Caroline Irby
Child centred community development Michelle Gilbert
A guide to what we do and how we do it
Introduction Child centred community development is the term we use to describe how we aim to do our development work. It encapsulates very simply where we are in development: we support communities to develop the structures and skills they need to provide a safe and healthy environment in which children are able to realise their full potential (‘community development’). It is our belief, based on many years of experience, that this can be achieved only if children’s best interests are at the heart of everything we do and if children themselves actively participate in the process (‘child centred’). The aim of this leaflet is to explain why and how we aim to do this. Much of it will be familiar to many of you: child centred community development is not a magic new formula; rather it is a natural development of what we already do and the lessons we have learned while doing it.
Victor Brott
Plan’s Vision
Plan’s Mission
Plan’s Vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies which respect people’s rights and dignity.
Plan strives to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives by: ●
enabling deprived children, their families and their communities to meet their basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in and benefit from their societies
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building relationships to increase understanding and unity among peoples of different cultures and countries
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promoting the rights and interests of the world’s children
Plan’s child centred community development approach Child centred community development is a rights-based approach in which children, families and communities are active and leading participants in their own development. It enhances their capacity and opportunity to work together with others to address the structural causes and consequences of poverty at all levels.
How has child centred community development evolved? Child centred community development is a way of working that places the emphasis firmly on the child. It provides the foundation for the future development of aspects of our work; developments that will be necessary if we are to reach as many children as possible. Plan’s approach to working with and for children has evolved as our experience and knowledge has grown and in response to changing needs. Our original focus was on providing aid and welfare support to specific individual children. Experience showed, however, that this approach placed too much emphasis on the individual child and too little on empowering a community to meet the needs of all its children.
children themselves. Clearly, any such involvement must be appropriate to the age, sex and circumstances of the children. A great deal of work has therefore been undertaken in recent years to encourage and enable children’s participation. This process has led Plan to three fundamental conclusions:
Increasingly, however, it became clear that even this process risked decisions and assumptions being made about what would really benefit the children. A natural and vital development, therefore, was to include the
that children’s development must be based on longterm and integrated commitment ● that children can participate fully only when they are supported by their families and given the means to do so ● that families and communities can meet their responsibilities towards the children only when they have the skills and knowledge to meet children’s needs and uphold children’s rights It is on these conclusions that child centred community development is based.
What do we mean by ‘child centred’?
What do we mean by ‘community development’?
Today, that focus has changed. Over the years, our role within communities has evolved from directly implementing projects and programs to supporting communities to identify their needs and devise solutions to meet those needs. This has involved the active participation of community members.
All Plan’s work has its foundations in the fundamental rights of children as expressed and internationally agreed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. The child centred approach therefore aims to support children to realise these rights through, for example: ● ●
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Community development means working with communities to build upon the skills and knowledge they have and need to become active participants in, rather than passive recipients of, the development process through, for example:
promoting awareness and understanding of children’s rights
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encouraging and enabling children to participate in their own development
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listening to what children have to say about what is preventing them from realising their rights and adapting projects and programs to address this facilitating children to take part in policy discussions at local, national and international levels alongside community members, partners and Plan staff acknowledging that children’s rights are inextricably linked to the achievement of fundamental human rights within communities as a whole
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promoting a community’s leadership and management of projects and programs enabling community members to determine their development process and strategic plans building the capacity and skills of community leaders linking community organisations to local government and other organisations that are developed to provide quality services ensuring that the most marginalised members of the community (such as the poorest and women) are included
How do we implement child centred community development? So far, everything sounds good in principle but how do all staff put it into practice? The answer is by understanding that child centred community development represents the principles by which all work in Plan should be undertaken. This applies as much to a member of staff in a national organisation as it does to one working in a country office or in a community. If Plan is truly to become a child centred community development organisation, every one of us needs to understand the organisational tenets on which it is based (the ‘foundations’) and how these translate into our basic approach to our work (the ‘cornerstone components’). Only then can we compare these with our current attitudes, behaviours and ways of working, and define how we can really begin to apply the child centred community development approach within the context of our own jobs.
The organisational tenets (‘foundations’) The child centred community development approach is based on three foundations: civil society, rights and principles and scaling up. These are the solid bases underpinning and guiding all our work.
