Experiences and Reflections

Uganda Child Protection Sub Cluster Transition: Experiences & Reflections

Presented by: Agnes M.Wasike National Coordinator – CPWG

Historical facts 

Child protection was an Inter Agency Sub Cluster under the protection cluster of Humanitarian response to the armed conflict in northern Uganda effective 2005.

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Unicef led the child protection sub cluster alongside district local government staff (probation officers)

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Sub cluster meetings fed into the Protection cluster under leadership of UNHCR, Human Rights Commission and the government (Office of the Prime Minister).

CP Sub cluster Transition 

Cluster approach in Uganda was undertaken in 2009 with findings providing basis for transition

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Transition involved identification of government office to handover

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Process initially proved difficult since the protection cluster functioned more through sub clusters

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CP sub cluster eventually was 1st to transition within the Protection cluster. Unicef handed over sub cluster to Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development (Ministry with primary mandate for child protection).

Transition Process Cont’d 

Key question during transition – How would agencies that had been part of the sub cluster continue working together under government leadership in absence of a joint work plan?

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The answer was to form a National Child Protection Working Group followed by designing a Child Protection Recovery strategy for Northern Uganda (2009- 2011).

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The strategy defined initial TORs for the National CPWG and provided basis for a joint work-plan.

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Initial CPWG plan was to ensure that the CP Recovery strategy was incorporated within the PRDP (government Program for Reconstruction and Development of Northern Uganda) under Prime Ministers office. However, Phase I of PRDP focused on infrastructure development.

Transition Process Cont’d 

CPWG had to find means of implementing the CP Recovery Strategy for Northern Uganda within its own means; and also advocated for inclusion of strategy components in the Government Social Development Sector Investment Plan.

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In the latter months of CPWG meeting in 2009, actors noted that issues tabled for discussion were not peculiar to northern Uganda; hence the collective decision to shift CPWG focus from only focusing on the conflict affected region to addressing National level child protection concerns.

Reflections on Transition Lessons learned from the transition! 

Considerations for capacity (staff and other resources) are important

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Assumption that the government would allocate resources for CP from the broader Northern Uganda Recovery strategy was wrong. A Plan B needed to be created

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Strengthened government (Primary Ministry) position in coordinating efforts of national level child protection actors through CPWG structure

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A broad range of child protection stakeholders joined the CPWG (UN agencies, Funding agencies, international NGOs, Government sectors and institutions with a child protection mandate). On Average CPWG meetings attendance is 30 agencies.

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CPWG agenda broadened beyond CPiE

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National CPWG as a multi-sectoral coordination mechanism for CP actors (state and non-state) has aligned well with the global and national shift of focus from segmented child protection interventions to a systems approach to child protection.

CPWG current structure and activities 

Ministry of Gender Chairs the working Group and hosts its coordination office.

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Coordination office facilitated under a public-private partnership between the government Ministry and CSO members in the working Group

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Activities : Jointly work-plan developed by members through a consultative process covering a broad range of child protection areas i.e. capacity building of social welfare workforce; research and learning; review of child protection laws, policies and strategies; Resourcing for child protection and Instituting Accountability mechanisms.

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CPWG Annual budget supported by both grants and resources mobilized locally from within member organizations

Looking Ahead… 

Uganda concluded country mapping of child protection systems in 2013.

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In reference to the Child protection systems mapping report and other evidence around children without appropriate care, CPWG developed its medium term ( 2014-2016) strategy framework.

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Consultation process for developing the national child protection strategy has commenced and CPWG is earmarked to participate in this process.

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National CPWG mandate will be further reviewed based on the provisions in the National child protection strategy to be drafted by end of 2014.

THANK YOU!