Overview
Type of Project |
Long-term deep country systems change |
Strategic Pillar |
Government Partnerships |
Sectors |
Employment |
Region |
Middle East and North Africa |
Country |
Morocco |
Abstract
From 2016-2023, Instiglio worked closely with the Moroccan government to tackle youth unemployment as part of its 5-year multi-million partnership with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). Instiglio supported in designing and implementing two RBF pilots and in strengthening delivery and performance management systems within employment institutions at the national and provincial levels. This work has not only helped forge a community of RBF enthusiasts and champions within central government, but has also created emulation within local government and in other critical sectors.
Project
Partners
The issue
Since the 1980s, the Moroccan government has been tackling high levels of youth unemployment and deep structural challenges in its labor market, which have had a high human cost and posed a major barrier to the country’s economic growth. Despite these efforts, national statistics from the past decade underline the persistence and scale of this issue. At the time of Instiglio’s engagement, approximately 30% of people aged 15 to 24, mostly women, were not in employment, education or training; one of the highest rates of inactivity in the Middle East and North Africa. Against this backdrop, the Moroccan Government signed a 5-year multi-million partnership in 2015 with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) with the goal of tackling youth unemployment using innovative approaches such as Results-Based Financing (RBF).
The response
From 2016-2023, Instiglio accompanied MCC’s implementing agency, MCA-Morocco, in executing its portfolio of innovative employment initiatives. Through this partnership, we supported the Ministry of Labor and the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH) in designing and implementing two RBF Pilots – first of their kind in Morocco – aimed at closing the skills gap for more than 8,000 women and vulnerable youth nation-wide. By tying funds to job placements and labor market retention results, the novel approach increased these results compared to other existing employment programs and had the additional benefit of building the young program recipients’ confidence in themselves and in the system, which has all too often failed at giving them sustainable livelihoods.
In parallel to these pilot initiatives, we have also provided tools and capacity building to these employment agencies and ministries to help strengthen delivery and performance management systems and, ultimately, institutionalize results-based approaches. Some of these tools included a data-driven service provider mapping and classification system to assist in the contracting process; RBF guidebooks to support local ownership of these innovative mechanisms, and program revamps aimed at incentivizing impact and streamlining implementation.
Curious about the sustainability of these system strengthening tools? Here’s what one of our partners has said:
“The scale up process of these results-based approaches is already in the works, with Instiglio’s program revamps being reviewed as we speak” – ANAPEC (Morocco’s Employment Agency)
The impact
• After multiple years working hand-in-hand with Morocco’s employment institutions, a local community of service delivery champions was created that spearheaded a wider movement in the wider Francophone African region. Read about the RBF International Seminar held in Rabat in January 2023 for some of the key learnings and insights on this journey.
• The two RBF Pilots have not only generated a wealth of data and learnings for better delivery of employment programs, but also inspired emulation at the local government level, with programs now being independently renewed by new RBF enthusiasts in Morocco’s provinces.
• Programs and institutions in other key sectors, such as health and education, are looking at piloting results-based innovations and strengthening their service delivery, opening up a new chapter of transformation work ahead.
