A900446 - Final report - CiteSeerX

FINAL REPORT

In collaboration with the EIIP Programme of the International Labour Office

A900446

“Putting employment at the centre of public investment and poverty reduction processes”

Turin, Italy, 17 - 21 October 2005

Employment and Skills Development Programme

InternationalTrainingCentre

Cofinanciado por el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de la República Italiana

Co-financed by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs andthe Federal Government of Belgium

Inter-regional Workshop onEmployment-Intensive Investment Policies and Programmes

International Training Centre of the ILO

Employment and Skills Development Programme

In collaboration with the EIIP Programme of the International Labour Office


Inter-regional Workshop on Employment-Intensive Investment

Policies and Programmes

Turin, Italy 17 - 21 October 2005

FINAL REPORT

October 2005

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Inter-regional Workshop on Employment-Intensive Investment Policies and Programmes

Activity Code: A9-00446 Dates: 17 - 21 October 2005 Venue: Turin, Italy Represented countries: Azerbaijan, Benin, Eritrea, Georgia, Ghana, Indonesia,

Jamaica, Kenya, Lao P.D.R., Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe

Number of participants: 29 Working language: English Sponsors: Fee-paying course, with contributions from the Italian

Government, the EIIP Programme of the ILO, and the ILO Office in Moscow

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page 1. Background 1

1.1 Objectives of the workshop 1 1.2 Participants’ profile 1 1.3 Methodology 2

2. Opening, training and group work sessions 2

2.1 Day One 3 2.2 Day Two 7 2.3 Day Three 11 2.4 Day Four 15 2.5 Day Five 17

3. Conclusions and recommendations 18

4. Workshop evaluation 19

ANNEXES:

I. Programme of the workshop II. List of participants and resource-persons III. Suggested reading IV. Group work - Training Needs Assessment (reports) V. Group work - Job opportunities and fair working conditions through public

investment (guidelines and reports)

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1. BACKGROUND It is widely accepted that poverty is a multidimensional problem, which means that poor people would remain such due to a number of reasons, and would not escape poverty unless several conditions are met. However, there is good evidence that an improvement in living conditions can be achieved through better access to productive resources, remunerated employment, and/or basic services (transport, housing, education, health, etc.). In this respect, the potential of infrastructure works is vast, if one considers for example that half of public investment in most developing countries is in fact in the construction sector (rising to as much as 70-80% in certain least developed countries). But this potential, and more particularly the possibilities for employment generation, are often unrealised and/or under-exploited. ILO experience shows that employment-intensive investment in infrastructure of public and community interest (construction and maintenance works) can be sustainable and competitive in low-wage, labour-surplus economies where they encourage a judicious combination local resources and labour with light equipment. When compared with more traditional (equipment-based) approaches, employment-intensive programmes:

- absorb more un-/semi-skilled labour (direct / indirect job creation); - improve income distribution; - contribute to an increase in household income and consumption, with positive effects on the

local economies; - save foreign exchange and thereby do not increase debt; - enhance community participation and (democratic) negotiation processes; and - are more environmentally friendly.

Against this background, a training workshop was offered on how to conceive and implement employment-intensive investment programmes, as well as on how to mainstream these programmes into national investment policies and poverty reduction processes (implementation of poverty reduction strategies and other nation-wide initiatives against poverty). The programme of the workshop is presented in Annex I. 1.1 OBJECTIVES OF THE WORKSHOP The ultimate aim of the workshop was to contribute towards the adoption and effective implementation of national investment policies favoring the use of employment-intensive techniques in the construction sector for employment creation and poverty reduction. More specifically, upon completing their training, participants were to know better the conceptual and operational aspects of the employment-intensive approaches advocated by the ILO, and dispose of tools for promoting and applying such approaches in their respective countries. 1.2 PARTICIPANT’S PROFILE The workshop was addressed to: - National policy-makers and planners responsible for the development of macro-

economic/sectoral policies and national investment plans, as well as those dealing with employment and poverty reduction strategies.

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- National associations of workers and employers representing small contractors in the construction sector.

- Educational and training institutions in the development field. - Managers and staff of relevant development programmes and projects.

Twenty-nine (29) persons attended the workshop. The list of participants and resource-persons is presented in Annex II. 1.3 METHODOLOGY The workshop was facilitated by an ILO team composed of: - Mr. Valter NEBULONI, Employment and Skills Development Programme, International

Training Centre of the ILO (ILO-ITC), Turin; - Mr. Serge CARTIER, Employment-Intensive Investment (EMP/INVEST) Unit1, ILO Geneva - Mr. Chris DONNGES, ILO/ASIST Programme2, Bangkok, Thailand; - Mr. Kwaku OSEI-BONSU, Senior Specialist, ILO Sub-regional Office for East Africa, Addis

Ababa, Ethiopia. The workshop adopted a highly participatory approach allowing for the active intervention of all participants and a constructive exchange of ideas and information. During the seminar, there was a continuous interaction between trainers and participants through training sessions and group exercises. Some participants presented country cases. Participants were provided with copies of all presentations made during the workshop. Certain documents relevant to EII approaches were distributed and others referred to during the training sessions (see Annex III). In conformity with the Turin Centre procedures, an evaluation of the course was carried out to determine the perceived relevance of its content to participants’ needs, as well as the effectiveness of the methodology and materials employed in achieving the course's training objectives. The evaluation results are presented in Chapter 4 of this report. At the end of the event, each participant received an attendance certificate, a group photo and a CD-Rom containing course material and other relevant documents. 2. OPENING, TRAINING AND GROUP WORK SESSIONS The workshop started with the opening remarks of:

- Mr. Valter NEBULONI, intervening on behalf of the Director of the Training Department of the ILO-ITC in Turin;

- Mr. Serge Cartier, representing the EMP/INVEST Unit of the ILO; - Mr. Chris DONNGES, representing the ILO/ASIST Programme.

During the opening session, the participants introduced themselves and indicated their expectations concerning the workshop. Participants wanted to know more about employment-intensive concepts and policy/programming issues relating to the application of such concepts. They were looking

1 The EMP/INVEST Unit in Geneva coordinates the ILO’s Employment-Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP): a global development assistance initiative promoting labour-based approaches for employment creation and poverty reduction. 2 The ILO/ASIST Programme is an integral part of the EIIP. It provides Advisory Support, Information Services and Training on employment-intensive strategies to various countries in Africa and Asia. The ASIST-Africa is based in Harare, Zimbabwe, with a liaison office in Nairobi. The ASIST-Asia is based in Bangkok, Thailand.

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forward to sharing experiences and learning from each other concerning the employment creation potential of public investment, or other, more specific aspects of it like local contractor development, community participation and the gender dimension of development interventions. The objectives and agenda of the workshop were presented by Valter NEBULONI. This presentation introduced the training modules delivered during the week and described here.

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Public investment, employment and poverty reduction

This session introduced employment-intensive growth and investment-led strategies as means to ensure greater equality and benefits to the low-income groups. It focused on investment clusters that should be considered in order to ensure the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. These goals are globally accepted benchmarks of broader progress. They point to targets of public investment that reduce income poverty and gender inequalities, improve human capital, and protect the environment. At the country level, these targets are tailored to reflect national circumstances and priorities. The following considerations were made:

a. People are unlikely to escape form poverty unless they can meet several requirements jointly.

b. Resources are generally scarce. If many things need to be done, it may not be feasible for the public sector to do even the work for which it has a comparative advantage. Therefore, poverty reduction may require concentration of public action on complementary sectors, regions of greatest needs or where actions are likely to be more cost-effective.

c. For effective poverty reduction, different tools are needed. These tools may include policy measures ensuring sustained growth and equal distribution of benefits, an appropriate mix of productive and welfare instruments, and a more effective provision of public goods combined with private service delivery.

Looking at public expenditure and its effectiveness in terms of poverty reduction, it is observed that the income available to poor people is usually not enough to break out of poverty. Pro-jobs spending would therefore contribute to escape the poverty trap, and the various options available include employment-intensive investment. Possible questions include:

- Are these forms of investment technically feasible? - Are they economically cost-effective? - Are they likely to have effects at the macro-level? - What social impact can these forms of investment have?

Before answering these questions (this was done during the following sessions), some time was allocated to gather the participants’ views concerning ‘employment-intensive’ methods. Some distinguishing features were identified, including: Positive:

- Job creation - Possibility to target low-income groups: pro-poor

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- Opportunities for non-agricultural employment in rural areas. Contrasting rural-to-urban migration; may stimulate counter-migration.

- Contribution towards equal growth - Empowering the excluded: purchasing power, voice - Vehicle for dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders

Negative:

- Slow delivery rate - Failures in payment systems - Less attractive to the private sector

A general impression was that employment-intensive investment programmes can contribute to poverty reduction. This link was to be investigated further in the course of the works.

