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Towards Changing the Competitiveness Mindset

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Executing Agency: (NEX) State Planning Commission
Practice Area: Democratic Governance
Total Budget: US$ 642,500
Duration: August 2005 - Dec. 2008
Status: Closed
Location: All of Syria

Description / Overview:
The State Planning Commission (SPC) in its capacity as the government organization in charge of planning and international cooperation for development , requested the assistance of UNDP in designing and establishing both an institution/component of the strategy for upgrading the competitiveness of the Syrian economy and a National Competitiveness Observatory (NCO) to help benchmark Syria’s competitiveness against that of selected group of countries and disseminate the findings to help improve competitiveness of Syria

Objectives:

  • Spread awareness on competitiveness issue and bring it on the forefront of National Agenda.
  • Establish a National Competitiveness Observatory team (NCOT).
  • Benchmark Syrian competitiveness indicators with other countries; include Syria in Global & Regional Competitiveness Reports.
  • Assist the government in issuing the First Syrian National Competitiveness Report 2007, and the First National Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report 2008.
 

Target Beneficiaries:

  • Involved staff from the Ministry of Economy (MOE),
  • Ministry of Industry (MOI),
  • Ministry of Tourism - State Planning Commission (SPC)
  • Private sector and academia
  • Foreign and local investors 

 

Achievements / Current Status:

  •  First Competitiveness Forum 2006 conducted.
  • Capacity of NCOT built through trainings in relevant fields.
  • Value Chain analysis studies on four priority clusters of the Syrian economy Leather Industry, Cotton Garments Industry, Nuts and Serum are issued.
  • First National Report on Syrian Competitiveness 2007 produced.
  • Business sector opinion in Business sector & environment by distributing & collecting questioners to Executive directors & managers assessed.
  • Awareness among all stakeholders on competitiveness issues & Syrian ranking raised.
  • The establishment of a National Competitiveness Observatory Board for Studies & Economic Policies implementation supported.
  • Syria inserted for the first time in Arab Competitiveness Report 2007, Global Competitiveness Report 2007-2008, Travel and tourism Competitiveness Report and Information and Technology Report and Gender Gap Report 2007 , all issued by WEF.
  • Workshops in different governorates conducted with business sector representatives and stake holders lecturing in: Competitiveness concept and Syria’s ranking in Global & Regional Competitiveness reports.
Project Documents Link:
NPD: Dr. Nuhad Dimashquiyyah and project staff NPC/SPC: Dr. Iyad Ali
UNDP Project Management: Business for Development Team, Rawd Al-Sayed
Last update of project information: July2008