Activation Policies for the Poor in OIC Member States

Case Studies

As part of the study, five case study visits were made to a Member State in each income grouping and

across regions. The objective of the case studies was to determine in detail the activation measures

used in these Member States with the aim of informing best practice.

The key findings from the case studies were:

Saudi Arabia

– Saudi Arabia is investing in a significant number of employment programmes

and supporting infrastructure. This investment aims to achieve a large increase in the national

population participating in private sector employment and to help diversify the nation’s

economy away from oil. This investment is being driven by using leading practice in the

delivery of employment support, such as payment by results models, to help ensure that the

support provides a focus on achieving sustainable outcomes.

Malaysia

– Malaysia’s continued economic growth has provided significant employment

opportunities and the country has developed a highly skilled workforce. Activation programmes

are now being used as a tool to target the most disadvantaged and hardest to help communities.

The key focus is on outreach, engagement and targeting to drive a reduction in the number of

poor households. Levels of educational attainment are also being diversified to provide a

vocational route into employment for those that are not able to continue in education.

Cameroon

– Cameroon has placed significant emphasis on the role of activation in poverty

alleviation and employment is central to the country’s poverty reduction strategy paper.

Government ministries deliver activation measures, as do NGOs, international agencies and

international financial institutions (IFIs). Key challenges they are seeking to address include

formalising the large informal sector, reducing underemployment which is particularly

prominent in urban areas, increasing productivity in the agricultural sector, and ensuring job

growth keeps pace with the fast growing population.

Uganda

– Uganda has an extremely young population and it is young people in particular who

often struggle to find work. The need for activation measures has been recognised by the

government. Comprehensive activation strategies are in place, but actually implementing them

is a challenge. Improved targeting is also required to ensure it is those most in need that benefit

from activation measures. Key labour market trends that the government, international bodies

and NGOs are seeking to address include youth unemployment, skills mismatch and, like

Cameroon, ensuring job growth keeps pace with population growth.

Iran

– Iran faces high youth unemployment, particularly among young women. The government

has recognised that job creation is required to support the high number of young workers

entering the labour market each year. Entrepreneurship is being pursued as a tool for job

creation and foundations support the measures implemented by the government. Activation is

not the only tool being used to address poverty in the country, however, cash transfer payments

and food donation programmes are also used.

Despite the differences in the use of activation between Member States, notably according to income

grouping, the study has identified best practice and trends which allow for cross cutting

recommendations to be made. Best practice and cross cutting recommendations have been

identified according to the three key areas requiring consideration in the use of activation:

National policy objectives and delivery

Individual programme design and performance

Supporting infrastructure