Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has achieved a six-star rating at the International Best Practice Competition organised by the Centre for Organisational Excellence Research (COER) in New Zealand, a leading body in benchmarking and business excellence research.
The recognition followed an assessment by international best practice experts of DEWA’s methodology for measuring the return on investment (ROI) from training.
The approach links learning and development programmes to performance indicators and real business needs. The IBPC Best Practice Certification offers independent, third-party validation of DEWA’s evidence-based practice.
DEWA follows the five stages of the Phillips ROI Methodology. The first measures reaction and satisfaction, the second assesses change in learning, and the third looks at how far acquired skills are applied in the workplace. The fourth measures business impact, while the fifth isolates the effect of training and calculates ROI. The assessment covered 1,365 training programmes involving 12,493 employees. In 2025, DEWA recorded a return of AED 3.51 for every dirham invested in training.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA, said human capital is the primary driver of innovation and development. He said the methodology helps design training aligned with business needs, measure impact with precision and direct investment towards priority areas.
Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA, said the approach turns training evaluation into an institutional tool for performance improvement. It allows DEWA to identify skill gaps, measure impact at individual, department and division levels, and shape learning plans around strategic priorities.
The practice forms part of DEWA’s wider human capital ecosystem, which spans professional training, leadership development, future skills and continuous learning. DEWA has delivered more than 200,000 training hours to its employees.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
