Amman, Sept. 14 (Petra) – Minister of Interior Mazen Farrayeh and Minister of State for Public Sector Development Badria Balbisi on Monday reviewed the institutional culture assessment at the Ministry of Interior as part of the second phase of the public sector institutional culture assessment project.

Farrayeh called for advancing public sector modernisation in all its components in line with the Royal vision and alongside the political and economic modernisation tracks.

He urged institutionalising and developing a strong organisational culture across the public sector, describing it as a key component of modernisation.

He said it would ensure operational continuity and sustainability through standardised procedures and an institutional approach that is not dependent on individual employees' preferences.

Farrayeh said the Interior Ministry is committed to implementing the assessment requirements objectively and effectively to identify strengths and weaknesses, determine areas for improvement and development and develop appropriate plans to address them.

Balbisi, in turn, said the methodology underpinning the public sector institutional culture assessment project seeks to assess the current situation and develop plans for improvement and development, ultimately enhancing performance and the quality of public services.

She added that the methodology is not based on ranking government institutions against one another to determine which is the "best." Balbisi explained that institutional culture is a component of the second executive programme of the Public Sector Modernisation Roadmap. The component seeks to transform daily behaviour within public institutions and translate the values and principles on which these institutions are founded, including integrity and transparency, into practical practices that serve Jordanians.

She said that one of the key outcomes of the second executive programme is a citizen-centric government, explaining that this objective extends beyond service providers to include those responsible for drafting legislation and developing plans, ensuring that all government efforts are directed toward serving citizens and providing the best possible services.

Balbisi called for a cohesive government that operates as one unit to serve citizens, service recipients and investors in line with the programme's outcomes.

She urged establishing this approach as a core value and culture across all public institutions, from frontline employees to senior leadership.

Abu Hammour outlined the current state of institutional culture at the Ministry of Interior, noting the Ministry's early efforts to foster such a culture through various mechanisms, particularly training programmes.

Yasser Nsour, Secretary-General of the Civil Service and Public Administration Commission, said institutional culture seeks to transform the approach to service delivery and reinforce positive values in the behaviour and performance of public sector employees.

He noted that the first phase of the organisational culture assessment project began last year and covered 28 government departments. The second phase covers 24 departments and seeks to develop an organisational culture assessment model.

Nsour explained that the assessment process takes two days and includes field visits to service delivery sites, as well as meetings with directorate managers, section heads and a sample of employees.

The second phase of the project, implemented by the Civil Service and Public Administration Commission in cooperation with the Public Sector Modernisation Programme Management and Implementation Unit, aims to diagnose organisational culture and behavior across 24 government departments.

The assessment seeks to identify gaps between current practices and the target culture and develop interventions tailored to the specific needs of each institution.

The review was attended by the Ministry's Secretary-General, Khaled Abu Hammour, and directorate heads.

//Petra// AK