The Department of Community Development (DCD), Abu Dhabi, organised a workshop on the roles and responsibilities of Licensed Entities to raise fund in Abu Dhabi based on laws and legislation. In order to improve the system and governance in Abu Dhabi, the workshop sought to highlight DCD's function in regulating and monitoring the social sector, particularly the donation collection sector.
Mubarak Salem Al Ameri, Executive Director of Social Licensing and Control Sector at DCD, as well as a number of prominent figures from the Department of Municipalities and Transport and the Ministry of Community Development, as well as representatives from Licensed Entities to raise fund such as charities and federal, local, and private entities or institutions from the government and third sectors in Abu Dhabi, attended the workshop.
During the workshop, Mubarak Salem Al Ameri welcomed the visitors and commended them for their contributions to the growth of Abu Dhabi's social system. He also emphasised the important part DCD has been playing in developing the Inspection and control Framework over the past few years. Self-Assessment Form which is intended for the Licensed Entities to raise fund throughout Abu Dhabi, is the system's most significant output. It allows them to assess their own compliance with the law in the administrative, financial, and legal aspects, as well as their strengths and weaknesses in implementing the related legislations. This is based on DCD's conviction that these organisations are essential to the growth of the fundraising ecosystem in Abu Dhabi.
Al Ameri further emphasised on the DCD's responsibility in overseeing and monitoring the social sector in Abu Dhabi, as well as Law No. 3 of 2021 regulating fundraising and its executive regulations. He additionally stated that this meeting is the first in a series of joint meetings that will be held in the future. In partnership with relevant entities, these initiatives seek to create an engaged and accountable community in order to organise and monitor the social sector in Abu Dhabi utilising the finest technologies and global best practises to assure its adherence and the calibre of its services.
The meeting included a visual presentation that highlighted the roles and duties of the inspector, beginning with defining the proper procedures related to the activities within the scope of the inspection, followed by issuing reports on results of inspection and outlining cases of non-compliance, and concluding with putting the inspection processes into practise. In addition to the steps taken by the DCD during the inspection, an introduction to the ‘Inspection Framework’ was also provided. This was done in order to examine the work of the monitored entities in accordance with the principles of secrecy, transparency, and behaviour.
The Self- assessment Form, one of the most significant outcomes of the control and inspection framework, was also emphasised on. It has become vital to ensure that the DCD's monitored entities comply with current laws and regulations since this enables them to proactively assess and confirm that they are upholding the obligations and commitment set forth in the laws and regulations.
The workshop also featured a visual presentation on fundraising boxes from the Department of Municipalities and Transportation and a review of the Department's observations on donation boxes violations of the pertinent laws, followed by an explanation of the factors that led to the creation of the donations boxes guideline in accordance with the required standards to preserve the appearance of the city.