How measuring and monitoring decent work ? The ILO methodology and related tools

Coffi Agossou & Naïma Pagès (ILO) agossou@ilo.orgpages@ilo.org

Training Workshop on database management and analysis on decent workJohanesburg,10-12 December 2013

OUTLINE

1. Why decent work indicators are important ?

2. The ILO global framework for the measurement of Decent Work

3. The global methodology presented in the Manual Monitoring and Assessing Decent Work. Lessons learned from MAP project (a step-by-step guidance from pilot-countries’ experience and best practices)

4. The Manual on Decent Work Indicators based on ISS (concepts/definitions, sources, methods…)

5. The Guidelines on Assessing progress on Decent work (a practical guide with concrete examples)

Decent work as key means for sustainable development

Decent Work as key means of achieving equitable, inclusive and sustainable development

Decent Work refers to “opportunities for women and men to obtain work in conditions of freedom; equity; security and human dignity”

Work that delivers a fair income, provides security in the workplace and social protection for workers and their families; gives workers freedom to express their concerns, to organize and to participate in decisions that affect their lives.

ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization (2008) endorses Decent Work Agenda: (i) rights at work, (ii) employment ,(iii) social protection (iv) social dialogue

The Declaration recommends that ILO Member states may consider: “the establishment of appropriate indicators or statistics, if necessary with the assistance of the ILO, to monitor and evaluate the progress made”

Why statistics and indicators on decent work are important?

Sound measurement of decent work helps to transform the Decent Work Agenda from a political

ambition to concrete action & quantifiable outcomes

The ILO conceptual framework 71 Statistical Indicators 21 Legal IndicatorsAll aspects of decent workAll workersNational sources

Decent work indicators to be adapted to national circumstances and used to monitor:- Decent Work Country/Regional Programmes- National Development Policies

The ILO conceptual framework: a key reference

Main question:

How decent work can be measured and monitored in practice, since decent work is a wide-ranging concept with both quantitative and qualitative components?

The ILO conceptual framework: a set of indicators that can be adapted to national circumstances; 4 principles:

(1) Both quantitative and the qualitative dimensions are considered: statistical and legal framework indicators

(2) Need to interpret decent work indicators within the social, demographic and economic context

(3) Definitions based on international standards

(4) Flexible framework to respond to national requirements

The ILO conceptual framework: a key reference

10 substantive elements covering the four decent work dimensions:

employment opportunities (11 statistical indicators, 2 legal indicators) adequate earnings and productive work (7 statistical indicators, 1 legal indicator) decent working time (5 statistical indicators, 2 legal indicators) combining work, family and personal life (2 statistical indicators, 2 legal

indicators) work that should be abolished (5 statistical indicators, 2 legal indicators) stability and security of work (4 statistical indicators, 1 legal indicator) equal opportunity and treatment in employment (8 statistical indicators, 2 legal

indicators) safe work environment (4 statistical indicators, 2 legal indicators) social security (8 statistical indicators, 3 legal indicators) social dialogue (5 statistical indicators, 3 legal indicators) the economic and social context for decent work (12 statistical indicators, 3 legal

indicators)

Structure of the Measurement Framework on Decent Work

Grouping of indicators under 10 substantive elements of the DW Agenda:

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1. Employment opportunities (1 + 2)

2. Adequate earnings and productive work (1 + 3)

3. Decent working time (1 + 3)

4. Combining work, family and personal life (1 + 3)

5. Work that should be abolished (1 + 3)

6. Stability and security of work (1, 2 + 3)

7. Equal opportunity and treatment in employment (1, 2 + 3)

8. Safe work environment (1 + 3)

9. Social security (1 + 3)

10. Social dialogue, workers’ and employers’ representation (1 + 4)

11. Economic and social context for decent work Plus one area on economic and social context

Note: (1) Rights at work (2) Employment opportunities (3) Social Protection (4) Social Dialogue

The global methodology on monitoring and assessing progress on decent work

The ILO framework has been tested in pilot-countries from 2009 to 2013: global methodology developed from pilot-countries experience and best practices

Decent Work Country Profiles developed all over the world as national assessments of progress made over the last decade, in line with DWCPs, from the ILO framework

The ILO/EC MAP project (2009-2013): ILO framework tested in 9 countries - Bangladesh, Cambodia, Niger, Zambia, Indonesia, Peru, Philippines, Ukraine, Brazil- Profiles, Guidelines and Manuals developed under MAP

Profiles in Africa: Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Niger; available at: www.ilo.org/mdw and www.ilo.org/map

Manual from MAP lessons learned: global methodology to strengthen national capacities to monitor and assess progress towards decent work, as requested by ILO constituents

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The Manual from lessons learned of MAP project (2013)

Purpose: Intended as a pragmatic tool to provide a step-by-step guidance with concrete examples and best practices

Intended users: National partners, social partners, policy makers, development agencies

Provides a common understanding on the process on monitoring and assessing decent work at the national level

Methodology designed to be both internationally relevant and flexible in its application (country/regional level)

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The main steps for monitoring decent work

Identification of Decent Work indicators through tripartite consultations

National & social partners agree on a comprehensive list of indicators

Definitions, disaggregation level, and main sources are identified

Data collection

- National Statistical Office develops and maintains surveys to collect data on decent work statistics, esp. LFS- Ministry of Labour/Employment, social security agencies, key sector ministries, workers’ and employers’ organisations develop/maintain administrative records

National assessments of decent work (country profiles)Information on the main progress and deficits over a given period, on the basis of the selected DW indicators and trends

 

Policy making and monitoringNational & social partners define priority policy areas (DW deficits) for designing priority policies and selecting targets for monitoring through social dialogue

   

The Manual from lessons learned of MAP project (2013)

Three questions:

1: how to identify decent work indicators relevant to national needs and circumstances?

