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Good Practice Toolkit

Commitment 2.4: We promote the participation of children. 

Compliance Indicators

Compliance with the Commitments will be assessed against the following Compliance Indicators. All of the applicable Compliance Indicators must be met by every ACFID Member to be considered compliant with the Code. Each of the Compliance Indicators has one or more compliance Verifiers. Verifiers are the description of evidence that is required to substantiate compliance with each Compliance Indicator. Guidance is also provided.

2.4.1 Members whose initiatives involve or directly affect children demonstrate an organisational commitment to their participation.

Policy, statement or guideline document that commits the member to the participation of children in development and humanitarian initiatives which target them.

Guidance

A policy, statement or guideline document could include an outline of the principles underpinning an organisation’s commitment to the participation of children; and how these principles will be implemented to ensure that children are active participants in initiatives that affect or target them.  It may outline strategies to involve children in initiatives, such as working with girls and boys to help them develop leadership, networking and influencing skills; including young people in decision making committees; and promoting positive cultural attitudes towards the participation and inclusion of children.

UNICEF has developed a fact sheet on children’s right to participation, which may help inform the development of an organisation’s policy, statement or guidance document. This can be found in the Resources Section below.

2.4.2 Members whose initiatives involve or directly affect children enable children’s views to influence initiative designs.

Design or planning framework, tools, templates which require or approaches which consistently show evidence consultation with children, contextual analysis of their needs and rights, and identification of opportunities for their participation.

Guidance

Approaches which show evidence in this area might include allocation of resources to analysing the needs and rights of children; engaging staff with specific skills and methods to facilitate consultation with children; referring to research undertaken by other child focused organisations; and developing strategies that promote the participation of children.

Design or planning framework, tools, and templates might provide guidance on how to consult with children and include dedicated sub-sections that prompt analysis of their needs, rights and opportunities for participation. 

2.4.3 Members whose initiatives involve or directly affect children have complaints handling processes that are child friendly.

Complaints handling processes are child friendly.

Guidance

There are some great guidelines available on developing child friendly complaints handling processes. The Commissioner for Young People in Western Australia resource, which can be tailored to your organisation’s operating context, can be found in the Resources Section below.

Good Practice Indicators

The following Good Practice Indicators describe a higher standard of practice than that set out in the Compliance Indicators. While Members do not need to meet the Good Practice Indicators to be considered compliant with the Code, they will self-assess against these indicators once every three years. This provides a clear pathway for Members to strengthen and improve practice over time.

  •  A staff person with specialised expertise in child-centred development is in place.
  • Activities that seek to build the capacities of children to participate and influence issues that affect them are supported.
  • Child-centred development and/or child rights training is provided for key personnel and partners

Good Practice Guidance

Here are some practical suggestions for your organisation to further deepen and improve practice over time.

Organisational

  • Establish child participation, child empowerment and/or child rights-based performance indicators in strategic, organisational and other plans and periodically evaluate and reflect on progress against these targets.
  • Report periodically to your governing body, broader constituency and relevant primary stakeholders on your achievements relating to the participation and empowerment of children and child right issues more broadly.
  • Promote the value of child-centred development in communications with the public and external stakeholders.
  • Support activities that seek to build the capacities and confidence of children to participate and influence issues that affect them.
  • Undertake targeted research to understand the perspectives of children.
  • Ensure the perspectives of children inform project designs of initiatives that affect them.
  • Conduct periodic reviews of the nature of your complaints handling processes and the usage, involving children in seeking their perspectives.
  • Test the design of your initiatives against the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child to ensure they are in alignment. For example, is the activity in the best interests of the child? Is any form of discrimination present? Do the most disadvantaged and marginalized children have opportunities to participate and are their voices heard? Are children genuinely participating? Can children make a difference in decision-making processes?

