schools-for-all
 
  • Home
  • About
    • Operational Definitions used in this Web Site
    • Outlines for Summaries, Bibliographies & Studies/Stories
    • Guidelines for Participation in this Web Site
    • Map of this Web Site
  • Webinars
    • Upcoming Webinars
    • Webinars Archive
    • On-Line Discussions
  • Discussion Groups
    • IDG: Healthy Schools/ School Health Promotion
    • IDG: Monitor, Report, Evaluate, Improve (MREI)
    • IDG: Low Resource Countries & Communities
    • IDG-Teacher Education & Development in Health & LIfe Skills
  • Wiki Summaries
    • Intro to Summaries
    • Common Topics & Terms >
      • Mini-Blog Common Terms & Topics
      • Education Equity, Inclusion & Success >
        • Whole Child Approach
        • Broad Range of Learning Opportunities
        • Cross Curricular Competencies
      • Intersectoral Policy-Program Coordination Frameworks (IPPCFs) >
        • IPPCF Capacity-Building Practices
        • WoG Practices to Support IPPCFs
      • Mult-Component Approaches >
        • Core Components of Approaches >
          • Macro & Specific Policies
          • Education Promoting HSPSSD
          • H&LS/PSH Curricula & Instruction
          • Extended Education Activities
          • Health, Social & Other Services
      • Multi-Intervention Programs (MIPs)
      • Single Interventions
      • Learning/Behaviour Models
      • Behaviour & Learning Theories - Overview
      • Government Inter-Sector Actions & Levers >
        • Whole of Government Strategies
        • National Action Plans
        • Declarations, Statements & Guidance on Coordination
        • Standards & Procedures
        • Inter-Ministry Coordination >
          • Inter-Ministry & Inter-Agency Committees
          • Inter-Ministry Coordinators
          • Inter-Ministry Agreements
          • Inter-Ministry Mechanisms
      • Systems Approaches
    • Accidental Injury Prevention
    • Behaviour & Learning Theories
    • Capacity & Capacity-Building >
      • Capacity & Capacity Building Overview
      • Organizational & System Capacity >
        • Coordinated Policy & Leadership
        • Assigned Coordinators-Not Focal Points
    • Community Schools
    • Disparities, Disadvantage & Determinants
    • Ecological Analysis, Comprehensive Approaches, Systems Change >
      • Systems Change - Overview
      • Incremental, Systems-focused Actions
    • Education in Emergencies
    • Education for Sustainable Development
    • Food & Nutrition >
      • Mini-Blog School Food & Nutrition
      • School Food & Nutrition (SFN) - Overview
      • SFN - Multi-Intervention Programs
      • School & Community Gardens
    • Healthy Schools
    • Implement, Maintain, Scale up & Sustain Programs (IMSS) >
      • Mini-Blog on Implement-Maintain-Scale Up-Sustain (IMSS)
      • IMSS Overview
      • Understand Context, Problems, Focus on Priorities >
        • Situation Assessment Tools
      • IMSS Rationale & Examples >
        • IMSS Reports and Reporting
      • Use of IMSS Models & Frameworks
      • Strengthen Tradiional IMSS Planning
      • Individual & Idiosyncratic Factors
    • Inclusion/Inclusive Schools
    • Indigenous School Health
    • Infectious Diseases >
      • Mini-Blog - Infectious Diseases
      • Overview
    • Integrate Within Education Systems >
      • Mini-Blog on Integrating H & S Programs Within Education
      • Integrate Within Education - Overview
      • Multi-Sector Commitments to a Whole Child Approach:
      • Different Type of Partnerships >
        • Education as Lead Partner
        • Reciprocal Partnerships
        • Shared Strategic Risks & Benefits
        • Relevant, Annually Reviewed
      • Understanding Education System Mandates, Constraints & Norms
      • Understanding Educator Backgrounds, Beliefs, Work Lives & Concerns
      • Other Ministry Commitments of Staffing & Funding in Schools
    • LGBT Students
    • Low Resource Contexts >
      • Mini-Blog Low Resource Contexts
      • WASH Programs (Overview) >
        • Handwashing & Hygiene
      • School Food & Nutrition in LRCs >
        • Healthy Diet/Eating in LRCs
    • Mental Health
    • Monitor, Report, Evaluate, Improve >
      • Mini-Blog on MREI
      • MREI Systems - Overview
      • MREI - Administrative Data Systems (EMIS)
      • MREI - Self Assessment Tools
      • MREI - School Accreditation & Award Programs
      • MREI - Policy/Program Surveys
      • MREI - Global, Regional, National Updates
      • MREI - School Recognition Programs
      • MREI - School Improvement Planning
      • MREI - Joint Sector Reviews
      • MREI - Continuous Improvement
    • Physical Activity
    • Safe Schools (Bullying, Violence) >
      • Bullying Prevention
    • Safe Schools (Buildings & Facilities))
    • School-based & School-Linked Services >
      • Mini-Blog on School-based & School-linked Services
      • School-based & School-Linked Services - Overview
    • Sexual Health & HIV/AIDS
    • Substance Abuse & Addictions
    • Teacher Education & Development
    • Understanding Education Systems >
      • Mini-Blog Understanding Education Terms
      • Adult Education Programs
      • Education Reform Commissions
      • Government Multi-Year Action Plans
      • Standards for Student Achievement & Curricula
  • Conferences
  • Global Initiatives, Blog & Calendar
  • Issue Topic Page Template
  • API Topic Page Template
  • Context/Pop Topic Page Template
  • Theory Topic Page Template
  • Discussion Group Template
  • Intro to set of topics template
  • Template for about pages
  • Test page
You are here: Wiki-Summaries >> Common Terms & Topics  >> Multi-Component Approaches

