Human Development Reports - United Nations Development Programme

Award Categories and Criteria

1. Innovation in Measurement

This award will be presented to the NHDR team that has demonstrated innovation in the use of human development measurement tools. The nominees for this award will be judged against the following criteria:

• Adaptations in any of the indices to better reflect the local situation
• Innovation in applying or disaggregating the HDI or other indices across gender, ethnic, urban/rural, etc. groupings with relevant technical notes.
• Presentation of new composite indices, experimentation with dimensions or aggregations, etc. provided that technical notes offer a relevant theoretical framework, statistical methodology is sound, and the index work strengthened overall analysis and advocacy of the Report
• Innovative combination of quantitative and qualitative data enhancing analysis
• Implementation of new statistical or data collection methods

2. Participation and Inclusiveness Report Preparation

The Award will recognize excellence in a participatory process that builds consensus, increases national ownership and contributes to capacity development. The nominees for this award will be judged against the following criteria:

• The authors represented a diversity of national institutions/organizations
• Events for public debate and feedback mechanisms throughout the development of the report contributing to national capacity development
• Quantitative/qualitative data reflecting people’s opinions and aspirations
• Consultations with groups concerned by the NHDR theme as backbone for the development of the analysis

3. Policy Analysis

This award will be given to the HDR that demonstrates excellence in providing a people-centered analysis. The nominees for this award will be judged against the following criteria:

• Critical and evidence-based evaluation or analysis of relevant existing policies
• The analysis contemplates diverse views of key governmental and non-governmental institutions, including people’s views and aspirations
• Analysis of aspects of the regional or global context that broaden or limit national choices
• Innovative reflection on what human development means in the local context
• Analysis of the relationship between human development and a theme that has not yet been explicitly analyzed in the global HDR
• Elaboration of issues not addressed in the global HDR that may lead to new thinking on human development at the global level

4. Influencing National Policy Debates

This award will be given to the HDR that demonstrates excellence in realizing significant policy influence, impact, and/or public attention. The nominees for this award will be judged against the following criteria:

• Outreach strategy beyond the launch with the involvement of the authors of the report and through public discussions about NHDR’s findings
• Public debate on critical national human development issues inspired by the NHDR (e.g. extensive media coverage or civil society campaigns)
• Clear uptake in national or sectoral strategies, new or reformed policies, or changes in resource allocation or legislation triggered by the findings of the report
• UN Country Team processes and programming, including UNDAF, CCA, Theme Groups, and MDG work, informed by the findings of the report.

General considerations

All nominations will also be evaluated based on the following principles:

• National/regional Ownership
• Participatory and Inclusive Process
• Independence of Analysis
• Quality of Analysis
• Flexibility and Creativity in Presentation
• Sustained Follow-up

The Mahbub ul Haq Award for Outstanding Contribution to Human Development

In addition to awards for excellence in National and Sub-National Human Development Reports, one award is given to an individual: the Mahbub ul Haq Award for Outstanding Contribution to Human Development. The Award is presented to a world leader who has successfully put human development at the heart of the national development agenda in his or her country.

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2010 Report