urp- the way forward

2010

From the desk of

the Programme ManagerSeptember 1st 2010

URP- The Way Forward

URP- The Way Forward:

Alignment with the Vision Goals and Objectives of the People’s Partnership Administration

Over a three week period [August 7th to 30th 2010], a voluntary team of professionals and activists undertook a comprehensive review of the Unemployment Relief Programme, with the view of deciding how best it may be tweaked in order to make it an agency of which all may be proud. The team comprised:

Richard Wm. Thomas, [Incumbent URP Programme Manager] Anthony Ramkissoon [Former URP Regional Manager (in charge of South Trinidad) and Entrepreneur] Raul Bermudez [Entrepreneur, Inventor, Social Worker (and one of the sharpest minds in Trinidad)] Keith Richards [Former Regional Manager (in charge of North West Trinidad), political activist and

Entrepreneur] Winston Louis Drayton [Management, IT, Auditing and Training Consultant; Building Contractor] Cassandra Gaya [YTEPP Training Manager] Michael Thomas [Secondary School Principal, Sports and Cultural Organizer] Anthony Crichlow [Community Worker and Activist] Michael Pemberton [URP Chief Planning Officer] Elizabeth Awai [URP Project Evaluation Officer] Ryan Glasgow [University of Trinidad and Tobago IT Supervisor] Neale Greaves [Entrepreneur and Social Activist] Christed Lamy [Project Manager and Voluntary Community Worker]; and Elvis Smith [Civil and Mechanical Engineering Consultant] Sheldon Lai Leung [Graphic Artist and Voluntary Social Worker]

to which were recently added: Anthony Bennett [a real street-savvy "General" who literally commands the hotspot ground between San

Juan and Curepe, thus has been able to advise on how best to hold the peace in those areas]; and Patricia Jaggasar-Clement [she's pursuing her PhD at the Faculty of Agriculture, UWI, St. Augustine].

It's a work in progress, for undertakings such as this are focused on resolving ever-dynamic situations. The solutions must therefore be crafted in a crucible continually bubbling with novel ideas.

Regarding URP, such ideas abound. Alas! For during the nine-and-a-half years of PNM rule, regarding URP they have been stifled, despite, during that time, their being successfully applied to extra-URP landscapes [CEPEP, for instance]. Truth be told, it's almost as if the powers-that-were were hellbent on keeping the clientèle of URP in perennial serfdom.

It was because of that assessment that the new Programme Manager assembled the above team. Just look at its members' credentials! Individually and, moreso, collectively, it comprises men and women of action, replete with energy, enthusiasm and well-rehearsed in outside-the-box thinking, yet close to the ground and experienced in the ways of governance and the Public Service, thus able quickly to come to terms with the problems confronting URP and of the best solutions to those problems.

Thus the team earnestly hopes that its wholesome recommendations will be wholeheartedly embraced, thence, very, very soon implemented, especially the one about converting the URP into a state enterprise, as that's the key to URP being able to deliver what it is purposed to deliver, but hasn't/isn't.

Another important step which has immediately to be taken is to order an increase in wages rate for URP workers, as what presently they get is, in the main, less than or just bordering on what's prescribed by the Minimum Wage Order [last time I checked, that is the law of the land]! Of course that'd mean a substantial increase in the URP's, emoluments bill, but the new and humongous profits [from expanded civil works activities for gov't and non-gov't clients, as is now proposed] would, in reasonable time, more than offset any such increase. Besides, the Unemployment Levy Fund [ULF ] has more than enough to foot the increased bill and the ULF was established for that purpose.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2.0 INTRODUCTION2.1 PREAMBLE 2.2 PURPOSE

3.0 URP ALIGNMENT WITH THE PEOPLE’S PARTNERSHIP [PP] AND MLSMED3.1 THE PP’S NATIONAL AND LOCAL IMPERATIVES3.2 MLSMED’S OPERATIONAL BUSINESS PLAN 2010-20113.3 THE NEW URP

4.0 HIGH LEVEL URP STRATEGIC PLAN4.1 FORMAL STRATEGIC PLANNING4.2 URP STRATEGIC GOAL4.3 STRATEGIC IMPERATIVES4.4 URP SCOPE4.5 LABOUR INTENSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS4.6 AGRICUTURAL LABOUR AND INFRASTRUCTURE4.7 DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE4.8 TRAINING AND RETRAINING4.9 EMPLOYMENT WORK CENTRES

5.0 CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES5.1 CHANGE MANAGEMENT5.2 KEY IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES5.3 ORGANIZATION OF PROJECT PARTICIPANTS 5.3.1 SEPARATION OF ORGANIZATIONS 5.3.2 INTEGRATION OF ORGANIZATIONS5.4 DEVOLUTION OF AUTHORITY RESPONSIBILITY AND RESOURCES TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT

6.0 HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE6.1 HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT6.2 ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

7.0 GOVERNANCE RISK AND COMPLIANCE7.1 MONITORING AND EVALUATION7.2 INTERNAL AUDIT

8.0 INTERIM CONCLUSION

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1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

PREAMBLE:

In order for the society to which he belongs also to receive the same benefits, Man, being a social animal, has individually to benefit from certain universally accepted rights and privileges. The first article of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights therefore dictates that:

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

To move many from a status of dependency to independence is socially to develop them.

Social development is defined as “a process of planned social change designed to promote the well-being of the population as a whole in conjunction with a dynamic process of economic development.” [Midgley, 1995 p. 25] It expands and enhances the capacity of the society to achieve its goals and aspirations. Social development is a natural response to the distorted development that has plagued developing countries like Trinidad and Tobago in the post World War II era.

Social development therefore rises above mainstream development thinking and practice; it can accommodate concepts as wide as sustainable development on one hand and it is grounded in the universal approach to social welfare on the other hand. According to James Midgely [1995, 1999]:

“...Social development’s most distinctive feature is its attempts to harmonize social policies with measures designed to promote economic development. ...It is the emphasis on development, together with its universality and macro-focus that differentiates social development from other approaches for promoting social welfare.” Midgley [1995, 1999, pg 1]

Midgley below asserts that social development is a pathway to true development: “Social development offers an approach which not only is cognizant of wider economic realities but actively promotes development. It is primarily about development and the ways social interventions can be harmonized with development objectives” [Midgeley, 1995, 1999 pg 2]

With the recent change in National Management caused by popular action, the ability and willpower to attempt and undertake meaningful and effective adjustments at all levels of national life are now, at last, attainable. One such adjustment is that there now must be value for money where public expenditure is concerned. Regarding public perception of its culture and work ethic, depending where you stand, the longstanding view would be either the Unemployment Relief Programme [URP] is a colossal waste of taxpayer resources, or that the terms and conditions offered to URP workers are grossly demeaning, thus lend to such workers giving a level of value that reflects it. Changing URP will instantly bring significant benefit to the national community, as well as demonstrate to the citizenry that the “Government” is no longer willing to promote or tolerate expending taxpayer dollars without emphasizing that satisfactory value for money is derived; and that the emphasis on “serving the people, serving the people, serving the people” would not fall on deaf ears.

