Conclusions d'une évaluation qualitative rapide sur la protection de l'enfance

Alliance for the Protection of Children Project Findings From a Rapid Qualitative Assessment on Child Protection JULY 2017 This publication was produced by American Institutes for Research (AIR) for review by the United States Agency for International Development. It was prepared by the AIR research team. The authors’ views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Agency for International Development or the United States government. Alliance for the Protection of Children Project Findings From a Rapid Qualitative Assessment on Child Protection July 2017 July 2017 Contents Page Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Methods and Sample ....................................................................................................................... 2 Results ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Causes of Violence ..................................................................................................................... 3 Child Protection Interventions .................................................................................................... 6 Obstacles in Child Protection Work ......................................................................................... 12 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 15 Appendix A. RQA Mapping Exercise ........................................................................................ A-1 Appendix B. NGOs Consulted in the RQA ................................................................................ B-1 Introduction The Alliance for the Protection of Children (APC) is a 3-year U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) - supported project implemented by American Institutes for Research (AIR) with a goal to leverage local assets and strengthen the protection of children exposed to all forms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence. Lumos Foundation is a resource partner to the project leading efforts that mitigate abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence in residential care institutions. The APC will support strategic objectives on the part of USAID and the Government of Haiti (GoH) to strengthen the protection of vulnerable children. The APC will ensure that its work aligns with the National Child Protection Strategy (SNPE) and contributes to Objectives 3, 4 and 5, as well as existing laws governing the protection of children in Haiti. We will work in partnership with the Institut du Bien-Être Social et de Recherches (IBESR), Université d’Etat d’Haiti (UEH), Zanmi Lasante, Combite pour la paix et le développement (CPD), Restavek Freedom/OPREH in Year 1 to establish a rigorous evidence base on which to build Year 2 and 3 pilot interventions. The APC will collaborate with other government agencies, ministries, strategic United Nations agencies such as UNICEF and UNHCR, as well as community-based and local non-governmental organizations in Haiti. We will prioritize child protection through this program, specifically pilot evidence-based interventions that reduce violence against children, mitigate the trafficking and forced labor of children, protect unaccompanied and separated migrant, stateless and displaced children, integrate street children into safer learning and care spaces, prevent the separation of children from their families and explore alternative care and protection services. The Alliance for the Protection of Children has four distinct phases: (1) Research; (2) Design of Pilot Interventions; (3) Implementation of Pilot Interventions; and (4) Evaluation and Learning for Scale Up. The Year 1 project plan covers the first and second phases. Three primary research questions guided the first year of the APC project. The purpose of this report is to present the findings for the rapid qualitative assessment (RQA), which narrowed its focus to addressing one of the three questions: What is the existing evidence regarding small- and large-scale interventions that reduce or prevent any form of violence against children in Haiti or in similar developing country contexts? The purpose of the RQA was to consult actors working in child protection in Haiti to understand what kind of activities are currently being implemented to protect children. We gathered NGO and community leaders’ opinions about broad strengths and challenges facing child protection interventions occurring in four Haitian departments. The evidence from the RQA will ensure the APC project does not duplicate existing activities. The evidence also will provide context as we refine and inform future interventions focused on child protection in Haiti. This report identifies common practices and challenges that NGO and community leaders face when working with children, youth, community members, and government stakeholders in child protection. We begin by briefly discussing the methods used to collect and analyze the data. Next, we present the results of our investigation into the causes of violence in Haiti, followed by an overview of leader assessments of child protection-related interventions currently being implemented, their resources, and typical processes (which include community engagement, monitoring, communication, and coordination). We conclude the results section by mapping the American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—1 perceived child protection activities completed by respondents of different local and international NGOs as well as government actors operating in child protection. Finally, we end the report by discussing obstacles to working in child protection in Haiti, as perceived by those NGO and community leaders whom we interviewed. Methods and Sample The overall orientation of this study is qualitative. In qualitative