Employment-intensive investment: definitions and main features.

The ILO/EIIP glossary provides the following definition of the term “employment-intensive”: “Projects or approaches where works are carried out through the use of as great a proportion of labour as is technically feasible, while remaining cost-effective and cost-competitive in achieving the quality of work”. Employment-intensive programmes in infrastructure (or other sectors) would then entail a judicious combination of labour, local materials and light equipment to ensure competitive and quality results. It was explained that the term ‘employment-intensive’ (EI) is generally used as synonymous of the term ‘labour-based’ (LB).3 Assessments made by the ILO show that EI methods have the following advantages when compared with more traditional methods of construction:

- Cost savings - Employment and income generation - Community organization/empowerment - Skills development - Better access to services - Positive contribution to local economic development

Relevant examples of these comparative advantages were provided. It was stressed that employment-intensive approaches are particularly appropriate in the context of economies characterized by labour surplus and low wages. The distinction between direct and indirect job creation was made, and the issues of quality and sustainability of jobs created also debated. Linked to this last point, the possibilities offered by local contractor development, skills development, and infrastructure maintenance schemes involving the local populations were referred to. Reference was also made to the gender dimension of EI investment programmes. In fact, these programmes can be instrumental in ensuring:

- equal access for women and men to jobs and individual work operations; - equal access to skill development and higher level training; - equal pay for work of equal value; - active participation of women, and new perception of their role within the society.

3 These two terms can be used interchangeably, as done in the text of this report.

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Among the possible drawbacks of EI methods, the presenter referred to: - Wrong targeting (interventions not benefiting the poorest) - More time to execute works - Low-quality outputs - Failures in the payment system - Worker exploitation

These aspects ought to be given attention during the design and implementation stages of a project. They should be minimised through proper work organisation and effective supervision.

Employment-intensive projects already proved their potential in terms of absorption of local labour and poverty reduction. Nevertheless, the application of labour-based methods was not sufficiently generalized in developing countries. The question therefore is: If EI methods are so good, why isn’t every one using them? It was noted that there may be various reasons for that, including wrong perceptions, resistance to change, inappropriate legislation, unfavorable business environment, and donors’ procedures. The following sessions were to consider ways and means for addressing the above-mentioned obstacles in view of a larger application of EI approaches.

The role of infrastructure works in stimulating employment and improving the living conditions of the poor

This session started with the projection of a documentary tape regarding labour-based road projects in Uganda and their results. Drawing on the content of the videotape, the following presentation looked at the Public Investment Programme (particularly the public spending for infrastructure development) as policy tool for achieving simultaneously economic and social objectives. The main reasons for taking the infrastructure sector as a strategic entry point and a catalyst for employment-intensive growth were explained, namely its possible contribution to economic development, its weight in the economy (up to 70% of public investment in LDCs), and the scope for an increased and better use of labour in this sector. It was pointed out that local-resource-based technologies can have a wide range of application in both the rural and urban settings, including the development of productive and social infrastructure and the protection of natural resources. An important distinction was made between Employment-Based Safety Nets (short-term impact; poverty alleviation effect) and Labour-Based Infrastructure Programmes (long-term impact; poverty reduction effect). It was explained that, whilst the former can be suitable to respond to emergency/rehabilitation needs (e.g. post-conflict reconstruction or natural disaster remedial), the latter can contribute to sustainable development processes. The poverty reduction potential of employment-intensive investment in infrastructure was then considered. This relates to:

a. Job creation, including employment multipliers (e.g. public works participants using part of their wages to hire others, such as agricultural labourers)

b. Income transfers c. Assets created (possible long-term benefits depending on the level of asset maintenance)

Examples of the macro-economic potential of employment-intensive investment in infrastructure were provided during the presentation. Some comparative studies (employment-intensive vs. equipment-based methods) carried out by the ILO in Ghana, Madagascar, and Uganda show the considerable gains that employment-intensive programmes can generate in terms of household income, national consumption and contribution to GDP.

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It emerged from the presentation that employment-intensive investment in infrastructure is an important tool to achieve economic development objectives. It can also open to capacity building, organization of the informal economy, public-private partnerships, institutional reforms (decentralization, contracting systems, etc.), participation and local ownership. National governments have an important role to play to foster these social development objectives. In this respect, more work needs to be done on operational systems and procedures (at enterprise, community and upstream policy level) to translate EI policies into action. A progressive introduction of labour-based techniques would require institutional strengthening and training efforts for enhancing capacities in the public and private sectors. The following considerations were made during the discussion:

- Job durability is a major concern. Skills enhancement and the development of a local construction industry would contribute to create more sustainable jobs.

- Local ownership is a precondition for making the interventions sustainable. Various local actors are concerned.

- The local conditions should always be taken into considerations in determining the appropriate technology (mix labour-equipment) to be applied.

- Maintenance requirements and costs need to be estimated upfront. Another point concerned the possibility to track the effects of employment-intensive infrastructure projects in terms of employment generation and poverty reduction in a given area. Linked to that, K. Osei-Bonsu presented a method for the Rapid Assessment of Poverty Impact (RAPI) developed by the ILO and being tested in Ethiopia. The method is based on household and community data relating to the material dimension of poverty and the perceived quality of life, to be analysed by applying a statistical package (SPSS). Instructions are provided for baseline and follow-up surveys in project and control areas. Though this method is set for road projects, it may be adapted for other sectoral and multi-sectoral applications. The preliminary conclusions of the Ethiopia study were shared. The sustainability and reliability of this type of assessments was discussed. It was pointed out that future investment programmes (both demonstration and full-scale interventions) should earmark resources for M&E activities of this type. Finally, the application of labour-based methods in sectors other than infrastructure was considered. There would be possibilities in the building-materials industry and agro-industry for example. Service delivery (e.g. waste management) is another possible area of application. In order to exploit these opportunities, best practice should be documented and further promotion work is necessary.

Regional experiences and perspectives for the promotion of

EI investment: Sub-Saharan Africa. The presentation referred to a recent Meeting of the Heads of State of the African Union (Employment Summit, Ouagadougou, Sept. 2004). This meeting recommended that future public works programmes should facilitate sustainable income generation and the introduction and respect of relevant labour norms. It was explained that the ILO has been working along this line for several years now. ILO/ASIST’s country operations in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Tanzania and Ethiopia were presented. Previous and ongoing initiatives indicate that the best solutions involve partnerships where each partner brings added value to the outcome. Where appropriate, employment-intensive policies should be institutionalized at all levels by accepting that national governments should take a more proactive role, and that, with the policies, capacity building for implementation must also be

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addressed. These aspects were elaborated further during the presentation and the following discussion. A part of the presentation focused on the influence of procurement in addressing social concerns, with examples of ‘targeted procurement’ from South Africa, Ghana and Kenya. Re the perspectives for promoting EI investment in SSA, it was noted that potential partnerships would involve sub-regional bodies (EAC, SADC, ECOWAS), multi-donor organizations (e.g. SADC Multi-Donor Hub) and programmes such as the SSATP, regional initiatives such as NEPAD, universities and training institutions, and the media. The debate underlined the importance of linking EII initiatives with country-driven poverty reduction and employment strategies, as well as with local economic development patterns. Among the necessary actions, there is a need to share knowledge on LB technologies for convincing decision-makers and technicians. Another aspect taken into consideration concerned the trade-offs between community involvement and the delivery of quality works; in this respect, capacity-building and supervision were identified as essential components of EI schemes.

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Regional experiences and perspectives for the promotion of employment-intensive investment: Asia and The Pacific; Latin America

This session started with a presentation regarding the situation in Asia and The Pacific. Within this region, lack of access to goods and services is perceived as one of the fundamental characteristics of poverty. ILO seeks to assist Governments in improving accessibility through infrastructure delivery at the decentralized level. The achievement of local infrastructure development objectives entails work at policy level, level of implementation and capacity building. Relevant approaches include: local-level investment planning, labour-based technology, LB small-scale contracting and LBT infrastructure maintenance. A country case was presented by Ms. Iga Mai SUKARIYATI (Java-Bali Regional Spatial Planning Division) who illustrated the links between the rural infrastructure development policy and the poverty reduction strategy in Indonesia, as well as the steps being taken in this country for sustainable rural infrastructure development, including policy and technical advice, information dissemination and networking. An open discussion among participants allowed knowing more about these practices.

Mr. Serge Cartier (EMP/INVEST, ILO Geneva) intervened on employment-intensive experiences in Latin America, referring in particular to recent activities assisted by the ILO in Peru, Nicaragua and Paraguay: a range of interventions at various levels implemented with international and national partners. He also referred to interventions coordinated by EMP/INVEST and undertaken in China (study on construction policies and strategies), Iraq (the “Guidelines for optimizing local employment in infrastructure reconstruction and development programmes in Iraq" were recently developed, and the Government decided that each reconstruction intervention will have to address employment-creation among other objectives) and Azerbaijan.

