Dubai:Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has achieved a six-star rating at the International Best Practice Competition organized by the Centre for Organisational Excellence Research (COER) in New Zealand. This recognition followed a successful assessment of DEWA's methodology for measuring the return on investment (ROI) from training.
According to Wam, the methodology used by DEWA evaluates the effectiveness of organizational training by connecting learning and development programs to performance indicators and actual business needs. This approach supports DEWA's goal to create an organizational learning ecosystem focused on measurable impact and tangible results. The IBPC Best Practice Certification serves as an independent validation of DEWA's evidence-based practices and achievements.
The methodology adopted by DEWA incorporates the five stages of the Phillips ROI Methodology for assessing training effectiveness. The evaluation covered 1,365 training programs involving 12,493 employees. The stages include measuring "Reaction and Satisfaction," "Change in Learning," application of acquired skills in the workplace, impact on business, and finally, isolating the impact of training to calculate ROI. DEWA recorded a return of AED3.51 for every dirham invested in training programs in 2025.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, emphasized the importance of investing in employees as key contributors to organizational excellence and sustainability. He highlighted that the data-driven methodology enhances the design of training programs to align with business needs and enables precise measurement of their impact. This approach contributes to improving organizational efficiency and productivity and aids in data-driven decision-making for training investments.
Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA, noted that the methodology transforms training evaluation into an institutional tool for performance improvement. By leveraging data, DEWA can identify skill gaps, measure training program impacts at various levels, and develop learning plans aligned with strategic priorities.
This practice is part of DEWA's human capital development ecosystem, which includes professional training programs, leadership development, future skills enhancement, and continuous learning. DEWA has provided over 200,000 training hours to its employees, reflecting its commitment to capacity building and workforce development.
The six-star rating underscores DEWA's leadership in transforming learning and development into a measurable institutional practice, demonstrating the maturity of its human resources ecosystem and the ability to link investment in people with tangible outcomes.
