National Strategy for Research and Data on Children’s Lives 2011-2016
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The National Strategy for Research and Data on Children’s Lives 2011-2016 (Irish Version) (published November 2011) recognises that good information is essential in helping us understand both how children and young people are developing and how policies and services impact on their lives. The strategy was prepared by the Research Unit through detailed analysis of existing policy, research and data on children’s lives, and through consultations with children and young people themselves, with key policy and service delivery personnel, with researchers, with data producers and users, and with the general public. The strategy sets out a strategic direction and comprehensive action plan for research and data on children’s lives in Ireland over the period 2011-2016 and beyond. |
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Click cover to read summary Click here for Irish Version |
Aims and Objectives
The aim of the strategy is:“to set out a plan to guide and support the development of research and data around children’s lives over the next 5 years (2011-2016) for the purpose of ensuring children and young people benefit from improved understandings of their lives. In doing so, it will work towards the development of a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the collection, compilation and dissemination of research and data on children’s lives and will facilitate the utilisation of good quality, easily accessible, internationally comparable information about the lives of children in Ireland.”
The objectives of the strategy are:
- to generate a comprehensive and coherent understanding of children’s development, preferences, needs and appropriate supports and services;
- to develop research capacity in the area of children’s research and data;
- to develop, support and promote good infrastructure in the area of children’s research and data;
- to improve monitoring and evaluation of children’s services in Ireland at local, national and international level;
- to support a continuum of research and data use within policy and practice settings.
How will these objectives be achieved?
These objectives are to be achieved through implementation of the strategy’s Action Plan which sets out 59 actions to be undertaken by 24 organisations. The action plan sets out a range of different types of activity including:
- Building and improving administrative and survey datasets
- Increasing analysis and reporting of existing data
- Data linkage initiatives
- Evaluation and reporting on services and facilities for children
- Generation of new research and data
- Provision of scholarships and other supports for research activities
- Ethical guidance for children’s research
- Establishment of structures to guide and implement increased co-ordination of data holdings
- Production of data and research to enable assessment of services
- Increased focus on local level data
