Collecting Data and Measuring Impact

Assessing the situation of children, setting objectives and monitoring and evaluating progress as well as reporting on it.

The first step in building a child-friendly city or community is assessing the child rights situation there. This includes collecting data on different aspects of child wellbeing – including disaggregated data to help reveal disparities – as well as looking at the state existing government laws, policies, programmes and structures whose aim is to improve the lives of children.

The next step entails developing a strategy and action plan with goals, objectives and indicators and using monitoring and evaluation to measure progress made. Children and youth, as the ultimate stakeholders, should be consulted throughout this process.

Publicly reporting on the findings is an important element of building a child-friendly city and is based on an obligation for transparency and public accountability.

Country examples
Inclusion does not necessarily imply endorsement by UNICEF.

ARGENTINA
The Red Ciudadana Nuestra Córdoba in Argentina, is a local network formed by NGOs, universities, private sector and grassroots organizations that promotes community participation and social accountability. The initiative monitors local living conditions using indicators generated by agencies and their own data collection. In 2017, the Red Ciudadana published “Indicadores para mirar la infancia en la ciudad de Córdoba”, a report that looks at the wellbeing of children aged 0-8 years living in the city of Córdoba.
Link to site.

BELARUS
A primary feature of the CFC initiative in Belarus is the Child Friendliness Index which has seven parameters that measure child well-being and development, including a unique measure for child participation in decision-making. The index serves as an assessment tool and as a mechanism to focus the efforts of the municipality around specific areas concerning children at the city level.
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BELIZE
Administrators and municipal authorities use municipal planning, budgeting and management indicators to track the success of the Sustainable and Child Friendly Municipalities (SCFM) initiative in Belize. The monitoring and evaluation framework looks at the overall improvement in the situation of children and adolescents, as well as their awareness of the SCFM. It also examines improvement in the capacity and confidence of young people, especially vulnerable children, to participate in municipal development planning.
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FINLAND
In Finland, each CFCI building block comes with a checklist. This is used to assess the current situation, select and develop actions and objectives, and develop indicators for monitoring progress over time. The situation analysis self-assessment is carried out after the initial training. It uses the building block checklists and requires the participation of a range of stakeholders, including children. The checklists are deliberately very demanding; they act as ‘eye- openers’, encouraging already high-quality services to be further improved, using a child rights lens.
Download Finland CFCI case study PDF.

GERMANY
In Germany, every six months the CFCI coordinating body emails a monitoring table to each municipality implementing the CFC action plan. The coordinating body then prepares internal reports based on the responses. Selected results are discussed at the meetings of the CFCI network in the country. There is a mid-term evaluation and a final evaluation of each city/community. The mid-term evaluation consists of: 1) a public report about achievements, improvements to be carried out by the municipalities and improvements to be carried out by the CFCI coordinating body, and 2) an event with children and youth that measures how the municipality is working to involve them. Any measures that are outlined in the action plan which are not carried out must be justified by the municipality in their final public report. If they take part in another cycle of the initiative, they have to integrate the relevant measures into the new action plan.
Download Germany CFCI case study PDF.

JAPAN
As part of the the Kawasaki City Ordinance on the Rights of the Child passed by the Kawasaki Municipal Assembly in 2000, the Ombudsperson for Human Rights provides consultation and addresses complaints regarding violations of children’s rights and compliance with the ordinance.
Link to site.

REPUBLIC OF KOREA
In the Republic of Korea, the self-assessment tools developed by UNICEF globally are used as the main instruments to carry out evaluations. The tools are designed as questionnaires for parents, children and other stakeholders to provide their views on the city they live in. Over 3,000 survey responses were received in Sejong City and in Wanju the number received was over 2,500.
Download Korea CFCI case study PDF.

SPAIN
The evaluation tool developed by the UNICEF Spanish National Committee is the main instrument that determines the eligibility of a municipality to receive CFCI recognition in Spain and monitors this process.  Municipal governments must submit a mid-term evaluation report within two years of receiving CFCI recognition. Cities wanting to renew the recognition (every four years) must submit an evaluation of their Action Plan for Children.
Link to site.