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ILO Technical Assistance Component – Skills for Employment Program (FCDO-SEP Project) - Final evaluation

eval_number:

3359

eval_url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/3359

lessons_learned:

themes:

theme:

Programme implementation

category:

Organizational issues

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comments:

ILO technical experts engaged in project design and implementation. Consultation with stakeholders .

challenges:

Trust building requires patience, flexibility, and compromise (including with initial objectives). These can be inconsistent with project cycle timelines, targets, considered best practice approaches, and at times overall strategic goals.

success:

The ILO’s projected long term presence in Nepal reassures government and social partners of continuity, and contributes to confidence building.

context:

Although the ILO had a long and trusted relationship the project launched during a period in which a new constitution had just been ratified, government restructuring was underway, new laws were still embedding and major national employment-related programs launching with multiple cabinet reshuffles over the life of the project. Shocks resulting from the COVID pandemic affected government priorities and attention.

description:

Policy projects require time and confidence building. The SEP-TA project was implemented during a time of significant change in Nepal. The dynamic context offered both challenges and opportunities to reaching project goals for mainstreaming employment policy particularly at provincial and municipality levels, and finalizing sensitive legislation on labour migration. The ILO strengthened its historically good relationship with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security in the course of this project, responding to a range of requests at several levels of government. Multiple stakeholders remarked that the ILO as an international, specialist aid agency—enjoyed a particularly trusted advisory position because of confidence built over time. Observers also pointed to government perceptions of ILO responsiveness—as distinguished from imposing an agenda. Reliance on local expertise also enhanced trust. All of these factors helped the ILO move project goals forward. At the end of the day, however, even without the obstacles this particular project faced, major policy change requires a time horizon which can exceed a single project cycle.

administrative_issues:

Design needs to include realistic timelines, a risk assessment, and opportunities for course correction.

url:

https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/232319

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location:

country:

Nepal

region:

Asia and the Pacific

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eval_title:

ILO Technical Assistance Component – Skills for Employment Program (FCDO-SEP Project) - Final evaluation