MCA-Morocco is a public institution born from a partnership between the Moroccan and US governments.
Rabat – The Millennium Challenge Account Morocco agency (MCA-Morocco) has launched an initiative to support the evaluation of employment and labor market policies in Morocco.
MCA-Morocco announced the initiative in a statement on Monday, August 10.
The initiative, dubbed “Lab Emploi,” aims to build national capacities for the assessment, development, and implementation of employment and labor market policies, based on reliable scientific evidence and data.
It also aims to improve the efficiency of national policies to meet the challenges of the labor market. These relate to creating and maintaining employment, especially in view of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To reach the objectives, MCA-Morocco will collaborate with the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Evidence for Policy Design (EPoD).
The two research centers are set to collaborate with Morocco’s Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), and the National Higher School of Administration (ENSA).
Institutional partners of the initiative include the Ministry of Labor, the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Competences (ANAPEC), the National Initiative for Human Development (INDH), and the National Observatory for Human Development (ONDH).
The initiative falls within the framework of the “Compact II” cooperation program, with a budget of $450 million. The program, concluded between the Moroccan and US governments in 2015, aims to enhance Morocco’s human capital.
One of the program’s pillars is the analysis and identification of Moroccan human resources’ weaknesses and their adequacy to meet the needs of businesses. The program also focuses on analyzing difficulties facing investors in Morocco in order to promote inclusive, sustainable growth.