Register for Webinar #12: Impact of COVID-19 on public works programs: policy options in the short and medium-term

Dear colleagues,

We invite you to register to Webinar #12: Impact of COVID-19 on public works programs: policy options in the short and medium-term, to occur on 26 May, 2020 - 08:00 EDT/GMT-4. Click here to register. 

The webinar will share experiences of how public works programs (PWP) are responding to the COVID-19 crisis and discuss policy options in the medium term, as instruments of social protection and macro-economic stabilisation. The COVID-19 crisis represents some major challenges to current and future PWP activity. PWPs are experiencing twin pressure: need to revise the existing programmes and expand public employment provision in short and medium term. It is now an urgent need to consider how best the design and implementation of PWP can be configured in response to COVID-19.  

In the immediate term the priorities are:

i) continuing to support the existing PWP caseload;

ii) supporting those no longer able to support themselves due to disruption of previous economic activities, both village inhabitants and also those returning to villages from cities, to ensure their continued ability to purchase food;

iii) using the programme to contribute to COVID-19 response.

To continue to provide social protection without adverse consequences in terms of contagion, within limits of lockdown, PWPs are adapting in various ways including increase wage rates, suspend program, waive work requirement, convert into cash transfers programs, and redeploy workers to support COVID-19 response. The webinar will present case studies to learn about these experiences.

 

Panelists:

TBC