Tracking Progress Initiative

Purpose of the Tool

The purpose of the Tracking Progress Initiative is to provide national authorities and stakeholders with responsibility for children’s care with a tool to:

  • Promote the well-being of children who are without parental care or at risk of being so, including children who are in alternative care.
  • Measure a country’s progress in the implementation of the Guidelines, identify any gaps and provide a diagnostic and planning resource for government and other agencies.
  • Promote the Guidelines more widely to decision-makers, policy-makers, practitioners, communities, children and their families.
  • Help to identify gaps and challenges in approaches to data collection and gathering evidence.
  • Raise awareness of the national situation of children among decision-makers, policy-makers, providers and other stakeholders.
  • Support reporting and audit processes, including those for regional or international bodies (e.g. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child).
  • Provide insights about trends in alternative care in-country and means for comparisons with other countries, regionally and globally.

Intended Audience

The Tracking Progress Initiative will be a vital tool for government ministers and their officials in ministries relevant to Children and Family services and Health, Education, Finance and Justice Ministries.

The measuring tool will also be of interest to:

  • Provincial and local governments with responsibility for providing and monitoring alternative care and family support
  • National alliances of civil society.
  • Non-governmental organisations including faith based organisations.
  • Child-led organisations and young people’s networks including those for care leavers.
  • Practitioners and providers of children’s services, particularly in family support and strengthening, child protection and alternative care.
  • Professional bodies for those working with children.
  • International and regional bodies such as the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, European Union, Council of Europe, etc.
  • National Office of Children’s Ombudspersons or similar bodies with responsibility for oversight of human rights.
  • International agencies and donors supporting care reform processes.
  • Training and education providers in further and higher education, researchers and academics.