Governance system for employment in civil society and charitable sectors discussed

Muscat: The National Programme for Employment (NPE) on MOnday held a coordination meeting with Dr. Laila Ahmed Al Najjar, Minister of Social Development, to discuss the establishment of a national system for employment governance within the civil society and charitable sectors in the Sultanate of Oman.

This initiative aims to enhance the sector's role as an active developmental and economic partner in supporting national development targets.

The meeting focused on building an integrated institutional and operational framework for the civil society and charitable sectors to increase the efficiency of the sector’s contribution to job creation, maximise local value added, and enhance the economic and social impact of community and charitable initiatives. This is to be achieved by aligning these initiatives with national priorities, labour market requirements, value chains, and promising economic sectors.

During the meeting, specialists from the NPE reviewed the strategic foundations for evolving the sector toward a more sustainable and efficient operational model based on the integration of funding, initiatives, and employment. This model seeks to direct resources and community projects toward achieving tangible developmental and employment impacts, supporting local content, and stimulating initiatives capable of generating direct and indirect employment opportunities, while improving the utilisation of national enablers associated with the sector.

The meeting also emphasised the importance of forming a national committee for employment governance in the civil society and charitable sectors. This committee would be responsible for developing regulatory and institutional frameworks, strengthening partnerships between government agencies, the private sector, and community institutions, and developing indicators and methodologies to measure the economic, social, and employment impact of initiatives and programs. Such measures are intended to support financial and developmental sustainability while enhancing the efficiency and developmental effectiveness of community initiatives.

An agreement was reached to commence the executive phase of this orientation by developing the necessary regulatory, legislative, and institutional enablers to build an integrated employment governance system. This system will empower the sector to undertake a more significant role in supporting the national economy and increasing its contribution to the employment and sustainable development framework, thereby achieving the goals of Oman Vision 2040.

This direction is an extension of the national efforts led by the National Programme for Employment to develop more efficient and sustainable national employment models centered on sectoral integration and maximising the economic, social, and employment impact of national initiatives. These efforts aim to enhance sustainable development and consolidate effective partnerships between various sectors in the Sultanate of Oman.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Mahad Said Ba'owain, Minister of Labour and Supervisor-General of the National Programme for Employment.