ILO high level evaluation: supporting sustainable enterprises (2020)

High level independent evaluations are undertaken at the request of the governing body of the ILO and intended to provide insights that will assist in the setting of strategic directions and biennial plans. All ILO's strategy and policy evaluations are available on their website.

I was part of a two person team which, in 2020, undertook a high level evaluation of all the ILO's efforts to support and promote sustainable enterprises in the period 2014 to 2019. We faced a considerable challenge in doing this work since almost all of it had to be undertaken during the covid19 health crisis which meant that we were unable to visit countries and projects and instead had to rely on a combination of using local consultants and video conferencing.

ILO high level evaluation: capacity development (2018)

In 2018, I was invited to join a three person team which undertook a high level evaluation of ILO's efforts to deliver capacity development to all of its constituents, that is, governments, employers' organisations and workers' organisations. This involved visits to 11 countries (between us, not by all of us) and desk reviews of a further couple of countries. Further information is available on ILO's website. The full report is available from ILO. In addition, ILO has prepared a fact sheet

ILO evaluation of support for Employers' Organisations (2016)

For the period 2014-2015, ACT/EMP received additional financial support from the Governments of Norway and Sweden to support some of their global products and to provide specific support to employers' organisations in Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Swaziland, Vanuatu, Honduras, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR. Sadly I did not get to visit all of them, but I was asked to undertake the evaluation of ACT/EMPs support - which broadly had made a huge difference to the supported organisations. The summary is available from the ILO (click on the back of the image).

ILO evaluation of support for Myanmar Chamber of Commerce (2017)

From 2014 till 2017, ACT/EMP has been supporting the UMFCCI and other business associations in Myanmar. I was asked to undertake the evaluation of that support and to make recommendations for future support.

ILO Symposium on Future of Employer and Business Organizations: Adaptations and Transformations (2015)

For decades, employers’ and business membership organizations (EBMOs) played a significant role in representing labour and product market interests of business. Today [ie, 2015] profound economic, political, social and technological changes are challenging traditional EBMOs functions and organisational design as a bargaining agent. Increasing membership diversification, newly-emerging policy fields and new policy actors, new ways of doing business and managing production and employment relationships, new pressures and opportunities of transparency age, among others, are compelling EBMOs to adapt and transform their roles and organisational models to meet new expectations of members. The debate on their future as a social partner, key labour market institution and governance actor is also an important element of the ILO’s Future of Work centenary conversation. Despite these significant changes, EBMOs remain largely neglected in academic research, leaving major gaps in knowledge on business interest organisation and representation, especially in Asia and Africa. To fill this gap and to share research generated on the subject, the Bureau for Employers’ Activities (ACTEMP) of the International Labour Office in collaboration with the Department of Politics and Public Administration of University of Konstanz and the International Training Centre of the ILO organised a symposium to bring together leading researchers and practitioners to explore and present recent data and analysis including regional perspectives. I was invited to participate and to make a presentation on business associations ans public policy in East Africa.