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Improving labour relations for decent work and sustainable development in the Myanmar garment industry - Final evaluation

eval_number:

2584

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2584

lessons_learned:

themes:

theme:

Public-private partnerships

category:

Enterprises

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comments:

ILO HQ, DWT-ROAP, ILO Liaison Office Yangon, Sida and other international and private sector donors.

challenges:

The potential conflict of interest in a PPDP Model, could sometimes discourage employers’ organisations as well as national companies to join the project.

success:

The international brands substantially enhanced the effectiveness of the project by encouraging their suppliers to join the project.

context:

Stakeholders agreed that the brands’ support to ILO-GIP has proved to be instrumental, as factories are willing to join the project if their buyers explicitly request them to do so. This is considered an advantage for the implementation of the activities in factories that participate in the project. However, at the same time it would be envisageable that the factories are convinced about the usefulness of taking part in a project and not being “strongly encouraged” by their buyers. Furthermore, in this particular case, H&M partially funds ILO-GIP and is thus accountable towards H&M as it would be to any other donor. Besides, the company is regarded by national stakeholders as a project partner (along with trade unions and the MGMA) as a project donor it participates as an observer in the project´s governance processes. Furthermore, H&M has a key role in the signing up of participating factories. According to several stakeholders’ opinions gathered by the evaluator, this situation creates a conflict of interest, which, in turn translates into a disinclination on the side of the employers´ and national owned factories to join ILO-GIP for reasons related to potential unfairness and competitiveness. Whereas ILO-GIP has sought the support and participation of additional brands in the project, this same argument may become more pertinent, as this potentially increases the risk of being seen as favouring international brands over nationally owned factories, especially if the latter continue to be absent from the project. This needs to be addressed with utmost diplomacy. On the basis of this analysis, and, in particular, in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest that might negatively influence the employers´ and national owned factories’ willingness to join in ILO-GIP (or other projects), the MTE arrived at the recommendation (No. 14) to manage private sector contributions through pooled funds at the ILO-HQ in Geneva (MTE 2018: 58).

description:

The Public Private Development Partnership (PPDP) Model used in this project has advantages and disadvantages which should be managed well especially concerning the different roles played by international private companies. In this particular project funded by public funds (Sida) and private funds (H&M and in the final project year also M&S), the role of H&M has been assessed as crucial for the progress in implementation and for the achievements made. In fact, the role of H&M is considered as one of the ‘Success Factors’. The same can be said to a lesser extent of M&S since they joined the project in a later phase (September 2019).

administrative_issues:

ILO HQ in Geneva should consider to manage the private sector contributions through thematic/sectorial pool funds at the ILO-HQ level.

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/174966

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location:

country:

Myanmar

region:

Asia and the Pacific

---

eval_title:

Improving labour relations for decent work and sustainable development in the Myanmar garment industry - Final evaluation