Approaches to Enhanced Service Delivery for Displaced Children and Families in Egypt

Please join us for the upcoming Global Evidence for Egypt spotlight seminar on humanitarian action, which will focus on how evidence from randomized impact evaluations conducted globally can inform efforts to strengthen humanitarian action and promote sustainable livelihoods for displaced populations in Egypt

This seminar is co-hosted by J-PAL Middle East and North Africa (MENA) at the American University in Cairo and UNICEF Egypt. It is the ninth in the Global Evidence for Egypt Spotlight Seminar Series, which brings together Egyptian policymakers and researchers in the J-PAL network in a discussion about how to tackle priority policy issues in Egypt.

During each seminar, policymakers highlight a particular development priority in Egypt, and J-PAL affiliated researchers offer evidence-informed insights to improve policy and program design from a global perspective. Together, the panel of policymakers and J-PAL affiliates ground the evidence in the Egyptian context and explore possible policy solutions.

Overview

This seminar will start with a presentation of emerging global evidence from evaluations of programs that deliver basic services to displaced populations and foster social cohesion with host communities. In this edition, the evidence presentation will be delivered by Dr. Stephen O’Connell, Associate Professor of Economics at Emory University and a J-PAL Invited Researcher in the Displaced Livelihoods and Humanitarian Protection Initiatives. Following the presentation, a panel discussion will reflect on how the lessons from the evidence can inform Egypt’s evolving policy landscape. The discussion will focus on emerging lessons from basic service delivery and efforts to foster social cohesion. It will address the dual challenge of meeting immediate humanitarian needs while promoting long-term, sustainable livelihoods. The session will also explore cross-sector collaboration among government actors, NGOs, development partners, and research institutions—an essential approach to addressing the complex needs of diverse populations. In light of Egypt’s new asylum law , the session aims to generate actionable insights to inform effective policies and programming.

Speakers

• Ahmed El Sayed, Executive Director of J-PAL MENA and Associate Professor at the Onsi Sawiris School of Business, The American University in Cairo
• Janette Shaheen, Chief of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, UNICEF Egypt
• Mohamed Elkaramany, Assistant Professor of Public Policy and Administration, The American University in Cairo
• Nathalie Meyer, Deputy Representative Programmes, UNICEF Egypt
• Sherifa Said, Head of Humanitarian Assistance, World Food Programme Egypt Office
• Stephen O’Connell, Associate Professor of Economics, Emory University