Improper execution due to poor planning and a lack of follow-through are the top reasons so many projects in Qatar fail, the Peninsula’s Editor-in-Chief has asserted.

Case in point: The public smoking ban instituted by the Supreme Council of Health in 2010.

According to the SCH, 1,690 violations were recorded in 2010 during the 2,362 inspection visits at commercial complexes and other public places where smoking is banned. Taxes on tobacco products were also increased and it was made mandatory to place graphic images of the hazards of smoking on cigarette packs. Yet despite all these procedures in place, there are many people who openly smoke in malls and other public places without being apprehended by the authorities. Minors have easy access to cigarettes.

Initiatives also lose steam when their target audience isn’t informed about them, he adds.

A crucial issue is the weak delivery of the message to the Qatari society. Most of these initiatives require the involvement of the community because some government agencies or organisations who started them do not have the knowledge and skills to market, promote and evaluate them. What happens is that people start to complain through the media which creates a negative image. This discourages people from further supporting the project, resulting in a failure to achieve its purpose.

Qatar could tackle the problem by establishing a committee that promotes projects without interfering with them, and also serves as a bridge between the various groups who are executing the initiative. 

Thoughts on Al Sayed’s viewpoint?

Credit: Photo by Chris Daniel