The Beninese government recently evaluated the five-year Prodij project, launched in 2021 with financial support from the World Bank. The project targets young people aged 15-30 with little or no education, who are underemployed or inactive. The evaluation's findings were presented to the public and university community in Cotonou on September 29. The project aimed to promote the inclusion of young people in the economy, with a focus on those who have never attended school or have only a primary education.
The Prodij project has several objectives, including promoting the inclusion of young people in salaried employment or self-employment, strengthening public employment services, and improving technical and vocational training. The project was deployed in all 12 departments of Benin, with a focus on vulnerable areas. Women were also given special attention, with a target of at least 50% of female beneficiaries. One of the project's flagship programs, Azoli, offered young people different pathways combining life skills training, internships, entrepreneurship support, and business plan development.
The evaluation of the project was conducted using the five criteria of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and viability. According to the evaluation's findings, the project achieved a high proportion of young people corresponding to its target public. The objective was for at least 80% of beneficiaries to be underemployed or without activity at the time of their entry into the program. The survey revealed a proportion of 96%, exceeding the target.
The evaluation was conducted on 716 beneficiaries for the quantitative part, with a sample organized by categories of beneficiaries and by sex. The survey was conducted with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5%. The qualitative part allowed for the collection of perceptions from different actors, including young people, trainees, employment counselors, and companies. The data collection was subject to several control mechanisms to ensure the reliability of the results.
Despite the encouraging results, the exercise was not intended to be a simple ceremony of self-satisfaction for the project managers. The decision to present the results to the university community reflects a willingness to submit the achievements and limitations of the program to external expertise. The director of the National School of Applied Economics and Management, Professor Albert N'Lédji Honlonkou, called for greater involvement of the university in public projects, particularly from the design stage.
The Prodij project has allowed for the experimentation of an approach that places young people often distant from school, training, and employment at the heart of public action. The next step will be to capitalize on the achievements, correct the shortcomings identified by the evaluation, and incorporate the lessons of this experience into the design of future economic inclusion policies. The project has also enabled young people to benefit from support that allows them to envisage their future differently.
The evaluation of the Prodij project is not a conclusion, but rather an opening to new perspectives. The project has left a mark on individual paths, and young people who were previously without activity or perspective have been able to benefit from support that allows them to envisage their future differently. The Prodij project has demonstrated its effectiveness in promoting the inclusion of young people in the economy.
Key points
- The Prodij project achieved a high proportion of young people corresponding to its target public, with 96% of beneficiaries being underemployed or without activity.
- The project was deployed in all 12 departments of Benin, with a focus on vulnerable areas and women.
- The evaluation of the project was conducted using the five criteria of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Development Assistance Committee.
