A case for integrated development: pathways to improve child well-being

Abstract

Economic strengthening interventions may increase income, assets, and food security. Donors and implementers see the potential for improvements in child well-being. This article presents lessons learnt from the implementation of two economic strengthening interventions. It finds missed opportunities with regard to child nutrition, and recommends: (1) integrating economic strengthening interventions with complementary development activities; (2) deep formative assessment to inform programme design; and (3) the use of community-based feedback loops. Development practitioners, funders, policymakers, and researchers must take every opportunity to improve the lives of children as young as possible to build healthy families, communities, and nations.Les interventions de renforcement économique peuvent avoir pour impact l'augmentation des revenus, des actifs et de la sécurité alimentaire. Les donateurs et les responsables de la mise en application des politiques y voient un potentiel pour l'amélioration du bien-être des enfants. Cet article présente les leçons apprises lors de la mise en application de deux interventions de renforcement économique. Il révèle des occasions manquées en rapport avec la nutrition de l'enfant, et recommande: (1) l'intégration des interventions de renforcement économique à des activités complémentaires de développement; (2) une évaluation formative en profondeur pour orienter l'élaboration des programmes; et (3) un retour communautaire d'informations. Les praticiens du développement, les donateurs, les décideurs politiques et les chercheurs doivent saisir toutes les opportunités d'amélioration de la vie des enfants dès leur plus jeune âge afin de contribuer à la fondation de familles, de communautés et de nations.Las intervenciones orientadas a fortalecer ciertos aspectos económicos pueden derivar en ingresos más elevados, en el aumento del número de activos y en mayor seguridad alimentaria, lo que determina que tanto los donantes como los operadores vean su potencial para mejorar el bienestar de los niños. El presente artículo da cuenta de los aprendizajes surgidos a partir de la implementación de dos intervenciones enfocadas en ciertos aspectos económicos. Al respecto, se detectaron oportunidades no aprovechadas en términos de la nutrición de los niños. Por ello el artículo recomienda: (1) integrar las intevenciones para fortalecer la economía mediante la realización de actividades de desarrollo complementarias; (2) realizar un profundo análisis formativo destinado a orientar el diseño de programas; y (3) hacer uso de circuitos de retroalimentación comunitarios. Los operadores de desarrollo, ARTICLE HISTORY

Reflections on human rights education from the orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) sector in Mozambique

“…The recent rejection of rights-based approaches by the NGO-sector is based on a strategic drive for less institutionalised and more flexible rights talk as a frame for the associated agency (Miller, 2017). Understanding the complexity of child well-being finds resonance in integrated approaches and interventions, such as economic strengthening initiatives and reciprocal effects of formative assessment (for programme design) and feedback loops for policy and practice adaptations (Rutherford & Bachay, 2017).…”

“…It represents a nonconfrontational or soft approach by mainstreaming activities within a human rights education (HRE) framework, evidenced in direct stakeholder engagement (Bajaj, 2012). This approach ensured the creation of some community-based feedback loops for an integrated approach as proposed by Rutherford and Bachay (2017). The recruitment of social workers and other government officials as Friendly Neighbours represented a strategy to ensure that such feedback loops were effective.…”

Cash Transfer Programmes in Pakistan through a Child Well-Being Lens

“…Since first launched in Mexico and Brazil in the late 1990s, cash transfer programmes (CTPs) have rapidly spread across the world and now play a prominent role in government social protection and anti-poverty strategies (Rutherford and Bachay 2017;Peck and Theodore 2015). Many CTPs are selective and target specific groups, such as extremely poor households, and some also make cash payments conditional on specific actions by the recipients (Eskelinen and Perkiö 2018).…”