Competences & Standards

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? 

The Vision for Specialised Child Protection Services in the Republic of Moldova lays out a common vision on the system of child protection services and includes a variety of specialized services needed in order to form an integrated and coherent system to meet the complex needs of children victims and witnesses of child abuse and neglect.

• This document looks at the core areas within child protection systems:
• policies and standards;
• programmes, services and implementers;
• coordination and oversight;
• resourcing; and
• social norms.

In addition, key monitoring actions are proposed in order to increase the accountability of all those with responsibility for the safety and care of children.

The role of social work in international child protection: best practices in stakeholder cooperation focuses on the intersection of law, policy implementation, and social work in child protection, specifically child protection involving children who are separated by an international border from their families.

In addition to providing an overview of the role of social work in child protection this paper also presents several key strategies for building cooperation and collaboration between social workers and legal and judicial partners.

Authors, Julie Gilbert Rosicky of the University of Oregon and Felicity Sackville Northcott of Johns Hopkins University, offer detailed recommendations for mutually supportive and sustainable international social work and legal cooperation.  

Early Childhood Care and Education in Five Asian Countries seeks to consolidate early childhood developments in Asia as a basis for The Head Foundations further research and advocacy in this area.

A general overview of the ECCE landscape in the Asia-Pacific region is introduced by this resource. Country profiles are included as a way to share data on individual countries. These country profiles are presented through five aspects:

1. Programme structure,
2. Teacher qualification
3. Demographics
4. Funding and governance structure,
5. Public-private share

These profiles also provide a look at current concerns and recent developments in the countries. Common threads between these profiles are also addressed.

Framework for assessing standards for practice for registered nurses, enrolled nurses and midwives provides a resource for persons assessing the standard of practice of nurses and/or midwives, as well as for nurses and/or midwives whose performance is undergoing assessment.

• The aim is to guide the assessment of competence against the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia standards for practice for registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nurse practitioners and midwives. This important measure ensures the initial and continuing competence of nurses and midwives.
• The framework comprises:
• Principles for assessing standards for practice;
• Critical issues in assessing performance; and
• Key elements in the assessment model.