Multi-Component Approaches (MCAs) in
Education, Health, Safety, Security, Social & Sustainable Development

  • Glossary Term (GT)
  • Encyclopedia Entry (EE)
  • Handbook Section (HS)
  • Bibliography/Toolbox (BT)
  • Additional Resources (AR)
<
>
A Multi-component Approach (MCA) is a defined, coordinated set of core components, pillars or Infrastructure that includes a macro-policy, mandatory education promoting health, safety, security, personal and social development and sustainable human relationships with the environment, a minimum set of health, social and other services, minimum physical conditions and safety/sanitary standards and minimum standards for the psycho-social environment. 
​
See our List & Checklist of
Multi-component Approaches (MCAs) &
Multi-Intervention Programs (MIPs)
 These multiple, coordinated components are maintained in and with schools through education systems with the tangible support (funding, staffing, policy) of other sectors/ministries and their respective local agencies/ authorities. To be considered a “multi-component approach”, the MCA needs to address a broad area of human development and have at least one sector (ministry, agencies professionals) as primary or equal partner with the education sector.
MCAs are typically described in published Inter-sectoral Policy-Program Coordination Frameworks (IPPCFs) which are used to create create and maintain broad partnerships between education and other public sectors or to guide Multi-Intervention Programs (MIPs) on specific themes, issues or populations. Many IPPCFs have been published and promoted by UN agencies, global organizations, regional networks and individual countries and states. 
Multiple levels within the education and other sectors need to be involved the MCA, including ministries, local agencies or authorities, schools, local clinics and professionals from the public and the voluntary sector. Schools are often mistakenly used as the unit of analysis and action in some descriptions of MCAs. A multi-component approach is different than a “whole school approach” which is defined more accurately as operating only at the school level instead of at all levels across several systems.  
The core components of an MCA are used to deliver multiple interventions and should, therefore, be considered as essential infrastructure supporting “multi-intervention programs” on specific issues as well as individual interventions. Another source of confusion stems from the use of the terms such as policy or education as an area or domain of work rather than a defined infrastructure such as a core curriculum or defined set of services. When used in this way, MCAs are essentially acting as planning frameworks to guide the development of multi-intervention programs (MIPs) that include policy, educational, service and environmental interventions. This use sometimes obscures the need for establishing and maintain a core set of components or infrastructure. The FRESH Framework describes a list of four components common to all MCAs. Other frameworks have listed three, five and even 12 components. 
There are several published MCAs, including Health Promoting Schools (with the health sector), Child Friendly Schools (with child protection & human rights), School Health & Nutrition/Feeding (Development & Agriculture sectors), the Essential Package of Interventions (Development & Agriculture sectors), Safe Schools (Law Enforcement) , Inclusive Schools(Learning disabilities) , Community Schools (Social Protection), WASH (Sanitation), Disaster Risk Reduction(Civil Protection) , Education in Emergencies (Relief Aid), Education for Sustainable Development (Environment)  and others. The education sector works with several sectors, so they often use several MCA’s simultaneously, with different parts of the education system using different MCA’s in their interactions with different sectors.
A systems approach should be used to build and maintain MCAs at multiple levels across multiple sectors. Other criteria beyond the delivery of interventions should be used to evaluate MCAs. These include their contextual fit, implementation quality, system & organizational capacity, sustainability as an approach, integration within the core concerns of education systems and the effective use of systems science and organizational development strategies.
This summary was first posted in June 2019 and updated in 2022. It was revised and is now published as a "first edition". However, we encourage readers to submit comments or suggested edits by posting a comment below or on the Mini-blog & Discussion Page for this section.
A Multi-component Approach (MCA) is a defined, coordinated set of core components, pillars or Infrastructure that promote the health, safety, security, personal & social development and sustainable human relationships with the environment. The core components of an MCA include a macro-policy, classroom instruction & extended educational activities, a minimum set of health, social and other services, minimum physical conditions and safety/sanitary standards and minimum standards for the psycho-social environment. These multiple, coordinated components are maintained in and with schools through education systems with the tangible support (funding, staffing, policy) of other ministries and their local agencies. To be considered a “multicomponent approach”, the MCA needs to address a broad area of human development and have at least one sector (ministry, agencies professionals) as primary or equal partner with the education sector.
MCAs are typically described in published Inter-sectoral Policy-Program Coordination Frameworks (IPPCFs) which are used to create create and maintain broad partnerships between education and other public sectors or to guide Multi-Intervention Programs on specific themes, issues or populations. Many IPPCFs have been published and promoted by UN agencies, global organizations, regional networks and individual countries and states. ​
Multiple levels within the education and other sectors need to be involved in MCAs, including ministries, local agencies or authorities, schools, local clinics and professionals. A multi-component approach is different than a “whole school approach” which describes activities operating only at the school level, often  only done by educators. The core components of an MCA are used to deliver multiple interventions and should, therefore, be considered as essential infrastructure supporting “multi-intervention programs” as well as individual interventions. Another source of confusion about MCAs stems from the use of the same terms (policy, services or education etc.) as coordinated or separate parts of a planning framework. This sometimes obscures the need to maintain a core, coordinated set of components. The FRESH Framework describes a list of four components common to all MCAs. Other frameworks have listed three, five and even 12 components. 
There are several published MCAs derived from education working with other sectors. These  include

