Transportation and Safety Supervisors Initiative

Summary

Through the leading march of Emirates Transport that began in 1982 in transport sector specifically students transfer. It was spotted from the emergence of negative indicators associated with the exposure school students especially kindergarten and elementary to traffic accidents and wrong behaviours (riot in buses - ruining seats - Disturbing).

Background and Objective

Situation before practice began: The situation before providing supervision service on school buses is limited to the provision of school buses only, were a student might be exposed to certain risks, such as traffic accidents and misbehaviors among students. Also cases of forgetting students inside the school bus in particular kindergarten students’ due to falling asleep. Establishment of priorities: Priority Initiative Groups Involved Client Involvement Create a Schools Services presentation Group that illustrate the advantages and disadvantage of the initiative Survey distributed Design and Schools Services to Schools create a survey Group + Schools community to measure the Managers acceptance of the initiative Field Survey A field survey Schools Services was conducted Group to find out itineraries and students resident Analyzing and Provide a Schools Services presenting detailed study Group questionnaire of the initiative results Financial Planning Create the Coop-team required budgets between Emirates to implement the Transport & Abu initiative Dhabi Education Council Plan Framework Identifying Schools Services targeted dates Group to implement the project/initiative at all stages Operational plan Identifying the Schools Services needs such as Group + Schools Human Resources Administrations’’ Formulation of Objectives: Strategic Goals Initiative Groups Involved Client Involvement Create a Schools Services presentation that Group illustrate the advantages and disadvantage of the initiative Survey distributed Design and create Schools Services to Schools a survey to Group + Schools community measure the Managers’ acceptance of the initiative Field Survey A field survey was Schools Services conducted to find Group out itineraries and students resident Analyzing and Provide a Schools Services presenting detailed study of Group questionnaire the initiative results Financial Planning Create the required Coop-team between budgets to Emirates implement the Transport & Abu initiative Dhabi Education Council Plan Framework Identifying Schools Services targeted dates to Group implement the project/initiative at all stages Operational plan Identifying the Schools Services needs such as Human Group + Schools Resources Administrations Mobilization of Resources: Resources Access & Funding Clarification Human Resources • Job Announcing via press & media and present the (Appendix 4) job features • Nominate & school Recommend administrations candidates for supervising vacancy • Attract trained with hiring & qualified companies (outsource) candidates •Job advertising social networking via internet & sites and job sites social media Situation before practice began: The situation before providing supervision service on school buses is limited to the provision of school buses only, were a student might be exposed to certain risks, such as traffic accidents and misbehaviors among students. Also cases of forgetting students inside the school bus in particular kindergarten students’ due to falling asleep. Establishment of priorities: Priority Initiative Groups Involved Client Involvement Create a Schools Services presentation Group that illustrate the advantages and disadvantage of the initiative Survey distributed Design and Schools Services to Schools create a survey Group + Schools community to measure the Managers acceptance of the initiative Field Survey A field survey Schools Services was conducted Group to find out itineraries and students resident Analyzing and Provide a Schools Services presenting detailed study Group questionnaire of the initiative results Financial Planning Create the Coop-team required budgets between Emirates to implement the Transport & Abu initiative Dhabi Education Council Plan Framework Identifying Schools Services targeted dates Group to implement the project/initiative at all stages Operational plan Identifying the Schools Services needs such as Group + Schools Human Resources Administrations’’ Formulation of Objectives: Strategic Goals Initiative Groups Involved Client Involvement Create a Schools Services presentation that Group illustrate the advantages and disadvantage of the initiative Survey distributed Design and create Schools Services to Schools a survey to Group + Schools community measure the Managers’ acceptance of the initiative Field Survey A field survey was Schools Services conducted to find Group out itineraries and students resident Analyzing and Provide a Schools Services presenting detailed study of Group questionnaire the initiative results Financial Planning Create the required Coop-team between budgets to Emirates implement the Transport & Abu initiative Dhabi Education Council Plan Framework Identifying Schools Services targeted dates to Group implement the project/initiative at all stages Operational plan Identifying the Schools Services needs such as Human Group + Schools Resources Administrations Mobilization of Resources: Resources Access & Funding Clarification Human Resources • Job Announcing via press & media and present the (Appendix 4) job features • Nominate & school Recommend administrations candidates for supervising vacancy • Attract trained with hiring & qualified companies (outsource) candidates •Job advertising social networking via internet & sites and job sites social media • Attract local the competent candidates’ authorities (ADTC) & (Ministry of social Affairs) Financial Resources • Allocating Budget to pay for the budget for service (by ET salaries and Finance Department) expenses of this service • Signing Agreements with Partners was signed with the Abu Dhabi Education Council & the Ministry of Education to support the joint initiative between the parties • Abu Dhabi Government Support government had for the project adopted the budget for the settlement of occupation Technical Resources • Training Specialized Qualifying Human training courses Recourse has been set to qualify the candidates for the occupation in line with courses related to health & safety, the methods of buses evacuation in crisis, and dealing with parents and school administrations. Also, the ways of developing social communication were supervisors being able to outreach and communicate to the society. • Develop the strategies and work environment Guidelines within ET to (Appendix 5) coop the changes occurred as result of providing the service

