The first Social Policy and Child Rights Forum in Morocco was held on May 25th. The forum received wide press coverage and was opened by the Prime Minister. The forum provided an opportunity to initiate a policy debate on Child Poverty, Social Budgeting and the Social Impact of migration/remittances on children.
The preliminary findings of the Morrocan Child Poverty Study were presented and the deprivation approach, which is a groundbreaking approach to measuring poverty in Morocco, was introduced. Consequently, a great deal of the discussions centered on the monetary approach, which is the official government approach to measuring poverty, and the deprivation approach. There was a general consensus at the forum that the two approaches are essential and complementary.
Social Budgeting presentations and discussions demonstrated promising opportunities in making the government budget more child sensitive in Morocco. An interesting debate took place during the forum regarding the social impact of migration and remittances, where it was identified that further policy research needs to be conducted in this field.
For presentations from this forum please click here
Focal Point: Hicham Ait Mansour - haitmansour@unicef.org
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
CEE/CIS regional workshop 21 - 23rd April
A third workshop in a series of Global Study regional workshops for the Central and Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CEE/CIS) region was held in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyz Republic last April. This workshop brought together the four Global Study country teams of researchers, including partners from government and UNICEF social and economic policy specialists from Kyrgyz Republic, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Kosovo, with participation from other country offices interested in learning about the preliminary study findings (i.e. Bulgaria, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kazakhstan). This meeting also included presentations by senior economists from the Center for Social and Economic Research (CASE) on their ongoing collaboration with UNICEF on Public Financial Management (PFM) reforms in the region. Countries in the CEE-CIS region are likely to be among the worst hit by the global economic crisis, adding further impetus to this meeting. There was a strong focus on what the studies could contribute in terms of evidence-based and child-sensitive government responses to the crisis, offering a good platform for continued engagement by UNICEF with its government counterparts and other stakeholders at this critical time in the region.
For presentations from this workshop please click here
Focal point: Gordon Alexander
For presentations from this workshop please click here
Focal point: Gordon Alexander
Friday, March 27, 2009
Peer Review Week March 4-9th - major emerging points
The Global Study team at UNICEF headquarters arranged for peer review of Global Study draft reports during the week of March 4-9th '09. During this week nineteen colleagues from various sections of UNICEF as well as outside researcher reviewed sections of six draft country reports. All the six country teams did an incredible job of providing rich info, both from the data and policy side. They provided wealth of data on child deprivation and the data presented was commonly properly disaggregated by sex/age, region, education, etc.
There were some important points that emerged from the peer review week that all participating countries need to bear in mind when developing their child poverty study reports:
1. Revisit the Global Study Guide
Revert to The Country Analysis chapter of the Global Study guide, in particular pages 24 – 25 that specify key questions that the analysis should answer in relation to policies, outcomes, causality and strategy.
2. Evidence based policy analysis
Throughout many reports there was some degree of disconnect between the statistical evidence and the key policy/strategy recommendations - the reports need to provide clear policy guidance based on evidence.
3. Clear storyline: making the case for emphasis on child poverty and the deprivation model
The key message/the main storyline derived from the analysis is of extreme importance and making a strong, convincing case for child-poverty linkages. Each report should provide:
1. A summary of the main deprivations affecting children in the country – here you need prioritize the challenges/needs
2. A summary of relevant current policies/programs, and assessment of how well they are oriented toward reducing deprivations
3. Recommendations for improving alignment between policies/programs and deprivation reduction
Please click here for the comprehensive outline of major points that countries need to consider when developing their reports.
Focal point: Solrun Engilbertsdottir, sengilbertsdottir@unicef.org
There were some important points that emerged from the peer review week that all participating countries need to bear in mind when developing their child poverty study reports:
1. Revisit the Global Study Guide
Revert to The Country Analysis chapter of the Global Study guide, in particular pages 24 – 25 that specify key questions that the analysis should answer in relation to policies, outcomes, causality and strategy.
2. Evidence based policy analysis
Throughout many reports there was some degree of disconnect between the statistical evidence and the key policy/strategy recommendations - the reports need to provide clear policy guidance based on evidence.
3. Clear storyline: making the case for emphasis on child poverty and the deprivation model
The key message/the main storyline derived from the analysis is of extreme importance and making a strong, convincing case for child-poverty linkages. Each report should provide:
1. A summary of the main deprivations affecting children in the country – here you need prioritize the challenges/needs
2. A summary of relevant current policies/programs, and assessment of how well they are oriented toward reducing deprivations
3. Recommendations for improving alignment between policies/programs and deprivation reduction
Please click here for the comprehensive outline of major points that countries need to consider when developing their reports.
Focal point: Solrun Engilbertsdottir, sengilbertsdottir@unicef.org
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Progress survey - overview
The majority of the countries participating in the Global Study have now completed the February '09 on-line Progress Survey.
The greater part of the participating countries are now in advanced stages of completing the study, having completed 75% or more of the policy/statistical templates and 50% or more of the analysis. Three countries have completed the study and published their study reports, that is Mali, Congo Brazzaville and Democratic Republic of Congo (click here for these reports). The majority of the countries plan on sending their draft reports for peer review (click here for further information on the peer review process).
Many of the countries have experienced similiar challenges in carrying out their studies, the most prominent being lack of data or lack of reliable data, as well as limited access to available data, in particular budget related information. Additionally, a number of countries have experience challenges regarding capacity within the country, such as engaging competent consultants to undertake the study.
For those countries that are yet to complete the survey, please take five minutes and complete the survey now, click here to begin the survey.
