

Trainin​g Department

 Prepara​​tory Prog​rams (pre-service):

These are programs implemented by the IPA to prepare and qualify new groups from high school graduates to meet the needs of government agencies and private sector in accordance with the development plans. The preparatory programs offered by the Women Branch vary according to the needs of the labor market, including:

• PC programming software;

• Hospital management program (medical records);

• Program of archives and documentation centers staff;

• Bilingual typing program;

• Uni-language typing program;

• Library studies program;

• Executive secretary program;

• Sales program;

• Banking program (began in 1413 H. to meet the needs of the private sector); and

• Office management program for holders of BA, in administrative sciences.

Training programs (in-s​ervice):

These are the programs offered to in-service women employees working in government agencies. The programs aim to provide the trainees with the knowledge and skills necessary to upgrade their performance. The Women’s branch, therefore, offers various training programs that cover every sector including: General Directorate and Personnel Affairs,  Organizational Behavior, Computer, Office Management, Health Management, Education and Training Programs, and Libraries.

Special programs:

These programs are designed to meet the training needs of government agencies. These needs are of particular nature and not included within the general programs (i.e., in-service training programs or pre-service preparatory programs). These programs aim to provide the employees of those agencies with the information and skills needed to perform certain tasks. The Women’s branch **  started offering the English language program for the nurses in the Ministry of Health in 1407H. It has also implemented a considerable number of special programs for: the Ministry of Education, Women's Renaissance Charity, General Directorate of Prisons/Ministry of the Interior, the National Research Centre, King Abdul Aziz University, and King Saud University.

These programs aim to raise the capacity of the managers occupying the ranks of 11, 12 and 13 in the civil service system and those at the same level in other government sectors. This is achieved by introducing them to new experiences in the field of administration and discussing with them the administrative problems they face and how to overcome them. The Women’s branch also holds workshops that provide them with the opportunity to identify the recent trends in administration and exchange views and proposals.

 Research and Consultations Department

This department provides the support necessary to conduct research, translation and writing books. It also provides consultative studies in various areas of administration including:

Academic works:

The Department of research and consultations handles the entire scientific production including research, writings and translation that serve administrative and developmental purposes. It also offers administrative, methodological and statistical services that enable the researcher to conduct methodologically based research. This, however, is achieved in collaboration with the head office.

Consultations:

This service is provided to the government agencies to help them identify the administrative problems and obstacles they face by studying their current situation and proposing all possible solutions to overcome these problems and achieve their objectives. The branch, then, provides a consultative report to the agency on the causes of the problem and the proposed solutions.

Trainees' Affairs Department:

This department assumes the responsibility of following up the implementation of (in-service) training programs and (pre-service) preparatory programs, from the very moment an applicant submits an online application for any of these programs until he receives a certificate of attendance or graduation transcript. The department, therefore, controls the following three sub-departments:

• Admission and Registration 

This department takes charge of the registration and admission procedures of women nominated for the training programs and those who applied for the preparatory programs. The department also follows up the implementation of a number of programs such as scheduling, absence follow-up, and delivery of certificates …etc.

• Trainees' Services:

This department is responsible for disbursing money allocated for preparatory program students, in addition to providing other supporting services to the trainees registered in the training programs and preparatory programs such as issuing students cards and preparing their cover letters …etc. 

• Training and Education Technology Center:

This center is responsible for supervising all audio-visual devices in the Women's Branch. It also supervises up to 43 training halls equipped  with the cutting-edge training technology such as smart boards, computers, and projectors. For conferences, the Centre also supervises the Hall of Al-Khansaa , which accommodates 155 guests and is equipped with a microwave network for transferring meetings and seminars held at the head office. The Hall is equipped with devices that allow for direct participation in those meetings. It is also equipped with devices necessary for the provision of simultaneous interpretation in a number of languages, and transmission to all training halls in the branch.

 Computer Center:

The Computer Center works in coordination with the relevant departments at the IPA to provide the latest equipment to the women’s branch staff, laboratories and training classrooms. It also supervises up to nine computer labs in addition to 3 labs for English language.

 The Center is composed of two departments:

• Department of Technical Support which provides the following services:

 Technical support for the beneficiaries in the women's branch including staff members, administrators and trainees.

 Training software.

 Regular maintenance for laboratory and halls equipments.

 Technical assistance for the use of the IPA's computer applications.

• Department of Data Entry:

This department provides the service of transcribing data of the evaluation of programs, seminars and research conducted by the employees at the head office and the branches into computer programs.

Department of Administrative Affairs:

This department provides its services to the various departments and offices of the women's branch including the provision of office equipments, furniture and all works of maintenance as well as administrative and technical supervision over the following six offices:

Personnel Affairs, Transcription, Administrative Communications, Photocopying, Information, and the Warehouse.

Following is an overview of each office:

• Personnel Affairs: 

This is one of the most important offices in the administrative body as it assumes responsibility for the workforce from their first appointment until the termination of their services. This office also plays a prominent role in the implementation of rules, regulations and procedures related to personnel affairs. 

• Transcription:

This is one of the most important offices of the women's branch as it transcribes the intellectual product of the head office and the women's branch.

• Administrative Communications:

It handles inward and outward correspondence and handles also the process of exchanging correspondence between the departments and offices within the branch.

• Photocopying:

This office provides photocopying services to the other offices within the branch, especially those related to the process of training in general. It has recently been equipped with high-specifications camera.

• Information:

The IPA seeks to develop new technologies and make it an essential part in all its fields. Therefore, it has recently developed the system of Direct Inward Dialing (DiD) and voice messaging services and made them available to the staff members.

• Warehouse:

It supplies the branch with its needs, such as stationery, photocopying and cleansing material.

 Public Relations Department:

This department is concerned with strengthening and enhancing the relationship between the IPA and its employees on the one hand, and between the IPA and the outside world on the other. It also seeks to emphasize the IPA role and activities via the media by achieving the following:

• Providing services and activities that would enhance social relations between the women's branch staff members.

• Strengthening media relationship between the women's branch and the other agencies.

• Coordinating with the media to provide coverage of events and activities of the branch.

• Providing the appropriate media materials for different occasions.

• Overseeing the provision of support services to the participants in symposia and applied seminars.

• Participating in local book fairs with scientific works.

• Setting up a program for the reception of guests who visit the branch.

• Receiving new colleagues upon arrival and offering them an orientation tour to the departments and offices of the branch.

Along with the six departments mentioned earlier, the women’s branch is provided with a library, which offers various related services including guiding library visitors, assisting readers and offering loan services to the IPA staff members. It also provides it staff members with a considerable number of information databases that can be accessed online via the library site on the Internet. Being rich in diverse sources of information such as general and referential books, periodicals, official publications, and microfilms, the library of the branch came to occupy a high-ranking position among other ones. 

The branch has also been keen on setting up a committee for social activities to promote good ties among the employees and develop good relations with the students during monthly meetings, lectures, exhibitions, trips, and other activities.