Curriculum Vitae
Nico van Oudenhoven
September, 2014
Personal data:
Date of Birth: 15 July 1941. Male. Netherlands nationality; two sons, Harm, 8 Juni 1967; Rutger 3
December 1972. Married to Rona Jualla.
Address: In the Netherlands: Hooglandse Kerkgracht 24, 2312 HV Leiden, Telephones: Land:
+31 71 514 3165. In Canada: 2 Salter Court, Enniskillen, L0B 1J0, Ontario. Tel. +1905 263 2888
Mobile: +31 6 517 91857; E-mail: Nico.vanoudenhoven@gmail.com
(personal) and
Nico@ICDI.nl (office).
Areas of expertise/interest/experience:

Early Child Development

formal and non-formal education (pre-school and basic education),

capacity building and teacher training;

children and youth issues;

policy development and programme design for children and youth;

international development;

programme and project research and evaluation;

management international NGOs, Universities, UN organisations and governments;

management development organizations.
Extensive work experience at the intersection of research, policy making and programme
development in Asia, Africa, Latin and North America, Central, Eastern and Western
Europe. Working relationships with, among others, Asian Development Bank, European
Commission, Nuffic Foundation, Open Society Institute, Save the Children Norway, The
World Bank, UNESCO, UNICEF, International Youth Foundation, the Netherlands
Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and Health, Welfare and Sport and a range of development
NGOs.
Recognition:
Knighthood: Officer in the Order of Orange Nassau.
Pancras West: Oustanding Neighbour Award, 2010.
Honorary member Oud Hollandse Capucijner Club
Educational record:
Ph.D. Social Sciences, University of Leiden, The Netherlands, 1969; M.A. Developmental
Psychology with special attention to child, clinical and educational psychology, also majored in
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industrial psychology. University of Leiden, the Netherlands, 1964.
Work experience:
Field experience with children and youth issues in some 70 countries world wide.
2007 onwards: Senior Associate, International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI); see below.
1994-2007: Co-founder and director, ‘International Child Development Initiatives’ (ICDI),
Leiden, The Netherlands; after 2006: Senior Associate. ICDI has a mandate to develop and
strengthen programmes for children in adverse situations. Specific competencies include policy
development, programme design; training and consultancy support; programme evaluation; and
research in related areas.
ICDI clients include the Dutch Ministry of Welfare, Health and Sport, International Youth
Foundation, Averroès/UNESCO Regional European Centre for Early Education, Asian
Development Bank, High/Scope UK, UNICEF, The World Bank, Schiefbaan Hovius Fund,
Redd Barna (Norway), European Commission and UNESCO and a range of local NGOs in
Central and South Asia, the Caribbean Region, Eastern and Central Europe, Palestine, Russia,
East, West and South Africa, Suriname.
2002-2009: Co-founder of International Centre of Child and Youth Studies (ICCYS- a joint
initiative by ICDI and the Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, the Netherlands).
1995 -1998: Senior Adviser, Averroès-UNESCO European Training Centre for Child
Development and the Family. (Amsterdam, The Netherlands).
1983 - 1994: Bernard van Leer Foundation, The Hague, the Netherlands. Function: Deputy
Executive Director. End responsibility for programme development, research and dissemination
in the context of about 150 ECD intervention programmes in over 45 countries.
1987-1988 : Guest lecturer. Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
1978 - 1983 : UNICEF, New York, USA. Function: Adviser, Child Development. Specialised
advice on UNICEF’s international programme for children and families and on regional and
national strategies and capacity building in the area of ECCE. Strengthening the ‘child
development’ dimension within UNICEF. Function: Development Education Officer. Promotion
of child advocacy and awareness of developmental issues in ‘developed’ nations. Designing and