The latter argument is what drives the thinking behind this document, for those who crafted it are acutely aware that URP, though intending to bring relief to the most vulnerable of Trinidad and Tobago’s society, is yet to embrace what’s required of the International Labour Organization [ILO] Decent Work mandate.

According to the ILO, Decent Work involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect

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their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men. T&T officially has adopted such a stance. But adoption is not the same as implementation.

The focus of this document thus details the necessary approaches required to ensure that, in the shortest possible timeframe [five years is envisaged], the Unemployment Relief Programme shall be successfully functioning as an effective platform for the delivery of Decent Work. It shall so do by re-orienting itself to employment creation, as well as to become the bleeding edge for transforming communities and moving citizens into areas of productive activity, which, in tandem, will lead to a marked [if not dramatic] reduction in crime: by targeting, harnessing, then re-directing the anti-social propensities and energies of ex-prisoners, would-be criminals and recovering drug addicts.

THE WAY FORWARD:

As the name implies, indeed, warrants, the thrust of the Unemployment Relief Programme must be the relief of unemployment. The only way unemployment may be relieved is by creating permanent jobs. Thus, the URP has to be mainly focused on changing the culture of its traditional accessors: to direct them towards acquiring the skills needed for them adequately to fend for themselves. This is where training for the job market comes into play. The obvious precursor is that the URP itself must be, or become, aware of what’s available in the job market. The URP, thus, must establish a Job Search and Placement [JSP] department within its structure.

But, without a vision, the people perish. Accordingly [and, for the first time, we believe] what the new URP purposes and of itself views, need must be articulated for all stakeholders to sign on, then cling, to the notion that, indeed, via the People’s Partnership, at last meaningful change to it has come.

Accordingly, the vision for the new URP has been defined as follows:

We believe that, if given the opportunity, respect, encouragement and right tools, everyone will join minds and hands to make Trinidad and Tobago the paradise islands they were created to be.

We understand that in order for such a peoples’ partnership to flourish, community members must fully participate in the process of identifying and solving the issues that affect them.

The attendant mission shall/must be:

To unleash the creativity and industriousness of the people of Trinidad and Tobago: by partnering with all stakeholders to deliver value for money within a culture of self sufficiency and mutual respect.

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URP MONITORING AND EVALUATION [M&E]:

Purpose of M&EThe main objectives of results-oriented monitoring and evaluation in the context of the URP are to:

Enhance organizational and development learning; Ensure informed decision-making; Support substantive accountability and URP repositioning; Build programme capacity in each of these areas, while institutionalizing a culture of good corporate

governance.

Focus on ResultsThe key strategy to be used in the M&E of URP is Results-Based Management [RBM] which is a management strategy or approach by which an organization ensures that its processes, products and services contribute to the achievement of clearly-stated results.

Outcome MonitoringThe restructured URP will consist of projects, partnerships, training and institutional-strengthening activities. On an ongoing basis the URP will accumulate information regarding progress towards an outcome and then will periodically compare the current situation against the baseline for outcome indicators and assess and analyse the situation.

Outcome EvaluationEvaluations will assess how and why outcomes are or are not being achieved and the role URP has played. Working in conjunction with URP head office Regional Managers and M&E Specialists will plan outcome evaluations at the country level using the Evaluation Plan: planning significantly improves the management and quality of evaluation.

PARTNERSHIPS:

No development change is ever achieved in isolation, which is why URP must work closely with its partners when developing strategies as well as monitoring and evaluating outcomes. URP partners include all other governmental and non-governmental organizations and entities with which URP will form substantive relationships in the pursuit of common and mutually-beneficial outcomes.

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STRATEGY:

Strategic GoalThe Programme must morph into a State Enterprise organisation that has as its business objective full self- sustainability in five years. To this end allocations over the next five years to the URP shall be viewed as an investment in an organisation that has carefully attempted to re-focus on the core activities of employment creation and employee skills enhancement for the masses of unemployed and underemployed citizens who have the potential to be uplifted. These will be converted into a cadre of skilled construction tradesmen and tradeswomen utilized as the State-preferred cutting edge of national physical infrastructure development: Thus, URP must be the State’s first choice in building:

houses, agricultural access roads, storm water drainage, early childhood educational centres, community centres, police stations, recreation facilities,

as well as maintain a pool of workers for hire by government and non-governmental organisations.

Strategic ImperativesThe following strategic imperatives are what must form the backbone of the restructured URP:

1. Alignment of URP goals, objectives and strategies with those enunciated in the 2010 People’s Partnership manifesto.

2. Development and deployment of a 5 year strategic plan in sync with its line Ministry.

3. Development and deployment of a Strategic Human Resource Management capability.

4. Systematic transfer of all CBO elements and activities back to the LGRCs.

5. Development and deployment of a “basic skills and life skills training component” for the programme with certification and systematic transfer as per 4 and 5.

6. Clear demarcation of the training demographic and training objectives and content vis a vis other national training agencies.

7. Use of existing infrastructure of schools, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex for training.

8. Clear demarcation of URP’s infrastructural development role vis a vis the LGRC’s and Ministry of Works.

9. Consolidation of the remaining workforce into an employment pool with direct performance of infrastructural and special projects, disaster response [per Tobago CERT model], hire to private contractors and farmers, hire to other government agencies and on-going training and re-training as core activities.

10. Constitution of the programme as a State Enterprise and rebranding the programme.

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2.0 INTRODUCTION

2.1 PREAMBLE

Man, being a social animal, has, individually, to benefit from certain universally accepted rights and privileges in order for the society to which he belongs also to receive the same benefits. The first article of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights therefore dictates that:

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.”

