CP MERG Core Members Annual Meeting (Virtual): Meeting Minutes
9 December 2014, 12:00 (EST); 17:00 (GMT)
For a recording of the meeting visit:
https://wvi.webex.com/wvi/lsr.php?RCID=d5893d5b5c7f44ecb99fa0aa845b3d71
Participants:
1. Sarah Lilley, Save the Children (CP MERG Co-Chair)
2. Bill Forbes, WVI (CP MERG Co-Chair)
3. Meri Ghorkhmazyan, Save the Children (CP MERG Co-Chair)
4. Karin Heissler, UNICEF (CP MERG Secretariat)
5. Caroline Bacquet, UNICEF (CP MERG Secretariat)
6. Ghazal Keshavarzian, CP MERG Consultant (CP MERG Secretariat)
7. Bill Bell, Save the Children
8. Mark Canavera, CPC Learning Network
9. Philip Cook, IICRD
10. Elsebeth Elo, Plan
11. Hur Hassnain, War Child UK
12. Martin Hayes, DCOF
13. Andrea Khan, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
14. Florence Martin, Better Care Network
15. Andrew Mawson, UNICEF IRC
16. Tom Pullman, The DHS Project
17. Mónica Ruiz-Casares, McGill University
18. Hugh Salmon, Family for Every Child (temporarily replacing Richard Ponsford who is
leaving Family for Every Child)
19. Tracey Shields, World Vision
20. Alice Shirley, Save the Children
21. Tina Tordjman-Nebe, UNICEF Evaluation Office
22. Fred Wulczyn, Chapin Hall Center for Children, University of Chicago
Regrets:
1. Katy Barnett and Fiamma Rupp, Child Protection Working Group
2. Claudia Cappa and Sam Bickel, UNICEF
3. Solène Edouard and Carmen Madriñán, Child Fund International
4. Deborah Fry, University of Edinburgh/NSPCC Child Protection Research (Scotland)
5. Lena Karlsson, Save the Children
6. Fassil Mariam, Oak Foundation
7. Nidhi Pundhir, PLAN
8. Rick Reinhart, Children and Adversity
9. Monika Sandvik-Nylund and Gita Swamy Meier-Ewert, UNHCR
10. Eva Smets, Watchlist
11. Eddy J. Walakira, Makerere University, School of Social Sciences
12. John Williamson, DCOF/USAID
13. ILO
1
Objective of the group webinar
 To discuss CP MERG announcements and progress on the 2014-2015 Work Plan with the
Core Members. Please refer to attached PowerPoint presentation and recording of the
meeting.
Welcome, opening and introductions (Bill Forbes)
 Bill introduced the purpose, objectives and agenda of the session.
 Meeting participants introduced themselves via chat.
CP MERG Announcements (Bill Forbes)
 Welcomed new Core Members, including representatives from child protection
networks, NGOs and academia
 Welcomed new representatives from Family for Every Child, PLAN, Child Fund
International and Oak Foundation.
 Announced new Co-Chair Meri Ghorkhmazyan, Global Monitoring and Evaluation
Adviser for Save the Children’s Child Protection Initiative. Meri will be replacing Sarah
Lilley while she is on maternity leave in 2015.
2014-2015 Workplan Progress and Results (Sarah Lilley)
 Provided a brief recap of the workplan four approaches and key priorities
 Overall goal of CP MERG is to improve the quality of monitoring, evaluation and
research in child protection and addresses the on-going global need for collaboration by
identifying and linking essential information regarding child protection and monitoring
and evaluation with the practitioners and researchers who need it.
Knowledge Management and Communication Update and Progress (Caroline Bacquet &
Ghazal Keshavarzian)
 Part-time Knowledge Management Consultant (1 day/week)
 Continued Quarterly newsletter: 294 individuals on mailing list (up from 225, Dec 2013)
and moved to Mail Chimp to help monitor readership. Metrics on that will be shared
periodically.
 Continued website additions and improvements, including: CP M&E Opportunities and
Useful Link Sections
 Technical briefing notes section on website and includes 3 briefs: (1) Survey
Programmes & Data Repositories; (2) Data Collection Tools; (3) Developing CP Indicators
 3 Webinars took place, including joint webinars with CPC Network, REPSSI and CP
Exchange
 Action item for Core Members:
o Request Core Members to share ideas for webinars, technical notes as well as
share key resources with the Secretariat by 30 January
Peer Review Update and Progress (Sarah Lilley)
 Started peer review in January 2014
 Goal is to improve technical quality of tools but also to serve as a forum of sharing with
the wider CP M&E community
 Created a database of peer reviewers, including new academics: peer reviewers review
maximum of two tools per year
2






Thus far the process has been one-on-one and the reviewers have individually filled out
the peer review template, with the co-chairs consolidating the input; there has been no
discussion
Peer reviewing: Regional Evaluation on Juvenile Justice (still on-going)
To-date one product has been peer reviewed: Retrak Tool - Use of the Child Status
Index to Measure Wellbeing of Street-Connected Children (Family for Every Child,
USAID, Better Care Network peer reviewers)
Received positive feedback from Retrak regarding the process and feedback received
Feedback from Core Members:
o Andrew Mawson: “My colleagues in the UNICEF Office of Research Knowledge
Management Unit are preparing a series of basic briefs on research and survey
methodologies -- what they can and cannot do, strengths, weaknesses etc. -aimed at both those commissioning and doing research. Strikes me that MERG
members might be good people to ask to peer review, if this fits the brief.”
