Law No. (15) of 2018 Concerning the Establishment of Abu Dhabi School of Government

Article 1 — In the implementation of the provisions of this Law, the following words and ¶

phrases shall have the meanings corresponding thereto unless the context
requires otherwise:

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State : The United Arab Emirates.
Emirate : The Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
Government : The Government of Abu Dhabi.
Executive Council : The Executive Council of the Emirate.
Governmental Entities : The public departments, authorities and
institutions, agencies, centres, councils and
funds as well as any other entity affiliated to
the Government.
Executive Management : The Undersecretaries of governmental
entities, Directors-General, executive
directors and the like, regardless of the
method of their appointment.
Employees : All the employees of the governmental
entities on all job levels including executive
management employees.
School : Abu Dhabi School of Government.
Board of Trustees : The Board of Trustees of the School.
Academic Job levels : The levels that delineate the mandatory
training and development paths for the
employees.
Academic Path : The training and development requirements
for each academic job level.
Academic Job Performance : The output of the employee as for the
fulfilment of training requirements of his
academic job level.

Article 2 — Pursuant to the provisions of this Law, a School called “Abu Dhabi School ¶

of Government” shall be established. The School shall have an independent
legal personality and full legal capacity to act and shall be affiliated to Abu
Dhabi Executive Office.

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Article 3 — The School headquarters shall be located in Abu Dhabi City. By a decision of ¶

the Board of Trustees, upon the approval of the Executive Council, branches
or offices of the School may be established within the Emirate or abroad.

Article 4 — The School aims at promoting the performance of the heads of the ¶

governmental entities and the employees in the fields of service, management
and government work, through the provision of qualitative development and
training programs, and the assessment of employees in accordance with the
legislations in force.

Article 5 — The School shall assume the following functions: ¶

1. Lay down the strategic and development policies and plans related to
the training and development programs of the governmental entities,
having them approved by the Executive Council and oversee their
implementation.
2. Proposing the programs for the heads of the governmental entities and
having them approved by the Executive Council.
3. Lay down the programs related to the development and evaluation of
the Executive Management employees and having them approved by the
Executive Council.
4. Lay down the standards and controls for the academic career development
of the employees of the governmental entities in coordination with them,
and having them approved by the Board of Trustees.
5. Lay down and develop the frameworks and standards of competencies

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and general skills the employees must satisfy for all academic job levels.
6. Overseeing all training and technical development programs in
governmental entities, in harmony with the objectives of the School.
7. Making assessment for all employees whenever necessary, in accordance
with the applicable legislations, by academic job level.
8. Developing, introducing, evaluating and approving the programs of
academic job training and development.
9. Coordinating periodically with the governmental entities to review training
needs and development programs.
10.Awarding academic and training degrees and certificates in accordance
with the legislations in force.
11.Conducting and supporting research and studies related to the working
field of the School, and issuing and publishing whatever is required by
the nature of work of the School in coordination with the Department of
Education and Knowledge.
12.Strengthening cooperation and coordination with the training centres
and local and international universities, and concluding agreements for
cooperation and exchange of experiences with them and with all entities
relevant to its objectives within and outside the State.
13.Holding and participating in conferences, seminars, meetings and
workshops.
14.Any other competencies assigned to it by the Executive Council.

Article 6 — The governmental entities may introduce training and development programs ¶

for its employees, upon the School’s approval.

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Article 7 — • The School shall have a Board of Trustees comprising no less than five ¶

members including the Chairman, and they shall be appointed by a
Chairman of the Executive Council Resolution.
• The term of the Board of Trustees shall be three renewable years.
• The Board of Trustees shall issue its own internal regulation, which shall
include the procedures for convening its meetings and the method of
voting on its resolutions.

Article 8 — The Board of Trustees shall exercise all powers necessary to conduct the ¶

work of the School, oversee the management of its affairs and achieve its
objectives. It may in particular:
1. Prepare and lay down the general strategy and policy and the annual
objectives of the School, and oversee their implementation.
2. Approve the programs necessary to develop the academic performance
of employees of the governmental entities in the Emirate.
3. Propose the fees of the programs and services provided by the School
and submit them to the Executive Council for approval, in accordance
with the legislations in force.
4. Issue the bylaws in accordance with applicable legislations.
5. Approve training systems and training requirements for various job levels.
6. Propose the draft annual budget of the School and submit it to Abu Dhabi
Executive Office for approval in preparation for approval by the Executive
Council.
7. Propose the organisational structure of the School and submit it to Abu

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Dhabi Executive Office for approval in preparation for approval by the
Executive Council.
8. Appoint experts, consultants and technicians on a temporary or
permanent basis and determine their fees. The Board may seek the
assistance of experts, institutions and counselling offices as it deems
appropriate.
9. Form executive and consultative committees to carry out the duties and
competencies of the School and determine their competencies, powers
and nature of work.
10.Submit semi-annual reports to the Executive Council on the performance
and achievements of the School and the progress achieved in the
execution of the tasks entrusted to it.
11.Any other tasks assigned to it by the Executive Council.

