In 2019, the International Labour Organization launched an ambitious experiment in Ethiopia’s growing garment sector. The SIRAYE programme – meaning “my work” in Amharic – aimed to improve working conditions, increase productivity, and strengthen government oversight, supporting an industry and a country that appeared to be on the verge of a profound transformation.
A recent independent evaluation reveals not only the measurable impact of the initiative, but also the resilience of its design in the face of conflict, pandemic, and political upheaval.
By design, SIRAYE was a One ILO initiative, combining five of the ILO’s flagship programmes – Better Work, SCORE, LABADMIN/OSH, Vision Zero Fund (VZF), and INWORK – into a coordinated framework. The interventions were deployed in unison, targeting three levels of engagement – the factory floor, factory management, and national policy.
“There was a lot of different expertise in the management team,” said Dr. Florian Schaefer, a development economist and co-author of the recently published SIRAYE evaluation. “This bundling of the project allowed the programme to be more flexible and much more impactful than individual programme components would have been.”
COVID, civil war and the loss of preferential access to US markets
The evaluation, conducted by Schaefer and Professor Carlos Oya of SOAS University of London, faced a series of hurdles. Shortly after their baseline data collection in late 2019, COVID-19 swept across the globe. Lockdowns shuttered factories and derailed global apparel orders.
But, in Ethiopia, the disruption was compounded by a series of escalating crises. In November 2020, civil war broke out in Tigray, leading to widespread displacement and economic uncertainty. In 2022, the United States suspended Ethiopia’s preferential access to U.S. markets under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) – a devastating blow to export-dependent garment firms.
While the industry was put on its heels, it was not all bad news for the evaluation. “It was a period of different kinds of upheavals,” said Oya. “But this also meant we were able to trace some of the disruptions and look at how the different interventions and the ILO teams adapted to those changing contexts.”
The researchers employed a mixed-methods approach combining large-scale baseline (2019) and end-line (2023) surveys with qualitative interviews and a technique called process tracing to explore the “why” behind the results.
This multipronged methodology produced robust findings. Among the most striking:
According to Schaefer, the striking wage outcome, delivered even as the industry contracted and working hours decreased, is attributable to a combination of factors, including the industry beginning from a low base. Before 2018, “…wages were very, very low in these industrial parks,” he notes. The study shows that “other factors around compliance and maintaining industrial peace” also played a decisive role for the SIRAYE factories.
Other contributing causes included pressure from buyers, production incentives to keep the workforce stable and improved management systems.
Representation matters
The evaluation found that workers gained a stronger voice, thanks in part to the rise of trade unions in industrial parks. Oya highlighted this as “particularly remarkable in the case of industrial parks where many of these companies were located”.
While initial efforts faced management resistance, the SIRAYE programme played a crucial role in “lobbying behind the benefits of having a union in place, of having more harmonious industrial relations”. Both workers and union representatives generally agreed that the presence of trade unions led to fewer strikes and improved grievance handling.
Lessons for the future
The evaluation points to several lessons that could inform future development efforts:
The evaluators emphasised the value of the integrated “One ILO” approach of the SIRAYE programme. Schaefer argued that “this integrated approach is really, really valuable…especially the coordination across the different interventions prevents not only inefficiencies in terms of doubling of work, but improves the strengths of the interventions.”
This coordination facilitated collaboration between different stakeholders and across different levels of intervention, enhancing the programme’s overall effectiveness.
The evaluation also highlighted the need for more sustained investment in worker training. While the programme’s training has been effective, particularly in helping local staff adapt to large-scale factory processes, Schaefer notes that embedding ongoing training into the sector’s operations will be critical to maintaining progress. Similarly, the evaluators recommended deepening support for unions “given their great potential to improve industrial relations.”
Oya pointed to the value of global framework agreements between buyers and peak union bodies such as Industriall. “These are the one of the most effective mechanisms for compliance.” However, Schaefer points out that the lack of a minimum wage “poses a big question mark for Ethiopia’s sustainability in the sector.”
Cultural sensitivities were also an area for adjustment. Foreign-owned firms found that increasing localised positions in areas like HR, planning, and production paid dividends Schaefer explained that Ethiopian managers served as cultural and linguistic bridges, easing tensions that arose from differing communication styles
A fragile success story
Despite the gains, Ethiopia’s garment sector remains fragile. Factory closures, continued political instability, and the lingering effects of lost trade preferences under AGOA pose real threats.
Yet the evaluation offers hope.
“In a context where nearly everything was stacked against the programme, it still achieved significant outcomes,” said Oya. “That tells us something important about what’s possible when development is done with coordination, commitment, and a willingness to adapt.”
As Ethiopia navigates its next chapter, the SIRAYE programme stands as a case study of how resilience, rights, and reform can be woven together – even under the most challenging conditions.
Click here for a more in-depth interview with Professors Oya and Shaefer.