research, questions—and the responses they produce—tend to be expansive and descriptive. Qualitative approaches were ideal for this study because they allowed researchers to explore and understand the experiences, opinions, and perspectives of informants in depth. Depicting perspectives on the complex child protection system in Haiti required detailed descriptions of ongoing activities and how people currently engage with one another; therefore, interviews were useful to capture experiences in respondents’ own words. The RQA data collection employed the following three main methods: 1. Key informant interviews. A key informant was a person who possesses expert knowledge about ongoing child protection interventions or activities within his or her department. We conducted 44 interviews across all four study departments with key informants who were either NGO or community leaders. 2. Mapping exercise. Mapping is a participatory method designed to involve community members in the research process, not simply as respondents but as active stakeholders. In the context of this study, we used this approach to (a) help gather information on spatial knowledge of child protection actors, vulnerability, and access to resources in study departments; (b) understand local and institutional knowledge on the actors and activities of protection of the child; and (c) involve current CP stakeholders in the project’s research process to inform the design of the initiatives moving forward. In each study department, we conducted a participatory mapping exercise with representatives from local and international NGOs and community leaders (notables), for a total of four mapping exercises. Please see Appendix B for the final maps produced in each exercise. 3. Brief open-ended survey. The purpose of the survey was to collect perspectives regarding CP systems and interventions from a broader range of CP stakeholders. We sent a brief open-ended survey to 171 individuals using a list of NGOs provided by a Ministry of Planning directory. Despite follow ups with these individuals, fewer than 10 responded to the survey query. We then administered the same survey to willing interview respondents, following completion of the interview, for a total of 15 completed surveys. The project worked in three departments that were decided upon during the first Advisory Committee meeting: Ouest, Artibonite, and the Border area (Northeast and Southeast departments). To select specific communities in each department, we began with a list of communities and narrowed down the options based on the following criteria. Overall, we looked for the most vulnerable communities in terms of precarious economic situations, low access to social and public services, risk of natural disasters, poor housing infrastructure, and high risk of violent incidents. Community selection was influenced by the current situation of children in these areas. Examples American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—2 include reported cases of children in domesticity, children living on the streets, children in conflict with the law, armed gangs, numerous cases of sexual exploitation, unwanted pregnancy and abandonment of children, high school drop-out rates, trafficking, “disappeared or sold children,” and child labor. We selected and finalized sites at the December 2016 advisory committee meeting in collaboration with IBESR, UNICEF, UEH, and local NGO partners. Although the initial sampling plan intended to identify respondents using survey responses, when we did not receive completed surveys, we decided to use a snowball sampling approach. We identified NGO and community leaders across the Artibonite, Ouest, Nord-Est, and Sud-Est departments. Please see Appendix B for the list of organizations consulted for this study. We want to note one limitation to the methodology used to conduct this RQA. The goal was to report on the existing child protection activities, but the methodology only allows us to report on the activities that our informants mentioned. There was no quantitative or independent verification of this information. For example, it is possible that some child protection-related organizations may have been excluded by respondents during the mapping exercise, so the results of this study may not be consistent with the views of those organizations. In addition, because the conversations are semistructured, the content and context of the discussions may have slightly differed from one organization to the other. Finally, the small sample does not allow for the power to report statistical results, though the trends we report are robust. Results Questions in interviews focused on several common themes, including perceived causes of violence; a description of the respondent’s ongoing child protection activities, resources used to implement child protection interventions, perceived strengths and weaknesses of the activities, community engagement, obstacles faced in child protection programming, communication and coordination with other organizations, and means to measure the efficacy of child protection efforts. The results presented express solely from the viewpoints of the Haitians we interviewed. The sections presented next are illustrative of the majority (or trending) viewpoints discussed by respondents, except as noted, and do not represent only the views of a single person. Causes of Violence Across all departments, the most frequently referenced cause of violence was poverty; respondents described poverty by using terms such as misery, economic insecurity, hunger, or unemployment. The following subsections elaborate on additional factors that leaders believed contributed to violence. These include links between violence and attitudes held by community members and parents, weak government systems, culture, education, and a lack of