Issue: 106
SHIFT Turkey on design thinking in policy making and development was held on 22-24 September in Ankara.
Turning into a real global conversation with participants from the UK, Jamaica, Egypt and Moldova, importance of design thinking in finding new approaches for the policy making processes and how actually it works was discussed.
Social service delivery for the elderly in Turkey was explored as a case and prototypes designed on alternative methods was developed.
Participants from Jamaica and Egypt shared their experiences on innovation and some parts of the event was livestreamed on Ustream.
UNDP in Turkey hosted the SHIFT event as part of UNDP’s week of Innovation Action where 21 UNDP’s Country Offices host events on innovation.
The goal of the initiative overall was to apply design thinking towards innovative policy making exploring the case of elderly care and find innovative solutions for decreasing the cost of such services without compromising quality.
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The project on “Integrated Forest Management of High Conservation Value Mediterranean Forests in Turkey”, shortly known as Integrated Forest Management Project, publicly launched in Ankara at the end of September.
The project is executed by Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, General Directorate of Forestry, and implemented by UNDP Turkey with the financial support of GEF (Global Environment Facility).
Dr. Nurettin Akman, the Deputy Minister of Forestry and Water Affairs said that under the Ministry’s activities for sustainable management of Turkey’s natural resources, the forestland in Turkey has increased 900 thousand hectares in the last decade.
He also underlined that the project aimed at developing and improving the solutions to global challenges through pilot implementations; and that these solutions would be shared with other countries.
Matilda Dimovska, UNDP Turkey Deputy Resident Representative, emphasized that this project is an opportunity to show how management of forest can integrate climate change and biodiversity concerns and to work on the key issue that the world is looking for today – sustainability.
Dimovska added that, based on the vision of the Rio+20 Summit, the first proposal for the SDGs is outlined and one of those goals is related to today’s topic.
It is the goal that calls to: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.
Integrated management approach will be promoted in the management of forests
Through this project it is aimed to show the multiple benefits of the high conservation value forests in the Mediterranean forest region, to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and carbon storage in these areas, thus to promote integrated management approach for the management of Turkey’s forests.
It will be implemented in 5 pilot Forest Enterprise Directorates
In the context of the project; pilot activities such as integrated wild-fire and pests control, rehabilitation and plantation works, income-generating activities for forest villagers, identification and strengthening of species and habitat protection areas in forest eco-system will be implemented in 5 pilot Forest Enterprise Directorates which represent the ecological and socio-economic characteristics of Mediterranean region.
Pilot activities will be enhanced for nation-wide dissemination through data banks and trainings; moreover pilot activities will help to develop new regional projects through international cooperation.
Duration of the project will be 5 years
The project is financially supported by the GEF (Global Environment Facility) with the grant of 7.120.000USD and the duration of the project will be 5 years.
During the implementation phase, not only scientific and technical studies will be done, but also through field works the carbon sequestration capacity of Turkey’s forests will be enhanced.
Also methods that conserve the biodiversity, the forests have, and improve the social and economic benefits, the forests provide, will be developed.
Forest villagers will be supported through project
The project will be implemented in Köyceğiz, Gazipaşa, Gülnar, Pos and Andırın Forest Enterprise Directorates.
In these areas, solar energy water heating and home heating systems will be provided to 1,100 forest villagers.
In addition to that, income generating activities such as bringing medical and aromatic plants into local economy and eco-tourism plans will be supported in pilot areas.
GEF grant to General Directorate of Forestry
It is noted that the total budget of the project is 28,5 million USD, of which 19,4 million USD is supported by General Directorate of Forestry.
İsmail Üzmez, General Director of Forestry stated that “Our successful national and regional works are appreciated by the GEF, and in order to be model for the other countries, the GEF granted a great amount of funding to General Directorate of Forestry”.
