Human Development Reports - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

Award Categories and Criteria

The Mahbub ul Haq Award for Outstanding Contribution to Human Development

In the context of economic, political, social and environmental policy debates, human development aims to shift the focus of development back to the well being of people. This qualitatively different development paradigm expands the development objective beyond that of economic growth to incorporate other aspects of well being such as longevity, education, freedom and participation. Success in advancing human development globally and locally depends on political commitment of national, regional and world leaders.

This award will be presented to a national or world leader who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to furthering the understanding and progress of human development in a national, regional or global context.  The award alternates between recognizing political leaders and civil society leaders. The winner of the Mahbub ul Haq Award for Outstanding Contribution to Human Development will meet the following criteria:

• Winner will be a national or world leader
• Winner will have made a commitment to human development as part of a national, regional or international policy agenda.
• Winner will have demonstrated a commitment to a participatory human development process.
• Winner will have been responsible for the active implementation of initiatives that further the goals of human development

1. Excellence in Human Development Innovation - Concepts or Measurement

This award will be presented to the NHDR team that has contributed to thinking about the concept of human development and/or demonstrated innovation in the use of human development measurement tools. The nominees for this award will be judged against the following criteria.

Innovations in the human development concept or its application(s)

• Offered innovative reflection on what human development means in the local context
• Described the relationship between human development and a theme that has not yet been explicitly analyzed in the global HDR
• Raised issues not addressed in the global HDR that may lead to new thinking on human development at the global level

OR

Innovative approaches to the Human Development Index, and/or other indices introduced by the global HDR

• Provided adaptations in any of the indices to better reflect the local situation
• Innovatively applied or disaggregated the HDI or other indices across gender, ethnic, urban/rural, etc. groupings with relevant technical notes.
• Monitored trends over time.

Innovative approach to measuring human development beyond the HDI and other indices

• Developed new composite indices, experimentation with dimensions or aggregations, etc. with relevant technical notes
• Innovatively combined quantitative and qualitative data in a way that enhances analysis
• Offered a well developed theoretical framework underlying new composite index
• Index construction followed sound statistical methodology
• Index work strengthened overall analysis and advocacy of the Report

2. Excellence in Participation and Capacity Building

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.

Participatory and inclusive preparation process

Core indicators of achievement

• Included a broad-based and multi-disciplinary HDR team
• Employed participatory mechanisms at various stages (i.e. Steering Committee, Reader’s Group, Seminars, etc.)
• Principal authors represented a diversity of national institutions
• Linked with MDG Report and other national teams to ensure complementarities
• UN Country Team was briefed and involved throughout process as relevant to theme, e.g. drawing on complementary research and analysis, expertise, etc.
• Peer reviews conducted

Indicators of exceptional achievement

• Included description of Report’s preparation in the HDR
• Organized events for public debate
• Developed feedback mechanisms

Participatory and inclusive research process

Core indicators of achievement

• Included data that reflects people’s opinions and aspirations
• Involved consultations with groups addressed in HDR

Indicators of exceptional achievement

• Undertook new surveys and/or qualitative studies
• Utilized qualitative data and case studies

Capacity development process

• HDR process contributed to increased HD knowledge among national and international partners. For example through specialized trainings, consultations, and/or awareness-building exercises on the human development concept and more specific HD topics, data issues, policy recommendations, advocacy messages, etc.

3. Excellence in Policy Analysis and Influence

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

Theme analyzed from a human development perspective

• Applied a people-centered analytical approach
• Linked to global human development debates and draws on experiences in other countries
• Looked at multi-dimensional aspects of poverty
• Considered economic dimensions of HD challenges
• Considered human rights dimensions of HD
• Looked at inequalities, marginalized groups 
• Mainstreamed gender issues and analysis
• Looked at environmental and sustainability issues

Sound policy analysis methodology

Core indicators of achievement

• Provided critical evaluation or analysis of relevant existing policies in the country
• Connected the analysis with the data
• Offered analysis relevant to ongoing policy debates in country and, where relevant, region
• Considered views of key governmental and non-governmental institutions

Indicator of exceptional achievement

• Linked theme(s) and analysis to aspects of the regional or global context that broaden or limit national choices

Accurate, timely and relevant quantitative and qualitative data

Core indicators of achievement

• Calculated HDI and disaggregated HDI
• Disaggregated data by relevant groupings, particularly gender
• Provided data that reflects people’s opinions and aspirations
• Used rigorous methodologies (for calculating composite indicators, etc.)
• Sourced all data
• Contained relevant technical notes and definition of statistical terms
• Included quantitative and qualitative data

Indicators of exceptional achievement

• Utilized other nationally relevant composite indicators
• Offered data from varied sources (other UN, governmental and non-governmental)
• Presented data that is comparable over time

Coherent and concrete policy recommendations

Core indicators of achievement

• Summarized main findings and recommendations in one place in the HDR
• Offered concrete and realistic recommendations

Indicators of exceptional achievement

• Identified specific steps and institutions in recommendations
• Provided cost/benefit analysis (political, financial, etc.) of recommendations
• Linked to regional and global policies

A well-developed and implemented outreach and advocacy strategy

Core indicators of achievement

• Coordinated high-visibility launch events
• Disseminated HDR widely to target audiences, including making the HDR available on-line
• Actively involved UNDP Senior Management in launch activities
• Coordinated an outreach strategy that continues beyond the launch

