This step is concerned with surveying the national/local child protection and care system and identifying the relevant components that need to be integrated into the organization’s transition procedures and strategy.

Key aspects of the system to survey and assess for relevance to transition include:

• Child protection laws, regulations and policies: What do these require the transitioning organisation to do or comply with throughout the transition?
• Action plans, sector plans, implementation plans and national budgets: What exists that relates to scaling back the use of residential care, the number of children in care or transitioning service systems? How do these influence the approach to transition or indicate support that might be on offer?
• Standard operating procedures, guidelines: What aspects of transition, reintegration, family-based care are covered by existing guidance or SoPs that outline the approach that needs to be taken and what does the transitioning organisation need to do to conform with these?
• Gatekeeping mechanisms: What gatekeeping mechanisms are in place and how does this influence reintegration practice?
• Case Management Systems: What case management systems are already in place and used by government and/or service providers? How can the organisation access, utilize or integrate their systems into these in the transition process?
• Social protection services: What exists, what is the eligibility criteria and how can the organisation support families to access these services where relevant?
• Child and family welfare services: What child and family services already exist? How can the organisation assist children and their families to access services that will support their reintegration and strengthen the family?
• Alternative Care Services: What family-based alternative care services already exist and how can children requiring family-based care be referred to these services if alternative care is deemed necessary?
• Community-level child protection services: What are the local level child protection services? How can the organisation connect with these services and/or collaborate for monitoring and/or child and family service provision purposes post reunification?
• Care Leaver Support: What support for Care Leavers is mandated under law? Who is responsible for providing it? How can the organisation comply or access this support for children or young people reintegrating or exiting care? What non-government aftercare services exist and how can they be accessed?
• Technical support services: Are there agencies or organizations providing in-country technical support to transitioning organizations? What type of support is available and how can it be accessed if needed?
• Cultural practices: What are the cultural practices (those that aid and those that are barriers to aspects of transition) and cultural sensitivities that need to be understood? How will these influence the approach to transition and what is needed to overcome barriers?
• Social work standards and social workforce training opportunities: Are there social work standards in place? Is there a social workforce strengthening plan that includes training that practitioners involved in transition could access?

Key topics: gather information that helps to inform post transition programming decisions:

• Key causes of family separation: What has been evidenced as the key drivers and vulnerabilities that lead to family separation and admission into residential care?
• Gaps in the child and family welfare services: What gaps are there in terms of prevention and early intervention services that could address the key causes of separation? Are these gaps geographical, due to limited capacity or system wide?
• Gaps in the child protection service system: What gaps are there in terms of remedial child protection services and family-based alternative care? Are these gaps geographical, due to limited capacity or system wide?
• Priorities for service development: What types of services are being prioritised for development by government or flagged as key to child protection and care reform efforts? Are there opportunities to partner with government in developing new services?