Inter-agency Guidance on Child Protection Case Management Data Categorisation

Child Protection Case Management (CPCM) is a cornerstone of child protection in humanitarian settings. While numerous tools and guidelines exist, there is an opportunity to utilise CPCM data more effectively. This data can enhance programme quality, inform humanitarian response planning, and drive global advocacy for child protection needs and resources.

The need for standardised categories for child protection risks, vulnerabilities, and services was identified in 2019. This lack of a “common language” hindered effective data aggregation, analysis, and interoperability across and between information management systems. Aggregated data offers valuable insights into child protection needs and allows for targeted programme development. Additionally, a common language enables cross-contextual data analysis, generating valuable learning and insight about how different crises impact children in need of case management.

Recognising the need for a common language, in 2022 UNICEF and UNHCR spearheaded a collaborative effort within the Alliance of Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (Alliance for CPHA) to address this gap. This initiative focused on defining data categories for CPCM. These categories look at overall risk, which is defined by Safety Threat x Vulnerability describing how threats exacerbate vulnerabilities to expose children to risks that affect their well-being. To improve a child’s well-being and address their vulnerabilities, child protection workers analyse services requested and provided in case management. This helps identify any additional support the child might need, thereby addressing the threats and vulnerabilities they face. To ensure integration across various CPCM tools, the data categorisation framework is being incorporated into the revisions of Inter-agency Case Management guidelines and tools. This will promote consistent data collection practices.

This collaborative effort culminated in the creation of the “Inter-agency Guidance on
Child Protection Case Management Data Categorisation” (Data Categorisation) in 2024.