Social Sector Service Areas
Strategy and Planning
Program Development and Implementation
Organizational Effectiveness
Performance Management and Evaluation
Partnership Services
Business Process Outsourcing
Specializations
Education and National Skills Systems
Entrepreneurship
Cultural Development
How Skills Surveys Can More Effectively Identify Workforce Skills Gaps
Through a multicountry review of skills surveys, we propose an alternative approach to establishment skills surveys that can play a more effective role in determining how workforce skills influence achievement of firm business objectives in the Arab World.
Using Social Networking for Change
We see IT as an important enabler for regional development, and we have worked with global technology leaders such as Intel and Microsoft to deepen the impact of regional development programs leveraging technology.
A Regional Institution for Improving the Quality of Education
There are many opportunities for synergies through cooperation between regional education quality programs as well as clear areas of overlap which can benefit from consolidation.
Using Awards Effectively for Social Change
Many award programs in the region focus on large monetary sums to award best practices. We argue that money is not enough, and award programs should reinforce social change through knowledge diffusion, network building initiatives, and follow on training to maximize social impact.
Increasing Female Labor Market Participation With Scholarships
In several countries in the Arab World, women face significant obstacles to obtaining higher education and entering the workforce. We propose an e-Scholarships for Women Initiative to mitigate access, equality, and labor participation challenges.
Strategy and Planning
Program Development and Implementation
Organizational Effectiveness
Performance Management and Evaluation
Partnership Services
Business Process Outsourcing
Specializations
Education and National Skills Systems
Entrepreneurship
Cultural Development
Our Thinking
How Skills Surveys Can More Effectively Identify Workforce Skills GapsThrough a multicountry review of skills surveys, we propose an alternative approach to establishment skills surveys that can play a more effective role in determining how workforce skills influence achievement of firm business objectives in the Arab World.
Using Social Networking for ChangeWe see IT as an important enabler for regional development, and we have worked with global technology leaders such as Intel and Microsoft to deepen the impact of regional development programs leveraging technology.
A Regional Institution for Improving the Quality of EducationThere are many opportunities for synergies through cooperation between regional education quality programs as well as clear areas of overlap which can benefit from consolidation.
Using Awards Effectively for Social ChangeMany award programs in the region focus on large monetary sums to award best practices. We argue that money is not enough, and award programs should reinforce social change through knowledge diffusion, network building initiatives, and follow on training to maximize social impact.
Increasing Female Labor Market Participation With ScholarshipsIn several countries in the Arab World, women face significant obstacles to obtaining higher education and entering the workforce. We propose an e-Scholarships for Women Initiative to mitigate access, equality, and labor participation challenges.
Cultural
Development
- We work with governments, social sector institutions, and corporations on sector strategies and programs for cultural development and mutual understanding. We have extensive experience in publishing Arabic language content, promoting cultural participation and heritage, and fostering inter-and- cross-cultural understanding.
Our Capabilities
Strategic Planning for Cultural Awareness, Access, and Mutual Understanding• Promoting the role of culture in socio-economic development - the link between creativity in the cultural community and innovation
• Improving access to and participation in culture while also promoting cultural respect and learning
• Stimulating cross border dissemination of culture and the movement of artists, creators, and other cultural professionals and their works
• Fostering intercultural dialogue to promote mutual understanding of Arab culture and historyProgram Development for Cultural Awareness, Access, and Mutual Understanding• Developing targeted, demand driven and sector specific cultural strategies, including funding strategies and leveraging technology to expand reach and impact
• Developing facilities which meet community cultural needs and represent local identity
• Nurturing organizations engaged in the production of cultural goods and services
• Preservation, restoration, maintenance, and safety of cultural materials
• Planning and allocating funding for and cooperation between institutions, organizations, and governments
• Increasing volume and quality of data and analyses on regional culture
• Regional dissemination of culture and mobility of cultural professionals
Arabic Publishing Industry Situation Analysis and Options Other than a Small Market for Books, several challenges face the Arab Publishing Industry from multiple perspectives. Here are our views on the most important issues and what needs to be done.
Unleashing the Arab Imagination We take a strategic view of cultural creation to present an initiative that targets key stages in the value chain to increase the supply of Arab cultural outputs and build regional cultural consumption, creating a more vibrant regional market for culture.
Training Arab Authors We articulate a strategy to establish an Arab city as an international destination for literature writers, a writer’s paradise from which books will be launched, international book signing tours will stop, and practitioners can congregate to engage in literary dialogue
Knowledge-Based Economic Development in a Post-Awakening Arab World In pursuing knowledge-based economic development, many countries in the region have made large state-driven human capital investments with the goals of job creation, economic integration, economic diversification, environmental sustainability, and social development. An assessment of the effectiveness of Arab investments in human capital shows marginal progress over the last decade.
How Skills Surveys Can More Effectively Identify Workforce Skills Gaps Through a multicountry review of skills surveys, we propose an alternative approach to establishment skills surveys that can play a more effective role in determining how workforce skills influence achievement of firm business objectives in the Arab World.- Below are a few examples of our recent work:
• Conducted an extensive assessment of a proposed $4 million national book fair signature event to determine value and impacts, along with the feasibility of the country and organization’s readiness to host the event. The conclusion, albeit difficult, served to protect the organization from a risky investment, while respecting the needs of its stakeholders. • Conceptualized and managed three flagship programs for a prominent private Arab foundation which resulted in the translation of over 600 books from nine different languages into Arabic, the publication of 50 books by new regional authors, and the creation of the largest virtual Arabic library, which includes 4,300 books, 2000 periodicals, 700 book reviews, 15,000 biographies and seven dictionaries • With input from senior government officials and leveraging multicountry strategic partnerships with cultural organizations, developed extensive situational analyses which formed the organizational and program strategy for a portfolio of 15 projects with an annual budget of $20 million. • Designed a strategic implementation plan for an international center of literature to establish an Arab city as an international destination for internationally renowned writers, adding to the country’s cultural scene while also training young aspiring writers from the region.
• Designed a regional cultural initiative and strategic implementation plan to increase the supply of Arab cultural outputs and build regional cultural consumption, creating a more vibrant regional market for culture• Developed a youth reading incentive program to encourage lifelong reading, reinforce reading in Arabic, and embed reading as a core family value for an Arab government organization
- Below are a few examples of our recent work:
