Advancing Children’s Rights through rights-based budgeting- Work of the CBUMario Claasen & Stanton Scholtz
Children’s Budget Unit, Idasa
Structure of Presentation
Purpose of Presentation Overview of the Children’s Budget Unit Activities of the CBU-including the Children
Participating in Governance Project Conclusion
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Purpose of the Presentation
To introduce the JMC to the CBU Familiarize the JMC on rights-based
budgeting Introduce the JMC to the Children
Participating in Governance Project: impact of the programme on a child who participated in the Project
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Overview of the CBU- Objectives
The Children’s Budget Unit conducts research, builds capacity and disseminate information that advocates for generation
and use of resources for child rights realization, targeting governments and civil
society organizations in developing countries.
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Context of Children in SA
In 2004, just over 18 million children (49% of population)
In 2004, 66 % (11.9 million) children live in households with income of R1.500 p/m or less
In 2004, 260 000 children under the age of 15 years are estimated to be living with HIV
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Purpose of CBU Research
Provide information on:1. Programme design, budgeting, implementation
and service delivery2. Recommendations for policy and programme
development Provide information to:1. Government officials, advocacy groups,
monitoring bodies, research institutions, media and MPs.
2. Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
CBU Research: 1
Rights based Framework: specifically socio-economic rights
“If the socio-economic rights in the Constitution are to amount to more than paper promises, they must serve as useful tools in enabling people to gain
access to the basic social services and resources needed to live a life consistent with human dignity” – Sandra Liebenberg (2003: 1-2)
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child South African Constitution
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
CBU Research 2: The SA Constitution Chapter 2: Bill of Rights Everyone has a right to housing, health care, food,
water, education (basic & further) social security (including social assistance)
Sec 28: Rights of Children
-Sec 28 (1) (c) basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services
-Sec 28: principle of best interests of a child
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
CBU Research 3: Constitutional Obligations towards realizing Child Rights Parliament and Provincial Legislatures National and Provincial Executives Courts Parents Human Rights Commission Private Sector Rights-bearers (beneficiaries) Media Civil Society International Bodies
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Debates on Jurisprudence
Minimum core: basic standard of rights delivery and thereafter progressive realisation
Certain rights less qualified: children’s rights in s28 & s29 therefore a higher standard (rapidly as possible and reach all children in need)
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Emerging SE Rights Jurisprudence Reasonableness test for government programs
(result of Grootboom & TAC Judgments)
1. Reasonable in conception and implementation
2. Balanced and flexible
3. Provision for crisis, short, medium and long term
4. Not exclude a significant segment of the society
5. Most urgent needs must be met
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
CBU Research 4: Research Methodology Laws, Policies and Programmes
Budgeting
Implementation and Service Delivery
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
CBU Research 5: Research Questions Has government put a program in place to
deliver the right? If yes, are the most vulnerable targeted? Is
the program non-discriminatory? Is it equitable?
Program budget allocation since inception and MTEF allocations
Percentage of total consolidated expenditure?
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
CBU Research 6: Research Questions Has the real value of the service increased over
time? Have funds been wasted in the program due to non-
spending of budgets? Are budgets & administrative capacity sufficient to
support implementation of the program according to plan?
Is service delivery such that they are rolled out according to the program plan and are basic services provided to all children quickly?
