Strengthening Coordination and Monitoring of Vulnerable Children Responses in AMAC

Strengthening Coordination and Monitoring of Vulnerable Children Responses in AMAC

SMILE has been working closely with the Education and Social Development Department of Abuja Municipal Area Council to achieve the key objectives of the project. One of the strategic objectives of the project is to strengthen the technical and organizational capacity of the AMAC to monitor and coordinate OVC and care givers response in the AMAC.

At the roll out of the SMILE project, an organisational capacity assessment of AMAC was undertaken with key stakeholdersdrawn from Line departments. Key finding from the assessments revealed a non-existence of multi sectoral coordination and partnership platform in relation for vulnerable children’s response. Non availability of the coordinating structure did not ensure uniformity in programs, service delivery provided by stakeholders for the vulnerable children.

As part of efforts in improving coordination of vulnerable children response in AMAC ,SMILE provide technical support to the Area Council to establish Vulnerable Children Coordinating Committee (VCCN) which is in line with the recommendations from the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development under the National Priority Agenda (2013-2020).

• Members of VCCN trained on Improvement Science.

The committee which comprises of key stakeholders is now charged with the responsibility of coordinating and monitoring the Area Council’s level response on issues concerning vulnerable children, as well as building capacity of local service delivery organizations.

In order to strengthen the capacity of the committee to meet its mandates, members were trained on improvement science which is a system oriented approach of providing quality programs and services to the vulnerable children.

Members of the committee now have a better understanding of the paradigm shift of direct service delivery to a more sustainable development approach to vulnerable children responses. The committee members can also confidently use the new VC protocols that included National Priority Agenda, Improvement Science and National Service Standard for Vulnerable Children.

According to Barrister Adeosun Kolawole’s, the Secretary of the Vulnerable Children Coordinating Committee of AMAC; he said “The workshop has been eye opening to learning not to put the cart before the horse but learning to get the horse ready before putting the cart. We have learnt a new way of dealing with vulnerable children in the society”