Time-bound programmes (TBP)

A majority of countries have adopted legislation to prohibit or place severe restrictions on the employment and work of children, much of it stimulated and guided by standards adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO). In spite of these efforts, child labour continues to exist... More

A typical TBP would consist of a number of interventions aimed at preventing children from entering the WFCL, withdrawing and rehabilitating those children already engaged in such activities, and protecting all working children above the legal minimum age from exploitation and work hazards. More...

TBPs have several important characteristics. A TBP:

• must be initiated and led by the country in terms of planning, implementation and resource mobilization;
• must be comprehensive and fully integrated into national development plans;
• involves the extensive participation of many stakeholders, including policy-makers, practitioners, workers’ and employers’ associations, and donors;
• needs to be flexible enough to adapt to the specific circumstances of the country; and
• must be underpinned by extensive data collection and analysis.

More...

El Salvador, Nepal, and the United Republic of Tanzania were the first three countries to implement TBPs. Three other countries, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and the Philippines, started implementation during 2002-03. Several additional countries have since begun the process, including: Bangladesh, Brazil, Cambodia, Ecuador, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mongolia, Pakistan, Senegal, South Africa, Turkey, and Yemen. The experience acquired from the design and implementation of these programmes has helped to refine the TBP concept, for example in terms of content, emphases and relationships with ongoing interventions in areas such as macro-economic policy, poverty reduction and education. More...

The TBP Manual for Action Planning (TBP MAP) is a collection of documents designed to orient policy makers and programme designers on Time-Bound Programmes. It consists of 5 Guide Books and numerous informative papers.