Ministry of Planning and Economic Development, Abdul Latif Jameel Laboratory at AUC sign a cooperation protocol to launch the Egyptian Impact Measurement Laboratory to promote evidence-based policies

Dr. Hala El-Said, Minister of Planning and Economic Development, and Dr. Ahmed Dalal, representing the Abdul Latif Jameel Middle East and North Africa Lab signed at the AUC School of Business a cooperation protocol to launch the Egyptian Impact Measurement Lab to promote evidence-based policies and improve development outcomes in Egypt.

Following the signing of the protocol, Minister of Planning and Economic Development Dr. Hala El-Said said that the launch of the (Egyptian Impact Measurement Laboratory) to promote evidence-based policies and improve development outcomes in Egypt is a milestone in Egypt's efforts to expand its capacity to make more effective and evidence-informed policies.
El-Said indicated that the project is the culmination of a fruitful and customized partnership between the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and the Abdul Latif Jameel Lab.
El-Said emphasized that the importance of enlightened policies stems from the actual purpose of public policy; It is to meet the needs of citizens efficiently, improve living standards and achieve a prosperous future for future generations.
El-Said added that promoting a culture of evidence-informed policy-making is of particular importance to developing countries, in the context of interest in reducing poverty and improving development performance, as its importance appeared during the Corona pandemic.
 El-Said pointed out that policymakers strive to improve outcomes during various challenges through optimal use of public resources, so it is important to place high-quality evidence at the heart of policy development and implementation.


 On the situation in Egypt, the Minister of Planning explained that the Egyptian government is working through Egypt’s Vision 2030 to implement the goals of that vision and accelerate progress towards comprehensive and sustainable development through a set of programs within different sectors, stressing that promoting the use of evidence-based policies is the way to reach those goals.
El-Said added that the impact lab plays a vital role in addressing government development priorities and enhancing the impact of national initiatives, which include the "Decent Life" initiative, the Egyptian family development strategy, and efforts to enhance the labor market efficiency.
 The importance of the lab also comes in promoting better use of administrative data, extracting its value, and transforming it from raw information into actionable insights.
 Dr. Hala El-Said referred to the “Decent Life Initiative”, which aims to improve living conditions and alleviate multidimensional poverty in rural communities.El-Said explained that the initiative contributes to achieving the first goal of the sustainable development goals, which is the eradication of poverty. In addition to contributing to achieving the goals of "Zero Hunger", "Good Health", "Quality Education" and "Sustainable Societies". This is done by improving livelihoods, developing human capital, raising the level of infrastructure services, and providing decent work.The Minister of Planning also mentioned that the national project for the development of the Egyptian family, which was launched recently under the auspices of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi; aims to deal with the chronic population issue in Egypt for the first time from a developmental perspective.This approach is focused on raising the efficiency of human capital, improving the quality of life for Egyptians, economic and social empowerment of women, and enhancing reproductive health services, noting the introduction of a deferred financial incentive system, and the provision of long-term support to women.Dr. Hala El-Said emphasized that "a Decent Life" and the "National Project for the Development of the Egyptian family" share a vital comprehensive issue and a major success factor, which is the creation of decent and productive job opportunities in line with the future of work in a rapidly changing world.


 El-Said explained that improving job opportunities through comprehensive development of the labor market was and will always be a major priority for the Egyptian government, pointing to the National Program for Structural Reforms, which focuses on enhancing the flexibility and effectiveness of the labor market by giving priority to advanced technical education and vocational training.After her speech, the Minister of Planning and Economic Development stressed that today's protocol aims to promote an innovation ecosystem among a network of prominent institutions, praising the efforts of the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development, Saudi Community Jameel, and UNICEF for supporting this event.Alison Fahy, Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Lab for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “With the Egyptian government embarking on many initiatives to reduce poverty and achieve human development, the Abdul Latif Jameel Lab for the Middle East and North Africa is pleased to partner with the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and others from government institutions to produce cross-checked evidence on the most effective approaches to improving development outcomes for Egyptians”.
The launch event of the Egyptian Impact Lab included two in-depth discussion sessions on the lab’s core issues of poverty reduction, family development, and women’s empowerment, highlighting innovative government initiatives, and sharing relevant insights and ideas from the current global evidence base of the Abdul Latif Jameel Lab.