Around the world millions of people lack infrastructure (roads, bridges, water supply, etc.) to access basic services (water, health, education). Improving infrastructure and maintaining them can improve living standards and have a direct impact in the quality of people’s lives. Productive community infrastructures can also contribute to reducing (rural and urban) poverty and have the potential for offering better economic and social benefits.

Employment-intensive investments, led by the ILO's Employment-Intensive Investment Programme (EIIP),  link infrastructure development with employment creation, poverty reduction and local economic and social development. In using local labour and resources they create much needed employment and income, reduce costs, save foreign currency, and support local industry while increasing the capacity of local institutions.

The combination of local participation in planning with the utilization of locally available skills, appropriate technology, materials and work methods has proven to be an effective and economically viable approach to infrastructure works and jobs creation in many countries.