safe play spaces. Parental Attitudes Multiple NGO and community leaders linked parental attitudes to violence in Haiti and noted that a lack of parenting experience, a failure to take responsibility for their children, and poverty resulting in an inability to provide inadequate care for their children often result in violence. One respondent in Artibonite explained: « La question de violence en Haïti est liée aux parents. Les parents ont démissionnés à jouer leur rôle dans la vie des enfants. Ces enfants sont livrés à eux American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—3 même sans aucune surveillance parentale. » Another NGO leader in Artibonite acknowledged that violence is caused by a complex intersection of conditions but placed some of the blame on parents’ inability to provide for their children: A mon avis, il y a tout un ensemble de facteurs qui engendrent la violence en Haïti. Et je peux commencer par la situation politique du pays, ensuite la question de l’évolution de l’insécurité total, tant sur le plan économique que sociale. Parce qu’il y a beaucoup de parents qui ne peuvent rien pour leurs enfants, donc tous ces enfants doivent se débrouiller quotidiennement pour se trouver de quoi pour survivre, et ceci de n’importe quelle manière. A community leader corroborated this viewpoint, emphasizing that parents who fail to question where money is coming from when their children bring it home perpetuates violence or abuse and explained “why there are a number of children who fall into relationships with older men.” One NGO leader in the Ouest department traced problems back to a more general lack of experience and preparation in parenting, « Le manque de préparation des parents est un facteur important. Les parents ne savent pas ce qu’implique la parentalité avant de vivre l’expérience. » A community leader in Artibonite underscored the importance of the parent’s role in suggesting that reducing violence requires “start(ing) with the parents first of all. In order to raise awareness, we have to start with the parents.” Cultural Norms Another factor respondents linked to violence was culture, as several individuals described beliefs held by many in Haiti that may contribute to violence. In the Ouest department, an NGO leader explained that the way adults view children rationalizes violence: « Le problème de la protection de l’enfant est le niveau d’éducation de la population et la perception sociale des enfants, considérés comme des bêtes, des animaux. » Additionally, a respondent in Artibonite explained that violence is widespread in Haitian society in general, and children grow up witnessing and experiencing violence in multiple environments: As soon as we talk about violence against children, the cultural factor is very high. Adults continue to whip children, teachers do it in school also by the fact they were been [sic] whipped by their parents. It is a phenomenon that is repeated at home and at school. Children are subjected to violence. What goes into the popular mind-set as if it were normal. In addition, lack of knowledge of the laws that exist on children protection. And the worst, the government leaders do not communicate them. Sometimes, even the authorities are not aware of certain laws enabling them to protect children against abuse in society. Weak Government Systems Several respondents attributed violence to the Haitian government, explaining that the government does not take responsibility or play a role in supporting the needs of its people. In Artibonite, one NGO leader expressed, « essentiellement c’est l’instabilité politique qui engendre l’insécurité. » This instability is also cited by an NGO leader in Nord-Est, whose views were echoed by multiple respondents: American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—4  Disons-nous le premier facteur c’est le gouvernement haïtien, il est le premier malgré qu’il ne garantisse pas sa responsabilité. Celle qu'il a en vers la nation voire en vers les enfants. C’est pourquoi que nous disons qu’aucune ONG ne peut pas résoudre ce problème. Aucune personne, aucune institution ne peut pas le diminuer. Il faut que l’Etat prenne sa responsabilité en vers le pays, en vers la nation pour en fait voir la diminution de ce phénomène, celui qui ronge les enfants. Aujourd’hui nous avons l’acculturation, vous nous voyez perdre notre culture parce que l’état ne rétablit pas les ordres, il n’a rien valorisé en terme de culture nationale.... Donc, aujourd’hui, nous devons mener une bataille, celle qui vise la réorientation de l’état pour qu’en fin il puisse prendre sa responsabilité et même lorsqu’une institution nous vienne en aide mais qu’il sache cette institution n’est pas l’Etat. NGO and community leaders in both surveys and interviews suggested that the state should take responsibility and play a bigger role in systemizing and ensuring adequate child protection in Haiti. Education Respondents identified problems with school access and resources, demand, and the subsequent level of education attained by many as factors that contribute to violence. Respondents mentioned the lack of school options and the large number of unqualified teachers as central hurdles to accessing a quality education. Several people highlighted the issue of demand for education being low and contributing to violence. They described that youth who choose not to attend school often end up in the streets and are involved in or exposed to violence. One respondent in Ouest department referenced that the low level of education attained by many facilitates violence, « Le niveau d’éducation a aussi un rôle prépondérant dans la violence. En effet, si une personne est éduquée, elle saura respecter la femme par exemple et elle n’osera pa lever la main sur elle. Il est de même pour la femme, si elle n’a pas une bonne éducation elle