ACFID Results

ChildFund Australia’s Child and Youth Participation Policy

This resource discusses ChildFund Australia's commitment to child and youth participation in creating change within their communities and across the organisation's work. It highlights the importance of providing safe and inclusive spaces for children and youth to express their views, ensuring their voices are heard, taken seriously, and acted upon. This is relevant to all organisations looking for a reference in developing children and young people participation policies.

ChildFund Australia’s Consent Policy

This resource is an example of ChildFund Australia's organisational commitment to informed consent practices when engaging children and young people. This is suitable for all organisations working with children. It is relevant to the Code because this Commitment requires organisations that prioritise children to (ethically) demonstrate planning and programming approaches that include the participation of children.

Children as change agents: Guidelines for child participation in periodic reporting on the Convention on the Rights of the Child

This resource explores the importance of ensuring that children's participation is meaningful and ethically. This is as a useful tool for those seeking to involve children in the reporting process and want to be guided by the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It is relevant to the Code because members are required to design child-friendly approaches to complaints and feedback.

Educating the Future: Child Protection Policy (CPP) 2021

This resource is an example of Educating the Future's organisational commitment to participation of children in development and humanitarian initiatives which target them. See Page 13; Clause 18 as a reference document for all organisations developing policies. This is relevant to the Code because members prioritising children are required to demonstrate an organisational commitment to their participation.

Practice Note: Youth Participation in Development

This resource is about ACFID's Position Paper on Residential Care and Orphanages in international development. This is suitable for organisations involved in international development and child rights advocacy. It is also relevant to policymakers, practitioners, and organisations seeking guidance on promoting family-based care and preventing the institutionalisation of children.

Youth participation in upholding children’s right

This resource discusses approaches that Save the Children Australia uses for youth participation in upholding children's rights. It provides insights into engaging young people in advocating for and protecting children's rights. It is relevant to the Code in consistently showing evidence of consultation with children, and identification of opportunities for their participation.
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Other Resources

Are you Listening? Guidelines for making complaints systems accessible and responsive to children and young people

This resource provides guidelines for reviewing their feedback processes from a child-friendly perspective. It emphasises the importance of making systems more accessible and responsive to children and young people. This relevant to the Code because organisations that prioritise children must ensure their complaints systems are inclusive, and accessible to children and young people.

Child-centred complaints handling: best practice guide

This resource is about creating an effective complaints mechanism that are friendly to children and young people. It suitable for all organisations that work with children. It also discusses the importance of upholding children and young people's rights to feel safe, have a voice, and be treated with dignity and respect. This resource is relevant to the Code because it gives practical considerations to implementing an independent, transparent, and child-friendly complaints mechanism.

Convention on the Rights of the Child

This resource is the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC is a human rights treaty that sets out the civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights of children worldwide. This is suitable for all organisations that undertake work which prioritises children. It details children's rights and expected responsibilities and duty of care towards children for policy considerations. The CRC is also available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, and Spanish.

Convention on the Rights of the Child: The children’s version

This resource is the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in a simplified version designed for children. It is suitable for educational institutions, child advocacy organisations, and government agencies working with children. This resource is relevant to the Code because it promotes the understanding and awareness of children's rights.

Listen to children and young people in policy making

This resource is about NGOs serving as intermediaries between children and young people and key decision-makers, ensuring their voices are heard, especially in humanitarian contexts. This is suitable for all organisations working in child advocacy, humanitarian aid, and youth empowerment. This resource is relevant to the Code because using this approach evidences consistent consultation with children, analysis of their needs and rights, and identification of opportunities for their participation.

NGO Guide Together With Children For Children – A guide for non-governmental organizations accompanying children in CRC reporting

This resource provides practical guidelines for NGOs to facilitate children's engagement in reporting processes. This is suitable for organisations that are looking for case studies, checklists, and tips on adapting children-friendly processes in their work. This is also available as a companion guide for children and adolescents about how children’s rights are respected in their country. The Companion Guide is also available in French and Spanish.
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