Conducting a Child Protection

Rapid Assessment

Picture by: Janet Ousley

Training material developed by: Hani Mansourian

Arriving at the Site

Upon arrival at the site,

the team is responsible to:

- Inform local authorities about the purpose of the assessment;

- Select Key Informants (KIs);

- Identify an appropriate location for conducting interviews;

- Inform KIs about the location and time of the interview.

Who is a Key Informants

- A Key Informant (KI) is anyone who can provide information or opinion on a specific subject (or group of issues) based on her/his experience and knowledge of the community we are trying to assess;

- KIs should be identified based on their roles in community and on whether we are confident they can provide a good-enough representation of the views or situation of children in the community/population in question;

- Key informants do not necessarily have to be in positions of power.

How to Select a Key Informant Interview

In choosing the key informants, consider whether:• There is reason to believe that they have significant

knowledge of the situation of the population of interest; • They will be able to understand the questions;• Their personal experience is representative of the

community, and if not whether this will affect their answers. (e.g. having a higher level of education than other community members);

• key informants have an ‘agenda’ that significantly biases their answers. While everyone might have a personal agenda, such biases should be taken into consideration in the selection and analysis.

How Many KIIs is Enough?

• The number of key informants interviewed for each site is dependant on the number of sites in your sample; available resources and time; and the homogeneity of each site. A minimum of 3 key informants interviews are recommended for each site.

In addition:• at least two of the KIs should be working directly with

children in some capacity on a day to day basis;• gender balance should be considered. At least one of the

Kis should be a woman;• at least one of the KIs should hold some overall

responsibility for the population. (e.g. a local chief, camp manager, religious leader, etc.)

Opening and Closing an Interview

• Introduce yourself and your organization to respondents, and explain the purpose of the assessment;

• In case of displacement, make it clear that the questions are about the situation of children where the KI currently lives (and not his/her normal home).

• Do NOT make any promises or raise expectations for assistance;

• Obtain informed consent orally and if necessary in writing;• Write clearly and briefly;• Observe and respect cultural principles and norms;• Respect interviewees’ time. KII should not go beyond one

hour;

Opening and Closing an Interview(continued)

• ensure that your questions and the answers you are receiving are not putting the interviewee in danger of negative repercussions. Beware of types of information that may be socially or politically sensitive (Do No Harm);

• Close the interview by thanking the interviewee for their time and contribution;

• Repeat the purpose of the interview and clarify that the interview does not mean that the interviewee or his/her community will necessarily get any direct or indirect support. However, the result of the assessment will help humanitarian organizations better program in the area of child protection.

Daily Debriefing Sessions

Daily debriefing sessions are one of the most important tasks of a supervisor and are at the core of an efficient data management process.

Daily debriefing sessions have three main objectives:

1. Clean the data;

2. Address logistical and technical problems;

3. Compile site reports.

Daily de-Briefing SessionsChecklist

• Review and discuss all filled questionnaires– Detect potential error patters in filling the

questionnaires– Address difficulties in answering

questions/sensitive topics– Acknowledge and comment on innovations (if

any) and discuss their relevance to other contexts;

• Compile site reports (when all the KIIs and the DO forms are filled out for the sites in question);

Daily de-Briefing SessionsChecklist (continued)

• Discuss logistical concerns/difficulties;• Discuss and refer (if necessary) Urgent Action

cases ;• Detect potential inconsistencies in information

provided to different assessors (triangulation) and if necessary, void certain questionnaires that present significant bias on the part of the KI;

• Write detailed reports of all discussions and agreements and share with the team the following day.

Urgent ActionDefinition

Urgent Action is deemed necessary in the occasion when an individual case comes to the attention of the assessor. The CPRAWG is responsible for defining the criteria for urgent action and establishing a well-defined procedure for referral services. Note: Cases are not to be actively sought during the assessment.

Urgent ActionCriteria

The criteria for what will constitute an ‘urgent action’ case should be developed by the CPRAWG – this must be based on the local context/scenario, but could include things such as: unaccompanied child with no care; active recruitment or abduction; recent case of sexual violence, etc;

- Please take 10 minutes to read through handout #6 and pose questions if any.

Urgent ActionStandard Operating Procedure

A clear referral pathway/standard operating procedure (SOP) needs to be established by the CPRAWG. A suggested SOP follows: Assessor encounters a case/urgent situation assessor to call on assessment team supervisor to consult supervisor to complete urgent action form team supervisor to send/refer forms to provincial assessment focal point provincial assessment focal point to refer case to relevant CP actors; provincial assessment focal point to send/refer forms to national level CPWG coordinator to refer case to relevant CP actors relevant CP Actors to follow-up on case/situation….

Confidentiality and Ethical Considerations

• Assessments are “interventions” in themselves;

• Assessments can be a positive experiences or a disrupting one for the population. This is especially the case during the immediate aftermath of an emergency;

• Our guiding principle during any assessment should be the two principles of “do no harm” and “best interest of the child.”

Confidentiality and Ethical Considerations(Continued)

An ethical approach to rapid assessment requires:• A commitment to follow-up action, as necessary;• Identifying and finding ways to support community coping

mechanisms that are not violating basic rights of or harming children;

• Considering potential negative effects of the assessment exercise, such as stigmatization; attracting unnecessary attention to a person or a group; or instilling unwarranted fear;

• Not creating false expectations through honest communication with communities about the objectives of the assessment before and during the assessment

Confidentiality and Ethical Considerations(Continued)

- Confidentially can be defined as the restrictive management of sensitive information collected through assessments;

- It is also our responsibility to ensure the confidentiality of the information we have been entrusted with and to use it only for the purpose of the assessment;

- Revealing the source of information that has been given in confidence could put informants in danger and is a violation of research ethics.

- The research team should determine in advance how to handle incidents where information requiring urgent action is revealed in confidence but the informant does not want action taken.

Note: In cases where children may be in danger of severe harm, confidentiality may need to be breached. However, this should be done in consultation with senior child protection staff within Save the Children.

If You Decide to or Have to Directly Interact with Children

• Introduce yourself• Create trust• Use simple language• Be patient• Make sure you have adequate

privacy• Be sensitive to children’s

emotions• Ask the children for permission• Keep children's views and

answers confidential• Be flexible and creative• Listen to and respect children's

views

• Record exactly what children say

• Lower yourself physically to the level of children, don't stand over them or sit on a chair, sit with them on the floor

• Be self-critical, reflect on your behaviour towards children

• Show interest and respect for children's opinions, knowledge and skills

• Let them do things for themselves, in their own way

• Use methods that allow children to express their views, knowledge and skills.