Nature Conservation Center, WWF-Turkey, GIZ, Chamber of Forest Engineers, Forest Cooperative Union, and Gold Standard Foundation are the partners of the project and they will support the implementation of the project until 2018.
There are three themes identified for support with the grant scheme. These are:
1. Community water stewardship to increase access to safe drinking water and sanitation services and adaptation to climate change and improved water resources management through inclusive and practical community based approaches
2. Supporting active lifestyles and diseases prevention for enhanced community wellbeing
3. Empowering women and youth through improved education and job creation for more resilient communities.
This call for proposal is open for UN agencies, NGOs and other civil society organizations.
Please see the New World Project Guidelines for more information about the grant scheme and application procedure.
The deadline for project proposals submission is 6 October 2014.
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Photo: Mediterranean Conversation Society
Winners received their awards with the star-studded award ceremony at the Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York for which more than 2,500 people gathered.
Hosted by Hollywood movie stars Connie Britton and Edward Norton, announcement for Mediterranean Conversation Society’s award made by renowned marine researcher Sylvia Earl and Queen Noor.
The award was given to İnci Tüney and Zafer Kızılkaya from Mediterranean Conversation Society’s Board of Directors by Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator.
Former US Vice President and an activist Al Gore delivered the closing speech of the ceremony. His moving speech on climate change and winning projects was strongly applauded by the audience.
More information, including a full list of 2014 winners, can be found at www.equatorinitiative.org.
Human Development Report 2014 has been introduced both in Ankara and in İstanbul on September.
In Ankara, the launch event has been organized on 3 September with the participation of Cevdet Yılmaz, Minister of Development; and Kamal Malhotra, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Turkey.
Istanbul launch event took place in Boğaziçi University on 4 September with the participation of Kamal Mlahotra, UNDP Resident Representative and Gülay Barbarosoğlu, Rector of Boğaziçi University.
Persistent vulnerability threatens human development. And unless it is systematically tackled by policies and social norms, progress will be neither equitable nor sustainable. This is the core premise of the 2014 Human Development Report entitled “Sustaining Human Progress: Reducing Vulnerabilities and Building Resilience”.
According to income-based measures of poverty, 1.2 billion people live with $1.25 or less a day. However, the latest estimates of UNDP Multidimensional Poverty Index reveal that almost 1.5 billion people in 91 developing countries are living in poverty with overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards. And although poverty is declining overall, almost 800 million people are at risk of falling back into poverty if setbacks occur.
“By addressing vulnerabilities, all people may share in development progress, and human development will become increasingly equitable and sustainable,” stated UNDP Administrator Helen Clark.
The Report provides a fresh perspective on vulnerability and proposes ways to strengthen resilience.
The 2014 Human Development Report comes at a critical time, as attention turns to the creation of a new development agenda following the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
Norway at top, Niger at last
The rankings remain unchanged at both ends of the Human Development Index (HDI). Norway, Australia, Switzerland, the Netherlands and the United States remain in the lead for another year, while Sierra Leone, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Niger continue to round out the list.
Despite overall gains in human development, progress in all regions decelerated over 2008–2013 compared to 2000–2008. In the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific region, and Latin America and the Caribbean, average annual growth rate in HDI dropped by about half when comparing these periods.
The steepest declines in HDI values this year occurred in Central African Republic, Libya and Syria, where ongoing conflict contributed to a drop in incomes.
Turkey in the Report
It is misleading to compare values and rankings with those of previously published reports, because of revisions and updates of underlying data and adjustments to goal posts.
There has been an important change in data which have affected this year’s rankings.
Turkey’s Human Development Index (HDI) value for 2013 is 0.759—in the high human development category—positioning the country at 69 out of 187 countries and territories. Given the changes made to data in 2013, this means no real change in the ranking for Turkey compared to 2012 since the ranking of Turkey’s HDI for 2012 based on data available in 2013 and methods used in 2013 was also 69 out of 187 countries and territories.