Article 9 — • The School shall have a Director-General who shall be appointed by a ¶

Chairman of the Executive Council Resolution.
• The Director-General is the competent authority to oversee the work of
the School, and may in particular assume the following competencies:
1. Follow-up the implementation of resolutions of the Board of Trustees.
2. Issue the resolutions necessary to ensure the proper progress of work of
the School’ without prejudice to the applicable legislations.
3. Prepare the organisational structure of the School and submit it to the
Board of Trustees.
4. Propose the internal regulations of the School and submit them to the
Board of Trustees.
5. Prepare the programs and plans contributing to the achievement of the

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School’s objectives and follow-up their implementation.
6. Propose the training systems and the training requirements for various
job levels.
7. Prepare the draft annual budget of the School and submit it to the Board
of Trustees.
8. Appoint employees and terminate their services in accordance with
applicable legislations.
9. Represent the School before courts and third parties.
10.Conclude agreements and sign the contracts necessary to achieve the
objectives of the School after presenting them to the Board of Trustees.
11.Prepare an annual academic research program in coordination with the
concerned authorities and submit it to the Board of Trustees for approval.
12.Prepare periodic reports on the performance, achievements and needs
of the School and present them to the Board of Trustees.
13.Any other tasks assigned to it by the Board of Trustees.
• The Director-General may delegate some of his powers to the senior
employees of the School provided that such delegation is in writing.

Article 10 — • The School shall have a Consultative Board constituted by a resolution ¶

of the Board of Trustees, consisting of a chairman and no less than five
members.
• The Consultative Board shall hold its meetings in accordance with the
regulations and bylaws of the School and shall assume the following
functions:
1. Providing advice, counselling and recommendations to the School.
2. Reviewing the policies, strategies and programs related to training,

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development, education and research results, and proposing ways to
develop them, and submitting recommendations thereon to the Board
of Trustees.
3. Any other functions assigned to it by the Board of Trustees.

Article 11 — All entities shall undertake to provide the School with all information, ¶

documents and data related to its duties and competencies it may require.

Article 12 — The governmental entities shall undertake to: ¶

1. Register all its employees at the School, and update their data in
accordance with the procedures determined by the School.
2. Follow up the academic performance of its employees, supervise their
commitment to all the requirements of the School and include such
requirements as one of the criteria of institutional evaluation of said
employees.
3. Notify the School when its employees enrol in educational programs
to ensure they meet the requirements of the academic paths of said
employees at the School and, if necessary, update such programs.

Article 13 — The fiscal year of the School shall commence on the first of January and end ¶

by the end of December of each year, except for the first fiscal year, that
shall commence from the date of entry into force of this Law and end by the
end of December of the following year.

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Article 14 — The financial resources of the School shall consist of the following: ¶

1. The annual appropriations allocated thereto by the Government.
2. Any other revenues approved by the Executive Council.
3. The gifts, grants, donations and other revenues that are consistent with
the objectives of the School and approved by the Board of Trustees.

Article 15 — The School shall have one or more external certified auditors to audit the ¶

accounts and financial statements of the School. The auditors shall be
appointed and their remunerations shall be determined by a resolution of
the Board of Trustees.

Article 16 — • The financial laws and regulations in force in the Emirate shall apply to ¶

the School.
• The human resource laws and regulations in force in the Emirate shall
apply to the School’s employees.
• The Civil Retirement Pensions and Benefits Law in force in the Emirate
shall apply to the nationals.

Article 17 — The Board of Trustees shall issue the resolutions necessary for the ¶

implementation of the provisions of this Law.

Article 18 — By an Executive Council Resolution, any governmental entity may be ¶

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exempted from all or some of the provisions of this law when necessary, and
other entities may be subject thereto.

Article 19 — All the competencies and powers of the Human Resources Authority of ¶

the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in relation to the training and development of
employees of the governmental entities, shall be transferred to the School.

Article 21 — This Law shall be effective from the date of its issuance and shall be published ¶

in the Official Gazette.
Issued by us in Abu Dhabi
On: 03 May 2018
Corresponding to: 17 Shaaban 1439 H
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Ruler of Abu Dhabi

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