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Mr. Samir SHANIYEV (Ministry of Labour and Social Protection) elaborated on the Goshachand Road Upgrading Project being implemented in Ismayilli, Azerbaijan.

Local level infrastructure planning, participation and employment generation

During the first part of this session participants could share experiences from their respective countries. Participation and transfer of power, capacity and financial resources were identified as common features for successful decentralization. Bottlenecks were also identified and possible remedial too. Chris Donnges considered the existing decentralization processes (particularly in Asia) and their political and economic rationale, i.e. the fact that central planning does not provide a response to local needs and leads only to a limited flow of resources at the local level. He referred to opportunities and challenges linked to decentralization, and asked the participants to identify some possible challenges. Were listed:

- Lack of political commitment; reluctance to change - Poor utilization of locally available resources - Some regions difficult to be reached - Ineffective procedures - Unclear responsibilities - Inadequate capacities - Inadequate financial/logistical support - Different objectives and development priorities (centre vs. local level) - Cultural diversities

The degree and form of decentralization varies from one country to another. However, the main principle is to give the responsibility for the delivery of government services to the lowest level of Government that can perform these functions effectively and efficiently. Sufficient capacity at local Government level is therefore critical, including the capacity to plan for appropriate development interventions. In this respect, the ILO has been promoting the Integrated Rural Accessibility Planning (IRAP) methodology that can be characterized as follows:

- Consists of bottom-up, participatory, local level planning tools and techniques - The objective is to improve physical access of rural communities (households), reduce

poverty and improve income earning opportunities - Procedures are relatively easy to use, inexpensive and produce immediate outputs that can

be used in any planning process - Involves a capacity building process at local government level

Mr. Donnges presented the different phases of the IRAP process, as well as the planning tools applied. These tools facilitate the identification and successive implementation of local resource-based projects, including labour-based works schemes. IRAP projects are undertaken in a number of countries in Asia and Africa. A participant from Nepal, Mr. Jagannath OJHA (Ministry of Local Development) described the application of IRAP in his country where rural infrastructure development is a central thrust of the national development agenda. During the debate, it emerged that planning tools like IRAP can contribute to strengthening the relations between local level planning and central government decisions. It was explained that the

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IRAP process brings local communities together with local authorities to set a realistic set of interventions and an implementation calendar based on the existing local budgets. A concern was that some local communities would not have the capacity to engage in such a type of planning process. Under these circumstances, it was suggested to begin by piloting the planning system within a small locality. Simple tools should be introduced, and an appropriate training delivered, before going to scale. The session ended with a presentation by Mr. Souksakhone SOUTANNOUVONG (Local road Division, Department of Roads, Lao P.D.R.) who considered the decentralization trends in his country, the use of IRAP and the socio-economic impact of a LB road project deriving from the planning process.

Conceiving and designing EI infrastructure project: some key aspects

This was a short introductory session highlighting some important aspects to be considered in designing and implementing EI programmes in infrastructure. Based on the consideration that EI infrastructure projects should contribute to increase the level of participation, as well as to job/income generation, poverty reduction and local economic development, V. Nebuloni asked the audience to suggest aspects to be taken into consideration when designing or implementing this type of projects. The outcome of the exchange can be summarized as follows: Design:

- Job creation to be clearly identified among the main purposes - Project interventions to be defined after assessing the socio-economic situation and actual

needs - Local communities should be involved in project design - Project documents should provide clear guidelines for project implementation - Also to be considered:

o Feasibility: existing capacities; realistic timeframe o Economic viability o Sustainability: acceptance by beneficiaries; fitting in the existing institutional setting;

well identified exit strategy Implementation:

- An accurate plan is needed - Availability of resources (institutional, human and capital) - Project management aspects including monitoring and evaluation - Participation of all stakeholders - Partnerships

The following presentation captured some of the aspects identified by the participants and insisted on the following elements:

- Rationale and justification of project interventions in relation to local and national development goals

- Scale of the project (from pilot to fully-fledged programmes at country level) - Targeting mechanisms (the issue here is how to make sure that a project can reach the poor) - Institutional set-up (should ensure effectiveness, accountability, impact and sustainability):

different forms were considered including the AFRICATIP model (West Africa, 17 countries) and some road funds mechanisms (Kenya and Tanzania).

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- Operational aspects: work organization, contract administration, effective use of tools and equipment and monitoring and reporting.

The importance of establishing an effective M&E system was stressed. A set of relevant indicators and some specific modalities for data collection/processing should be adopted in order to be able to assess the impact of a programme on the poverty profile of a given area or group.

Involving local contractors in EI infrastructure works

This session started with a presentation by David Karim FONNIE (Sierra Leone Roads Authority) focusing on local contractor development in Sierra Leone. More general considerations were then shared on what makes a favorable environment for SME development in the infrastructure sector. Mr. Fonnie explained that, in Sierra Leone, contracting has been the hallmark of the technology since its inception two decades ago. In the road sector, modified contract documents were introduced for routine and rehabilitation and construction works. Local contractors are involved, 60%-70% of the project cost goes to labour, and participation is opened to both men and women. He elaborated on equipment loan arrangements, compliance of labour standards and contractor management training. He concluded by sharing some important socio-economic results produced by LB transport sector projects, including: - Volume of vehicular traffic increased - Local communities can now travel at affordable cost in reasonable time and in comfort - Prices of food items dropped considerably - Increase in school enrolment especial the girl child - Increase the construction of dwelling houses Drawing on the previous presentation, Kwaku Osei-Bonsu brought some complements on the strategic use of the contract system to mobilize local resources and develop the private sector. He insisted on the following key issues for the development of local contractors in employment-intensive works:

a. Creating an enabling environment by promulgating a National Policy on private sector development (and means to implement it) which addresses the following:

- Access to regular and steady work. - Improved access to credit and equipment. - Fair tendering process. - Decentralised decision making and payment system. - Contracting agency with capacity to manage many small contracts. - Collectively agreed or minimum legal wage rates. - Access to Training.

b. Increasing the allocation of budget to infrastructure development and sharing the allocation equitably

In elaborating on the points above, Kwaku argued that there is an enormous potential for labour-based contracting. However, the move from force account to contracting necessitates changes. A comprehensive approach is required entailing a cross-ministerial decision making process. Reorientations are needed at government level. Also, different institutional models should be applied for countries in different stages of private sector experiences. Local consulting engineers have a new role to play in relation to capacity building efforts aiming at increasing labour-based skills at local level. The accreditation of training (curricula and materials) and LB contractor registration modalities should also be reviewed. Kwaku ended his interventions with the following remarks:

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- Having the policy without means to implement it would not solve the problem. - Support is needed from pressure groups (social partners, NGO’s) if we are to achieve our

goal of creating the ‘enabling environment’ for local contractor development.

The debate focused on some important issues like (i) the possibility to involve more contractors by splitting the works in lots of smaller size; (ii) the issue of transparency in the contracting procedures, and how to avoid corruption. Some practices were referred to. It was also noted that specific guidelines exist in many countries, while the respect of such guidelines is often problematic; and (iii) that private sector involvement should not lead to worker exploitation; appropriate labour regulations should be introduced as a result of a collective agreement. This subject was to be discussed further in one of the following sessions.

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2.3 DAY THREE

Community contracting and public/private partnerships for works of community interest

The case of the bottom-up approach, consisting in developing local community skills on negotiation and contracting, was presented during this session. Mr. Nebuloni intervened on the role of public-private partnerships in stimulating organization and negotiation in weakly organised sectors. Partnerships should be based on contractual modalities defining rights and obligations of all parties, and keeping community groups in the driver’s seat. A relevant example comes from Dar es Salaam (Hanna Nassif settlement), where the ILO has been assisting a project that promotes partnerships to improve urban infrastructure and service delivery. The features, institutional set-up, and outcomes of this project were presented to the participants, as well as the community contracting system applied and roles and responsibilities of the concerned actors. With regard to the community representatives in the contracting process, it was underlined that these should be democratically elected, and have a legal status, a bank account, and a transparent accounting system. Some considerations were made on the advantages and challenges of community contracting and the wider development interest these practices respond to. In fact, they can build up local confidence, encourage ownership, build local skills, and enhance transparency and accountability of the public administration, among others. It was concluded that the successful implementation of contract approaches would mainly depend on the existence of well-organised CBOs, scheme-specific negotiations and agreements (inputs, cost-sharing, roles, etc.) and a favorable policy environment. The replication of community-managed schemes was briefly discussed. Experiences show that this is problematic, and that important institutional strengthening efforts are required. That was seen as a challenge rather than a limit. Mr. Samuel SARPONG (Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development) made a presentation on community involvement in labour-based schemes in Ghana. He referred to the

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experience of the Village Infrastructure Project (VIP) and its successor, Community Based Rural development Project (CBRDP), both national in scope and having similar objectives. He considered:

- Community mobilization: through Area Councils and local NGOs - Funding modalities: the project provides limited fund support of about US$ 17,000 to each

Area Council for implementation of prioritised projects; communities may also mobilise funds from other sources to support implementation; and

- Procurement and contracting issues: involving communities, local contractors and District Assemblies.

