PACS - PINNACLE ADVISORY & CONSULTING SERVICES

Considering the current economic recession and political instability in the region, GCC governments are looking for means to maintain economic prosperity and political presence, and achieve social developments.

International Collaboration referred to as IC, is the set of activities which aim to enhance cooperation with regional & international countries and/or organizations. IC activities could vary, from signing Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) and bilateral agreements, to staff exchange between government entities, experts’ visits, joint committees, roundtable discussions, and participation of official delegations in conferences. In the current context, IC could prove to be a critical practice to sharpen political ties with foreign countries, improve a nation’s overall reputation, drive the flow of foreign investments, open-up on new markets for local investors, and acquire best practice expertise in specific industries and topics.

Many GCC governments are not leveraging the benefits and opportunities generated from an effective IC, due to the following reasons:

Public sector entities often don’t perceive the value proposition behind the international collaboration function and opt to shift resources to other functions. Consequently, whenever present, entities or departments specialized in IC within public sector entities are often disconnected from the overall strategy. Therefore, these entities suffer from lack of investment of financial capabilities and human resources resulting in a lack of expertise and capabilities in such practice especially on a leadership level.

Some governments are aware of the importance of IC, and integrate it as part of their strategies. However, lack of planning of collaboration activities hinders the capture of resulting advantages. In fact, many GCC governments launched in the past collaboration activities such as signing MoUs with countries and organizations, attending conferences and going on official visits without any clear understanding of the underlying objectives coupled with the absence of an action plan to build on in the future. Moreover, in many cases, collaboration partners are not chosen based on a sound assessment approach.

Public sector entities often don’t perceive the value proposition behind the international collaboration function and opt to shift resources to other functions. Consequently, whenever present, entities or departments specialized in IC within public sector entities are often disconnected from the overall strategy. Therefore, these entities suffer from lack of investment of financial capabilities and human resources resulting in a lack of expertise and capabilities in such practice especially on a leadership level.

To seize the advantages of IC, GCC governments should consider the seven steps displayed in Exhibit 1 and detailed in the following section:

GCC governments should perceive the value proposition of IC as an additional pillar to reinforce political and economic positioning of their countries. To leverage IC offerings, governments should set up departments in key ministries that are dedicated to IC affairs and that have a solid organizational and operational base coupled with an experienced team in international relations.

In addition, IC leaders should possess a clear understanding of the needs for IC and its objectives ensuring full alignment with the entity’s strategic objectives. While setting up collaboration networks, IC leaders should select collaboration partners based on a comprehensive approach which takes key political, economic and social considerations into account, and should use alternative communication channels whenever possible, to fast-track the collaboration process. While engaging in IC activities, stakeholders should be aware that collaboration is a two-way street in which value proposition should be delivered from both sides of the cooperation. Finally, the most critical step is to follow up on what has been initiated to achieve the desired value. Following these steps will maximize the value of IC.