Evaluation : AIFLD [American Institute for Free Labor Development] cooperative agreement 524-0316-A-00-5065-00

The agreement shifted AIFLD's Nicaragua program from subsidizing unions associated with the Congreso Permanente de Trabajadores (CPT) to direct training of union members. Evaluation covers the period 4/95-3/96. AIFLD has fulfilled most of the provisions of the cooperative agreement, and is to be commended for establishing a fully functioning labor studies center -- Centro Nicaraguense de Estudios Laborales (CENDEL) -- and developing a comprehensive curriculum that meets the needs of Nicaraguan trade union organizations. Success in these efforts was achieved in a relatively short period of time and demonstrates the considerable capabilities of the AFL-CIO and AIFLD. The labor studies program is the only comprehensive form of training in existence in Nicaragua which has the potential for modernizing and professionalizing the labor movement, enhancing the ability of union leadership to better represent members and bring social justice to the workplace, and enabling the labor movement to fully participate in the political and economic development of the nation. The majority of those interviewed attributed the success of the program can be attributed to its non-ideological curriculum, the administrative and technical capabilities of its staff, its diverse course offerings, the quality of the instructors, AIFLD/CENDEL's outreach/collaborative efforts with local NGOs, and the relative success of CENDEL graduates in attaining leadership positions in their trade union organizations and the general community. AIFLD also exceeded the goal for number of women participants. Specific dividends of the labor education program can be measured in terms of the increased trade union activism reported by CENDEL graduates; accession of CENDEL graduates to leadership positions in key trade union organizations following competitive elections; the creation of new unions; and the demands for transparency in union decision making and financial operations, as conveyed in their election platforms. CENDEL estimates that 10% of the 198 students who completed the CENDEL training program were elected or appointed to leadership positions during 1995. Areas requiring further attention include: establishment of a Labor Advisory Council; submission to USAID/Nicaragua of a plan for CENDEL's long-term financial sustainability; and completion of national-level forums on the role of labor in a democracy, new and less adversarial collective bargaining techniques, labor code reform and worker rights, and regional economic integration. It is recommended that the project be extended an additional year. Other recommendations are to: (1) expand CENDEL training to areas beyond the capital in order to promote a "bottom-up" trade union movement that is both democratic and national in scope; (2) consider creating a core of trade union instructors to provide trade union education in the future; (3) phase out administrative support funds to trade union centrals; and (4) provide a small library at CENDEL to facilitate student and staff research.