Key Activities of the SPC action plan implemented by MoWCA in 2017.
Sri Lanka, as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has an international obligation to ensure all children enjoy all rights enshrined in the UNCRC. In accordance with article 44 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, each State party undertakes to submit periodic reports on the measures taken to give effect to its undertakings under the Convention. The Government is required to submit periodic reports on the implementation of the UNCRC to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child every 5 years.
To fulfill this obligation, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has initiated a process to monitor the application and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Sri Lanka. The Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, as the Chairperson of the National Monitoring Committee on Child Rights, has given the direction to systemize the mechanism for monitoring and reporting of children’s rights, as stipulated as a function of this Committee, in Article 40 of the Children’s Charter of Sri Lanka.
PURPOSE
The MoWCA is willing to develop a national child rights monitoring framework, focusing on the monitoring requirements under each Article of the UNCRC. This process is currently at its inception, and is guided by the Technical Working Group on CRC Monitoring appointed by the Secretary of the MoWCA. The purpose of the consultancy will be to provide technical support and to be developed a CRC Monitoring Mechanism, including with the aforementioned framework, in collaboration and coordination with multiple ministries and departments working for children, and to produce a robust and comprehensive CRC Monitoring Mechanism for Sri Lanka.
OBJECTIVES
2. CENTRAL DATABASE FOR MONITORING THE UNCRC IMPLEMENTATION
BACKGROUND
Sri Lanka, as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has an international obligation to ensure all rights ofchildren’s enjoy all rights enshrined in the UNCRC. In accordance with article 44 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, each State party undertakes to submit periodic reports on the measures taken to give effect to its undertakings under the Convention. The Government is required to submit periodic reports on the implementation of the UNCRC to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child every 5 years.
To fulfill this obligation, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has initiated a process to monitor the application and implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in Sri Lanka. The Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs, as the Chairperson of the National Monitoring Committee on Child Rights, has given the direction to systemized the mechanism for monitoring and reporting of children’s rights, as stipulated as a function of this Committee, in Article 40 of the Children’s Charter of Sri Lanka.
PURPOSE
The MOWCA is in the process of developing a national child rights monitoring framework, focusing on the monitoring requirements under each Article of the UNCRC. This process is currently at its inception, and is guided by the Technical Working Group on CRC Monitoring appointed by the Secretary of the MOWCA. It is expected to transfer this CRC monitoring framework to a central database at the MOWCA to support the CRC monitoring mechanism, generation of reports in Sri Lanka. The purpose of the event will be to develop a central database at the MOWCA to maintain data which required to monitor application and implementation of child right across the country. This database should be based on aforementioned framework, in collaboration and coordination with multiple ministries and departments working for children, and to produce a robust and comprehensive CRC Monitoring Mechanism for Sri Lanka.
OBJECTIVES
We are planned to handover this activity as a consultancy & getting servicers as a assignment base .
The specific objectives of this assignment are;
Broad Scope of Work
This procurement is for the design, development, installation and deployment of web-based central database system for Ministry of Women & Child Affairs to monitor the application and implementation of child rights within the country. The selected firm/ company shall be responsible for analyzing the requirements, designing, developing and supporting the implementation of central database system, at MOWCA. The web-based central database design will be modular, and the selection of modules will be done in consultation with the PMU. An indicative set of modules is provided in Annex 1.
Detailed Scope of Work
General
1. Specify required software, hardware, networking architecture and other infrastructure to support the web-based central database.
2. Plan and design the central database, with set access levels for 48 entities to use Agile development methodology for the design and development of the portal to ensure all requirements and feedbacks of the client are identified and incorporated.
3. Review existing Child Right related data collected through census and administrative sources at 48 entities. Develop and pilot standardized formats that will be used for the purpose of collecting data. Convert the formats for ICT enabled use through work stations and mobile handheld technology. This will be integrated with the central database. The software and hardware should be capable of recording location through the use of GPS, and uploading pictures and videos.
4. Carry out broad discussion with the MOWCA, focal points of said 48 entities in the process of designing, development and installation of central database for monitoring UNCRC.
5. Develop a fully functional computerized central database with set access levels for 48 entities. The software and hardware of the system will have provision for web-based, on-line data entry as well as off-line data entry where data can initially be entered/saved locally and uploaded to the central database directly from the local files. Install and test the software and demonstrate its functionality. The software and hardware of the hand-held devices should be capable of recording location through the use of GPS, and uploading pictures;
6. Install National CRC monitoring framework, data collection forms on work stations.
7. Provide operational and technical training for the users of the modules of the CRC central database Hold workshops for the orientation of 30 entities in the use of the work stations
8. Prepare guidelines/ user manual for the use of the technology by all users at the state/ national, provincial, district and divisional levels. These guidelines will be in English, Sinhala and Tamil. Guidelines will include FAQs that will be regularly updated based on the experience of users. Guidelines will also describe alternative methods for users in case there are problems in the field.