Achieving Core Education Mandates
  • Attending school/preventing dropouts - social protection/employment (e.g., UNICEF Child Friendly Schools)
  • Problems in early childhood – social protection, children & families (e.g., GPE Strategy for early childhood)
  • Disabilities/special needs – human rights, health, social protection (e.g. UNESCO Disability Inclusive Education, GPE Inclusive Schooling) 

    Graduation & Transition to employment, training or higher education - employment, higher education, training institutions (e.g., OECD Not in Education or Employment -NEET) 

Reducing Specific Barriers to Inclusion & Equitable Achievement
  • Students who have been excluded from school for social/political reasons – human rights, immigration & culture (e.g., UNGEI Girls Education,) (e.g. UNESCO Education for Roma, Travellers students) 
  • School Nutrition/ School Feeding – social protection, agriculture, health (e.g., World Bank, World Food Program)
  • Healthy Schools – health, social protection, sports & recreation (e.g., WHO Health Promoting Schools)
  • Promoting Basic Health, Healthy Eating, (e.g. UNESCO, WFP, et al (School Health & Nutrition) 
  • Low Resource Countries – development agencies, health, social protection (e.g., WFP-UNICEF Essential Package of Interventions)
  • Preventing, prohibiting discrimination – human rights (e.g., SOROS Foundations, UNESCO Global Citizenship) 
  • Safe schools - Violence, bullying – police, welfare, social protection (e.g. WHO, UNESCO, UNICEF Violence Prevention)
  • Safe schools - Crime & drugs- police, justice (e.g., UNODC Education for Lawfulness, Peace, Order, Good Government)
  • Disaster Risk Reduction – public safety, relief aid agencies, municipal (e.g., UNISDR DRR & Recovery)
  • Conflict-Affected Countries – relief aid agencies, health, social protection, public safety/security (e.g. INEE Education in Emergencies Standards)
  • Peace Education – citizenship  (e.g. UNESCO Peace Education Framework, UNICEF Learning for Peace) 
  • Education for Sustainable Development/Eco-Green Schools – environment, health, municipal, economic development (e.g. Eco-Schools Global,  e.g., UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development: A Roadmap) 
  • Open/Community Schools - economic & rural development, social protection, municipal (e.g., UNESCO Open Schools)
  • Citizenship, Global Citizenship, Social Responsibility – citizenship, culture (e.g., UNESCO Associated Schools)
  • Indigenous Schooling – tribal authorities, indigenous ministries, social protection, employment (e.g., Indigenous School Health)
  • Minorities Schooling  religious, culture, language – human rights, employment, social protection (e.g., UNICEF Partnering with Religious Communities)
Frameworks Building Core Components for all Approaches & Programs
  • Macro-Policy requiring common, core components & coordinated interventions (e.g., FRESH Framework)
  • Multi-tiered, integrated, services to students (e.g., Positive Behavioural Interventions & Supports)
  • Physical environment Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) (e.g., UNICEF WASH in Schools)
  • School construction, retrofitting, road/neighbourhood safety – municipalities, refuge agencies, civil protection (e.g., UNISDR, ISDR, World Bank Safe School Construction)
  • Psycho-social environment – health, social protection (e.g., UNESCO Safe & non-violent learning environments)
  • Instruction & extended education - municipal, social protection, sports & recreation (e.g., Health & Life Skills Education​

