Developing Policy Frameworks for Recovery and Prosperity from the Covid-19

On 19^th August 2020 the International Labour Organization (ILO) for various countries and employer Confederations to share their insights. Here are some highlights for messages for Employers, Business Member Organizations (EBMOs) from the conference.
 
Lessons learnt from various presenters:

• That recovery will take a while longer, even up to 2024
• Strengthening partnerships for policy change with a focus on improving people’s lives
• Balancing the speed of change with wisdom and strategy
• Setting up a team of experts on pro-bono basis and matching to struggling businesses with a focus on SMEs
• Emphasis of tripartisim and the role of social dialogue
• Helping the country to spot the opportunities for growth and defining the required transformations to help in realizing those opportunities
• Need for EMBOs to consider how they can show influence/what is the value proposition for EMBOs?
• Expanded mandate of Employer Organizations to talk more of Business & serve Business. Build a business voice
• Need for ILO to optimize available platforms like Qualtrics to enhance capacity to generate data and information
• We should not waste the crisis; What are the opportunities in it for employer organizations?
• Take time to plan for the future
• Opportunity and power in peer to peer learning in and among EMBOs
• Consider the 3 Ps : Pre covid-19; Present and Post Covid-19 addressing the emerging policy environment
• EMBOS have to think different, come up with new ideas and innovative approaches and tools based on evidence
• In the emerging new normal, PESTEL is changing to emphasis Economic, social, political, Infrastructure & Technology, Health and Environment. The road to prosperity must look at that.
• EMBOS have collective and individual strengths that needs to be harnessed
• “What I hear I forget, what I see I remember, what I do I understand?”

1. Loss of membership Income
2. Losing voice to others
3. Inadequate capacity to serve emerging member needs
4. Loss of influence in the recovery agenda

1. Capacity to affirm existing mandate
2. Build the trusted voice on behalf of businesses
3. Scaling up the social partners role with government
4. Chance to show and re-inaugurate national leadership on behalf of private sector
5. The ability to partner with others for common good
6. Engaging members on new products and services e.g. skills such as entrepreneurship
7. Capacity to build trust with non-traditional government departments e.g. Ministry of Health
8. Capacity to put a private sector at the center of the growth of the economy

1. Live for your country rather than for business
2. Build capacity for messaging and communication
3. Use your convening power
4. Capacity to partner
5. Clarity of mandate and occupying it
6. Stand FOR Something not against