Ex-post Evaluation

1. Outline of the Project

Country:

Philippines

Project title:

The Project for Improvement of the Training Equipment for the Productivity Skills Capability Building for Disadvantaged Women PhaseII

Issue/Sector:

Vocational Training

Cooperation Scheme:

Grant Aid

Division in Charge:

Grant Aid Management Department

Total Cost:

708 million yen

Period of Cooperation

FY 1995

Partner Country’s Implementing Organization:

Bureau of Women’s Welfare, Department of Social Welfare and Development
Productivity Skills Creativity Building Center (PSCB)

Supporting Organization in Japan:

Related Cooperation:

1-1 Background of the Project

The medium-term development plan (1993 – 1998) of the Philippines included the following economic goals to be achieved by 1998, rising of per capita income to US$1,200, lowering the poverty rate below 30%, and lowering the unemployment rate below 10%. Furthermore, “the Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development” (1995–2025) puts importance on promoting greater participation of women in socio-economic activities. The project’s objective was to provide opportunities for women below the poverty line to gain income resources by strengthening and expanding vocational training, targeting those from impoverished households whom despite being eager to work, lack the skills.

In Phase 1 of Grant Aid carried out by Japan in 1990, 21 Productivity Skills Creativity Building (PSCB) centers were established and the result of training was also favorable. The government of the Philippines requested, as Phase 2, to establish training facilities and equipment at 66 PSCB from Japan.

1-2 Project Overview

The project procured the facilities and equipment for training and improved the training curriculum of five programs, including needle crafts, food processing and preservation, toy crafts, home aid services (service of housework, child-rearing and the others), and loom weaving at 66 PSCB centers targeting women who lack work opportunities.

(1) Overall Goal
1) To increase the employment rate of the graduates from PSCB centers.
2) To foster the socio-economic independence of women.
3) To prevent the migration of women from rural areas to the cities.

(2) Project Purpose
To increase the graduates who enhance their skills at PSCB centers.

(3) Outputs
1) To upgrade the five training course.
2) To improve the facilities and equipment for training.

(4) Inputs

Japanese Side:

708 million yen

Philippine Side:

Others Electric wiring and extension work of water connections at PSCB centers

2. Evaluation Team

Members of Evaluation Team

Rey Gerona, JICA Philippine Office
Nigel Paul Villarete, Center for Local Development Studies

Period of Evaluation

December 13, 2002 – March 12, 2003

Type of Evaluation:

Ex-post Evaluation by Overseas Office

3. Results of Evaluation

3-1 Summary of Evaluation Results

(1) Impact
The average employment rate of graduates (2000-2002: since PSCB centers did not save monitoring data from 1997 to 1999, only data from 2000 was available.) from the 66 Productivity Skills Creativity Building (PSCB) was very high at 80.2%. Among the graduates who were interviewed in this survey, approximately 96% were employed, and 65% of them were working in factories such as textile factories. Nineteen percent (19%) were self-employed using self-employment assistance (SEA) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and 11% are employed at home and receive work subcontracted from textiles factories. The high employment rate of PSCB graduates is thought to attribute to the effective cooperation between PSCB centers and the factories. Of particular note are the fourth and seventh administrative regions, where export processing zones (EPZs) have been established and the resident companies are particularly active in hiring highly qualified PSCB graduates.

According to the interviews, the graduates employed on a full-time basis receive from 5,200 to 6,500 pesos as a monthly income, which exceeds the regional minimum wage of 5,100 pesos (in non-agriculture sectors). Graduates send their salary home and use it to pay for their siblings’ school fees and families’ living expenses. This clearly states that the project contributed to the improvement in the graduates’ economic situations. Since PSCB programs target socially disadvantaged women who particularly suffer from poverty, the project can be said to have helped alleviate the poverty of graduates from the PSCB program.

However, it is difficult to measure the extent to which the project contributed to lessening migration from rural areas to the cities. In reality, employment opportunities are concentrated in cities and regional cities and there are some PSCB graduates who remained in the city to work after graduation, returning to their homes on the weekends.

Other impacts include the expansion of the PSCB training to target male participants as well from 2002. Similar to females, they are accepted as trainees if they meet the conditions and about 4,000 have completed the training up to this point.

(2) Sustainability
The training courses are implemented in 66 PSCBs, and there were 88,809 graduates in the the three years from 2000 to 2002. These figures show that PSCB achieved almost double in its goal of graduating 14,220 trainees every year.

PSCB staffs try to improve their technique through participation in regular training by DSWD. The skills are also shared with the use of an assistant trainer called "multipliers". A training course graduate can become a multiplier, once certified by the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA). Currently, there are approximately 2,700 multipliers in sewing and food processing courses. DSWD also plans regular field trips, and provides a forum for PSCB staff to exchange technology and information.

The equipment procured in the project is all in good condition due to the fact that the project chose machines whose maintenance would be simple and the spare parts can be obtained locally. Thirty-three percent of PSCB’s budget is secured for maintenance. With help from regional governments and NGOs, PSCB centers also purchased its own new equipment.

PSCB centers are positioned currently under DSWD, and receives financial and personnel support from DSWD. About 10% of DSWD’s staff (174 people) is appointed to PSCB centers, and about 5% of DSWD’s annual budget is allocated to PSCB centers. DSWD is currently shifting PSCB centers under the respective Local Government Units (LGUs) from 2004. In this connection, PSCB centers will receive financial and personnel support from LGUs. Even at this point, PSCB centers has strong ties with LGUs and they supported PSCB centers with job placement for graduates. Reorganization will certainly strengthen the ties between PSCB centers and regional governments even more.

3-2 Factors that promoted realization of effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning N/A

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
PSCB’s equipment enabled trainees to receive practical training, which met the employer’s need for employees with adaptable potential, thus leading to a high employment rate for graduates. Since the need for employees is strong in project-targeted areas with EPZs, it is easy for PSCB graduates to find jobs. It is especially easy for the graduates to find jobs in the fields of textiles or toys—fields for which the project training was especially emphasized. Also the close relationship with LGUs is a key factor in creating employment for graduates. LGUs not only give PSCB financial support to purchase new equipment, but also allocate experts for equipment maintenance, and provide assistance in job placement. In addition, financial assistance on a continuous basis from the DSWD, such as the SEA program, helps to expand employment possibilities and makes graduates more economically independent.

3-3 Factors that impeded realization of effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning
N/A

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
N/A

3-4 Conclusion

PSCB graduates hold high employment rates and make good use of the skills attained in the training to gain a good income. These results show that the project had a positive impact on its target group. PSCB centers originally targeted only female participants, but from 2002 it expanded its target to males and is attempting to redress poverty with a bottom-up approach. It has been decided that the control of PSCB centers will be transferred to LGUs. Since the cooperative system at the regional level is already in place and is functioning effectively, the project results and impact can be expected to be maintained.

3-5 Recommendations

(1) The PSCB should cooperate with DSWD or LGUs to set up a monitoring and evaluation system. In particular, PSCB centers should establish a system to collect feedback from graduates working in regional areas and ensure that they have regular communication with PSCB staff in order to give graduates living in regional areas the appropriate follow-up assistance.

(2) The government of the Philippines considers implementing projects similar to this training in order to apply poverty reduction strategies along with the Philippine’s “2002-2004 Medium-term Development Plan”. Accordingly, it is crucial that DSWD work in cooperation with LGUs and draft a plan for expanding the project.

3-6 Lessons Learned

In projects implemented at the local level, it is necessary that governmental organizations and related organizations at both the central and regional levels supplement staff and resources and conduct activities together in any process of the project.

3-7 Follow-up Situation

N/A