3-STEP QUICK GUIDE
TO
INCLUSIVE, QUALITY CHILD PROTECTION IN EMERGENCIES PROGRAMMING
INTRODUCTION
This guidance has been prepared by the CPWG to support actors engaged in CPiE to design and implement
inclusive, quality programs across different areas of CP work. The content of this guide is informed by a
review of CP projects submitted to the 2013 CAP, findings from a recent protection funding study, and
discussions with donors on how to secure increased funding for CP projects,
This guidance aims to:
 Support the development of robust, good quality CP projects (and avoid the development of poor
quality CP initiatives with potentially counter-protective impact)
 Improve CP response in emergencies and outcomes for children
 Ensure that CP work in humanitarian settings is carried out in line with the Minimum Standards for
Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS)
 Build awareness/appreciation among those involved in CP program design of critical elements
and standards that are fundamental to quality programming and positive protective impact, the
strength of which can be used as points of advocacy with donors in efforts to secure funding
The 3 steps contained in this guide highlight critical aspects of good CPiE programming that should be
considered and reflected in 3 key sections of your project proposals:
1. Needs assessment & analysis – what are the specific needs of different groups within your target
population? Explain the impact of the crisis on boys and girls from diverse groups within the
population (eg religious, ethnic, language groups etc), and the distinct risks, needs and priorities
of boys, girls, adolescents from these various groups
2. Project design and activities - make sure your activities match the needs of different groups of
boys and girls identified in your needs analysis, and take into account attitudes and practices in
the social context which may make it difficult for girls or boys from certain groups in the
population to participate in your activities?
3. Project outcomes and anticipated impact - Explain your objectives clearly in terms of expected
results for different groups of children in the target population. Explain how you will monitor the
impact of your project activities. What changes do you expect your project will bring about for the
different groups of children targeted? How will they benefit from the project?
Remember that throughout your project proposal, data on needs, targets and indicators should be
disaggregated by sex and age wherever possible.
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STEP 1: UNMASK THE ‘FACELESS CROWD’ - CONSIDER CORE ISSUES OF DIVERSITY WITHIN THE AFFECTED
POPULATION AS PART OF YOUR NEEDS ASSESSMENT AND ANALYSIS
In an emergency context, all affected people are vulnerable. Identifying
the most vulnerable within the affected population and finding ways to
ensure that their specific needs are met, is a critical protection
responsibility. Every situation is different, requiring sound vulnerability,
capacity and context analysis to guide our decision-making. Women,
men, boys and girls of all ages may require special interventions or
support depending on their circumstances and the different risks they
face.
Too often in our project proposals, we refer generally to ‘vulnerable
children’, ‘affected population’, ‘displaced families’, ‘adolescents’, etc - as
if all people in these groups are affected in the same way by the crisis.
These words reflect and shape our way of thinking about humanitarian
interventions, making invisible the fact that humanitarian situations have
profoundly different impacts on the diverse range of people in these groupings.
Instead we should recognise the diversity that exists within our target
populations and explore the specific risks and vulnerabilities affecting
different members of the population. The process of analysing the specific
needs and experiences of key groups within your target population is a
process of recognising the real lives and human faces of those affected.
Vulnerability may arise from a range of factors including inequality, social
divisions, power dynamics, discrimination or stigma (ie based on gender,
age, religion, ethnicity, nationality, disability, sexuality, caste, class,
geographical origin, language, socio-economic status, health status,
educational level, social grouping or other personal characteristics) and
can place individuals/families/communities at risk of violence, abuse,
exclusion, exploitation and neglect. Factors contributing to vulnerability
often exist prior to an emergency and are exacerbated by the crisis.
CP programmes should demonstrate analysis of the diverse groups within the population in order to identify
the most vulnerable, assess the risks and threats they face, understand their specific needs and their
respective capacities to respond to the crisis context. Core issues of diversity and potential dimensions of
discrimination/exclusion include:
 Gender
 Age
 Disability
 HIV/AIDS - children affected by HIV may be at particular risk of stigma and discrimination
 Other relevant aspects of diversity according to the context (eg. religion, language, ethnicity, host
community/displaced persons etc)
It is essential that specific vulnerabilities of diverse groups in the community are taken into account in your
programming. Use secondary data and other relevant information to gain an understanding of which children
are commonly excluded in the national or local context, and the causes and consequences of their exclusion.