Between 1980 and 2013, Turkey’s HDI value increased from 0.496 to 0.759, an increase of 53.0 percent or an average annual increase of about 1.30 percent.
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The new phase of the project was introduced with a meeting on 4 September with the participation of Kamal Malhotra, UNDP Resident Representative, Abdullah Orkun Kaya, CEO of TTNET and Sezai Hazır, Honorary President of Habitat Center for Development and Governance.
“Life is Simpler with Internet” project is implemented with the partnership of TTNET, Habitat Center for Development and Governance and UNDP.
In project’s new phase, the trainings on digital literacy will be held in 20 cities across Turkey.
The programme consists of two-days training by 123 young volunteers about safe internet use, e-mail use, and introduction to e-government applications, video communication, online banking and conscious use of social media.
Kamal Malhotra, UNDP Resident Representative in Turkey, said during the meeting; “At the beginning of this century United Nations defined “Information and Communication Technologies for Development” as a global priority. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Habitat Center for Development and Governance and TTNET, aims to create information technology opportunities for everyone and everywhere in Turkey, to decrease the digital divide and to enable the most deprived and marginalized segments of the society make the most out of the benefits of global information community. Our objective is to leap forward to a future that is more resilient, more just and more prosperous, by using the opportunities of information technologies.”
‘I can manage my money’ project has brought public institutions, private sector and civil society together for the first time on financial awareness. The project aims to enable young people to contribute to the sustainable development by raising their awareness on a secure financial future.
Project started in December 2009 with the partnership of Ministry of Development, UNDP, Habitat Center for Development and Governance, Visa Europe Turkey and its member banks.
‘I can manage my money’ project aims to give training opportunities for young people aged between 15-30, so that they can make a budget for their personal financial resources and use financial services properly.
The curriculum focusing on budgeting and financial management is given by young trainers in 61 provinces and is disseminated through peer education model.
The study tour, which focused on multi-level governance, local administrations, fiscal decentralization and local and regional socio-economic development, was organized by UNDP Myanmar with the technical assistance of the UNDP Turkey.
During the study tour, the delegation held series of bilateral meetings with the senior representatives of the central institutions including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Development, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock, Union of Municipalities of Turkey and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency.
The delegation has the opportunity to examine local level practices of multilevel governance and regional development throughout the field visits conducted in the Southeast Anatolia Region.
In the Southeast Anatolia Region, interactions were made with the GAP Regional Development Administration, Karacadağ Development Agency, Gaziantep City Council and Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality.
Site visits at the demonstration areas (irrigation, solar energy etc.) were also conducted at the local level.
As a result of the study tour, participants had the opportunity to compare governance structures in the decentralized systems in Turkey, and attained insights on different modalities and rationales for assignment of roles and responsibilities in multilayered governance systems as well as they had the opportunity to study and observe different models for regional and local development and the role of local institutions for promotion of economic growth and development, including through strengthening of SMEs.
As an integral part of the study tour, following Turkey, the delegation also visited Sweden, which is one of the strongest local governance and welfare systems in the world.
Turkey has engaged in a process of administrative decentralization driven by economic liberalization and industrialization, linked to rapid urban growth also outside of former centres since the 1980s.
An important factor was also the emergence of a thriving SME sector, which demanded a new and more effective administrative culture to improve service delivery and ensure fair access to public services.
Linked to Turkey’s rapprochement to the European Union, a wide set of administrative reform programmes were initiated, building capacities for policy development, decentralized implementation, regional development and strengthening of capacities of local development for service delivery as well as the promotion of good governance and local democracy.
Altogether, Turkey represents an interesting example of decentralization being driven by economic growth and trends to support private sector development, as well as an overall strive for better governance, effective administration and democratic principles.
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Editor: Faik Uyanık
Assistant: Nazife Ece
Contributors to this issue: Ceyda Alpay, Deniz Tapan, Hansın Doğan
© 2014 UNDP Turkey
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