Actions and Implementation

Project Planning: A group of (13) expertise in student transport filed (ET employees) was formed to prepare the initial idea for the service and presented to the Council, the expected outputs of the work are: To ensure the security and safety of students transported inside the bus and outside by reducing the rate of accidents, control the behavior of students, and to increase community satisfaction on school transport. Based on the assessment of current situation for the academic year 2007-2008 a plan was set and carried out in two phases: Phase #1 : Provide supervisors for both levels kindergartens and elementary at Abu Dhabi city in March (Academic year 2007-2008) school year. Phase #2: Providing the service to all schools during the month of August during the academic year 2008-2009). Project Project Advantages Project Disadvantages E-system • Ongoing remotely • High financial cost to monitor monitoring transferred • Not guarantying of students • Information safety of the student documenting inside the bus • E-systems monitoring had reduced wrong behaviors incidence • e-learning by providing educational films via screens to spread awareness among students Providing • Direct supervision • Staff shortage Transportation (trained – and Safety) (Maintain calm qualified staff) Supervisors students and assist will assist driver in accomplishing his duty • Solve problems on spot • Help students in entering & existing bus •Ensure students’ safety • Maintain a good condition of the bus from the inside. • Educate students on the bus directly. When setting the financial budgeting for the academic year 2007-2008, resources was exploited wisely in terms of delegating existing staff from the organization branches instead of hiring new employees. Based on studying the salaries supervisors working in the private schools and the standard of living, it was possible to set measurement as the salary was worth AED 700 based on the study of salary rates in the local market, and the possibility of the client to provide the financial allocation for the project, this amount was doubled initially up to 1400 AED to ensure attracting candidates. In addition to the cost of management and operation of supervisors in accordance with the following provisions in the first phase of the plan: Academic Year No. Of supervisors Salaries/ supervisor Admin expenses/supervisor Operating expenses/supervisor Expected profit/ supervisor Supervisor (value) monthly Supervisor (value) Per/annum Total Cost Expected Profit 2007-2008 591 1400 250 250 141 2041 24500 14,479,500.00 999,972 2008-2009 530 1400 12,985,000.00 896,760 Total 1121 7,464,500.00 1,896,732 Affected parties: No. Affected parties Field-effect 1 Student Ensure student’s safety, encourage him/her to ride bus 2 Schools Regularity in attendance and Administration ensuring student’s safety. 3 Abu Dhabi Education Ensure student’s safety, Council Reducing administrative burdens in hiring and qualifying supervisors. 4 Ministry of Interiors Reduce accident ratio, reduce Affairs traffic congestions. 5 Parents (Guardian) Ensure the safety of their children and raises their awareness level. 6 Drivers Ensure safe driving, which in turn ensures the safety of the students transferred 7 Emirates Transport Achieve the organization Strategic goals (provide highest standards of safety maintain a sustainable school transport, increase number of transferred students, reduce accidents, lower financial cost to repair the damage to vehicles resulting from riots students) 8 Media & society Contribute to create sustainable transport Operational risks • Potential risks: lacking the required skills and trainings for occupying the supervision role. (Especially in remote areas such as goods, Liwa). • Potential risks: the lack of action and contingency plan to ensure conducting operations in all conditions (presence of strikes, sudden resignations , absences for a large number of supervisors) • Potential risks: The risk of labor shortages as most of the employment are women (due to pregnancy and maternity leave) Implementing Methodology: The study was presented - providing transportation supervisors and safety - to Abu Dhabi Education Council at the beginning of the academic year (2007/2008) through: 1. (3) Preparatory meetings, which included discussion stages of implementation stage of the project. 2. Visual Display (initial study to provide service project supervisors on (08/10/2007). 3. Executive Director decision No. 32/2007 to form team “supervisors’ imitative”. 4. The team was divided into three sub-teams (management skills team, operational skills, team, and training skills team). 5. Preparing the plan and distribute it to sub-teams . 6. Weekly auditing through progress reports and meetings with sub-teams. 7. Agreement was concluded between the Emirates Transport and Abu Dhabi Education Council. The work and procedures methods have been documented through the minutes of meetings, correspondence, feasibility studies and field surveys. The team had also issued a guidebook for schools benefiting from the service, and included the models and working procedures of the service to provide supervisors within the manual of school transportation policies and procedures. Moreover, trainings as well were documented within such as the workshop for the training.

