Background:
Menoufiya Governorate has many cities. Menouf is the ancient capital of the governorate. The city is located in the mid-west of the governorate near the outlying areas of El-Sadat city and its 42 km from the Menouf-Tanta railway and 86 km from Cairo.
Its total population is about 400000 out of which 65 percent live in unplanned areas often encroaching on agriculture land; women are deprived of most central services. The city’s environmental problems result from traffic congestion, coal incinerators on its border, spray paint workshops, furniture workshops, mosquito spraying, and private vehicles.
The local authority encourages the upgrading of unplanned areas by supplying 75 percent of the residential sanitation, drinking water and electricity services, but in general, the local administration has limited number of trained personnel and scarce provisions. This has negatively affected service delivery.

The aim of RUSPS is to develop options for formal inter-agency collaboration in order to create a coordination body integrating a wide range of stakeholders in a single response mechanism.

Objectives:
To contribute to urban poverty reduction and policy development in Egypt through an urban sector profile study — a rapid assessment of needs, response mechanisms and capacity gaps — to be addressed at the local, national and regional levels.

Activities:

1. Research on the general background of the urban sector in Menouf, based on the findings of the Menouf assessment report, a desk study, interviews, and a city consultation that was held in Menouf on 18th July 2006. The background includes data on administration, urban and economic planning, informal economy and the private sector, urban poverty, infrastructure, water, sanitation, public transport, street lighting, energy, health and education.
2. A synthesis of the four main areas: - governance, gender, HIV/AIDS, slums and environment in terms of institutional set-up, regulatory framework, resource mobilisation and performance. This step highlights agreed priorities and includes a list of identified projects.
3. SWOT analysis and outlining of priority project proposals for each theme. The proposals include beneficiaries, partners, estimated costs, objectives, activities and outputs.

Results:

• Study introduced to stakeholders and TORs tailored to local contexts
• Urban indicators collected, city assessment and profiling completed
• City consultations undertaken by including different stakeholders from all levels of urban society and priorities identified and agreed upon
• Capacity building gaps identified at the local level
• Priorities identified and project proposals formulated

One of the priorities resulting from RUSPS is the increased support for income-generating projects in the informal settlements as well as a social housing survey. In terms of gender and environment, new priorities are the distribution of subsidies and financial assistance as well as the implementation of programmes addressing all kinds of pollution, especially noise and air pollution, and other pollutants resulting from garbage accumulation. Furthermore, a drainage facility for the deprived areas shall be provided and the capacity of the treatment station’s first and second stages shall be increased.

The published profile can be found under publications. (Link)