Rural works program

480 Title I program in Tunisia from 1987 to 1/90. The purpose of the evaluation was mainly to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Rural Works Program in terms of outputs achieved, identify the characteristics of the beneficiaries, measure employment generations, and review the rural/urban character of the program. The basic objective of the Rural Works program is to provide a safety net to unskilled unemployed workers in exchange for productive work on priority public projects. The program is part of a wide Rural Development Program managed by Commissariat General au Developpement Regional. Program activities are identified at the local Governorate level and include forestry works (31%), desertification control (10.1%), soil and water conservation (30.8%), improvement and maintenance of public works and archaeological sites (10.0%), and refurbishing of unsound buildings and school buildings (8.0%). Project documents were reviewed, sites visited, and personnel interviewed at all levels. The major findings and recommendations are as follows. (1) The program meets the basic objective of providing a safety net for the poorest unemployed workers. It hires a large number of the unemployed unskilled workers and these are among the poorest of the poor. (2) The practice of paying wages over the market wage rate should be stopped. (3) A similar Rural Works Program should be established for women. (4) Rotation should be kept in line with unemployment pressure. (5) The share of urban activities should be increased. (6) The geographical selection of program activities should be made in accordance with the unemployment distribution. (7) Future project selection criteria should give more weight to longer-term employment opportunities that would exist after the project is completed. The major lesson learned is that a program designed to be a safety net for the poor unemployed cannot simultaneously maximize productivity. to reach the maximum number of poor unemployed. On-the-job training requires more labor stability and hence reduction in the frequency of rotation. (Author abstract, modified)