Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning

Monitoring

ILAB facilitates the development of project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plans for ILAB-funded projects to track project results and inform project management. ILAB develops these M&E plans jointly with project implementers. They are grounded in results-based management principles that guide the process of monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on project progress. The M&E plan serves as a resource for projects and for DOL for evidence-based project management, decision-making, and accountability. Several independent performance evaluations have noted that ILAB's M&E plans are effective project management tools that help to build stakeholder buy-in for project activities and results given their active participation in the development of the M&E plan. ILAB also uses third-party audits and attestation engagements as monitoring and oversight tools to ensure the accuracy of performance and financial data, and as an opportunity to work with grantees to improve project management and outcomes.

Evaluation

ILAB's approach to evaluations aligns with the principles outlined in DOL's Evaluation Policy. ILAB commissions performance evaluations at least once in most projects' lifetime with a focus on eight core areas: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, impact, independence, transparency and ethics. ILAB also supports rigorous impact evaluations to increase knowledge and understanding of the effectiveness of various government and non-government programs and interventions in reducing child labor, forced labor or human trafficking. Since 2005, ILAB has supported impact evaluation research, including 18 randomized control trial impact evaluations – a type of evaluation that provides rigorous evidence about what works, and what does not work, in achieving intended outcomes.

Research

ILAB invests in primary research and research tools to increase the global knowledge base on the prevalence, nature, and scope of child labor and forced labor. We use these studies to inform policy engagement and technical cooperation; provide insight into the nature of exploitation, risk factors, and practices that increase workers' vulnerability; and increase countries' and researchers' capacity to generate robust data. ILAB has also supported the establishment of global estimates on child labor and forced labor, which serve as the worldwide standard for measuring progress on these issues.

Learning

ILAB promotes a culture of continual improvement and employs various methods to ensure that good practices and lessons learned from monitoring and evaluation activities are documented, shared, and considered in the development of new programming. ILAB facilitates opportunities for reflection and discussion on evaluation findings and publishes all evaluation reports on our website.

OTLA Synthesis Evaluation Report (2020) (PDF)

OCFT Synthesis Report (2019) (PDF)

OCFT Cocoa/Fishing Synthesis Report (2022) (PDF)

OCFT Cocoa/Fishing Synthesis Summary Brief (2022) (PDF)

Cross Program Evaluation of Effects of COVID-19 on ILAB Projects

Evaluation Brief
Evaluation Report

Thematic case studies:

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Title	Evaluation Type	Location	Grantee	Start Sort ascending	End
Advancing Labor Compliance in Colombia’s Port Sector The project aims to improve compliance with national laws related to internationally recognized labor rights in the port sector. These include, but are not limited to, the right to freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, prohibition against discrimination at work, elimination of forced labor and child labor, and rights to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health.	Interim Evaluation Infographic	Colombia	Partners of the Americas	12/20/2020	12/20/2024
Advancing Labor Compliance in Colombia’s Port Sector The project aims to improve compliance with national laws related to internationally recognized labor rights in the port sector. These include, but are not limited to, the right to freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, prohibition against discrimination at work, elimination of forced labor and child labor, and rights to acceptable conditions of work with respect to minimum wages, hours of work, and occupational safety and health.	Interim Evaluation	Colombia	Partners of the Americas	12/20/2020	12/20/2024
Helping Protect Armenians’ Rights Together This project will promote greater compliance with labor law and increase workers’ access to judicial and non-judicial remedies for labor violations in Armenia, with a focus on the mining and service sectors.	Interim evaluation	Armenia	International Labour Organization	11/12/2020	05/11/2024
Helping Protect Armenians’ Rights Together This project will promote greater compliance with labor law and increase workers’ access to judicial and non-judicial remedies for labor violations in Armenia, with a focus on the mining and service sectors.	Interim Evaluation Infographic	Armenia	International Labour Organization	11/12/2020	05/11/2024
Senderos: Sembrando Derechos, Cosechando Mejores Futuros Senderos — works with government, the private sector, and civil society to improve adherence to international standards on child labor, forced labor, occupational safety and health, and other acceptable conditions of work in the sugarcane and tobacco sectors in Jalisco and Nayarit. The project is building government capacity to enforce labor laws in agricultural supply chains, improving private sector awareness and compliance with labor laws, and increasing farmworkers’ knowledge of labor rights and grievances mechanisms.	Interim evaluation	Mexico	Verité	12/04/2019	12/03/2023
Attaining Lasting Change (ATLAS) The ATLAS project builds the capacity of governments to combat child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking by helping them strengthen their laws, regulations, and enforcement efforts and enhance coordination between law enforcement and social protection entities. After completing the implementation and institutionalization of interventions in Argentina, Thailand, and Paraguay in 2022, ATLAS will continue working in Liberia to help develop a new child labor law and advocate for its passage.	Evaluation Brief	Argentina, Bolivia, Global, Liberia, Paraguay, Thailand	Winrock International	01/01/2019	06/30/2024
Attaining Lasting Change (ATLAS) The ATLAS project builds the capacity of governments to combat child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking by helping them strengthen their laws, regulations, and enforcement efforts and enhance coordination between law enforcement and social protection entities. After completing the implementation and institutionalization of interventions in Argentina, Thailand, and Paraguay in 2022, ATLAS will continue working in Liberia to help develop a new child labor law and advocate for its passage.	Interim evaluation	Argentina, Bolivia, Global, Liberia, Paraguay, Thailand	Winrock International	01/01/2019	06/30/2024
Improving the Capacity of Labor and Agriculture Stakeholders to Address Child Labor in Agricultural Areas of Argentina Project This project is building the capacity of labor and agriculture stakeholders to more effectively implement the National Action Plan on Child Labor and coordinate efforts to combat child labor. The project is generating knowledge and information on child labor and adolescent work in agriculture; raising awareness of and advocating for a solution to the problem; and helping labor and agriculture stakeholders build their capacity to address child labor by designing local-level models, methodologies, and tools.	Multi-Project Evaluation	Argentina	International Labor Organization (ILO)	01/01/2019	08/31/2023
Strengthening Labor Law Enforcement This project enhances governments’ capacity to create, implement, and monitor the application of labor laws by working with ministries of labor, labor judges, and other judicial labor authorities. It seeks to use data collected from labor inspections to identify gaps that facilitate violations and to support legal reforms to address them. The project also uses data analytics to identify and combat labor inspection corruption, waste and inefficiency, and identifies regional inspection units in need of training and capacity building.	3- Country Evaluation Infographic	Georgia, Global, Honduras, Mexico	American Institutes for Research	01/01/2019	12/31/2026
Strengthening Labor Law Enforcement This project enhances governments’ capacity to create, implement, and monitor the application of labor laws by working with ministries of labor, labor judges, and other judicial labor authorities. It seeks to use data collected from labor inspections to identify gaps that facilitate violations and to support legal reforms to address them. The project also uses data analytics to identify and combat labor inspection corruption, waste and inefficiency, and identifies regional inspection units in need of training and capacity building.	Honduras Interim Evaluation	Georgia, Global, Honduras, Mexico	American Institutes for Research	01/01/2019	12/31/2026