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A BRIEF HISTORY OF
THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON
EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT
This document traces the establishment of the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development. The Consultative Group (CG) emerged from conversations, which began in 1982, among staff members in international organizations concerned with survival, care, and development of children 0-to-6 years of age in the Third World. The number of participating institutions has grown as ideas about the purposes and operation of a collaborative mechanism have evolved. A group mechanism is now functioning that carries out information-gathering, synthesizing, and dissemination activities as well as some technical assistance.
1. Antecedents: May 1982-October 1984
1.1 The process of forming an inter-agency group concerned with child care and development began in May 1982 with informal discussions among staff from the Ford Foundation, the Bernard van Leer Foundation, and UNICEF. These early conversations highlighted a need for greater understanding and cooperation among principal international agencies - particularly with respect to low cost, community-based programme options. It was agreed that a meeting should be called to "compare notes and experiences on how projects in this area were developing and to consider whether and how it might be possible to coordinate and enrich the responses of agencies."
1.2 Then, in May 1983, a meeting was held at the Ford Foundation, co-hosted by the Bernard van Leer Foundation and Ford, and also involving UNESCO, UNICEF, USAID, and IDRC. The mix of United Nations, bi-lateral, and philanthropic institutions was intentional. An informal and frank exchange took place. A summary report of the meeting was prepared by the van Leer Foundation.
The need for a regular exchange of information about new and on-going projects was reaffirmed. No specific plan for a mechanism to accomplish such an exchange was discussed in detail at the meeting, but there was general agreement, reflected in the summary record, about the need to collaborate in order to improve:
1) the data and knowledge base on early childhood interventions,
2) communication and dissemination of programme outcomes, and
3) evaluation results and methods.
It was also agreed that collaboration in specific projects or programmes might be useful although precise mechanisms needed to be worked out carefully.
Follow-up activities suggested at the May meeting were: 1) collaboration in a Latin American meeting being organized by UNICEF to discuss costs and effectiveness of early interventions; 2) collaboration at the field level in Peru; and 3) organization of a subsequent meeting of the group focusing on a particular theme, including other institutions, and bringing in participants from the health field. UNICEF agreed to organize and host the next meeting.
1.3 The follow-up between June 1983 and October 1984 included:
a. A meeting on costs and effectiveness of early interventions was held in Santiago, Chile. The Ford Foundation and IDRC each collaborated with the host institution, UNICEF, by providing funding for a participant.
b. Evaluations of field projects in Peru were carried out by USAID, UNICEF, and van Leer, but the field-level collaboration hoped for at the May 1983 meeting was difficult to achieve.
c. UNICEF made preparations for the second inter-agency meeting to be held October 29-31, 1984. The topic, "Going to Scale", was selected as the substantive topic.
d. Work began on operationalizing collaboration and exchange through an inter-agency group or mechanism focussed on early childhood development. Several of the participants in the May meeting encouraged Robert Myers to elaborate the idea, based on a document titled "Seeking Sounder Strategies" that he had written and shared informally prior to the May meeting (but which was not then tabled for discussion). To develop the idea further, subsidies were provided by UNICEF, which made an office available, by a contribution from USAID, and by support from the High/Scope Foundation (which guaranteed Myers salary). The resulting proposal, for an "Inter-agency Service," was shared with the organizations that had participated in the May meeting and was presented formally to the Ford Foundation. In the proposal, a tentative work plan was set out together with an estimated budget for operation over a three-year period. Ford approved partial funding, joining with UNICEF and USAID in providing support for the collaborative process.
e. UNICEF indicated its willingness to continue to provide office space and to defray part of the core costs of an inter-agency mechanism that would foster information exchange and collaboration.
