SYSTEMS FOR CHILD CARE REFORM IN MOLDOVA AND OPPORTUNITIES TO

DO BUSINESS DIFFERENTLY THROUGH COLLECTIVE IMPACT

Alexandra SAFRONOVA
alexandra.safronova@crs.org
Master’s degree student of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Sociology
and Social Work
Collective impact (CI) is a relatively new approach that has been recognized as an effective
framework for progress on social issues. The main idea of CI is that creating sustainable solutions
on complex social problems requires coordination of efforts of all change actors in the field and
collective work towards a clearly defined goal. The previous experience of CI initiatives being
realized in different countries outlines the five main conditions, including common agenda,
shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication and
backbone support. By backbone is understood the organization that ensures effective management
of the whole initiative by means of leadership, advocacy, facilitation of processes, data and
knowledge management, coordination across strategies, as well as assuring collaboration and
transparency. CI is successful if launched by influential champions, passionately focused on solving
the problem, if there is an urgency for change and doing business in a different way, and adequate
financial resources to support this approach. Undoubtfully, in the Republic of Moldova there is an
urgent need to reform childcare and the child protection system, to ensure all children grow in safe
and nurturing families and assure quality community services at the level of each rayon. The global
initiative Changing The Way We Care comes to Moldova with a bold solution to these problems by
launching the Collective Impact approach.
Previous success of childcare reform (reducing the number of children in residential
institutions from 17000 in 1995 to 961 in 2019) was conditioned by effective collaboration of
central and local public authorities, development partners, donors and civil society organizations
(CSOs). A key example of this is the National Council for Child Rights Protection, established in
1998, headed by the prime minister with the deputy head represented by the Minister of Health,
Labor and Social Protection (MoHLSP). Other participants included the Ministry of Education,
Culture and Research, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of
Finance, State Chancellery, the Deputy General Prosecutor, the Child Ombudsman, the National
Bureau of Statistics, the Alliance of NGOs active in the field of Child and Family Social Protection
(APSCF), UNICEF and champion NGOs in the field of childcare and child protection. The Council
coordinates the activities of seven working groups ranging from deinstitutionalization and family
strengthening interventions, to inclusive education, suicide prevention, and birth registration. While
this Council has been successful in the past, in recent years their activity and effectiveness have
reduced – in 2020 there were only three meetings of the group. As a result, new initiatives and
entities emerged to energize care reform. In autumn 2020, key government and non-government
stakeholders initiated a process of developing a National Child Protection Program for 2021-2025,
which may include recommendations for a coordination mechanism to support the realization of the
program, which could perform many of the functions of the previous National Council.
Another important role is played by alliances and platforms in the sector, often led by CSOs,
that facilitate collaboration of multiple partners. Among them is the Alliance of Active NGOs in
the field of Child and Family Social Protection (APSCF) (58 members), Alliance of
Organizations for Persons with Disabilities of the Republic of Moldova (52 members),
Common platform of the community of Civil Society Organizations promoting the rights of
persons with disabilities (105 members) and Aid Management Platform (automated information
system in which information on external assistance is stored) coordinated by the State Chancellery.
Interestingly, these entities are largely seen as information-sharing and advocacy platforms, not as
coordination mechanisms. Occasionally, they do execute work together that requires coordination –
such as APSCF's work to develop the National Child Protection Program, but their primary function
is not coordination.
Well-coordinated and impactful action with measurable progress requires a strong
leadership, structure, identity, and resources invested specifically into the coordination function,
Collective Impact (CI) as a new approach that could step-in to better coordinate the efforts of all
stakeholders in the future. Previous experience reveals some challenges and opportunities that need
to be considered while launching CI for care reform in Moldova. A brief review of secondary
sources shows that a great amount of financial, human, institutional and other resources is
concentrated in the area of family support, childcare and child protection as well as in the field of
support for children and people with disabilities. Evaluations and assessments realized by
development partners and international organizations underline the need for improving the
coordination, strengthening monitoring and mutual accountability practices. Besides, including
voices of target group into coordination is still in its early stages but provides opportunities for
greater impact. Basing on the number of stakeholders in the field as well as the opportunities and
needs for improvement identified in different assessments, the CI is viewed as a solution as its
critical elements will answer the existing challenges and help to improve coordination, monitoring
and mutual accountability.
Sources:
1. JOHN KANIA & MARK KRAMER Collective Impact, Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2011
2. JOHN KANIA & MARK KRAMER Embracing Emergence: How Collective Impact Addresses Complexity, 2013
3. M. CANNON, C. GHEORGHE CHILDCARE Assessing Alternative Care for Children in Moldova, 2018