The implementation of employment-intensive infrastructure investments in the field of green works

The ILO has been supporting many countries in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of inclusive, resilient and quality infrastructure investments through its Employment-Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP). The principal objective of the EIIP is to create decent jobs with higher labour intensity. In doing so, the EIIP approach also aims to address societal and environmental issues altogether. However, EIIP interventions are often fragmented and its uptake varies from country to country. More often than not, the so-called “best practices” may not be feasible and thus not “appropriate” in fragile areas where the EIIP often operates. South-South and Triangular Cooperation (SSTC) can be an effective instrument to share knowledge, boost peer-to-peer learning among the countries of the Global South that are facing similar challenges and identify the “appropriate” approach.” South and East African countries’ labour-based practitioners (Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Infrastructure/Ministry of Public Works and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centers) have expressed particular interest in the area of green works. Green works refer to the employment intensive development, restoration and maintenance of public infrastructure, community assets, natural areas and landscapes to contribute to environmental goals such as climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, environmental rehabilitation, ecosystem restoration and nature conservation. Therefore, green works are job-rich in nature, and are a tool to tackle environmental challenges faced altogether. Following an introductory training that provided labour-based practitioners with a common understanding of the concepts of the employment-intensive approach, green works and nature-based Solutions (NbS), this Knowledge-Sharing Forum provides an interactive knowledge-sharing opportunity to exchange and acquire knowledge on how to enhance and mainstream green works initiatives, in their respective countries. Good practices from different experiences were documented and accessible to all the participating members. OBJECTIVES By the end of the course, representatives from selected Kenya-based, youth-led organizations have: • Exchange good practices on the implementation of green works and forestry works and how to build the capacity of stakeholder to implement of EIIP initiatives. • Learn from different countries on how to effectively mainstream green works initiatives in national programmes and projects • Be expose and aware of different options to finance green work initiatives • Explore how to keep a momentum for knowledge sharing on green works initiatives CONTENT The Knowledge-Sharing Forum covers the following topics in three days: Day 1: Introduction to Green Works and Nature-Based Solutions Day 1 recapped of the main learnings of the introductory training. The discussion included identifying opportunities and challenges in mainstreaming decent work dimensions in employment-intensive investment programmes and projects. These include the dimensions of social and environmental safeguards. Day one also presented capacity building experiences of national and local stakeholders responsible to promote EIIP initiatives. Day 2: How to finance green works initiatives? Financing green works initiatives and NbS has always been a constraint of many countries, in particular in developing countries facing multi-faced challenges. Day 2 therefore focused on financing modalities that could sustainably finance green works in national systems, including but beyond the donor priorities and support. Day 3: How to work together? Day 3 explored how to build partnerships and boost collaborations for Nature-based-Solutions and green works. It also included a session focusing on next steps and how to keep working together through SSTC.