Child Protection IMS Development Kicks Off with Stakeholders’ Mapping and Engagement
- Yvonne Otieno, MEASURE Evaluation PIMA
NAKURU, Kenya—Earlier this month, groups involved in child protection services held a meeting in Western Kenya to discuss the development of an information system for child protection services, providing data to help secure child health and safety country-wide.
According to the Director of the Department of Children’s Services (DCS), Mr. Ahmed Hussein, the meeting was an important step towards upgrading the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS) and strengthen the department’s use of quality data for evidence-based decision-making.
“In the past four years the Department has strived to evolve an information system that enhances its service delivery capacity, helps provide a more efficient and effective child protection service for the country, and raises the visibility of children’s needs nationally,” Mr. Hussein explained.
The Children’s Act of 2001 mandates the DCS to maintain up-to-date records and data on the management of children’s services in Kenya to promote and secure the well-being of children against violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation. High-quality information to inform both remedial and preventative action is critical for this to be realized.
Developing the CPIMS was a process designed to be accomplished in two phases. In Phase I, the DCS, in collaboration with UNICEF, acquired and developed a web-based information management system. The USAID-funded MEASURE Evaluation-PIMA (MEval-PIMA) project, together with other stakeholders, is currently supporting Phase II, a comprehensive system upgrade, with the objective of increasing the system’s functionality and relevance to ensure it is fit for purpose.
The stakeholders’ workshop, held in Nakuru, was a critical gathering to develop the roadmap for the CPIMS upgrade. Other activities in the overall effort in Phase II include supporting the system’s governance structures and developing a multi-year system-strengthening program.
Mr. Edward Kunyanga, MEval-PIMA’s Chief of Party, addressed the opening of the workshop, and praised the participation of those present. “Partnerships are key in this process, and your views and input into the process will be pivotal to ensuring the upgraded system is user-friendly and meets the data needs of both the Department and other key stakeholders.”
Ms Lillian Mageto, the project’s Senior M&E Advisor, likewise noted that it was a highly productive meeting. “Once the system is fully upgraded, it will assist in the collection, analysis, storage, and sharing of child protection data,” she said. “This is necessary for day-to-day case management, to guide program implementation and monitor compliance, and to facilitate accountability and support advocacy and resource mobilization for the DCS.”
Find more information on MEASURE Evaluation-PIMA’s work on child protection.