The accepted modern-day idea of social justice as a natural right comes out of this background, and assumes that social injustice in many, if not all, societies does exist, since, in all such societies, some inequality exists. The idea also assumes that, in order to achieve social justice, a greater proportion of a country’s wealth will have to be distributed to those individuals in it who have a greater need, for whatever reason or, as stated by John Rawls in his treatise: “A Theory of Justice”, page 11:

“…the distribution of wealth and income must be consistent with both the liberties of equal citizenship and equal opportunity…”

Indeed, the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago in its preamble identifies that social justice exists in a society where “…the operation of the economic system results in the material resources [ wealth ] of the community being so distributed as to subserve the common good, where there are adequate means of livelihood for all, where labour is not exploited or forced by economic necessity to operate in inhumane conditions and where there is opportunity for advancement on the basis of the recognition of merit, ability and integrity….”

A socially-just society may therefore be defined as one in which the share of the society’s common wealth that each member receives is calculated by assessing his or her unique needs, and not by employing some simple arithmetical formula such as dividing the wealth in equal portions across the board. In civil societies, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that social justice prevails, as the government is the agency, which has the vested authority and power de facto to make and enforce laws.

Caribbean countries individually, or as a part of some larger geographic grouping, all belong to the United Nations. But the political systems under which they operate vary. Some, like most of the former British and Spanish colonies [Trinidad and Tobago is one of these], profess to be democratic; others like Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana are part of France and therefore democratic, Cuba is socialist/communist, yet, in others, like the Central American countries, there is a mixture of socialism/democracy and, by any definitions, Haiti is essentially anarchist.

There is no dispute that food and shelter are two of the most basic of human needs. In the case of the modern human, money is needed to satisfy both needs; and money is earned mainly from employment. One and all is familiar with the term full employment that economists so often use. Full employment exists when there is a job available for every person who is in need of one. And all countries strive towards that ideal. Using the same concept, one may say that full shelter exists when there is adequate shelter available for everyone who is in need of it, and full shelter, just like full employment, is an ideal towards which any non-despotic government would strive.

One may therefore use the ability and performance of a country in directly providing, or in facilitating the provision of, continued paid-employment and adequate housing for its citizens, especially those who are most in need, as a potent litmus test in deciding how socially-just such a country really is. For the thereof justification of the topic at hand, this discourse will look at the operations of the Unemployment Relief Programme in Trinidad, during the period 1973 to 2005 [it’s almost impossible, at this time, to get the accurate figures for the period beyond 2005].

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http://books.google.com/books?id=TdvHKizvuTAC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=%22john+rawls%22+%22the+distribution+of+wealth+and+income%22&source=web&ots=E2FeZRPkOR&sig=Ua2waSujbnMNtYaHm_Ha87y3puA

http://books.google.com/books?id=TdvHKizvuTAC&pg=PA61&lpg=PA61&dq=%22john+rawls%22+%22the+distribution+of+wealth+and+income%22&source=web&ots=E2FeZRPkOR&sig=Ua2waSujbnMNtYaHm_Ha87y3puA



URP’s HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDThe Unemployment Relief Programme [URP], in its earliest incarnation as the Depressed Areas Programme, emerged in 1957. It was launched by the government as a strategy to alleviate the depressed economic conditions of the communities in which it began. Essentially, it provided, as it yet today does, irregular, temporary employment opportunities to its intended beneficiaries by hiring them at minimum or below-minimum wage, on community infrastructure maintenance and development projects.

Given its target, from the very outset its beneficiaries were those who were considered the unemployables: the less fortunate of the society, such as the badjohns, the ex-convicts, the scum of the earth. Being who they were, such persons were of that category which found it extremely difficult to obtain honest employment in the formal labour market and which, to this day, is perceived as significant contributors to social unease in the community-at-large.

By 1993 however, as reported by The United Nations Development Programme [UNDP], the URP had degenerated into a socio-political institution, one that was mainly used by the government of-the-day to consolidate and secure its popular support by giving jobs in exchange for votes. A significant number of those hired continued to be from the criminal ranks as was substantiated in March 1995 [Panday was not the Prime Minister then, Manning was], by Dr. Karl Theodore, of the University of The West Indies, in his just then completed a study of the URP.

At page 31 of his report, the professor states:“In the attempt to provide employment to persons out of work, Region Four [one of its administrative districts, the one which encompasses Bon Air Gardens, Maloney and the Congo at d’Abadie] has placed needy workers into several categories. The intention is to ensure that these persons are given preference in roster-formation, irrespective of their political persuasion. Details of the categories are provided below.

PRISON/POLICE PROBLEMSThe first group comprises ex-convicts and persons who have been accorded a bad police report of character. It is appropriately labelled, Police/Prison problems. Members of this category are the least likely to be hired at other government departments, private institutions and small business, in spite of the skills the might possess [and because of the ones that they do!]. The prison authorities are aware of this, hence, they usually give newly-released prisoners letters recommending them for work on URP projects. The URP strives to occupy the time of these former convicts, as well as condition their behavioural patterns into what is socially acceptable. The URP therefore, attempts to act as a welfare provider, as well as a social pacifist.

The same UNDP report further substantiated its conclusion by presenting information on the distribution, by electoral constituency district, of the projects, which the URP at that time was undertaking. Such information showed a clear bias, in terms of the number of projects, in favour of the constituencies which had supported the political party in power and not, as the URP was originally intended to be, in those communities where there was the heaviest concentration of unemployables or unemployed persons.

Persistent reports of ghost worker gangs in the Programme are in all likelihood a direct consequence of this phenomenon, since the political supporters who obtain temporary employment in URP perceive such benefit as payment for their support at election time, and therefore do not feel the obligation to report for work, except on paydays.

In Table 1 the statistics as they relate to the Unemployment Relief Programme were obtained from the Central Statistical Office, personal knowledge and several contacts who were senior officials of the Programme during the 1990s and other who are at present. The statistics are self-explanatory:

