Background

Active labour market programmes (ALMPs) are used in many countries to help job-seekers find and retain better jobs. ALMPs often target vulnerable populations such as inactive women and rural youth. Despite their widespread adoption, the effectiveness of these programmes remains controversial. With the increasing emphasis in many governments and international agencies on evidence-based policy advice, it is important to understand which programmes “work” and which are less successful.

As part of ILO’s partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the IFAD financed project “Strengthening gender monitoring and evaluation in rural employment in the Near East and North Africa”, a Policy Forum and Executive Course on Evaluating Labour Market Programmes was offered between the 2nd and 6th of July 2017 in Amman, Jordan. The course was co-financed by the OECD Development Centre, the International Initiative for Impact Evaluation, GIZ and the Economic Research Forum.

The event brought together 58 participants from eight countries from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region including Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Palestine, Tunisia, and Turkey. 

Policy Forum

A policy forum, which included a keynote lecture and high-level panel, took place in the morning of day 1 of the event. The theme of the policy event was on what works in women’s empowerment and rural employment in the Middle East and North Africa region. The session discussed the causes, factors and possible solutions to boost female labour market participation and empowerment.

Keynote speech: "Gender and Labour Markets in the Arab World”

• Dr Ragui Assaad, Professor of Planning and Public Affairs at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Panel members

• Dr Samia Akroush, Project Director, Rural Economic Growth and Employment Project, Jordan Enterprise Development Corporation
• Mr Sameer Al-Attar, Senior Coordinator Local Development & Enhancing Productivity Programme, MOPIC
• Dr Ragui Assad, Professor University of Minnesota
• Dr Michaela Baur, GIZ Country Director, Jordan and Lebanon
• Dr Maha Kattaa, Migration Specialist, Response coordinator Syrian Refugee Crisis, ILO

ILO Executive Course

The ILO Executive Evaluation course builds on a strong model of experiential learning that has been used by the ILO since 2009. The structure of the course is to combine theory and practice. Evaluation experts deliver lectures that introduce participants to key concepts for designing results measurement system and developing impact evaluations. The content of the lectures is then applied and further explored through learning exercises in small groups of eight to ten people under the supervision of an evaluation expert. Moreover, each working group is assigned a “live case study” – a planned or ongoing labour market intervention – for which the group plans the steps in the design of an M&E concept which is presented to all participants at the end of the course.

Target audience

The course targets managers, implementers and researchers of active labour market programmes and project from Jordan and the MENA region. It is intended for participants with expertise in monitoring and evaluation and a basic knowledge of impact evaluation methods and techniques. Government officials from Labour and Youth Ministries, representatives from international organizations and other development institutions as well as from non-governmental organizations and private sector initiatives are invited to apply.

Registration

To apply for the participation at the Executive Evaluation Course, please complete the registration form. Please note that admission to the course will be competitive. Interested applicants must complete the course registration by 26 May 2017 (11.59pm CEST). All course fees will be covered by the ILO for applicants who are accepted to the course. Participants are expected to cover travel, accommodation and visa costs. A limited number of bursaries available (for airfares & lodging) will be distributed on a case-by-case basis and preference will be given to early applicants.

All admission decisions will be made on a rolling basis, and participants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Places being limited, the organizers will give priority to applicants coming from the target audience of the course.