Best Practices Rationale and Definition

The goal of the CIRCLE project is to identify and promote innovative, locally developed, and community-based pilot projects that successfully address the prevention (or reduction) of child labor through education, as well as to document their Best Practices. In the context of the CIRCLE project, a best practice is an aspect of project that has been effective in preventing or reducing child labor and is an inspiration to others.

With this project objective in mind, CIRCLE is in the process of creating a Best Practices document. This document aims to serve as a guiding tool, filled with practical information, tips, and examples for community-based organizations, as well as local and international non-governmental organizations, policy makers, and donors.

Methodology

CIRCLE uses a peer-review mechanism for identifying potential best practices. CIRCLE staff, as well as local and international development practitioners, leaders, experts and, academics, have contributed their time towards analyzing each CIRCLE partner’s project and identifying potential best practices according to the following criteria:

• Effectiveness
• Innovation
• Sustainability
• Replicability
• Stakeholder involvement

CIRCLE then uses a scoring system to allocate points to the identified potential best practice in order to distinguish the mostly highly recognizable best practice.

Emerging Themes

CIRCLE uses an empirical methodology for recognizing emerging themes in the reduction/prevention of child labor. The information, comments, and scores given by each evaluator identify what works within the project. If many projects, from across the globe, also identify similar things, they can be combined to form an “emerging theme.”

The following potential themes have been identified:

• approaches to awareness-raising
• approaches to child labor monitoring
• creating/improving educational facilities
• creating community savings plans
• approaches to impacting policy
• approaches to capacity-building
• building networks
• approaches to include all stakeholders, especially family
• fostering advocacy
• supporting peer education

Global Perspective

CIRCLE has awarded 101 subcontracts to 86 NGOs in 23 countries. As such, CIRCLE enjoys a unique position and understanding in the global fight against child labor. The best practices document seeks to capture this perspective and share its lessons learned with the global community.

The Entire CIRCLE Project as a Best Practice

While the entirety of each CIRCLE-partner’s project cannot be considered as a best practice, the CIRCLE project itself can be seen as fulfilling all the aforementioned criteria, thus itself being a best practice.

The very heart of the CIRCLE project is perhaps its most innovative and effective aspect; because CIRCLE contracts local organizations to implement their own projects, communities are the primary stakeholders in their own development. They know best what challenges they face, and have the insight and innovation to carry out effective, sustainable initiatives. Because CIRCLE empowers local organizations to work together, it can be seen as effective and inspiring to others.