promoting global and national strategies concerning policy, education and training. Designing of
prototype teaching and learning materials, curricula and education programmes.
1973-1978 : UNESCO. Kabul, Afghanistan. Function: Staff member, Academy for Teacher
Educators. Teaching in psychology, education and research methods. Adviser, Educational
Broadcasting Centre. Adviser, Functional Literacy.
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1964-1978 : University of Leiden, The Netherlands. Function: Acting Head, Department of
Developmental Psychology. Research and teaching in the field of child psychology and education.
1966-1977 : De Hartekamp, (institute for mentally retarded persons) Heemstede, The
Netherlands. Function: Member of Management Team. Director, Social Development
Department. Final responsibility for therapeutic and educational programmes related to over 400
residents and a staff of over 200 persons.
Publications:
Over one hundred publications on child development issues.
Books and monographs:
Culturised Early Childhood Development: the Well-Being and Healthy Development of Young Boys and Girls,
with Rona Jualla van Oudenhoven, Garant, Antwerp, 2014.
New Horizons A Fresh Look at Early Childhood Development in Turkey, Eds, with Jeroen Aarssen, Niha,
Ankara, 2012.
The Universal Psycho-Social Indicator for Five-Year-Old Children, the UPSI-5, et al. Garant, Antwerp,
2012.
Geweldloos opvoeden in Suriname (Non-violent education in Suriname), with Sharon Headly-Geerlings,
SR, Paramaribo, 2011.
ECD-QUAT (Early Childhood Education Quality Assessment Tool), an instrument to measure
the quality of ECD services, with Rona Jualla Van Oudenhoven. ICDI, Leiden, 2012.
BOYS- QUAT; a quality assessment tool to measure the quality of services for girls and young
women. ICDI, Leiden, 2012.
GIRLS’-QUAT; a quality assessment tool to measure the quality of services for girls and young
women. ICDI, Leiden, 2012.
The Newly Emerging Needs of Children: an Exploration, with Rekha Wazir, Antwerp, Garant, 2006.
Stakeholders in Foster Care: An International Comparative Study, , Antwerp, Garant, (April 2002,
Spanish edition in 2003, Bulgarian edition in 2004; Korean edition in 2005). Translations into
Bulgarian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian and Slovak.
Stakeholders in Foster Care, with Shanti George, Antwerp, Garant, 2002, translations into Bulgarian,
Spanish.
Jong in Den Haag 2001, with Ivet Pieper and Tako Engelfriet, ICDI, 2001 (A comprehensive report
on the situation of children and youth in The Hague).
Child Sexual Abuse: What Can Governments Do?, A comparative review of policies in five European
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countries. co-editor, with Rekha Wazir, Den Haag, Kluwer (1998);
Afghan Common Street Games, Swetz and Zeitlinger, Lisse (1979);
Debielen zijn gewone mensen (on social adjustment of mentally retarded people), ed, Swetz and
Zeitlinger, Lisse (1973, various reprints);
Debielen in de Maatschappij (on social development of mentally retarded adolescents), Swetz and
Zeitlinger, Lisse (1969, various reprints);
Schoolcarrière Onderzoek (in collaboration with C.F.J. van Oudenhoven) on prediction of social
success with school performance as predicting variable, Bonaventura Lyceum, Leiden (1969).
More recent papers:
'Quality measurement as narrative', with Margaret Kernan and Mathijs Euwema, Measuring and
improving quality in early childhood environments, Technical Consultation, ISSA, Leiden, 1012 September 2014.
The not-so-soft power of culture and diversity (With Rona Jualla-van Oudenhoven), Amity
Journal of Human Behaviour and Development Issues, Spring 2014.
There’s more to ECD than teaching the ‘R-Rs’ at ever earlier ages, with Rona Jualla van
Oudenhoven, An Leanb Óg, Volume 7, pg 129-145, 2013.
Indicators, scales and other measurement devices for use in ECD settings, an international
overview. Paper presented at International Seminar on ECD Quality Issues, Russian Training
Center, Institute of Management in Education, Russian Academy of Education, Moscow, 1-2
December, 2011.
