MozTrabalha project of the ILO (International Labour Office)
The Pitch
Implemented by the International Labour Organization and funded by Sweden, the MozTrabalha Initiative adopted a rigorous construction process to improve the quality and climate resilience of Maputo’s buildings, in addition to creating new job opportunities.
The Problem
Maputo’s existing construction processes provided unreliable employment to locals, only opening short-term, low-paid jobs. Companies constructed buildings quickly, using low-quality materials and unsustainable building techniques, causing the city’s buildings to be susceptible to natural disasters and putting residents’ housing security at risk.
The Process
- Used a Market Systems Development approach to:
- Analyze the root cause of why the housing sector was producing low-quality products and few jobs
- Work with key stakeholders to develop a new strategy
- Shifted construction material production to a local model
- Chose climate-resilient building materials to develop
- Expanded construction processes to be more labor-intensive and produce higher quality buildings
The Impact
- Increased the rigor of Maputo’s construction processes and the quality and resiliency of their buildings
- Created jobs for low-income residents; longer and more strenuous construction times mean that these jobs are steadier and higher paying
- Boosted the local economy by localizing production of construction materials
- Reduced emissions (that would result from importing construction materials) by localizing their production and shortening the supply chain
- Works with numerous country-wide actors to replicate the model: The Ministry of Public Works and Housing, African Development Bank and the Office for Reconstruction