Is operational efficiency increasing?Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
CBU Research 7: Information Sources Government officials: program implementation
information, policy and budgets Advocacy organizations: information on service
provision Provincial and national budget book Budget reviews Policy and legal documents Survey data analysis Constitutional court judgments General comments from UN committees
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Capacity Building on Rights-Based Budgeting (1) Training should be utilized within the
organization Target Audiences:
-Civil Society Organizations
-Parliamentary Committees at National Legislature & Provincial Legislatures
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Capacity Building on RB Budgeting (2) Participatory Learning Approach Content includes:1. Key Budget Concepts2. Link between Budgets & Rights3. Budget monitoring as Advocacy Tool4. Basic Budget Analysis Skills5. Developing an Advocacy Campaign
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Information Dissemination
Research is disseminated to:
-Civil society organizations
-Government Departments & Officials
-National & Provincial Legislatures
-Research Organisations
-Participants of the research Research is disseminated through:
-Mailing lists
-Idasa WebsiteIdasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Children Participating in Governance Project
Conceptual Framework
“Participation” current in development discourse
Key themes of ‘empowerment’ and ‘rights’
New focus on people’s capacities to advocate for entitlements
Citizen’s participation means giving people access to information on which to base deliberation or to mobilise to assert their rights and demand accountability
Kinds of participation: being given information, being invited to offer opinion, being asked to take part in setting priorities, being involved in decision making
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Project objectives
Create opportunities for children in SA to monitor government budgets
Improve children’s participation in and researching monitoring for budgets and rights realisation that ultimately informs policy shaping
Contribute to the alignment of government budgeting to rights realisation
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Our partners
Implementing partners: IDASA – Children’s Budget Unit (Cape Town) Practical ministries – Life Hunters (Port Shepstone- KZN) Molo Songololo – It’s Your Move (Cape Town) City of Cape Town – Youth Development Programme (Cape Town) Disabled Children’s Action Group (DICAG) (Gauteng, Mpumalanga,
Western Cape)
Funding partners: Foundation for Human Rights (European Union) Norwegian Centre for Human Rights Save the Children Sweden Ford Foundation
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Peer Facilitation Model
Selection of 6/7 reps from each group Form core group of 25 peer facilitators Training at three workshops:
‘Linking budgets and rights’ ‘Budget monitoring as an advocacy tool’ “Developing a strategic budget advocacy campaign
Games used in workshops as main methodology Peer facilitators are the primary link to constituency
groups
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Reference group
Highest decision-making body gives strategic direction to the project
2 child participation experts, representatives from parent bodies, nominated peer facilitators
Meetings: 7 December 2004, 30 March, 22 August, 21 November 2005; 25 January 2006
Assist with compiling research of key lessons and the methodology of the project as well the training manual
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Impact on the children
First flight and residence in a hotel Media exposure Involvement in diverse group of youth Participation in Brazil learning exchange Global Jamboree Career options Active and valued citizenship
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Children participating in governance in Brazil METHOD: “…it is important to know the history and the present state of your place... In
order to be able to debate with the government on money allocation which will be [in] the budget? I found [this] interesting and a clever thing to do … [a] way to change the budget.” Zakithi
SUPPORT: “…. there is so much interest amongst those in government to help them with this project and news easily spreads because of the media connection they have.” Nonto
STRUCTURES: “…two child delegates represent[ing] teenagers and two representing children [in the local committees]” Zakithi
ADVOCACY: …They have gone and challenged the government which they say was a very bumpy ride because they were not taken seriously and people saying they are being used (government alleged that the children were furthering the agenda of the CEDECA and not their own) but finally their proposals are taken [accepted] but not saved (no actual programmes were developed). So now they are monitoring those proposals (amendments) because they say they [are] waiting for [a] long time thinking they are giving the government time but rather their work and input [was] not taken seriously.” Zakithi
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
Children’s opinions of the project “I went ballistic when I heard I was chosen” (16 year old Louise from YDP)
“I think I was chosen because I am outspoken.” (21 year old Alex from DICAG)
“Personally this workshop means a lot to me because maybe I will end up working for government and it has clarified lots of things for me.” (16 year old Zakithi from Life Hunters)
“I was very happy the time we organis[ed] the workshop but [when] the day arrived I was very nervous. (18 year old Stanton from It’s Your Move)
“By showing them (budget monitors) how to link the budget with there rights gave them a sense of power.”(15 year old Abby from the YDP)
“Some of our municipal officials are interested about this project, this will surely break the concrete I assumed was between children and government.” (18 year old Khanyi from Life Hunters)
Idasa-Children’s Budget Unit
CPG: Experience and Impact on a Child active in the Project
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