Decent work country scans –
Draft annotated outline
This draft should be read in conjunction with the Concept Note for Decent Work Country Scans which
specifies the sources of information as well as the uses and users of the scan. Following that concept note,
it is proposed that the DWC scans have the following structure:
Foreword: The importance of decent work for inclusive development.
A general text of no more than one page on why decent work is fundamental for inclusive and job-rich
growth and development, social justice and fair globalization.
Part I. Main Decent Work trends and issues
The Decent Work indicators together with other available key sex-disaggregated data and knowledge
distilled from existing statistics, studies and reports will form the basis for the narrative in Part One. This
section will look into:
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Evolution and present situation of growth and employment.
Evolution and present situation of the coverage of social protection.
Evolution and present situation of social dialogue.
Evolution and present situation of respect for ILS.
It will describe the evolution of decent work, assess the magnitude and forms of the decent work deficit
and identify its main causes and who the women and men excluded from decent work are. Particular
emphasis will be given to inclusive and equal opportunities to access to productive employment and
decent work for both women and men, young people, vulnerable groups and the poor. Quantitative
estimates of the deficit of productive employment and projections of the need for creation of productive
jobs in the years to come will, as a rule, also be made. Thus, the objective is to achieve a good
understanding of the evolution of the main Decent Work trends in the context of the overall demographic,
economic and social development and to identity the key Decent Work issues and challenges facing the
country.
Part II. Review of policies for achieving productive employment and decent work for all
A generic list of Decent Work policies, based on the Gateway policy areas but also inspired by the
Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalisation, will provide the entry points for the policy review.
It will begin with an overview of the overall policy and institutional landscape, including an analysis of
overarching national strategies and policies.
This part will have four main sections:
A. Policies to promote productive employment and sustainable enterprises
This subsection will provide a succinct description and assessment of policies in key employment
areas: viz. macroeconomic, growth and industrial/sector policies; creation of an enabling
environment for sustainable enterprises; investments in human resources (education and skills
development policies); addressing informality, active labour market policies; policies targeting
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young women and men and disadvantaged groups in the labour market. These will be assessed in
the light of the findings and conclusions in Part One.
B. Policies to build social protection systems and protecting people
This subsection will include an assessment of progress made towards the creation an adequate
social protection floor for all, including access to health care and income security for the young,
elderly and disabled as well as for working age women and men. The review of the system of
social protection will aim to identify strengths and weaknesses with regard to both design and
implementation, and with particular attention to issues of inclusiveness and equal access. Both
horizontal and vertical aspects of the social protection system will be considered, but the relative
weight given to these two dimensions may vary from country to country. Wage policies, policies
regulating conditions of employment and safe-guarding occupational health and safety, policies
promoting gender equality in the labour market and protecting the rights and interests of migrants
will be covered by the review.
C. Policies to promote social dialogue
An assessment of the role of social dialogue in forming and informing policies is an essential part
of the policy review. This review will also assess efforts to strengthen the role of social dialogue,
collective bargaining and labour administration. Inclusive access to social dialogue and an
equitable participation between women and men in such dialogue and bargaining is important in
its own right as well as a for strengthening social dialogue and will be important aspects of the
review.
D. Policies to strengthen respect for international labour standards (ILS)
This sub-section will include a review of the ratification and implementation of ILS. This will
include, but will not be confined to the fundamental principles and rights at work. The situation
with regard to international labour standards will be examined in the light of the key decent work
challenges identified in Part One with a view to cast light on how the former can help address the
latter.
Issues of policy coherence will be given particular attention. Identifying how synergies between policies
pertaining to the four pillars of decent work can be further strengthened and leveraged will be a central
part of the policy review. In the context of the policy review, a brief and selective account will also be
made of the DWCP and of key development outcomes which ILO has contributed to. This will be
complemented by review of the activities and programmes of key UN agencies and other development
partners in support of the country’s own development strategy and efforts, as well as of the division of
responsibilities and tasks and of the coordination mechanisms.
Part III. Main conclusions and recommendations
A special effort will be made to present the conclusions and recommendations in an integrated manner.
The indivisibility of the four pillars of decent work and the importance of policy coherence to maximise
positive synergies of policies in these four areas will guide the recommendations. Thus, the text will be
structured on a few key clusters of decent work policy issues rather than treat each of the four pillars in
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isolation from the others. The conclusions and recommendations will be guided by the overall objective
of decent work for all and zoom in on a limited number of critical issues for achieving this objective, with
a view to facilitate an informed prioritisation of Decent Work policies and offer concrete and practical
guidance on these policies. The recommendations may be accompanied by suggestions for the
establishment of relevant and realistic decent work targets, such as targets for reducing the deficit of
productive employment and or creating a social protection floor. These targets should be limited in
number, quantifiable and possible to monitor.
Appendix with statistics and other information
An appendix with sex-disaggregated statistical tables and other information underpinning the statements,
conclusions and recommendations presented in the main text will as a rule be attached to the DWC scan.
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