Presented by:

Nahla Zeitoun

Programme Analyst, UNDP Egypt

Role and Importance of Egypt Human Development Reports (EHDRs)

EHDRs and compliance with the six principles of UNDP’s Corporate Policy on the preparation of HDRs

EHDR Timeline

Challenges for the preparation of EHDRs

What makes a good HDR?

Achievements and Impact of EHDRs

To inform policy-making with evidence-based data and strong analysis

To provide alternative scenarios based on comparative experience

To devise evidence-based programmes

To reflect people’s aspirations and hopes

1) National ownership

Produced every 2 years by UNDP and the Institute of National Planning

The theme/topic for the EHDR is selected in a participatory manner

National Lead Author selected to lead team of core authors

2)Participatory and inclusive preparation

Lead Author selects a multi-disciplinary team of around 30 national consultants

An Advisory Group is formed to provide advice and direction

A diverse Readers Group as well as a Peer Review Group are composed from various stakeholders to review EHDR drafts for substantive comments

UNDP reviews the report for quality control and adherence to NHDR corporate policy publication.

EHDRs include in the Executive Summary a description of the preparation process to show the reader that it was done in an inclusive manner.

EHDRs strive to contain objective and reliable analysis The Lead Author exercises full editorial independent and represents

a spectrum of perspectives

Disclaimer

4) Quality of analysis:

EHDRs adopt a people-centered approach, including analysis of gender issues and social, economic and political exclusion.

EHDRs provide sound and realistic policy messages

EHDRs, based on the theme, contain a strong conceptual framework with clear definitions for concepts and principles.

Use a disaggregated HDI to capture exclusion and disparities across geographical areas, gender…

Draw on experiences of other countries as International best practices

5) Flexibility and creativity in presentation:

A strong Executive summary and/or overview at the beginning Margin notes to highlight key messages

Written using easy-to-understand and non-technical language

5) Provide real examples that highlight people’s perspectives i.e. quotes

6) Employ a variety of presentation techniques such as tables, graphs, figures

6) Sustained follow-up:

A comprehensive communication and outreach programme is designed to address a variety of audiences

High-level launch event organized with press kits and interviews lined up.

Arabic and English copies uploaded on UNDP website.

In some instances, UNDP uploads all background papers on website

An ongoing dialogue over the reports recommendations is maintained

Policy briefs prepared with key messages

Projects and programs designed to follow-up on report recommendations

Preparatory Phase (up to 6months): • Theme Selection• Team building • Team Orientation • Outline formulation• Division of labor.

Research (6 to 9 months):• Research and preparation of background papers.• Workshop on draft background papers organized.

Finalization of Product (6-12 weeks): • Translation and printing

Advocacy (ongoing throughout and after Report finalization)• High level launch event• Post-launch events (roundtable discussions, consultations…)• Projects and Programmes devised

Reliability of data

Shortage of data

Political Challenge

Good objectivesGood process

Good productGood dissemination

Good impactAnd no skipping…

11 reports produced since 1994

EHDRs opened the door to new thinking and policy perspectives on HD

Used as a source of policy analysis by the People’s Assembly and the Shura Council

Represent effective decision-support tools for at the sub-national level (resource allocation, monitoring of progress…)

• Used by Governors to jointly examine disparities in HD among and within governorates

• Resulted in new strategies to reduce disparities i.e. 1000 Village initiative

• Resulted in shifting of development priorities and reallocation of resources to under-served areas.

Poverty Report:

First national report to admit, assess and analyze poverty prevalence and income distribution in Egypt

Broke taboo on speaking on poverty and created a new open culture to speak about such matters

Public Spending Report• Highlighted the importance of the reallocation of public resources & the role of social

assistance and insurance in alleviating poverty

• Began to see in Egypt special safety net programmes

Won the NHDR Excellence award in Quality of Analysis and in Participation and Policy Impact

An innovation of the Report was the calculation of HDI at the local level.

Offered a comprehensive picture of HD in the country’s 451 sub-administrative units.

Provided a lens through which policy makers could look in detail at specific pockets of poverty or deprivation.

Led to the Municipal Initiative for Strategic Recovery (MISR) – Participatory planning at the local level.

Led to the 1000 Poorest Village Initiative launched in 2009. The villages were identified using HDI level.

Covered major components, such as local governance, private sector participation, voice of the poor, civil service reform, capacity building.

Contributed to national policy dialogue on issues of decentralization as well as on human development at disaggregated levels.

Gave prominence to the Governorate Human Development Reports

Provided a renewed direction to the MISR programme to work more at the upstream policy level in the area of decentralization

2004 EHDRChoosing Decentralization for Good

Governance

Introduced the idea of a new “social contract’” whereby the state encourages further political, social and economic participation from civil society and private sector and promotes accountability and democratic practices.

Included a MDG-based vision for Egypt for 10 years with 55 socio-economic programs

Policy briefs were developed for each of the sectors tackled by the report

A Social Contract Center was set up within the Information and Decision Support Center as a joint project between UNDP and the Government to:

• Formulate, implement, and monitor the recommendations of the 2005 EHDR

• Serve as a model for the integration of civil society and private sector into the work of government agencies and ministries.

Highlighted the vital role of civil society as an essential partner in achieving the MDGs and the 55 programs outlined in the 2005 EHDR..

Offered specific proposals to encourage the growth of, and stimulate innovation within, CSOs, in addition to improving the legal and administrative environment within which they operate.

Presented remarkable insights into people’s perceptions and aspirations with regards to services provided by CSOs in addition to their concerns and priorities

Gave weight to case studies and best practices among CSOs in various social services and various sectors.

Led to the formulation of a project for capacity building of the General Federation of NGOs and Foundations which also proposed new modifications to the NGO Law presented to government.

2008 EHDREgypt’s Social Contract: The Role of Civil Society

Messages of the report:1. Overcoming education system failure – mismatch

2. Breaking the cycle of poverty – geographical targeting

3. Job creation – education and training

4. Focus on culture – tolerance, creativity

5. Eliminating gender discrimination – gender empowerment and equality

6. Youth Well-Being

7. Governance: Enhancing youth participation

8. Migration: better structuring and institutionalization to maximize education and skill formation

9. Breaking the asset constraint: Availing physical capital and assets such as land for youth to engage in productive projects in small-scale tourism, eco-friendly agriculture, and other high value-added activities such as ICT, transport and housing.

Identified and assessed the most pressing issues affecting youth in Egypt with a

vision for young people to participate in Egypt’s development process.

UNDP is currently exploring a potential National Youth Programme for Egypt

following a series of consultations and roundtable discussions with different

stakeholders. The Program will focus on:

Youth Skills and Employment

Civil and Political participation

Women Empowerment