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Promotion of Decent Work in Southern African Ports (phase II) - Final Evaluation

eval_number:

2575

eval_title:

Promotion of Decent Work in Southern African Ports (phase II) - Final Evaluation

location:

region:

Africa

country:

Africa - regional

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eval_url:

https://analyticstest.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/2575

lessons_learned:

description:

Experiential Learning: While experiential learning by way of out-bound tours to the ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam were quite useful, more in-bound tours by delegations from the collaborating ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam should be built into project design in future.

context:

This is from the point of view of complementarity to local training and more practical-oriented acquisition of knowledge towards change of mind set which was observed on the part of the participants , and the need for strategic selection of participants with regard to the centrality of their role in the points (which was always the case); and also from the point of view of cost minimization by way of bringing in counterpart personnel from collaborating European ports instead of taking large groups of participants to Europe.

success:

Experiential learning complemented local capacity building and training activities of the project. It also helped in overcoming the problem of inter-party mistrust and suspicion – i.e. between workers and management.

challenges:

In relation to this lesson learned, key relevant challenges related to: (i) Weak capacity and high illiteracy level among union staff as well as lack of training facilities and structured training interventions – in the case of Mozambique; and (ii) high level of mistrust and suspicion between port workers and management. Based on available foundational information base upon which the project was conceptualized and designed, it was clear that low productivity and competitiveness of the participating ports were largely attributed to lack of effective social dialogue and HR strategies that are not reminiscent of international best practices – resulting in confrontational relationships between workers and management and occasional industrial actions.

administrative_issues:

Key administrative issues included: (i) lack of adequate financial resources; (ii) non-strategic and sometimes politicised selection of participants for overseas learning tours.

comments:

Agencies representing the interests of organized business in the participating ports (DCT and Richards Bay under Transnet Port Terminals, and MSoE in South Africa, and the Port of Maputo under Maputo Port Development Company in Mozambique); and Trade Unions representing the interests of organized labour in these ports including SATAWU and UNTU in the case of South Africa, and SIMPEOC in the case of Mozambique, the donor, ILO and ultimate beneficiaries - port workers in the participating ports in Durban and Richards Bay in South Africa and Port of Maputo in Mozambique.

url:

https://analyticstest.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/219132

themes:

theme:

Organizational learning

category:

Organizational issues

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