The employment policy-making process and planning cycle Training workshop on social protection and employment Phnom Penh, 2-4 November 2011

Content Context The ILO’s approach Rules of engagement The policy cycle

Context: An increasingly complex employment situation Rising social and economic imbalances – Inefficient growth shares out gains unevenly – More and better jobs a distant reality – The economy has become more unstable

Context: A new momentum for employment policies A prominent role in shaping international policy agendas A prominent role in shaping national policy agendas

Context: What is an employment policy? Vision -> long-term – where do we want to be in years? Concerted -> based on broad dialogue to arrive at a common platform Coherent -> the inter-relationships are clear and policy coherence is ensured A vision and a concerted and coherent framework linking all the policy interventions and the stakeholders having an influence on employment promotion.

Context: What is an employment policy? (Cont’d) Interventions: a set of multidimensional interventions spanning quantity and quality of jobs Stakeholders: goes beyond the Ministry in charge of employment A vision and a concerted and coherent framework linking all the policy interventions and the stakeholders having an influence on employment promotion.

The ILO’s approach - The normative framework The three guiding principles of an employment policy: Quantity - Work for all who want to work Quality - Such work is as productive as possible Non-discrimination - There is freedom of choice of employment and fullest possibility for each worker to utilise her/his skills, irrespective of race, gender, age, religion, political opinion, social origin, etc. Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122)

The ILO’s approach - The policy framework The Global Employment Agenda (2006) Six key policy areas: – Employment expansion – Skills, technology and employability – Enterprise development – Labour market institutions and policies – Governance, representation and advocacy – Social protection Gender equality and informality are mainstreamed

The ILO’s approach - The policy framework Resolution on employment at the 2010 ILC Institutional approach – Integrated and well-designed policy interventions – Policy coordination and coherence – Social dialogue Policy approach – Pro-employment macroeconomic policies – Employment targeting – Pro-employment social protection systems – Non discrimination and gender equality

Rules of engagement Sustainability in action – Alignment with other national processes – Building partnerships – Broad and sustained political commitment Clear institutional anchorage Inclusive and accountable process

Checklist: getting started Matters for Ministries in charge of employment to consider in developing and implementing an employment strategy may include:  Have you got an adequate and up to date information base to help you identify and analyse employment needs and appropriate responses?  How will you identify the aims and objectives of the Employment Policy?  Are the necessary resources in place to make the strategy achievable?  How will you connect your employment policy to other strategic responsibilities and planning processes?  How might your policy relate to the work of other Ministries? Make sure that you can answer “yes” to the following:  Feasibility: Is it affordable? Will it make a difference?  Communicability: Can it be explained to the public? To parliamentarians?  Supportability: Will it have a champion?

The policy cycle refinement Policy lenses advocacy engagement consultations feedback research analysis polling Political processes Elements in the employment policy process Methods of involvement in the process

1. Prepare: 1. Prepare: Attributing responsibilities and accountability for the formulation of the NEP ActionWho? National actors’ roleILO’s role Study the political economy: who controls what? Who should we take on board to get the required policy support? Institution mandated to develop a national employment policy, usually the Ministry in charge of employment Capacity building if needed, for example on best practices Set-up the formulation team based on this analysis Institution mandated to develop the NEP Advice on membership of the team Training of the NEP team Set the overall development goal of the national employment policy NEP preparation teamTechnical advice if required Prepare an indicative chronogrammeNEP preparation teamTechnical advice if required Budget for the policy formulation process and ensure enough resources are available NEP preparation teamSharing of international experience

2. Formulate: 2. Formulate: Employment situation analysis and knowledge building, including broad-based consultations at national, regional and local levels ActionWho? National actors’ roleILO’s role Build knowledge: collect knowledge that already exists, create new knowledge, capitalize the knowledge generated during the policy process (e.g. through tripartite consultations at national, regional or local level) Ministry in charge of employment, public employment services, employers’ organizations, workers’ organizations, civil society, academics, statistical office, Ministry in charge of finance, Ministry in charge of economy, Ministry in charge of education, Ministry of charge of agriculture (for LDCs), Ministry of charge of infrastructures, Ministry in charge of local development Advocacy Technical support Financial support to hire consultants if needed Put together the employment situation analysis (statement of issues) NEP preparation teamTechnical support Financial support if needed Broad-based ConsultationsAllFacilitator if needed

2. Formulate 2. Formulate (cont’d): Priority setting and generation of policy interventions ActionWho? National actors’ roleILO’s role Priority settingNEP technical team with other line ministries and social partners if not represented in the preparation team Academics, consultants Technical support (provide best practices, tools, etc.), capacity building, training Financial support Build additional knowledge if required NEP technical team with academics, national experts, international consultants, involving relevant government structures and the social partners Technical and financial support if required Generate policy optionsAll concerned stakeholders, possibly in working groups along the chosen priorities Technical advice, including provision of international experience Broad-based Consultations NEP technical organises All stakeholders involved, including if relevant local levels Facilitator if needed

2. Formulate 2. Formulate (cont’d): Operational planning and drafting of the document ActionWho? National actors’ roleILO’s role Define the objectives and set the targets to be achieved; Define the expected outcomes and choose the monitoring indicators NEP technical team with other line ministries and social partners if not represented in the preparation team Academics, consultants Technical support, capacity building, training Financial support Technical evaluation Design the institutional framework for coordination and implementation Design the monitoring and evaluation framework Estimate the level of resources needed for the implementation Drafting of the documentNEP technical team Broad-based ConsultationsNEP technical organises All stakeholders involved Facilitator if needed

3. Validate and submit for adoption ActionWho? National actors’ roleILO’s role ValidationAllFacilitation Financial support AdoptionCouncil of Minister, Parliament, etc. Communication plan, letting people know NEP technical team Provision of best practises

4. Operationalise ActionWho? National actors’ roleILO’s role Prepare the work planNEP technical team Operationalise the steering committee (nomination of members, mandate, etc.) Ministry in charge of employment, Prime minister/Council of Minister Technical support, capacity building, training Financial support if needed Secure the budgetMinistry in charge of employment, Ministry of finance (budget department) Set-up the M&E framework and operationalise it Government, National Statistical Office, LMIAS Start implementing activitiesAll involved stakeholders

5. Evaluate ActionWho? National actors’ roleILO’s role Monitoring and evaluating the NEP M&E framework/institutionM&E capacity building

Indicative timeline Full process may take up to 24 months – Prepare: 1 month – Formulate: 12 months – Validation and adoption: 6 months – Operationalise: 8 months (but overlaps with adoption)