Principal investigator:

Aida Kisunaite

Abstract:

The overall aim of this project is to contribute to vulnerability and mainstreaming pillars of EU’s threetrack approach, and to go beyond that by promoting a concept of interdependency of children’s rights, cross-sectoral co-production and multiagency perspective. In doing so, we aim to conduct a complex analysis children’s vulnerability in educational, health and social policies and children’s rights mainstreaming in these areas in order to reflect the evidence-based need for increased crosssectoral and interagency working.

In our research, we apply empowerment perspective placing a child not as a dependent (needs-based approach) but as a center of policy (empowerment approach) and conduct a complex analysis at EU, national and regional levels of governance. As our national case studies, we choose to examine Italian and Spanish examples. The overall impact of this project is to show existing strengths, weaknesses and obstacles in embodying children rights approach in a multilevel context of governance, which could be used as an additional practical tool for advocating actions for children rights in comprehensive, integrated and forward-looking child rights strategies.

Obiettivi:

The research will be structured around three key research objectives:

(1) Assessment of legislation. The first objective of this study is assess to what extent children' rights perspective is incorporated in health, social and education policy legislation at both EU, national and regional levels of governance. As our national case study we choose to examine Italian and Spanish examples due to the fact that in Italy and Spain (together with Greece) children’s poverty has increased the most in the recent years. European Commission urged both countries to develop synergy not only between different policy areas but also between European (in particular Europe 2020 Strategy), national and subnational (regional) targets. For our regional case studies we will examine Veneto and Catalonia regions that have the highest numbers of migrant children, have one of the highest concentration of unaccompanied minors and have significant problems is relation to other groups of children such as children in poverty). Due to the case study of Catalonia region, an active collaboration with the faculty of Law of the University of Pompeu Fabra (UPF) is also foreseen in this project.
(2) Policy implementation assessment. It is important to note that legislation is just one element of the policy cycle and as it is indicated by the Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship while many human rights standards are in place, a greater nexus needs to be developed between abstract legal texts and the reality”. Our second objective is to explore policy implementation stage in terms of real services and to see if there is a gap between children’s rights respecting legislation and its real enforcement in terms of social, health and education services. Implementation problems (gap) might be caused by a variety of reasons and as it is noted by a member of the UNCRC Committee “(…) that it is not so much the resources or capacity of a country that affects the quality of implementation of children’s rights respecting legislation, rather it is political will, traditions, awareness of rights, the power of civil society and the possibility for people to participate actively in society” .
(3) Inter-sectoral cooperation tools. The third objective of this project is to analyze and assess possible solutions for the development and implementation of effective policy instruments that may contribute to cross-sectoral policy cooperation among European, national and regional levels of governance. On the basis of analysis the recommendations will be developed based on children’s rights’ centered approach for strengthening relations between legislation and policy enforcement processes, and preconditions will be set for necessary building blocks ensuring effective cross-sectoral cooperation among social, health and educational sectors.

Piano delle attività:

Work plan: WP1 (month 1 – month 12)
- Legislation analysis in mainstreaming children’s rights.
Objectives: The main objective of WP1 is to analyse the incorporation of children’s rights approach in EU acquis and policy documents as well as Italian, Spanish and regional legislation in social, health and education sectors. The specific objectives are: (1) to develop methodological tools for measuring coherence of the EU, national and regional actions on children’s rights (bearing in mind methods for determining best interest of the child); (2) to collect data and conduct legislative analysis on of EU acquis and policy documents on children’s rights in the EU social, education and health protection legislation; (3) to collect data and conduct legislative analysis of Italian, Spanish and regional legislation as well as stakeholders’ involvement.
Deliverables: WP1: 1.1 Working paper on the methodology for European and national legislation evaluation in terms of children’s rights centered approach incorporation;1.2 Journal article on European, national and regional legislation in mainstreaming children’s rights in health, social and education sectors.
Milestones: Assessment of preliminary outcomes of legislation analysis; Assessment national and regional data outcomes and their completeness.

WP 2 (month 13 – month 18)
- Evaluation of implementation of children’s rights respecting legislation.
Objectives: The main objective of WP2 is to evaluate social, health and educational policies implementation stage in terms of access to and quality of real services in the light of children’s rights-centered perspective.
Deliverables: 2.1 Working paper on the methodology for measuring policy effectiveness in social, health and education sectors; 2.2 Journal article on social, health and educational policy enforcement in a multilevel system of governance;
Milestones: Assessment of preliminary outcomes of policy implementation evaluation.

WP 3 (month 19 – 24)
- Promotion of intersectoral cooperation on the basis of children’s rights based approach.
Objectives: The main objective of WP3 is to make a review evidence of effective intersectoral policy cooperation and development of evidence-based strategies promoting intersectoral cooperation for fostering children’s rights based approach and adopted to the findings on social, health and education policies formulation and implementation stages at EU, national and regional levels governance.
Deliverables: 3.1. Workshop with different stakeholders. 3.2. Journal article with the recommendations for effective cooperation between social, health and education sectors on the basis of children’s rights centered approach.
Milestones: Reassessment of evidence on intersectoral policy cooperation after the workshop.

WP 4 (month 1-24 )
- Dissemination and Communication.
Objective: To disseminate the action results among scientific community, stakeholders and raise awerenes among general public.
Deliverables: report on dissemination and communication.

Contatti:

aida.kisunaite@unipd.it

scientifica.spgi@unipd.it