As Egypt undertakes profound reforms to modernise its public administration, this OECD Public Governance Review provides an overview of the country’s efforts to promote more responsive, citizen-centered and impactful policies as part of the ambitious objectives set forth in Egypt Vision 2030 and the Public Administration Reform Plan. Benchmarked against OECD good practices and standards, the Review highlights both achievements and persistent challenges in a complex and evolving socio-political and economic global landscape. It provides concrete policy advice and recommendations for action in key areas to solidify the foundations for successful public governance reforms in Egypt. Ultimately, the Review underscores the vital role of whole-of-government planning, co-ordination, strategic human resources management, administrative simplification, transparency, and communication as well as gender and youth mainstreaming as essential elements for realising the full potential of Egypt's reform agenda.
OECD Public Governance Reviews: Egypt
Abstract
Executive Summary
The Government of Egypt is reforming its public administration through the adoption of strategic commitments in the updated version of Egypt Vision 2030 (2023) and the Public Administration Reform Plan (PARP) currently under review. Despite progress, challenges persist in meeting citizens’ needs and further delivering on the promise of these historic reforms whilst navigating an increasingly uncertain and complex global socio‑economic context. Reform efforts to date have resulted in significant institutional changes in key public governance functions, which would benefit from a whole-of-government approach for greater co‑ordination and evidence-driven decision-making. At the same time, the changes gradually introduced by these reforms are providing new opportunities to modernise the Egyptian civil service, promote citizen-centred public services, enhance transparency and mainstream a youth and gender lens in public policies. This OECD Public Governance Review of Egypt aims to help the Government translate its ambitious reforms into more effective, co-ordinated, evidence-based and citizen-driven policy outcomes.
To articulate the implementation of Egypt Vision 2030, the Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation (MPEDIC) has sought to strengthen co-ordination arrangements whilst modernising its data generation and management linked to performance monitoring systems for the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. With the present transition to a new planning system, it will be necessary to enhance and formalise co‑ordination arrangements with relevant sectors to strengthen the alignment of mid-term programmes and sectoral strategies with the strategic objectives outlined in Egypt Vision 2030. Undertaking a mapping of planning functions, defining clear roles and responsibilities, and developing technical assistance material for line ministries will be pivotal in this regard. Empowering MPEDIC’s Sustainable Development Unit to support a co-ordinated implementation with assigned sectoral focal points to bolster institutional planning and co‑ordination will also be critical.
Egypt has been carrying out ambitious public administration reforms for the past decades, most notably through the implementation of the PARP adopted in 2014 and led by the Central Agency for Organisation and Administration (CAOA). Spearheaded by CAOA, Egypt has made progress towards a more modernised and fit-for-purpose public administration through various priority initiatives targeting the effectiveness of public institutions, digitalisation, civil service and public services. The ongoing revision of the PARP is an opportunity to reflect on the latest developments and issues for public administration in Egypt, the priorities highlighted in the updated Egypt Vision 2030, as well as innovations and trends in global public administrations. As the leading agency in implementing the PARP, CAOA could further translate its strategic objectives into action plans, enhance co‑ordination mechanisms and bolster capabilities to steer, co‑ordinate, implement and monitor reforms across sectors and levels of government.
Egypt has undertaken considerable efforts to revamp and modernise its civil service, most notably through the 2016 Civil Service Law, the rollout of new institutional structures across ministries, upskilling the civil service and the future launch of an observatory for public service delivery. Together, these efforts have sought to enhance many aspects of public employment, including a more professional recruitment process and a modern, forward-looking performance management system. Nonetheless, more efforts are needed to improve the agility and resilience of the public service to ensure that it can swiftly adapt to fast-changing circumstances and unforeseen shocks, notably by enhancing learning, development and mobility among public sector employees. The move to the New Administrative Capital provides an opportunity to upgrade the principles of human resource management and provide tools, guidance and support to leaders, managers and staff across the public service to transform long-established practices and ways of working.
In recent years, the Government of Egypt has made significant strides using digital solutions to improve the efficiency, accessibility and transparency of public services and procedures. The Digital Egypt strategy has played a pivotal role in streamlining public service delivery and modernising the way the administration operates through the PARP. However, these strategic frameworks should provide details on how objectives within Digital Egypt can be operationalised. Moreover, developing a cross-cutting administrative simplification strategy will help streamline the country’s complex public service infrastructure.
Egypt has enshrined in its constitution the right of access to information and has also implemented a wide range of parallel initiatives to disclose information. However, more efforts are needed to promote transparency, notably by proactively disclosing information in a systematic manner through a more coordinated and institutionalised approach, until a law on the right of access to information is adopted. Building upon existing initiatives and opportunities, there is scope to enhance citizen and stakeholder participation by establishing more impactful councils, conferences and advisory boards at the national and local levels; and exploring innovative participatory processes, including digital participation. Additionally, Egypt could further work towards fostering an enabling environment for citizen and stakeholder participation, from the agenda-setting to the implementation phases, thereby ensuring more effective, inclusive and responsive public decision-making. The Review also finds an opportunity to make better use of public communication to boost transparency and stakeholder participation and support strategic planning and implementation of Egypt Vision 2030 and the PARP.
Egypt has made important strides in promoting the inclusion of women and young people in public life. Nonetheless, findings from the Review underscore the need to further strengthen the mandate and capacities of key governmental actors implementing commitments to gender equality and youth empowerment. Establishing co-ordination mechanisms and clear roles and responsibilities will be instrumental in ensuring a whole-of-government approach to increase the impact of current implementation efforts. The Government could further benefit from systematically adopting a dual approach to gender mainstreaming by targeting specific gender gaps while integrating gender equality across all policies. At the same time, implementing a national youth strategy would enhance policy coherence and foster a common vision for young people. Finally, there is scope to further integrate gender and youth mainstreaming in sectoral policy planning and in the PARP, as well as to promote women’s and youth representation in the public sector.
