Monitoring progress and learning lessons

Each project supported by RAGS has its own logical framework (logframe) which is used as the basis for both monitoring its progress and gauging its impact.  Where appropriate individual project logframes include a combination of the following ILO Decent Work indicators and project-specific indicators:

• Number of workers affected/rea ched (measured by type of work and gender of worker
• Percentage of workers receiving at least minimum wage (as defined in the relevant country of intervention)
• Percentage of workers receiving overtime due
• Percentage of workers working more than 60 hours per week
• Percentage of workplaces audited showing incidence of child labour.

Grantees are required to submit monthly and quarterly reports to the RAGS Fund Management Team.  These aid on-going monitoring and allow issues to be flagged and discussed with grantees on a regular basis.  The RAGS Fund Management Team also undertakes regular, in-country project visits, further enhancing the monitoring function.

In addition to project specific logframes developed by the grantees themselves, a meta-logframe has been developed for the overall programme.  While this logframe includes project-specific indicators it allows DFID and the Fund Management Team to track the performance of RAGS as an integrated programme.  A copy of the RAGS programme logframe will be uploaded onto the RAGS website shortly.

Lesson Learning

The ultimate purpose of RAGS is to identify and develop scalable and replicable interventions in key labour areas through the projects it supports and to be a catalyst for change in the working conditions of women and other vulnerable workers across the ready-made garment sector.  Lesson learning is therefore a critical part of the overall success of RAGS and its sustainability after the programme has ended.

To this end, a number of learning and dissemination events have and will be organised over the lifetime of RAGS.  Two UK-based events were held in November 2010 and May 2012, respectively, and in-country seminars were held in India and Bangladesh in November 2011.  Two more in-country seminars in India and Bangladesh are planned for the first quarter of 2013 and a final UK-based event is planned for June/July 2013.

The objective of the final UK-based event will be to distil concrete lessons learned from across the RAGS project portfolio and to discuss ways in which the sustainability of RAGS-supported interventions may be carried forward into the future.  A report showcasing case studies, lessons learned and best practices that evolved during the life of RAGS will be made available for download on the RAGS website following the final learning and dissemination event.