- Operation and maintenance: local communities take the responsibility - Sustainability: the mechanism is being studied and in the near future direct government

transfer of public funds to Area Councils may be considered. Mr. Giorgi BAJELIDZE presented the Georgian Social Investment Fund: objectives, institutional set-up, and sub-project identification and implementation modalities, including community mobilization, participation (including cost-sharing) and O&M aspects. He presented the different priorities and procedures of the two main donors involved (World Bank and the German Government), and the implications in terms of community involvement. Points discussed:

- Need to agree about roles and responsibilities of stakeholders during project design - Parliamentarians to be involved at an early stage of project development, for the project to

be more effective, transparent and sustainable. They can help in mobilizing resources, and championing the approach

- Good communication as a key aspect - Need to increase the communities’ negotiation power - The possibility to establish bank accounts at community level - Distinguish between works that can be done by the communities themselves or through

local contractors - The importance of putting in place frameworks for environmental and social assessment of

community-driven development projects.

Building local capacities for EI infrastructure works

Lack of capacity was presented as a major concern. In developing countries and transition economies there is often a need to improve capacity in the following areas:

- Assessing Capacity Building and Training Needs - Developing Training Programmes and Modules - Delivering the Training (project-based) - Finding an Institutional Home for the Training

A phased approach to training needs assessment and programme development was presented by Chris Donnges. This was intended as an introduction to a group work exercise focusing on the identification of capacity building and training needs for the following groups in relation to rural infrastructure development:

- politicians; - planners; - engineers/supervisors; - local contractors/consultants/communities.

The results of the exercise are provided in annex IV.

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Coming to the delivery of training, the following categories were detailed and relevant examples made:

- Classroom formal sessions - On-the-job - Short Courses - Self-study

It was concluded that training and capacity building are indeed important but more is needed to introduce a sustainable approach for rural infrastructure development. A recent study in the Philippines to improve maintenance on rural roads at local government level identified the following key areas for attention:

- Develop an advocacy campaign to convince decision-makers on the merits and benefits of maintenance

- Design and implement a capacity building program for technical staff and decision-makers on rural road maintenance

- Orient and train community organizations and NGOs on proper rural road maintenance to implement maintenance works

One should then look at the entire framework within which infrastructure development programmes are implemented. Commitment at all levels is key, and the process will always take time. Another presentation on building local capacities was made by Ms. Alessandra MOLZ (ITC-ILO Turin). This presentation referred to experiences with capacity building in South America (Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador), and the lessons learnt from these experiences. These experiences related to road maintenance involving micro-enterprises. The capacity-building strategy, and training process and tools were illustrated. Among the lessons learnt:

- The local contractor development process requires a constant accompanying; - Adequate training methods and materials (concise and simple) should be introduced; - There is no such thing as good as a demonstration project.

The final discussion focused on ways and means to make these experiences durable. In this respect, the direct involvement of contractors was identified as a crucial factor.

Enabling and promoting decent work in construction: Appropriate labour policies and practices

This session looked at how appropriate working conditions can be guaranteed in the framework of employment-intensive programmes. Necessary measures include:

- safeguard basic labour standards; - develop and apply relevant labour regulations; - make strategic use of the tendering and contract system to promote improved

conditions of work; and - involve social partners in joint definition of labour standards and working conditions.

These aspects were elaborated during the presentation. With regard to good labour practices, the following elements were considered:

- Equal opportunities and non discrimination - Minimum wage and wages paid on time - Agreed working hours - Elimination of child labour and forced labour - Equality of treatment for casual labourers ensured - Basic provisions for safety and health

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- Social security regimes to be applied - Workers’ compensation for work accidents - The right to organize for workers and employers

It was pointed out that the above issues may be addressed progressively, considering the specific situation in each country. Relevant International Labour Conventions were mentioned. Part of the session was dedicated to a global move towards socially responsible investments in construction, and the possible implications at country level. Various actors (social partners, labour ministries, government and donors) would derive benefits from socially responsible investment. Considering these benefits, a large tripartite consensus could be reached through the above-mentioned and similar initiatives. It was concluded that:

- EII programmes provide a unique opportunity for introducing, on an incremental basis, a number of fundamental social standards;

- An enabling environment means support for capacity bldg. and clear, simple regulations;

- Governments and the social partners all have a role to play in defining the framework and conditions for improved working conditions in the construction sector.

Mr. John White MUKUFARE (Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe) shared some considerations regarding the employers’ perspectives on labour-based investment projects. Having characterized contractors as employers, he looked at the role of employers in the community: they can definitely contribute to enhancing the wellbeing of local populations, though their action is driven by the possibility of make a reasonable profit (short- and long-term objectives) as well as by a liberal market philosophy. As far as the Employers’ Associations are concerned, they operate in an environment were the formal business is decreasing, while the informal economy is rapidly growing. Within this context, labour-based projects offer the opportunity to:

- promote decent work in the informal economy, thus contributing to the organization and ‘formalization’ of small businesses;

- developing excluded areas; - transfer technology/skills - contribute to economic growth - Create win-win-win situations (benefits for contractors, communities and local

administrations) To the eyes of employers, employment-intensive investment would also improve governance through inclusion, transparency and accountability. Mr. Barend Johannes KOEN (Federation of Unions of South Africa) referred to the City of Johannesburg that experienced an important financial deficit during the second half of the 90’s. This crisis situation determined a dramatic decrease in public expenditure; 45,000 jobs were lost in the public administration in 1997, all vacant posts were frozen and no new appointment made. There was a shift in city infrastructure development and maintenance works towards private sector execution, which allowed getting more value for money. However, contractors pay no social benefits (pension, housing), don’t allow unionization, offer little job security (42% unemployment rate), and no protection against worker exploitation. This example illustrated the possible risks of contractor development.

- 15 -

Special session on working tools The last session of the third working day was for presenting some working tools (papers, guides, videos, etc.) developed by ILO units and programmes, and relevant to the workshop’s themes. These tools may be adapted and translated for awareness-raising, training and policy advice. Annex III provides a list of some documents. Additional information can be obtained through the ILO Documentation Centres (a list of relevant Websites was distributed during the workshop).

vvv 2.4 DAY FOUR

The employment dimension of poverty reduction strategies This session considered the possibilities to promote employment-intensive investment in relation to

the poverty reduction efforts undertaken at national level. To this end, it is important to understand how employment issues are treated in formulating and

implementing poverty reduction interventions like those foreseen in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) that are produced in the framework of the HIPC/PRGF initiative supported by the FMI and the World Bank (this initiative is relevant to various countries represented at the workshop). The ILO experience shows that the ‘employment dimension’ of PRSPs remains weak. Ideally, employment would be clearly identified in these documents as a poverty reduction factor. Employment should also be seen as an area of intervention rather than the possible outcome of given policy/investment decisions. Priority actions would then be defined and appropriate projects proposed for funding in relation to PRSP implementation. In line with the above, the employment-intensive approaches could be better promoted by:

- Making the link between EI growth and poverty reduction explicit in the text of a PRSP. - Retaining the use of EII approaches as a policy/planning objective as well as one of the main

axes of intervention. - Including EII projects in the matrix of proposed interventions (linked to project formulation). - Considering employment generation among the evaluation criteria (in the list of indicators).

It was explained how EI programmes can effectively complement other actions geared towards poverty reduction, e.g. SME development, support to the informal economy, and national capacity building. These programmes would help in promoting employment, core labour standards, the access to social protection and the reinforcement of social dialogue mechanisms. The following issues were considered during the debate:

- Existing international trade agreements unfavourable to low-income countries. Reference was made to the conclusions of the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation, and follow-up actions at international and national level.

- The financing of poverty reduction interventions depending on donor conditionalities that can be hardly met in certain countries.

- The national leaders should enhance their skills to negotiate with donors on the basis of national development goals and priorities.

- Poverty reduction strategy papers can be an effective entry point for LB approaches.

- 16 -

Mainstreaming EI approaches: operational mechanisms. This session looked at ways and means for institutionalising the employment-intensive approaches. Some possible mechanisms were considered, including the adoption of Green/White Papers

(Namibia) or presidential decrees (Philippines) referring to employment-intensive strategies, as well as the establishment of policy units within the Planning or Finance Ministry (Uganda, Madagascar). The main purpose behind all these possible options is to (re)orient national policies and investment towards employment creation.

