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UN Green Jobs Programme: Enhancing competitiveness and sustainable business among MMEs in the building construction industry (phase II) ILO Component - Midterm evaluation
- eval_number:
- 2119
- eval_url:
- https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2119
- lessons_learned:
- themes:
- theme:
- UNDAF and UN Agency coordination
- category:
- Organizational issues
- comments:
- Programme managers planning joint programmes
- challenges:
- In the Zambia Green Jobs Programme the interventions at community level did not generate enough momentum to achieve enterprise development and growth in the timber value chain. Furthermore, the approach required many components and resources than were allocated by the Programme making the initiative likely to be unsuccessful in them and contributing to the overall programme objectives.
For some agencies working in Joint Programmes may entail a different thinking and new ways of implementing which may require new skills and knowledge. This has potential to make the implementation of the Joint programme more expensive due to for example recruitment of new staff.
- success:
- When developing a joint programme it is important to ensure there is common understanding and critical assessment of Agency implementation approaches to ensure their alignment and that their combined through-put leads to achievement of the Programme objectives.
The challenge can be offset by better integration of the Agencies work in the joint programme activities. A focus on entrepreneurship and specific Business Development Services would have been more ideal to lead into stronger community participation in the timber value chain and linking to the construction value chain, and ensure better job growth for poverty reduction.
- context:
- Private sector development delivers poverty reduction through job creation. In private sector development programmes, the focus is on facilitating enterprise development to in turn spur job growth which becomes transmission mechanism for poverty reduction. Community initiatives under the Zambia Green Jobs Programme were aimed at increasing timber production and forestry management through smallholder farmers. While this was noble, communities needed more support in order to commercially and sustainably produce timber as compared to private sector enterprises e.g. Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO). Therefore supporting community initiatives had a weak causal link with the Programmes objectives of developing the whole timber value chain.
- description:
- All participating UN agencies in a private sector development programme need to operate in a private sector mode even in their traditional mandate areas.
This approach allows for stronger collaboration and coherence in the delivery of the Programme towards meeting its enterprise development and growth objectives. It requires agencies to move outside their comfort zones and engage at a different level that ensures delivery of private sector development outputs/outcomes which are at a higher level than at household and community level.
- administrative_issues:
- Community based initiatives, such as forestry production and management must have the following:
1) Support formation of and institutional capacity development of farmer groups for management of the resource;
2) Intensive monitoring of farmer groups with strong linkage to CBOs or local NGOs (supporting the role of the department of Forestry which is under resourced); and
3) Support for market linkages for alternative locally appropriate products for income generation.
- url:
- https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/202815
- location:
- country:
- Zambia
- region:
- Africa
- eval_title:
- UN Green Jobs Programme: Enhancing competitiveness and sustainable business among MMEs in the building construction industry (phase II) ILO Component - Midterm evaluation
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