Washington, DC: World Bank
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Abstract
Public works programs (PWPs) have long been a common choice to protect people in need by providing temporary jobs and income. They promise more than a paycheck: They offer dignity, visible community investments, and the prospect of long-term progress. But today’s world is changing fast. Climate, digital transformation, and shifting demographics are forcing us to rethink how economies can sustainably grow and create employment. Conventional PWPs—often centered on short-term, low-skilled infrastructure jobs—are struggling to respond. They typically provide immediate relief but often do not generate sustained benefits. A new generation of PWPs is emerging to do more and do better, improving how social policy is implemented and delivering broader and lasting benefits. The report Innovations in Public Works: Rethinking Public Works for Jobs and Skills in a Changing World examines a set of PWPs that represent three innovative approaches: • Green PWPs that focus on environmental sustainability and climate action. They build assets that protect ecosystems, mitigate climate risks, and boost community resilience. • Digital PWPs that focus on digital transformation. They create digital assets, build digital skills, and support the digitalization of public services and decision-making. • Care-providing PWPs that focus on unmet care needs and reducing women’s care burden. They provide community care, build care-specific skills, and enable women to work. The report reviews the design and implementation options introduced by these new approaches—focusing on new types of assets, forms of work, and delivery models—and highlights the opportunities and challenges they present. It shows that these innovations can better protect people, while supporting economic development that is inclusive, sustainable, and jobs-focused. The report is accompanied by additional materials, which include case studies of the public works programs reviewed, a brief 4-page summary of the report, and technical notes on green, digital, and care-providing PWPs, as well as on gender-smart public works.
