Activation Programmes & Policies in OIC Member
Description: Activation Programmes Policies in OIC Member States Chris Melvin Inclusion About Inclusion The Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion is the United Kingdoms leading not-for-profit company dedicated to tackling disadvantage and
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slide1. Activation Programmes & Policies in OIC Member States Chris Melvin
Inclusion<br>
slide2. About Inclusion The Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion is the United Kingdom’s leading not-for-profit company dedicated to tackling disadvantage and promoting social inclusion in the labour market.
Chris Melvin is the CEO of Inclusion’s sister company, PublicCo. Chris is an experienced chief executive with a strong track record of building and delivering high performing public services across the welfare to work, skills and business support sectors. Chris founded PublicCo after a decade of leading Reed in Partnership, an international provider of activation programmes.<br>
slide3. Our research for COMCEC In September 2014, COMCEC commissioned Inclusion to carry out a study of activation policies for the poor in OIC Member States.
Three activation tools were considered as part of the study:
Job search support
Skills training
Job creation<br>
slide4. Our research for COMCEC The study included:
Scope: defining key concepts within the study
Literature review: capturing the current picture of activation policies and programmes across the OIC in a global context
Case studies: focusing research on 5 Member States and carrying out country visits
Recommendations: developing evidence based recommendations to improve the employability of the poor in Member States
This presentation will focus on our findings from the literature review and case studies.<br>
slide5. Methodology The research studied features of activation programmes and policies according to a framework incorporating three key elements:
National policy objectives and delivery: how the programme fits with national government policy and priorities
Individual programme design and performance: how well the programme is operating
Supporting infrastructure: how the programme is supported by the wider labour market context<br>
slide6. Overview of activation in OIC Member States Why activation in the OIC?
Many OIC Member States do not have developed social assistance systems, making employment a pre-requisite for many people to move out of poverty.
In Member States that do have comprehensive social assistance systems, activation can counteract possible negative incentives, by encouraging jobseekers to find work. In this respect, activation also improves the affordability of social assistance.<br>
slide7. Overview of activation in OIC Member States Some employment trends in OIC Member States:
Jobless growth
The need to provide quality jobs
Youth unemployment
Skills mismatch
The need to promote employment in the private sector<br>
slide8. Overview of activation in OIC Member States There are many forms of job search support, skills training, and job creation. The programmes and policies implemented are linked to a country’s socio-economic context. For OIC Member States, their income grouping can be linked to the type of activation measures used.
What measures tend to be used according to income grouping?<br>
slide11. Case studies 5 case studies were carried out to determine in detail the activation measures used in these Member States, with the aim of informing best practice. The case study countries are:
Saudi Arabia – high income
Malaysia – upper-middle income
Iran – upper-middle income
Cameroon – lower-middle income
Uganda – low income<br>
slide12. Case study – Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in employment programmes and supporting infrastructure. This investment aims to achieve a large increase in the national population participating in private sector employment and to help diversify the nation’s economy away from oil.
Key labour market characteristics include:
High youth unemployment (approx. 41%)
Low female participation rate (approx. 19%)
High reliance on migrant labour in the private sector
Skills mismatch
Regional disparities<br>
slide13. Activation measures implemented in Saudi Arabia include:
Activation in Saudi Arabia is characterised by the use of private providers contracted to deliver programmes. Contracts include a payment by results element. There is also a heavy focus on innovation and the use of online services to enable access to services. Case study – Saudi Arabia<br>
slide14. Case study – Malaysia Malaysia’s continued economic growth has provided significant employment opportunities and the country has developed a highly skilled workforce. Activation programmes are now being used as a tool to target the most disadvantaged and hardest to help communities.
Key labour market characteristics include:
Low unemployment rate (under 4% 1995-2009)
Large reduction in poverty rates (from 49.3% in 1970 to 3.6% in 2007)
Target to become high income country by 2020<br>
slide15. Case study – Malaysia Activation measures implemented in Malaysia include:
Activation in Malaysia centres around government aims to diversify the skills base to ensure there is labour market opportunity for all skill levels.<br>
slide16. Case study – Iran Iran has implemented a number of activation measures with a particular focus on job creation and skills training. This is due to the growing young population, meaning jobs must keep pace with the growing population.
Key labour market characteristics include:
High unemployment for young people and women (46% unemployment rate for women aged 15-24)
Low economic participation rate (37.9% of working age population)
Key economic role played by government e.g. State ownership of large companies<br>
slide17. Case study – Iran Activation measures implemented in Iran include:
Activation in Iran is recognised as a valuable tool but measures such as cash transfer payments and food donation programmes are also prioritised as poverty alleviation tools.<br>
slide18. Case study – Cameroon Cameroon has made the use of activation a key tool in its poverty reduction strategy. Each ministry now plays a role in employment promotion and a large number of activation policies and projects have been implemented. These are supplemented by projects delivered by NGOs and international agencies.