Civil society
Rights and principle
Plan’s work is based on the reality that people living in poverty are often unable, or have fewer opportunities, to raise issues affecting their lives with those institutions, decision-makers and authorities able to support change. This is true in the community setting and in regional, national and international settings. They can only truly participate in development if they are able to do so. This is why Plan works with families and children, particularly those who are most marginalised (such as by their sex, ethnic origin or age), and supports their inclusion in community groups. In other words, Plan, through organisational community groups, promotes true accountability at the most basic level. By doing so, we promote good governance of formal structures to all members of a community and wider society. We believe that this process allows the poorest and most marginalised to identify their needs and demand quality services to meet those needs.
All Plan’s work is based on the rights a Rights of the Child. Every human being society and to access opportunities tha their full potential. Plan is also staying true to its Program ● child centredness ● gender equity ● empowerment and sustainability ● integration ● environmental sustainability ● cooperation ● institutional learning
What are the implications for our work?
What are the implications for ou
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We need to encourage and enable all members of a community to participate in formal community structures We need to strengthen the skills of these community-based organisations We need to use our position, experience and network of support to raise awareness of the issues involved at national and international levels through development education and advocacy
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We need to build and extend our experti
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We need to ensure that our principles are
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We need to accept that we alone cannot but instead work with partners, groups an
We need to analyse and acknowledge all widest possible understanding of why pro interrelate
Michelle Gilbert
Liba Taylor
es
Scaling up
as detailed in the Convention on the g has an equal right to participate in at support and enable them to reach
Development work that is confined to an individual community will only ever address the problems that cause poverty and restrict children from realising their true potential in a limited way. This is why Plan is always looking at the wider picture, taking successful initiatives and both replicating them in our own work and using the lessons learned to strengthen the services provided by other organisations and governments. Equally important is to strengthen the capacity of local organisations so that they can address the issues facing families living in poverty and influence government institutions. In this way, services such as schools, water and health will genuinely be tackling the issues identified at community level and all members of a community will be empowered to demand better access to them.
m Principles:
ur work?
se on rights-based programing
What are the implications for our work? ●
e put into practice in all work
address every abuse of children’s rights nd organisations to achieve our aims
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aspects of all children’s rights to get the oblems exist and how their causes
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We need to work with families, communities and partners to identify why children are living in poverty and excluded from opportunity We need to use this information to support changes in policy and community management of quality services Working within networks and alliances, we need to use our knowledge and experience to influence national policies and advocate for change at the international level
The ways of working (‘cornerstone components’) If the foundations represent the fundamental structure on which our work is based, the four cornerstone components are the building bricks of projects and programs. They represent the four ways of working by which we aim to achieve our Vision and Mission.
Child centred programing
Partnerships, networking and relationships building Children experience a wide range of relationships. Their relationship with their family and immediate community is one of the strongest; others include their relationship with external organisations (including Plan), individuals (including sponsors), their school, other children and local government. These relationships need to be understood and strengthened at all levels if we are to identify and address the structural and institutional causes of poverty. This is why child centred community development seeks to involve all stakeholders at all levels. Creating networks and establishing partnerships and alliances are vital aspects by which awareness is created, policy is influenced and structures surrounding the child can become more participatory and child friendly.
Through child centred community development, children are active participants in development rather than passive recipients. Their participation, however, must be handled carefully to ensure both that children are genuinely being listened to and that vital issues such as their age, gender, social status, language and religion are taken into account. This is the only way of genuinely understanding their issues and concerns. Child centred programing is based on this fundamental approach. Once issues have been identified, their causes are reviewed and analysed. This ensures that program designs address the wider problem: identifying institutional discrimination towards children and their families and looking at how this can be changed using local knowledge and resources backed up by technical expertise. Through this approach, communities are able to identify and mobilise their own resources, learn how to access other essential resources from local government and non-governmental organisations, and identify and strengthen local knowledge and practices.
What are the implications for our work? ●
What are the implications for our work? ●
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We need to work in an even more open and cooperative way, and develop the skills necessary to form positive and successful partnerships
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We need to understand the roles of different stakeholders and work effectively with them at all levels
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We need to look at our current relationships within communities and, where necessary, transform our working style to ensure mutual learning
We need to ensure that children are participating meaningfully in the development process in a way that is relevant to their circumstances We need to work closely with communities to identify the type of programs and interventions required We need to be careful not to build expectations that we cannot meet
Facilitating participatory processes
Supporting groups and organisations
Children, their families and communities have a right to basic services such as health care and education, services that the state has an obligation to provide through its ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They therefore need to be supported in advocating to and working with ‘service suppliers’ at district and national level. This is the only way that children and their families can truly own their development; child centred community development aims to build their capacity to address the issues involved and demand quality services. By everyone, particularly children and women, being encouraged and enabled to get involved in identifying the issues at community level and by their representatives participating in district-level assessment and activity planning, local officials will have a much better understanding of living conditions and service delivery is likely to be improved.
