Rapid Assessment of Vietnam\u27s Labor Inspection System

[Excerpt] In July 2010, a team from the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) visited Vietnam to conduct an assessment of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids & Social Affairs’ (MOLISA) labor inspection system. This effort was requested by the SIIR project (funded by USAID) as part of its aim of identifying MOLISA’s needs and providing assistance, per MOLISA’s request. The Assessment focuses on: 1) assessing facts related to the labor inspection system; and 2) providing initial recommendations for improving the system. Part I discusses MOLISA’s history, legal and regulatory framework, structure and organization, Department of Labor Inspections (including workforce, forms and data collection, and IPZ). Part II discusses issues and presents recommendations related to data collection, labor inspector training, inspectorate staffing levels, educational outreach, research and networking, systems of continuous improvement, and coordination with international and private buyers

Suboptimal solutions to network team optimization problems

Smoothness of the solutions to network team optimization problems with statistical information structure is investigated. Suboptimal solutions expressed as linear combinations of elements from sets of basis functions containing adjustable parameters are considered. Estimates of their accuracy are derived, for basis functions represented by sinusoids with variable frequencies and phases and Gaussians with variable centers and widthss

Uganda aquaculture value chains: strategic planning mission report

This report presents the findings and recommendations of a strategic planning mission to reevaluate the feasibility of WorldFish implementing a fish value chain research program in Uganda under the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish (L&F). The over-arching goal of L&F is to increase productivity of small-scale livestock and fish systems so as to increase availability and affordability of meat, milk and fish for poor consumers and, in doing so, to reduce poverty through greater participation by the poor along animal source food value chains. This will be achieved by making a small number of carefully selected animal source food value chains function better, for example by identifying and addressing key constraints and opportunities (from production to consumption), improving institutional arrangements and capacities, and supporting the establishment of enabling pro-poor policy and institutional environments