In order to be in a good position to do so, one should provide convincing arguments, and this can

be done through studies and assessments of various types, including comparative analysis between labour-based and equipment-based projects, and macro-economic impact studies. This is an area where further work needs to be done. Networking is also a crucial element in trying to promote employment-generating approaches. Collaborative relations should involve technical line ministries, local authorities and donor representatives, among others. Information and awareness raising activities should target all the concerned actors. It was noted that, the policy environment being not always favourable, some existing development programmes, as well as national consulting firms involved in the design, monitoring and evaluation of public investment programmes, can fulfil many of the above functions. Such work can progressively test and demonstrate approaches, build up pressure or interest groups, thus widening the constituency (the term “critical mass” was used) for the promotion and implementation of the advocated policies.

The monitoring aspects were evocated. The allocation of public resources should be assessed in terms of employment-intensity and impact on poverty, which means that (i) schemes with lasting effects on employment should be given priority, and (ii) an appropriate system is introduced to keep track of lasting changes. The experience of the Labour-Based Policy Promotion Committee (LAPPCOM), undertaken in Uganda during the period 1997-2001, was presented. This inter-ministerial committee was mandated to (i) formulate a comprehensive LB policy for public investment and (ii) initiate and coordinate capacity building activities for policy implementation. It included representatives drawn from different ministries and agencies. The Secretariat was composed of a National Coordinator from MOFPED (Ministry of Finance), an engineer originally from MOLG and secretarial staff. LAPPCOM focused on roads, but a lot of interest in LBM application in other sectors was raised countrywide. Project achievements and experiences include:

- Surveys/studies (e.g. A Position Paper on the constraints on LB contracting, and a study on the Macro Economic Dimension of Labour-based Road Works in Uganda)

- Policy making (e.g. LBT draft Policy Proposal for discussion by stakeholders, and Inclusion of LBT in annual background to the budget of FY1999/2000 on Employment for Poverty Eradication)

- Programme implementation (e.g. participated in the use of conditional grants for district roads with recommendation for the use of LBM)

- Training/Education (District road manuals prepared and distributed to all districts; LB feeder roads manuals prepared, revised and launched at a national workshop; District Engineers had a training workshop which focused on planning, budgeting and implementation of LBW)

- 17 -

- Influenced the Civil Engineering Department at the Makerere University in Kampala (MUK) to include some aspects of LBT in MSc and ME programmes. Some elements of LBT including research have also been integrated.

- Promotional materials (Documentary Video, brochures, others) and activities It emerged that LAPPCOM was relevant to the needs of Uganda and important in the context of poverty eradication, but shortage of resources did not facilitate full realisation of project objectives. The issue is now how to make it sustainable and extend its actions to sectors other than roads.

With regard to the issue of institutionalisation, interesting examples come from China, India (the Employment Guarantee Act ensures to each beneficiary family a hundred working days per year in public works), Bangladesh and Indonesia. Behind all these experiences there are relevant policies, availability of national resources, and technical units mandate to coordinate the process.

GROUP WORK - Job opportunities and fair working conditions through public investment In the afternoon, participants were split into three working groups and invited to reflect on a number of aspects relating to the mainstreaming of labour-based methods. The notions and practices discussed during the week were brought together under a conceptual frame (see Annex V – Part a.), intended to guide the participants in defining a realistic set of measures for the promotion of employment-intensive investments at national level. The groups were also to consider possible systems and indicators to monitor the implementation of such investment at country level (see Annex V – Part b.). Participants were also asked to formulate some general conclusions and recommendations with relevance to the content of the workshop.

vvv

2.5 DAY FIVE

GROUP WORK - Job opportunities and fair working conditions through public investment / Reporting back session

The following points were debated during the reporting back session:

- A holistic approach should be adopted for mainstreaming EII into national policies and programmes.

- Consider possible application in both the rural and urban setting, and various levels of intervention (policy, intermediary, demonstration projects)

- Various actors are concerned. Define roles and responsibilities at all levels. - Involve the social partners - Involve national education/training institutions - Fiscal policy tools for promoting EII (e.g. tax rebates for employing numbers or for

investing in targeted areas) - Monitoring and evaluation as a very important management function. Review systems

should also involve the decentralised regulating/coordinating bodies. Proper selection of indicators.

- Maintenance of assets created as a way to make the intervention sustainable.

- 18 -

Means of actions would include research, awareness-raising, education, training programmes and pilot projects. In the area of M&E, it was pointed out that we need to disaggregate data by gender, age group, and other criteria as it may be needed. Special attention ought to be given to the disadvantaged groups. A final remark on the outcome of the exercise was that all presentations accepted employment-intensive investment as a sound policy tool for employment creation and poverty reduction, the main concern being rather how to upscale and reach the potential of such forms of investment. The exercise provided orientations for developing national LB programmes. It was seen as an initial effort towards the prioritisation of most needed interventions in the countries represented at the workshop. The results of the group work (see Anne V – Part c.) were distributed to participants.

3. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The conclusions and recommendations formulated by the three groups can be summarized as follows: Conclusions:

• EII is a viable technological choice, and an investment option that can contribute to poverty reduction through job creation, particularly for the low-income groups.

• EII can empower the poor communities through participation and their access to basic needs and services.

• EII as a tool for youth employment • Positive contribution of EII programmes to developing local contracting capacity, effective

maintenance systems and local economic development Recommendations:

• This form of investment should be promoted taking into consideration its technically feasibility and cost-effectiveness, as well as the quality of the works executed.

• There is a need to upscale and mainstream EII. To this end, obstacles, challenges, and constraints that work against the mainstreaming of the methods should be reviewed.

• Developing countries should embrace and integrate EIIP into their PRSP. • Need for the intensification of research. • Need for more elaboration on issues of safety and health at work as well as social protection • Increased knowledge and information sharing. Need for awareness creation on EII. • Need to address the role and participation of the private sector and social partners in EII • There should be constant dialogue between Government of developing countries and

development partners on the importance of EII programs in the development of the local economy.

Participants described the workshop as a useful knowledge-sharing exercise. They found that an appropriate mix of theory and practice was used to facilitate the exchanges on employment-intensive investment and related economic and social policy issues.

- 19 -

4. WORKSHOP EVALUATION At the end of the workshop, the participants were invited to fill an evaluation form, concerning the organizational, technical and pedagogical aspects of the course. On a scale from 1 to 5, the overall quality of the workshop was rated 4.28, its relevance to the functions currently performed by the participants was rated 4.17, and its relevance to the needs of represented institutions was rated 4.24. The overall attainment of the workshop’s objectives was rated 4.34. These results show that the general appreciation of participants was positive. The learning methods and performance of resource persons also received high notes (4.34 and 4.59 respectively). Participants found particularly useful:

- Regional comparisons and country cases - Group discussions - Presentations regarding the links between employment and poverty reduction (EII in

the poverty reduction drive) - Examples of local-level infrastructure planning - Sessions on contractor development and local capacity building

For improving future activities of this type, participants suggested to:

- Increase the duration of the course (alternatively, a smaller number of subjects could be treated)

- Insist more on practical examples and case studies (successes and failures) - Allow more time for exhaustive discussions - More on:

o policy relevance of topics o coordination and sustainability of EII interventions o impact indicators o application of EII in other areas than the road sector

With reference to possible follow-up, participants indicated a range of activities including:

- Report on the training activity and share information within the respective and other institutions/organizations

- Sensitize national authorities. Advocate at various levels - Getting young professionals to appreciate EII - Write an article on EII in policy bulletin - Organize training events - Formulate EII projects - Apply the IRAP methodology - Keep in touch with the other participants/networking

Participants were also asked to indicate some difficulties they might encounter in applying what they have learned during the workshop. They identified:

- Lack of political commitment - Institutional constraints. Resistance to change - Resources constraints - Donor attitude - Lack of LB contractors - Lack of coordination among actors concerned

The organizers will be glad to receive from participants any information on EII-related initiatives in their respective countries. n

International Training Centre of the ILO - Turin, Italy Employment and Skills Development Programme

In collaboration with the EIIP Programme of the International labour Office “Putting employment at the centre of public investment and poverty reduction processes”

Interregional Workshop on Employment-Intensive Investment Policies and Programmes Activity Code: A900446 ¾ Language: English ¾ Venue: ILO-ITC Turin (Pav. 2/Room 118) ¾ Dates: 17-21 Oct. 2005

Activity Manager: Mr Valter Nebuloni; Course Assistant: Ms Flavia Brayda PROGRAMME

Time Monday 17 Tuesday 18 Wednesday 19 Thursday 20 Friday 21 09:00

10:30

S1 Opening

Introduction of participants

Objectives and agenda of the

workshop

S5 Regional experiences and

perspectives: Asia and Latin America

S9 Public/private partnerships for

implementing works of community interest

S13 The employment dimension of poverty reduction strategies: A

critical look

S17 Job opportunities and fair

working conditions through public investment

(Group work, reporting back) Wrap-up

Break 11:00

12:30

S2 ‘Employment-intensive’ approaches: Perceptions,

definitions and general features

S6 Local level infrastructure

planning, participation and employment generation

S10 Building local capacities for EI

infrastructure works

S14 Mainstreaming employment-

intensive approaches into national policies and plans:

Possible options and operational mechanisms

S18 Workshop evaluation

Closure

Lunch 14:00

15:30

S3 Employment-intensive growth and poverty reduction: The role

of public investment in infrastructure

S7 Conceiving and implementing employment intensive works

programmes: Some key issues

S11 Enabling decent work in construction: Appropriate

labour policies and practices



(Group work)

Break 16:00

17:30

S4 Regional experiences and perspectives: Sub-Saharan

Africa

S8 Involving local contractors in

employment-intensive infrastructure works

S12 Special session on working

tools (guides, training modules, others)



(Group work, contd.)