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Some of the groups of children most often excluded are:
 Children with disabilities
 Child-headed households
 LGBTI children
 Children living and working on the streets
 Children affected by HIV
 Children without appropriate care
 Children in the worst forms of child labour
 Children born out of wedlock
 Children living in residential care or detention
Children falling within these groups can experience exclusion in different ways, such as exclusion from
schools, community facilities, access to livelihoods, access to education, participation in home or community
life, and from access to basic services and resources.
In your needs assessment, ensure that information gathered about the target population covers the diversity of
groups within the population, including those who may be excluded or not readily visible in rapid assessments.
Make sure that the information gathered can be separated and analysed in a way that enables understanding
of the distinct needs, risks and priorities of each sub-group. At minimum, collect information in a way that
identifies the sex and age of those in your target population so that you can understand the different
experiences of boys and girls of different ages within the population.
In your needs analysis, try to explore the following questions:
 What is the impact of the crisis on different groups of children in the affected population (eg boys and
girls with disabilities; boys and girls from ethnic or religious minority groups, boys and girls from host
and displaced communities etc)?
 What are some of the different protection risks, needs and priorities, as well as differences in social
participation and access to humanitarian assistance faced by the diverse groups of children within the
affected population?
STEP 2: CONSULT THE CHILD PROTECTION MINIMUM STANDARDS IN HUMANITARIAN ACTION (CPMS) AS YOU
DEVELOP YOUR PROJECT DESIGN AND ACTIVITIES
In designing your CP programmes, the CPMS should be your starting point. The CPMS provides clear
standards, key preparedness and response actions, guidance notes, and indicators in a user-friendly format
for each key area of CP work in humanitarian settings, as listed below:
 Dangers and Injuries
 Physical violence and other harmful practices
 Sexual Violence
 Psychosocial distress and mental disorders
 Children associated with armed forces and armed groups
 Child labour
 Unaccompanied and separated children
 Justice for Children
The CPMS also provides standards, key actions, guidance and indicators for developing child protection
strategies including:
 Case Management
 Community-based mechanisms
 Child-friendly spaces
 Protecting excluded children
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In preparing your project sheets/proposals, you should contextualise and apply the minimum standards
applicable to your area of child protection work.
Recalling Step 1, in outlining your project activities, try to explore the following questions:
 How do the project activities reflect considerations for children below 5 years as well as adolescents?
 How do the project activities reflect considerations for boys and girls?
 How do the project activities reflect considerations for different ethnic, religious or cultural groups?
 How do the project activities reflect an inclusive approach for children with different disabilities?
STEP 3: INTEGRATE CRITICAL ELEMENTS OF HUMANITARIAN PROGRAMMING AS THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL YOUR
INTERVENTIONS TO PROMOTE POSITIVE OUTCOMES AND PROTECTIVE IMPACT
The following protection principles and program commitments are fundamental to good humanitarian
programming. They should be applied and monitored throughout the project cycle. Demonstrating an
understanding of these issues and reflecting their integration in the design and delivery of your CPiE
interventions will strengthen your proposals/funding requests and ultimately contribute to better outcomes for
children.
Critical elements of humanitarian programming:
 Ensure safe and dignified access to/delivery of CP interventions (monitor implementation & solicit
regular feedback from diverse groups within your target population)
 Do no harm (avoid exposing crisis-affected children, families & the environment to further harm)
 Accountability to affected populations (eg. ensure that information is shared with affected
populations in appropriate ways; put in place feedback mechanisms, and processes for
receiving/responding to complaints)
 Strengthen existing formal and informal CP systems and build local capacity
 Integrate GBV prevention and response into CP interventions
 Integrate psychosocial support across CP interventions/programmes in line with the IASC MHPSS
guidelines
 Promote community participation and empowerment
 Identify the most vulnerable children with attention to diverse and excluded groups
 Non-discrimination & impartial assistance
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