HPC Secretary General, Dr. Abla Amawi, emphasized the need to integrate population indicators and dynamics in local and national development plans in line with sustainable development goals, as well as the need to enhance the capacity of governorate and executive councils committees in this field to ensure optimal planning and progress towards realizing and investing in the demographic dividend which is expected to reach its peak in 2040.
During a training program organized by HPC, in cooperation with USAID-funded Tawasol project “J-CAP”, from November 26 to December 6, 2018, on integrating the demographic dimension in local plans, Amawi explained that integrating a demographic dimension in the local planning process and focusing on demographic dividend policies will expand the scope of potential projects that governorate councils could consider in the executive plans of governorates for (2019-2022) especially in the field of health awareness, support for youth entrepreneurship projects, women and youth empowerment in planning and family welfare, small and micro enterprises “credit funds and revolving loan funds” for women and youth. Amawi added that these projects can help achieve population-related goals, reflect demographic indicators at the governorate level and achieve demographic dividend policies at the local and national levels.
The training program targeted the central and northern governorates and was attended by the chairmen and deputy chairmen of governorate council committees of central and northern region governorates as well as the executive councils representing the directorates of youth, health, education, labor, environment, agriculture, tourism and antiquities, public works, water, social development, culture and industry and trade, and the mayors of the greater municipalities.
At the training, HPC Programs Director, Dr. Sawsan Al Daaja, said that this program aims to enhance awareness of the demographic dividend and the related policies to achieve it as well as demographic indicators at the governorate levels. She added that the training also seeks to provide participants with skills to formulate social strategic goals, the related population sector goals, key performance indicators to measure progress towards goals, description cards for projects that will be included in the executive plans of governorates, as well as the related budgets.
The training program marks the completion of phase I of a project through which a pilot group of members of governorate and executive councils of Ajloun, Madaba and Tafilah received training and projects on raising awareness and building youth capacity in family planning and reproductive health were integrated.