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Table 1

YearEst. Population Adult No. of Adult No. of

% of Unemployable No. of Unemployable

of T & T Population Unemployed Unemployables in URP in URP1973 1,040,000 468,000 140,400 98,280 45% 44,226 1974 1,050,400 472,680 132,350 95,292 60% 57,175 1975 1,060,904 477,407 124,126 91,853 65% 59,704 1976 1,071,513 482,181 106,080 82,742 80% 66,194 1977 1,082,228 487,003 97,401 77,920 65% 50,648 1978 1,093,050 491,873 93,456 75,699 60% 45,420 1979 1,103,981 496,791 79,487 66,769 55% 36,723 1980 1,115,021 501,759 80,281 67,436 60% 40,462 1981 1,126,171 506,777 81,084 68,111 80% 54,489 1982 1,137,433 511,845 81,895 68,792 60% 41,275 1983 1,148,807 516,963 82,714 69,480 60% 41,688 1984 1,160,295 522,133 83,541 70,175 35% 24,561 1985 1,171,898 527,354 84,377 70,876 35% 24,807 1986 1,183,617 532,628 85,220 71,585 65% 46,530 1987 1,195,453 537,954 86,073 72,301 45% 32,535 1988 1,207,408 543,333 86,933 73,024 45% 32,861 1989 1,219,482 548,767 87,803 73,754 45% 33,189 1990 1,231,677 554,254 88,681 74,492 45% 33,521 1991 1,243,993 559,797 89,568 75,237 60% 45,142 1992 1,256,433 565,395 90,463 75,989 55% 41,794 1993 1,268,998 571,049 91,368 76,749 55% 42,212 1994 1,281,688 576,759 92,282 77,516 50% 38,758 1995 1,294,504 582,527 93,204 78,292 75% 58,719 1996 1,307,450 588,352 94,136 79,075 45% 35,584 1997 1,320,524 594,236 95,078 79,865 60% 47,919 1998 1,333,729 600,178 84,025 72,261 60% 43,357 1999 1,347,067 606,180 84,865 72,984 65% 47,440 2000 1,360,537 612,242 73,469 64,653 65% 42,024 2001 1,374,143 618,364 55,653 50,644 65% 32,919 2002 1,387,884 624,548 87,437 75,196 75% 56,397 2003 1,401,763 630,793 100,927 84,779 55% 46,628 2004 1,415,781 637,101 114,678 94,036 60% 56,422 2005 1,429,938 643,472 115,825 94,977 50% 47,488 AVG.: 1,224,963 551,233 92,875 76,389 57.58% 43,903

Table 1: No. of Unemployable Persons Working in URP

It is to be noted that in each of the years when there were General Elections in Trinidad and Tobago [1976, 1981, 1986, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2001, and 2002] except for 2000 and 2001, the percentage of unemployable persons accommodated in the URP increased significantly over the immediately preceding year. This fact no doubt substantiates the findings of the UNDP as stated in its 1993 report.

As the major government instrument for the provision of immediate, albeit temporary, employment to the less fortunate, the same UNDP 1993 report revealed that the Unemployment Relief Programme, on average, only a maximum of two fortnights per annum was offered to any one beneficiary. In other words, government, through its URP, despite the billions expended, therefrom does not really provide sustained relief to whom it said it would.

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Professor Theodore also made observations and drew conclusions strikingly similar to those of the UNDP. In fact, he agreed with them that “…the URP is not the solution to unemployment woes in the country…”, which, by the way, it was never intended to be, for, as stated before, its purpose was to create a lawful income stream, through direct government intervention, by providing government employment to those considered unattractive to the formal work market.

Another salient aspect to which Professor Theodore referred was the practice, or rather, malpractice, of improper record-keeping by officials of the Programme. A peculiarity, which he rightly surmised hinders the progress of URP and, consequently, the ability of the enlightened observer accurately to assess the true impact of the Programme. It must be noted that Dr. Theodore’s report was compiled before the UNC-led administration came into power in 1995 and, even to the most partisan, it proves, by its findings, that the criminal component was, from its conception, an inherent part of the Unemployment Relief Programme.

Nonetheless, what is patently clear is that, in 2010, some fifty-three years after first being introduced and despite its many flaws and the low productive output URP generates, successive administrations seem unable to devise a mechanism altogether to replace it and generally appear content to use it mainly for achieving partisan political ends.

THE WAY FORWARD:

As the name implies [indeed, warrants] the thrust of the Unemployment Relief Programme must be the relief of unemployment. The only way unemployment may be relieved is by creating permanent jobs. Thus, the URP has to be mainly focused on changing the culture of its traditional beneficiaries: to direct them towards acquiring the skills needed for them adequately to fend for themselves.

That is a tall order, yes, but achievable. It can be achieved if realistic targets are set as to how many of the URP workers per annum shall be weaned off the programme. This is where training for the job market comes into play. The obvious precursor is that the URP itself must be, or become, aware of what’s available in the job market. The URP, thus, must establish a Job Search and Placement [JSP] department within its structure.

There already exists a policy of reserving 20% of state-funded contracts for “petty contractors”. From all indications, the URP, except for an enlightened but, sadly, brief while [between 1996 and 1998], never took advantage of that. It’s time, now, to maximize from that incentive. Competent URP workers must be facilitated to incorporate and go after a fair share of that 20%. The URP must also be closely-attuned to another major social relief agency: CEPEP. Indeed, CEPEP is what URP was supposed be, had certain recommendations been implemented back in 1998, when the incumbent Programme Manager was the Deputy Programme Manager [under the late Arnim Smith].

Running alongside the thrust to have URP workers access that 20%, there has to be another two-pronged push, geared towards making the traditional URP worker:

functionally literate and numerate through an adult literacy and numeracy programme; and attractive to any would be employer, by incorporating not only a good skill-certification programme,

but, just as importantly, one designed to impart proper lifestyle skills.

The reality is that for Fiscal Year 2009-2010, the URP shortly shall end, as it runs on an annual cycle that coincides with the state’s fiscal year. In the immediate short-term, then, the URP’s structure may very well have to remain, but with a new management team in place. From the new fiscal year though, a new format, reflecting and incorporating the ideas above, has to be established.

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2.2 PURPOSE

2.2.1 By demonstrating how the goals, objectives and strategies of the URP can be seamlessly aligned with those of the MLSMED, this report seeks to fill the vacuum occasioned by the omission of the URP from the Ministry’s Operational Business Plan for 2010-2011 [due to the plan’s advanced state of completion by the time the Ministry’s portfolio was determined post the May 24 th 2010 general elections]. It is a good thing it was omitted, for the URP speaks to a demographic radically-different to the one which the non-URP segment of the MLSMED does, one that, if not properly treated, can almost instantaneously wreak wide-scale social turmoil and stress.

2.2.2 In the eyes of the tax-paying public the longstanding view of the Unemployment Relief Programme [URP] is that it is a colossal waste of taxpayer resources. This document details the necessary approaches required to ensure that, in the shortest possible timeframe [five years is envisaged], the URP can successfully function as an effective platform for employment creation, as well as become the bleeding edge for penetrating communities and moving citizens into areas of productive activity in the national community, which, in tandem, will lead to a marked reduction in crime: by targeting, harnessing, then re-directing the anti-social propensities of ex-prisoners, would be criminals and recovering drug addicts.

