Addressing the informal economy from a bottom up perspective

Objective of the workshop

The primary objective of which will be  to take stock of what has already been accomplished as a basis to discuss the best way of improving the activities of the future projects along the lines of 2013 Annual Action Programme (AAP) of Investing in People two priorities. Through the projects implementation, the participants have acquired rich and concrete experiences. It is proposed to draw from these concrete and specific experiences more general conclusions on how to broaden the scale of projects’ intended impacts in order to have a more significant effect on the development of the targeted countries.

In addition the workshop intends to provide the project managers with guidance and advice aiming to improve the intended results of the projects.

Agenda

Day 1                   Monday 25 June

8:30-9:00 Registration

9:00-12:00 - 1^st session:  Introduction

Topic & Objective: Warming up session; introduce participants.

• Presentation of the objectives of the workshop in the context of the EU strategy for development, Mrs Hélène Bourgade, Head of Unit D 3, DG DEVCO,  European Commission (10 mins)
• Mrs Pins Brown, Facilitator (5 mins)
• Presentation of the participants (30 mins)
• Presentation of the main results of the assessment (combining the analysis of the projects and the questionnaires), Mr François Eyraud, Mr Pascal Annycke, The consultants’ team (15 mins)

10:45 - 12:15 – 2^nd session: Understanding the Informal Economy

 Topic & Objective: Presentation on the weaknesses and strengths of the informal economy.

• Keynote speech: Understanding the Informal Economy, Frances Lund, WIEGO and University  of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa (30 mins)
• Addressing the Informal Economy: an NGO perspective, Barbara Caracciolo, Solidar (15 mins)
• Discussion on the presentation of the study and on the two presentations (30 mins)

13.30-15.30 – 3^rd session: Accessibility of the project to the target groups

Topic & Objective:  The first phase of any project is to elaborate tools and strategy to identify and reach the informal workers and/or vulnerable groups targeted by the project. In addition the project has to make sure that the activities put in place to improve living and working conditions are accessible to those populations.

1. Technical and Vocational Education and Training for Youth People in the Informal Economy in Bangladesh  (20mins)
2. Protection sociale et économique des travailleurs pauvres et de leurs familles vivants dans les quartiers défavorisés de 3 villes Malgaches- Madagascar (20mins)

 
16:00-18:00 – 4^th session: Improvement of living and working conditions

Topic & Objective: The projects have conceived and implemented tools to improve the living and/or working conditions of the informal workers and vulnerable groups. It could be by improving their employability through vocational training system, their income through micro/small enterprises creation or their social protection through different types of social and health insurance devices (micro-insurance, associations, formal registration, new social institutes etc.).

1. Programme d’appui au développement de la formation par l’apprentissage au Benin et Mauritanie. (20mins)
2. Support social protection and decent work of Brick Kiln workers and bounded labourers- Pakistan(20mins)

Day 2                   Tuesday 26 June

 9:15 – 10: 30      5^th session: TVET and Informal Economy

Topic & Objective: Presentation of the main challenges of TVET strategies within the framework of the Informal economy.

• Key note speech: TVET and the informal Economy: Richard Walther, ADEA/AFD (30 mins)

 11:00-13:00 - 6^th session Empowerment and Sustainability of target populations

Topic & Objective:  In accordance with the requirements of the call for proposals, the projects have elaborated strategies to develop sustainable initiatives based on cooperation and partnership between non-state actors and local and national governmental authorities as well as capacity building of these structures.

1.  Unblocking the cocoa value chain through informal and formal pathways to learning in Eastern Sierra Leone. (20mins)

2. Poverty Reduction and Community-Based Social Protection in Afghanistan (20mins)

14:00 – 17:00     7^th session: Working group sessions

Topic & Objective: Accessibility of the project to target groups; Improvement of living and working conditions; empowerment and sustainability of target populations.

Allow participants’ to contribute their views on those topics taking into consideration both the future programming needs and the analysis of constraints  faced by project managers and best practices .

 1. Outline Working Groups structure

• Rapporteur for each group
• Feedback from written summary to be given on Day 3

2.  Divide the group into four different working groups:

1 TVET projects group English, 2 Social Inclusion projects in English’ and 1 TVET/Social Inclusion projects groups French.

3. Outline discussion questions

• Group discussions (Total 2 hours)

Based on mains constraints and best practices, the working groups will discuss the following questions (≈ 30 mins per question):

1. What are the possible options for obtaining decent living and working conditions without joining  the formal economy
2. How could the multiplier and development effects of the projects be increased?
3. Which are the lesson learned and the implications for the European Commission for future Calls for Proposals targeting the informal economy?
4. Identify project management constraints and best practices which can be shared in order to improve the projects intended results.

14:20 – 17:00   Working Groups

Day 3                   Wednesday 27 June

9:00-13:00 -  8^th session: Enlarging the impact on informal economy

Topic &  Objective : Taking stock of the issues raised during the workshop.

9:00 – 10:15

• Keynote speech: The Informal Economy and Decent Work: A Resource Guide,  Sriani Ameratunga Kring, ILO (30 mins)
• Discussion (30 mins)

10: 45 - 12:00   Reporting back from Working Groups

• Rapporteur from each Working Group reports back: TVET  group; Social Protection  group; French speaking group (15 mins x 3)
• Commission indicates how information will be used (10 mins)

12.00 – 12.50 Closing Session