my ranking is better than yours : examining the use of Human Development Reports beyond country ranking Nasser Yassin, PhD
So many reports and indices
What I will talk about? Introduce the HDR and its components Present the findings of a multi-country study I did on use of HDR in 4 Arab countries Present and discuss 3 case studies
Methodology of the research We looked at four specific country-case studies; namely: Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon and Morocco. Semi-structured interviews with key governmental and non-governmental stakeholders were held. Ministries or Departments/offices of Planning, Economy, Statistics, and Foreign Affairs. Interviews were also undertaken with senior members in think tanks, Research Centers and NGOs. A total of 50 Interviews
A standardized interview protocol was used And Analysis was done based on specific themes in regard to the use, quality, credibility and added value of the HDR
What is the HDR? The HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT (HDR) is UNDP s flagship publication In the area of human development, it aims at informing and influencing decision-makers and policymakers. When it was launched in 1990 the philosophy behind it was that people are the real wealth of nations
3 Types of HDRs Global Regional National
1. The HDI HDI values and ranks 187 countries along with the Inequality-adjusted HDI for 132 countries, the Gender Inequality Index for 148 countries, and the Multidimensional Poverty Index for 104 countries.
The HDI The HDI is a summary measure for assessing long-term progress in three basic dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life measured by life expectancy access to knowledge measured by average number of years of education received in a life-time by people aged 25 years and older; and total number of years of schooling a child of school-entrance age can expect to receive decent standard of living measured by Gross National Income (GNI) per capita
2. Thematic Analysis Each year, the HDR adopts a theme that is relevant to human development The theme of the latest Global Report in 2014 was on Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience. The theme of the latest Arab HDR in 2009 was on Human Security The theme of the latest Egypt HDR in 2010 was on Youth
Occasional and Background papers are developed on the relevant themes Usually academics write these papers and are presented in consultation meetings
3. Policy Advice HDRs - in their 3 types - aim at as an ultimate goal to inform policy-making and decisionmaking. In some instances, this is more as a subtle message. In others in the form of policy recommendations
How stakeholders use the HDR? Policymakers: Use the HDR and ranking for benchmarking and tracing their country HDR findings as evidence to enhance their credibility and to push forward their agendas Use it for agenda-setting Donor countries (e.g. Kuwait) use the HDR and the ranking it provides to benchmark countries that are in need of assistance and to prioritize countries that would need assistance
The comparative nature of the global and regional HDRs is seen as useful: For example one report was comparing the GNP of Egypt to one of the multinational companies. This type of comparison pushes the discussion.
Researchers, think-tanks and NGOs: Find the novelty of the topics presented by the HDRs useful in creating debate in their respective countries Use HDR and HDI data and indices for benchmarking and tracing the country and region s performance USE HDR findings in advocacy around issues covered by the HDR
As one put it: It did not influence policymakers per se, but annoying policy makers, and putting an issue on the agenda, but not necessarily changed policies
UNDP and the UN agencies: To influence donors and governments and raise their awareness on human development issues Assessments and planning in UNDP country offices
But the use varies among the 3 types of reports Global HDRs are not expected to present policy recommendations, but should focus more on setting the development agenda or challenging the current paradigms Regional HDRs to bring relevant regional issues into debate - knowledge gap in the Arab World for example. National HDRs should be more prepared to inform and influence policies
CASE STUDIES
Morocco: National Initiative for Human Development Morocco has a low ranking in HDI. This pushed the King and government to question the reasons behind that. The National Initiative for Human Development was launched in 2005 by the King
The INDH aims at improving living conditions among the population and raising national social indicators It focuses on improving access to basic and social services Promotes income generation and employment Assists the most vulnerable social groups
Egypt: social contract center The 2005 Egypt HDR adopted the theme of Towards a New Social Contract It advocated for a pro-poor growth paradigm, for citizens participation and state provision of social protection and social services
The government's Information and Decision Support Center and UNDP launched the Social Contract Center. The aim was: To build consensus around a new social contract in Egypt Rebuild trust between the government and citizens Empower civil society Monitor the progress to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
UAE: HDI ranking as a KPI for 2021
To sum-up Ranking is a great tool especially for policymakers But there is need to look into the components of the HDI It is also important to take the HDR and the HDI as a living document that can create a lot of debate on issues of human development
The 3 types of HDRs should be fall as complimentary rather than as stand-alones Sub-regional and sub-national HDRs and HDIs would in many instances offer a greater value: example one for GCC or one for each of the 7 Emirates
Thank you Nasser Yassin, PhD nasser.yassin@gmail.com