2.2.3 The People’s Partnership administration won the government on a platform of change. One such change is that there now must be value for money where public expenditure is concerned. To start the ringing-in-the-change ball with an URP metamorphosis makes sense as, apart from URP there are few Government departments/programmes that are more pre-disposed. By dealing with the issue now, rather than later, this administration can amply show how fatuous a policy it is to encourage “make work” schemes at the expense of sustainable employment that addresses national issues in an orderly fashion.

2.2.4 This document articulates the desire of the new Programme Manager for a clear mandate from the Line Minister, and by extension, the Cabinet, to constitute a new management team thence, immediately to begin the process of radically changing the nature, processes and outcomes of the URP.

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The PP’s Governance and Local Imperatives

The PP’s governance is founded on a framework of sustainable development: “seven Developmental Pillars, which are interconnected and which constitute the cornerstones of our strategy for sustainable development of Trinidad and Tobago”.

Figure 1: Framework for Sustainable Development

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During the General Election campaign of 2010, the PP clearly enunciated that “labour in Trinidad should be organized as a positive force for economic development”. Any restructuring of the URP must clearly concretize that principle. Or, better put: the already-embraced philosophy and requirements of Decent Work can be best applied to the Unemployment Relief Programme, for Decent Work for all who want it must be the core objective of the Unemployment Relief Programme.

3.2 MLSMED Operational Business Plan 2010-2011The MLSMED has adopted the framework for sustainable development as part of its strategic and operational profile. Its strategic objective no. 2 mandates: “promotion of opportunities for poverty reduction, employment and wealth CREATION [not relief]”, while Objective No. 5 speaks to: “enhancement of its capacity to undertake an expanded role in formulating and implementing national development goals and strategies”.

In its strategic plan [Goals 1, 3 and 4], the MLSMED aims to achieve stable full employment while encouraging and developing a vibrant Micro and Small Enterprise [MSE] and Cooperative sector. Its operational priorities for 2010-2011 embrace

Youth involvement and entrepreneurship Enhancement of IT capability Recruitment Training and Development of a communications infrastructure

Unfortunately due to logistical constraints the URP was not included as part of these strategic and operational plans.

3.3 The New URP

With this framework and strategic direction as outlined by both the PP leadership and the Ministry, steps to align the strategies and operations of the URP become crystal clear. These include:

Emphasis on permanent and sustainable employment CREATION Providing temporary labour to governmental and non-governmental institutions Contribution to the economic and infrastructural development of Trinidad and Tobago Human Capital Development Institutional strengthening and Information Technology development

The URP is ideally suited to fulfil the ideals of Pillars 1, 2, and 3 of the Framework for Sustainable Development: it caters to an underclass of over 100,000 adult unemployed persons, with 60% of these deemed “unemployable” by the society [see Table 1]. It can seamlessly adopt these strategic goals and objectives while simultaneously re-tooling and reshaping itself in tandem with the operational prerogatives of government’s operational plans for the forthcoming fiscal year. There is a high level of synergy to be achieved by restructuring the URP as a special purpose employment creation and training agency.

The rest of this document is devoted to showing how this can be done. Of course, this is simply a preliminary and high level plan. Undertaking the development of a full corporate plan and change management plan with the technical assistance of multi-lateral agencies like UNECLAC and the EDF, with the full involvement of all other stakeholders, will be the first order of priority, once the strategies and plans outlined in this document are approved.

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4.0 HIGH LEVEL URP STRATEGIC PLAN4.1 Formal Strategic Planning

In the formal context, a number of questions have to be posed and decisions taken to craft a meaningful corporate plan. These include:

What is going to be our adopted planning approach? [e.g., are we going to complete the exercise internally, or use consultants]?

If we want to use consultants, can we identify funding and do we have a contracting mechanism that will work within our timeframe?

Do we already have a Strategic Plan and is it relevant today? What is a good example of a national plan for implementing such fundamental structural

change? What resources are available to support the planning process? [e.g., Ministry, URP staff,

equipment or funding from internal sponsors and external participating entities like UNDP ECLAC and the EDF]?

Does the planning itself need to be split into phases? [e.g., calendar year, fiscal year, milestone, long or short term]?

What are the roadblocks and political barriers? [e.g., election year, political party in control, support or lack of support for political issues?

What brainstorming approaches will we use? What time constraints exist that directly impact plan completion? What are the key success factors for us? What are the predominant pitfalls for us? [e.g., lack of funding, limited resources, lack of

available time]? What collaboration tools are available to facilitate the planning process? [e.g., list-serves, video

conferencing, web meeting systems? How do we identify the low hanging fruit [quick wins], and how do we effectively leverage what

they might bring to the table?

Given the urgency of the debate, in the context of the current document many of these best-practice methodologies and approaches have been short-circuited and reliance placed on the experience and expertise of the authors, who, combined, possess over two hundred years of differently-perspectived experiences [within and without URP] in successfully managing and dealing with the same market the URP addresses. The resources, tools and learning from their experience are therefore ‘available’ to fast track the URP’s own plan.

4.2 URP Strategic Goal

The Programme must at once transform into a State Enterprise organisation that has as its business objective full self-sustainability by the year 2015. To this end, allocations over the next five years to the URP must be viewed as an investment in an organisation that has carefully attempted to satisfy its client base and re-focus on the core activities of employment creation and employee skills enhancement for the masses of unemployed and underemployed citizens who have the potential to be uplifted.

These will be converted into a cadre of skilled construction tradesmen and tradeswomen, utilized as the State-preferred cutting edge of national physical infrastructure development: it will be the State’s first choice in building:

o homes for the homeless,o agricultural access roads,o storm water drainage/retention systems,o community and early childhood educational centres,o police stations,o recreation facilities,

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as well as maintain a pool of workers for hire to government and non-governmental organisations.

4.3 Strategic Imperatives

The following strategic imperatives should form the backbone of the restructured URP:1. Alignment of URP goals, objectives and strategies with those of the PP administration vision of National

Physical Infrastructure refurbishment development.

2. Development and deployment of a 5-year strategic plan in sync with such goals.

3. Development and deployment of a Strategic Human Resource Management capability.

4. Development and deployment of a “basic skills and life skills training component” for the programme with certification and systematic transfer as per 4 and 5.

5. Clear demarcation of the training demographic and training objectives and content vis a vis other national training agencies.