The Positive Deviance Approach to Worrisome Children and Youth Issues. Pointers for Policy
Action in Kenya (2011), with Rona Jualla. ICDI, Leiden.
‘Сommunity-based Early Years Services: the Golden Triangle of Informal, Nonformal and
Formal Approaches’, with Rona Jualla, Psychological Science and Education #3/2010, Pages 22-31.
Nova Razmišljanja i Politike, Inovativni Pristupi Naučene Lejcije (2010), CIP, Belgrade.
Procena Kvaliteta Neformalhih I Informalnih Aktivnosti I Programa Usmerenih Na Rani Rast,
Rasvoj I Uenje (with Iordan Iossifof) (2010) CIP, Belgrade.
Non-formele vrijetijdsbesteding, de weg naar integratie? (Non-formal leisure time, de road to
integration?) (2010), ICDI, Leiden, with Mathijs Euwema and Rutger van Oudenhoven.
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Children’s Issues in International Perspectives (2010), with Rona Jualla, Council of the Bar of The
Hague,Assembly of the International Legal Network, The Hague.
Community-based Early Years Services: The Golden Triangle of Informal, Non-Formal and
Formal Early Childhood Education, Background Paper, Members Exchange Seminar Report
Early Years Education and Care, EuroChild, 29 September-1 October, Tallinn (2010), with
Margaret Kernan
Evaluation : Voluntary Services Overseas's project "Promoting inclusiv primary education in Tak province", UBS
Optimus, Basel (2010), with Rona Jualla.
Сommunity-based Early Years Services: the Golden Triangle of Informal, Nonformal and Formal
Approaches, Psychological Science and Education #3/2010, Pages 22-31, with Rona Jualla.
‘Lowering the Tolerance towards Violence against Children; Lessons from Nicaragua and
Trinidad & Tobago’, with Rona Jualla, Salises, Kingston, 2010.
‘Policy Review Early Childhood Care and Education Quality, In Krasnoyarsk Kray, Observations
and Recommendations’, UNESCO, Moscow, 2009.
‘De veranderende wereld van het kind’ (The changing World of the child), with Jo Kloprogge
(2007), Sardes Special Edition.
‘Growing up in Institutions; Strength in Vulnerability: Lessons from Bulgarian children. (2007),
Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation, Sofia.
‘Kinderen en jongeren als bouwers van het Nieuwe Europa’ (Children and young people as
builders of the New Europe), Intermezzo, 6, 2004.
‘The future of Europe is in our children’s hands’, Conference‘The Development of Civil Society
by Means of Children and Young People: Life Skills – New Strategy of Success’, The Children of
Slovakia Foundation, Bratislava, 22-23 October, 2004.
‘The Roar of the Lion; Interventions for Marginalised Children and Youth in International
Perspective’, International Conference on Palestinian Children under Military Occupation and
Policies of Discrimination, Empowering Palestinian children in the face of continuous stress and
deprivation’, Ramallah,17-20 September, 2004.
‘Tajikistan: what options for ECD’, Step by Step Foundation, Budapest, April, 2004.
‘Hulp aan Suriname wel doelmatig’, Times of Suriname, 10 March, Vol 01, # 65, 2004.
‘Now the Children speak up, Report of an evaluation Mission to Assess “Children at Risk: Child
Migration and Child Labour”, a joint project of Plan Nepal and CWIN, with Rekha Wazir,
Kathmandu.
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Early Child Development in global policy perspectives (2003) In: Kees Broekhof (ed) 2003,
Ethnic and cultural minorities in education, Sardes European Accession Series, Volume 3,
Utrecht.
The Hand That Pulls Us Out of the Water, Report of an Evaluation Mission concerning the Trust
for Programs for Early Childhood, Family and Community Education, Jerusalem. With Samar
Zidane and Fadwa al-Labadi, ICDI, January, 2003.
Newly emerging needs of children and youth. Workshop, World Conference, International
Council of Social Welfare, Rotterdam, 24-27 June, 2002. With Ivet Pieper.
Bridging the gap between municipal policies and the worlds of children and youth. Workshop,
World Conference, International Council of Social Welfare, Rotterdam, 24-27 June, 2002. With
Ivet Pieper.
Netherlands Experiences in Youth Policy, UNICEF-The World Bank Conference, Youth in
South Eastern Europe, Policy for Participation, Empowerment and Social Inclusion Rome, Italy,
