Introduction
Background to the overview and considerations:
Systems strengthening is becoming a dominant paradigm for many child protection actors. In spite of the prevailing support, the conceptualisation of a systems strengthening approach remains an area of continued discussion and consensus building. Various studies have indicated ongoing challenges in implementing and realising systems strengthening activities in practice. Based on this the Systems Strengthening and Disaster Risk Reduction Task Force of the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (formerly the CPWG), co-led by the Child Protection in Crisis (CPC) Learning Network and Plan International initiated a process to develop an overview document with key considerations for practitioners.
Who is this document for?
This document is targeted at all actors supporting child protection responses in humanitarian settings. Child protection is defined as the prevention of and response to abuse, neglect, exploitation, and violence against children.
What is the purpose of this document?
The aims of this document are to: 1. Provide an overview of child protection systems strengthening in emergencies practice to date, and based on this, 2. Propose certain key considerations with regards to systems for child protection practitioners.
How were the overview and considerations developed?
The process of development included a desk review and key informant interviews. The document draws on 248 key informant interviews with individuals representing national governments; UN agencies; international; national and local NGOs; academic bodies; community groups; as well as focus group discussions with children.
The desk review was not an extensive or systematic review of all literature on systems strengthening based on certain search criteria. Rather it covered:
- Reports of the country studies on systems strengthening carried out between 2012 and 2015, supported by the Task Force, that took place in Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire, South Sudan, the Philippines, Palestine, and data collected in Yemen;
- Agency specific guidance, frameworks, and policies on child protection systems and child protection systems strengthening;
- Material and literature shared by key informants regarding:
- How systems thinking has been adopted by others in the humanitarian, development, or child protection sectors;
- Case studies.
How should you use this document?
This document has four main sections. The first two (What are child protection systems? and How do child protection systems vary across contexts?) provide conceptual clarity on child protection systems and how they vary across settings. The third (How have we been approaching child protection systems strengthening in emergencies up until now?) gives an overview of past experiences of child protection systems strengthening efforts in the humanitarian field, identifying promising practice and weak approaches. Each of these has an ‘In brief’ box at the beginning of the section that summarises the content. These boxes should be read as a minimum before seeking to apply the key considerations on child protection systems strengthening presented in What does systems thinking mean for child protection in emergencies? It is thought that a minimum understanding of ‘systems’ is necessary to understand the considerations. The questions in Section 4 may then be used more effectively to guide humanitarian responders when they are preparing for, coordinating, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating actions that they hope will contribute to systems strengthening.