Action Item for Core Members:
o Request Core Members to share requests for peer review since CP MERG has
the capacity to review more tools and resources. Please send requests to
secretariat@cpmerg.org
o If Core Members are interested in learning more about the peer review
function, visit: http://www.cpmerg.org/peer-review/
o Andrew Mawson to inform the Secretariat if these products are to be put
forward for peer review.
TWG on Measuring Violence Against Children Update (Karin Heissler on behalf of Claudia
Cappa, UNICEF)
 Chair of the TWG Claudia Cappa (UNICEF) was unable to join the meeting so Karin
Heissler presented on her behalf
 Members of the TWG include: Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, ILO,
UNICEF, Save the Children, ICF MACRO, Population Council, Plan International,
ChildFund and EU FRA.
 Objective: Established in 2011 to assist countries and partners in their efforts to gather
reliable, useful, comparable and ethically sensitive data on VAC.
 With the increased attention around VAC, in particular in the post MDG framework
discussions, this TWG has played a key role.
 Achievements and activities to date:
o First report: Ethical Principles, Dilemmas and Risks in Collecting Data on VAC: A
Review of Available Literature
o Second report: Measuring VAC against Children: Inventory and Assessment of
Quantitative Studies
o Webinars on the two reports
 Discussion pending for planned activities for 2015 and taking forward the work of the
TWG
 UNICEF is a member of the UN Statistical Division and planning to develop guidelines on
collecting data on VAC. How this work could link to the TWG needs to be discussed with
the members.
 Action Item for Core Members:
3
o
Please let Claudia or the Secretariat know if you are interested in helping to
draft or to implement the next chapter of this work and taking on a more
prominent role in the TWG by 30 January.
TWG on Children and Care (Florence Martin, Better Care Network)
 Taken time to set up this TWG but in 2014 the TWG has moved forward with chairs,
membership, TOR and undertaken a number of key activities
 Chairs are Florence Martin (Better Care Network) and Jasmina Byrne (UNICEF Office of
Research- Innocenti). Jasmina replaces Richard Ponsford, Family for Every Child
 Members include: UNICEF; Save the Children; USAID Children in Adversity, DHS Team,
Office of HIV/AIDS; Brigham Young University; University College London; CPC Learning
Network; Child Trends; McGill University; PF4C; Children’s Institute, University of Cape
Town; OECD; Futures Institute; CPWG, SOS Children’s Villages; MICS
 Broad range of members, membership is based on both expertise and interest in the
priority areas of the TWG TOR
 Objective: Aims to strengthen the methodologies and data collection systems to
measure and monitor the situation of children at risk of, or deprived of adequate
parental or family care, and the impact of responses and systems in place to ensure they
are provided with appropriate care (including measures to prevent separation and the
provision of appropriate alternatives care options).
 Focus of TWG is on the use of DHS/MICS data – how do we use it and how the service
can be strengthened?
 Achievements and activities to date:
o TWG organised a Round Table Expert Meeting on the use of DHS/MICS data
relevant to children's care on the 9-10th September 2014 in New York. Key
outcomes from meeting was: (a) the need to develop interagency guidelines on
the use of population surveys; (b) need to strengthen the surveys
o Report of the Round Table Meeting is being finalised
o Planning including fundraising for a review of existing surveys and literature to
develop strong indicators for the DHS and MICS relevant to children’s care has
begun.
 Planned activities for 2015:
o Drafting and finalisation of Inter-Agency Guidance on the use of population
surveys
o Development of concept note and proposed budget for a review of existing
surveys and literature to develop strong indicators for the DHS and MICS
relevant to children’s care that could be field tested in a number of countries.
TWG on National Child Protection Data Systems (Bill Forbes)
 Bill Forbes presented on behalf of the co-chairs: PLAN International (Nidhi Pundhir) and
UNICEF Kenya Country Office (Anna Berg)
 TWG is still in the very early stages of development
 Number of organisations have expressed interest in the TWG, including: World Vision;
IRC; UNICEF; TdH; USAID; Global Social Welfare Workforce Alliance; Maestral; Child
Frontiers; UC Denver; UNC; SOS Children’s Villages; Futures Group
 Objective: To act as a common platform represented by various organizations where
concrete exchange can take place on the form, capacities and gaps in the national child
protection data systems.
