So what? National and international resources invested into Child Poverty Studies: So what?

Are Child Poverty Studies worth such human and financial investment? if the reports will just be nice colourful knick-knack NO YES if they will be: strengthen national policies for children instrumental in putting children high in the national development agenda increase public expenditures for children

Child poverty study: from evidence to evidence-based policy making

What is Evidence-based Policy making? An approach that helps people make well informed decisions about policies, programmes and projects by putting the best available evidence at the heart of policy development and implementation .

Putting the best available evidence at the heart of policy making? based Technical Capacity Evidence influenced Opinion based Policy environment

The Challenge: How to match technical rigour and policy relevance? but no policy relevance Policy relevance but no technical rigour Evidence that is technically rigorous and policy relevant.

Evidence into practice: Increasing the uptake of evidence in policy making Strategic intent of Child Poverty Study: Matching technical rigour to policy relevance. A political strategy (including an understanding of political processes) to use your evidence to enhance Public reforms Data Providers (Researchers) Data Users (Policy Makers) Need to improve dialogue: How? What ? Why? When? Getting appropriate Buy-in Incentives to use evidence Reliable Data Improving “understandability” of evidence Effective Dissemination Wide Access

Enhancing policy relevance

Policies options to address wealth disparities… Source: MICS3

… as well as sub-national disparities Source: MICS3

Even if the majority of children attend primary education… Attendance of early childhood education programme and net attendance rates of primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education Children are entering school with low level of preparedness. Net attendance rate drops down at secondary level … … and more dramatically at tertiary level. Source: MICS3

Reversals of students performance Students Performance in Reading   PISA 2006 PISA 2006 and PISA 2000 Russian Federation 440 -22 Bulgaria 402 -28 Romania 396 -32 KEY MESSAGE: REVERSALS IN EDUCATION PERFORMANCE PUTS AT RISK YOUTH EMPLOYABILITY AND THEIR SOCIAL INCLUSION Between 2000 and 2006, in Russia, Bulgaria and Romania there has been a deterioration of between 5 and 8 % in students' educational performance. CEE/CIS students rank well below their OECD peers in both science, reading and mathematics. Educated young people in the Region will increasingly be at a disadvantage and their employability will remain very low. Source: The OECD Programme for International Student Assessment 2006 (PISA)

Subjective wellbeing Source: MICS3

Subjective wellbeing Women aged 15-49 who believe a husband is justified in beating his wife/partner Source: MICS3

Enhancing data dissemination and use

In addition to National MICS reports …

… key Findings were communicated through Executive summaries …

… leaflets …

… posters and calendars…

… and free access to data was ensured through DevInfo.

Effective Media release and Press Conferences …

… in synergy with multimedia supports …

… 26 episode documentary TV serial …

… were instrumental to excellent Media coverage.

MICS 3 findings are being used for Evidence Based Decision Making … In all countries, MICS3 findings were presented at Government policy makers and major stakeholders, including to the Parliament in Kazakhstan MICS3 findings have been presented in strategic national Conference, such as at the EU Conference on Social Inclusion in Macedonia and the National Conference on Poverty in Tajikistan In Serbia, the MICS3 findings informed the public hearing at the National Parliament on “Child health. Challenges and solutions” Uzbekistan is planning to launch a dissemination campaign with the Children Parliament .

… and further analysis to inform Policy reforms.

So what? National and international resources invested into Child Poverty Studies: So what?