In reality, most children and their families living in poverty either cannot or do not speak out about the issues affecting their lives. This is primarily because they are marginalised: those with the greatest needs are rarely those in positions of authority or power within their communities. Child centred community development supports the inclusion of all members of a community and encourages them to form and use their own representative organisations through which their voice is more likely to be heard. At the same time, the approach supports communities in identifying their own resources to meet their needs. This means that they are also able to identify more clearly what services they need from external institutions and, through the strength of their own organisation, gain access to the relevant resources from local government and non-governmental organisations.
What are the implications for our work? ●
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What are the implications for our work? ●
We need to work with communities and our own staff so that everyone understands why a participatory approach is necessary We need to demonstrate to adults that child centred community development does not mean that they will be marginalised in favour of the children We need to understand what local institutions can and cannot do and build the capacity of communities to demand better quality services from them
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We need to understand the unique structure of each community, identifying where the power rests and encouraging the formation of organisations representing the most marginalised and those living in the greatest poverty We need to support community efforts to mobilise resources from community and other local sources We need to promote transparent systems through participatory monitoring and evaluation
Conclusion Child centred community development should not be viewed as simply a program-based approach. Rather, it should guide all of our work, wherever that work is done. We cannot yet claim to be a child centred community development organisation. It will take time, effort and honest self-examination on the part of all staff to understand what it means both in relation to how we undertake our individual roles and the implications for the organisation as a whole. We need to challenge unfair or exploitative balances of power in a wide range of relationships: for example, between children and their parents, between communities and local authorities, between Plan and communities, and between ourselves and our colleagues. Only by looking critically and honestly at how this balance of power negatively affects individuals or individual groups can we understand what needs to happen to address the inequalities. Applying the child centred community development process throughout Plan will be a continuous learning experience. It is therefore vital that we share our experiences with colleagues and learn from both success and mistakes. It will also take time but if we all understand and are committed to it, we can make it a reality.
Plan’s Vision Plan’s Vision is of a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies which respect people’s rights and dignity.
Plan strives to achieve lasting improvements in the quality of life of deprived children in developing countries through a process that unites people across cultures and adds meaning and value to their lives by: ●
enabling deprived children, their families and their communities to meet their basic needs and to increase their ability to participate in and benefit from their societies
●
building relationships to increase understanding and unity among peoples of different cultures and countries
●
promoting the rights and interests of the world’s children
Caroline Irby
Plan’s Mission
Your pocket guide to child centred community development
The three foundations Rights and principles We believe and are committed to the principle that every human being has an equal right to participate in society and to access opportunities that support and enable them to reach their full potential.
Civil society We work with families and children, particularly those most marginalised, and support their inclusion in community groups. We believe that this will allow them to identity their needs and demand quality services to meet these needs.
Scaling up We look at the wider picture, taking successful initiatives and replicating them in our own work and using lessons learned to strengthen services provided by other organisations and governments.
The four cornerstone components 1. Partnerships, networking and relationships building
Creating networks and establishing partnerships and alliances are vital aspects by which awareness is created, policy is influenced and structures surrounding the child can become more participatory and child friendly.
2. Child centred programing Through child centred community development, children are active participants rather than passive recipients in the development process.
3. Facilitating participatory processes By encouraging and enabling children to identify issues at a community level, local officials will have a better understanding of living conditions and service delivery.
4. Supporting groups and organisations Encouraging the inclusion of all members of the community to use their own organisations means that their voice is more likely to be heard, thus giving them better access to external institutions.
Text Š Plan 2005 Published by Plan Ltd Plan International Headquarters Chobham House, Christchurch Way Woking, Surrey GU21 6JG United Kingdom Tel +44 (0) 1483 755155 Fax +44 (0) 1483 756505 Email info@plan-international.org www.plan-international.org February 2005 The pulp used in the manufacture of this paper is from renewable timber produced on a fully sustainable basis and is bleached without the use of chlorine gas (ECF – Elemental Chlorine Free). This paper is suitable for recycling.