ANNEX I

- 1 -

ANNEX II

A. Activity A900446 - List of participants

AZERBAIJAN Full Name: AYDAMIR MUSAKHANLI

National Centre / Inviting

Employers’ Organisation:

Institution : Ministry of Labour & Social Protection of Population

Position: Senior Consultant

Address: 40, Hajibayov Str., House of Government, Baku, AZ1000

Tel: 994 12 493 1203

Fax: 994 12 493 9472

E-mail: [email protected]

AZERBAIJAN

Full Name: Samir SHAMIYEV



Institution : Ministry of Labour an Social Protection of Population, State Labour Inspection Department for District 1

Position: Chief Inspector

Address: 172, Sharifzadem Str, Yasmal District, Baku

Tel: 994 12 434 9867

Fax: 994 493 9472


- 2 -

BENIN Full Name: Justin TINE



Institution : ILO STEP Progammec/o UNDP Benin

Position: ILO Associate Expert

Address: 645 J/GBegamey 01 BP 4853 Cotonou

Tel: 229 21 31 01/cell. 229 97 97 10 57

Fax: 229 22921310176

E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

ERITREA

Full Name: Asmellash GHERMATION



Employers Federation of Eritrea Phone: 291 1 202433 Fax: 291 1 202434 P.O. Box 3547

Institution : NAS CONSTUCTION of Eritrea

Position: Manager

Address: Wasay Street 189 Saba Building 7th floor P.O. Box 7056

Tel: 291 1 181986

Fax: 291 1 152133


GEORGIA

Full Name: Shalva SKOKOCHASHVILI



Institution : GSIF - Georgian Social Investment Fund

Position: Deputy Executive Director

Address: 391 Chavchavadze Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia

Tel: 995 32 230779

Fax: 995 32 230103


- 3 -

GEORGIA Full Name: Nona CHICHINADZE



Institution : GSIF

Position: East Georgia Zone Manager

Address: 39, Chavchavadze Avenue, Tbilisi; Georgia

Tel: 995 32 470442

Fax: 995 32 230103


GEORGIA

Full Name: Carlo BARDAVELIDZE




Position: Executive Director

Address: 39A Chavchavadze Avenue, Tbilisi, Georgia

Tel: 995 32 25 0443

Fax: 995 32 230103


GEORGIA

Full Name: Merab SVANIDZE




Position: West Georgia zone manager/Chief ENgineer


Tel: 995 32 470442

Fax: 995 32 230103


- 4 -

GEORGIA Full Name: Giorgi BAJELIDZE




Position: Procurement Manager/Zone Manager


Tel: 995 32 230213

Fax: 995 32


GEORGIA

Full Name: Zviad PAITCHADZE



Institution : GSIFGeorgian Social Investment Fund

Position: Financial and Admnistrative Manager

Address: Tbilisi ; Georgia

Tel: 995 32 230 213

Fax: 995 32 230 103


GHANA

Full Name: Baba Imoru ABDULAI



Institution : Ministry of Local Government and rural development

Position: Zone Coordinator

Address: P.O. Box 1141, Tamale

Tel: 233 21 770246 /233 71 22426

Fax: 233 21 770247/233 71 22624

E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]

- 5 -

GHANA Full Name: Patrick Affum ASUMADU



Institution : Miniistry of Local Government and rural development

Position: Deveopment Planning Officer

Address: Box m50, Accra, Ghana

Tel: 233 21 682033/233 277422624

Fax: 233 21 682003


GHANA

Full Name: George Afful AIDOO



Institution : Department of Feeder Roads

Position: Deputy Director

Address: PMB, Ministries Post Office, Accra; Ghana

Tel: 233 21 662125

Fax: 233 21 688221


GHANA

Full Name: Samuel SARPONG



Institution : Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Community Based Rural Development Project

Position:

Address: Ghana

Tel: 233 21 770246

Fax: 233 21 770247


- 6 -

GHANA Full Name: Anthony Yaw BAAH



[TUC] TRADES UNION CONGRESS

Institution : Ghana Trades Union Congress

Position: Head, Policy and Resarch Department

Address: P.O. Box 701, Accra; GHANA

Tel: 233 21 669675

Fax: 233 21 667161


INDONESIA

Full Name: Iga Mai SUKARIYATI



Institution : The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs

Position: Head of Jawa - Bali Regional Spatial Planning Division

Address: Jalan Lapangan Bantengtimur 2-4 Jakarta 10710 Indonesia

Tel: 6621 3456714

Fax: 6621


JAMAICA

Full Name: Angela RODNEY



JAMAICA OTHERS

Institution : National Lang Agency

Position: Chief/Director

Address:

Tel: 876 978 21817

Fax: 876 9787205


- 7 -

KENYA Full Name: Elizabeth Wambui MWANGI



Institution : Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company

Position: Corporate Planning Coordinator

Address: P.O. Box 30656 00100 Nairobi (Kenya)

Tel: 254 2 557 131

Fax: 254 2 552 170


LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REP.

Full Name: Soutannouvong SOUKSAKHONE



Institution : Ministry of Communication, Transport, Post and Contruction

Position: ILO Conultant/Local Road Division staff (engineer/planner)

Address: Vatnare area, P.O. Box 8280, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Tel: 856 21 314145

Fax: 856 21 314145


NAMIBIA

Full Name: Hofni Silvanus SHIKONGO



Namibia Employers Federation

Institution : O & L Group, Employers Federation

Position: HR/IR policies development alignment

Address: P.O. Box 16, Windhoek

Tel: 264 61 2075111

Fax: 264 61 234021


- 8 -

PAKISTAN Full Name: Sikander Hayat MAKEN



Institution : Ministry of Labour, Manpower and Overseas Pakistanis

Position: Joint Secretary

Address: Block 8 Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad

Tel: 9251 92 17 900 ® 92 67 341

Fax: 9251 92 20 99


NEPAL

Full Name: Jagannath OJHA



Institution : Ministry of Local Develoment Dolidar Jawalakhel

Position: Planning Officer

Address:

Tel: 977 1 5555001

Fax: 977 1 5531850


SERBIA-MONTENEGRO

Full Name: Jelena BRAJOVIC



Institution : Ministry of Labour, Empoyment and Social Policy

Position: Employment Specialist

Address: Ruzveltova 61, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia

Tel: 38111 3293470

Fax: 38111 3293470, 381112765387

E-mail: [email protected] / jelenabcMINPOZS.SR.60V.YU

- 9 -

SIERRA LEONE Full Name: David Karim FONNIE



Institution : SLRA - Sierra Leone Roads Authority

Position: Director

Address: 5 Robbert Drive, Freetown

Tel: 232 22 226565

Fax: 232 22 222346


SIERRA LEONE

Full Name: Adolphus JACKSON



Institution : Sierra Leone Roads Authority - SLRA

Position: Deputy Director General

Address: Blackall Road, Kissy, Freetown

Tel: 232 22 226565

Fax: 232 22 222346

E-mail: [email protected] / [email protected]

SOUTH AFRICA

Full Name: Barend Johannes KOEN



[FEDUSA] FEDERATION OF UNIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Institution : IMATU (INDEPENDENT MUNICIPAL AND ALLIED TRADE UNION)

Position: Legal Research and Educator

Address: 47 Selati Street, Ashlea Gardens, Pretoria

Tel: 27 12 460 6276

Fax: 27 12 460 8444


- 10 -

TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF Full Name: Rustam ERGASHEV



Institution : Office for Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda

Position: ILO Associate Expert (employment creation and social protection)

Address: P.O. Box 9212, Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)

Tel: 255 22 21 26281

Fax: 255 22 21 26627


UGANDA

Full Name: Zeridah ZIGITI



Institution : Ministry of Finance , Planning and Economic Development

Position: Economist

Address: P.O. Box 8147 Kampala (Uganda)

