Poste - Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children

C A N A D I A N C O A L I T I O N F O R T H E R I G H T S O F C H I L D R E N
Practice refers to the application or implementation of
legislation and policy. Measured here is the extent to
which the spirit of the legislation or policy is upheld.
Included in this category are fluctuations in funding to
relevant programs. Statistics related to the impact or effect
are indicators of practice. Especially relevant to this
category is the Convention’s general principle concerning
non-discrimination. A universal act, guideline or policy
may be applied unequally to persons because of race,
gender, socio-economic status, etc. Practice does not
necessarily reflect government policy, but can be the
result—desired or undesired—of that policy.
Statistics and Research provide a situational analysis of a
given area, beyond governmental practice and policy.
Relevant statistics might include rates of poverty, crime,
literacy, child neglect and school completion. To be valid,
the research must follow accepted practices of research
and data collection. This category could include
international and comparative statistics. Statistics and
research may reflect a certain “activity level” in an area of
study, where the absence of statistics/research may mean a
lack of interest on the part of government, the research
community, the public, etc.
Public Opinion reflects moods, trends and perceptions of
a given population. It influences legislation, policy,
practice and the entire political process in many ways.
Compared to the media or expert opinion, it is intended to
be broadly representative, as opposed to anecdotal, and
relatively free of interpretation. For our purposes, relevant
sources could include public opinion polls, election results
and focus groups.
Other Relevant Resources include other significant
sources of information on the given topic. These include
reports and opinions of non-governmental organizations,
advocacy organizations, academics, practitioners and
political parties.
Jurisdictions make up the horizontal axis of the grid. They
are divided into the following two categories:
Federal Jurisdiction refers to the powers which are
outlined in Section 91 of the Constitution Act, as well as
all other domains where the federal government maintains
spending and legislative activity. This category includes
foreign policy and official development assistance.
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Provincial/Territorial Jurisdictions refer to the powers
as outlined by Section 92 of the Constitution Act, as well
as all other domains where these governments maintain
spending and legislative activity. Included are municipal
institutions, which are the responsibility of provinces as
defined in Section 92.
Voices of Children
While children could inform the above seven categories/
headings, the grid lens accommodates their “voices”
throughout our process and without the constraints
placed on other categories/headings. Relevant quotes
from children can be drawn from their participation at
focus groups, from first person narratives or testimonials,
case studies, etc. This category is different from public
opinion because it is not intended to be representative.
Citations for this category could include name, age,
city/town, province/territory and any other relevant
background.
PROCESS: Situational Analysis
A situational analysis is written for each Convention
article or grouping of relevant articles which reflects the
state of Canada’s children in relation to the rights in that
article(s).
PROTOCOL: Report Criteria
Readable: Clearly expressed in language appropriate for
a report to the United Nations yet easily followed and
understood by the general public including youth.
Credible: Thoughtful, intelligent review of reliable
sources.
Accurate: Fully documents, verifies and cross-checks all
references, sources of information and data.
Comprehensive: Synopsis of information drawn from all
sources as defined in the framework grid.
Transparent: Reflects the contributions and input of
NGOs, experts and children.
Holistic: Presents a perspective that captures the
nuances, subtleties, successes and contradictions that
mirror the reality of the practice and implementation of
children’s rights in Canada.