Preparation for Completing Tracking Progress

The following suggestions have been devised to help with the organisation of the process for completing the Tracking Progress tool and are informed by the initial testing of the tool. The testing process identified that preparation was essential for the successful completion of the tool.

Stage 1: Roles & Responsibilities

• Identify a lead agency and/or planning group who can be responsible for facilitating the process and develop a timetable for the activity.
• Identify which stakeholders will be involved in the preparation process and in a face-to-face meeting for completion of the tool (see ‘Step 1: Building a Team’ for suggested participants).
• Identify dates and venue for an initial face-to-face meeting, so that key stakeholders can attend.

Stage 2: Plan

• Plan the meeting for completing the tool, if possible, as part of an annual review or other event in order to reduce costs.
• Develop a plan for collecting data including:
• identifying what data can be collected in advance (refer to ‘Step 4: Gathering Data’ for suggestions of information to collect prior to the meeting);
• deciding who will collect it (for example, government officials to collect statistics on care, NGO workers to collect relevant research or studies, etc);
• determining how it will be collated;
• noting gaps and weaknesses in data and where data needs to be agreed; and
• allowing enough time for this process so that data can be gathered over a period of time.

Stage 3: Considerations & Agreements

• Consider how the tool will be completed. We suggest either a two-day face-to-face meeting of main stakeholders or two to three days over a period of time (see ‘Step 3: Choosing an Approach’).
• Consider if participants’ knowledge of the Alternative Care Guidelines and relevant resources need to be developed in advance of face-to-face meetings and how to do this (e.g. circulation of Guidelines and other resources, awareness raising event, etc.).
• Consider using online conferencing for maximising regional participation.
• Hold the meeting where internet access is available and with a screen to share information.
• Identify what logistics and resources are needed in addition to computer access.
• Identify ways of coming to agreement during the meeting. Determine how to note where there are different views (for example: where there is an official government view or other community perspectives), recognising that different parts of the country may have different experiences.
• At the meeting have access to resources such as the Guidelines, UNCRC, Moving Forward and any relevant national reports or evidence.
• Record who was involved and how the task was undertaken.

Stage 4: Use of the Report

The team completing the tool should consider how the final report generated from the process will be used:

• Will the report be published and disseminated as a standalone report?
• What opportunities will other stakeholders have to discuss and provide feedback on the report?
• Will the report contribute to a regional report as part of a wider regional perspective and to support regional analysis?
• Which organisations and agencies will have ownership of the data and the report?
• How will data collection be improved, taking gaps and discrepancies in data into account?
• How will processes for completing the tool be evaluated? What worked well and what could be done to improve the process?