Human Development Reports - United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

HD Training Material

Links: Literature | Course | Concept | Statistics and use of indicators | Policy analysis | Advocacy

National, regional and global level training courses on human development concepts, policy application and measurement issues are growing. These can significantly enhance expertise among HDR team members and others involved in consultations. A training module outlined below incorporates the collective experience of trainers in several regions.

Two important resources for organizing such a course for national and regional HDR teams include: presentations from the Oxford/UNDP Human Development Training Courses, and publications about human development.

For more information on learning resources, you can refer to the consolidated reply where Human Development practitioners discuss expertise and country experience on human development education, including curricula and research.

• Vietnam - Developing Capacity for National HD Research, Education and Training Programmes (2008)

To see ongoing global human development training initiatives, please visit our training section. For further information on specific courses, see Events and Workshops. All publications from HDRO are available online and make great training resources.

Human Development Literature

For more introductory information on Human Development, please see:

Griffin, Keith and Terry McKinley. (1992) "Towards a Human Development Strategy". Human Development Report Occasional Papers.

Haq, Mahbub ul. (1992) "Human Development in a Changing World". Human Development Report Occasional Papers.

Fukuda-Parr, Sakiko. (2003) "The Human Development Paradigm: Operationalizing Sen's Ideas on Capabilities" in Feminist Economics 9(2-3), 2003, 3001-317.

Sen, Amartya. (1999) Development as Freedom. New York: Anchor Books.

Streeten, Paul. (1992) "Global Governance for Human Development". Human Development Report Occasional Papers.

Human Development and Capability Association - an association that promotes research from many disciplines on problems related to impoverishment, justice, and well-being
Website: www.capabilityapproach.com

Complete bibliography of published works on human development and the capabilities approach.

For more resources, visit the NHDR Workspace HD Training Materials.

These documents contain a wide range of documented Human Development courses and trainings that occur both within and outside of university settings worldwide. Courses are offered on all continents.

• Human development training 
• Human development events and conference announcements
• Human development academic courses and training

This website will also be host to an online Human Development Journey course, available to the public free of charge.

For UNDP staff only, two Human Development courses exist in the Learning Management System (LMS). Registration is done through the UNDP LMS system.

• UNDP - The Human Development Journey (introduction to human development, comparison to other development approaches, the measurement of human development, advocacy and linkages to the UNDP Practice Areas)
• UNDP - Advanced Human Development (instructor-led online by appointment only)

Human Development Concept

Provide in-depth understanding of the philosophy, concept, evolution, principles and distinct features of human development.

Resources:

• Sen, Amartya. 1999. Development as Freedom. Oxford University Press.
• Streeten et al., 1981, First Things First: Meeting Human Needs in the Developing Countries, Oxford University Press. (especially first chapter.)
• ul Haq, M. 1995. Reflections on Human Development (Part One), Oxford University Press.
• Alkire, Sabina. 2003. The Capability Approach as a Development Paradigm? Material for the training session preceding the 3rd international conference on the capability approach, September 2003.
• Qizilbash, M. 1996. 'Capabilities, Wellbeing and Human Development: a Survey', Journal of Development Studies 33 (2), 143-162.
• Ranis, Gustav and Frances Stewart. 2000. 'Strategies for success in human development', Journal of Human Development 1(1), 49-70.
• Sen, Amartya K. 1990. "Development as Capability Expansion." In K. Griffin and J. Knight, Eds. Human Development and the International Development Strategy for the 1990s. London: MacMillan.
• Stewart, F. 1995. 'Basic Needs, Capabilities and Human Development', Greek Economic Review 17(2).
• UNDP. 1990. Human Development Report 1990: Concept and Measurement of Human Development. Oxford University Press: New York (Chapter 1).

Human Development Statistics and Use of Indicators for Monitoring

Offer a comprehensive exposure to:

• MDGs and their usefulness
• Different indicators: inputs, process, outcome
• Sources, definitions, disaggregation, quality issues
• Thematic and sectoral indicators
• Use of indicators for performance assessment and monitoring

Introduce different human development measures: rationale and methodologies

• HDI
• Disaggregation of HDI
• HPI
• GDI-GEM

Resources:

• HDRO Statistics - MDG Resources
• HDRO Statistics - Understanding the Data
• HDR Toolkit for national and regional HDR Teams - Chapter 4: Quality of Analysis
• Sudhir and Amartya Sen. 1993. Human Development Index: Methodology and Measurement. Human Development Report Office Occasional Paper No. 12. UNDP, New York. Download: Sudhir and Amartya Sen. 1993 (PDF) [2,242 KB]
• Calculating the HD indices from HDR 2007/2008 Technical Notes [5,888 KB]
• A. Halis Akder, 1994 A Means to Closing Gaps: Disaggregated HD Index HDRO Occasional Paper 18.
• HDRO Statistics - Interactive HDI Calculator
• Jahan, Selim. 2000. Measurements of HD Seven Questions (PDF) [168 KB]
• Jahan, Selim. 2000. Measuring HD: Evolution of the HD Index (PDF) [173 KB]
• Sudhir Anand & Amartya Sen, 2000 The Income Component of HD Index (PDF) [1,619 KB], Journal of HD

Human Development Policy Analysis

Discuss various elements and approaches to operationalizing human development strategies.

• Principles applied to policies, programmes, legislation and budgets
• Illustrative themes from an HD perspective: Poverty, Environment, Information and communication technology, Gender, HIV/AIDS, Decentralization, etc.
• Mechanisms (such as on the role of the state, women’s economic contribution,etc.)
• Evaluation and Financing

Resources:

• Global Human Development Reports
• Streeten, Paul 1999 Components of a future development strategy: The importance of HD (PDF) [591 KB].
  
• Ranis, Gustav & Frances Stewart, Strategies for success in HD (PDF) [184 KB] Journal of HD 1,1, 49-70, 2000
• Inge Kaul & Saraswathi Menon, 1993 HD: From Concept to Action, A 10-Point Agenda HDRO Paper 7
• Keith Griffin and Terry McKinley, 1992 Towards a HD Strategy HDRO Paper
• NHDR Workspace - Thematic Guidance Notes
• NHDR Workspace - Thematic Resources

Advocating for Human Development

Offer insights into creative and strategic ways of advocating HDR messages and extending outreach to civil society

• HDR Toolkit for national and regional HDR Teams - Chapter 6: Sustained Follow-up
• UNDP Communication Toolkit (UNDP staff only)
  
• UNDP’s Blue Book – a hands-on approach to advocating for the millennium development goals

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2011 Report