Human Development Reports - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

NHDR Brochures 
A series of brochures highlighting national and regional reports and themes.

• Africa Brochure [341 KB]
• Arab States Brochure [445 KB]
• Asia Pacific Brochure [768 KB]
• Eastern Europe Brochure [663 KB]
• Latin America Brochure [330 KB]
• Youth Brochure [1,526 KB]

HDR Toolkit 
A step-by-step handbook offering concrete guidance on the three main phases of the HDR endeavor: process, content and sustained follow-up.

• Visit the HDR Toolkit web section

Minimum Standards
30 minimum requirements that must be met by every HDR.

• Minimum Standards [28 KB]

HDR Timeline: Key Steps in the Human Development Report Process
A companion to the HDR Toolkit, providing recommendations for the sequencing of many different processes involved in producing and advocating HDRs. Visit our online version or download the document below.

• HDR Timeline [672 KB]

Measuring Human Development: Primer
This publication is a tool for all those working on sub-national, national and regional Human Development Reports (HDRs). This reference may also be useful to all professionals working on human development issues. It consists of guidelines and tools to support the production of quantitatively and qualitatively rigorous reports that support a process of evidence based policy making and advocacy.

• Download the Primer

Thematic Guidance Notes
A series intended to provide theoretical background and practical support for development practitioners to address certain themes within a human development conceptual framework. They were commissioned jointly by the NHDR Unit and UNDP's Bureau for Development Policy (and in the case of conflict prevention, with UNDP's Bureau of Crisis Prevention and Recovery). The papers draw upon a thorough review of a number of NHDRs addressing the theme, as well as cutting-edge literature in the field.

• Download the Guidance Notes

HDR-Net: Human Development Reports Network
Over the years, the global, regional, national and sub-national Human Development Reports have inspired a global movement to articulate human development priorities in every region and to mobilize action for policy-making. The HDR-Net, established in 1999, continues to strengthen this movement by serving as dynamic springboards for professional knowledge sharing and learning on human development issues. The network has evolved into a community of over 1000 human development professionals from within UNDP, government, academia, research and NGO communities.

• HDR-Net: Human Development Reports Network

Ideas, Innovation, Impact: How Human Development Reports influence Change
A compilation of outstanding impacts from sub-national, national and regional HDRs.

• Visit the web section

UNDP Communications Toolkit
The toolkit doubles as a general reference for communicating the work of UNDP and a guideline document for producing communications materials. Included in this resource are instructions for publishing reports and related products. The toolkit also answers many questions and issues that arise from preparing documents such as Human Development Reports (e.g. ISBN numbers, UNDP branding requirements, printing, translation, etc).

• UNDP Communications Toolkit (UNDP staff only)

Human Development and the Millennium Development Goals
Although related and complementary, HDRs and MDGRs have different functions and respond to different development needs. Yet, there are many ways to achieve the objectives of both Reports, while building on their complementary nature in terms of: common conceptual underpinnings; preparation; data; communications and advocacy; and other ongoing and post-launch follow-up activities.

• HDR and MDGR Synergies [35 KB]
• NHDRs and MDGRs Mutually Supportive Exercises [103 KB]