Egypt Human Development Reports (EHDRs)

1. Egypt Human Development Reports (EHDRs) Presented by: Nahla Zeitoun Programme Analyst, UNDP Egypt

2. Outline • 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

3. Role and Importance 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

4. EHDRs and Compliance with UNDP’s Corporate Policy • 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

5. 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.

6. 3. Independence of analysis • EHDRs strive to contain objective and reliable analysis • The Lead Author exercises full editorial independent and represents a spectrum of perspectives • Disclaimer

7. 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

8. 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 • Provide real examples that highlight people’s perspectives i.e. quotes • Employ a variety of presentation techniques such as tables, graphs, figures

9. 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

10. EHDR Timeline • 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

11. Challenges for the Preparation of EHDRs • Reliability of data • Shortage of data • Political Challenge

12. What makes a good HDR? Good objectives Good process Good product Good dissemination Good impact And no skipping…

13. Achievements and Impact of EHDRs • 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.

14. ‘97-’98 EHDR Public Spending 96’ EHDR Poverty • 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

15. 2003 EHDRHuman Development at the Subnational Level • 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.

16. 2004 EHDR Choosing Decentralization for Good Governance • 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

17. 2005 EHDRChoosing our Future:Towards a New Social Contract • 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.

18. 2008 EHDR Egypt’s Social Contract: The Role of Civil Society • 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.

19. Messages of the report: • Overcoming education system failure – mismatch • Breaking the cycle of poverty – geographical targeting • Job creation – education and training • Focus on culture – tolerance, creativity • Eliminating gender discrimination – gender empowerment and equality • Youth Well-Being • Governance: Enhancing youth participation • Migration: better structuring and institutionalization to maximize education and skill formation • 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.

20. 2010 EHDRYouth in Egypt: Building our Future • 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

21. Thank You