Monitoring CRC-GC7: Rights in Early Childhood

Clyde HertzmanHuman Early Learning Partnership

on behalf of theGC7 Monitoring Group

Why monitor CRC GC: 7 in Canada?

Sensitive Periods in Early Sensitive Periods in Early Brain DevelopmentBrain Development

VisionVision

0 1 2 3 7654

High

Low

Years

Habitual ways of Habitual ways of respondingrespondingEmotional Emotional

controlcontrol

SymboSymboll

Peer social skillsPeer social skillsNumbersNumbers

HearingHearing

Graph developed by Council for Early Child Development (ref: Nash, 1997; Early Years Study, 1999; Shonkoff, 2000.)

Pre-school years School years

LanguaLanguagege

Life Course Problems Related to Early Life

Experiences

2nd Decade

3rd/4th Decade

5th/6th

DecadeOld Age

• School Failure

• Teen Pregnancy

• Criminality

• Obesity

• Elevated BloodPressure

• Depression

• Coronary Heart Disease

• Diabetes

• Premature Aging

• Memory Loss

What influences early child

development?

The experienceschildren have in

the environments

where they grow up, live and

learn.

The Early Development Instrument

What Does the EDI Measure?

What the maps reveal…

Large local area differences in the proportion of developmentally

vulnerable children

The high proportion of avoidable vulnerability

What the maps reveal…

Commission’srecommendatio

n

‘equity from the

start’

Rationale for linking ECD to Rights

Build upon the monitoring capacity of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child to

orchestrate a global conversation on supporting child development ‘from the

start’.

2005: indicators group forms; approaches CRC Monitoring Committee; argues that GC:7 is impractical/underused and there is a need for user-friendly and useful GC:7 indicators

2006: CRC Monitoring Committee invites group to develop indicators that would assist States’ reporting and promote CRC GC:7 realization

UN-CRC GC:7 Indicators

Who is involved in CRC GC: 7 Indicators

group?

BvLBvL

Why a General Comment on Rights in Early Childhood?

Why indicators? Why monitoring?

Procedural rights

vs

Substantive rights

Why indicators? Why monitoring?

Procedural rights = immediate realization

Substantive rights = ‘progressive

realization’

Why indicators? Why monitoring?

CRC:GC7 is mostly about substantive rights

You can only tell if there is ‘progressive realization’ by monitoring

over time.

Monitoring can create a bridge between population health and human rights.

2005: indicators group forms; approaches CRC Monitoring Committee; argues that GC:7 is impractical/underused and there is a need for user-friendly and useful GC:7 indicators

2006: CRC Monitoring Committee invites group to develop indicators that would assist States’ reporting and promote CRC GC:7 realization

2006-2008: indicators of GC:7 are developed, merging population health and rights cultures

UN-CRC GC:7 Indicators

•Assist States Parties with preparation of their report to the Monitoring Committee

•Monitor the progressive realization of rights in early childhood

CRC GC: 7 Indicators were meant to:

We created15 Indicator Clusters matching CRC reporting guidelines

•General Measures of Implementation (4)

•Civil rights and freedoms (1)

•Family environment and alternative care (2)•Basic health and welfare (3)

•Education, leisure and cultural activities (4)•Special protection measures (1)

1. Dissemination of GC7

2. Constructing and implementing the positive agenda

3. Human Rights training

4. Data collection system

Birth registration

1. Participation in household decision making2. Violence against young children

1. Basic material needs2. Child survival and health3. Age-appropriate health education

1. Early education service provision

2. Educational service provision for vulnerable

3. Knowledge of right and capacity to support it

4. Play, leisure and rest opportunitites

Inclusive policy and provisions for vulnerable groups

Structural Components of Indicators

Steps to investigate lack

of response

Steps to investigate lack

of response

Steps to have such policies in

place

Steps to have such policies in

place

Are there processes to evaluate and improve human resources as far as

the early education system is concerned?

Are there processes to evaluate and improve human resources as far as

the early education system is concerned?

NoNo

Steps to have such policies in

place

Steps to have such policies in

place

Are there policies in place to ensure that both primary and pre-school

provisions are suitably child-centered, child-friendly, rights based, and aligned with the GC7 principles and the aims of

education?

