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Taqeem Initiative: What Works in Youth Employment

Completed

The Taqeem Initiative is a partnership between ILO and IFAD as part of an IFAD-financed project, titled “Strengthening gender monitoring and evaluation in rural employment in the Near East and North Africa.” Through rigorous impact research, this capacity development and learning grant project aims to understand “what works” in youth employment, with the ultimate goal of achieving gender equality in rural employment outcomes across the region. Taqeem (meaning “evaluation” in Arabic) advocates to strengthen evidence-based employment policies and provides technical and financial support to implementers of employment programmes targeting young people and women in rural areas.

Entity

International Labour Organization (ILO) United Nations system entity

Technical assistance, expertise and implementation; Policy, advocacy and convening power

Partners

  • International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

    United Nations system entity

    Financial and/or in-kind contribution

  • International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

    Government or intergovernmental entity

    Financial and/or in-kind contribution

  • International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie)

    Academic institution or scientific community

    Technical assistance, expertise and implementation; Policy, advocacy and convening power; Financial and/or in-kind contribution

Sustainable Development Goals & targets

  • 5.5 Ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
  • 8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
  • 8.6 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training

Themes

Achievement At Glance

The project’s overall goal, to achieve gender equality in rural employment outcomes in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) through more and better evidence, was fulfilled. 17 members of the CoP applied gender mainstreaming, results measurement and impact research techniques to improve outcomes of over 40,000 beneficiaries. Through its policy influence component, the Taqeem Initiative also helped improve and establish gender and employment policies, including a 5-year regional youth employment plan by North African governments.
The project’s key achievements include:
- A CoP of 17 NENA-based organizations focused on rural employment, serving over 40,000 beneficiaries including women and youth
- 10 impact evaluations and evidence reviews on women’s and youth employment
- 11 impact and policy briefs on practical solutions to rural youth employment and gender monitoring
- Over 250 stakeholders participated in 8 courses on evaluating women’s and youth labour market programmes
- “Guide on Measuring Results of Decent Jobs for Youth” to support future evaluation training courses and technical assistance
- 6 policy roundtables and 3 symposia in Morocco, Egypt and Jordan encouraged evidence uptake and social dialogue among 400 participants
- Knowledge sharing site, http://ilotaqeem.groupsite.com, established to share best practices and latest evidence

description

The Taqeem Initiative champions evidence-based policies and programmes to improve employment opportunities for young people and promote women’s empowerment in the Middle East and North Africa region. An iterative cycle of capacity development, impact research and policy dialogue aims to strengthen programme management and gender mainstreaming of government institutions, workers and employers organizations, NGOs and other development partners. A Community of Practice (CoP) of gender-focused and youth-serving implementing organizations receives technical assistance to improve results measurement strategies. Basic and advanced evaluation workshops train youth employment practitioners as well as researchers. Delivered in partnership with ITC/ILO they cover impact evaluation methods, innovative tools for measuring women’s empowerment and provide step-by-step guidance for conducting assessments of labour market programmes. Through the Fund for Evaluation, Taqeem and its partners 3ie and IDRC provide seed funding for impact evaluations to build a critical mass of evidence on their effectiveness and how they can enhance labour market outcomes. Taqeem manages a broad portfolio of impact assessments that evaluate employment interventions focused at rural populations, young people and women. Selected research proposals pilot the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI). Technical support ranges from grant management to data collection and analysis. Evidence Symposiums, Policy Roundtables and an interactive online knowledge-platform target policy-makers and practitioners and disseminate findings from impact research. The objective is to ensure gender and rural mainstreaming in youth employment strategies. Recommendations are validated by stakeholders on the national level where partners, such as the Population Council (in Egypt) facilitate productive dialogue and evidence-uptake.

http://www.ilo.org/taqeem
http://www.ilotaqeem.org

Deliverables and links to SDG targets

  • Progress: 17 knowledge sharing or advocacy tactics on youth employment carried out, including events, campaigns and media items

    8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

    Over 500 youth employment stakeholders discuss research findings in Evidence Symposiums, Policy Roundtables and an online platform.

    BY: Mar 2018
  • Progress: 269 out of 300 youth employment stakeholders supported through technical assistance, capacity-building or peer learning

    5.5 Ensure women's full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life

    Basic and advanced evaluation courses for rural employment and women’s empowerment practitioners and researchers are organized.

    BY: Mar 2018
  • Progress: 17 out of 17 youth employment stakeholders supported through technical assistance, capacity-building or peer learning

    8.6 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training

    A Community of Practice of 17 gender-focused and youth-serving organizations receives support to improve results measurement strategies.

    BY: Mar 2018
  • Progress: 25 out of 30 knowledge products on youth employment developed

    8.6 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training

    Research papers and impact briefs evaluating “what works” in rural economic opportunities and women’s empowerment are published.

    BY: Mar 2018
Algeria
Egypt
Jordan
Lebanon
Morocco
State of Palestine
Tunisia

Start

01-Jul-2015

End

31-Mar-2018

USD 3,360,000

Estimated total value of the commitment

40,200

young people to benefit directly from this commitment

Target: Only young people 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-35

Primarily:
  • Young people in rural areas
  • Young women
  • Low-income individuals

Gallery

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