1.4 Ten international organizations participated in the October 29-31, 1984 meeting on "Going to Scale," organized by UNICEF and held at its offices in New York. (The Carnegie Corporation, the World Bank, the Aga Khan Foundation and WHO were new participants.) The agenda included discussion of a proposal to establish an informal Knowledge Network that would facilitate CG communication and strengthen the information base related to early childhood programming. From the group came the idea of an informal Consultative Group (adjusting the proposal from a more formal "Inter-Agency Service" mechanism). Several features of the proposed Consultative Group were spelled out: it should be informal, not exclusive, focussed on information exchange, and be guided by an Advisory Committee. UNICEF offered to follow-up the discussion by formulating a proposal in light of comments and suggestions received in the meeting, by circulating the new proposal for comments, and by exploring with others how to proceed.
2. Formation and Expansion of the Consultative Group:
November 1984-December 1985
2.1 Following the October 1984 meeting, a summary record was circulated in draft form. Additions and corrections were solicited and a final document was prepared incorporating comments received. This exchange provided a chance for further clarification of ideas about the inter-agency mechanism, as discussed in the meeting. Next, a revised proposal for a Consultative Group was put together by UNICEF and circulated. Institutions were asked to comment on the proposal and to indicate whether (and if so, how) they would participate in the Consultative Group. Responses were received from most participants for whom the working arrangements set out seemed to be acceptable. With responses came additional financial support so that by May 1985, funds were in hand to cover approximately two-thirds of the operating costs of a secretariat (Coordinating Unit) over a three-year period. Contributing were: UNICEF, Ford, USAID, Carnegie, WHO and IDRC. The High/Scope Foundation was asked to continue serving the Consultative Group in the technical advisory capacity it had been assuming in the earlier stages.
On the basis of the replies received, a final description of the Consultative Group was prepared. That description was mailed to participants together with a review titled "Effects of Early Childhood Interventions on Primary School Progress and Performance in the Developing Countries," undertaken by the Coordinating Unit with funds from USAID. Names were requested for an Advisory Committee and a suggestion was made that the next meeting focus on the interaction of health programmes with early education/stimulation programmes.
2.2 During the remainder of 1985, the Consultative Group continued to grow. The World Bank and the Aga Khan Foundation joined in supporting the Consultative Group bringing the total number of participants to eight organizations. The Bank commissioned a review of policy options and costs. The Aga Khan Foundation contributed support to the Coordinating Unit for dissemination activities.
In addition, a Knowledge Network began to take shape. A first issue of the Coordinators' Notebook was mailed out, originally to about 200 individuals and organizations. The mailing included also review papers, prepared for the Consultative Group.
An informal consultation of the Group was carried out in November, 1985, at which further suggestions were made regarding functioning of the Consultative Group and the Knowledge Network. These were incorporated into a "Description of the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development." Plans for the Third Inter-Agency Meeting, which would focus on ways to combine health/nutrition and psycho-social elements in programmes designed to benefit the development of young children, were discussed.
Several review papers were prepared during 1985 dealing with the utilization of early childhood care and education programmes for delivery of maternal and child health care components and primary health care; the intersecting needs of working mothers and their young children; and improving programme actions to meet intersecting needs.
3. Continued Growth and Consolidation: January 1986-October 1989
3.1 During 1986, information-gathering, synthesis, and dissemination proceeded apace, with writing of reviews, mailings of the Coordinators' Notebook and attachments, participation in and summaries of several meetings, and visits to field offices and projects by the Coordinating Unit. The Knowledge Network reached about 400 institutions and individuals in 90 countries. The Rockefeller Foundation requested a review paper of "Women's Work and Child Care," thereby becoming a participant in the Consultative Group, and the UNESCO/UNICEF liaison office agreed to fund a review in 1987. With these two new participants, the informal Consultative Group expanded to include ten organizations.
3.2 A meeting of the Consultative Group was held in January 1987 to: 1) discuss combining health, nutrition, and psycho-social components in programming for early childhood care and development, and 2) to begin the process of looking ahead. An Advisory Committee set out recommendations for future activities. During the year the Knowledge Network continued to expand. Reviews of 1) Child-to-child programmes and 2) instruments and methods for measuring child development (focusing on Latin America) were undertaken. The Coordinating Unit was called upon by several of the participants to help think about policy and programming for early childhood care and development. An independent review of Consultative Group activities was carried out. Ground work was laid for a modest expansion of activities.
