Few industries are as vital to a secure global economy as telecommunications, especially in an increasingly interconnected world. Omar Alhawawi, lead cybersecurity specialist/organizations at TAWAL, the largest telecommunications infrastructure company in West Asia, understands that. There's no room for guesswork or hunches in such an important role. That's why he completed Leading Successful Programs: Using Evidence to Assess Effectiveness through Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education.
"I attended Leading Successful Programs to learn how data analysis and evidence gathering can help assess and optimize the impact of strategies," Omar said.
He also found that an evidence-based approach achieved results across the organization and throughout the implementation process. "The program taught me how to consult with stakeholders at my organization and how to use systematic analysis, cost-benefit analysis, case studies, and evaluations of future trends to ensure the development and improvement of all phases of the program to obtain better results," Omar said.
Through an emphasis on interactive sessions with a global cohort—including performance measurement workshops, policy analysis programs, and monitoring and evaluation training—Leading Successful Programs encouraged a collaborative approach ideal for an interdependent industry such as telecommunications. In addition, all solutions are designed to work in the context of real-world limitations on budgets and timelines as well as political constraints.
The principles of Leading Successful Programs, Omar noted, apply "across a wide range of sectors, such as energy, media, sport, health, telecommunications, finance, education, transportation, and public services."
But while it encouraged a global perspective, Leading Successful Programs also emphasized fundamentals specific to the telecommunications industry. "It helps create a strong foundation through entrepreneurship, business, innovation, financing, and investment to enable national cadres to build a sustainable future for the telecom and space sectors," Omar said. "It also highlights the current opportunities and challenges facing leaders and entrepreneurs in the field, including sustainability, cybersecurity, and regulations."
All of which are highly relevant to Omar's day-to-day challenges, including implementation of key cyber deliverables such as defense in depth, zero trust, and issues related to the software development lifecycle.
Leading Successful Programs also has helped Omar work effectively with metrics such as key performance indicators and key risk indicators along with "project implementation timelines to measure cyber maturity level and to align with cyber strategic goals," he said.
In addition, the program emphasized "compliance with all cybersecurity regulatory requirements, privacy laws, and best practices," Omar said. "We work shoulder to shoulder in policymaking to address cyber threats and associated consequences such as cyber vandalism, disrupting operations, and jeopardizing privacy."
In the end, though, Omar had a simple, personal reason for attending Leading Successful Programs. "I take pride in my efforts to enhance the efficiency of national cadres and develop the capabilities of leaders in the field," he said. "I seek to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate the systems that develop complex projects with efficiency and quality."