6. Consolidation of the URP workforce into an employment pool geared towards undertaking any type of physical infrastructure project, disaster response [per Tobago CERT model], hiring out to private contractors and farmers, hiring out to other government agencies.

7. Constitution of the programme as a State Enterprise and rebranding the programme.

4.4 Programme Scope

Consequently, the scope of the Unemployment Relief Programme must be for the provision of labour [skilled and unskilled] and, as necessary, materials for the following:

a. Labour Intensive Infrastructure Works b. Agriculture Infrastructurec. Natural Disaster Responsed. Training and Re-Training e. Employment Work Centres [Extension of MLSMED National Employment Service]

Such a programme scope sits on an administrative platform that focuses on Efficiency, Accountability, Transparency and Equity.

4.5 Labour Intensive Infrastructure Works Drainage, River Training, Sidewalks, Retaining Walls, etc CBOs [Work Teams] Infrastructure Projects [Police Stations, Community Centres, Multi Purpose Facilities,

Early Childhood Education Centres, Health Centres, Access Roads]

The Unemployment Relief Programme has become synonymous with the execution of small-scale infrastructure works in communities scattered across the country. Significantly, the programme creates work teams/gangs in which individuals are hired in two [2] week cycles.

What is not as well-known is that URP has the capacity and history of undertaking mammoth construction jobs as well: it has built Police Stations, Community Centres, its own offices and refurbished Whitehall. Consequently, it should become a matter of policy that the URP would be responsible for undertaking civil works for government agencies, regardless of type and size, providing that the maintenance of the completed works be left to others

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[such as MTS]. The URP should not be involved in the business of maintenance as this is an operational activity as opposed to a project activity. This clear policy delineation and its effective implementation would lead to the elimination of widespread areas of conflict and duplication, as well as streamlining project areas and thus moving swiftly to project implementation.

The move towards so empowering URP would enable it to offer consistent, long-term employment to its employees, as well as manage local contractors on a project basis.

4.6 Agricultural Labour and Infrastructure Labour in the Agriculture Sector Infrastructure in the Agriculture Sector

The Agriculture sector with its unspoken mandate of developing and implementing a food security plan for the nation can dip readily into the steady pool of human resource that the URP shall have at its disposal and utilise same for the expansion of lands under cultivation. This will have the effect of creating productive employment as well as demonstrating opportunities for citizens to move toward self employment and financial independence.

Infrastructure [drainage, irrigation, access roads, etc.] in the agricultural sector is also an area of work towards which the vast human-resource pool under the control of the URP can be focused. Projects, identified by the Ministry of Agriculture can be profiled and implemented so that the sector can improve its level of efficiency and capacity in production and marketing.

4.7 Disaster Preparedness and Response – First Responders Community Emergency Response Teams Specialized Teams

The ability of the nation to respond when a crisis has occurred is a function of effective preparedness. Globally, the issue of disaster preparedness and by extension response is a specialised area of training and skill development. The recent flooding and attendant issues brought into sharp relief during the recent ‘regular’ rainy late July/early August period, the lack of preparedness of agencies responsible.

The URP can, in conjunction with the other responders, move toward disaster preparedness training so that in the event of a disaster, Community Based Organisations, under the direction of the URP Management can be “first responders” able to undertake specialised activities and thus be part of the national response team in the event of a disaster. This will lead to a level of training across the national community that allows for the development of minimum standards for disaster preparedness and response in communities across the nation.

The training can create specialised teams that cover the following areas: Basic life support Disaster management communication Water rescue High angle rescue Incidental command Light tool and equipment training Casualty Management Fire Suppression, with specialized equipment as First Responders to: Clear Landslides Fallen Trees Transport Relief Supplies Search and Rescue activities

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This programme can match that currently in effect with the Tobago House of Assembly, known as the Community Emergency Response Team.

4.8 Training / Retraining Life Skills & Technical/Vocational Skills Youth component Adult Component

There are a number of national programmes that currently address numerous areas of training and re-training, inter alia:

Servol [Life Skills and Vocation Training] Civilian Conservation Corps [Life Skills and Vocation Training] YTEPP [Life Skills and Vocation Training] NESC [Apprenticeship Programme] Adult Literacy and Skills Enhancement facilitated by the Regional Corporations

The inability or unwillingness of persons to elevate themselves from the ranks of the unemployed to the level of consistent, sustainable employment is usually in no small way due to low skill levels and a lack of certification for informally acquired skills. Underachievement and low self esteem starting in primary and secondary schools also play a critical role. As demonstrated in Append ix - , the dropout and failure rates in some rural [urban as well] schools are of the order of 60%. When these youths join the ranks of stay -at -home unemployed, they pose a significant threat to the safety and security of the nation. Through frustration, boredom and selective recruitment many join the ranks of gun runners, drug pushers, hijackers, kidnappers and murderers that now act as a merciless scourge on the life of hapless, law abiding citizens. Statistics of criminal charges brought before the courts show that youth between 16 and 24 form a significant if not overwhelming majority of perpetrators and repeat offenders.

Many of the existing programmes are abandoned before completion due to late or nonexistent stipends, lacklustre performance and poor attendance. While the PP gets it act together, calls a national symposium on youth training and streamline this worrisome area, the URP can make a valid contribution to marshalling training resources and delivering programmes that target this demographic.

The term, “training”, refers to the acquisition of knowledge and competencies. The Unemployment Relief Training Programme [URTP] will cater for individuals 18 years and over [younger on recommendation or court order], it will be a model similar to the current OJT that exists today. However, whereas the OJT caters to successful CXC-level graduates, the URTP will cater for under-achievers.

In the URTP, the trainee will be exposed to workplace learning to improve their performance using both on-the-job and off-the-job training. For OJT, a relationship will be entered into with manufacturing, production and repair businesses to enlist trainees in their organizations. These trainees will be paid by URTP at the given URP wages or a proportion for those under 18. For off-the-job, the youth-camp model will be re-instituted facilitated by a combination of military and civilian personnel using the infrastructure already partly in place at existing camps, schools and facilities like the Eric Williams Medical Complex.

Arrangements will be made with the NTA for certification of trainees. Historically, in previous trials of this model, graduates have been absorbed by the participating organizations, upon completion of their training module.Clearly, there is great scope for the consolidation and streamlining of all national training efforts such as YTEPP, HYPE, MUST, MILAT, CCC and similar programmes. URP resources must form part of a coordinated national training plan.