3.3 An informal meeting of participating organizations was held in October 1987 to discuss the evaluation and subsequent participation. In line with the recommendations of both the Advisory Committee and the evaluation, another person, Cassie Landers (Ed.D, MPH), was added to the staff of the Coordinating Unit in December 1987.
3.4 By June 1988, support had been renewed allowing the Coordinating Unit to continue functioning at its increased level until 1990. Plans were set in motion for a meeting of the Consultative Group in July, to be hosted by the International Development Research Center in Ottawa, Canada, and taking as its main theme, "Child Care and Women's Work." Eight of the ten involved institutions remained active. The Knowledge Network grew to 600 individuals and institutions in 119 countries.
3.5 Following the Ottawa meeting, the Consultative Group continued to grow, incorporating as participants the Swedish Agency for International Development, Save-the Children, the Pan-American Health Organization, the International Child Development Centre, and the Bernard van Leer Foundation. Funding was assured through the end of 1990. Additional papers were produced and work began on a book-length manuscript summarizing previous work and setting out a "State of the Practice." The Knowledge Network grew to 850 individuals in 123 countries. A process of decentralization was set in motion, beginning with a "Focus Group" meeting in East Africa.
3.6 In October 1989, the fifth meeting of the CG was held in Paris, hosted by UNESCO. The meeting focused on "Preparing Children for Schools and Schools for Children", and represented the beginning of an active initiative to incorporate early childhood care and development into the World Conference on Education for All. That initiative included advocacy in regional meetings in Boston and Quito and with the Conference Secretariat, as well the preparation of a video for presentation at Jomtien. At the meeting in October 1989, the Group recommended a gradual expansion of the staff of the Coordinating Unit and of the Group's activities. The Advisory Committee recommended several new lines of action.
During 1989, the Coordinating Unit helped to organize a Global Training Seminar dealing with early child development, at UNICEF Innocenti Centre in Florence, Italy.
Throughout this period, the Coordinating Unit was called upon to participate in a variety of international meetings and to provide some help to participating organizations in their programming.
4. From Knowledge Towards Action: October 1989 to 1992
4.1 From October 1989 to October 1991, the Group grew slightly in size with the new participation of Save the Children, the Christian Children's Fund, the Inter-American Foundation, and the Organization of American States. The Knowledge Network continued its expansion, including about 1,500 individuals and institutions, while The Coordinators' Notebook mailing increased to approximately 3,500 copies. The quality of the publication was improved.
4.2 During the period, papers were written dealing with childrearing practices, ECD measures and instruments, language learning in preschool, women's work and child care, the generalization of education, the transition from home to primary school, the family setting for early development, children in institutions, and children in war. The measurement project expanded to include reviews in 6 countries or regions outside Latin America.
4.3 The Consultative Group contributed to the September 1990 Summit for Children by assisting UNDP in the compilation of a wall chart, writing a section for the UNICEF Sourcebook, and writing a booklet for UNESCO titled Toward A Fair Start for Children. A book titled The Twelve Who Survive was published by Routledge in conjunction with UNESCO.
4.4 The process of decentralization proved to be more difficult than expected and, although the idea continues, active Focus Groups have not been formed yet.
4.5 Over the last two years changes in the world's climate, continuing demographic trend (the reduction of infant mortality, women's entry into the paid labour force, migration flows, etc.) international focus on the child (WCEFA, the World Summit for Children, the Convention on the Rights of the Child), and new demands from governments, non-governmental and international organisations opened the field considerably, placing greater pressure on the Consultative Group to provide direct technical assistance as well as the strengthening the knowledge base, A process of moving from knowledge to action had begun.
4.6 To meet these challenges, the Coordinating Unit shifted its work somewhat to incorporate more direct technical assistance to participating organisations.
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