Evaluation of LO-Norway’s programme co-operation with the trade union movement in Malawi 2006 to 2008

Background:
The programme cooperation between the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO-Norway) and the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) started in 1996.
With the support of LO-Norway and several other partners, the union movement has grown well in the fourteen years that have passed. This evaluation looks
specifically at the period 2006 to 2008 and these three programmes:

-MW2: Organisational Development – MCTU: the programme consists of support to a range of trainings for union leaders from the affiliates,
organising activities and support to administration and the democratic institutions like Congress and other meetings. LO is the main contributor to MCTU’s administrative budget.

-MW3: Training and Organising - TOTAWUM (Tobacco and Allied Workers Union). The programme mainly has the form of trainings for officers and shopstewards.

-GLO3: Social dialogue/Tripartite co-operation – MCTU and Ministry of Labour. In addition to the Ministry of Labour in Malawi and MCTU, the Employers Consultative
 Association of Malawi (ECAM) is involved. Later participation has been extended to other NGO’s and the meetings are renamed Tripartite plus.

Purpose/objective:
 LO-Norway commissioned this evaluation in order to assess the results of the above-mentioned projects in the period 2006 to November 2008 and to see what has been
achieved in the programme cooperation between LO and MCTU. Moreover, the evaluation was to give suggestions for the future of LO’s cooperation with the MCTU.

Methodology:
The evaluation results are based on desk studies of written documentation of the project and the organisations as well as interviews and field visits. The contracts
 between LO and MCTU/TOTAWUM/Ministry of Labour contains indicators for evaluation and these have been our guidelines in addition to the Terms of Reference. Leaders,
 staff and beneficiaries of the programmes have been met, in addition to auditor.

Key findings:
-MW2: Organisational Development – MCTU
A significant achievement during the project period has been the increase in membership and especially that new affiliates has left the splinter union COMATU and joined MCTU.
The level of training activities has been high and reached a high number of members and leaders, spreading knowledge wider than before. The quality of the trainings is also good and relevant,
with participants reporting that they use the new knowledge in their daily activities. The cooperation has had a strong focus on gender equality. Two thirds of the participants in trainings
have been women and the outcomes are visible with more women holding office and participate actively in MCTU and the affiliates. Financial management has improved and were told that
information from MCTU to affiliates has also improved. MCTU and LO has good reasons to be happy with the achievements over the last three years.

A main challenge at the moment is the shortcomings in collection of affiliation fees, leaving MCTU with minimal funds of their own. Another challenge is that very few new collective agreements
have been concluded during the last three years. The relations between some of the employers and the unions have improved in the period, but the concrete results are yet to be seen.

-MW3: Training and Organising - TOTAWUM
The outcomes were good. It has contributed to local branches and members of TOTAWUM organising themselves and to engage employers in negotiations and conflict resolution.
It has also empowered members on occupational health and safety, HIV/Aids related issues and women’s issues. The main challenge for this programme is TOTAWUM’s lack of capacity to run
their own programme. The organisation cannot account for collected membership fees and does not have a good overview of membership numbers.

-GLO3: Social dialogue/Tripartite co-operation – MCTU and Ministry of Labour
Labour relations in Malawi come from a very bad position with suspicion, hostility, abuse of rights and oppression. The tripartite social dialogue meetings have provided a platform for improvement
of labour relations and were praised by all the participants. The meetings are used for exchange of information and discussions of policy. Knowledge levels have improved on all sides and levels of
hostility have been reduced. The meetings have been claimed to lay the ground for better dialogue around policy and agreements, but for reasons lying outside of the programme, the concrete
results are still few. It has been good that LO channelled support to these meetings and it is important that they continue. There is a plan for cost sharing in place, so the support from LO can
be phased out in the future.

LO-Norway’s support has been central to the achievements noted, not only because of the significant share of financial support, but also by contributing with knowledge and inspiration
through trainings, networks and cooperation.

Recommendations:
-MW2: Organisational Development – MCTU
LO continues the programme. The needs, goals and priorities are still relevant. There can however be a stronger focus on outcomes like collective agreements and work on legal protection
of workers in the next period given that administrative structures have improved.

-MW3: Training and Organising - TOTAWUM
Continued support to TOTAWUM, with continued focus on education and training of local trade union leaders. LO should tie the funding to targets of dues income. It should also be a goal
to empower TOTAWUM with administrative and financial capacity, so it reaches a level satisfactory to transfer responsibility and can manage the project on its own.

-GLO3: Social dialogue/Tripartite co-operation – MCTU and Ministry of Labour Continue the programme. LO should continue financial support, but continue cost-sharing plan for phasing out.

There are a range of detailed recommendations to each programme.

Comments from the organisation, if any:
The evaluation has given LO concrete and useful tools recommendations. Analysis and conclusions are mainly resonating to LO’s own assessment. All the parties have been given a draft
of the evaluation for comments, as well as have been given the opportunity to comment on the conclusions for further follow up.