Outcomes and Impacts

Financial: The use and leveraging of resources, including cost recovery, indicating how loans, if any, are being paid back and their terms and conditions; • The project was supported by the strategic partners of the amounts necessary financial (operational and administrative expenses and net profits) Social and Economic: Gender equity, equality and social inclusion, economic and social mobility; • The project was implemented within the whole country as it included the provision of service to the students of both genders. Also involving the Transport and Safety Supervisors to play a vital roll in the community by which reflected in the improvement of social and economic conditions. • The ratio of localizing was 45% until June 2014 has led to sustainability and ensures the continuity of government contracts Cultural: Respect for and consideration of attitudes, behaviour patterns and heritage; • The supervisors were educated and qualified by involving them through customized trainings developed by ET which include 9 courses such as first aid and methods of fire extinguish. During the trip, Supervisors will educate students by creating mini competition by asking general knowledge questions or reciting prayers and hymns. Environmental: Reducing dependence on non-renewable resources (air, water, land, energy, etc.), and changing production and consumption patterns and technology. E.g. Composting, recycling etc. • The presence of Supervisors within the school bus encouraged parents to shift from private transport to school government transport which reduced the number of vehicles for when transferring students to and from school which led to reduce environmental pollution and traffic congestion. Institutional: Legislation, regulatory frameworks, by-laws or standards formally addressing the issues and problems that have been dealt with by a practice; Social policies and/or sectoral strategies at the (sub) national level that have a potential for replication elsewhere; Institutional frameworks and decision-making processes that assign clear roles and responsibilities to various levels and groups of actors, such as central and local governmental organisations and community-based organisations; Efficient, transparent and accountable management systems that make more effective use of human, technical, financial and natural resources. • The School Services Center (at Emirates Transport) had preceded all legislation and regulatory frameworks within the specific guide lines for the occupation of Transport and Safety Supervisor in line with International Standards for Quality (ISO-9001). • Plus it was took into account the local and international policies, and contributed to the revision to the legislators in some cases, such as the legislation issued by the Department of Transport No. 38 for the year 2012, which regulates school transport in the Abu Dhabi city.

Gender and Social Inclusivity

Ministry of Education The success of the experiment in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi - the public schools of the Abu Dhabi Education Council – had a significant impact on the safety of transport students to and from school as well as to maintained calm students during recess school, and through this practice the Ministry of Education spotted the successful results of the project, particularly the stability of school administrations in addition to that satisfaction of parents as mentioned previously. • Ministry of Education requested Emirates Transport for activating the idea of providing the transport and safety supervisors of for the (kindergartens and elementary stages) according to that a committee was form from Emirates Transport and the Ministry of Education (school districts) to develop an action plan for the process of scanning the field for the Emirate of Dubai and the Northern Emirates to identify the need for schools affiliated to the ministry and linked to the progress of the bus lines. • The Ministry of Education welcomed the idea and expressed the desire to implement the initiative at the beginning of the academic year 2009/2010 to be completed by end of the first semester of the academic year 2009/2010. An agreement was signed between Emirates Transport and the Ministry of Education to provide a number (946) transport and safety supervisors for schools of the Ministry of the experiment were transferred to the Emirate of Abu Dhabi at the earlier stages of implementing the plan with the agreed number in certain timeframe. Internally: Ministry of Social Affairs and Zayed Foundation for Humanitarian Care Institutes of Applied Technology Throughout the strategic plan for School Services Center, which seek to proliferation and expansion in the service of overseeing the transfer of students have been studied development in the local market resulted in understanding the urgent need to provide the supervisors for the bus, where it was found by the study to attract labor, non-qualified and working illegally and in a personal capacity, which affects the safety of the students transferred in addition to the instability of the work on a regular basis. Accordingly, a meeting was held , the service have been briefed on the success of the experiment in public schools and I feel a desire and willingness to modify the conditions and the application of the idea by a specialized and guaranteed, contract agreement were necessary to provide the service by Emirates Transport. Externally: Sharing experience a regional company with a proven track Arabia: Hafel Company (a company specializing in the transfer of students within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) visited the Emirates Transport for sharing knowledge and experiences of the institution in the transfer of students within the state where impressed by the services provided by the institution and a private service to supervise the transfer of students in accordance with the applicable standards globally, and showed desire to transfer the experience throughout the Kingdom and called for the institution and has visited the Kingdom of the visit and the signing of a memorandum of understanding. • The project was delivered through Media, it was presented in a well-known TV program called Khawater, find it in the below link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdfM-ys8iCE

Innovative Initiative

• Creating job opportunities for the citizens of the function are assumed to carry the responsibility of overseeing the process accept the security and safety of students. • Maintain the safety of students and reduce the proportion of run-over accidents to 0%. Directory) • Maintain the integrity of students and reduce the proportion of students forgetting to 0%. • Contribute to support mass transit and preservation of the environment through the dissemination of a culture of safety and security. • Reassure parents their children at the regional level. Where the percentage of satisfaction of parents was 65% in the academic year (2010-2011) and increased to 88% in 2011-2012 The initiative of providing the service of Transport and Safety Supervisors were benefited by implementing it at the Special Needs Center. Through the visits made to the Center training material on how to deal with students with special needs was developed to be trained supervisors transportation and safety. Supervisors played a role in assisting merging some students with special needs.

Conclusion

Related Policies: · Chairman of Transport Department decision No.35 of 2012 on the Organizing School Transport Service in the of Abu Dhabi city (Appendix 7-1) · Management Decision No. 353 of 2008 on issuing regulations on the Organizing School Transport Service in the of Dubai city · Management Decision No. 8 for the year 2011 on the Amendment of certain provisions of the Management Decision No. 353 of 2008