Competences & Standards

Money, love and identity: Initial findings from the National ECEC Workforce Study shares the initial findings of a National Early Childhood Education and Care Workforce study – a three-year national study funded by the Australian Research Council. In addition to findings from the study, this report shares key takeaways from conversations during a workshop hosted by the researchers. Capturing responses from participants of this 76-delegate workshop, here you can find observations and insights into emerging themes and the implications they have for policy and practice.

This report reviews the following topics:
1. An overview of initial findings from the ECEC Workforce Study
2. Interesting and surprising findings about tensions in ECEC
3. A summary of participant responses to the study findings and other prioritized workforce topics
4. Key themes responding to the question – looking forward, in an ideal world, what is one ‘must have’ in a national ECEC Workforce Strategy?

Call to Action on the Social Service Workforce Strengthening in the Europe and Central Asia Region, developed by Oxford Policy Management and UNICEF Europe and Central Asia, seeks to ensure that functions, competencies and qualifications across the social service workforce are aligned so there will no longer be unqualified professionals in roles requiring professional competencies and there will be a range of personnel deployed across a range of services with the right qualifications for the competencies and responsibilities of their position.

The governments of the region are called upon to act upon the following:

1. Agreeing to a common set of definitions of the social service and allied workforces in the ECA region
2. Effective long-term planning of the social service workforce and aligning functions, processes, competencies and qualifications
3. Developing the competencies of the social service workforce
4. Supporting the social service workforce

The Global Advocacy Toolkit for the Social Service Workforce from the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance focuses on creating a common narrative to advocate for social service workers. The toolkit was developed through a series of interviews with experts in the field, as well as through desk research.

This toolkit includes four sections:

• The importance of strengthening the social service workforce
• Advocacy – What works when talking to policy and decision-makers?
• Global and regional opportunities
• How do I create a context-specific advocacy outreach plan?

Developed with insight from global experts, the toolkit can be considered a resource for outreach in many settings. The Global Advocacy Toolkit was specifically designed to help the workforce in different settings and allow for localization as needed. It provides tools and tips helpful for developing and implementing an advocacy plan, including how to set up objectives, choose the audience, decide and elaborate the main messages, select the advocacy tools, develop a press release, accompanied by useful examples.   

The Erasmus+ report, Professionalisation of Childcare Assistants in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC): Pathways towards Qualification, focuses on reviewing profiles of ECEC assistants in 15 European countries, as well as the professionalization opportunities available to them. The report makes recommendations on how pathways for qualification and continuous professional development (CPD) can be created for assistants. Examples from Denmark, France and Slovenia show some successful pathways in these areas.

Several key findings were introduced in the report. The first is that ECEC assistants are not recognized in policy documents or research. This is unacceptable considering the high number of assistants in the ECEC workforce. Additionally, ECEC assistants have little opportunity to receive the same qualification as a core practitioner. There should be investment in systems that reward the work of all staff, and opportunities to be upwardly mobile at work. This includes increasing the number of opportunities for professional development that assistants have access to. European countries do not generally provide funding for staff’s non-contact time, causing assistants to miss out on reflection time with their teams.

Together, UNICEF ECARO and ISSA have developed a set of Resource Modules for Home Visitors: Supporting Families for Nurturing Care, intended to better equip home visitors with the latest knowledge and tools to support and engage with the families of young children.

Drawing upon the most recent scientific evidence, the modules have been developed through a consultative process involving international and regional experts, national trainers and home visiting professionals. They can be delivered through various training methods and adapted to train other service providers.

These modules empower home visitors to take a strengths-based approach that promotes nurturing relationships between the caregiver and child as well as contributing to risk reduction by supporting and referring families to other services when necessary. 

The modules are accompanied by several supporting tools. They provide ample opportunity for the learner to be actively engaged in reflection and deliver guidance on the knowledge, skills, attitudes and practices required for home visitors in their “new and enriched role”. These tools can support home visitors to work in partnership with families, to support parents and caregivers, and empower them to provide the best possible environment for their young children.

A Comparative Study of Pre-service Education for Preschool Teachers in China and the United States provides a comparative analysis of the pre-service education system for preschool educators in China and the United States. Based on collected data and materials (literature, policy documents, and statistical data).

Comparisons are made between two areas of pre-service training:

1. the formal system;
2. the informal system.

