DEWA’s Precision in Training Excellence Earns International Six-Star Recognition
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority has received the highest rating at the International Best Practice Competition for its data-driven methodology in measuring training effectiveness, demonstrating how strategic investment in people translates directly into measurable business outcomes.
The discipline of training evaluation has undergone a profound transformation at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority. Rather than treating professional development as a discrete programme to be completed and filed away, DEWA has embedded training measurement into its operational DNA, linking every learning initiative to tangible business results through rigorous, evidence-based methodology.
The Centre for Organisational Excellence Research in New Zealand, a leading authority on benchmarking and business excellence, has conferred upon DEWA a six-star rating at its International Best Practice Competition, validating the authority’s sophisticated approach to measuring return on investment from training programmes. The recognition follows a comprehensive assessment of DEWA’s methodology, which evaluated 1,365 training programmes across 12,493 employees during 2025.
The framework itself follows the Phillips ROI Methodology, a five-stage progression that begins with measuring reaction and satisfaction, advances through assessing learning and workplace application, and culminates in isolating the precise financial impact of training investment. In 2025, DEWA recorded a return of AED3.51 for every dirham invested in its training programmes, a compelling demonstration of how thoughtfully designed learning initiatives can drive institutional performance.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and Chief Executive of DEWA, observed that this achievement reflects the organisation’s profound commitment to human capital as the primary engine of innovation. “The data-driven methodology for measuring training effectiveness enhances our ability to design training programmes that are closely aligned with business needs, while enabling us to measure their impact with precision and transparency,” he stated. This approach strengthens decision-making across the organisation, directing investment towards priority areas and building workforce readiness for evolving requirements.
The methodology transforms what might otherwise be administrative assessment into what Dr Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources, describes as an institutional tool for performance improvement. By leveraging data analytics, DEWA identifies skill gaps, measures impact at individual and departmental levels, and develops learning plans calibrated to strategic priorities. This forms part of a broader ecosystem encompassing leadership development, specialised training and continuous capability enhancement.
The scale of DEWA’s investment underscores institutional commitment: the authority has already delivered more than 200,000 training hours to its workforce, reflecting deep confidence in the principle that human excellence sustains organisational excellence. As we reported in September, DEWA welcomed Ethiopian leadership to share expertise on electricity and water management, exemplifying how the authority cultivates knowledge exchange beyond its boundaries. This latest recognition demonstrates that such commitment to people and learning, measured rigorously and aligned thoughtfully with business objectives, produces outcomes that international benchmarking bodies recognise as exemplary.
What it means for Abu Dhabi
The six-star rating represents a validation of Abu Dhabi’s commitment to intelligent workforce development and data-driven decision-making in critical infrastructure sectors. DEWA’s achievement demonstrates that systematic investment in human capital, when measured with precision, yields returns that strengthen the emirate’s operational resilience and competitive position in global markets. The methodology itself offers a model for other organisations seeking to align training investment with institutional strategy.
For the Emirates and the broader vision of economic diversification and sustainable growth, DEWA’s approach signals institutional maturity. By transforming training from a compliance activity into a strategic performance lever, the authority strengthens its capacity to deliver the essential services upon which Abu Dhabi’s development depends. This recognition affirms that excellence in human capital development is not separate from excellence in infrastructure and service delivery, but foundational to it.
Source: WAM