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

Comprehensively Analyzing the Situation of Orphans and Vulnerable Children
Most secondary data sets that might be consulted for a
situation analysis are based on household surveys.This is
a useful and valid methodology to assess the scope of
certain problems at the population level. However, reliable
estimates and characteristics of orphans and vulnerable
children depend on the ability to capture a
representative sample of this group among children in
different contexts. For example, estimates of orphan
prevalence would be understated using household surveys
alone and orphan characteristics would be biased
to the degree that those living in households are fundamentally
different from those living in institutions or on
the street.Therefore, it is important to augment data
from household surveys (e.g., DHS and MICS) to include
children outside of family care.A proposed comprehensive
methodology for doing this is presented in Guide to
Monitoring and Evaluation of the National Response for
Children Orphaned and Made Vulnerable by HIV/AIDS
(UNICEF, forthcoming).This resource suggests the following.
Children living outside of family care.A census of institutions
and orphanages that care for children can be conducted.
Once the institutions have been identified, the
orphans and other vulnerable children living in them can
be enumerated. In countries where there are large numbers
of children living in institutions and/or where there
are many institutions, it is necessary to take a sample of
institutions.
Homeless children.The methodology for sampling and
surveying homeless orphans is complicated, as it is difficult
to locate and conduct interviews with homeless orphans.
The method to locate them involves developing an adequate
sampling frame. Street children are a mobile “floating”
population group, and they must be sampled using
the concept of time-location sites, a method of sampling
mobile children and youth that is unbiased and adheres to
the tenets of probability sampling. On the basis that
everyone sleeps somewhere, it is recommended that the
sampling of street children be confined to places where
youth and children are known to sleep, such as railway
stations, other transportation terminals, and under
bridges.A sampling frame can be developed by working
with government officials, NGOs, religious leaders, and
others who work with street children.The first step is to
select the time-location sites; the second step is to post
interviewers at the sites for the time interval designated
and interview all the youth that are present or arrive at
the sites during that period.
• Education costs (tuition, supplies, boarding)
• Dropout rates
• Completion rates
• Grade repetition rates
• Number of schools attended
• Number and percent of trained teachers
Operational Definitions
For each secondary data set, the definitions used to
identify the respondents and the definitions for the variables
investigated (e.g., household, children, orphans,
head of household, income) must be included. It is likely
that the definitions from different data sets will vary,
which will make it challenging to compile the information
from the different sources on the variable of interest
into one composite report. If possible, the various data
sets that have commonalities should be isolated.
Depending on how data were coded it may be possible
to extract data within the defined parameters (e.g., looking
at data only from households that include children
under age 5). The following definitions were used to
extract and report data from DHS and MICS (children
whose parents’ survival status was missing or unknown
were eliminated from the analysis):
• Maternal orphan: Child under age 15 whose natural
mother has died.
• Paternal orphan: Child under age 15 whose natural
father has died.
• Double orphan: Child under age 15 whose mother
and father have both died.
• Total orphans: Total number of children under
age 15, whose natural mothers, fathers, or both,
have died.
• Household: Person or group of persons who live
within the same dwelling and share a common
source of food.
• Dependency ratio (DR): Proportion of dependents
(number of children ages 0 to 14 years + number of
elderly persons ages 60 years and over) to the work-
Conducting a Situation Analysis of
Orphans and Vulnerable Children Affected by HIV/AIDS
33