Introduction

Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) seeks to foster transformative change toward an empowered, resilient, and just society in Jordan and the Arab World. In line with its mandate and aspirations, ARDD has established the Human and Economic Development Forum (HEDF) as part of Al-Nahda Thought Center.

Al Nahda Center is the organizational umbrella under which HEDF functions and operates. HEDF is independent of government and serves as a policy research, monitoring, dissemination, and advocacy institution in the area of human development with a focus on socioeconomic issues. The focus of HEDF’s efforts is on inclusive and informed socioeconomic research and policy that serves to build a better-informed society throughout the Arab world.

HEDF cooperates with Arab platforms, civil society, and the private sector, and partners with internationally recognized socioeconomic research organizations with similar mandates on joint projects to foment an approach that combines local capacities and knowledge with international best practices. It is envisaged that by the third year of operation, HEDF will expand into other Arab countries to establish similar socioeconomic research capacities and platforms.

The Role and Objectives of HEDF

A central component of HEDF’s work is to respond to the needs of the existing development paradigm through a learned, more effective, and efficient discourse among the public sector, private sector, civil society, and the public at large through the scientific and objective framing of human and economic development issues, their determinants and challenges in the Arab world. Hence, HEDF is primarily focused on engaging with socioeconomic issues by conducting and commissioning specialized policy studies, disseminating the findings in a sustainable manner, and lobbying for positive change via state-of-the-art tools and methodologies. This is done through the following specific objectives:

1. Support the business and human rights agenda by strengthening protection and social security.
2. Enhancing social justice between the different sectors by achieving greater justice, equality and equity.
3. Creating synergies of the directions between civil society and the concerned parties regarding ways and means of improving the social and economic environment.
4. Analyzing the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Jordan and working towards its advancement.
5. Advancing effective vocational and academic education essential to the labour market and enhancing workers’ protection.
6. Study and analysis of the economics of local administrations (municipalities) in Jordan.
7. Promoting private sector participation in socioeconomic development issues and debate.
8. Working on gaining the public sector’s acceptance of scrutiny and accountability pertained to its policies through an institutional, participatory, systematic, objective, and rigorous approach
9. Advocating for human development based on meticulous research that is presented in a reader-friendly format.
10. Support other national efforts in the Arab world to emerge as think tanks concerned with public policy assessment and evaluation by providing a best-practice module in Jordan.

The HEDF Structure and Mission

The HEDF, comprised of professionals, will conduct studies on all aspects of the socio-economy with particular emphasis on policy, timely dissemination of findings, and providing policy and strategic advice to civil society, public and private sectors, while creating and maintaining a national social and economic database that would eventually encompass the whole economy.

Therefore, HEDF:

• Conducts and disseminates rigorous research in the analysis of socioeconomic-related policy.
• Provides a dynamic, current, and widely accessible database.
• Participates in teaching/training seminars, presenting actual studies to students and entrepreneurs in socioeconomic, economic, and other disciplines.
• Incubates other relevant policy analysis teams, scholars, and researchers.
• Assists the private sector and civil society to assume proactive policy formulation roles.
• Provides a system to track/assess human development in the Arab world.

The Design and Determine Entrepreneurial Cluster

Operating under the HEDF umbrella, The Design and Determine Cluster seeks to bring together entrepreneurship stakeholders in Jordan, strengthen communication and networking, and exchange experiences to support each other and grow together. The cluster supports the Jordanian entrepreneurial ecosystem to create a pioneering community and a place to build partnerships that contribute to the economic progress of its members.