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Global action programme on migrant domestic workers and their families - Final Evaluation

eval_number:

1947

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/1947

lessons_learned:

themes:

theme:

Migration

category:

Conditions of work & equality

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comments:

Governments and those involved in migration issues, those engaged in research on migration.

challenges:

It can be difficult to ensure that receiving countries along a migration corridor accept the results from research. To ensure research informs policy, it is important to balance the need for independent critical research with researchers who are independent, critical and respected nationally.

success:

If the government(s) in the corridor respects researchers, research results and knowledge generated (that has important policy implications) will be noticed. If the government is not fully on board from the start and is not involved in choosing the researcher, there may be problems. Presenting research results that are critical of government is tricky (but necessary). Presenting a range of forward-looking alternatives and options that reflect the likelihood of change in the future is important (rather than desired change overnight). ILO is often operating in policy contexts that are characterised by complexity and uncertainty with many competing ends and means. Although some change requires immediate action, policy on migration is a process, and advice to governments is ongoing and open ended. Research results should also be presented back to domestic workers. Annex 8 contains policy influence resources.

context:

Coordination for policy advocacy related to evidence on migrant domestic workers should include a focus on a corridor approach in the terms of reference for the research. Within ILO itself, for a corridor approach to work, who reports to who and where coordination and knowledge is shared must be clearly worked out.

description:

Implement a corridor approach is challenging, but is important for ensuring both destination and receiving countries are aware of the situation of MDWs. Implementing a corridor approach allows for a focus on the complete migration cycle (pre departure, destination, return). With the focus on both the country of origin and the destination country, a deeper more complete analysis takes place. If a corridor approach is well implemented, it can bring achievements in terms of advancing bilateral relations between two countries. Thus a corridor approach is important for linking research results or field based realities of migrant domestic workers to policy in both countries. A corridor approach based on knowledge/lesson sharing vision requires strong and definite coordination arrangements between country offices, regional offices and headquarters of ILO with other stakeholders. However involving a wide range of stakeholders in the corridor approach helps to ensure the results of research on migrant domestic workers can be made accessible for use with policy makers. The GAP-MDW project demonstrated that for research to be used, a wide range of stakeholders must be involved in the research planning from the start. This will help to ensure the research fills in the gaps and goes in the direction that various (and diverse) stakeholders along the corridor feel are important. In some instances, this may slow down the process of initiating the research. On the other hand, it ensures buy-in and relevance.

administrative_issues:

For research results to link to national policy, support from ILO staff in the destination and receiving countries is important, particularly for a headquarters managed project such as GAP-MDW. For instance, Decent Work Country Teams must be strongly linked with headquarters and different headquarters units and all linked to the ILO DW4DWs strategy. ILO Directors must feel that they have the staff on the ground to ensure that the research undertaken through a project can be ‘’overseen”.

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/186178

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location:

country:

Inter-Regional

region:

Inter-Regional

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eval_title:

Global action programme on migrant domestic workers and their families - Final Evaluation