Dr. Hamad Kasasbeh

*Governorates Need Fewer Gaps, Not More Projects

Jordan’s development challenge across its governorates is not that the state has failed to spend or implement projects. Allocations, programmes, government field visits and Royal Initiatives have reached different regions for years. The deeper problem is that we often know what has been completed, but not with equal precision how much has actually changed. We count schools, health centres, training courses and roads, while postponing the more important question: how much of the gap for which these projects were created has been closed? Public spending becomes development only when it produces a measurable effect on people’s lives and on each governorate’s position on the map of opportunities and services. Otherwise, disparities persist regardless of how many projects and programmes are delivered.

The distinction between output and impact provides a fairer basis for managing local development. Opening a health centre is an output; the impact is shorter travel and waiting times and better service. Building a school is an output; the impact is less overcrowding and a better learning environment. Delivering a training programme is an output; the real impact is trainees moving into stable employment. When a project is completed but the targeted indicator does not improve, the work has been delivered, yet the underlying problem remains unresolved.

Unemployment illustrates why a single solution cannot serve every governorate. In the second quarter of 2026, unemployment among Jordanians stood at 21 per cent nationally, but rose to 33.2 per cent in Ma’an and 23.3 per cent in Tafilah, compared with 14.7 per cent in Aqaba. These are not minor statistical differences. They reflect different economic conditions, opportunities and constraints, and they demonstrate the need to design interventions suited to each governorate.

The same pattern appears in public services. According to the latest detailed official data available, the national average in 2024 was about 1.17 comprehensive health centres per 100,000 people, with differences among governorates. In education, the average class size was 24.6 students during the 2024–2025 school year, rising to 27.9 in Zarqa, compared with 19.3 in Ma’an. Facility counts alone are insufficient: the number of hospital specialties, travel time and classroom overcrowding better reveal service quality.

Development policy therefore needs to strengthen the targeting of projects and resources according to the size and causes of the gap in each governorate, rather than stopping at the identification of needs and the financing of projects without measuring their impact. If unemployment results from weak investment, the solution will differ from that required in a governorate facing limited transport, a mismatch between training and available jobs, or low female labour-force participation. The appropriate response may be investment linked to a local advantage, training tied to advertised vacancies, or a reliable transport service that expands residents’ access to employment.

This approach can be tested through a one-year government pilot in which each governorate selects only two or three priority gaps. For every gap, the current position, intended result, most suitable intervention, cost and responsible entity would be identified. Progress would be reviewed after six months, and the actual change measured before preparation of the following budget. This would require neither a new ministry nor a new fund, but institutional coordination and a partnership with the private sector tied to measurable results.

Consider a simple example. If the average waiting time for a health service is 60 minutes and the target is to reduce it to 30, the gap is 30 minutes. If waiting time falls to 40 minutes after the intervention, two-thirds of the gap has been closed and one-third remains. The next decision can then be based on evidence: complete the intervention, address another cause, or replace the instrument. In this way, government does not start again from zero every year.

Cost should also be assessed alongside results. The largest project is not always the most effective, and a modest intervention may close a wider gap than a high-cost project. Every dinar should therefore be evaluated according to the improvement it produces, with resources redirected towards the highest-impact interventions before additional allocations are requested. International experience shows that policies tied to local needs and measurable results are more effective than general interventions that do not reflect the nature of each area’s development gap.

It is no longer enough for reports to record what has been completed while the gaps remain. An intervention that produces no impact must be reviewed, and spending that produces no result should not be repeated. The remaining gap should become a basis for the next budget: what works should be expanded, what delivers only partial impact should be adjusted, and what fails to change conditions should be reconsidered. Only then will governorate development move from distributing projects to delivering fair outcomes, with success measured by the difference people experience in employment opportunities, services and quality of life.