Tel: +256 41 707195, +256 71 490888

Fax: +256 41 230163


ZIMBABWE

Full Name: John White MUKUFARE



Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe

Institution : Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe

Position: Executive Director and Manager of the Confederation

Address:

Tel: 263 04 739647

Fax: 263 04 739630


- 11 -

B. Activity A900446 - List of resource-persons Mr Valter NEBULONI Activity Manager Employment and Skills Development Programme International Turin Centre of the ILO Turin (Italy) Phone: +39 011 6936432 Fax: +39 011 6936450 E-Mail: [email protected] Ms Flavia BRAYDA Course Assistant Employment and Skills Development Programme International Training Centre of the ILO Turin (Italy) Phone: +39 011 6936757 Fax: +39 011 6936451 E-Mail: [email protected] Mr Serge CARTIER VAN DISSEL Employment Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP) International Labour Organisation (ILO) Geneva (Switzerland) Phone: +41 22 700 7167/6456 Fax: +41 22 700 8422 E-Mail: [email protected] Mr Chris DONNGES ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific Bangkok ((Thailand) Phone: +66 2 288 18 85 Fax: +66 2 288 30 62 E-Mail: [email protected] Mr Kwaku OSEI-BONSU ILO Sub-regionalOffice for East Africa Addis Ababa ((Ethiopia) Phone : +251 11 551 7200 Fax : +251 11 551 36 33 E-Mail : [email protected]

- 1 -

ANNEX III

Inter-regional Workshop on Employment-Intensive Investment

Policies and Programmes ILO-ITC Turin, 17-21 Oct. 2005

Suggested reading Employment-Intensive Investment and Poverty Reduction

- Mustafa K. Mujeri, “Bangladesh: Bringing Poverty Focus in Rural Infrastructure Development”, Issues in Employment and Poverty – Discussion Paper 6, ILO Geneva, 2002

- Stephen Devereux, “From Workfare to Fair Work – The contribution of Public Works and other

Labour-Based Infrastructure Programmes to Poverty Alleviation”, Issues in Employment and Poverty – Discussion Paper 5, ILO Geneva, 2002

- L. Haddad and M. Adato, “Maximizing benefit transfers to the poor: Evidence form South African

employment programmes”, International Labour Review, Volume 141, Number 3, 2002

- Michael Lipton, “Successes in anti poverty”, ILO Geneva, 1998

- Laura Murphy, “Rapid assessment of Poverty Impacts (RAPI) – Elaboration of a rapid survey Method of Assessing the poverty Reduction Impacts of Pilot Employment-Intensive Projects”, SETP Paper No. 2, EIIP, ILO Geneva, 1998.

Comparative advantages and macro-economic potential of employment-intensive investment

- Gary Taylor, Moses Bekabye, “An opportunity for employment creation: labour-based technology in roadworks – The macro-economic dimension”, SETP Paper No. 6, EIIP, ILO Geneva, 1999.

- MADHIMO – A simulation model for the macro-economic impact of a labour-based works

strategy in Madagascar, ILO Geneva, 1999

- Maria Lennartsson, David Stiedl, “Technology Choice – Man or Machines”, ILO/ASIST 1995

- Bertin Martens, “Economic development that lasts – Labour-intensive irrigation projects in Nepal and the United Republic of Tanzania”, ILO Geneva, 1989

Contractor development

- Peter Bentall, Andreas Beusch, Jan de Veen, “Employment-Intensive Infrastructure Programmes: Capacity Building in the Construction Sector”, ILO Geneva, 1999.

- Improve Your Construction Business series, ILO Geneva, 1994 : o Pricing and bidding (IYCB 1), handbook and workbook o Site management (IYCB 2), handbook and workbook o Business management (IYCB 3), handbook and workbook

- 2 -

Labour practices in construction

- Sarah Ladbury, Andrew Cotton, Mary Jennings, “Implementing Labour Standards in Construction – A sourcebook”, WEDC, 2003

- David Tajgman, Jan de Veen, “Employment-Intensive Infrastructure Programmes: Labour

Policies and Practices”, ILO Geneva, 1998. Community contracting

- ILO/ASIST, International Training Course for Engineers and Town planners, “Sustainable

community-managed and labour-based upgrading of urban low-income settlements”. Trainers notes, Handbook and Workbook, ILO 2002.

- ILO/ASIST- Kisii Training Centre - KEWI, “Site Supervisor Course for Labour-Based and

Community Managed Upgrading of Urban Low-income Settlements”. Skills course manual, Supervisor’s Site Reference Handbook, ILO 2002.

- Jane Tournèe, Wilma van Esch, “Community contracts in urban infrastructure works – Practical

lessons from experiences”, ILO Geneva, 2001.

Local planning

- ILO/ASIST-AP: Building Local Government Capacity for Rural Infrastructure works, ILO 2003 - ILO/ASIST-AP: Improving Access in Rural Areas – Guidelines for Integrated Rural Accessibility

Planning, ILO 2003

Other documents - P. Garnier and M. van Imschoot, “Social funds: Lessons for a new future”, ILO 2003 - ILO/ASIST-AF: The Labour-Based Technology Source Book – A catalogue of Key Publications

- ILO 2004, “A Fair Globalization – Creating opportunities for all”

(http://www.ilo.org/public/english/fairglobalization/report/index.htm)

- 1 -

ANNEX IV

A900446 / Group Work: Training Needs Assessment (reports)

Group/Level Minimum capacity requirements

Possible training required Special comments

Decision-makers

National District Local

- Able to define project objectives, roles and responsibilities. - Should know how to bear outcomes

a. Orientation and sensitization (1/2 day) b. Roles and responsibilities (1 day) c. Outcome and effects (½ day) The sessions above may be combined

Political commitment

Planners

Community - Research skills - Able to capture expressed skills - Technical skills (engineering accounting and budgeting) - Community mobilization skills - Gender issues - Communication skills

a. Project formulation b. Project management c. M&E d. Survey/assessment and data analysis

- 2 -

Engineers/Supervisors

Community District Central

- Diploma/degree holders in given fields - Minimum years of expertise in given fields - Basic knowledge of LBTs - Good understanding of locality (all statistical data) - Capacity to train and integrate lower level workers

a. Project formulation b. LB technology/field implementation

- Ease the process of project implementation and ensure good quality of works (modify design specifications in line with the needs of the community) - Experience sharing - Training facilities/equipment

Local contractors, consultants and communities

District

- LBT - Procurement - Basic management skills

a. LBT: work methods and quality standards b. Procurement: Bidding process and costing c. Labour relations; financial management; HRM

- 1 -

ANNEX V

A9-00446 / GROUP WORK: Job opportunities and fair working conditions

through public investment (guidelines and reports)

a. EIIP frame

Potential

Employment/Income

generation

Improved infrastructure

Access to services

Participation

Levels of intervention

Policies / Strategies

Education Awareness-raising

Capacity bldg.

Pilot projects

Actors

Government (central, local);

Line agencies; Private sector; Social partners; Communities;

NGOs and development partners;

……

Types of projects

Sectoral (roads, irrigation, forestry, soil and water

conservation…)

Multi-sectoral (urban , rural)

Practices/Tools

PIP (planning units); Procurement procedures;

SME development; Community contracts;

Labour practices; Training tools/activities

- 2 -

b. Guidelines

GROUP WORK - Job opportunities and fair working conditions through public investment

Define:

a. Entry points and levels of interventions for promoting EII at national level b. A realistic set of measures towards a larger application of the labour-based

methods in the infrastructure/other sectors:

• general types of measures that can be taken; specific examples can be made;

• special attention should be given to interventions that can have immediate effects

c. Monitoring and evaluation functions that allow keeping track of the application of

EI methods within the country, and their effects/impact (including a list of possible indicators)

Consider:

• Possible synergy among different actors, and scope for collaboration

• Roles and responsibilities of the different actors concerned (including coordination requirements)

Formulate:

Conclusions and recommendations relevant to the content of the workshop.

- 3 -

c. Reports Slide 1

GROUP 1

Job Opportunities & Fair WorkingConditions Through Public

Investment

Slide 2

Assumption

• The Country Does not have a relevant Policy

Slide 3

Possible Entry Point

• Infrastructure Development• Maintenance• Local economic Development• Procurement• Community Contracting

- 4 -

Slide 4

Level of Intervention

• Education and Awareness Creation of Employment Intensive Investments

• Development of National Policy andLegislation.

• Capacity Building• Legislation• Developing Pilot Projects

Slide 5

Relevant Actors

NGOs, Contractors, CommunityLeaders, WomenRepresentatives, Technical Staff egEngineers, EnvironmentalSpecialists.

Local Authorities, Development & Social Partners.

Ministries of NaturalResources, Finance, EconomicDevelopment, Public Works, Labour, Development andSocial Partners.

