Course Details

Building Futures: Strengthening Public Works Programs for Employment and Infrastructure Training Course

INTRODUCTION

Public Works Programs (PWPs) are a vital tool in the social protection toolkit, offering crucial temporary employment and income support to vulnerable households, particularly during lean seasons or following economic shocks. Simultaneously, these programs aim to create or rehabilitate essential public infrastructure and community assets, contributing to local development. This impactful training course focuses on strengthening the design, implementation, and overall effectiveness of Public Works Programs to ensure they successfully achieve their dual objectives of providing meaningful employment and delivering durable, high-quality infrastructure. Learn how to optimize PWPs for maximum impact through this practical training course.

This comprehensive training course delves into the critical components of successful Public Works Programs. Participants will explore best practices in participant targeting, fair wage setting, appropriate project selection emphasizing labor-intensive techniques, quality asset creation and maintenance, efficient operational management, and robust monitoring and evaluation. The training course emphasizes practical strategies to enhance both the immediate income benefits and the long-term value of the infrastructure created, ensuring PWPs contribute effectively to both social protection and local development goals.

DURATION

10 days

TARGET AUDIENCE

• Managers and technical staff responsible for designing and implementing Public Works Programs.
• Government officials from ministries of labor, public works, social protection, agriculture, rural development, and local government.
• Engineers, technicians, and site supervisors overseeing PWP infrastructure projects.
• Staff of NGOs, community-based organizations, and international agencies supporting or managing PWPs.
• Monitoring and evaluation specialists focused on employment, infrastructure, or social protection programs.
• Community development facilitators involved in local project identification and mobilization.
• Policymakers and researchers analyzing the effectiveness and impact of labor-based employment programs.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

• Understand the diverse objectives, rationale, design variations, and operational contexts of Public Works Programs.
• Apply effective and transparent methods for targeting and selecting eligible participants for PWP employment.
• Analyze different approaches to wage setting and design fair, timely, and efficient payment systems.
• Develop criteria and processes for identifying, selecting, and designing technically sound and socially valuable PWP infrastructure projects.
• Implement best practices for promoting labor-intensive work methods while ensuring the quality and durability of created assets.
• Design effective operational management systems covering logistics, procurement, site supervision, and workforce management.
• Establish robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track both employment outcomes and infrastructure quality, utility, and maintenance.
• Identify opportunities for enhancing PWPs through linkages with skills development, financial inclusion, and longer-term livelihood strategies.

COURSE CONTENT

Module 1: Introduction and Principles of Public Works Programs

• Defining PWPs and their role in social protection, employment generation, and infrastructure development for this module.
• Exploring different PWP models: cash-for-work, food-for-work, asset-based programs for this module.
• Understanding the dual objectives and potential trade-offs between income support and asset creation for this module.
• Analyzing the suitability of PWPs in different contexts (rural, urban, post-crisis) for this module.
• Reviewing key principles for effective PWP design and implementation for this module.

Module 2: Targeting Participants and Community Engagement

• Discussing various targeting approaches for PWPs (geographic, community-based, self-targeting, categorical) for this module.
• Designing transparent registration and selection processes for potential participants for this module.
• Ensuring inclusivity and addressing potential biases in participant selection for this module.
• The role of community participation in identifying needs, selecting participants, and monitoring for this module.
• Managing enrollment quotas and rotation systems fairly and effectively for this module.

Module 3: Wage Setting, Payment Systems, and Working Conditions

• Analyzing different approaches to setting appropriate wage rates for PWPs (minimum wage, market rates, opportunity cost) for this module.
• Evaluating different payment mechanisms (cash, mobile money, bank transfer) for efficiency and security for this module.
• Designing reliable systems for tracking workdays and processing payments accurately and timely for this module.
• Ensuring adherence to decent work principles, including occupational safety and health standards on worksites for this module.
• Addressing gender considerations related to wages, tasks, and working conditions for this module.

Module 4: Project Identification, Selection, and Technical Design

• Establishing clear criteria for selecting PWP projects based on community needs, technical feasibility, and potential impact for this module.
• Utilizing participatory planning methods for project identification and prioritization for this module.
• Conducting basic technical assessments and ensuring appropriate design standards for selected infrastructure for this module.
• Integrating environmental and social safeguard considerations into project design for this module.
• Developing a pipeline of technically sound, 'shelf-ready' projects for potential scale-up for this module.

Module 5: Labor-Intensive Techniques and Quality Asset Creation

• Understanding the principles of optimizing labor-intensive methods in construction and rehabilitation for this module.
• Selecting appropriate tools and light equipment to enhance labor productivity for this module.
• Implementing quality control measures and technical supervision to ensure durable asset creation for this module.
• Developing clear technical specifications and work norms for different types of assets for this module.
• Planning for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of created assets to ensure long-term utility for this module.

Module 6: Operational Planning and Management

• Developing detailed work plans, including scheduling, resource allocation (labor, materials, tools), and logistics for this module.
• Establishing efficient systems for procurement and management of tools and materials for this module.
• Designing effective site management and supervision structures for this module.
• Implementing systems for workforce management, attendance tracking, and productivity monitoring for this module.
• Managing administrative processes, record keeping, and financial controls for this module.

Module 7: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) for PWPs

• Designing MEL frameworks to track key PWP indicators (e.g., person-days of employment, wages disbursed, assets created/rehabilitated) for this module.
• Implementing systems for monitoring the quality and functionality of created infrastructure assets for this module.
• Utilizing process monitoring and beneficiary feedback mechanisms for adaptive management for this module.
• Understanding approaches for evaluating the impact of PWPs on income, consumption, and asset accumulation for this module.
• Establishing learning loops to systematically improve PWP design and implementation over time for this module.

Module 8: Enhancing Impact: Linkages, Sustainability, and Innovation

• Identifying opportunities to link PWP participation with skills development and vocational training for this module.
• Exploring connections with financial inclusion initiatives (savings, micro-credit) for participants for this module.
• Integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation co-benefits into PWP project design (e.g., soil conservation, reforestation) for this module.
• Developing strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability and maintenance of created assets for this module.
• Considering exit strategies and potential pathways to more sustainable livelihoods beyond the PWP for this module.

CERTIFICATION

• Upon successful completion of this training, participants will be issued with Macskills Training and Development Institute Certificate

TRAINING VENUE

• Training will be held at Macskills Training Centre. We also tailor make the training upon request at different locations across the world.

AIRPORT PICK UP AND ACCOMMODATION

• Airport pick up and accommodation is arranged upon request

TERMS OF PAYMENT

Payment should be made to Macskills Development Institute bank account before the start of the training and receipts sent to info@macskillsdevelopment.com