Best of UNICEF Research and Evaluation 2020

Background

Every year, UNICEF showcases quality research and evaluations for children through Best of UNICEF Research and Most Influential Evaluations. For 2020, the UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti and the UNICEF Evaluation Office have joined forces to produce a single publication awarding reports with a high potential for impact on policies and programmes that benefit children.

Submitted by UNICEF offices from around the world, the reports analyse the changing world around us and evaluate progress towards a better world. In the current global political climate, evidence, facts and objective assessment are needed more than ever to help enhance the rights and well-being of the world’s children, and to reimagine a better future for every child.

The Best of UNICEF Research and Evaluation 2020 showcases 18 finalists grouped according to UNICEF's five goal areas, as well as those who cover multiple goals. Download the full report or scroll through summaries of the winning entries below.

Read or download the full report here.

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Goal Area 1: Every child survives and thrives 

Every child has the right to grow up healthy and strong. And yet, poverty, the environment, malnutrition and inaccessible or inadequate care, maternal health and nurturing practices prevent millions of children from surviving and thriving. Three reports explore what can be done to ensure children live a healthy and fulfilled life, which is especially relevant amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEPAL 

How was evidence used to reshape early childhood development policies in Nepal?

Evaluation of the National Early Childhood Development Program

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NIGERIA (EVALUATION WINNER)  

What was the impact of the Birth Registration Programme in Nigeria?

Impact Evaluation of the UNICEF Supported Birth Registration Programme in Nigeria 2012-2016

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Watch the webinar recording and download the presentation.

UGANDA (RESEARCH WINNER) 

What can community perspectives bring to Ebola virus disease preparedness in Uganda's border districts?

Strengthening community linkages to Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak preparedness in Uganda: Anthropological research on the socio-cultural context of EVD in the most-at-risk districts in Uganda.

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Watch the webinar recording and download the presentation.

Goal Area 2: Every child learns 

Every child has the right to an education and quality learning opportunities from early childhood to adolescence. And yet, a range of factors – including geographic location, economic circumstances, gender, disability, low-quality teaching and schools, disruption from conflicts and other shocks – prevent millions of children from learning. Three reports showcase how this goal can be achieved around the world—from East Africa, to Latin America, to Central Asia.

EL SALVADOR

How did a pilot programme evaluation influence El Salvador to scale up early childhood interventions nationwide?

Triple “E” (Educación y desarrollo Integral de la Primera Infancia, Empoderamiento de familias y jóvenes, Entorno protector comunitario)

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MOZAMBIQUE

Can accelerated school readiness programmes help to prepare Mozambique’s children for primary education?

Evaluation of the UNICEF Mozambique Accelerated School Readiness Pilot Programme

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UZBEKISTAN

What factors are associated with positive primary education outcomes in Uzbekistan?

Student Learning at primary grades in Uzbekistan: Outcomes, Challenges, and Opportunities

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Goal Area 3: Every child is protected from violence and exploitation

Every child has the right to be protected from violence, exploitation and abuse. And yet, social norms, cultural practices, intra-state conflict and displacement, and other harmful actions undermine children’s safety and well-being. Reports from three different countries provide examples of how we can better protect children around the world.

BULGARIA (EVALUATION WINNER)  

Has deinstitutionalization improved the situation of children in Bulgaria?

Evaluation of the Family for Every Child project in the Region of Shumen, Bulgaria.

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Watch the webinar recording and download the presentation.

ETHIOPIA

What are the causes and consequences of child labour in Ethiopia?

Child Labour Analysis in Ethiopia

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STATE OF PALESTINE

Evaluation of Family Centres as Community Level Service Delivery Mechanisms Reaching Vulnerable Children in Gaza for the period June 2015 to October 2017

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Goal Area 4: Every child lives in a safe and clean environment

Every child has a right to live in an environment that is conducive to his or her growth and safety, including being protected from pollutants and other hazards. And yet, climate change, weak local and national governance, unplanned urbanization and insufficient awareness of the dangers posed by environmental risks – including inadequate water and sanitation systems – expose millions of children to potential harm.

MALAWI

How can rigorous evidence help to inform Malawi’s national water, sanitation and hygiene strategy?

Malawi Evaluation of the Community Led Total Sanitation and Hygiene Programme

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Goal Area 5: Every child has an equitable chance in life

Every child has the right to fulfil his or her potential. And yet, extreme poverty, geography, conflict, discrimination, exclusion and other barriers hold back millions of children around the world, with lifelong consequences for themselves and their societies as inequity and deprivation perpetuate poverty across generations.

BELARUS

How can fiscal policies in Belarus reduce child poverty more effectively?

Commitment to Equity for Children: Redistributive Effects and Efficiency of Social Assistance to Households with Children in Belarus

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CHAD

Could Chad prevent an oil crisis from fuelling child poverty?

Impacts de la baisse des prix du pétrole de 2014-2016 sur le bien-être des enfants au Tchad: Analyse à l’aide d’un modèle EGC dynamique avec microsimulations totalement intégrées 

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ETHIOPIA

Does an integrated nutrition and social cash transfer programme improve outcomes for children in Ethiopia?

Impact Evaluation of Improved Nutrition through Integrated Basic Social Services and Social Cash Transfer Pilot Program (IN-SCT) in Oromia and SNNP Regions, Ethiopia

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LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Are national workplace policies supporting new mothers in Latin America and the Caribbean?

Maternidad y paternidad en el lugar de trabajo en América Latina y el Caribe — políticas para la licencia de maternidad y paternidad y apoyo a la lactancia materna

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THAILAND

How will Thailand counteract intergenerational poverty with its child support grant?

Thailand Child Support Grant (CSG) Impact Assessment Endline Report

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Cross-cutting themes

Much of UNICEF's work covers multiple themes. Three reports in the Best of UNICEF Research and Evalauation publication explore children online, working effectively in humanitarian settings, and unaccompanied children.

EAST ASIA (RESEARCH WINNER)    

How can understanding children’s online behaviour inform protection strategies in East Asia?

Our Lives Online: Use of social media by children and adolescents in East Asia - opportunities, risks and harms

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Watch the webinar recording and download the presentation.

EVALUATION OFFICE HQ (EVALUATION WINNER)   

How can UNICEF provide more effective and equitable coverage in complex humanitarian emergencies?

Evaluation of the Coverage and Quality of the UNICEF Humanitarian Response in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

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ITALY (RESEARCH WINNER)  

How do unaccompanied and separated children reach adulthood in Italy?

At a crossroads: Unaccompanied and separated children in their transition to adulthood in Italy

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Watch the webinar recording and download the presentation.