ne pourra savoir ses droits et qu’on n’a pas le droit de lever sa main sur elle. » Participants in the Nord-Est mapping exercise emphasized that focusing policies and child protection strategies on education would be a starting point to improving the system, « L’éducation des enfants est la chose la plus facile à améliorer. Après l’éducation, nous pouvons ajouter la mise en place d’un centre de loisirs car les enfants peuvent tout apprendre dans la bonne ambiance. » Lack of Safe Play Spaces Finally, some NGO and community leaders believe that out-of-school youth contribute to violence. One respondent in the Ouest department explained, « Je pense aussi que le manque d’espace de loisirs peut engendrer la violence. Les enfants n’ont pas accès aux espaces de loisirs où ils auraient pu s’epanouir dans d’autres activités comme la danse ou la musique. » During the mapping exercise in Nord-Est, participants reflected upon the need to address this, recommending that children living on the street receive special attention so that they do not, « Deviennent plus tard des délinquants et se livrent à toutes sortes de pratiques comme la drogue ou la violence. Ils doivent avoir un centre d’accueil pour les recevoir, c’est une responsabilité de l’Etat envers eux vis-à-vis de la protection de l’enfance. » American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—5 Child Protection Interventions This study explored how NGOs assess their own work and approach key organizational processes that facilitate child protection activities. In this section, we first present NGO leaders’ descriptions of their missions and ongoing activities as well as their perceptions on the resources they use to conduct this work. We then present findings related to community engagement in child protection, approaches to monitoring across the four study departments, and perceptions on communication and coordination among child protection stakeholders in Haiti. Description of NGO Missions NGO respondents in interviews and to the survey described in detail the range of activities they conduct that are related to child protection. The most frequently described activities included sensitizations or youth/community-based trainings, followed by legal assistance and advocacy regarding one’s rights, and nonformal education programs or sessions. Figure 1 presents the various types of activities or assistance that NGO leaders described providing to Haitian children and youth. The words in larger-sized text indicate that these descriptions were cited more frequently by respondents; conversely, words in smaller-sized text were referenced by fewer respondents to describe their activities. Figure 1. Word Cloud The NGOs covered by this study target and include multiple groups and numbers of beneficiaries. The most frequently cited groups of children who participate in their activities were children living in the street, followed by children in institutions and children in domestic servitude, then displaced children and victims of child trafficking and refugees. Although several NGOs targeted and served a small number of children (one listed supporting 26 children), other NGOs served much larger numbers (an NGO whose mission focused on sports had several thousand participants within the past year). NGO Resources NGO leaders provided mixed responses about their financial resources when asked about the resources at their disposal. While the majority described receiving external funding from a range of donor sources, several leaders of local NGOs described that they used “nos propres ressources,” and one leader in the Nord-Est department stated, “Nous n’avons pas de fonds American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—6 propres.” As discussed in a later section, a majority of respondents noted limited financial resources were a significant challenge. Few respondents discussed guides or reference materials that they consult when conducting child protection activities. In the Ouest department, one NGO leader noted receiving documents on child protection from Save the Children and Terre des Hommes, and another NGO leader described material received by IBESR. In Sud-Est and in Nord-Est, respondents noted receiving materials from UNICEF on child protection, although a respondent in Nord-Est also explained that “la difficulte reside dans leur application.” The most significant resource consistently identified across departments by respondents were each organization’s own human resources. One individual stated, « Nous avons seulement les ressources humaines. Pour les ressources financières n’en parlons pas! » NGO leaders consistently expressed that their greatest strength was the ongoing participation of children in their activities, “la persistence de notre presence,” and “notre volonte, notre amour pour le travail que nous realisons.” Community Engagement Leaders consistently described community engagement as critical to the success of their programming. All but one respondent described interacting and forming relationships with members of the community where their child protection activities are taking place. The most frequently mentioned community stakeholders that NGO and community leaders engage with were church or other religious leaders, followed by local authorities, schools, women’s organizations, and the mayor. Respondents also mentioned involving political leaders, neighborhood associations, and assorted community organizations. In Nord-Est, one NGO leader noted that « toutes nos activités sont réalisées avec l’appui de la communauté. » Another NGO leader in Ouest expressed the same sentiment, mentioning that when entering communities to implement child protection activities, “We see if within the community there are other thing being done, the message is different, it departs from our work.