2: what are the main data collection challenges? What are the main sources and how national data collection instruments can be upgraded?

3: how to prepare national assessments on decent work and how the main results can be used in policy-making through social dialogue?

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Sep 1. How to identify decent work indicators?

The selection of indicators should be the outcome of a tripartite consultation process

Tripartite consensus is needed for ensuring : (1) credibility and legitimacy of data and conclusions of country assessments; (2) ownership and sustainability of the process

Strong institutional coordination mechanisms are essential

Ministries of labour and employment, should take a strong lead in coordinating the process of developing decent work indicators -with other line ministries, workers’ and employers’ organisations and national statistical offices-

Step 2. What are the main data sources?

Key statistical instruments to measure decent work

The majority of decent work indicators (60 to 70%) are compiled from household-based labour force surveys; other sources are also used: administrative records, census, establishment surveys, specific surveys...

No single source: all available information shall be used, by considering quality, coverage and sampling issues.

Major challenge: quality, frequency and scope of data available, in particular from administrative sources

Step 2. Guiding principles for data collection

Conducting regular labour force surveys is considered a key prerequisite for sustainability of the process

Government efforts to strenghten data collection instruments - LFS, administrative records - are needed, to enhance quality, coverage and frequency of data

Effective coordination of national statistical systems

Integrated LMIS is essential to ensure accessibility and sustainability of the measurement and the monitoring of decent work

Step 3. How to analyse the decent work indicators?

For an integrated analysis:

- the decent work indicators are analysed all together rather than individually

- data trends are interpreted within the social and economic context

- trends of statistical indicators are analysed with information on the legal and policy framework, including rights at work

- indicators disaggregated for different population groups See Guidelines Assessing progress on decent work

Step 3. Country Profiles for policy making

Decent work country profiles as major inputs for policy-making:

National planning, programming and targeting:

- Priority areas (main deficits on decent work)

-Target indicators (baseline information and indicators) Evidence-based social dialogue among national

stakeholders Reference for review of existing laws, policies, and

institutional arrangements Advocacy tool for enhancing national data collection

instruments

Three important tools to support the process of measuring and monitoring decent work

Three technical tools for the 3 steps described in the Manual Monitoring and Assessing Decent Work. Lessons learned from the MAP project :

1: Manual on Decent Work Indicators: concepts and definitions, method of computation, data sources, metadata and interpretation guidelines (2013)

2: Labour Force Survey Toolkit: guidance on questionnaire design, data processing and tabulation (forthcoming)

3: Guidelines on Assessing Progress towards Decent Work at the national level: guidance on analysing decent work indicators together in national contexts and for different population groups as part of the process of developing country profiles, including checklists and concrete examples (2013)

Manual on Decent Work Indicators

Purpose: Intended as a pragmatic tool to provide a basic understanding of how to define and interpret statistical and legal framework decent work indicators Intended users: Both users and producers

of statistical and legal framework decent work indicators

Manual launch: MAP global meeting in June 2012 (First Version); ICLS in October 2013 (Second version)

Manual is divided into 11 chapters

Each chapter devoted to a substantive element of DW (10 elements of DW + Socio-economic context); 5 sections in each chapter

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Structure of the Manual on Decent Work Indicators

The 11 chapters of the Manual are divided into five sections:

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(1) Measurement objective and rationale

(2) Method of computation

(3) Concepts and definitions

(4) Recommended data sources, metadata and disaggregations

(5) Interpretation guidelines

Guidelines on Assessing Progress towards Decent Work (2013)

Purpose: Intended as a pragmatic tool to provide guidance on how analysing decent work indicators (statistical and legal) all together, within national contexts and across different population groups.for preparing national assessments on progress towards decent work

Intended users: national stakeholders, social partners, policy makers; users and producers of statistics and analysis on decent work

Include concrete examples to illustrate important issues on analysing decent work indicators

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Decent Work Country Profiles

The Zambia experience: Decent Work Country Profile (2012),

launched in January 2013 Main trends on decent work from national

sources (LCMS, LFS; Census; Adm. data) A key input for the new Z-DWCP A key advocacy tool: to mainstream employment and decent

work into the SNDP and national policies to raise data collection issues into national

debates: in November 2013 the Zambia National Assembly/Committee of Economics affairs asked for regular data to monitor jobs creation and sustainable jobs and for developing as sound LMIS

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www.ilo.org/map (countries/Zambia)

Thank you for your attention !

Manuals, Guidelines and Country Profiles

available at:

www.ilo.org/map

www.ilo.org/statistics