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You are here: Wiki-Summaries >> Implement, Maintain, Scale Up & Sustain Programs (IMSS) >> Understand the Context/Problems to Focus Resources
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This Section: Implement, Maintain, Scale-Up & Sustain Programs
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IMSS - Understand the Context/Problems to Focus Resources
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Understanding the Context to Focus Resources on Priority Needs, Effective Context-Sensitive Approaches & Programs
The planning and implementation of programs should fit within and be directly relevant to the community and country context, understand and then specifically address the issues and elements of that context that most affect children and youth as priorities. These contexts include high, middle and low resource countries as well as countries that have been disrupted and face emergencies caused by disasters, epidemics, war and conflict. Within all countries, variations in the local community and neighbourhood needs and capacities should be taken into account for urban, rural, aboriginal/indigenous, disadvantaged communities, affluent, religious, minority and other types of communities and neighbourhoods. An evidence-based tool should be used to conduct a through situation analysis. There are many evidence-based and experience-tested situational analysis tools available. The situation analysis should use an inclusive and participatory process, being especially careful to engage the partners who will be involved in the comprehensive approach or program. Subsequently, all of the ministries involved in the approach or program should agree on a limited number of 4-5 priorities for joint action. This list should be reviewed annually. Resources should be focused on these priorities accordingly. This summary was first posted in June 2021 as a "first draft". These individuals or organizations have contributed to the development of this series of IMSS topics: Carol MacDougal, Sandra Carpenter, Mary Shannon, Doug McCall. We encourage readers to submit comments or suggested edits by posting a comment on the Mini-blog & Discussion Page for this section or posting a comment below: Understanding the Context to Focus Resources on Priority Needs, Effective Context-Sensitive Approaches & Programs
The planning and implementation of programs should fit within and be directly relevant to the community and country context, understand and then specifically address the issues and elements of that context that most affect children and youth as priorities. These include high, middle and low resource countries as well as countries that have been disrupted and face emergencies caused by disasters, epidemics, war and conflict. Within all countries, variations in the local community and neighbourhood needs and capacities should be taken into account for urban, rural, aboriginal/indigenous, disadvantaged communities, affluent, religious, minority and other types of communities and neighbourhoods. An evidence-based tool should be used to conduct a through situation analysis. There are many evidence-based and experience-tested situational analysis tools available. Some address specific topics such school food and nutrition, some address other forms of school-based and school-linked programs generally and others have developed theories and models from other, broader sectors such as public health or education. The situation analysis should use an inclusive and participatory process when possible, being especially careful to engage the partners who will be involved in the comprehensive approach or program. The data collection process can include reviews of evidence, reports and surveys, specific and general consultations with stakeholders, the use of independent facilitators, ensuring a balance among researchers, practitioners and officials at various levels across the relevant sectors. Subsequently, all of the ministries involved in the approach or program should agree on a limited number of 4-5 priorities for joint action. This list should be reviewed annually. Resources should be focused on these priorities accordingly. Initial and periodic assessments of child/youth needs and inventories of existing programs should be done to ensure that resources are focused on clearly identified priority issues, to select relevant multi-component approaches, or to strengthen critical components/elements of approaches and programs. These assessments should lead to well-designed country strategies as well as ongoing knowledge exchanges with countries with similar needs or capacities. The resources (staffing, funding, structures, internal visibility, external dissemination) to develop and maintain critical policies and programs should be based on a strategic and practical assessment of the situation, problem/potential solutions, trends and national context and explicit selection of national priorities. A situation analysis of child/adolescent education, health and development needs as well as the status/capacity of school-related policies and programs should be done to design and develop education equity, health, safety and development multi-component approaches and multi-intervention programs in the country. A published, evidence-based, experience-tested situation assessment tool should be used to conduct this situation assessment and translate it into an action plan. These situation assessments should use
The country should use the situation assessments to understand how its policies and program compare with similar countries, states and regions. The country then should actively seek to establish on-going exchanges of knowledge and information with these similar countries to identify insights, policies, programs and other materials best suited to its circumstances and capacities. Sources:
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This summary was first posted in June 2012. Currently it has been posted as an "excerpt/adaptation", "first draft" or "revised draft" and "first or revised edition" version. The following individuals or organizations have contributed to the development of this topic. We encourage readers to submit comments or suggested edits by posting a comment on the Mini-blog & Discussion Page for this section or posting a comment below: Due to the length of Handbook Sections (similar to a book chapter) prepared for this web site and knowledge exchange program, we post these documents as separate documents. Click on this web link to access the draft or completed version on this topic. Come back to this page to post any comments or suggestions. Bibliography/Toolbox on
Key research, reports and resources on this topic are highlighted below. Many of the topics in this web site also have extensive bibliographies/toolboxes (BTs) published as separate documents. Click on this web link to access the full version of our Bibliography/Toolbox on this topic. These lists use our outline for these collections that we have developed over several years of curating these materials.
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(The number of summaries completed or drafted in this section are listed below) - Introduction to this section - IMSS Overview
- Current/Future IMSS Knowledge Development
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