CamilaInarra 13November2013 InternationalDevelopmentinPractice ProfessorSteveReifenberg SavetheChildren TheSavetheChildrenFund(Save)isannongovernmentalorganizationthatadvocatesfor childrensrightsandprovidesreliefintimesofcrises.Saveispresentin119countriesandhasbeen workingwithchildrenforover90years.Theorganizationhasacleartheoryofchangewhichistobe thevoiceofchildrenaroundtheworld,beintheinnovatorinresearchandevidencebasedpracticesto improvethelivesofchildren,toachieveresultsatscale,andtopartnerwithotherorganizationstoshare knowledgeandincreasetheinfluenceoftheirprojects.1 TheInterAmericanBank(IDB)isthemain sourceoffundingfordevelopmentprojectsinLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean.TheIDBsnew educationstrategyrequiresanewcommunicationstrategyandisneedoftakingthebestpracticesfrom otherorganizationsinordertohavethemostpolicyinfluence.

Savethechildrenisamodelforthe InterAmericanBankscommunicationstrategybecauseofthesimilareducationobjectivesofboth organizationsandtheeffectivecommunicationstrategiesthatSavetheChildrenimplementsforallofits projectsoveravarietyofbudgetlevels. BothSavetheChildrenandtheIDBhavesimilareducationstrategiesthatlookatimprovingthe overallqualityofchildrenslearningaroundtheworld.Saveseducationstrategyfor20122015is focusedonqualityeducationtosupporteffectivelearningensuringaccesstoeducationfor marginalisedandvulnerablechildren,includingthoseinhumanitarianemergenciesearlychildhoodcare

SavetheChildren.MovingAheadinEducationSavetheChildrensglobaleducationstrategyto2015.An overviewforpartners,donors,governmentsandcivilsocietyorganizations.SavetheChildrenInternational.2012.

anddevelopmentyouthskillsandempowermentanddrivingglobalandnationaleducationpolicy.2In closecomparison,theIDBseducationsectorstrategyisbasedon5dimensionsofsuccess:high expectationsofstudentlearningguidetheprovisionandmonitoringofeducationservices,students enteringthesystemarereadytolearn,allstudentshaveaccesstoeffectiveteachers,allschoolshave adequateresourcesandareabletousethemforlearning,andallgraduateshavethenecessaryskillsto succeedinthelabormarketandcontributeproductivelytosociety.3SavetheChildrenfocuseson projectsthattrainteacherswiththemosteffectiveteachingstrategies,encourageparentstohelpchildren withtheireducation,findwaystoinvolveparentsandthecommunitywithextracurricularacademic activities,andwaystousearttohealaftertraumaticexperiences.4 Morethanjusthavingagoodeducationstrategy,Savesmostimportantobjectiveinrelationto theIDBscommunicationstrategyprojectisthedrivingglobalandnationalpolicychangeobjective.The organizationsadvocacyworkisbasedonwhatchildren,familiesandcommunitiestelltheorganization theyneedandonresearchdonebytheorganization.InSavesownwordsChildrenhaveaunique voicetheytalkaboutissuesclearlyandsimply.Theyalsocutthroughtechnicaljargonandarenot interestedinpolitics.Theyjustwantthingstochange.Byputtingchildreninfrontofthosewhocan actuallychangepolicies,Saveismakingtheissueofchildeducationaprioritytopolicymakers.5 One
exampleofSaveschildadvocacyprogramistheChildrenForum2013inHanoi,Vietnam.Inthisforum, Saveinvitedkeypolicymakers,liketheVicePresidentandtheMinisterofEducation,tomeetwith170 childrenanddiscusslawsonchildprotection.6Thesekindofeventsareoneofthebestwaystodirectly

SavetheChildren.MovingAheadinEducationSavetheChildrensglobaleducationstrategyto2015.An overviewforpartners,donors,governmentsandcivilsocietyorganizations.SavetheChildrenInternational.2012. 3 InterAmericanDevelopmentBank.Education5DimensionsofSuccessinEducation,2013.Web.12Nov.2013. 4 SavetheChildren.EducationThePowerandPromiseofEducation,October2013.Web.7Nov.2013. 5 SavetheChildren.WhatWeDoAdvocacy,2013.Web.7Nov.2013. 6 SavetheChildreninVietnam.SharingandLearningBlogSavetheChildrenSupportsChildrenForum2013, August2013.Web.7Nov.2013.

