ESCWA Publication: E/ESCWA/CL2.GPID/2020/TP.13
Country: Arab region
Publication Type: Information material
Cluster: Gender Justice, Population and Inclusive Development
Focus Area: Inclusive development
Initiatives: Women’s rights and gender mainstreaming, Promoting social justice
SDGs: Agenda 2030
Keywords: Equality, Equity, Public policy, Social justice, Government policy
Social justice policy gap assessment tool
December 2020
The Policy Gap Assessment Tool aims to analyze the extent to which the principles of social justice are integrated into public policies and development programs in the Arab region by identifying the gaps and deficits in policies that are considered key to achieve social justice.
The tool enables government institutions to conduct a self-assessment of their capacities to integrate social justice principles into policy-making processes in a participatory manner. It contributes to increasing the awareness of decision-makers about the need to integrate social justice principles into public policies, advocacy programs, and performance analysis, hence supporting leadership, and strengthening coherence and coordination between the different ministries. The tool also enables government institutions to use the assessment results to improve their capacities in designing plans and policies and finding local solutions to address the obstacles and challenges that prevent the mainstreaming of social justice in policy-making processes. The tool can identify several gaps. These include: (a) gaps in knowledge and skills required for the design, implementation, financing, or evaluation processes of social and economic policies; (b) gaps in building consensus around policy options that are just, inclusive and based on equality, participation and rights; (c) deficits within the enabling / regulatory environment that govern these processes; and (d) deficits in the institutional structures and internal mechanisms that ensure policy coherence and coordination.
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Inclusive development
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The Policy Gap Assessment Tool aims to analyze the extent to which the principles of social justice are integrated into public policies and development programs in the Arab region by identifying the gaps and deficits in policies that are considered key to achieve social justice.
The tool enables government institutions to conduct a self-assessment of their capacities to integrate social justice principles into policy-making processes in a participatory manner. It contributes to increasing the awareness of decision-makers about the need to integrate social justice principles into public policies, advocacy programs, and performance analysis, hence supporting leadership, and strengthening coherence and coordination between the different ministries. The tool also enables government institutions to use the assessment results to improve their capacities in designing plans and policies and finding local solutions to address the obstacles and challenges that prevent the mainstreaming of social justice in policy-making processes. The tool can identify several gaps. These include: (a) gaps in knowledge and skills required for the design, implementation, financing, or evaluation processes of social and economic policies; (b) gaps in building consensus around policy options that are just, inclusive and based on equality, participation and rights; (c) deficits within the enabling / regulatory environment that govern these processes; and (d) deficits in the institutional structures and internal mechanisms that ensure policy coherence and coordination.
