Strategic evaluation of the IRC | International Reference Centre for the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family INTERNATIONAL SOCIAL SERVICE To the attention of the Secretary General - Geneva
Introduction Created with the aim of defending children's rights and advancing reforms and public policies on delicate situations (adoption, placement of children outside their family of origin, children born of surrogate mothers, etc.), the IRC (International Reference Centre on the Rights of Children Deprived of their Family) offers a range of services and tools that make it a key player today and very much appreciated (this evaluation confirms it) by professionals in the field of protection and the authorities concerned throughout the world. In recent years, the IRC has focused on providing its basic services (monthly bulletin, inquiry service, country files) while developing specialized services (circulars, expert opinions in international fora), partnerships (with the United Nations, the Hague Conference on Private International Law, international child protection networks), technical assistance missions (Cambodia, Malta, Sweden, Mexico...), specialized publications and online training (MOOC). There are dozens of actions and they are praised for their quality. This record is all the more honourable given that the IRC team, based mainly in Geneva, is small (less than 10 people and occasional external experts). Today, the IRC is at a crossroad, and not only because of the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on its activities. The last evaluation of its activities was several years ago. Resources are decreasing, as are the contributions of the partner Central Authorities in a context of drastically decreasing international adoption. Part of the IRC team has recently left, and the recruitment of a new director must be done quickly while the team still in place is facing some difficulties in their work. Its positioning is delicate: hailed for the quality of its work and the relevance of its services, the IRC sometimes seems to be caught between the desire for independence and strategic autonomy and the desire to satisfy, above all, the main contributing central authorities. The only way to avoid being used is to seek financial independence by multiplying the number of tools and services for which fees are charged and by broadening the target audience. Moreover, its expertise in intercountry adoption is no longer to be demonstrated, but it seems to have locked it into this speciality, to the detriment of other fields related to the protection of children deprived of their family, and of other professionals who would nevertheless be quite happy to benefit from tools of equivalent quality on subjects related to adoption. In this context, the ISS General Secretariat has therefore commissioned an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the IRC, through the analysis of its current activities and work perspectives, with a view to reinforcing its added value for ISS, the authorities and entities benefiting from its services. The specific objectives of this evaluation were to: Assess the current functions and activities of the IRC Research and publication (on CLH 1993) including the bulletin Country sheets/reports for the CRC/general inquiries Technical support in the field (projects financed by UNICEF, governments, etc.) for projects to accompany and structure the central authorities in charge of adoption and alternative care 3 Explore with central authorities and other relevant actors the desirability and feasibility of developing similar or complementary activities on new themes, including training needs for ISS social workers: Tracing 1996 Hague Convention (in whole or in part) 2007 Hague Convention Any other relevant opportunity • Explore with different actors the opportunity and relevance of strengthening advocacy, with regard to the original mission of the IRC and the possible contributions to ISS in general • Assess the impact of the IRC's work on central authorities and propose ways to further strengthen the relevance and added value of these services • If time permits; study the opportunities for strengthening the use of technology in the service of the IRC (content layout, communication, brand image, tools and methods, strengthening interactivity, etc.). As part of this evaluation, 26 grantees were interviewed or responded to the questionnaire, specifically: 5 IRC team members and the ISS Secretary General 7 Central Authorities of receiving countries (Adoption) 4 Central Authorities of countries of origin (Adoption) 2 experts actively contributing to the activities of the IRC 7 members of the International Social Service network. Through a detailed questionnaire (see appendix), offered in English and French, and telephone interviews, it was possible to determine certain trends that would allow for an objective diagnosis of the IRC's activities and to formulate recommendations in 4 main areas: the positioning of the IRC and the needs of beneficiaries with regard to it (Chapter 1) the tools and services offered by the IRC (Chapter 2) work prospects and topics of interest (Chapter 3) the general management and the desired profile of the future IRC Leadership NB: Due to time constraints, the part of the evaluation devoted to the opportunities for strengthening the use of technology at the service of IRC (presentation of content, communication, branding, tools and methods, strengthening of interactivity, etc.) could not be completed and will have to be the subject of in-depth work within IRC itself and/or of external support
2 MIN