Country Analysis, Statistical and Policy Template – how do the pieces fit together?

UNICEF GLOBAL STUDY ON CHILD POVERTY AND DISPARITIES

Sharmila Kurukulasuriya

Policy and Practice, June 2008

Agenda

Child Poverty Approach

Policy Template

Statistical Template

Using Data to inform Policy

What do we mean by child poverty?

Model A. Child poverty = overall poverty

E.g. World Bank: $1 a day per person

Model B. Child poverty = poverty of households with children

E.g. OECD: children in hholds <50% of median income

Model C. Child poverty = the ‘flip side’ of child well-being

E.g. Bradshaw & al. composite indices

Connects, complements (and challenges, forces to ‘re-think?’) different poverty conceptualizations – from a child perspective

Considers the many actors and influences that simultaneously impact a child’s life

Thinks multisectorally - how do policies and trends at different levels interact?

Fosters partnerships - how can interventions at different levels be complementary rather than competitive or disruptive

Advantages of a three-part approach

A-C B: household/ micro

C-B

A: national/macro C: individual child

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.”

Albert Einstein

Policy TemplatePART A: Context, Macroeconomics and Fiscal Space Key contextual factors National Poverty Reduction and/or development strategy

PART B: Policy Objectives, implementation, declared responsibilities, resources: to support access, use, equity and efficacy of:

•Child Nutrition• Health services for children and women• Child protection• Education services

to prevent/mitigate impact of risk/adversity and disadvantage through:• Family/household income and/or employment support

PART C: National Programme Inventory – including public private partnerships aimed at supporting outcomes by improving: access to and use, equity and efficacy of social services protection from risk, adversity and chronic poverty

Statistical Template

Follows the proposed country analysis outline:• Chapter 1 - Children and Development• Chapter 2 - Poverty and Children• Chapter 3 - Pillars of Well-being• Chapter 4 - A Strategy for Results

At three levels of analysis: • National/sub-national (region, residence)• Household and community (income poverty, size, work)• Individual characteristics (nutrition deprived, education

deprived)

Five outcome areas and 20 indicators proposed to look at disparities by subnational/household/child correlates1.Nutrition:

Child nutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight) and its correlates 2.Health:

Young child health (diorrhoea, ORT, fever, pneumonia treatment) and correlates

Adolescent health (HIV knowledge, counseling coverage on MCT) and correlates

3.Child protection: Birth registration and its correlates Orphanhood, vulnerability and its correlates Child labour (total, paid) and its correlates Early marriage (before 15 and 18) and its correlates

4.Education: Net primary school attendance and correlates

5.Social Protection/income: Women covered by health insurance Children receiving free medical supplies

Statistical Template (example-part 3)

Child Outcomes and the Policy Process

Child and gender equality outcomes

Child and gender equality policy effort

Descriptive and evidence-based analysis of child

poverty and disparities in outcomes

Statistical Template Policy Template

Anthropometric failure and breastfeeding practices in Tajikistan

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Wasted Underweight Stunted

Exclusively or partiallybreastfed

Fully weaned

Source: MICS 2005 and Angela Baschieri and Jane Falkingham (University of Southampton), 2007

Nutritional status by breastfeeding pattern for children less than 18 months

Breastfeeding practices in Tajikistan Most women in Tajikistan stop exclusively breastfeeding and switch to

a mix feeding pattern relatively early

Amongst children aged 6-23 months under 5 percent are either ‘exclusively’ or ‘almost exclusively’ breastfed.

As a result many children are exposed to the risk of poor nutrition and associated adverse developmental consequences.

Is family land ownership an effective policy against child malnutrition? (results of multivariate analysis)

They control for children age (months), region, mother education, wealth quintile, ethnicity, sanitation, household access to land, ownership of livestock

They found that children living in a households with access to land have higher probability of being underweight that those without access to land

Policies:• What goals are set for improving child outcomes? Relevant Laws?

Government expenditure? Are existing interventions reaching the poor?

Outcomes:• Who are the disadvantaged children? What about disparities in

outcomes and service/benefit use?

Causality:• What are the principal barriers that prevent services and benefits from

reaching the poor? What decision making power do women have in the family or household? Impact on child outcomes?

Strategy:• Is the evidence on policy limitations sufficient to propose alternative

policies? Which providers and decision makers are in the best position to do more? Scaling up of interventions? Inter-sectoral arrangements?

Child Outcomes and the Policy Process