Progress and challenges with the Global Study

in Lao PDRPresentation for the EAPRO Social Policy Workshop

12 May 2008

UNICEF

PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES WITH GLOBAL STUDY IN LAO PDR

Progress (Country Team)1. Secretariat of National Commission for Mothers and

Children (NCMC) agreed to facilitate the study as an inter-governmental coordinating body.

2. Policy analysis consultant was contracted in November 2007

3. Country Team inception meeting was held in December and January (Background information, Study Plan presented, Team TOR including timetable and organigram shared, brainstorming exercise conducted)

4. Some counterpart ministries still have not established focal points for the study

UNICEF

PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES WITH GLOBAL STUDY IN LAO PDR

Progress (Statistics Template)

1. MICS3 data sets were approved by the Government for sharing with Bristol Institute

2. Disaggregated data from 2005 Census was provided by Department of Statistics

3. Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Labour and Welfare, and Lao Women’s Union are requested to provide routine data on specific social services in February 2008

4. Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Planning and Investment are being requested to provide data on national budgets

UNICEF

PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES WITH GLOBAL STUDY IN LAO PDR

Progress (Policy Template)

1. Inventory of programmes have been collected for 11 programmes so far.

2. Counterpart ministries have provided key policy and legal documents for nutrition, health, education, and child protection.

3. Difficulties in identifying key national policies and strategies for social protection

UNICEF

PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES WITH GLOBAL STUDY IN LAO PDR

Progress (Final Report)

• No progress yet. • Mainly waiting for budgetary information, routine

social service supply data from counterparts, and the Statistical Template tables generated by Bristol Institute

UNICEF

PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES WITH GLOBAL STUDY IN LAO PDR

Challenges1. Identifying and engaging counterpart ministries

• Need both high-level and technical-level commitment • Many departments and units within a ministry

2. Selecting prioritized programmes for the inventory of programmes

• Tendency to select UNICEF-supported programmes

3. Linking child rights issues with poverty• Child wellbeing is not always pursued within the poverty

reduction framework• Findings of the study would help place child rights

issues on the national poverty-reduction agenda