… Whatever we do, we do it together with the community.” In Artibonite, an NGO leader explained that when organizing activities, they invite as many community members as possible to attend. Despite this, during the mapping exercise conducted in Sud-Est, participants reflected upon long-term challenges caused by a lack of community engagement and consultation, which could result in more appropriately designed and effective program. Il faut reconnaitre que les organisations accomplissent un travail mais les solutions, les résultats ne sont pas visibles parce que la communauté n’a pas la chance de placer son mot, de dire ce dont elle a besoin, les problèmes auxquels elle fait face. Les organisations viennent souvent avec des idées toutes faites de ce qu’elles vont faire. Pourtant la communauté a ses propres problèmes, s’il y avait une consultation entre les organisations internationales et celles de la communauté, les interventions seraient plus efficaces car on agirait sur les vrais problèmes. American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—7 Multiple respondents defined the link between community input and more effective child protection-related activities. One NGO leader in Artibonite emphasized, « Nous arrivons à gagner la confiance de ces communautés par rapport à notre interaction, notre statut social, et notre intégration dans ces communautés.... Nous avons un discours plus ou moins abordable, qui est également revendicatif. Ils observent toujours l’évolution des choses. » Respondents described gaining the confidence of communities in which they work as essential not only to their activities but also to their general security. Additionally, one respondent in Artibonite attributed winning future business opportunities with other international NGOs to their “authentic leadership” style, citing that their approach to work causes international NGOs or other potential funders to “Realiz[e] we are well-rooted, realiz[e] we hold a strong base in the community…[see] that we work with several other organizations; [that] said well, in terms of social rallying, if there’s a message to convey, we are well-positioned to deliver it.” Monitoring Although most respondents clearly recognized the importance and value of monitoring and evaluation, most emphasized the “monitoring” and could not describe the use of consistent, systematic monitoring or evaluation methods to track child protection-related activities. Instead, respondents often cited using informal methods to assess their work. In the Ouest department, one leader explained, « Pour le suivi nous avons la liste de tous les enfants que nous assistons, nous les surveillons dans leurs actions et nous essayons de voir s’ils ont mis en application ce que nous les avons appris et conseillé. » However, when asked about the type of data collected during these observations, the research team was told, « Nous ne les avons pas ecrites. Nous les avons de manière verbale! » In Nord-Est, one respondent described visits every three months to « écouter les gens. » Another leader in Artibonite described a similar method, « Les comptes rendu sont le plus souvent sans documents écrits, mais de manière verbale en raison du constat de l’effectif présent, à travers leur comportement. » Many other NGO leaders described an approach to monitoring without documentation. In the Ouest department, two leaders stated they had conducted evaluations that were unwritten. Despite a general lack of formal monitoring and evaluation, a few NGO leaders included in the study described more systematic efforts. In Artibonite, one NGO leader described a set of follow-up tools used to track activities every trimester, as well as evaluations conducted every six months. Two respondents in the Nord-Est department described conducting monthly monitoring of activities and referenced independent, public evaluations. Another in Ouest described that a donor had commissioned an evaluation of their efforts, and a leader in Sud-Est explained that UNICEF had provided assistance in evaluation. A few respondents indicated that they used the data to inform future activities by identifying weaknesses and areas in need of improvement. One respondent mentioned that the data they collect “enable us to make decisions.” Communication and Coordination Strong communication and coordination processes were described as essential to a functioning child protection system, whether formal or informal. NGO and community leaders emphasized this frequently within interviews, surveys, and mapping exercises. However, although they acknowledged the importance of coordination processes, many were quick to note that communication and coordination processes are in need of strengthening. In this section, we American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—8 present respondent opinions on why communication and coordination is important, followed by coordination challenges and perceived solutions. Je pense qu'il y a deux niveaux de communications: l'une avec la communauté qui marche plus ou moins bien. Ce serait impossible, presque impossible de travailler dans une communauté sans le dialogue avec les leaders communautaires, les notables et avec des familles qui habitent la zone. Cela fonctionne plus ou moins. Mais quand nous parlons de la communication entre plusieurs organisations qui travaillent à ce niveau, je pense que ce serait plus important bien qu'on a l'habitude d'avoir des activités conjointes. Open Communication and Coordination as a Best Practice. Most NGO and community leaders described a great deal of ongoing communication and coordination among organizations or associations working in child protection, with the exception of a few small, local NGOs that had not engaged in coordination efforts. In the Ouest department, one leader described being a member of a diverse coalition, the Coalition