evaluation methodology as well as to encourage development of high quality databases. These criteria included the validity of data and data sources, the relevance and standardisation of indicators, the use of various indicator classification categories, the presence of metadata for indicators and sources, and the extent to which the database would likely enhance agency monitoring and evaluation efforts.

At the conclusion of the competition, an awards ceremony was held on 5 May 2010 to recognize the top ten DevInfo adaptations. Present at the ceremony were the Chairman of the Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center, the Deputy President of the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics, and the UNICEF Deputy Representative.

After the awards ceremony, a workshop was conducted for all competition participants to
share both best practices as well as common mistakes from among the submitted DevInfo databases. The workshop was conducted interactively, with the facilitator presenting screenshots from submitted databases and requesting participants to identify errors and weaknesses and suggest workable solutions. Participants all agreed that this post-ceremony workshop was extremely helpful in equipping them with better database development skills. They also expressed great interest in a subsequent competition, in which they could apply their newly-acquired skills to build better DevInfo databases to monitor human development in Egypt.

For more information, please contact Manar Soliman, DevInfo Focal Point, UNICEF Egypt, at msoliman@unicef.org.

DevInfo is a powerful database system for monitoring human development endorsed by the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) to assist countries in monitoring achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To download a copy of this royalty-free software, please visit www.devinfo.org/di_downloads.html.