For those adults who are deemed eligible for the re-profiled URP, a training and certification component shall also be rigorously applied. This approach will allow for the assessment of URP labour so that after a number of cycles

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[and/or at the end of projects], individuals who have demonstrated an acceptable level of competence can receive commensurate certification, thus allowing those persons so certified to elevate themselves away from URP into life as entrepreneurs, or, employment on a sustained basis in the private sector.

4.9 Employment Work Centres

It is envisaged that the URP Regional Offices will be incorporated as focal points for the delivery of the MLSMED’s National Employment Service and the implementation of its National Human Resource Management Information Service for certain categories of workers [e.g., artisans, handymen, labourers, cleaners and security officers].

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5.0 CHANGE MANAGEMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION ISSUES

5.1 Change Management

The fact that there shall be a re-profiled URP will inevitably bring the management team into the area of change management. The focus of this shall be the re-orientation of the organisation to the imperatives of the new dispensation as identified by the programme areas identified above.

The relevant GAP analysis to undertake the following shall be effected: Identify the change issues Particulars of the said change Change approach to successfully navigate throughout the processes Implementation of agreed upon strategy

The necessary steps shall be taken to manage the change issues and processes so as to keep the forward momentum and not derail the programme. The foremost of these shall be the appointment of a Project Champion, Change Agent and Change Management Team at the inception of the process.

5.2 Key Implementation Issues

Development of the Project Management Office Identification and recruitment of the dedicated skill sets Timing of phased devolution of resources and responsibilities back to local government

Ultimately the URP is a programme of work, work that is project driven as opposed to being part of an operations framework. Consequently, the management of the organisation must speak to the effective management of projects. The development of a relevant management structure is important and the requisite skill sets being placed in the locations where they shall best serve the programme becomes paramount. The following issues shall be taken into consideration so as to ensure effective management of the programme:

Specification of project objectives and plans including delineation of scope, budgeting, scheduling, setting performance requirements, and selecting project participants.

Maximization of efficient resource utilization through procurement of labour, materials and equipment according to the prescribed schedule and plan.

Implementation of various operations through proper coordination and control of planning, design, estimating, contracting and construction in the entire process.

Development of effective communications and mechanisms for resolving conflicts among the various participants.

The understanding of the relationship between the major parties/skill-sets/ knowledge of workers leads to a well oiled machinery. The aim here is to ensure that the re-profiled URP shall allow for the successful management of the relationships as described below in Figure 2:

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Figure 2: The URP Project Management Relationship Model

5.3 Organization of Project Participants

In consultation with the ministerial level, the top management of the Programme shapes policy and shall establish the appropriate organization structure to take the programme forward. Such a structure will dictate how the project life cycle is divided within the programme and which professionals should be engaged. Decisions by the top management will also influence the organization to be adopted for project management. In general, there are many ways to decompose a project into stages.

The most typical ways are: Sequential processing: whereby the project is divided into separate stages, such that each stage

is carried out successively in sequence. Parallel processing: whereby the project is divided into independent parts, such that all stages

are carried out simultaneously. Staggered processing: whereby the stages may be overlapping, such as the use of phased design-

construct procedures for fast-track operation.

It should be pointed out that some decomposition may work out better than others, depending on the circumstances. In any case, the prevalence of decomposition makes the subsequent integration particularly important. The critical issues involved in organization for project management are:

How many organizations are involved? What are the relationships among the organizations? When are the various organizations brought into the project?

There are two basic approaches to organize for project implementation, even though many variations may exist as a result of different contractual relationships adopted by the project owner owner and builder.

5.3.1 Separation of organizations

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Numerous organizations serve as consultants or contractors to the owner, with different organizations handling design and construction functions. Typical examples which involve different degrees of separation are:

o Traditional sequence of design and construction o Professional construction management

5.3.2 Integration of organizations

A single or joint venture, consisting of a number of organizations with a single command, undertakes both design and construction functions. Two extremes may be cited as examples:

o Owner-builder operation in which all work will be handled in house by force account. o Turnkey operation in which all work is contracted to a vendor which is responsible for

delivering the completed project

The URP approach is that of an Integrated Organization: where all the work [design, costing, Implementation management] is handled in-house by dedicated human resources.

Construction projects may be managed by a spectrum of participants in a variety of combinations, the organization for the management of such projects may vary from case to case. The URP by its very nature is staffed by personnel in Functional Divisions / Regions and projects are identified, profiled, and implemented. This arrangement is referred to as the matrix organization as each project manager must negotiate all resources for the project from the existing organizational framework.

While organizations may differ, the same basic principles of management structure are applicable to most situations.

Figure 3: A Matrix Organization

The Matrix Management structure also lends itself to the recruitment of Professional construction management firm to assist the programme where necessary Professional construction management refers to a project

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management team consisting of a professional construction manager and other participants who will carry out the tasks of project planning, design and construction in an integrated manner.

Contractual relationships among members of the team are intended to minimize adversarial relationships and contribute to greater response within the management group. A professional construction manager is a firm specialized in the practice of professional construction management which includes:

Work with Client and the Design firms from the beginning and make recommendations on design improvements, construction technology, schedules and construction economy.

Propose design and construction alternatives if appropriate and analyze the effects of the alternatives on the project cost and schedule.

Monitor subsequent development of the project in order that these targets are not exceeded without the knowledge and consent of the owner.

Coordinate procurement of material and equipment and the work of all construction contractors, and monthly payments to contractors, changes, claims and inspection for conforming design requirements.

Perform other project related services as required by owners.

Ensuring that the programme management team is able to utilise necessary and relevant approaches gives the URP the capacity for nimble-footedness and thus of being to engender an ethos of successful delivery across a range of parameters within the organisation.

Ultimately, the success of the re-profiled programme rests on these issues as identified above. Once the staffing of key positions has been settled and personnel are adequately situated, then the work must commence.

6.0 HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

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6.1 HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

One of the greatest challenges facing the URP and its line ministry will be the issue of Human Capital Management. Recruitment and orientation of skilled personnel, as well as performance management, are two downside risks. Strategies to mitigate those risks must be identified. Human Capital Management will pose a even greater challenge for the URP as it seeks to combine strategic planning with fundamental cultural and structural change in the programme over the forthcoming five years.

There can be only one approach to this issue and that is to take a strategic HR approach to human capital in the organization. The General Office of Accounting in the USA identifies three stages of Human Capital Management. URP is at stage 1. URP has to be taken to the next level via systematically adopting a strategic approach to its human capital needs and resources.

