The Taqdeer Award management has kick-started the assessment process for participating companies in Dubai from across construction sector, free zones and factories for the second edition of the award.

More than 90 highly qualified and experienced Lead Assessors from various sectors attended the meeting to mark the beginning of the smart assessment process.

Taqdeer Award, launched under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, is the world’s first-of-its kind points based reward system for recognising excellence in labour welfare practices and promoting international best practices in labour welfare.

In its second edition, the award includes companies in the construction sector, factories and free zones in Dubai, raising the number of workers targeted by the award to one million.

The points-based reward system will evaluate companies based on essential fundamentals such as labour policies, occupational health; cultural and work environment factors such as communication, creativity and innovation, rules and regulations; as well as results based on labour perceptions and performance indicators, said the organisers.

Companies which get four and five-star rating will be given priority in awarding government projects, they added.

Major General Obaid Muhair Bin Suroor, the chairman of Taqdeer Award, who is also the deputy director general of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA) in Dubai, lauded the assessors for their contribution to the award.

"We are proud to have a strong team of highly qualified and experienced assessors from a wide range of sectors. Within a year of its launch Taqdeer Award has witnessed many achievements. It is the first time in the UAE that the entire evaluation process will be conducted online," stated Bin Suroor.

"Also, the interest in the second edition is much higher than last year. We are expecting more than 200 participants and the award is motivating companies throughout the UAE to set international benchmarks in labour practices," he added.

The Lead Assessors for the award include highly qualified and experienced experts from different nationalities and with experience of being associated in assessment procedures of regional and international awards.

During the meeting, teams of assessors were formed, each comprising three members. The assessors will first conduct ‘Desktop Evaluation’, which is an assessment of the details provided by the companies.

It will be followed by ‘Onsite Evaluation’ wherein the assessors will visit the companies to verify the actual implementation of the measures being adopted as mentioned in the applications.

During the onsite evaluation, the assessors will check the facilities being provided to workers such as accommodation, safety measures on site and documents.

Kasim Kanakri, the technical consultant for the Taqdeer Award, said: "In line with the vision of our leadership, Taqdeer Award has a smart assessment process, which ensures speed and accuracy as well as convenience for both companies and the assessment teams."

Mohan D, one of the assessors, said: "Being a part of the prestigious Taqdeer Award is a great opportunity. The award is first-of-its kind in the world and it is a great opportunity to contribute to the vision of the UAE's leadership by being a part of this award."

The Taqdeer Award reflects Dubai’s serious efforts in the area of enhancing employer-employee relationship and aims to enhance awareness among labourers about their rights, protect the rights of workers, while setting international benchmarks in labour welfare practices.-TradeArabia News Service