Summary of publication
The Better Work Programme is a collaboration between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and International Finance Corporation (IFC). It promotes economic resilience and inclusive growth by partnering with governments, the private sector, unions, and workers. It aims to help improve labour standards, reduce gender discrimination, and boost the competitiveness of the garment industry in developing countries. Australia’s investment in Better Work supports activities in four Indo-Pacific developing countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.
The 2025 High Level Evaluation (HLE) of the Better Work Programme provides an independent review of the Programme’s successes and challenges, with a specific focus on the Programme’s current Phase V. The HLE included a document review, a meta-study of project evaluations, stakeholder consultations with 370 participants, and two surveys, one of ILO national constituents in Programme countries and one of ILO staff. The evaluation team conducted field work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam and interviewed current and former Better Work staff across all other country programs.
The HLE makes five strategic recommendations, to: 1) accelerate planning for Better Work’s phased withdrawal in long-standing programmes; 2) enhance its factory engagement model in its flexibility, scalability, cost recovery and efficiency; 3) deepen technical specialist and unit collaboration through integrated programming; 4) continue strengthening ILO national constituent capacity to effectively use approaches, tools, and data; and 5) continue efforts to influence brand practices.
DFAT welcomes the evaluation’s findings and recommendations and notes the Better Work Programme is committed to implementing the recommendations, including to inform the Better Work Phase VI Strategy.