Summary "Critical Thoughts From A Government Perspective" illustrates a broad picture that is grounded in the realities of day to day issues faced by public sector managers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The chapters in the book examine the main areas of importance for public sector leaders; they have been grouped into four distinct categories: strategic management, organisational performance, e-government and national identity. The objective of "Critical Thoughts From A Government Perspective" is to: help augment recent public sector development efforts in the GCC; contribute to the advancement of research on the GCC; and serve as knowledge building tools for those interested in learning about public sector management practices in GCC countries. Key Features Many books about the GCC governmental sector are typically written from either a purely academic perspective or present a small subset of available research, thereby failing to capture critical management issues and considerations. Therefore, "Critical Thoughts From A Government Perspective" not only embodies insights based on extensive research but also the collective insights of numerous senior government practitioners. "Critical Thoughts From A Government Perspective" has been written from a philosophical 'mind-set' in the sense that if we need to improve our organisations and thereafter our nations, we need to be transparent when we share knowledge and practices. "Critical Thoughts From A Government Perspective" is easy-to-read and is highly practical. The Author Dr Al-Khouri is the Director General (Under Secretary) of the Emirates Identity Authority: a federal government organisation established in 2004 to rollout and manage the national identity management infrastructure program in the United Arab Emirates. Contents Strategic management Public value and ROI in the government sector Strategy development at Emirates Identity Authority Targeting results: lessons learned from the UAE National ID Program Re-thinking enrolment in identity card schemes Organisational performance Improving organisational performance through understanding human motivation Succeeding with transformational initiatives E-government Supporting e-government progress in the UAE National identity Population growth and governments' modernisation efforts: the case of GCC countries