This summary was first posted in June 2019and updated in 2022. It was revised and is now published as a "first edition". 
We encourage readers to submit comments or suggested edits by posting a comment below or on the Mini-blog & Discussion Page for this section. 
Text

This summary was first posted in June 2012. It was revised and is now published as a final version. However, we encourage readers to submit comments or suggested edits by posting a comment on the Mini-blog & Discussion Page for this section. 
 Bibliography/Toolbox on
Key research, reports and resources on this topic are posted below.  Many of the topics in this web site also have extensive bibliographies/toolboxes (BTs) published as separate documents. These lists use our BT outlines that we have developed over several years of curating these materials.

Research
Reports, Resources
Understand the Problem/Strategies

Programs & Approaches

Implement, Adapt, Integrate, Sustain

Systems Approach





Understand the Problem/Strategies

Programs & Approaches

Implement, Adapt, Integrate, Sustain

Systems Approach


The following additional resources are posted on this web site or published by other credible sources. Please send any suggested additions to i[email protected]


For updates and reader comments on this section of this web site, go to our
Mini-Blog on Common Topics &Terms


Here is our list of topics for this section:
- Introduction & Overview
- Education Equity, Inclusion & Success
  • Whole Child Approach
  • Broad Range of Learning Opportunities
  • Cross Curricular Competencies
- Intersectoral Policy-Program Coordination Frameworks (IPPCFs) (published at global level)
- 
Multi-component Approaches (MCAs)

- Core Components
  • Macro & Specific Policies
  • Instruction & Extended Education
    - Education Promoting HSPSSD
    - H&LS/PSH Curricula & Instruction

    - Physical Education
    - Home Economics/Family Studies/Financial Literacy
    - Promoting HPSSD within Other Subjects
    - Moral/Religious Education
  • Extended Education Activities
  • Health, Social & Other Services
  • Psycho-Social Environment & Supports
        - School Culture & Climate
          - Staff Wellness
          - Student Conduct & Discipline
          - Engaging/Empowering Youth
          - Parent Participation
          - Community Involvement
  • Physical Environment & Resources
- Multi-Intervention Programs (MIPs)
  • How to Build a Multi-Intervention Program
- Single Interventions (Issue-Specific Programs, Policies, Services, Practices)

- Learning/Behaviour Models (LBMs)

- Behaviour & Learning Theories

- Government/Inter-sector Actions & Levers
  • Whole of Government Strategies
  • National Action Plans
  • Declarations & Consensus Statements
  • Standards & Procedures
  • Inter-Ministry Coordination
    - Inter-Ministry Committees
    - Inter Ministry Coordinators
    - Inter-Ministry Agreements
    - Inter-Ministry Mechanisms
    - Joint Ministry Decision-making
  • Inter-Agency Coordination
  • Inter-Professional Coordination
- Workforce Development
  • Workforce Planning in HPSD
  • Teacher Education & Development
    - Early Childhood Educators
    - Primary School Teachers
    - Secondary PSHE Specialists
    - Home Economics Specialists
    - Physical Education Specialists
    - School Counsellors
    - School Psychologists
    - School Principals
  • Preparing Other Professionals to Work with or within Schools
    - School Nurses
    - School Social Workers
    - School Resource (Police) Officers
    - Security/Civil Protection Guards
    - Teaching/Learning Assistants
    - School Administrative/Clerical Staff
    - School Maintenance Staff
    - Pastoral Counsellors
    - Community Volunteers & Elders
    - Emergency Relief Aid Workers
    - Development Aid Workers
- Systems Approaches
  • A Systems Focused Paradigm
  • Contextualizing Approaches & Programs
  • Implement, Maintain, Scale Up & Sustain Programs & Approaches
  • System & Organizational Capacities
  • Integrate Within Education System Mandates, Concerns & Constraints
  • Better Use of Systems Science & Organizational Development Tools
This World Encyclopedia is built and maintained as a collaboration among several organizations and individuals. The International School Health Network (ISHN) is pleased to publish and facilitate our collective efforts to exchange knowledge.