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Towards an inclusive national social protection system and accelerating decent job opportunities for Syrians and vulnerable Jordanians - Midterm joint evaluation

eval_number:

3277

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/3277

lessons_learned:

themes:

theme:

Social protection

category:

Social Protection

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comments:

Potential graduates/Beneficiaries ILO project staff UNICEF project staff Field staff Tripartite constituents

challenges:

The challenge has arisen due to the delays encountered by potential graduates, who have waited for such a long period of time to progress through the project, and have raised their expectations. This makes realigning these expectations, and clarifying misconceptions, more challenging than had it been done from the beginning.

success:

The presence of the field staff on the ground and their engagement directly with potential graduates/beneficiaries and their knowledge of their specific needs/profiles as well as their previous ILO training and experience in their locales is a positive issue that can be further invested in.

context:

Involving field staff, who have direct experience with the potential graduates/beneficiaries on the ground in the design of communication strategies and approaches and specific strategies for profiling and matching for specific populations as well as equipping them with needed training and communication materials would be beneficial to the project.

description:

The lesson to be learned is that, when working on projects which target the most economically or socially vulnerable members of society, a higher level of consideration for their financial, physical, and psychological limitations is required. Outcome Three targets some of the most economically vulnerable members of society - both Jordanians and Syrians - those receiving cash assistance and those on social welfare. Moreover, the project targets second tier potential earners in the family for Jordanians and specifically women, and includes a wider age range than most livelihood projects, thus further increasing vulnerability criteria of participants (or potential graduates). Many of those targeted for profiling also lack basic education levels, especially among Syrians. Among Jordanians, many of the younger potential graduates have higher education levels, especially in urban settings, making the targeted population a diverse and non-homogenous group that requires different approaches to job linkages. Among Syrians, the population has undergone significant trauma, which is another factor that needs to be considered. Given these levels of vulnerability, the lessons learned are: 1. Working with vulnerable members of society requires higher levels of consideration in terms of respect for financial, physical and psychological limitations. Asking people to come long distances to fill out a profile that they believe will lead to some financial benefit then disappearing for many months or even years adds unnecessarily to their vulnerability and stress. 1. Working with vulnerable segments of the population, often with limited education and who may suffer from stress and trauma related to poverty and conflict requires a level of communication and transparency that is nuanced and specific to their needs and abilities. The counselors did their best to communicate with graduates and are aware of the need to communicate clearly and effectively. However, the design of the project and delays within it, coupled with a lack of specifically relevant and effective communication tools that explain the project, and specifically the potential loss of welfare and cash assistance that may ensue, has made their jobs harder. A lack of clarity and attention to the specific needs of potential graduates can lead to a sense of alienation or lack of trust that has the potential hinder the project's progress.The targeted population has a range of abilities and needs (age, educational, gender-based, refugee status, urban vs. rural etc.) requiring a targeted approach when it comes to profiling approach and job identification and placement in the future. This was not taken sufficiently into account in project design. This finding was derived from desk review, KIIs, and FGDs with both programme participants and career counsellors, and validated through the staff workshop.

administrative_issues:

Project design and implementation should be much more participatory, and should engage field staff to gain lessons from their experience on the ground. Potential beneficiaries should also be involved in project design to help identify issues with design and implementation. Not to do so risks the need for restructuring mid-way through the project, once those challenges are encountered.

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/1103693

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location:

country:

Jordan

region:

Arab States

---

eval_title:

Towards an inclusive national social protection system and accelerating decent job opportunities for Syrians and vulnerable Jordanians - Midterm joint evaluation