Session 3: Evidence-based policy making and monitoring and evaluation frameworks Session 4: Strategic enablers: HRM, budget, stakeholder engagement Cairo, 10 July 2017 The one-day seminar co-organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Planning, Monitoring and Administrative Reform, the OECD MENA Governance Programme and SIGMA was initiated to provide representatives of the various key Egyptian centre of government institutions with an overview on whole-of-government co-ordination, strategic planning, evidence-based policy development and monitoring by introducing key concepts and international good examples from OECD member countries.

1. © OECD
AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
The Centre of Government: Driving
Egypt Vision 2030
Session 3: Evidence-based policy making, M&E
frameworks
Peter Vági
Senior Adviser, SIGMA
Cairo, Egypt, 10 July 2017

2. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
What are the Principles of Public
Administration?
• The Principles provide a guide for countries in their reform
processes and an analytical framework for monitoring changes
over time
• Derived from EU and OECD requirements, international
standards and good practice in EU/OECD countries
• The Principles include only key requirements for horizontal
aspects of good governance
• The Principles apply to everything that government does.
• Apply to all sectors and policies (health, education, security,
employment…)
• Describe what is needed to implement policies
• Provide the building blocks for good public administration
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3. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Evidence-based policy development in
light of the SIGMA Principles
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Principle 6: The policy-making and legal-drafting process is evidence-based, and impact assessment is
regularly used across ministries.
1. The legal framework establishes the types of analytical processes and the requirements and standards
expected of line ministries when developing policy proposals and legislative drafts.
2. The rules specify the type of information that should be presented to decision makers along with policy
proposals and legislative drafts brought forward for their decision.
3. Clear and transparent methodologies supplement the legal framework with detailed instructions for the
policy-development process (including problem definition, review and costing of alternative solutions,
analysis of direct and indirect impacts, and the distribution of impacts on different populations).
4. The analytical approach is proportionate to the complexity of the issues under analysis and includes,
when necessary, gender analysis to identify gaps between de jure and de facto status of gender equality.
5. The analyses are based on available, relevant and up-to-date data, including separate data on gender
when relevant.
6. Policy options are costed, and the outputs of the analysis clearly indicate the source(s) of funding for the
proposed policy, linking the anticipated cost of the measures and the medium-term financial planning
process. The proposals are either affordable within current budgetary agreements, or an explanation is
provided for any deviation and need for additional funding.
7. There is clarity about responsibility over day-to-day guidance and quality assurance of the analyses, and
the responsible institution(s) fulfils established responsibilities. Where several institutions share this role,
line ministries clearly understand their respective roles.
8. Mechanisms to monitor implementation, to evaluate progress, and to identify obstacles to successful
implementation of policies and concrete pieces of legislation are routinely identified within the analyses.

4. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
POLICY ANALYSIS:
Internal environment
External environment
Problems
POLICY DESIGN:
Vision, Options
Objectives and actions
Performance indicators
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION:
Communication
Co-ordination
MONITORING &
EVALUATION:
Analysis of results
Policy implementation and
improvement
Key role of evidence-based design in the
policy development cycle
• To provide a systemic (and
proportionate) approach to ensure that
decisions can be made in an informed
manner about:
 The real nature of the problem
(features and causes)
 Viable options to select from
 Cost of various options
 Consequences of the selected design
(impacts)
 Implementation (inlc. M&E of the
intervention)
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Overall: a set thought-process supported by specific methods to
collect and analyse data to design the best viable policy
intervention

5. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Role of the CoG in policy design
• To set the tone (standard requirements,
methods)
• To assist application of the requirements
(guidelines, guidance, training)
• To ensure application of the
requirements
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• To ensure proper application of the Enablers (to be specified)
• To check if the results/proposals “make sense”
• To check against priorities and existing policies

6. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Policy monitoring and evaluation in light
of the SIGMA Principles
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Principle 2: Regular monitoring of performance against the plans enables public
scrutiny and ensures the achievement of stated objectives.
1. There is an institutional set-up regularly monitoring the performance of the state
and reviewing progress against the approved plans.
2. Processes are in place to measure progress in meeting stated policy objectives,
including the outcomes specified in the medium-term and annual work plans.
3. Regular reporting takes place on implementation of the approved plans and other
central planning documents, if any; the reporting process is coherent and includes
clear reference to institutional responsibilities in terms of delivery.
4. Annual reports on performance against the plan(s) are publicly available and open
for parliamentary scrutiny.
5. The monitoring system includes reporting on the implementation of sector
strategies and enables systematic and objective assessment of their design,
implementation and results.
6. Institutions responsible for monitoring have the mandate and capacity to steer
the processes in a co-ordinated manner.

7. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Key role of monitoring and reporting in the
policy development cycle
• Provide tools for the co-ordinators to
gather relevant data and to be informed
• Provide decision-makers’ tools to ensure
implementation (make informed
decisions)
• Provide transparency for external
stakeholders
• Provide tool to be alerted and capable of
correction and adjustment
• Provide discipline in the implementation
process
• Provide input to successive policy
design/re-design
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POLICY ANALYSIS:
Internal environment
External environment
Problems
POLICY DESIGN:
Vision, Options
Objectives and actions
Performance indicators
POLICY IMPLEMENTATION:
Communication
Co-ordination
MONITORING &
EVALUATION:
Analysis of results
Policy implementation and
improvement
Overall: a key tool for policy dialogue framed by the policy plans
and key objectives

8. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
What effective monitoring and evaluation
requires?
• Clear policy direction is set (with SMART
objectives, relevant indicators and
targets and clear direction for action)
• Available and relevant data
• Clear monitoring and evaluation
responsibilities and their understanding
by all involved
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• Good assisting tools for measurement and evaluation (for information
collection, analysis and presentation)
• Functioning management structure (that not only reads reports, but
understands them and takes action upon them)
• Capacities across the whole policy cycle, from all involved
(implementers, analysts-monitoring/evaluation staff, decision-makers)

9. © OECD
AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Session 4: Some strategic enablers – HRM,
stakeholder engagement

10. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Public service and HRM in light of the
SIGMA Principles
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Principle 1: The policy and legal frameworks for a professional and coherent public service are in place;
the institutional set-up enables consistent and effective human resource management practices across
the public service.
1. There is a defined policy for public service development in the framework of the relevant strategies (e.g.
government programme, public administration reform strategy), with clear and coherent measures in
place to support its implementation.
2. A legal framework regulates the public service; details are regulated in secondary regulation in order to
allow flexibility of the system and adaptability to changing needs. The legislation is in line with
administrative law principles such as lawfulness, reliability and predictability, absence of discrimination,
openness and transparency, accountability, efficiency and effectiveness.
3. Public service regulations, particularly with regard to recruitment, promotion and dismissals, prevent
direct or indirect unfair discrimination.
4. All decisions of the public employer related to the rights and legitimate interests of public servants or
applicants to the public service are subject to legal remedies, including judicial control.
5. Political responsibility for the public service is clearly established. A central unit is established by law, be
it a ministry, administrative agency or another entity, vested with horizontal powers to manage the
public service across the public administration. This central unit should ensure that the same principles
and management standards are uniformly applied throughout the public service as a whole.
6. A human resource management information system – ideally based on electronic interaction – supports
strategic workforce planning, management, remuneration and monitoring of human resource
management practices in the public service.
7. Professional and consistent human resource management services are ensured across the public service
by sufficient capacity in all administrative bodies to manage the workforce and implement the public
service legislation.
8. The legal framework is applied in practice.

11. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
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What strategic HRM adds to better policy
design and implementation?
• Ensuring resource planning in light of
specific policy needs (but with a view
on the “big picture”)
• Assess the capacity needs and current
state and plan/execute capacity
development in a systemic way
• Ensure application of unified rules for
all aspects of HRM (with the help of
HRMIS)
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• Ensuring the rationality of the organisational settings (in light of 3E)
• Linking attainment of objectives to institutional/personal performance

12. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Role of the Centre in strategic HRM
• To set the tone (standard requirements,
methods)
• To assist application of the requirements
(guidelines, guidance, training)
• To ensure application of the
requirements (oversight and
gatekeeping)
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• To strategically design the workforce and development of the
administration (including organisation, managerial accountability and
capacity development, as well as performance management design)
• + To check policies from HRM/implementation perspective
• + To steer and manage integrity/anti-corruption policy

13. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Stakeholder engagement in light of the
SIGMA Principles
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Principle 7: Policies and legislation are designed in an inclusive manner that enables the
active participation of society and allows for co-ordinating perspectives within the
administration.
1. Procedures are in place to enable effective public consultation, and these are consistently
applied across ministries, allowing non-governmental organisations and citizens to
influence policy formulation. There is a proactive approach to empowering citizens, in
particular women, in decision making.
2. Opportunities for comment and involvement by stakeholders are timed to enable genuine
dialogue and the potential to affect policy development, with clear information provided to
consultees on the issues and questions at stake.
3. Responsible state institutions have sufficient time and resources to analyse and use
consultees’ responses.
4. The procedures and structures for consultation on proposals between key state institutions
operate effectively and address both the process and substantive matters.
5. The lead state institution reports on the outcome of inter-institutional consultation as part
of the documentation accompanying policy proposals and legislation submitted for
decision.
6. Inter-institutional conflict-resolution mechanisms are built into the decision-making
process at both the administrative and political levels to ensure stakeholders’ access, to
fully utilise the administration’s expertise, and to enable optimal conflict resolution before
the issue is discussed and decided by the decision makers.

14. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Key role of stakeholder engagement in the
policy design and implementation
• Provide tools for better design (through
targeted questions, getting information
to enrich evidence-base)
• Enhance overall trust and better buy-in
for change (through genuine dialogue
and feedback)
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• If taken as a process (and not as one-off) gives opportunity to
fine-tune and quickly react to implementation problems
• The Centre should:
• Set the tone
• Provide guidance
• Ensure consistent application (to avoid/mitigate conflicts and
setbacks)
• Enrich decision-making and utilise constant build-up of engaged
stakeholders to “sell” reforms

15. AjointinitiativeoftheOECDandtheEuropeanUnion,
principallyfinancedbytheEU
Thank you for your attention!
More information can be found at:
www.sigmaweb.org
The Principles are available in French, English
and Arabic at:
http://sigmaweb.org/publications/Principles%20
-ENP-Eng.pdf
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