Quality Education

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the working methods of public institutions. The urgency to respond in real time loosened institutional constraints and forced public agencies to be more agile and to experiment with alternative ways to operate, accelerating innovation. Beyond the implementation of buffer measures to maintain essential public services, the crisis provided opportunities for transformations in public administration that would have been challenging to pursue in “normal” times. Although this urgency presented risks of weakening the checks and balances essential for accountability, it also led to the discovery of more efficient and effective ways to deliver public services, and many of these may become the “new normal”. Nevertheless, it is not clear that the agile decision-making, experimentation and innovation observed during the pandemic will persist. This raises the question of how to foster innovation in public institutions in the absence of crises. To retain public trust, governments must demonstrate they can effectively handle systemic shocks; they must demonstrate capacity to foresee problems and address them proactively before they become crises. Governments can tap into the innovations developed during the pandemic to better serve their constituents and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Building on the second Arab Multidimensional Poverty Report (2023), this policy brief offers a critical update on the state of multidimensional poverty in selected Arab countries. Drawing on recent survey data from three Arab middle-income countries, Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia, and three least developed countries (LDCs), Comoros, Mauritania, and Yemen, the brief highlights nuanced and often persistent challenges. The brief reveals that while some progress has been made in certain areas, multidimensional poverty in several Arab countries, particularly LDCs, has remained alarmingly high or seen only marginal reductions over the past decade. It underscores an urgent need for policymakers to intensify efforts in key areas such as education, essential public services, and basic living conditions. This brief provides critical, data-driven insights for stakeholders to address the complex and varying challenges of multidimensional poverty, advocating for targeted interventions and sustained efforts to foster equitable development across the Arab region.