tellpolicymakerswhatneedstobedoneandhowtodoso.Itisimportanttonotethatusingforumsand summitstoadvocateforpolicychangeornewsectorstrategieswouldneedahighbudget.TheIDBcould usethesestrategieswhenfacingabudgetof$20,000ormore. SavetheChildrenalsocreateswellresearchedbriefs,reports,andguidestoinformpolicymakers ontheirstrategies.OneexampleofthisistheFilipinoChildrenattheMarginofDevelopmentReport. ThereportevaluatesFilipinochildrenonhealth,familylife,education,culturalactivitiesandotherareas Savedeemscriticaltoachildslife.Attheendofthereport,SaveandotherNGOsthathelpedwiththe reportpresentkeychangesthegovernmenthastoimplementinordertoimpactthelivesofchildrenas muchpossibleasthecountrygrowseconomically.Thereportcomesdowntothreemaingoalsforthe Philippinegovernment:thatchildrensbestinterestsneedtoalwaysbeconsideredinallmattersofpublic policy,thenecessityforallocationofmoreresourcesfortherealisationofchildrensrightsandneeds,and theprovisionofsubstantialinvestmentsinthesocialprotectionsystem,particularlywithintheeducation andhealthcaresectors.7 NotonlyarethesetypesofreportscreatedbySaveveryinclusive,butthey providealotofresearchbackedevidencetopromotetheorganizationsstrategies.Byhaving wellresearchedreports,Savegrowstheirlegitimacyinthecountriestheyworkinsincetheorganizations impactcanbeevaluatedbythelocalgovernmentorotherdevelopmentorganizations.Creatingbriefsisa soundideafortheIDBbecausetheorganizationhasalreadydonealotofresearchandhasongoing educationprojectsinallthecountriestheyworkwith.Thistypeofcommunicationstrategywouldbeinthe midbudgetrangebecauseoftheamountoftimeittakestopullareporttogether.Furthermore,reports mustcomewithpamphletsorothershorterdocumentsthatsummarizewhatthereportsayssincepolicy makersdontalwayshavetimetoreadaguidethatis40pageslong. OneprojectthatencompassesbothSaveseducationstrategyandcommunicationstrategyisthe promotionofearlychildhoodcareanddevelopmentinMozambique.Heretheorganizationpartneredwith

PhilippineNGOCoalitionontheUNCRC.FilipinoChildrenattheMarginsofDevelopment.20011007.

theWorldBankand3ieimpacttoseetheeffectsofchildparticipationinpreschooleducation.Theprogram resultedinchildrenwhowerebetteratproblemsolving,hadbetteremotionalandsocialskills,reduced illness,andimprovedtransitiontoelementaryschool.8However,theprogramwasntonlybeneficialforthe childrenwhoparticipated.TheMinistryofEducationrecognizedtheimportanceofearlychildhood educationand,withassistancefromtheWorldBank,willbeginanationalpilotprogramwithincreased accessforyoungchildrentoenterpreschools.Asawhole,theprojectdemonstratesSavescommitment toitstheoryofchangesincetheorganizationisadvocatingforyoungchildren,creatinganevidencebased strategy,andworkingwithotherorganizationstotaketheprojecttoscale.Furthermore,byevaluatingthe impactofaproject,Saveisabletoeffectivelycommunicatepositiveoutcomesandshowgovernmentsthe thelargeeffectsthatchangesinpolicycanhaveonchildren. TheIDBwouldbenefitfromusingSaveasamodelforeffectivecommunicationbecauseofthe impactthatSavesprojectshavehadaroundtheworld.Whetheritbethroughlargeadvocacyeventsor reportsgroundedonalotofresearch,SavetheChildrenmakessurethatgovernmentsarehearing childrensneedsandtheorganizationsmaingoals.SavetheChildrenspracticeshaveproventoworknot onlyineducation,butinhealth,emergencyresponse,HIV/AIDS,childprotection,andmanyother programsthattheorganizationisinvolvedwith.TouseSaveasamodelmeansthinkingaboutthebest possiblewaytovoiceastrategy,evenifitmeanspartneringwithotherorganizations,andtaking information,projects,andresearchtoscalesogovernmentscanseethattheworkbeingdonehasan impactandpolicyneedstochange.

SavetheChildren.LayingtheFoundationsEarlyChildhoodCareandDevelopment.SavetheChildren International.2012.