Strengthening Public Empolyment Services in Armenia, Georgia and Moldova

Description:
Sida Evaluation 04/34 / The aim of the evaluation was to assess the relevance, effectiveness, cost effectiveness, impact and sustainability as well as cross cutting issues of poverty reduction and gender mainstreaming, of Sida financed Labour Market Development Projects implemented in Armenia, Georgia and Moldova by Arbetsmarknadsstyrelsen (AMS), in the period 2000-2004. The overall aim of the projects has been to promote better functioning labour markets and increased employment by introducing active labour market policies. Overall, the evaluation finds that the projects are relevant in their focus on reducing unemployment and improving the capacity and skills of Public Employment Service staff as these are important concerns in all three countries. However, local contexts vary significantly and it is not always the case that the upgrading of the PES system is one of the respective government's priorities among strategies to deal with high unemployment and poverty reduction. Furthermore, the evaluation shows that as the projects are complex it is very important that they rigorously planned.