Sharjah 24: Ahead of the upcoming Sharjah Census 2022, the Department of Statistics and Community Development (DSCD) organised a brainstorming session, on Tuesday, for communication, marketing and human resources experts representing various Sharjah government entities.

Aimed at building and enhancing strategic partnerships, the session also sought to explore creative and innovative ideas on operational strategies to ensure the success of the census and its outcomes to facilitate the reshaping of the Emirate’s inclusive development plans.

In his opening keynote address at the brainstorming session, Sheikh Sultan bin Abdullah bin Salem Al Qasimi, Director of DSCD, emphasised the pivotal role of partnering with Sharjah government entities in all strategic plans to fulfil the Emirate’s inclusive development vision.

The DSCD Director said: “The success of any census plan depends on the clarity of vision and the generation of precise and accurate data. Scientifically harnessed census data is a powerful decision-making tool to fuel the ambitions and aspirations of community development, economic growth, or educational and other socio-economic transformation. Accurate and improved quality of data impacts the comprehensive development plans of the emirate, and its success depends on the critical synergetic collaboration amongst all relevant entities.”

For his part, Salem Ali bin Darwish, Director of Support Services and Government Communication, highlighted the department’s keenness in welcoming all ideas and suggestions and emphasised that the employees of the Sharjah government entities are key partners who play a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the census and in facilitating the efforts of the department. He remarked that DSCD’s call to government entities to remain active in the preparations of the Sharjah Census further reinforces the importance of effective partnership to achieve the strategic goals of the monumental project.

The DSCD educated the participants about the relevance, timeline, and purpose of the census, and explored the best communication strategies to target Sharjah’s local community members. The department called on the participants to identify the best outreach methods to motivate the public to provide precise and inclusive information to build up a dynamic database for future development. 
 
At the brainstorming session, DSCD screened a video featuring various communication and engagement strategies that target five different segments of the community to broaden the scope of discussions on the topic and identify the best mechanisms to be adopted. Participants were divided into teams and given the opportunity to discuss and share their ideas on the strategies to ensure that the best results are achieved from the targeted social segments.

The session also explored actionable solutions to bridge gaps and facilitate access to all target segments. It further educated representatives of Sharjah government communication teams and entities about the immense value they add to the success and integrity of the Sharjah Census project through their experiences, expertise, and proactive engagement during the entire process.