Conducting a Participatory Situation Analysis of.pdf - Global HIV ...

Chapter One: Overview
One of the most tragic consequences of HIV/AIDS is its
devastating impact on the well-being of children.
HIV/AIDS affects both those who are HIV-infected and
millions of others throughout the developing world
whose lives are radically altered when their parents or
caregivers become ill and die. According to Children on
the Brink 2004, since the epidemic began, 15 million
children under age 18 in 93 developing countries have
lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS.
More than 40 million people are living with HIV, and
infection rates are rising. This means that the number of
orphans will increase dramatically in coming years and the
impacts will continue to be felt for at least the next two to
three decades. It is estimated that by 2010, 24.7 million
children will have lost one or both parents to AIDS.
The majority of OVC are living with a surviving parent
or with extended family. Many of these children are
being cared for by a parent or guardian who is sick or
dying, elderly grandparents who themselves often need
care and support, or impoverished relatives struggling to
meet their own children’s needs. The growing demand
for care and support of OVC has strained these traditional
coping mechanisms in the countries most affected
by HIV/AIDS, and comprehensive care and support
interventions must be scaled up to address this situation.
Such interventions include health services/medical care,
education assistance, shelter, socioeconomic strengthening,
human rights and legal protection, and psychosocial
support for vulnerable children and their families.
Several countries (e.g., Jamaica, Namibia, Thailand, and
Zimbabwe) have responded by implementing national
policies and plans of action for vulnerable children.
Unfortunately, however, the vast majority of countries
have yet to implement national action plans and related
policy reforms. At the community level, various groups
have developed a wide range of responses. Although the
extent and impact of these responses are not known,
there is general agreement that geographic and programmatic
coverage of existing efforts is insufficient.
The challenges faced by children, families, communities,
and their governments in mitigating the impact of
HIV/AIDS are and will continue to be enormous. There
is a need for guidance on how to scale up comprehensive,
well-targeted, and cost-effective approaches. One
critical step for providing such guidance is to undertake a
participatory situation analysis that becomes an integral
and ongoing activity for monitoring the well-being of
children.
I. What and Why of Analyzing the Situation
of Vulnerable Children
What Is a Situation Analysis?
A situation analysis provides a contextual overview of a
particular condition at a given point in time. It is a
process of gathering, analyzing, and using information
to guide planning and mobilize action. A situation
analysis can also provide an objective measure of the
well-being of children because it is not directly tied to
programming objectives or indicators and it is based on
independent methodology and a participatory approach.
That is, a situation analysis will not reveal the successes
or weaknesses of individual programs.
In terms of scale and scope, a situation analysis can be
implemented nationally, regionally, or in specific geographic
areas. This Guide presents a comprehensive
approach to data gathering and management for undertaking
a situation analysis. This comprehensive
approach may be best suited for a national or multiregional
analysis. Resources, information gaps, and
objectives vary from country to country, and these characteristics
determine how an initial situation analysis is
implemented and how a repeat analysis will be conducted.
In addition, the availability of secondary data, the
geographic clustering of HIV/AIDS prevalence, and the
need to phase-in responses to the situation of OVC are
also likely to affect decisions about how to conduct a
situation analysis.
Regardless of the scale and scope of the situation analysis,
the guiding principles covered in this Guide deserve careful
attention. These principles, which are discussed in
this chapter, will help decision-makers select the core
elements of a situation analysis in a particular country.
For example, ensuring that the process is collaborative
will dictate how, or if, an outside consultant is used.
The principle of maintaining joint ownership will guide
decisions on how people can be engaged throughout the
process, especially in acting on recommendations.
In the context of HIV/AIDS-affected children and families,
situation analysis involves gathering information
about the epidemic, its consequences, household and
community coping responses, and relevant policies and
Conducting a Participatory Situation Analysis of
Orphans and Vulnerable Children Affected by HIV/AIDS
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