Evaluation Learnings Search

Learning Description

Finally, an overall operational lesson learned is that the Project could operate with an even higher profile. The trust and respect already earned by ILO may permit more open action.

Learning Description

South-South Cooperation. At the design stage, the South-South cooperation strategy was considered instrumental to achieving the project's Intermediate Objective 5 (Improved policies to combat forced labor in Peru). The initial assumption was that Peru could benefit from the sound experience of Brazil in the fight against forced labor. The Peruvian component of the project has benefited from exchanges with Brazil and namely from specific experiences in labor inspection and inter-institutional coordination. Plus, as the midterm evaluation already found, the horizontal cooperation between the two countries has revealed a broader mutual learning between Brazilian and Peruvian institutions involved than what seemed to be expected at the design stage.

Learning Description

Gender: The assumption at the design phase was that forced labor predominantly affected the male population. The few references to women appeared in relation to rescues from the apparel industries in São Paulo, most of which were Latin American migrants. However, the project’s research revealed gender dimensions of the forced labor phenomenon. On one side, a survey conducted in Maranhão showed a high number of women in a situation analogous to that of slaves in the farms (as cooks or employees), in domestic work in general and in sex work. On the other, the Integrated Action Program's prevention work inside the communities highlighted the fact that women are crucial in the fight against forced labor because the majority of male victims feel pushed into forced labor in order to support their family. By encouraging women’s productive inclusion, the pressure on men diminishes, as does their risk of being coopted into forced labor.

Learning Description

The project’s support to the Integrated Action Program (IAP) in Maranhão and Bahia, states governed by parties linked to worker’s interests, emerges as a good practice. Based on the experience in Mato Grosso and the receptivity of the governors linked to the workers, the IAP demonstrated a great capacity for adaptation. In this sense, it is an effective program for confronting slave labor. In the different states, there are three main approaches in common: the referral of workers to the social protection network; training on labor rights and professional training; and prevention of return to forced labor by rescued workers in the communities of origin. In the case of Bahia and Maranhão, the project's support to local authorities and non-governmental organizationss, who were closer to the beneficiaries and better located to offer care services, stands out.

Learning Description

The project identified a good practice with respect to the use of data to generate information for the policymaking process. The Brazilian context facilitates this kind of work as the country produces massive amounts of data but has a gap in terms of transforming this data into information to feed the policymaking process. Based on this context, the project proposed the development of a series of knowledge products with the potential to bridge this informational gap. Initially, this involved a series of studies aimed at the identification of data sources about slave labor in Brazil. After that, in partnership with the Labor Prosecution Service in Brazil (MPT), the project supported the qualification of MPT’s data hub, called Newton. This data hub was the cornerstone of the Digital Observatory on Slave Labor, and was a tipping point on the use of quantitative data and information to combat slave labor in Brazil. The project’s work on knowledge management was appreciated by the partners and stakeholders in Brazil. It was a good practice that leveraged policy to combat slave labor in Brazil in a cost effective manner, with guaranteed sustainability, as national capacities were developed and institutional strengthening was promoted throughout the process.

Learning Description

It is important to build effective collaborative relationships with governmental counterparts during the design phase and to work as “one team” during the transfer process. By jointly implementing the model during the transfer process, it is possible to further strengthen the capacities of government implementers in a practical “learn-by-doing” manner.

Learning Description

It is important to support the adaptation of models for transfer to facilitate their implementation and ensure they are aligned with institutional objectives. At the same time, it is important to identify core components—those that are essential for guaranteeing that the program will work—and build an understanding of their importance in achieving successful outcomes.

Learning Description

Generating evidence on the efficacy of programs is essential for promoting their continuity; however, it is important to support the internal validation processes carried out by government staff to collect their own evidence and form their own conclusions.

Learning Description

It is important to remain “persistent” during times of political instability, but not “insistent” in moving forward. It will likely be necessary to adjust timelines and strategies to continue with the transfer process, which highlights the importance of being realistic at the design stage about the time needed to properly carry out a comprehensive transfer process.

Learning Description

Municipal governments should be considered as key actors in contributing to national child labor prevention and eradication policy. The Semilla Project demonstrated the potential impact that municipal governments can have in addressing the problem of child labor by implementing tangible local strategies for the prevention and eradication of child labor that can be later adopted and scaled up to a national level.