As part of the UN Global Accelerator project in Namibia, the International Labour Organization (ILO) facilitated a technical training on Employment Impact Assessments (EmpIA), supporting national efforts to institutionalize EmpIA and strengthen evidence-based planning for job creation.
The three-day technical training held in Windhoek primarily targeted government officials and social partners, with the objective of enhancing their capacity to undertake Employment Impact Assessments (EmpIA).
© ILO
The training was led by the ILO as part of the "UN Joint Programme on Agri-systems Transformation through Biomass Processing for Decent Job Creation", which was launched as part of Global Accelerator on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transitions initiatives. It was delivered with the support of the joint programme and the global project, "Delivering on National Commitments: Korea's Support to the Implementation of the Global Accelerator", funded by the Republic of Korea.
EmpIA serves as a valuable tool for evaluating the contribution of policies, sectoral interventions, public investments, and projects to job creation and inclusive growth. Therefore, it is essential to integrate EmpIA into national and sectoral development plans as well as performance evaluation frameworks in order to ensure that development initiatives effectively contribute to meaningful job creation. This integration will facilitate the alignment of employment policies and investments with established employment objectives.
EmpIA serves as a valuable tool for evaluating the contribution of policies, sectoral interventions, public investments, and projects to job creation and inclusive growth.
Employment is a cross-cutting issue that demands collaboration among governments, the private sector, academia, and social partners in a coordinated and integrated manner. Before concluding the training, the participants engaged in a group discussion to identify the institutional and operational arrangements needed to anchor EmpIA within Namibia's policymaking processes.
The discussion revealed a high degree of consensus, with the two main conclusions summarised as follows. Firstly, the establishment a dedicated EmpIA desk or team within the Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations (MoJLR) and/or the National Planning Commission (NPC) that would provide a central focal point for coordination and technical expertise, and would also facilitate the provision of necessary training to other institutions when required. Secondly, collaboration with the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management (NIPAM) in designing specialized training programmes and short courses would help strengthen institutional knowledge on EmpIA. In addition, collaboration with the ILO was proposed to leverage technical assistance and draw on international best practices.