Haitienne de la Défense des Droits de l’Enfant, a network working on child protection. In Artibonite, respondents mentioned working with the Platform des Jeunes and the Groupe de Travail sur la Protection de l’Enfant, and having established a subgroup on child protection, which “consists of representatives of the city hall, Ministry of Justice, National Police, Ministry of Social Affairs—in order to make a synergy in our work in the community.” One respondent in Nord-Est department also shared the idea of working in synergy, explaining: Nous ne travaillons jamais seuls et impliquons toutes les organisations dans nos activités. Nous avons un groupe formé de 22 collaborateurs auquel nous faisons toujours appel dans nos activités. Les organisations sont toujours prêtes à nous offrir leur service et à collaborer avec nous, nous pouvons dire que leur participation à nos réalisations nous est d'un grand support. Additional organizations or associations listed by respondents are presented in Figure 2. Respondents provided a range of advantages when discussing collaboration and coordination of child protection work, although several indicated that although de facto activity sharing often takes place, there is not yet a coordinated effort to organize across agencies. After being asked for the names of groups or organizations with whom they work, respondents were asked whether they purposefully avoid working with any organizations in particular, the response to which was consistently “no.” One respondent in the Ouest department explained that in terms of coordination, « L’avantage c’est quand nous travaillons ensemble nous avons plus de chance d’apporter le changement parce que la problématique de l’enfant est grande et que une seule organisation ne peut pas l’aborder toute seule. » Coordination Hurdles. Even though several leaders described being members of networks or associations, many others emphasized that the lack of systematic coordination caused serious problems. Participants in the mapping exercise in the Ouest department explained that ongoing American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—9 instability is a fundamental challenge for coordination that prevents organizations from effectively functioning as a network of child protection actors. One participant noted: Il y a les problèmes de proximité entre les institutions, de logistique, d’instabilité des bureaux des institutions. Tantôt le bureau est dans telle zone, tantôt il se déplace. Les organisations communautaires ne sont pas en réseaux dans le sens de communiquer facilement entre eux, même les organisations à plus haut niveau ont cette difficulté. One respondent implied that the lack of formalized coordination is troubling to the sustainability of child protection efforts: Le niveau de collaboration entre les organisations, agence, et personnes œuvrant dans la protection de l’enfant n’est pas vraiment une collaboration consistante ou permanente c’est quand il y a une situation que ces gens-là se réunissent. Nous ne constitutions pas vraiment un réseau et ça fait que nos actions ne sont pas durable, nos réponses ne sont pas solides pour pouvoir résoudre réellement le problème. In Artibonite, one respondent agreed with the idea that organizations working in child protection are not operating as a network and suggested that “there should be linkages between all the organizations…so we can work for the same cause.” Need for a Shared Understanding and Strategy. Across all four departments, interview and survey respondents consistently described a need not only for improved coordination processes but also for a long-term child protection strategy that encompasses government and NGO stakeholders as well as child protection policy advocates and parents. In the Ouest department, one respondent described that activities need to be given time to have an impact, and another respondent shared the belief that child protection in Haiti would improve if « nous serons les rangs afin d’avoir des relations beaucoup plus étroites et de travailler d’un commun accord entant qu’organisation ayant une même mission dans la société. » In Artibonite, one NGO leader similarly described the need for “us all to share a common understanding (so that) we can reach the targeted objective,” and in the Artibonite mapping exercise, participants recommended that improving child protection processes on the ground requires establishing a strong network structure. Respondents in the Nord-Est mapping corroborated this view in part, expressing frustration at the lack of a functioning child protection model to follow in Haiti. Il n’y a pas de modèle en Haiti. Il n’y a rien de concret. Nous ne savons pas s’il y a une institution étant donné que nous travaillons en synergie dont nous pouvons suivre l’exemple. Cet exemple peut être trouvé dans d’autres pays mais pas en Haïti. –Mapping Exercise, Nord-Est NGO and community leaders provided mixed opinions on the perceived effectiveness of the Institut de Bien-Être Social et de Recherches (IBESR), whose mission under the Ministry of Social Affairs is focused on child protection and welfare in Haiti. In the Nord-Est department, one respondent referenced challenges working with IBESR, explaining « IBESR par exemple comme entité étatique, d’abord l’état n’est pas trop actif, quand l’IBESR voulait réaliser une American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—10 intervention elle a pris toute une éternité. C’est pourquoi je dis qu’il n’y a pas vraiment de différence entre les organisations, elles sont toutes à même niveau. » Participants in the mapping exercise in the Ouest department shared the opinion that IBESR is not receptive enough when cases emerge related to child protection. One participant explained, « Le plus incompréhensible à notre avis c’est le fait que l’IBESR ne fonctionne