Child Protection Sub-Cluster
Handover Strategy Summary
1. Partners Involved (Suggest partners with technical capacity for coordination plus capacity building per geographical area)
Partners / Geographical Area (Province)Social Welfare Department (SWD), UNICEF, CBOs, CRS, Society for Empowering Human Resources (SEHER), UNHCR, Institute for Development Studies and Practices (IDSP), Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP), Save the Children, Relief International, National Commission for Human Development (NCHD) / Balochistan (Quetta)
SWD, UNICEF, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO) / North Sindh (Sukkur)
SWD, UNICEF, Handicap International (HI), SPARC,
NRC, Hayat Foundation (To be completed by the hub) / South Sindh (Hyderabad)
SWD,UNICEF, Save the Children, World Vision International (WVI) / Punjab (Multan)
SWD, Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA), FATA Disaster Management Authority (FDMA),WVI / KPK (Peshawar)
Main Partners: UNICEF, Protection Cluster (UNHCR), NDMA (Gender and Child Cell),
National Commission for Child Welfare and Development (NCCWD), Save the Children, UNIFEM, SSD, International Organization for Migration (IOM), Handicap International / National (Islamabad)
2. Strategy ( Provide 1-2 paragraphs highlighting steps of handing over capacities and timeframe for such handover)
Transition is considered as extending to recovery phase and not the end of the CP coordination mechanisms. Therefore, the current strategy is continued with UNICEF as the lead agency and in close collaboration with UNHCR,NDMA Gender and Child Cell, and the Ministry of Social Welfare. During the next six months (January-July 2011) the emphasis is on strengthening the capacity of government authorities and other local stakeholders. Ideally in due course, the government should lead with strong support from UNICEF and other key agencies.
The aim is to protect children from violence; abuse and exploitation while giving priority to the most vulnerable children and women in severely flood affected areas. It includes preparing for disasters as well as reducing risks and vulnerabilities by identification of interventions to strengthen coping mechanisms and provision of services, particularly psychosocial support Priority is given to the most vulnerable children including, IDPs, separated/unaccompanied/missing children, children with disabilities; and most marginalized children of ethnic groups. A number of thematic working groups on the following topics have been established: monitoring and assessment, child friendly spaces, communication, separated and unaccompanied children, and child trafficking including referral and documentation of cases. Most recently a Task Force on Capacity Building was established to strengthen capacity of the government authorities and implementing partners during the transition from relief to early recovery period. It is critical that these working groups and task forces continue as a part of exit strategy.
Priority child protection issues: Birth registration, child marriage, child labour, child trafficking, children with disabilities, unaccompanied/separated/missing children and violence against children.
Main Activities
· Capacity building for NDMA, Ministry of Social Welfare and implementing partners on key child protection issues as well as preparedness and response by organizing training workshops and seminars.
· Advocating and promoting children’s rights and protection from abuse, exploitation and violence. Special attention is given to girls to ensure their equal access to assistance.
· Identifying the most vulnerable children in the worst affected areas, streamlining appropriate response according to local needs and priorities of each province.
· Identifying, registering and providing separated and unaccompanied children with alternative care while family tracing is carried out, and reunification with families or placement in family based care.
· Establishing Child Friendly Spaces to provide psychosocial support and to assist in returning to normalcy.
· Putting in place referral systems in order to ensure access to essential services for vulnerable women and children, including access to food and non food items (NFIs) and psychosocial support, educational and recreational activities, and response to violence, exploitation, and abuse.
· Mainstreaming child protection in other sectors of the humanitarian response.
Specific issues highlighted by the provincial clusters in their response:
Balochistan:
Working groups have been established in Sibi and Jhal Magsi districts while Protection and Child Protection Sub-Cluster approach has been adopted in district Naseerabad led by CRS and in District Jaffarabad led by UNHCR as main caseload of IDPs hosted in these districts. CBOs will play role of focal point for to highlight issues of Protection and Child Protection to Social Welfare Department at provincial level.
KPK:
A six month exit strategy for KPK may not be feasible because there may be fresh displacements that take place inside FATA, and also because the FATA returns are in progress.
Punjab:
UNICEF has established its leadership through human and financial resources. The ideal exit strategy should include continued leadership by UNICEF. This means establishing an early recovery coordination mechanism through UNICEF programs, with responsibility to coordinate activities among donors/NGOs/INGOS with support of the relevant line Department/Ministries.
North Sindh:
In North Sindh, Social Welfare Department (SWD) has a strong Human Resource (HR) structure in all districts and following are the steps suggested by North Sindh Child Protection Sub-Cluster for the exit strategy: 1) profiling of CP Sub-Cluster members; 2) formation of Protection/Child Protection working groups; 3) develop a handing over and work plan with the collaboration of cluster members; 4) continue activation of referral mechanism, and 5) monitoring of Child Protection activities.
South Sindh:
In South Sindh, CP Sub-Cluster is working with support of Ministry of Social Welfare, Karachi. The Hub Structure is incompatible with Government structure. The government officials require capacity building. (To be completed by the provincial sub-cluster).
3. Constraints/Issues (linked to the above with consideration of the following partners) per region:
Main Constraints reflected in all provinces and the National Sub-Cluster:
· Lack of organizational and human resources to implement child protection interventions, particularly for the most vulnerable women and children.
· Limited financial resources to conduct capacity building activities. Training workshops are required to support programme response particularly in the areas of CFS standards, psychosocial support, referral mechanisms, and policy advocacy on key issues such as identification, reunification of separated and unaccompanied children, child trafficking, early marriage, child labour and birth registration as well as training on monitoring and evaluation of Child Protection problems and response. Capacity building at the district and community levels should be a high priority.
Province / Government counterpart capacities (PDMAs, NDMA, Emergency Coordination Cells, and/ or Relevant line Ministries / NGOs capacities (international, national/local) / UNICEF capacity (within program) / Other UN (Integration/ phaseover to other UN partners (e.g. Protection cluster possibly absorbing responsibilities of Child Protection sub-cluster)Baluchistan / Social Welfare Department structure exists at provincial and district levels but capacity to implement interventions remains a challenge. / Continuation and sustainability of coordination national/ local levels in districts depends on availability of funds. Capacity of local organisations are limited/difficult to continue coordination without financial support / UNICEF can play important role in maintaining cluster approach at provincial and district levels through technical and financial support / UNHCR leads the Protection Cluster therefore, UNHCR or their implementing partners can play supportive role to maintain coordination at district level.
KPK / Government’s capacity on dealing with child protection issues is limited / They need a lot of input and trainings before they can take over.
The International NGOs have access issues they may not be very effective. But just for planning purposes
Punjab / Capacity building of the SWD in emergency coordination / Capacity building of NGOs / Provincial level coordination required
Knowledge Management (KM)
Sindh (North) / Social Welfare Department (SWD) has a strong HR structure in all districts of North Sindh / International Rescue Committee (IRC) is
Co-Chair with Protection Cluster, will form Protection/Child Protection working groups at district level / Currently working in 5 districts with IPs and has strong working relationship with SWD and local NGOs / A local organization currently is an IP of UNICEF (which one)?
Who?but presently exist in all districts of North Sindh
Sindh (South) / CP Sub-Cluster in Hyderabad is supported by Ministry of Social Welfare (MSW) in Karachi / Very few NGOs,
limited capacity of local NGOs / Currently working with good capacity to lead / UNHCR is present and can provide substantial support
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