29-31 May 2002
Early Child Development in Global Perspectives, International Project Ethnic and Cultural
Minorities in Education, Under the Auspices of Ministry of Education, Poland & Sardes, the
Netherland. Krakow, February 2002.
Foster care beyond the crossroads: an international comparative analysis, with Shanti George and
Rekha Wazir, IFCO 2001, 15-20 July, Veldhoven.
ECD in Macedonia: Scenarios for Policy, Programme Development and Practice. With Rekha
Wazir, Fact finding report for UNICEF, Skopje, July 2001.
Early Childhood Care and Development. With Rekha Wazir. India: Policy Perspectives”, paper
presented at the workshop on “Women Workers: An Agenda for the Future”, 19-20 March, New
Delhi, organised by the Study Group on Women Workers and Child Labour, National
Commission on Labour.
Making projects work, Social Development and International Knowledge Exchange. With Rekha
Wazir. ICDI/SOVEC, Leiden, The Hague, 2001.
Acesso à educação infantil: uma estratėgia para promover a integração social, with Eliana Bhering
and Rekha Wazir, Alcance, ano vii, n2, julho 2000;
Young Children in South Africa: Their Wellbeing and Future, A Statement on the ECD Work of
High/Scope UK in South Africa, Leiden, December, 2000;
Social franchising and programmes for reproductive health in adolescents, Keynote address at
German Foundation for World Population (DSW) workshop, Nairobi, May/June, 2000;
Sustainability & Going to Scale, Presentation at European Smoking Prevention Framework for
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Action (ESFA) workshop, Maastricht, April, 2000;
Import or export of social innovation. Presentation at the NIZW ‘Innovation in care and welfare’
workshop, Utrecht, November, 1999;
Prospects for Viet Nam’s Rural Children: a Study on Early Childhood Care, with Nhom Chan
Troi Moi, UNICEF, Ha Noi, 1999;
Access to Early Childhood Development: Strategies for Enhancing Social Integration, with Rekha
Wazir. In John Bennet (ed) European Policy Conference on Early Childhood Education as a Structural
Approach to Integrating Children and Families at Risk: A Challenge for Policy Makers.UNESCO, Paris,
1999;
Why ECD? Ten good reasons. Introduction to European Union-Mediterranean/North African
Nations Workshop on ‘Health and Social Welfare’, Amsterdam, September, 1998;
Child and School, are they ready for each other? Basic education for children in poor and remote
rural areas, with Rekha Wazir. In: Rogier Van ‘t Rood (ed). Taking Care of Living Together,
Sonnet, Amsterdam, 1998;
The Nok Nhoung or Children, Communities and Schools Project (Laos PDR, MoE & RB Lao),
Redd Barna, Vientiane, 1998;
Increasing the Coverage of Social Programmes, with Rekha Wazir, International Social Science Journal,
No.155, March 1998;
Replicating Social Programmes: Approaches, Strategies and Conceptual Issues, with Rekha Wazir,
Management of Social Transformation, UNESCO, Paris, 1998;
Increasing Coverage of Programmes for Children; Approaches, Strategies and Conceptual Issues,
with Rekha Wazir, in Marian Hanrahan and Bert Prinsen (eds), Community Health, Community Care,
Community Support. Utrecht, NIZW, 1997;
Early Intervention: Example of Practice, with Joyce Cordus, Action Research in Family and Early
Childhood, Monograph N0 8, Paris, UNESCO 1997;
Early Childhood Development and Social Integration: The Mediterranean Experience, (with
Rekha Wazir), Expert Meeting on Health and Social Welfare in the Euro-Mediterranean Region, The Hague,
December, 1997;
Partnership: a development strategy for children, with Rekha Wazir, Redd Barna, Thailand, Asian
Dialogue, 1997;
Exploring Partnership, with Rekha Wazir, Redd Barna Asia Seminar on Partnership, Phnom Penh,
Cambodia, 7-9 November, 1996;
Partners in Community Development: Lessons Learnt from Redd Barna-Thailand’s Community
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Development Programme, with Rekha Wazir, Redd Barna, Thailand, August 1996;
Replicating Youth Programmes: Approaches, Strategies and Conceptual Issues, with Rekha Wazir,
International Youth Foundation, March 1996;
