Tools for National Policy Debates: 

“The National Human development Reports are growing into an extraordinary country-level movement for global change. From the bottom-up they are breaking down the global targets for poverty reduction and human development into national benchmarks and action plans that enjoy increasing political attention, debate and mobilization.”

UNDP Administrator, Mark Malloch Brown 

Human Development recognizes that people are the real wealth of any nation. It emphasizes expanding people’s choices so they can develop their full potential and lead productive, creative lives according to their needs and interests. For more than a decade the concept of human development has been discussed and refined by the Human Development Report. This annual report is an independent publication commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). By broaching unconventional view points on critical development issues, the Human Development Report has helped inspire a growing movement in every region committed to embracing the Human Development Approach.  

NHDRs:

• Offer solid research from national institutions.
• Present alternative people centred recommendations.
• Link analysis to the human development framework.
• Inform UNDP’s policy work.
• Tackle critical and controversial issues.
• Provide analysis on inequalities or many, the NHDRs are an indispensable resource.

Since 1992, one important outcome of this movement has been the production of more than 400 Regional and National Human Development Reports (NHDR) in over 135 countries. Issued every one to two years, the NHDRs are built on the analytical framework of the global Human Development Report including its Human Development Index. They examine a nation’s more pressing development issues and explore ways to place human development at the forefront of the national political agenda. Past reports have addressed human development approaches to human rights, poverty, education, economic reforms, HIV/AIDS, globalization and many other themes.

NHDRs are a unique nationally owned product written by leading national experts and intellectuals, often containing data not previously published. Through a country-led process of consultation, research and writing, they bring together diverse voices, put difficult issues on the table and contribute to mobilizing action for human development policy making on these issues. The reports are also a tool for policy analysis and planning that contribute to progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. 

Six Principles:

Six fundamental principles underpin the creation of every report and comprise UNDP’s corporate policy on NHDRs: 

• National/Regional ownership.
• Independence of analysis.
• Quality of analysis.
• Participatory and inclusive preparation.
• Flexibility and creativity in presentation.
• Sustained follow-up.

“Through the South African HDR, it was possible to deal with subjects related to governance that are sometimes far too sensitive to tackle at the national level. With endorsement by the SADC Secretariat, the reports demonstrated on unprecedented influence on policy making.”

UNDP Deputy Assistant Administrator and Former Resident
Representative of Zimbabwe, Carlos Lopezo. 

Application: How are the NHDRs Used? 

Policy makers find concrete policy proposal based on rigorous analysis; scholars discover new ideas that inform their academic work; donor agencies gain insight into national priorities; non-governmental organizations use the reports to monitor progress and hold governments accountable; and journalists find a reliable “one stop” source for facts and figures. 

Articulating People’s Priorities: Over a period of up to a year, the team works to articulate national priorities and build consensus through a participatory process, opening up democratic space for debate. 

Strengthening National Capacities: The process of producing an NHDR builds national capacities- analytical skills, empowerment, partnering and exploration of policy options. 

Engaging National Partners: As influential tools for policy dialogue, NHDRs can help UNDP in its shift to become a policy advisory institution, engaging national partners in policy dialogue. The reports offer alternative policy options that informs UNDP’s own programming in a country.  

Identifying Gaps and Measuring Progress: Data that is often not published elsewhere- such as statistic disaggregated by geographical location, ethnic group or along rural/urban lines- help identify disparities and can provide early warnings against potential conflicts. NHDRs contribute to improved statistical methods and increased attention to human development indicators. 

NHDRs: 

• Guide policies and resource allocation.
• Offer data that is not published elsewhere.
• Track national performance and emerging trends.
• Build consensus and help people articulate priorities.
• Reach a wide audience.

Linking Valuable Information to the UN System:   The data and analysis in the report inform the work of the UN system. There are mutually beneficial links between NHDRs and other policy and programming instruments, including the UN Common Country Assessments, and Developing Assistance Framework, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers and Millennium Development Goals. 

IMPACT: Do the NHDRs Make a Difference?

NHDRs deeply rooted in national realities have a strong and growing record of influencing change. They have contributes to new legislation and policies, shifts in resource allocation, improved statistical methods and to move inclusive public debate. 

Shifts in Budget Priorities:  The Philippines directed all local governments to direct at least 20 percent of their revenues towards human development priorities. Brazil developed a nationwide disaggregated  Human Development Index database used to allocate resources to 5,000 muncipalities. 

A Guide for Policy Innovations:  A direct result of Botswana’s NHDR on HIV/AIDS was the government’s announcements of the provision of anti-retrovial drugs and people living with HIV/AIDS. Egypt’s annual series of NHDRs which began ib 1994, has led to an action programme for monitoring human development by Egypt’s 26 provincial governors. 

A Force for Improving Institutions:  Bangladesh established a National Council for Women’s Rights. Armenia created its first human rights curriculum based on an NHDR valued for its quality and lack of bias. A Polish report on education has been adopted as basic reading material for the Warsaw School of Pedagogy. 

An invaluable source of facts and figures:  In Benin, the NHDR provides the sole source of social indicators that allow regular evaluation of human development progress. Zambia relied on the NHDR’s disaggregated data along rural and urban lines to craft a new poverty reduction policy. 

A Powerful NGO Advocacy Tool:  Inspired by NHDRs, a rating instrument to monitor congress members and Senators on human development legislation has been developed by the civil society in the Philippines. In the Indian state of Rajhastan, analysis of pastoral livelihoods was used in a suit filed by local activists against the Forestry Department.