Support efforts to combat child labor and improve working conditions in agriculture in Dominican Republic - Midterm evaluation

The general objective of the Project "Strengthening the capacities of the Ministry of Labor to improve working conditions in Dominican agriculture" is to improve the strategic application of labor laws by the Ministry of Labor (ML) and, in this way, contribute to improve working conditions in the agricultural sector in the Dominican Republic. The Project contemplates four intermediate results: (a) Improved systems, tools and instruments adopted by the ML, (b) Better knowledge to enforce the legal framework with emphasis on the agricultural sector evidenced by the ML, (c) Improved implementation of institutional initiatives related to acceptable conditions of work and child labor (CL) by key actors, and (d) Innovative strategies to improve job opportunities, working conditions and productivity, piloted. The Project has a budget of USD 5,000,000, formally began in December 2017 although it began to be implemented in May 2019, and ends in August 2021.

The mid-term evaluation seeks to assess progress towards the planned objectives and results, how it is being implemented and under what conditions, as well as to analyze what worked, what did not and why, the main difficulties and limitations. The main findings, conclusions and recommendations are expected to be used in the planning and implementation processes of future activities of the International Labor Organization (ILO), taking into account the challenges posed by the current context of the pandemic. The evaluation has covered the period January 2018-August 2020 and has reviewed the level of progress of all Project activities, both in Santo Domingo and in the other 10 provinces that are part of its intervention.