UNDP - Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People

Studies and Research

If development work is to be effective and sustainable over the long term it must be based on a deep understanding of the existing economic and social situation. Otherwise the programmes cannot be targeted towards the most critical sectors, geographical areas, and population groups. UNDP/PAPP has recognised this from the beginning and has therefore supported a number of important studies as the basis for the PNA and its own development efforts.

Overview

Studies have included: -

“Physical Planning for Palestinian Rural Communities” produced by UNDP/ PAPP’s Local Rural Development Programme (LRDP) in October 1995. This study involved comprehensive surveys of the poorest regions of the West Bank and Gaza to identify what education, health, and other essential facilities already existed and where the major gaps were. The study has served as a guide for the selection of areas to be included in the programme.

The study was used to select programmes for inclusion in the LRDP by “Participatory Rapid Appraisals”, through which the communities themselves decide their development priorities.

The "Palestinian Poverty Report" produced by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation’s Palestinian Commission for Poverty Eradication with financial and technical support from UNDP/PAPP. This report addresses the particular characteristics and distribution of poverty in the oPt. It describes the existing social, governmental, and non-governmental programmes aimed at poverty reduction, and presents guidelines for policy makers and programme managers.

The report has served as a valuable planning instrument for many agencies, including UNDP/PAPP. The data revealed a close correlation between poverty and education, and has led to a greater focus on the educational sector.

The high incidence of poverty in Jenin, Hebron, and the southern Gaza Strips documented by the report led UNDP/PAPP to target these areas within the framework of several projects, including the LRDP.

As a follow-up to the Poverty Report, UNDP/PAPP has embarked on Participatory Poverty Assessment. Strategic plans of key ministries will be revised, and recommendations related to poverty will be introduced. As a result of this intervention, a Palestinian Poverty Eradication Plan is being developed and submitted to the Palestinian Legislative Council and the PNA. This plan aims to achieve the following objectives: -

a. Promote broad-based equitable growth that creates more job opportunities and ensures efficient use of the labour force.

b. Enhance access to basic social services and ensure their effectiveness in meeting the needs of the poor.

c. Create opportunities for the poor, improve their living standards, and develop self sufficiency.

In partnership with Birzeit University, UNDP/PAPP produced the first Palestinian Human Development Report. Using pioneering methodology and indices developed by UNDP in its global HDRs, the report presents the first fully comprehensive picture of the status of Human Development in the oPt. It will serve as an invaluable guide for all agencies, public and private, in planning their future efforts in support of the economic and social development of the Palestinian people.

UNDP/PAPP provided support to the PNA for the preparation of the first "Palestinian Report on Sustainable Development" presented to the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in September 2002.

Each year, UNDP/PAPP contributes to the oPt's Millenium Development Goals Report, as well as the oPt Human Development Report.

Participatory Poverty Assessment

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