Employing child-focused evaluation methods across West and Central Africa – A UNICEF Experience
African Evaluation Journal
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Employing child-focused evaluation methods across West and Central Africa – A UNICEF Experience | |
| Creator | Ahamed, Dalila Tarsilla, Michele | |
| Description | Background: This article explores the strategies that the UNICEF West and Central Africa Regional Office (WCARO) has implemented in order to fulfil children’s rights through evaluations.Objectives: It intends to support evaluation managers and practitioners by discussing challenges and proposed corrective actions encountered when adapting adult-centric evaluation processes into child-friendly ones, both in development and humanitarian settings.Method: The UNICEF WCARO leveraged on insights shared by evaluation practitioners, academics, and children’s organisation representatives during the 2019 Symposium on Child-Centred Evaluations held in Senegal. Three years later, it led to a series of reflective sessions between UNICEF evaluation managers and external consultants to capture lessons learned and insights to improve evaluation practice.Results: The UNICEF WCARO’s evaluation practice has shifted from a rather marginal integration of child-focused methods in its evaluations to a more substantial mainstreaming of such methods. This article highlights how important it is to engage children during all key phases, while keeping ethical considerations into account.Conclusion: Implementing child-focused evaluations enhances the inclusivity of evaluation processes under the prism of 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, this article underscores the significance of integrating children’s perspectives to strengthen equity-based approaches in contemporary evaluation and enhance the validity of evaluation results.Contribution: This article contributes practical insights and tips on adapting data collection tools for children, fostering active participation, and navigating ethical considerations. UNICEF WCARO’s experience serves as a valuable reference for organisations seeking to amplify the voices of the most vulnerable in their evaluation processes. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2024-08-14 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/aej.v12i1.723 | |
| Source | African Evaluation Journal; Vol 12, No 1 (2024); 7 pages 2306-5133 2310-4988 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://aejonline.org/index.php/aej/article/view/723/1515
https://aejonline.org/index.php/aej/article/view/723/1516
https://aejonline.org/index.php/aej/article/view/723/1517
https://aejonline.org/index.php/aej/article/view/723/1518
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