Introduction
This module provides practical information, guidelines and participatory tools for taking rights-based approaches to programme planning and implementation. Guidance is provided through the course of the programme cycle, from the first steps of raising awareness and understanding of human and child rights principles, through to the monitoring and evaluation phase.
A rights-based approach to programme design is primarily a way of looking at and responding to situations of emergency and displacement that instils discipline and rigour on planning and intervention strategies. As such, rightsbased concepts and principles are easily incorporated into traditional programme cycle frameworks.
Section 1: Understand childhoods and child protection issues Highlights the importance of understanding childhood and the diverse needs experienced by children at different stages of their development, including information on the factors influencing how childhood is viewed in different contexts, children’s development and evolving capacities and the impact that emergencies may have on children.
Section 2: Know the law and child rights Describes the importance of achieving awareness of the framework of normative standards and principles of human rights and provides participants with a picture of the goal to which society aspires for children and a sense of the legitimacy of these targets in the international community.
Section 3: Child rights situation analysis Provides guidance on assessment methodologies appropriate to humanitarian settings and analysis tools that can explore the nature of violations of rights.
Section 4: Planning and implementation Enables agencies to consider how to ensure that they contribute effectively to the process of working towards high level sustainable goals (children’s enjoyment of their rights) and assists agencies to consider their implementation strategies, informed by the consideration of programme choices from the previous step.
Section 5: Monitoring and evaluating efforts to achieve change Demonstrates how M&E can effectively be linked to high level goals and how to track progress both at programme levels and in working towards achieving change on a more global scale.
