PhD Defence: Resilience of Public Organizations: The Case of the Education Sector in Egypt

This thesis explores the essential role of organizational resilience in public institutions, focusing on Egypt’s pre-university education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recognizing resilience as a meta-capability that encompasses anticipation, coping, and adaptation, the study addresses a critical gap in understanding how public organizations confront and overcome major disruptions. Employing a rigorous qualitative methodology, the research investigates key drivers and dimensions within Egypt’s education sector, and examines the application of policy tools across different disruption phases. The findings reveal that balanced centralized/decentralized decision-making, supported by effective authority tools and robust communication channels, was instrumental in maintaining stability and service continuity. Digital preparedness and adaptive policy tools further strengthened resilience, while continuous learning and evaluation proved vital for future readiness. The study offers a new theoretical framework of public organizational resilience and assessment too to support public systems navigating disruptive events.