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Working on all fronts to strengthen children's place
in the global development agenda
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Examples of recent Maestral International projects include:
Global Toolkit to Map and Assess Child Protection Systems
In 2009 and 2010, Maestral developed a Toolkit to map and assess child protection systems, supporting the implementation of UNICEF's 2008 Child Protection Strategy and helping countries and communities to develop, prioritize, cost and implement programs to develop and strengthen systems. The Toolkit draws on best practices in child protection, is Excel based and fully customizable, and includes links to an extensive array of resources. It was field tested in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, and Tunisia. The mapping and assessment process covers the country's risk profile, the global context, the legal and policy context, data for decision-making, system structures/functions/capacities, ministry mapping, children and justice, community structures, functions and capacities, civil society and public accountability, the continuum of care, the future strategy, and costing and resource mobilization. A copy of the Toolkit can be found here.
Eastern and Southern Africa: Child Protection System Strengthening
For 2010 to 2011, Maestral has been retained by UNICEF to assist Angola, Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, and Zambia with the mapping and assessment of their child protection systems, utilizing the above Toolkit. It is providing on the ground coordination, technical assistance and training support as well as a help desk function for the key stakeholders engaged in developing, costing and implementing new child protection systems.
Early Childhood Development: Developing Global Capacity
In cooperation with MANNET, Maestral will be supporting an assessment of UNICEF's capacity to carry out Early Childhood Development programs at the global and country level. The review will include development of a strategic framework for UNICEF to move forward on ECD, whereby issues and gaps will be identified and resolved, consensus reached on the framework, and initiatives developed and tested to address the identified challenges.
Give a Child a Family: Evaluation
Give a Child a Family (GCF) provides family supports and alternative care to vulnerable and orphaned children in KwaZulu Natal South Africa. Its model is being replicated in several countries in Africa. GCF has contracted with Maestral to evaluate its foster care and training programs as well as other program components to ensure that they meet international standards.
The Partnership for Children: A Donors' Collaborative
In 2010, Maestral (in cooperation with the Fund for Social Change) worked with the Oak Foundation to assist with the design of The Partnership for Children, a donors' collaborative that will aim to prevent separation of children from their parents and to transform the lives of children who are living in residential institutions. Maestral prepared the initial concept paper for the collaborative, and supported related consultations with the Foundation and interested donors in May and June 2010.
UNICEF Ukraine: Strategic and Program Review
In 2010, Maestral undertook an overall review of development priorities and UNICEF's strategic positioning in Ukraine, and assessed the three thematic areas of UNICEF's Country Programme: Social Policy, Child Care Reform, and Early Childhood Development, and, in addition, the communications activities which support the programme. The review was based on a comprehensive study of existing programmes and partnerships, accompanied by discussions with UNICEF staff and key partners and a series of thorough field visits. The review resulted in the preparation and submission of findings together with a model for positive change for UNICEF's operations in the country. The Ukraine office is using the review's findings and recommendations in the design of its next country programme.
The Children in Families Initiative: Targeting Grants and Utilizing Them Effectively
Since 2008, Maestral has been assisting the GHR Foundation with the development, administration, monitoring and evaluation of its Children in Families Initiative, which is currently operating in Azerbaijan, Guatemala, Kenya, Nepal, Ukraine and Vietnam. The Initiative's grant-making program aims to strengthen families while supporting gatekeeping to prevent the placement of children in residential institutions, while also helping children to be placed out of institutions and into stable family environments.
Modernizing Social Security: A World Bank Project in Vietnam
In 2009, Maestral's President was retained to assist the World Bank to prepare a Social Security Modernization Project on behalf of the Government of Vietnam. Support was provided to identify and confirm project objectives, components and activities, the system's investment plan, and a number of technical areas related to social security administration.
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