pas en permanence. S’il y a un cas, une situation qui demande l’intervention de l’IBESR vers les 4 heures de l’après-midi, vous n’allez pas trouver personne or le travail de la protection des enfants est un travail en permanence. » Despite these assertions, numerous respondents referenced working with IBESR to organize and carry out their child protection activities. One respondent in Sud-Est highlighted IBESR’s role when discussing collaboration: « Il y a jamais eu d’acteurs qui ont témoigné la réticence de collaborer avec nous ou bien de travailler surtout en particulier les acteurs les plus classiques qui sont membres du Groupe Thématique Protection de l’Enfance coordonnée par l’IBESR. » In the mapping exercise in Nord-Est, participants agreed that child protection improvements exist in the department due to the presence of BPM, IBESR, and Solidarite Frontaliere on the border, who « empêchent la traite des enfants et aussi la migration des enfants en République Dominicaine. » Organizations Working in Child Protection Figure 2 presents the range of local and international NGOs listed by respondents in the mapping exercises, interviews, and surveys. Where possible, they were placed in the departments identified by respondents. American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—11 Figure 2. Local and International NGOs The number of check marks indicates the number of respondents that referenced this organization as working in child protection in their department. Obstacles in Child Protection Work NGO leaders discussed the many obstacles they encounter when implementing activities related to child protection. Interview and survey respondents often cited structural problems that complicate and prevent them from fully carrying out their work, including a lack of potable American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—12 water (as well as generally problematic health system), as well as the lack of electricity, identified as a reason why many children and youth cross to the Dominican Republic regularly and are subsequently exposed, subjected, or more vulnerable to violence at the border. The obstacles discussed next fall under the areas of resource constraints, a reluctance to change behaviors, issues related to sustainability, and a weak Haitian justice system. Resource Constraints Funding constraints or limited means were listed by most interview and survey respondents as a major obstacle in implementing any kind of child protection work. In Artibonite, one NGO leader explained, « Les plus grand défis sont les faibles moyens à notre disposition pour la réalisation de nos projets. Parce que nos initiatives sont en générale très couteux. » Several respondents stated that they were unable to expand their activities due to a lack of financial resources and equipment, including transportation or cars. One respondent in Sud-Est described that, « la voiture et la moto que nous utilisions comme moyens de déplacements sont en panne.… Actuellement nous n'avons aucun moyen de transports, nous faisons toutes nos interventions à pied. » A lack of adequate transportation poses a significant challenge to child protection activities that may take place in rural or remote locations, or in the case of this respondent, along the border. Additionally, when organizations turn to the parents or other community members to support their activities financially, one respondent in Ouest department described resistance: « lorsque les parents doivent contribuer à une petite cotisation pour quelques-unes de nos activités, il existe une toute petite résistance de leur part, pensant que nous avons déjà assez de ressources pour subvenir à nos exigences. » Low Demand for and Resistance to Behavior Change NGO and community leaders described resistance to attitude and behavior changes on the part of both the beneficiaries of their programming and their parents. – both challenges that limited the program quality and effectiveness. Leaders explained that challenges with youth were related to participation. One respondent in Sud-Est explained that the youth they target “may get angry and not even [pay] attention to you.” In Artibonite, one leader described that, [T]he youth, well at that age they are more rebellious than anything else, so if you are gathering them to fill their minds with elements so they can live in society and you aren’t offering anything, you aren’t funding and you aren’t feeding them, they are not at all interested in participating. Respondents in both interviews and survey responses described a reluctance on the part of the parents to change detrimental behaviors. One respondent in the Ouest department attributed an obstacle to parents not owning up to their responsibilities, describing « une tendance des parents ou toute autre personne responsable à croire que nous sommes là pour résoudre tous leurs problèmes. Ils ont des attentes dans divers aspects de leur vie tandis que souvent nous sommes là que pour la sensibilisation eux ils pensent que nous allons aborder leurs problèmes économiques. » Another in Artibonite highlighted a key obstacle in their work, which is the entrenched acceptance of violence as a form of discipline. Several others echoed this viewpoint as well: “In the community, we cannot [realize] great progress yet, because some parents are used to going to schools to press the directors and ask them to whip their children.” American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—13 Finally, multiple respondents noted security concerns as well as the fear of retribution as threats to the effectiveness and reach of their activities. Fear emerged as a key issue: Respondents described fear of repercussions on the part of parents, notables, and children of reporting instances of violence including abuse, abandonment, and neglect. One respondent in Sud-Est described a particular case they had encountered with a child who had become pregnant by someone in their 40s; however, « quand nous contactons sa mère pour les poursuites judiciares, elle nous dit qu'elle va de préférence se confier à un pasteur, et quand nous persistons, elle prend la fuite. » In Artibonite, another leader emphasized that “they’re sometimes afraid, and do not want to denounce these cases, even when these cases are known they cover it up.