Establishment &Strategy

Introduction:
The National Geological Council is one of the most recent councils of one of the oldest professions in Sudan. The Council was predestined to come late with the breakthroughs of technological and informational development, and here lies the challenge for the Council to start its work in a form that is both founding and contemporary.
The National Geological Council was established in accordance with Article (4) of the Council's Act for the year 2015, which was approved by the National Assembly in Session No. (3) of its First Session on 15 June 2015. Then the Council was formed by the Cabinet’s Resolution No. 333 and signed by the President of the Republic; dated 29 September 2016. The decision of the formation of the Council, referred to the appointment of the President of the Council, Deputy President, the Secretary General and the Registrar, and another 26 members representing Ministries and government bodies, and representatives of universities and expert geologists.

Strategic Objective:
The strategic objective of the formation of the Council is to organize and develop the geology profession in Sudan, to monitor its optimal practice, to guide the competent authorities in the geological work, and rationalize the preparation, training and classification of manpower in geological sectors and fields.

Tasks and Functions:
The National Geological Council shall have the following tasks and functions under its Act:
• Organize and develop the profession of geology and monitoring its practice optimally as well as advising the competent authorities on geological work.
• Rationalize, prepare, train and classify manpower in geological sectors and fields.
• Supervise the qualifying training period for the graduate geologist.
• Conduct supervision and inspection to ensure that individuals, units and branches are committed to the application of standards, rules and professional controls.
• Strengthen relations and exchange experiences with regional and international counterparts.
• Contribute with the competent authorities in the development of public policies, principles, controls and standards for the establishment of geological colleges.
• Ensure that the curriculum, level of qualification and training in geological colleges meet the required level in order to maintain a high standard of scientific geologists.
• Formation of committees and the use of cadres to enable it to carry out its works and fulfill its duties.
• Conclusion of contracts and ownership of movables and real estate when it is necessary or appropriate to carry out its work.
• Charging fees and determining their use according to the applicable financial rules.
• Work to resolve professional conflicts and disputes.
• Set internal regulations for the Council to organize meetings of the Council and Committees.
Mission:
The following elements are under the mission of the Council:
a. To determine the areas and tasks of the geologist to practice his profession, to clarify his duties and responsibilities and to regulate the relationship between him and the various parties, including the relationship of geologists among them in all fields available on sound and ethical principles.
b. To organize the practice of the geological work, develop the profession and build the capabilities of the integrated technical elements to lead the homeland towards achieving its objectives in construction and development, in order to achieve the following:
(First) Increasing national income, preserving and developing geological wealth by pursuing continuous geological work that takes into account the principles of safety, economy and environmental conservation.
(Second) Employment of geologists according to their geological specializations.
(Third) Provision and development of integrated technical expertise.
(Fourth) Achieving the principle of equal opportunities among geologists.
(Fifth) Provide the principles, controls and ethics that protect the profession and thus protect the geologists, service seekers and servants.

Vision:
Through its work, the Council seeks to intensify communication with its broad base through the organization of seminars, forums and workshops and invite the institutions, colleges and departments of geology to participate in these events, and also to communicate with geologists to accompany their experiences and visions to lead the Council to:
1- Outlining framework of the council work and plan to develop the profession of geology in Sudan.
2- To push forward the acceleration of development in Sudan by contribution of promoted geological profession, which will be resulted to increase production and productivity of the earth natural resources (Oil & Gas, Mineral and Water).

Development of Partnership & International Relations:
The Council has an authentic role in strengthening relations and exchanging experiences with regional and international counterparts in order to promote geological work and monitor its practice by Development of Partnership with Relevant (Internal / External) Stakeholders

Quality And Excellence Systems and Ways to Improve and Evaluate Performance:
The quality system of the Council is divided into two parts:
The first part, is to develop the profession of geology and supervise its practice. That is regulated by the accreditation regulations, recognition of the academic geological programs and the regulations for practicing the profession of geology. This is achieved as mentioned above through the technical and specialized committees of the council, which performs their work through the different mechanisms of the Council’s departments the most important of which is the Department of Registration and Classification, and Department of Professional and Academic Affairs.
Second: Internal Quality and excellence system of the human cadres in the General Secretariat of the Council. The proposed structure of the National Geological Council, thus, include the Unit of Administrative Development and Quality, to investigate the following:
1. Contribute to the development of policies, plans, laws and regulations for administrative development and quality in coordination with the competent authorities.
2. Implement the administrative development programs approved by the Secretariat.
3. Evaluation of administrative development programs and quality in the Secretariat.
4. Provide feedback on the results of the implementation of administrative development and quality programs.
5. Promote the concepts of quality, systems and application in the areas of the work of the Secretariat.
6. Develop scientific methods that boast the importance of quality and excellence in the field of training and administrative systems.
7. Set disciplinary standards and ethics for the profession of geology and adherence to its principles, rules and norms and what is best suited to its practice.
8. Supervise the enforcement of the standards and controls of professional behavior in a manner that ensures the protection of the profession of geology, develops its optimal practice and monitoring.
9. Provide proposals for simplifying and developing work systems and procedures as well as applying quality systems.
10. Prepare organizational and procedural manuals, work guidebooks as well as developing the work environment.

