Egypt - United Nations Development Programme

Box III: The dissemination process
• Notwithstanding the prominence and significant impact of the HDR in Egypt,
opportunities for its dissemination have not been fully exploited. This is largely
the result of the inadequacy of the print-run and the very limited distribution that
does not often exceed one or two copies per ministry or governorate. The absence
of publicized outlets for sale or distribution of the HDR also limits its
dissemination (Moez).
• The preparation of a simple abbreviated version of the report and particularly
of the indicators tables for the benefit of non-technical users should enhance
the HDR’s accessibility. Presenting simple explanations of what the indicators
mean will also enhance the accessibility of the HDR (Moez).
• In addition to considerably greater gratis distribution to government, the
report’s availability for purchase should also be expanded. Outlets for sale or
distribution of the HDR should be publicized. Contracting professional/public
distributors could be considered (Moez).
• New groups of potential users should be identified and targeted. Great focus on
the parliamentarians should be considered in this regard. It is true that the
report is often mentioned or referred to in the parliament. However, it does not
seem that there is a systematic programme to disseminate the report to
parliamentarians and encourage its use by them (Moez).
• Means to extend the media’s shelf life of the HDR should be explored. This
could entail organization of more events such as workshops and seminars
around the HDR, and linking the launch of the global HDR to the national one
(Moez).
• Impact of the reports needs to be strengthened through post launch follow-up
roundtables, seminars etc; the hype of the launch soon dies down, and postlaunch
stock taking events need to be arranged in order to discuss the reports
with a wide range of stakeholders (interviews).
• During report preparation, lead authors are asked to forward main messages in
order to prepare press releases for the launch. These are usually provided last
minute. The Information, Communication and Reporting Unit of the UNDP is
responsible for expressing these messages in less technical terms so that they are
understood by everyone. The Unit prepares a press kit for journalists for prelaunch
and launching events in both English and Arabic (interviews).
• The Unit invites both the press and media. Journalists and the media attended the
2004 launch event. The post launch activities are limited to monitoring media
coverage, press kit dissemination, and report dissemination (interviews).
• “Although only a few months have passed since its release, the report has had a
very strong impact on the national policy debate. In particular, the Ministry for
Local Administration in Egypt, concerned with the uneven development, has
found the report to be a valuable tool for an action oriented strategy. The Minister
for Local Administration convened a round table of all 26 governors, with the
cooperation of INP and UNDP (July 1994). The purpose was to examine the
causes of development disparities and to find effective solutions. The governors
agreed on a 21 point declaration, which endorsed the holistic concept of
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