Conducting Surveys and Evaluating Needs

The Existence of a Desire of Change, and an Integrated Vision

First Page

The starting point was the hard work targeting the identification developmental needs and priorities through relying mainly on the expertise available at the local universities, particularly the South Valley University, in Upper Egypt. Labeeb formed specialized scientific and administrative committees to formulate plans and strategies, and come up with proposals for implementing the development process on a scientific basis. A database was constructed that comprised data and information related to each and every development sector.

Since His Excellency, Brigadier General/ Adel Labeeb assumed his position as Qena Governor in November 1999, he had a strong desire to conduct changes, and a clear vision focusing on the improvement of the developmental level of Qena governorate through working on parallel axes, which included economic, social, environmental, and tourism development. The main goal was to improve the quality of life for Qena's residents. The implementation methods used were characterized by being bold and forthright, a matter which enabled Labeeb to overcome and strictly face all the challenges facing him.

Information on Major Pivots of the Required Change and Priorities

Preliminary studies revealed two important results: first that there was actual demand on better-quality local public services; and second, that a main pre-requisite for the change process itself, was to create real public awareness for the necessity and urgency of introducing change.

Formulating An Integrated Sustainable Development Plan

Second Axis: Agricultural Development:

First Axis: Economic Development: (Industrial)

Third Axis: Tourism Development

In the field of agriculture, the plan included the reclamation of 352 thousand feddans distributed over eights areas, in the different governorate centers; while observing that young people and poor families should be the prime beneficiaries of the agricultural development process

In the field of industry, new planning for Qena included the construction of new factories in the modem industrial areas in Qaft and Naga Hamady, and allocating 600 feddans for each factory, in addition to the Small Industries Compound in Al-Saleheya, and many other projects, such as the cement factory in Qaft, the Nile ship-dock, the paper factory in Quos, and the wood factory in Deshna. The economic development goal is to expand the industrial base, promote investment, and raise the economic standard for Qena governorate as a whole. Furthermore, the overall development concept aimed at achieving maximum utilization of available natural resources within the governorate, for example, the granite and phosphate, which they are available with abundance in Qena, at a very high quality that meets the highest international standards.

In the field of tourism, the integrated planning sought investment in all archeological factors and natural resources which exist in the governorate. Qena's facelift included a new Nile Corniche (embankment), an anchorage for tourist ships, in addition to constructing a tourist hotel, developing, beautifying and lighting roads and archeological sites, and establishing projects which serve tourism like the Sound and Light Project in Dandara.

Fourth Axis: Social Development

Fifth Axis: Environmental Development

Social development planning goal centered on improving all the services delivered to Qena's people including: educational, health, infrastructure and recreational services.

Environmental development planning aimed at streamlining the environmental dimension in all economic, agricultural, tourism and social policies. The integrated plan included an integrated solid waste management project in the city, based upon local expertise and resources; in addition to pollution prevention programs; continuous improvement of environmental conditions; and an expansion in green areas (Appendix no. (3): Qena's Environmental Policies and Objectives)

The total cost needed for the implementation of the overall sustainable development plan was estimated, and it was found to greatly surpass the available resources in Qena governorate during that time.

Redirection of Available Resources

Rapid Tangible Positive Results and Public Services Improvement Generate People' Confidence in the Local Administration

As a result, the first step in the implementation plan was to redirect the available resources towards the more pressing social priorities, which were determined and identified through the preliminary surveys and the developmental plan.

Within a short time, positive tangible results were achieved, that were clearly observable by Qena's people: a matter that created a general awareness that the local administration system is the way to accomplish the desired improvement in public services. Hence, their confidence in the local administration began to considerably mount.

At the beginning, Qena, the capital city, was the core of the development process. particularly the cleaning and beautification works. The rationale was that Qena city constituted the main element of economic attraction within the governorate, whether for Qena's residents, investors or tourists. Next, modernization extended to cover the rest of the centers and villages.

Sensing the tangible improvements, coupled with equality and fairness in implementation; credibility in the system started to increase, and the people and the popular council members eagerly and willingly accepted donating money, and paying the charges stipulated, for developing their own towns and villages. Their support for the governor increased and they gradually started dispensing with fanaticism and tribalism, and their sole concern became how to assist the governor in the modernization and beautification processes.

Assigning a Larger Role to Local Councils in Determining Priorities and Influencing Institutional Transformation:

Moving Concurrently in the implementation of all Developmental Plans:

The governor assigned a larger role to the elected local popular councils to express their priorities to executive councils which represent the ministries and the central government. In a short period, Qena's people were able to cause an institutional transformation in managing some essential public services. They became responsible for providing a number of vital services such as: ensuring the cleanliness of streets: supporting the educational process, especially for girls; introducing improvements in parks and gardens management, in traffic management and in environmental protection.

The executive bodies in the governorate of Qena set down to implement the developmental plans; fusing the sustainable development requirements and constituents with aesthetic considerations, in undertaking the processes of the facilities modernization and beautification. They moved in parallel on all pivots, and used both conventional and non-conventional mechanisms.