Indicators of exceptional achievement

• Organized public discussion(s) about HDR’s findings
• Utilized authors/contributors to publicize the HDR

Indicators of policy impact

Core indicators of achievement

• Received extensive media coverage
• Generated public debate on critical national/regional human development issues
• Increased political attention on HDR theme

Indicators of exceptional achievement

• Utilized by educational institutions
• Fed into poverty reduction strategies and other national or sectoral strategies
• Used by stakeholders to promote policy objectives
• Contributed to enactment of new policy, policy reform, or legislation
• Established civil society campaigns
• Contributed to changes in government or other institutional resource allocation
• Contributed to the implementation of new statistical or data collection methods
• Contributed to levels of resources mobilized or new partnerships for UNDP Country Office
• Fed into other UN Country Team processes and programming, including UNDAF, CCA, Theme Groups, and MDG work, etc
• Supported government and donor efforts for greater harmonization and simplification of aid coordination

4. Excellence in Support of the Millennium Development Goals

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a set of targets agreed upon by world leaders at the Millennium Development Summit in September 2000, which represent an ambitious agenda for reducing poverty and its causes and manifestations. Progress towards achieving MDGs contributes significantly to human development progress. 

This award will be shared by the HDR and UNDP country teams that together have made particularly effective use of the HDR as an advocacy tool to promote the involvement of national and/or international policy community in achieving MDGs. HDRs nominated for this award must demonstrate in-depth analysis of policy reform, institutional change, resource reallocation and alternative policy recommendations that support people-centered strategies towards reaching one or more of the eight goals. HDR teams whose Reports focus on themes such as poverty reduction, HIV/AIDS, environment, gender, health or education are encouraged to consider whether and how their Report contributes to the achievement of MDGs. As there are many ways a Report can contribute to the promotion of MDGs, the HDR teams are given the opportunity to describe the links in the attached nomination form.

MDGs: Focuses on one or more of the 8 Millennium Development Goals

• Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Achieve universal primary education
• Promote gender equality and empower women
• Reduce child mortality
• Improve maternal health
• Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
• Ensure environmental sustainability
• Develop a global partnership for development

HD Approach: Analyzed MDGs within a broad people-centered human development context

• Policy Analysis: Critically evaluated relevant existing policy in the country
• Data: Data is sourced and reflects people’s aspirations
• Policy Recommendations: Recommendations are concrete and feasible
• Collaboration: HDR collaborated or contributed to the MDG Report and/or other national processes focusing on achieving the MDGs.

5. Excellence and Innovation across HDR corporate principles for a Regional HDR

Regional ownership

• Addressed and built consensus around a priority regional theme
• Promoted regional dialogue
• Explored aspects of the global context that broadened or limited regional aspirations

Participatory and Inclusive Participation

• Included a broad-based and multi-disciplinary HDR team
• Employed participatory mechanisms at various stages (i.e. Steering Committee, Reader’s Group, Seminars, etc.)
• Principal authors represented a diversity of regional institutions
• Included data that reflects people’s opinions and aspirations
• Involved consultations with groups addressed in HDR
  

Independent Analysis

• Provided critical evaluation or analysis of relevant existing policies in the region
• Connected the analysis with the data
• Offered analysis relevant to ongoing policy debates in region
• Considered views of key regional governmental and non-governmental institutions
• Calculated HDI and disaggregated HDI
• Disaggregated data by relevant groupings, particularly gender
• Provided data that reflects people’s opinions and aspirations
• Used rigorous methodologies (for calculating composite indicators, etc.)
• Sourced all data
• Contained relevant technical notes and definition of statistical terms
• Included quantitative and qualitative data

Quality Analysis

• Applied a people-centered analytical approach
• Linked to global human development debates and draws on experiences in other regions
• Looked at multi-dimensional aspects of poverty
• Considered economic dimensions of HD challenges
• Considered human rights dimensions of HD
• Looked at inequalities, marginalized groups
• Mainstreamed gender issues and analysis
• Summarized main findings and recommendations in one place in the HDR
• Offered concrete and realistic recommendations

Flexibility and creativity in presentation

• Presented in a clear and user-friendly manner
• Readily accessed by key target audiences
• Used terms and a style that are relevant to regional audience
• Translated key sections or summaries containing main messages, findings and recommendations into other widely-used regional languages

Sustained Follow-up

• Coordinated high-visibility launch events
• Disseminated HDR widely to target audiences, including making the HDR available on-line
• Actively involved UNDP Senior Management in launch activities
• Coordinated an outreach strategy that continues beyond the launch
• Received extensive media coverage
• Generated public debate on critical national/regional human development issues
• Increased political attention on HDR theme

Capacity building

• Increased HD knowledge and skills at national research institutes, NGOs, academic institutions, statistics organizations
• Increased capacity of other national partners, including individuals and organizations from civil society, media, private sector, government; improved skills needed to understand and address HD challenges
• Increased knowledge and skills of donors, international NGOs

Special HDR Recognition Award

There is no advanced criterion for this award and HDRs cannot be nominated for this category. Based on the judges’ review of all the nominated Reports, this award will go to HDR that deserves special recognition for qualities beyond the scope of the other award’s categories.

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2013 Report