… You know, we’re in Haiti. People are afraid of certain things, they’re afraid due to threats they may have received Haitian-style.” Heavy Reliance on INGOs and NGO Practices Interestingly, both community leaders and NGO leaders themselves identified weaknesses in the NGOs as an obstacle to effective child protection. In the mapping exercise in Nord-Est, as well as the exercise in Ouest, participants stated multiple times that a central problem is that government agencies and NGO staff spend too much time in their offices and not enough on the ground. In Nord-Est, one mapping participant recommended, « Ils pourront nous aider à combattre les gens qui maltraitent les enfants parce qu’il y a plus de personnes derrière les bureaux que sur le terrain. Les agents de terrain doivent avoir plus d’attention car ils font le gros du travail. » In the Nord-Est department one respondent emphasized that the presence of so many NGOs removes the responsibility from Haitians to improve child protection systems: Nous luttons contre les ONG, ces dernières là créent une instabilité dans le pays. Nous nous sommes désengagés de notre responsabilité, nous attentons à ce que ce soient les ONG qui viennent nous aider or elles n’ont jamais laissé quelques choses de sérieux après leur passage dans une communauté de manière à pouvoir résoudre un problème en leur absence. C’est pour cela vous pouvez le constater vous-même, nous n’avons pas envoyé nos documents aux ONG ou aux institutions que nous savons d’avance qui ne vont rien règle autre que désunir la nation à leur propre intérêt. Respondents also mentioned that the heavy reliance on external donor funding for activities makes it impossible to sustain a functional child protection system. A leader in Nord-Est stated that, « Ces organisations sont dépendantes de l’extérieur en terme de financement donc s’ils ne trouvent pas d’aide elles ne peuvent pas fonctionner, elles ne peuvent pas répondre à les desiderata des enfants. Parfois elles se trouvent dans des situations difficiles et ce n’est pas toujours favorable quand ils font une demande de financement pour réaliser une activité. » Weak Justice System Finally, respondents consistently emphasized the need for the government to play a larger role in strengthening child protection in Haiti and attributed many obstacles they encountered to weak systems and either a lack of awareness or disregard for the law when cases related to child protection emerge. One participant in the Nord-Est mapping exercise reflected on this: Il y a des accords, des traités relatifs à la protection des enfants. C’est aux responsables de les appliquer, les organisations internationales qui déjà apportent beaucoup dans le American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—14  domaine de la protection des enfants doivent eux aussi se mettre de la partie et inviter les responsables à mettre ces traités en application. La justice doit elle aussi punir les coupables de traite d’enfants par exemple. Participants in the Artibonite mapping exercise shared this view, with one emphasizing that « les lois sont là, il faut tout simplement les mettre en application. » Several survey respondents noted that people lack knowledge of the laws that are in place and that local authorities are sometimes purposefully complicit in the failure to uphold justice. Conclusions This section will be added after the July Advisory Committee meeting and co-interpretationSM process so as not to bias the dialogue. American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—15 Appendix A. RQA Mapping Exercise American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—A–1 Ouest Department American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—A–2 Artibonite Department American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—A–1 Nord-Est Department American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—A–2 Sud-Est Department American Institutes for Research Haiti APC: RQA Findings—A–3 Appendix B. NGOs Consulted in the RQA Number Organization Name 1. OCDASM 2. Organisation des Jeunes de l'Avenue Maurepas (OJAM) 3. Org: Mission Maconique des Freres de St-Jean Baptiste 4. DENOJE (Dessalines Nouvelle Jeunnesse) 5. AJABD 6. Scouts d'Haiti 7. Save the Children 8. IBESR 9. MINUSTAH 10. PDID (Plateforme de developpement integre de Desarmes) 11. Organisation de Femmes pour le Développement de Raboteau 12. OJEB 13. BPM 14. ICDCA Initiative Citoyenne pour le Developpement de l' Anse a pitres 15. UNHCR 16. Réseau Frontalier Jeannot Succès pour la Promotion et la Défense des Droits Humains Département Nord-Est-Ouanaminthe 17. Solidarite Frontalier 18. Klèb Fòmasyon Rekreyativ Timoun Ba Mari Bawo (KFRTBM) 19. Organisation Rassemblement des Femmes de Merande 20. KPSKPN 21. l’Ecole Presbytérale de Saint-Charles 22. Enfant en Production pour le Developpement 23. Centre de Sport L'Espoir 24. Fondation Maurice Sixto 25. Fondation Emaus 26. GREDEPH 27. Orgnization Famm/ Canaan Unie pour le Development 28. Organisation Caribenne pour la protection social / Movement Fam Coordonatrice 29. Viva Rio 30. MSF Medecin sans Frontieres Martissant 31. OCIDEJEN Organisation des Citoyens pour le Developpement de Jalousie et ses environs 32. Abasystem Restavek 33. ACHLA An Chanje Lakay 34. Centre d' Education Communautaire Alternative CECA 35. 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