Independent high-level evaluation of ILO's Decent Work Country Programme strategies and activities in ILO-subregion of Central America with emphasis on Costa Rica, Honduras and Mexico (2020 – 24)

The Central America subregion faces complex challenges in achieving decent work, affecting socio-economic development, increasing inequalities, and driving social unrest and migration. These largely structural issues have been worsened by recent crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change. High informality, limited formal job creation, and weak social protection systems persist, with pandemic-related employment losses only partially recovered and informal work dominating the rebound.

Vulnerable groups—including women, youth, indigenous and afro-descendant peoples, and migrants—continue to face systemic barriers. Women and young people are disproportionately affected by unemployment, informality, and limited access to education and skills. Indigenous and afro-descendant communities experience structural exclusion and rights violations, while migrants and refugees, particularly in Costa Rica and Panama, face discrimination and restricted access to services.

Governance and environmental fragility further compound these issues. Corruption, weak rule of law, and shrinking civic space undermine institutions and public trust. At the same time, climate-related shocks—such as storms and droughts—and the digital divide limit livelihoods, access to services, and economic opportunities, slowing progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and deepening inequalities.

The high-level evaluation analyses the ILO’s work from 2020 to 2024 in the Central America subregion: Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. Its goal is to determine the extent to which ILO interventions have supported national constituents in advancing Decent Work priorities and addressed related gaps in the absence of Decent Work Country Programmes (DWCPs) in the subregion.

The high-level evaluation has two complementary purposes: ensuring accountability and fostering organizational learning. The evaluation identifies key findings, lessons learned, emerging good practices and recommendations that will help shape future ILO strategies, with a particular focus on the Latin America and Caribbean region.

The evaluation led to multiple findings for decision-making, accountability and organizational learning. Nine key findings are listed below:

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1. Flexibility and contextual adaptation drive relevance and results: Countries such as Cuba, El Salvador, and Haiti, shows the capacity of the ILO to adapt program strategies to institutional challenged environments and high staff turnover.
2. Cross-cutting issues require political sensitivity and technical depth: Resistance to ideas like gender equality required a clever political approach: use of appropriate terminology and champions have been key, still ILO staff often lacked enough training in intersectionality and political skills, which limited the depth and consistency of these efforts.
3. Internal coordination, staff availability and communication are critical: Regular coordination meetings and shared planning tools, along with mentoring systems that promoted coherence were introduced in the subregion offices, the organization’s institutional framework is fragile due to technical gaps and staff turnover. The lack of specialists disrupts key processes and hinders sustained progress.