- The Egyptian Cabinet’s Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) stands as one of the distinguished think tanks in Egypt.
- Its main task is to support decision makers with regard to economic, social and political issues, while placing emphasis on priority issues to foster the reform efforts that push the development march forward.
The Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC) hosted the second expert forum as part of the “Strategic Framework for Egypt’s Digital Economy 2024-2030” project in collaboration with Huawei. The event focused on the methodology for selecting pivotal technologies to support the digital economy in Egypt, with active participation from various stakeholders.
Evolving role of the IDSC in shaping public policy and sustainable development
The Information and Decision Support Centre (IDSC), affiliated with the Egyptian Cabinet, is one of Egypt’s foremost think tanks. Established in 1985, it has evolved to meet the changing needs of Egyptian society. Initially focused on developing the nation’s information infrastructure, the IDSC transitioned into a pivotal role as a think tank following the establishment of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. During its second phase from 1999 to 2005, the IDSC broadened its scope to provide scientifically grounded and practical solutions across various sectors, including politics, economics, society, and information technology management. From 2005, the IDSC became pivotal in shaping Egypt’s public policies, engaging in a three-step process: identifying critical issues, offering alternatives and recommendations based on international best practices, and providing feedback to evaluate policy impacts. In 2023, the Prime Minister’s decision No. 2085 marked a new era, expanding the IDSC’s role to include providing data and analyses, forecasting future trends, offering evidence-based policy alternatives, facilitating government-society communication, and initiating social dialogues on top-priority issues. Through these enhanced functions, the IDSC continues to support the decision-making process and contribute to Egypt’s sustainable development.
Comprehensive services for informed decision-making and public engagement
The IDSC provides a range of services aimed at supporting decision-makers in addressing economic, social, and political challenges, with a focus on priority issues that drive the nation’s reform and development agenda. The centre aims to strengthen ties with various government entities and establish communication channels with the public to gauge societal attitudes towards national matters. Additionally, the IDSC disseminates data and information, with a particular emphasis on electronic distribution.
Key services include application development, business case development, data conversion and migration, data model and database design, geographic information system (GIS) strategy and planning, hosting services, implementation, needs and requirements analysis, system architecture and design, system integration, and training services. The IDSC also publishes research on diverse topics, books, and working papers, and conducts surveys and public opinion polls. Furthermore, it organises seminars, conferences, workshops, and training programmes.
About IDSC
One of Egypt’s leading think tanks that provides accurate, up-to-date and detailed information at the national level to facilitate follow-up, evaluation as well as decision-making processes. The IDSC issues periodicals, studies, reports and policy papers, as well as advanced technologies, applications and interactive platforms. It also plays a key role in the community dialogue on the priority issues.