9. Implement the system at scale and conduct annual performance audit of the system up to a period determined by the PMU to ensure proper functioning and trouble shoot any problem areas identified by the audit.
Key Characteristics of the system
1. Provides user-friendly, web-based, online data entry/ access, inquiry, and reporting facilities.
2. Provides option of first entering the data off-line and uploading the data to the central database later when internet is available.
3. Provides options of export and import the entered data in different formats such as in Ms-Excel, etc.
4. Maintains authenticity (needs to be verified and approved) of the information sent from relevant Ministries/Departments/Authorities/Divisions and data entered at MIS implementing agencies.
5. Maintain various levels of CRC data management i.e., Ministries/Departments/Authorities/Divisions.
6. Provide tools for basic data analysis and table outputting (such as producing summary statistics, simple graphs, trend plots, etc.)
7. Provides facilities for generating and printing different reports including, interrail, output tables, summary statistics and figures on result framework indicators.
9. Provides flexibility to add/ delete/ modify attributes to data records.
10. Ability to import/ export data from/to another database software such as Ms-Excel, Ms Access, SQL Server, SPSS, MySQL.
11. Able to generate user-defined tables as well as tables created by system based on user queries, which are available in the system.
3. Developing a Resource Pool and Master Training Unit at the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs
Background:
The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs (MOWCA) is expecting to establish a pool of resource persons who have the expertise in key thematic areas related to child development. Currently the Ministry is experiencing numerous difficulties to identify suitable individuals and teams to develop modules, conduct trainings and awareness raising when there is such requirement at national, district and divisional levels. Most of the time what we do isoutsourcing resources to fulfil such requirement.
Hence, it is timely requirement to develop and establish this central resource pool for the ministry to ensure the implementation of trainings and other consultancies within the expected timeframe. The main purpose of establishing this resource pool is to ensure that the MOWCA has the expertise and the required resources to cater the requirements of the trainers, resource persons, facilitators, consultants and thematic experts whenever there is a requirement for the ministry.
It is expected that this resource pool will be established with the engagement of the interested and competent officers across the country who are attached to the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, National Child protection Authority, Children’s Secretariat and Women’s Affairs.
This important initiative will be implemented through the funding support of Save the Children Trust Fund and the resource persons will be selected through interviews and demonstrations of their knowledge, skills and abilities. The selected officers will be accredited as the members of the national resource pool and the necessary arrangement will be done to release them from their regular duties, when there is a requirement in the resource pool.
The selected officers will be ensured with due recognition, provided with further trainings and development opportunities based on their performance and commitments as a member of the resource pool. The performance of the resource pool will be reviewed annually and the continuation of the individuals will be decided based on the commitment and the performance within the given period.
Objectives:
Expected outcomes:
Proposed process of implementation and timeline:
The process of applications and recruitment will be finished by April 2018.
Special Projects: -
Ministry of Women and Child Affairs has decided to educate public group to eradicate corporal punishment against the children.
Correcting Children misbehaviors is an important yet controversial task entrusted to teachers and parents. This is so as there is a global awakening to the detrimental impact of certain methods of correcting misbehaviors. These methods are referred to as punishments and are broadly classified as corporal punishment and psychological aggression. Other than escalating to physical abuse, corporal punishment has been associated with depression, hostility and lowered academic performance. Psychological aggression has been associated with low self-esteem, self-doubt and a host of other negative consequences. Whilst many countries have banned corporal punishment, they do encourage teachers to use (positive) discipline instead. For, (positive) disciplining is important for the socialization of a young person to be a happy and productive citizen of society.
Correcting Children’s misbehaviors is an integral part of a teachers’ job and parents roll. Corporal punishment and psychological aggression are the two traditional methods of correcting children misbehaviors. It is well acknowledged that they lead to a host of negative outcomes for children.
Then Sri Lanka would need to implement to overcome corporal punishment, psychological aggression and physical abuse.
Therefore the ministry has displayed 3 bill boards in selected public areas such as -Viharamahadeevi children’s Park, Lady Ridgway hospital premises and Sethsiripaya office complex.
Sethsiripaya Office Complex bill board.
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Lady Ridgway hospital premises
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Viharamahadeevi children’s Park
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