The International Labour Organization (ILO) has launched the Labour Inspectorates and the Future of Technology (LIFT) tool, a cloud-based electronic case management system that digitizes planning, monitoring, and reporting for labour inspectorates. Designed to replace traditional paper-based workflows, LIFT enables full digital oversight of inspection activities, linking related enterprises across supply chains and allowing inspectorates to identify systemic compliance risks beyond individual worksites. By connecting contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers within a single database, the system classifies economic units by size, sector, inspection history, and other risk indicators, helping to detect patterns of non-compliance across multiple tiers.
In 2024–2025, the LIFT system was piloted in Madagascar, Eswatini, Lesotho, Zambia, and Zanzibar, creating the first centralized digital repository of inspection and enterprise data covering more than 3,900 economic units across sectors including construction, manufacturing, and agriculture. Inspectors, such as Kingdom Mbuso M. Mamba, Acting Commissioner of Labour in Eswatini, reported that the system has provided full oversight of establishments in their regions, simplified the identification of enterprises operating across multiple areas, and significantly reduced the time required to prepare for inspections.
The pilot projects have also generated valuable insights on enterprise composition and workforce demographics. In Eswatini and Madagascar, over 70 percent of registered economic units are micro or small enterprises, which are often underrepresented in inspection coverage. Data captured by LIFT shows that women comprise only 20 percent of the workforce in micro and small enterprises but 60 percent in larger enterprises, primarily in manufacturing. These insights create an evidence base for targeted policies to promote gender equality and decent work in supply chains.
As the rollout continues, labour inspectorates will be able to generate detailed statistics in line with the ILO Guide on the Harmonization of Labour Inspection Statistics. These will include indicators on inspection coverage, detected violations, corrective actions, and compliance trends across sectors and supply chains. Plans are underway to expand LIFT implementation in the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, and Africa in 2026–2027, with the goal of strengthening international labour inspection capacities, improving supply chain visibility, and advancing decent work globally.