Key labour market characteristics include:
Low unemployment, but high underemployment (70.6%)
Large informal sector employs over 90% of workers
Need to provide quality jobs (tackle working poverty)
Rural/urban divide
Preference among workers for public sector employment<br>
slide19. Case study – Cameroon Activation measures implemented in Cameroon include:
Activation in Cameroon can be characterised by scale in terms of the number of programmes implemented. This means that extensive coordination is required to ensure efficient use of resources.<br>
slide20. Case study – Uganda The need to prioritise activation has been recognised by the Ugandan government. Comprehensive activation strategies are in place, but actually implementing them is a challenge. Improved targeting is also required to ensure it is those most in need that benefit from activation measures.
Key labour market characteristics include:
Extremely young and growing population
Large informal sector (employs 58% of non agricultural workers)
72% of working population engaged in agricultural and fishing activities
Skills mismatch<br>
slide21. Case study – Uganda Activation measures implemented in Uganda include:
Activation in Uganda can be characterised by the development of comprehensive strategies whose implementation is constrained due to lack of resources.<br>
slide22. Best practice Based on our research, best practice according to the three key elements of the framework was identified.
National policy objectives and delivery:
The value of a policy focus on activation measures is recognised.
To ensure efficient use of resources and knowledge sharing, it is best practice for the design and delivery of activation measures to be overseen and coordinated by a lead organisation.<br>
slide23. Best practice Individual programme design and performance:
A PES is often best placed to lead the delivery of activation.
The PES should engage with employers in designing and delivering activation programmes.
Characteristics other than poverty, related to the likelihood of an individual being poor or vulnerable can be used to identity activation programmes’ target groups.
The use of loans for beneficiaries, rather than grants, can improve projects’ sustainability.
Programmes’ impact improves when programmes contain an element of continuous improvement.<br>
slide24. Best practice Supporting infrastructure:
An over arching monitoring of national activation strategies can improve the effectiveness of activation measures.
External organisations can provide support for platforms to exchange information and best practice between practitioners and policy makers.
A long term commitment to activation policies and ongoing evaluation improves the performance of programmes.<br>
slide25. Contact Inclusion
Third Floor
89 Albert Embankment
London
SE1 7TP
Tel: +44 (0)20 7582 7221
Email: info@cesi.org.uk<br>
Inclusion<br>
slide2. About Inclusion The Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion is the United Kingdom’s leading not-for-profit company dedicated to tackling disadvantage and promoting social inclusion in the labour market.
Chris Melvin is the CEO of Inclusion’s sister company, PublicCo. Chris is an experienced chief executive with a strong track record of building and delivering high performing public services across the welfare to work, skills and business support sectors. Chris founded PublicCo after a decade of leading Reed in Partnership, an international provider of activation programmes.<br>
slide3. Our research for COMCEC In September 2014, COMCEC commissioned Inclusion to carry out a study of activation policies for the poor in OIC Member States.
Three activation tools were considered as part of the study:
Job search support
Skills training
Job creation<br>
slide4. Our research for COMCEC The study included:
Scope: defining key concepts within the study
Literature review: capturing the current picture of activation policies and programmes across the OIC in a global context
Case studies: focusing research on 5 Member States and carrying out country visits
Recommendations: developing evidence based recommendations to improve the employability of the poor in Member States
This presentation will focus on our findings from the literature review and case studies.<br>
slide5. Methodology The research studied features of activation programmes and policies according to a framework incorporating three key elements:
National policy objectives and delivery: how the programme fits with national government policy and priorities
Individual programme design and performance: how well the programme is operating
Supporting infrastructure: how the programme is supported by the wider labour market context<br>
slide6. Overview of activation in OIC Member States Why activation in the OIC?
Many OIC Member States do not have developed social assistance systems, making employment a pre-requisite for many people to move out of poverty.
In Member States that do have comprehensive social assistance systems, activation can counteract possible negative incentives, by encouraging jobseekers to find work. In this respect, activation also improves the affordability of social assistance.<br>
slide7. Overview of activation in OIC Member States Some employment trends in OIC Member States:
Jobless growth
The need to provide quality jobs
Youth unemployment
Skills mismatch
The need to promote employment in the private sector<br>
slide8. Overview of activation in OIC Member States There are many forms of job search support, skills training, and job creation. The programmes and policies implemented are linked to a country’s socio-economic context. For OIC Member States, their income grouping can be linked to the type of activation measures used.
