Effective programmes

We set high standards - for ourselves and others. In our development programmes, we look to maximise our effectiveness in delivering change in children's lives.

Displaced children who are sheltering in the local school being given play kits
We do this through an effective programming approach, which is our way of incorporating children's rights principles into the planning, implementation and monitoring of all our work.


Four key elements of this approach are:

Child rights programming

Save the Children is a leader in what is called 'child rights programming'. This means we use the principles of children's rights to design, implement and monitor our programmes. The ultimate aims are to ensure that:

  • all boys and girls can fully enjoy their rights
  • these rights are acknowledged and respected by the societies in which they live.

As a child rights programming organisation, we work to:

  • support and empower children to claim their rights
  • ensure that states and other duty-bearers take their responsibility seriously to provide for these rights.

Child rights programming provides the framework for the other key elements of our approach to work because:

  • rights are universal, so a rights-based approach must be inclusive and non-discriminatory
  • the right to children's participation is one of the four fundamental principles that underpin the UNCRC, as well as being addressed directly in Article 12 of the Convention
  • rights are enshrined in law and require demonstrations of accountability. We work with other duty-bearers to improve accountability to children. We assess our impact, involve other stakeholders in our work and learn from our experience.

Valuing diversity and encouraging participation

Children may experience discrimination:

  • on the basis of their social identity, for example as a girl, someone with a disability or as a member of a particular ethnic group
  • as a result of circumstances, such as living with HIV or as migrants or street children.

In many cases these aspects of identity and circumstance are used to define children as 'different'. Denials of rights come in many forms, such as poor or limited access to services or children becoming victims of abuse.  Discrimination can be deliberate or unintentional, but the effects are devastating leading to marginalisation and exclusion.

  • We challenge inequality and discrimination wherever we find it.
  • We also challenge the tendency of dominant social groups to project a view of reality about those who are different, that results in discrimination becoming acceptable.
  • We believe that difference is positive and enriching for all.

The reasons for discrimination vary from place to place. Our programmes aim to analyse power and discrimination in the contexts in which they work, and their impact on children. Using that information, we work with children and young people to fight discriminatory attitudes, behaviours and policies.

Enabling children to participate

All children, including the most marginalised and those of different ages and abilities, are entitled to be informed and get involved in any matter concerning them. Participation is about children and young people having the opportunity to express their views, influence decision-making and achieve change.

Participation: 

  • increases the effectiveness of interventions aimed at improving children's lives. Our work will be informed directly by those whom it is intended to benefit
  • brings benefits to the children involved - such as increased confidence, knowledge of their rights and ability to protect themselves and an opportunity to learn and practise important life skills
  • empowers children as members of civil society and as active and responsible citizens
  • ensures people in power and who have responsibility towards children are held to account by children for decisions and actions they make that impact children's lives.

We have three aims relating to child participation:

  • to create platforms and processes that enable children to advocate for issues affecting their lives
  • to ensure children influence the design, implementation and monitoring of our programmes
  • to enable children to hold people in power and those who have responsibilities towards children - including Save the Children - to account for decisions and actions affecting children's lives.

Learning and assessing impact

We are committed to learning from everything that we do. We constantly look to improve the quality of the programmes we deliver for children. We monitor and evaluate our programmes and assess their impact. We invest in training and development of our staff. And we learn from our day-to-day experiences and interactions with other people.

Assessing our impact

As part of our commitment to learning, impact assessment involves: 

  • defining what we are trying to achieve 
  • monitoring our efforts
  • recording information
  • understanding the relationship between our work and changes in children's lives.

We use the evidence we gather to:

  • make decisions about the focus and approach of a programme
  • demonstrate the value of the work we do to 'stakeholders' (including children and young people)
  • help us generate funds.