In the presence of the president of Yarmouk University Board of Trustees, Dr. Khaled Al-Omari, and the president of Yarmouk University, Professor Islam Massad, the Jordanian Academics Association in cooperation with Yarmouk University organized the conference of Administrative Reform in Jordan. In his opening speech of the conference of “Administrative Reform in Jordan”, Former Prime Minister Adnan Badran said that the government can achieve economic reform by expanding the middle class through providing job opportunities for citizens, considering that the first centenary of Jordan is characterized by establishing the various institutions of the country, and building infrastructure in the political, economic and social sectors. He also said, "It is necessary to develop a plan of action for an integrated and comprehensive administrative reform as a renaissance project without delay.”He then called for eliminating bureaucracy and simplifying government procedures in its ministries and institutions so that the decision is taken within a specified period of time. Badran described wasta and nepotism as “the chronic Jordanian national disease and the pinnacle of administrative corruption,” confirming that it is necessary to eliminate such phenomena through automating government transactions.
For his part, Al-Omari said that the Jordanian Academics Association, in cooperation with Yarmouk University, is keen to have a role in presenting a vision for the hoped-for administrative reform in Jordan through such a conference, which identifies some of the main components of developing the country. He added that this vision is represented in the institutional structure and future skills of human resources, good governance, anti-corruption and digital transformation, artificial intelligence, administrative environment, leadership, empowerment and delegation of authority.
Massad said, when we talk about the administrative reform in Jordan, we should always recall the royal visions of His Majesty the King, which focus on issues of reform in the various fields, especially the"political, economic and administrative". He further stressed that the development of institutions depends on their management: directing their competencies and activating their resources. He also indicated that the administrative reform process is not an administrative decision that is applied in a hurry but a long and protracted process. Massad stressed that the administrative reform is a national prioritythat aims at neutralizing administrative and institutional selfishness, strengthening organizational and administrative loyalty, and qualifying employees to be more responsible and objective.
Some other speakers talked about several topics in the conference’s sessions, which were attended by academics and experts from various national authorities and institutions. For instance, Dr. Khalif Al-Khawaldeh presented institutional structure, Dr. Refaat Al-Faouri presented future skills for human resources, Dr. Mohieldin Touq presented the administrative environment, Dr. Ahmed Al-Zoubi presented governance and anti-corruption, Dr. Khaled Al-Omari presented leadership, empowerment and Power delegation, and Dr. Ahmed Battah presented administrative reform.
