Abu Dhabi: The Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi, the regulator of the emirate’s social sector, showcased the community platform ‘Bayanat’ at GITEX Technology Week 2024 — the largest technology exhibition in the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia — held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from October 14 to 18.

Bayanat connects the department’s partners through a unified data system that adheres to the highest standards of transparency and disclosure while providing a comprehensive view of all data and services related to the department's licensed partners. In addition, the platform automates the submission of annual reports and periodic questionnaires, contributing to the development of comprehensive indicators and reports. This empowers partners to measure social impact by identifying the latest developments in community initiatives led by DCD’s partners, and updating the platform with accurate and relevant data, ultimately enhancing the effectiveness of social work and supporting strategic decision-making.

The platform will consolidate licensing data from a diverse range of partners involved in various social activities across Abu Dhabi. This includes entities authorized to collect, receive, and offer donations, volunteer teams and organizations that engage volunteers, and social care facilities such as rehabilitation centres for people of determination, family counselling centres, public benefit associations, non-Muslim places of worship, and professionals within the social care sector.

H.E. Mubarak Salem Al Ameri, Executive Director of the Social Licensing & Control Sector at DCD, said: “GITEX Technology Week offers a valuable opportunity to showcase innovative solutions, exchange insights among participants, and explore the best practices that leverage modern technologies to elevate performance and service delivery across various levels and sectors. At the Department of Community Development, we are delighted to share our experience at GITEX, highlighting our commitment to investing in and harnessing modern technology to provide exceptional digital services to beneficiaries of social sector services in Abu Dhabi.”

He adds: “Data serves as a crucial strategic asset in a digital government, hence, the Bayanat data platform represents a significant step towards achieving the department’s integrated vision, aligned with the Abu Dhabi government’s efforts towards digital transformation, and the advancement of the emirate’s social sector. The platform will play a vital role in delivering robust and high-quality databases aligned with the vision of the wise leadership to improve the quality of life for the Abu Dhabi community, enhancing the speed of access to all social sector services with ease and in one place. Furthermore, the platform will strengthen oversight, ensuring improved quality in social services by providing accurate and up-to-date data that supports informed decision-making for the benefit of society. We are committed to fostering innovation and developing solutions that contribute to reinforcing the UAE’s position as a global hub for innovation and a leading model of excellence in the social sector.”

Platform’s working mechanism

The Bayanat platform is an integrated data system that consolidates data from various entities across the social sector. The centralized platform empowers these entities to enter and update their data directly, ensuring that accurate and reliable information is available in real-time to support policymaking and decision-making.

The platform includes a unified, emirate-wide database, maintaining all relevant information and records for fundraising activities, public benefit institutions, and non-Muslim places of worship, in addition to, social care professionals, social facilities, and volunteer work. Future plans include the potential expansion of the platform to integrate other entities within the framework, enabling comprehensive governance, supervision, and monitoring of social sector licensing activities.

As for the platform’s working mechanism, DCD’s licensing partners will be able to securely access the digital Bayanat platform online through a unified username for representatives of these entities using their digital identities. Partners will also be able to view all private data related to their entities and update them instantly, in addition to the ability to upload their compliance reports and related questionnaires electronically.

Once the data collection phase is complete, the platform will also be integrated with Microsoft Power BI, enhancing its capabilities by providing interactive dashboards that allow the department and decision-makers to access the licensing and compliance data of the partners, facilitating high-quality decisions.

Moreover, Bayanat will play a key role in measuring the social impact of community initiatives led by the department’s partners, aligned with the performance indicators the department envisions to achieve.

The platform will also contribute to ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and legislation while enabling direct supervision of all activities related to the social sector. It also facilitates the creation of instant reports, allowing relevant entities to monitor performance and assess beneficiary satisfaction levels.

Bayanat leverages the latest security technologies to ensure data protection and integrity while providing precise analytical insights supporting fact-based recommendations and strengthening efforts to enhance social services across the emirate.

About the Department of Community Development

The Department of Community Development in Abu Dhabi (DCD) was established in 2018 to govern the social and community-development sector through a set of policies, strategies, systems, and standards. The Department aims to improve the quality of life in the emirate and provide a dignified life for all, through high-quality, impactful, and efficient services. One of DCD’s priorities is to raise awareness about social issues pertinent to Abu Dhabi and its people and find innovative solutions.

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