Computerization and Information Technology:
For the performance of the council’s mission, the Council's policy is built to benefit from the breakthroughs of technological and information development. The Council has started its work in a way that is consistent with this development through establishing “The National Geological Council Website” and starting steps for establishing an “Electronic Information Center” as a long-term flexible project intended to optimize the use of IT resources in the service of the Council.

The Institutionalization and Capacity Building:
The Council shall seek through the approved budget of management from the ministry of Finance and in-kind external support, to create the institutional environment and material for the performance of the work of the Council and the Secretariat and will also seeks to develop scientific methods that boast the importance of quality and excellence in the field of training and administrative systems.
The council will also continue work for establishing a continuous project for training of the geologists with their different grades to realize its strategic goals, through:
1- Encouraging the geological institution for fulfilling their training plans and for activation of training programs, for Creation of new programs in coordination with stakeholders.
2- Coordination and organization of training programs

Community responsibility:
The Council, through its work, seeks to ensure the commitment of geologists towards the following:
(1) Promote the values and basic principles of the ethics of the geology profession and consolidate them in the community.
(2) Abide by its actions in ways that support and enhance the status, integrity and dignity of the profession locally and globally.
(3) Work on in order to promote and consolidate professional concepts as well as dissemination of geological awareness in Community.
(4) Work on to promote the interest and welfare of the community and commit to providing safety measures in all professional services provided by the geologist.

Organizational Chart:
The proposed organizational structure is based on the powers and functions of the Council and consists of (1) the Secretary General and his units; (2) departments: which include 1 / Department of Registration and Classification, of which the registration and classification sections are affiliates 2 / Department of Professional and Academic Affairs of which Professional Control & Inspection is an affiliate, academic and academic programs, and the Department of State Affairs, 3 / Department of Financial and Human Resources of which sections of finance and accounting, human resources and services are affiliates.

Legislations:
The National Geological Council has an Act of 2015 approved by the Cabinet as a temporary decree and signed by the President of the Republic, Marshal Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir on 19 March 2015, which was approved by the National Assembly as an Act in Session No. 3 of its First Session on 15 June 2015.
There are regulations governing the work of the Council and the Geological profession in Sudan which were approved by the Geological Council at its various sessions. These include:
1- Registration of geologists.
2- Regulations of accreditation and recognition of academic geological programs.
3- Regulations of practicing the profession of geology.
4- Regulations of the work of the Council and Committees.

Business Planning and Setting Future Goals:
Council geological performs its work to achieve its objectives through its four committees, namely, (1) Registration Committee, (2) Academic Committee, (3) Professional & Disputes Committee, (4) Committee for Training, Information and External Relations. The tasks of these committees include setting of general guidelines and preparation of the Council’s session plans, annual plan and follow-up and evaluation of plans through the approval of performance reports of the secretariats and departments of the Council, approval of policies and regulations in the framework of achieving the strategic objectives of the Council. The Technical Committees of the General Secretariat provide advisory and planning support and provide the intellectual environment to support decision making by providing the Geological Council with all modern IT means to build a solid and comprehensive database that provides reliable information to facilitate the planning process and accuracy of decision making and thus quality of training and services provided. Each committee has set its framework, plans and mechanisms for the implementation of plans towards achieving the objectives of the composition of the Committee concerned.

Technical and Administrative Aspects:
(2) The Academic Committee, (3) The Professional and Dispute Committee, (4) The Training, Information and External Relations Committee. These Technical Committees provide the Secretariat with consultative and planning support and provide the intellectual environment for support and decision-making.
The work is carried out through the Secretariat.
The organizational and job structure of the Secretariat is now under discussion and final approval by the Cabinet. The Secretary-General is currently acting through the collaborators. The Council’s Registrar appointment procedures have not been completed due to non-completion of the job approval. It is part of the delay associated with the delay of the approval of the entire structure. The number of collaborators in the Office of the Secretary-General and the Office of the Registrar is (3) and the number of the seconded personnel from the Internal Audit and Account Chamber to carry out the financial affairs of the Council is (3).There are other collaborators according to the tasks that arise.