4




Achievements and activities to date: Recruiting members
Planned activities for 2015: Hold team call in January and develop/finalise TOR by
March
Feedback from Core Members
 Mark Canavera/CPC Learning Network: Recommended including government
representatives to join the TWG
 Philip Cook: Recommend linking with ECD community since there is a lot of
CP/ECD work happening around M&E. Philip to send contacts to Nidhi
Action Item for Core Members:
 Get in touch with Nidhi or Secretariat if you are interested in the TWG or have
suggestions or ideas for the group by 30 January
TWG on Improving Project & Programme Level M&E Approaches (Alice Shirley)
 TWG just started the second half of 2014
 Chairs are Alice Shirley (Save the Children) and Tracy Shields (World Vision).
 Members include: Joanna Wakia (Retrak), Boniface Beti Beti (Shangilia Mtoto Wa Africa
Street Childrens' Trust), Anna Berg (UNICEF Kenya). Representatives are drawn from
Nairobi which has a rich CP M&E community/network
 Challenge in recruiting members since the TWG is looking for members who are
collecting data at programme/project level
 Draft Objective: To develop common project and programme level M&E frameworks,
indicators and tools across agencies in two pilot country settings
 Achievements and activities to date: Recruitment of members, two initial meetings and
brainstorming regarding pieces of work for 2015.
 Planned activities for 2015: Subject to funding, Development of Child Protection M&E
Field Guide/ Guidelines – M&E tools and systems for CP projects with limited resources
(inspired by Retrak tool)
 Action item for Core Members:
o Looking to expand the membership of the group so would welcome
recommendations on suitable organisations/ people who have a strong
background in project and programme level M&E approaches in CP
o Recommendations for consultants to develop Field Guide/Guidelines
Fundraising (Sarah Lilley)
 CP MERG has depended on in-kind contributions of Chairs and Secretariat and funds
from UNICEF to support the Knowledge Management function,. but in order for CP
MERG to have wider impact, there is a need for additional funding
 Concept note developed in March 2014
 Input from Core Members:
o Mónica Ruiz-Casares, McGill University: Possibly of funding via SSHRC (Social
Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada) need to plan a year ahead
but may be a possibility. Monica to share information with Co-Chairs
 Action Item for Core Members:
 Please share suggestions for fundraising (such as potential donors) to Bill or
Meri
5
Q&A and Discussion for ideas for 2015 (facilitated by Bill Forbes)
 Karin/Caroline: UNICEF has developed a CP Planning and M&E Resource Pack for UNICEF
staff which will be available in in March 2015. Following an assessment of capacity
building needs in the Child Protection sector, and with the necessary resources, UNICEF
could share this more widely via e-learning courses open to the wider CP community.
Before doing so, UNICEF is keen to discuss with members of the CP MERG and others
interested in strengthening child protection M&E across the sector more broadly for
ideas/suggestions.
 Feedback from Core Members:
o Alice/Save the Children: Save the Children developed a course on Monitoring,
Evaluation, Accountability and Learning and is open access (Slide 16 is on Child
Protection M&E):
http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/course/view.php?id=1641. There is an
appetite with Save the Children staff for M&E courses since there is not much
available that is specific to CP M&E
o Hur Hassnain, War Child UK: Supports this initiative
o Elsebeth Elo, Plan: Supports this initiative
o Bill Forbes: Can learn from CPWG experiences in training
o Andrew Khan: Very good idea. There are a number of good virtual capacity
building resources which this initiative could learn from or possibly link to, such
as the package of courses are available via HREA, hrea.org. Post MDG context
essential for CP community to have capacity to do M&E. The following online
donor driven website is another resource, http://www.learn4dev.net/
o Philip Cook: IICRD have been developing CPM&E on line training materials to be
offered through Royal Roads University and will be collaborating with Columbia
University and the CPCLN in offering on line, webinars and other training
opportunities next year
o Mark Canavera: Suggested looking at the various child protection-related
curricula developed globally the last few years; a lot of work in this area
 Florence Martin: Galway University has also produced an interesting paper for Eurochild
looking at the use of different methodologies for evaluation interventions, including the
appropriateness of randomized control trials (RCTs) and other methods to measure the
effectiveness of social interventions. It would be great to share that with the members
of the CP MERG. Florence will follow-up with Eurochild and will share.
 Philip and Monica: Possibility of linking with graduate students to support the work of
CP MERG
 Action Items:
o UNICEF HQ (Jennifer Keane) will organise a call to discuss the development of an
e-learning course based on the CP Planning and M&E Resource Pack by end of
March.
o Florence will follow-up with Eurochild regarding the different methodologies for
evaluation interventions and will share.
o Secretariat will upload these resources identified onto the CP MERG website
6