Are there policies in place to ensure that both primary and pre-school

provisions are suitably child-centered, child-friendly, rights based, and aligned with the GC7 principles and the aims of

education?

SuggestionsSuggestions

Develop policies for Provision of appropriate

early childhood education

Develop policies to promote equal access (for

boys and girls)to these services

SuggestionsSuggestions

collect population level baseline data

on ECD

If data exist, investigate potential causes for this lack

response by data disaggregation

SuggestionsSuggestions

mobility, training, and recruitment.

financial or non-financial

compensations

No

No

Are there improving trends in children’s development measured by cognitive, physical health, and socio-emotional outcomes (DHS, MICS, EDI, etc.)?Are there improving trends in children’s development measured by cognitive, physical health, and socio-emotional outcomes (DHS, MICS, EDI, etc.)?

SuggestionsSuggestions

collect population level baseline data

on ECD

If data exist, investigate potential causes for this lack

response by data disaggregation

EDI data collection around the worldwww.offordcentre.com

Steps to investigate lack

of response

Steps to investigate lack

of response

ON

BC annual EDI datahttp://www.earlylearning.ubc.ca/EDI/maps_bc.html

What the manual provides

Introduction

Relevant CRC articles

Relevant CRC articles

Excerpts from

concluding observatio

ns

Excerpts from

concluding observatio

ns

Indicators unpacked

Structural indicators

Process indicators

Outcome indicators

Indicators unpacked

Structural indicators

Process indicators

Outcome indicators

Key question

Flowchart and suggestions

Flowchart and suggestions

Where to look for dataDuty bearersWords of caution

Where to look for dataDuty bearersWords of caution

Country exampleCountry example

Indicator tableIndicator table

Commitments made Actions taken mea

sura

ble

chan

ges

in the

"righ

ts

envi

ronm

ents

" or

in E

CD

mea

sure

s

• May 2008: GC:7 indicators were presented to the monitoring committee

CRC GC-7 Indicators

Piloting Strategy

Low income: Tanzania Middle income: Chile

High income: Canada (?)

Objectives of the pilot

•To test the relevance and feasibility of each indicator

•To further refine the indicators and the flow charts

•To understand whether or not the process serves as a means of national, institutional self-study

Potential benefits for pilot country

Capacity building•

Better reporting system

•

Awareness raisingHow many “No”s, how many “Yes”s in the system?

How to turn “No’s to “Yes”s?

How to use “Yes”s and “No”s to describe the status of child rights in the country and communicate it to UN-CRC?

Capacities recorded for main clusters of CRC during TZ-Pilot

Achievements

1.A combined human and technical processTechnical aspect -- a thorough inventory check of the

existing capacities around CRC in 3 months!

Human aspect -- strengthening and enhancing the quality of the inter-ministerial relationships

2.Engaging traditionally under-represented key CR players

3.Positive impact on ongoing CR projects

Challenges

1.GC:7 an unknown document

2.Existing data is archived in an unknown place

3.In the absence of outcome data the quantified information may oversimplify the country’s situation

4.Computerization would increase efficiency

For the Chile pilot

Development of an electronic version of the manual to:

reduce labor-intensiveness reduce reliance on external technical

support provide a template that compiles the

evidence for CRC reporting

For the Chile pilot

Take the pilot right through the inter-sectoral appraisal of information and report writing.

To be completed by Sept-Oct of 2011, in time for revisions.

The sequence of events of pilots

• Feasibility assessment • Creating an MOU• Recruiting the Task Force (TF); creating

advisory/management structure

• Training the TF• Data collection – 3-4 months time window• Midterm evaluation

• Data review• Wrap up meeting & Summary

What has been required of a TF member?

• Attending 3 meetings with the entire pilot team; training, midterm, wrap up meeting.

• Attending approx. 6 meetings with the team; 2 meeting per month during the 3 months of data collection period.

• Time commitment of about 5 hours a week for working on the indicators and compiling data.

The Forward Plan

• Final indicators and implementation manual to CRC Monitoring Committee

•• Use our template for the balance of the Convention and General Comments

•

• Revise in light of Chile experience

• Pilot in an upper income country…Canada????

• Have indicators promulgated for use in all 193 signatory countries

For further info:

visit the Global Knowledge Hub for ECD at :http://www.earlylearning.ubc.ca/

or contact --ziba.vaghri@ubc.ca