Focal point: Solrun Engilbertsdottir, sengilbertsdottir@unicef.org
The greater part of the participating countries are now in advanced stages of completing the study, having completed 75% or more of the policy/statistical templates and 50% or more of the analysis. Three countries have completed the study and published their study reports, that is Mali, Congo Brazzaville and Democratic Republic of Congo (click here for these reports). The majority of the countries plan on sending their draft reports for peer review (click here for further information on the peer review process).
Many of the countries have experienced similiar challenges in carrying out their studies, the most prominent being lack of data or lack of reliable data, as well as limited access to available data, in particular budget related information. Additionally, a number of countries have experience challenges regarding capacity within the country, such as engaging competent consultants to undertake the study.
For those countries that are yet to complete the survey, please take five minutes and complete the survey now, click here to begin the survey.
Focal point: Solrun Engilbertsdottir, sengilbertsdottir@unicef.org
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Advocacy strategies to promote child friendly policies
The Tanzania Global Study team posted a query to the Child Poverty Network regarding how to ensure that the key findings of the Tanzania child poverty study actually influence child friendly policies, as well as how to develop successful advocacy strategies and who are the key stakeholders to target for such policy change.
The feedback to the query emphasized that influencing policy frameworks is one of the most powerful methods for effecting change. For the Global Study teams, the first step to consider is what are the policy changes they want to see as a result of this new information generated by the child poverty study? An issue to consider in measuring “child friendly policies” and their effectiveness is to assess whether they address obstacles in achieving the MDGs with equity. In the context of low income country, child friendly policies will minimize barriers of access to basic services for the poorest and most vulnerable.
A child poverty study report should make its voice heard. This calls for an advocacy strategy that generates awareness and dialogue, and influences national development actions. A strategic plan covers outreach, communication, marketing and monitoring of results and it requires a solid financial commitment.
Click here for the archived consolidated reply and here for the consolidated reply in pdf form.
If you are interested in joining the Child Poverty Network please send an email to: join-child-poverty@groups.dev-nets.org
Focal point: Solrun Engilbertsdottir
The feedback to the query emphasized that influencing policy frameworks is one of the most powerful methods for effecting change. For the Global Study teams, the first step to consider is what are the policy changes they want to see as a result of this new information generated by the child poverty study? An issue to consider in measuring “child friendly policies” and their effectiveness is to assess whether they address obstacles in achieving the MDGs with equity. In the context of low income country, child friendly policies will minimize barriers of access to basic services for the poorest and most vulnerable.
A child poverty study report should make its voice heard. This calls for an advocacy strategy that generates awareness and dialogue, and influences national development actions. A strategic plan covers outreach, communication, marketing and monitoring of results and it requires a solid financial commitment.
Click here for the archived consolidated reply and here for the consolidated reply in pdf form.
If you are interested in joining the Child Poverty Network please send an email to: join-child-poverty@groups.dev-nets.org
Focal point: Solrun Engilbertsdottir
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Mali: assessing child poverty and disparities towards better results for children
Mali is one of the first countries in West and Central Africa to complete the study on Child Poverty and Disparities. In an interview with Marcel Kanyankore Rudasingwa, UNICEF Representative in Mali, he points out that Mali has made significant progress in combating household poverty since 2001. The national poverty alleviation strategy has borne fruit: between 2001 and 2006, monetary poverty fell 8 points, from 55.6% to 47.4%. This progress, albeit laudable, is insufficient to meet the Millennium Development Goals.
To build on what has been achieved since 2001 and accelerate progress towards attaining the MDGs, while fulfilling children and women’s rights in Mali, better knowledge was needed of the extent of deprivation and disparities affecting children and the most-at-risks groups. The information from the Child Poverty Study is essential to better target public policies that can translate into results for children. The study shows that among 5.1 million children under 15, more than 4.3 millions – that’s 8 out of 10 children – face severe deprivation in at least one of the 7 areas researched. The main priority identified in the report is putting children at the heart of public policies and national budgets, so that these work for children, who make up half the population of Mali.
Click here for the full interview
Click here for the full report in French
Focal point: Robert Ndamobissi: rndamobissi@unicef.org, UNICEF Mali
To build on what has been achieved since 2001 and accelerate progress towards attaining the MDGs, while fulfilling children and women’s rights in Mali, better knowledge was needed of the extent of deprivation and disparities affecting children and the most-at-risks groups. The information from the Child Poverty Study is essential to better target public policies that can translate into results for children. The study shows that among 5.1 million children under 15, more than 4.3 millions – that’s 8 out of 10 children – face severe deprivation in at least one of the 7 areas researched. The main priority identified in the report is putting children at the heart of public policies and national budgets, so that these work for children, who make up half the population of Mali.
Click here for the full interview
Click here for the full report in French
Focal point: Robert Ndamobissi: rndamobissi@unicef.org, UNICEF Mali
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Cairo conference - "Child Poverty and Disparities: Public Policies for Social Justice"
More than 450 academics, policy makers, government officials, NGOs representatives, media representatives and students participated in the first ever international conference on child poverty and disparities in Egypt, held on 19 and 20 January 2009.
Over the two-day conference, they debated with 26 renowned international researchers from 17 countries who presented their research findings and policy recommendations for public policies that aim to reduce child poverty and disparities. They also discussed how scientific research and its findings can play an important role in promoting public policies that are evidence-based, child-centred and human rights-based.
Click here for presentations and papers from the conference
Focal Point: Dennis Arends, UNICEF Egypt
Over the two-day conference, they debated with 26 renowned international researchers from 17 countries who presented their research findings and policy recommendations for public policies that aim to reduce child poverty and disparities. They also discussed how scientific research and its findings can play an important role in promoting public policies that are evidence-based, child-centred and human rights-based.
Click here for presentations and papers from the conference
Focal Point: Dennis Arends, UNICEF Egypt
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