In the formal system, most of the Chinese preschool teachers are trained in secondary school, though the system is shifting toward a higher reliance on associate degree programs. On the other hand, the majority of preschool teachers in the United States receive pre-service education in bachelor’s degree and associate degree programs. The study examines how the United States has relied more on the formal system to train and prepare preschool teachers, while China has focused on informal pre-service training for candidates without an early childhood background.

This study concludes with a discussion of trends for possible reforms in the two countries; it also includes lessons for elevating preschool teacher preparation.

Pursuing Quality in Early Learning: Early Childhood Care and Education Teacher Competency Framework for Southeast Asia

Recognizing the crucial roles that teachers have in early childhood development, UNESCO developed a competency framework for Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) teachers in Southeast Asia. The Framework was realized through a consultative and participatory process, taking into account insights from ECCE teachers, researchers, and practitioners from across Southeast Asia. This document provides: 

• a brief background and a discussion of the purposes and intended audience for the Framework;
• reflections on the regional ECCE landscape;
• a discussion of the ECCE teacher competency framework for Southeast Asia;
• uses of the ECCE teacher competency framework; and
• areas for future action

The aim of this document is to enhance the professionalization and capacity development of ECCE teachers in the region.

Early Childhood Care and Education Teacher Development in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Island Developing States: Project Brief

This project aims to contribute to the professionalization and capacity development of ECCE teachers and practitioners in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The three specific objectives are:

1. To develop baselines of ECCE teachers and practitioners in the countries of Southeast Asia and the Pacific SIDS, in terms of qualifications, standards and required/desired competencies; pre-service education and professional development; status, working conditions and environments.
2. To develop a regional ECCE teacher competencies framework(s) for Southeast Asia and the Pacific SIDS.
3. To support selected countries to upgrade their national ECCE teacher policies, qualification frameworks, standards and/or curricula.

Definition of skilled health personnel providing care during childbirth is a joint statement by the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the International Council of Nurses (ICN), the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) and the International Pediatric Association (IPA).

A background document, Defining competent maternal and newborn health professionals, outlines eight categories of maternal and newborn health (MNH) competencies that professionals must process as an integrated team, while focusing in particular on the competencies of the MNH professional providing intrapartum care.

This document and the new joint statement also link the competent MNH professional with the enabling environment comprising the six building blocks of the health system – service delivery; health workforce; information; medical products, vaccines and technologies; financing; and leadership and governance – which are essential for effective, timely, continuous, quality care.

Below you may also find the web appendix, Mapping of WHO competencies for the maternal and newborn health (MNH) professional based on previously published international standards.

Scope of Practice for Midwives in Australia from the Australian College of Midwives defines the roles, functions and responsibilities that:

• A registered midwife is educated and competent to carry out;
• meet legislative requirements, professional standards, and local or organizational policy;
• are accepted as contemporary midwifery practice by the profession;
• meet women’s and infant’s health needs and enhance their health outcomes;
• aim to provide evidence-informed care; and
• are collaborative through consultation and partnership with the woman and other health care professionals.

The document is underpinned by the International Confederation of Midwives International Definition of a Midwife.

The National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy (NIECDP) (2015) is an important step in South Africa’s shift from a health system focused on curative, disease-based services to one based on prevention and health promotion. The NIECDP identifies a comprehensive vision of early childhood development (ECD) services to be delivered by 2030, seeking to strengthen and integrate these services across all government departments. While recognizing the Department of Health’s Community Health Workers (CHWs) present role in providing supportive health and nutrition services, the NIECDP envisages these CHWs playing a significant, and expanded, role in strengthening overall maternal and child developmental outcomes by providing parenting support and opportunities for early learning and stimulation through additional home visits and community-based activities for families and young children through the age of two, commonly defined as part of first 1000 days services. The evolving role of the CHW in ECD services is set against the backdrop of continued Primary Health Care Re-engineering efforts.

This study is intended to provide insight into how the Department of Health is endeavoring to implement the NIECDP, with particular focus on the role of CHW. It examines the experience of two provinces and aims to consider the implications for service delivery across the country, as well as provide recommendations to enable, prepare and support the CHW workforce to deliver on this expanded suite of early childhood services. Given that many countries are considering expanded roles of para-professionals such as CHWs, it is also hoped that this study will contribute further to the knowledge base around delivering integrated health and development services for young children across a range of contexts.

This study addresses the following primary research questions: 

• What is the status of implementation of the first 1000 days services in the NIECDP by the Department of Health? 
• What are the barriers and opportunities for the Community Health Worker to deliver the first 1000 days services outlined in the NIECDP? 
• What lessons can be drawn from their experience?