Youth Policies and Programmes: Strategies for Internationalization and Dissemination, with
Rekha Wazir, "Challenge of Change -3", Amsterdam 10-14 January, 1996;
Partnerships for Children: A review of Redd Barna's programme in Thailand, with Rekha Wazir,
Asian Dialogue no 4, Redd Barna, Bangkok, 1996;
Intervention for Children: the role of Programme Developers. International Society for the Study
of Behavioral Development, ISSBD Conference, Amsterdam, June 1994;
Los Grupos de apoyo a las familias con niños pequeños y el sistema formal. Investigacion desarrollo,
1993, No3, pp 1-16;
Researchers, Programme Developers, and the Children out there. In: L. Eldering and P. Leseman:
Early Intervention and Culture. Unesco, Paris, 1993;
About Young Children, Policy Issues: a comparative assessment, Ministry of Local Government
and Housing, Windhoek (1992);
Young Children, Families, Support Groups and the Formal System, Santillana, Madrid (1991);
Over Interventies (About Interventions), WRR (Dutch Scientific Council on Policy Issues) The Hague,
(1991);
Children at Risk and Community Response, UNESCO, Paris (1989);
Various book reviews in ‘Development and Change’ and other journals.
Teaching materials and games:
Training courses for the Averroès/UNESCO Regional Training Centre.
Various teaching aids and games, including ‘the widely distributed and translated World Card Game,
posters, wall charts, study kits and films on development education, including the ABC awardwinning film A Tough Place to Play.
Professional affiliations:
Member, Editorial Board, Amity Journal of Human Behaviour and Development Issues, 2013 onwards.
Member of the Board, Bulgarian Child Development Initiatives, 2008 onwards
Vice-chairman of Board, ‘Kinderrechtenhuis Nederland’ (Child Rights House Netherlands), 2004
onwards.
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Member of the Supervisory Board of European Foundation for Street Children Worldwide, 20042007.
Member Supervisory Board RAAK (a Netherlands-based organisation to combat child abuse –
2003 onwards);
Deputy-Director, International Centre for Child and Youth Studies –ICCYS (2003 onwards);
Member of the Board, European Knowledge Exchange Forum (2001 onwards);
Member, Netherlands Commission for UNESCO, Committee on Education (1998-2003);
Chairman, Nederlands Meldpunt Vermissing (Netherlands Platform Missing Persons) (1997
2000);
Chairman, SPOLU International Foundation (1995-2006)
Chairman of the Board, SARDES (Netherlands Applied Educational Research and Advisory
Agency) (1994-2008);
Member, (Netherlands) National Committee for the Year of the Family (1994);
Member, Netherlands Commission for UNESCO, Task Force on Family, School and Literacy
(1992-1994);
Chairman, International Program Advisory Panel, International Youth Foundation (1991-1999);
Member, Supervisory Board, CESO (Dutch Institute for the study of education in developing
countries (1991-1995);
Member, Society for International Development (Netherlands Chapter, 1991 onwards);
Co-editor, Pro-Afghanistan Magazine ‘Azad’ (1984-1985);
Board Member, (Dutch) Committee for Afghanistan (1983-1986);
Board Member, UNICEF New York Staff Association (1981-1983);
Board Member, ‘AFRO-ARTS’ Cultural Center, Harlem, New York (1979-1983);
Editor, Development Education papers, UNICEF (1978-1983);
Co-editor, (International) Journal of Learning Disabilities (1971-1973).
Board Member, (Dutch) Organisation for Special Education (O&A) (1970-1973);
Co-editor, (Dutch) Journal for Special Education (1970-1973);
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Board Member, Society for Social Welfare for Leiden region (1970-1973);
Board Member, Halfway-House for Mentally Retarded Persons, The Haardstede, Leiden (19691973);
Founder and Board Member, (Dutch) Society of Psychologists working in the Field of Mental
Retardation (1966-1973);
Member, (Netherlands) Institute of Psychologists (1964 onwards);
Languages:
Proficient in English, Dutch (mother tongue). Good communication in French, German, Persian
(Farsi) and Spanish. Understanding of Portuguese.
References: Available on request.
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