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Promotion of Decent Work in Southern African Ports (phase II) - Midterm Evaluation

eval_number:

2139

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2139

lessons_learned:

themes:

theme:

Programme sustainability

category:

Organizational issues

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comments:

Targeted users: In South Africa: Transnet Port Terminal, management of DCT Pier 1 and Pier 2, the Port of Richards Bay management, Transnet Maritime School of Excellence, South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) at the DCT and the Port of Richards Bay, and United Transport and Allied Trade Union South African Railways and Harbours Union (UTATU SARWHU) at the DCT and Port of Richards Bay  In Mozambique: MPDC, Sindicato dos Trabalhadores dos Portos e Caminhos de Ferro (SIMPOCAF) at the Port of Maputo, Consultative Labour Commission (CCT) in Mozambique, and MPDC Union Committee Challenges /negative lessons - Causal factors

challenges:

 During Phase I, the project embarked on train the trainer (i.e. planner training) initiative, which implies that Transnet would then make use of trained people. However, it was later revealed that the people were not utilised, despite the fact that the project team advised Transnet on how they should be utilised in the future.  During Phase II, MDWT activities have continued at the DCT Pier 2 and to a smaller degree at the DCT Pier 1; however, the progress made and benefits derived in Phase I with respect to MDWT started to diminish in Phase II. Although about 100 mini-
PWD Phase II: Independent Mid-Term Evaluation Final Report
Page 55
businesses are still “operational” and have regular short meetings, they are not functional. The activities are not monitored and in many instances the discussions over productivity get derailed by other peripheral issues. Unsatisfactory skills levels of supervisors, insufficient support provided to the teams, lack of accountability, and adequate facilities are identified as some of the problems that prevented the initiative from achieving its full potential. It is acknowledged that there were many other factors that affected the success of this project; however, the implementation of MDWT started without clear understanding of the actual needs required to ensure its sustainability and the extent to which the terminal was prepared to embrace and integrate the initiative.  Further to the above, it has been noted that the practices of following on principles of social dialogue tend to weaken as time passes and/or when discussions are not facilitated by an independent party, such as the ILO. It is therefore clear, that principles of social dialogue are not yet institutionalised and integrated into the operational environment of the respective terminals.

success:

The management at the terminals have acknowledged the need for sustainability plans and indicated their willingness to participate in their formulation.

context:

The project is currently in its second phase and will be closed in 2015. Since donors are not planning to continue supporting to the project beyond the current phase, sustainability of the activities introduced by the project is becoming an acute issue. This is more so since the project’s progress and other challenges noted earlier in the report raise some concerns with respect to future sustainability of initiatives and interventions introduced by the project beyond its lifespan. The Project Document acknowledged that a customised sustainability and exist strategy will be required to be developed at each level. However, a clearly defined exit and sustainability strategy that would outline the concrete actions that need to be undertaken and tangible outputs that should be achieved by the end of the project to assure its long-lasting legacy is yet to be devised.

description:

The project should have an exit strategy and a continuity or sustainability plan for the planned initiatives introduced during its implementation. Planning of any initiative that is aimed to be retained beyond the project’s lifespan needs to include a strategy on how they will be maintained and how the results thereof will be utilised post the project. If such a strategy framework is not devised at the start of an initiative, it runs the risk of not only being a temporary solution, but creating unnecessary expectations and resulting in wastage of both human and financial resources.

administrative_issues:

Devising an exit strategy needs to be done in close consultation with all beneficiaries and should be first and foremost agreed by the party that would need to implement it.

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/203715

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location:

country:

South Africa

region:

Africa

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eval_title:

Promotion of Decent Work in Southern African Ports (phase II) - Midterm Evaluation