Zambia
National leadership:
Ministry of Sport Youth and Child Development and Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, UN agencies, USAID, World Vision-Zambia, Save the Children-Norway and Sweden, and Plan International-Zambia.
Contact persons for the QI Initiative:
Director of Child Affairs, Mr. John Zulu, (260)-977-416433; Director Social Welfare Department, Mrs. Rose Mutupo, (260)-977-589700; Mr. Bruce Wilkinson, Chief of Party for RAPIDS World Vision, www.rapids.org.zm, (260)-211-263476.
Background
The Zambia Ministry of Community Development and Social Services has facilitated the development of minimum standards of institutional care for children. After the Quality Assurance and Improvement (QAI) workshop in Tanzania, efforts focused on incorporating the community care component as part of the minimum standards. Stakeholders have also been engaged in adapting the Child Status Index (CSI) to the local context.
Achievements
Drafted the Minimum Standards of Care for Children in Institutional Care; Held a national stakeholders meeting to share the QAI Facilitator’s guide; NGOs have adapted the CSI as a QI tool.
Current Focus
We are working with the Ministry to finalise the incorporation of the community component as part of the minimum standards of care.
Challenges & Lessons
Coordination between the Ministry of Sport Youth and Child Development and Ministry of Community Development and Social Services has delayed implementation of QI programmes. Conflicting schedules have delayed the implementation of the plan of action for introducing QI. The CSI as a tool for measuring quality has been challenging for most care givers to use, due to low literacy levels.
Last updated June 2008