CommunityLevel

District LevelNational Level

Slide 6

Roles and Responsibilities

Execution/Supervision

ImplementationCommunity Level

Management of project at Community level

Prepare Project Proposal;Procurement of works, servicesand goods

District Level

Management of Project

PolicyFormulation;Funding

National Level

ResponsibilityRoleActor

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Slide 7

Set of Measures…1

• Education & Capacity Building– Developing of Training Materials & Tools– Workshop involving Stake-holders at all

levels.– Meeting with Community Leaders to sensitise

them.– Involvement of Media for publicity. – Awareness creation

Slide 8

Set of Measures…2

• Allocating Budget at National Level involvingBasket Funding of Donors if needed

• Developing a National Policy on Job Creationthrough EII

• Incorporating Decent Work Agenda and relevant legislation to cover labour Labour Standards –Ghana’s Experience standards if not available.

• Establish a Steering Committee & TechnicalCommittee to play a leading role in the implementation of the above.

Slide 9

Set of Measures…3

• Build Capacity on Policies and legislationat all levels involving available training institutions.

• Local Government to prepare pilot project.• Estabilish a project implementation Team• Procurement of works, services and goods

to be undertaken at the District level• Selected Contractor(s) to implement

project after the procurement process.

- 6 -

Slide 10

Pilot Project

• The rehabilitation of 5km of existing feeder road as a trial contract to each of the selected community based contractors.

• Enforce Labour Standards enshrined in the contract documents

• Based on the outcome of the pilot project, replicate the process in the entire District.

• Arrange site visits for policy makers to enable them to appreciate the EII programme.

Slide 11

Monitoring and Evaluation

Steering Committee

Technical Committee

Local Authority

Slide 12

Indicators

• Labour Force Participation Rate• Number of jobs created• Length of Roads rehabiltated• Amount of Income generated• Poverty Reduction (% of population

subsisting on less than USD 1 and 2 per day) in the long run.

- 7 -

Slide 13

Conclusions & Recommendations

• EIIP holds the key to the reduction of povertythrough job creation in the rural areas provided itis technically feasible, cost effective and achieves quality.

• EIIP to be promoted to empower the rural poorto have access to basic needs and services.

• Employment creation through EII will reduce poverty because the empolyed youth and lowincome earners will be gainfully employed.

Slide 14

Conclusions & Recommendations

• Contracting capacity can be developedwithin a community.

• Effective maintenance achieved• Local Economic Development

Slide 15

Recommendations

• EII is a viable technological choice and needs to be seriously considered as an option.

• There is the need to upscale and mainstream EIIP.

• Need for the intensification of research.• Increased knowledge and information sharing.• Dialogue with Development Partners for the

adoption of EII in their pro-poor programmes

- 8 -

Slide 16

Labour Standards – Ghana’s Experience

• Insertion of the relevant clauses in Part II of the conditions of contract as part of the social Aspects of Construction for the application of LS.

• Labour standards in Ghana’s legal and constitutional framework but not enforced.

• Provision of potable water, protective clothing, headgear, footwear supplied to workers as well as first aid.

• Wages paid promptly• Workers allowed to belong to a Trade Union• HIV education • Provision borne by contract and not assumed to be covered by other

rates as prime cost items in bill of quantities.• Compliance with the labour standards ensured by the supervision

Team.

Slide 17

Ghana’s Experience with Pilot Project

• Programme launched in 1986 as part of the 4th Highway Project.

• Funding provided by IDA and UNDP with ILO providing TA.

• Training of small scale contractors.• Introduction of task rate system for

payment• Provision of loans to purchase equipment

Slide 18

Ghana’s Experience with Pilot Project

Achievements:1. About 2.6 million person days of

employment created between 1986 and 1994.

2. About US$1.4million paid as wages.3. 1,190km of gravel roads rehabilitated4. During the pilot phase the output was

1.4km/month

- 9 -

Slide 1

Group II

Promoting Employment Intensive Investment

Slide 2

Policies and strategies

vAll rural infrastructure development programmes should be employment-intensive.

Slide 3

Strategies

1. Education and awareness creation2. Capacity building3. Public resource allocation: The amount

of resource retained at the local level.4. Pilot Project

- 10 -

Slide 4

Activities

Strategy One (Awareness-raising) • Introduction of EII programs at the institutional

level e.g.. Universities, technical institutions like polytechnics etc. this will include introducing EII programs in the curricula for engineers, planners etc.

• Sensitization workshops for all stakeholders and benchmarking for actor like program managers, consultants, contractors etc.

Slide 5

Activities

Strategy two (Capacity Building)• Specific Capacity building for specific

actors:– Planners (project management)– Local Contractors (Technical aspects of

project implementation, e.g. bid preparation, tendering etc.)

– Local Community (technical; management)

Slide 6

Activities

Strategy three ( Public Resource allocation)• Use of local materials as much as possible• Determination of minimum wage• Gender• Labour from the community unless in

special cases( availability of professionals)

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Slide 7

Activities

Strategy 4 (Pilot project)• Aim to demonstrate employment creation

through labour based technology (consideration of economic and social profits)

Slide 8

Actors, roles and level of intervention

Local and District level

Enforce PolicyImplementation and monitoring of strategies and policies

Local authorities

National/Local level

FundingDevelopment partners

National LevelFormulation of Policy

Central Government

Level of interventions

RolesActors

Slide 9

Cont.

Community and Local Level

Execution of projects and maintenance

Community

District/local levels

Execution of projects

Private sector, e.g. Local contractors

Local/District level

Provide technical backstopping on EII programs

Line agencies e.g. Departments in districts, P.I.U:

Level of Intervention

RoleActors

- 12 -

Slide 10

Intervention

Road Project

Scope: Rehabilitation of 16km road

Slide 11

Activities of the Project

• Clearing works• Earth works e.g.. Excavations• Levelling• Compaction• Graveling• Construction of culverts and bridges

Slide 12

Performance Indicator

• Create job for 60 people for 4 months (Short-term contracts)

• Rehabilitation of 16km road• 3 people per kilometre permanently

engaged for continuous rehabilitation.

- 13 -

Slide 13

Outputs

• Income for 60 people for 4 months• Income for 48 people for continuous

maintenance (long-term) (3 people*16Km)• Rehabilitation of 16 km of road• Expansion of local economy• Improvement in local participation in planning

and implementation.• Improvement of local capacity and skills

Slide 14

Conclusion

• Employment intensive investment programs have potential to generate employment, incomes and increase local economic growth and development through their direct and multiplier effects.

Slide 15

Recommendations

• Developing countries should embrace and integrate EIIP into their PRSP.

• There should be constant dialogue between Government of developing countries and development partners on the importance of EII programs in the development of local economy.

- 14 -

Slide 1

GROUP THREE

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND FAIR WORKING CONDITIONS

THROUGH PUBLIC INVESTMENT

Slide 2 Entry points and levels of interventions for promoting

EII at national level

ØCountries with PRSP• Adopted PRSP• Co-operational agreements (between

donors and government at national level)ØCountries without PRSP• Create employment plans with emphasis

on the EII

Slide 3 Measures towards application of the labour based

methods in the infrastructure –other sectors

ØPublic WorksØRaising awareness and capacity building ØPublic and community partnershipØPrivate and public partnerships encourage

fiscal policy as a tool for promoting EII• Tax rebates for employing numbers • Tax rebate for investing in targeted areas

ØOccupational safety and health standards at work

- 15 -

Slide 4 Monitoring and Evaluation functions that will allow keeping track of the application of the EII methods

ØSet up indicatorsØSet up institutional arrangements for

monitoring and EvaluationØInstitute review systems for assessing

achievement of objectivesØInstitute Penalties and rewards

Slide 5

Indicators For M&E

ØNew Employment Created– Regional Dimension– Gender sensitivity– Social Groups– Number of days

ØPoverty Status of BeneficiariesØWage and Income

– Level– Regularity of payment

Slide 6

Indicators _cont.

ØWorking Conditions– Health and safety– Insurance policy

- 16 -

Slide 7

Possible Actors

ØNGOsØMediaØCentral Government

– Decentralised Regulating and co-ordinating body– Universities-Research Institutions– Statistical service

ØBeneficiariesØCommunity Leaders-Civil SocietyØSocial PartnersØDonor CommunityØTraditional Leaders

Slide 8 Conclusions and

RecommendationsØNeed for more elaboration on issues of

safety and health at work as well as social protectionØNeed for awareness creation on EII ØNeed to address the role and participation

of the private sector and social partners in EII

Slide 9 Conclusions and

Recommendations-cont.ØNeed to review the obstacles, challenges,

and constraints that work against the acceptance and mainstreaming of EII in countries that have implemented the programme

A900446 - Final report - CiteSeerX

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