Human Development
We work with line ministries, government agencies, local government and public-private partnerships to design and implement policies and activities that will be conducive to the development of the human potential. Socio-economically, activities can include the creation of employment agencies to Vocational Education and Training (VET) schemes to strengthen the competitiveness and quality of workforces. In the social services area we develop and implement modern social insurance sustainable pension systems as well as health purchaser. We are also increasingly looking into providing services for poverty alleviation; an area into which we are increasing our presence.
Our work in the education and labour market sectors cover all aspects from work with employment services and Vocational Education and Training services to schools and community services. We help to rebuild and restructure labour markets from the design and implementation of targeted labour market policies to the development of employment services. We shape and implement demand driven re-deployment, insertion and integration services for the labour force and assist with the mise-en-place of related social funds. We also implement measures for improved working conditions and introduce labour relations mechanisms for peaceful conflict resolution in both economic and social matters. We work to improve socio-economic development by introducing fully integrated Vocational Education schemes including the setting up of regional VET schools/centres along with institutional capacity building for these institutions. In consultation with the customer, we develop policy and strategy for vocational education with a view to increasing the competitiveness and quality of the workforce. These VET schemes are often demand-driven linking the market demand with VET training provisions. Finally we assist Ministries of Education in the development of school curricula that will foster interethnic and minority relations and train teachers to work in multicultural ethno-sensitive environments.
We improve access to health services for minorities and strengthen market surveillance systems for health protection. We work in Ministries of Health to provide advice on equal access and to assist them through expertise and training programmes with the development and implementation of policies that address all segments of society. We help transform Social Insurance Institutions into modern health purchasers, set up databases to manage the customer requirements with a view to ensuring better quality services which are more customer-oriented, indiscriminate and more efficiently allocated. We help design communication and/media strategies for the dissemination of information concerning health protection for maximum coverage of the population, consequently improving knowledge, access to and the use of services. In addition, we improve the management and financial administration of Social Insurance Institutions, including modern and transparent contracting, accounting and payment and control procedures as well as develop databases and automation requirements. We align social protection processes and standards according to EU social insurance methods and norms thereby improving pensions systems. We also enhance social insurance rights through improving the collection of social contributions and procedures of benefit payments. Furthermore, we introduce improved organisational efficiency through staff capacity building and management information systems for internal processes. In consultation with our client, we develop integrated planning systems from which operational reform can be managed in case of institutional mergers.
Whilst the overall objectives of all our projects are fundamentally concerned with economic development for poverty reduction, there are more specific aspects of our work that are tailored directly at the very poor. Explicitly, in the area of micro-financing, we have been active in creating the right conditions for setting up microcrediting systems through creating advisory services and capacity building for staff managing these services. Awareness raising campaigns and information dissemination activities on microcrediting systems have also played a large part at local levels and in small communities, where often the informal sector and family credit play a larger role in daily life.
Our human development unit implements projects in the fields of:
- Education and Labour policies
- Health and Nutrition
- Social services
- Other