What measures tend to be used according to income grouping?<br>
slide11. Case studies 5 case studies were carried out to determine in detail the activation measures used in these Member States, with the aim of informing best practice. The case study countries are:
Saudi Arabia – high income
Malaysia – upper-middle income
Iran – upper-middle income
Cameroon – lower-middle income
Uganda – low income<br>
slide12. Case study – Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia is investing heavily in employment programmes and supporting infrastructure. This investment aims to achieve a large increase in the national population participating in private sector employment and to help diversify the nation’s economy away from oil.
Key labour market characteristics include:
High youth unemployment (approx. 41%)
Low female participation rate (approx. 19%)
High reliance on migrant labour in the private sector
Skills mismatch
Regional disparities<br>
slide13. Activation measures implemented in Saudi Arabia include:
Activation in Saudi Arabia is characterised by the use of private providers contracted to deliver programmes. Contracts include a payment by results element. There is also a heavy focus on innovation and the use of online services to enable access to services. Case study – Saudi Arabia<br>
slide14. Case study – Malaysia Malaysia’s continued economic growth has provided significant employment opportunities and the country has developed a highly skilled workforce. Activation programmes are now being used as a tool to target the most disadvantaged and hardest to help communities.
Key labour market characteristics include:
Low unemployment rate (under 4% 1995-2009)
Large reduction in poverty rates (from 49.3% in 1970 to 3.6% in 2007)
Target to become high income country by 2020<br>
slide15. Case study – Malaysia Activation measures implemented in Malaysia include:
Activation in Malaysia centres around government aims to diversify the skills base to ensure there is labour market opportunity for all skill levels.<br>
slide16. Case study – Iran Iran has implemented a number of activation measures with a particular focus on job creation and skills training. This is due to the growing young population, meaning jobs must keep pace with the growing population.
Key labour market characteristics include:
High unemployment for young people and women (46% unemployment rate for women aged 15-24)
Low economic participation rate (37.9% of working age population)
Key economic role played by government e.g. State ownership of large companies<br>
slide17. Case study – Iran Activation measures implemented in Iran include:
Activation in Iran is recognised as a valuable tool but measures such as cash transfer payments and food donation programmes are also prioritised as poverty alleviation tools.<br>
slide18. Case study – Cameroon Cameroon has made the use of activation a key tool in its poverty reduction strategy. Each ministry now plays a role in employment promotion and a large number of activation policies and projects have been implemented. These are supplemented by projects delivered by NGOs and international agencies.
Key labour market characteristics include:
Low unemployment, but high underemployment (70.6%)
Large informal sector employs over 90% of workers
Need to provide quality jobs (tackle working poverty)
Rural/urban divide
Preference among workers for public sector employment<br>
slide19. Case study – Cameroon Activation measures implemented in Cameroon include:
Activation in Cameroon can be characterised by scale in terms of the number of programmes implemented. This means that extensive coordination is required to ensure efficient use of resources.<br>
slide20. Case study – Uganda The need to prioritise activation has been recognised by the Ugandan government. Comprehensive activation strategies are in place, but actually implementing them is a challenge. Improved targeting is also required to ensure it is those most in need that benefit from activation measures.
Key labour market characteristics include:
Extremely young and growing population
Large informal sector (employs 58% of non agricultural workers)
72% of working population engaged in agricultural and fishing activities
Skills mismatch<br>
slide21. Case study – Uganda Activation measures implemented in Uganda include:
Activation in Uganda can be characterised by the development of comprehensive strategies whose implementation is constrained due to lack of resources.<br>
slide22. Best practice Based on our research, best practice according to the three key elements of the framework was identified.
National policy objectives and delivery:
The value of a policy focus on activation measures is recognised.
To ensure efficient use of resources and knowledge sharing, it is best practice for the design and delivery of activation measures to be overseen and coordinated by a lead organisation.<br>
slide23. Best practice Individual programme design and performance:
A PES is often best placed to lead the delivery of activation.
The PES should engage with employers in designing and delivering activation programmes.
Characteristics other than poverty, related to the likelihood of an individual being poor or vulnerable can be used to identity activation programmes’ target groups.
The use of loans for beneficiaries, rather than grants, can improve projects’ sustainability.
Programmes’ impact improves when programmes contain an element of continuous improvement.<br>
slide24. Best practice Supporting infrastructure:
An over arching monitoring of national activation strategies can improve the effectiveness of activation measures.
External organisations can provide support for platforms to exchange information and best practice between practitioners and policy makers.
A long term commitment to activation policies and ongoing evaluation improves the performance of programmes.<br>
slide25. Contact Inclusion
Third Floor
89 Albert Embankment
London
SE1 7TP
Tel: +44 (0)20 7582 7221
Email: info@cesi.org.uk<br>