Figure 3: GAO Highlighted Three Levels: The descriptions portray the approaches to managing people that can be expected in organizations. URP is at Level 1.

6.2 Organization Structure

The organization structure to start the process of changing the URP into the self-sustaining productive state agency envisaged by the authors of this document is a work in progress; so, too, are the attendant financials. Hence they are not included in this document.

7.0 GOVERNANCE RISK AND COMPLIANCE

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7.1 Monitoring and Evaluation

Purpose

The main objectives of results-oriented monitoring and evaluation in the context of the URP are to:

o Enhance organizational and development learning;o Ensure informed decision-making;o Support substantive accountability and URP repositioning;o Build programme capacity in each of these areas, while institutionalizing a culture of good

corporate governance.

These objectives are linked together in a continuous process, as shown in Figure 1. Learning from the past contributes to more informed decision-making. Better decisions lead to greater accountability to stakeholders. Better decisions also improve performance, allowing for URP activities to be continually repositioned.

Partnering closely with key stakeholders throughout this process also promotes shared knowledge creation and learning, helps transfer skills and develops the capacity of programme managers and project managers for planning, monitoring and evaluation. These stakeholders also provide valuable feedback that can be used to improve performance and learning. In this way, good practices at the heart of corporate governance are continually reinforced, making a positive contribution to the overall effectiveness of intended development.

Monitoring can be defined as a continuing function that aims primarily to provide the management and main stakeholders of the Programme with early indications of progress, or lack thereof, in the achievement of results.

Evaluation is a selective exercise that attempts to systematically and objectively assess progress towards and the achievement of outcomes. Evaluation is not a one-time event, but an exercise involving assessments of differing scope and depth carried out at several points in time in response to evolving needs for evaluative knowledge and learning during the effort to achieve an outcome. Evaluations assess relevance, performance and other criteria. They need to be linked to outcomes as opposed to only implementation or immediate outputs.

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Focus on Results

The key strategy to be used in the M&E of URP is Results-Based Management [RBM] which is a management strategy or approach by which an organization ensures that its processes, products and services contribute to the achievement of clearly stated results. Results-based management provides a coherent framework for strategic planning and management by improving learning and accountability. It is also a broad management strategy aimed at achieving important changes in the way the URP operates, with improving performance and achieving results as the central orientation.

Outcome Monitoring

The restructured URP will consist of projects, partnerships, training and institutional strengthening activities. While the process of outcome monitoring will be continual in the sense that it is not a time-bound activity, it must be periodic, so that change can be perceived. In other words, regarding progress towards an outcome, the URP will accumulate information on an ongoing basis and then will periodically compare the current situation against the baseline for outcome indicators, the better to assess and analyze the situation. In order effectively to monitor outcomes and outputs, one has to determine exactly which projects, training programmes, partnerships and other activities contribute to any specific outcome. Outputs must be tracked and their contributions to outcomes measured by assessing the change from baseline conditions.

Programme managers will need to keep an eye on key outputs [the specific products and services that emerge from processing inputs through project/programme or non-project/programme activities] because they can indicate whether a strategy is relevant and efficient, or not. Relevance in a results-based context refers to whether or not a URP activity contributes to the achievement of a key outcome, supports national development priorities and targets appropriate groups. To conduct effective outcome monitoring, Programme Managers need to establish baseline data, select outcome indicators of performance, and design mechanisms that include planned actions such as field visits, stakeholder meetings and systematic analysis or reports.

FIGURE 2. KEY FEATURES OF IMPLEMENTATION VERSUS OUTCOME MONITORING

Source: UNDP [2007]“A Monitoring and Evaluation Framework”

Outcome Evaluation

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URP outcome evaluation will cover a set of related projects, programmes and strategies intended to bring about a certain outcome. Such evaluations assess how and why outcomes are or are not being achieved in a given context and of the role URP has played. They may also help to clarify underlying factors affecting the situation, highlight unintended consequences [positive and negative], recommend actions to improve performance in future programming and generate lessons learned. These periodic and in-depth assessments use “before and after” monitoring data. Outcome evaluations may fulfil different needs at different times throughout the programming cycle. If conducted early in the cycle, they can supply information about potential impediments; if conducted halfway through the cycle, they can suggest mid-course adjustments; and if conducted at the end, they can contribute to lessons learned that could guide work in the outcome during the next cycle.

Working in conjunction with head office Programme Managers and M&E Specialists will plan outcome evaluations at the country level using the Evaluation Plan. Planning significantly improves the management and quality of evaluation. Head Office is responsible, in partnership with strategic partners, for planning all aspects of outcome evaluations: from defining the objectives to collecting the data. Programme Managers, by liaising with the appropriate levels of management from project to Head Office, are responsible for ensuring that baseline data and appropriate indicators of performance are established at the very start of the restructuring.

FIGURE 3. DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUTCOME MONITORING AND OUTCOME EVALUATION

Source: Adapted from UNDP, UNICEF and World Bank

Partnerships

No development change is ever achieved in isolation, which is why URP must work closely with its partners when monitoring and evaluating outcomes. URP partners fit into two categories: governmental and nongovernmental organizations with which URP forms substantive relationships in the pursuit of common outcomes.

Ideally, when formulating strategies and activities to achieve certain outcomes, Programme Managers should consider how to encourage the participation of partners. This requires knowing what strengths each partner brings to the table. For monitoring and evaluation, Programme Managers may draw on partners in a number of ways, such as:

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Involving partners and other stakeholders in the selection of indicators and targets, in data collection and analysis, as participants in field visits or as members of an evaluation team;

Using already-established data sources and statistics of key partner agencies,which helps reduce the costs of data collection;

Working with partners to analyze outcome progress and determine how bestto enhance their collective strategy.

URP Evaluation Tools and Processes

Monitoring and evaluation that is results-based requires specific kinds of tools and processes. For example, country offices need to use flexible monitoring instruments [project reports, workplans, field visits, stakeholder meetings] on a periodic basis to support performance measurement.

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8.0 INTERIM CONCLUSION

At the very core of “fixing” URP must be the willingness of any government administration to give up the cheap political support reservoir that this programme by tradition constitutes and return to the core value of “serving the people”.

Thankfully [and also in keeping with that tradition] the job is not hard. Indeed, it has been done before. Numerous models, the local citizenry and various multi-lateral agencies are simply waiting for us to get serious and take advantage of the wide-ranging benefits to be gained as a people if we commit to this change.

Let’s bite the bullet!

The future of the new URP begins now!

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urp- the way forward

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