LocationsWHO WE ARE
We are the Regional Innovation Team for the Arab States, part of UNDP’s global Strategic Innovation Unit. Our mission is to harness a broad base of thinking - systems thinking, futures thinking, design thinking - to support countries in tackling complex development challenges and driving towards transformational change. Using dynamic learning as the “new currency” for sustainable development, we generate and curate knowledge, facilitating the exchange of bold ideas, fresh perspectives, and lessons learned from both the Arab States and beyond. By bringing new approaches and sparking alternatives, we aim to stretch the boundaries of what is possible. We work closely with UNDP colleagues in Country Offices and the Regional Hub, governments, and other partners, as we help them navigate complexities and apply innovative thinking, even in the most challenging and crisis-affected contexts.
WHAT WE OFFER
Portfolio design and dynamic management
We support colleagues and partners at national and regional levels in designing and dynamically managing portfolios of policy options and strategic interventions to tackle complex development challenges – such as water scarcity, youth exclusion, economic stagnation, food insecurity - and pursue transformative goals. Drawing on UNDP's Portfolio Policy and experiences from over 70 countries worldwide – including 10 countries from the Arab States - we help partners get unstuck, navigate uncertainty and explore diverse pathways for transformative change. Our approach enables systemic change that is both responsive to people’s needs and tailored to local contexts, even in crisis-affected countries. We also support the design of portfolio-centric UNDP Country Programme Documents, helping shape systems-based, future looking and human-centred strategies. We support preparation, facilitation and synthesis of sensemaking, foresight and horizon scanning processes, helping teams generate diverse and future-oriented insights within complex systems. By unpacking shifting dynamics and patterns, we enable partners to identify actionable opportunities, understand root causes, and anticipate emergent trends.
Capacity development in systems thinking and the portfolio approach
Our team provides interactive capacity building support for governments, UNDP staff, and stakeholders in the region, equipping them with the tools and skills needed to apply systems thinking and the portfolio approach. This empowers them to develop a deeper understanding and craft effective strategies to tackle complex, interconnected development challenges and accelerate transformative change.
Development insights through the Renewal Engine
Through the Renewal Engine – an analytical mechanism designed to enhance decision-making amid uncertainty - we offer in-depth analysis using systems dynamic modelling. This approach generates critical insights to inform policymaking, development programming, and the design of UNDP Country Programme Documents, ensuring development efforts are adaptive and future ready.
Behavioural insights
We use behavioural science to complement systems thinking, providing insights into human behaviour that help shape policies and development interventions for system-level change. By understanding behavioural drivers, we enable partners to create interventions that resonate and inspire sustainable change.
Knowledge exchange
We curate the flow of knowledge and exchange of good practices in systems thinking and innovation across the region, and beyond. By connecting development practitioners, we facilitate learning, innovation, and the adoption of successful approaches that can be replicated or adapted to other contexts
