Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children - A tool for country-level self-evaluation
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
1
Assessing Administrative Data
Systems on Justice for Children
A tool for country-level self-evaluation
PART 1 Instructions
© UNICEF/UN045564/Pirozzi
© United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Division of Data, Analytics, Planning Acknowledgements
and Monitoring, March 2021
The preparation of the publication
Permission is required to reproduce any part of this publication. Permission will be freely was led by Claudia Cappa and Nicole
granted to educational or non-profit organizations. Petrowski (Data and Analytics Section,
UNICEF Headquarters), who were
To request permission or for any other information on this publication, please contact: responsible for strategic oversight and
technical guidance. The initial tool was
UNICEF Data and Analytics Section developed by Rena Ramkay (independent
Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring consultant) and refined with inputs from
3 United Nations Plaza the many partners who contributed to its
New York, NY 10017 USA review and country testing.
Email: data@unicef.org
Website: data.unicef.org The publication was edited by Lois Jensen
and designed by Elwa Design Studio.
All reasonable precautions have been taken by UNICEF to verify the information contained in
this publication. For any data updates subsequent to release, please visit .
Suggested citation: United Nations Children’s Fund, Assessing Administrative Data Systems
on Justice for Children: A tool for country-level self-evaluation. Part 1: Instructions, UNICEF,
New York, 2021.
Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children A tool for country-level self-evaluation PART 1 Instructions
4 Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children: A tool for country-level self-evaluation © UNICEF/UNI150369/Asselin
Contents 1 Overview
PAGE 6
∙∙ How the tool was developed
∙∙ Assessment criteria
∙∙ Indicators on justice for children
∙∙ Sources of information
2 How to use the tool
PAGE 14
∙∙ Who should complete the questionnaires?
∙∙ Scoring the tool
∙∙ Interpreting the results
6 Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children: A tool for country-level self-evaluation
Overview
Children come into contact with the procedures, human resources
justice system in a host of ways development, determining
– as victims, witnesses, because education and training needs,
they are in conflict with the law, or improving service delivery and
as parties to civil or administrative financing, monitoring and evaluating
processes, such as alternative care programmes and achievements, or
arrangements or asylum hearings, conducting research.
respectively. Children’s encounters
with the justice system, along with The Tool to Assess Administrative
information on the surrounding Data Systems on Justice for
circumstances, are usually recorded Children can be used to evaluate
by the authorities and service the capacity of statistical systems
providers that form part of the to collect, collate, analyse and
justice sector. Such information disseminate administrative
is essential to monitoring and data on justice for children at
evaluating the performance of the subnational and national levels. It
justice system and to understanding consists of two self-assessment
the profile of children who come questionnaires, presented in two
into contact with it. Yet these data separate booklets. The first, the
are often overlooked, especially in Sectoral Questionnaire, is to be
low- and middle-income countries, filled out by stakeholder institutions
since they may be incomplete in in the justice sector, including the
terms of coverage and information. police, prosecution services, courts,
Moreover, they often lack reliability social welfare and corrections
due to an absence of quality institutions. These respondents
controls and may not be up to date. are then asked to come together,
along with other key personnel
High-quality and reliable information (as described on page 16), to
is necessary for all reporting and discuss and jointly fill out a second
decision-making on issues involving questionnaire, the Questionnaire for
children in contact with the justice the Central Reporting Facility and
system, whether the aim is policy All Stakeholders, which looks at the
development and implementation, system from a broader perspective,
development of governance at the national level.
and regulatory structures and
Overview 7
© UNICEF/UNI117430/Estey
The tool can be used to: How the tool was data on justice for children
• Inform key stakeholders developed • A well-equipped data infrastructure
– that is, stable access to
about aspects of
The development of this tool relied information and communication
administrative data on justice
on existing diagnostic tools, none technologies (ICT) and database
for children that they may
of which focused on justice for software – along with adequate
not be familiar with
children. Good models were found human resources (sufficient
• Provide an evaluation of the that assess health information personnel with the necessary
administrative data system systems and civil registration training without a high turnover
on justice for children that and vital statistics, providing the rate) and financing to support data
can be used as a baseline for foundation upon which this tool is collection, analysis and reporting
monitoring improvements built.1 Insights gleaned from country • Strong coordination of data on
over time studies undertaken in Montenegro justice for children
• Consult and build consensus and Uruguay in 2018, Jordan and the • Completeness of data on justice
on the current state of the Republic of Tanzania in 2019, and a for children
administrative data system stakeholder workshop in Canada in • Effective and secure data
on justice for children and 2019 were used to refine the tool. transmission
needed improvements and • Standardized data and practices in
priority investment areas relation to justice for children
Assessment criteria • Administrative data quality
• Mobilize technical and assurance
financial support to articulate • Relevant use, robust demand and
As illustrated in Table 1 (page 10),
and implement a strategic regular dissemination of such data.
a mature administrative data system
plan to improve/strengthen
on justice for children possesses
particular areas and/or Accordingly, these components are
the following characteristics:
sectors of the administrative used as subsections in the tool’s
data system on justice for questionnaires. The tool asks country
• A comprehensive and coherent
children. stakeholders to assess their systems
legal and normative framework
for data and statistics on justice by identifying gaps and strengths at
for children the sectoral level (courts, police, social
• Effective governance and the ability services, etc.) and in relation to the
to plan in the area of administrative thematic components outlined above.
1
1
Health Metrics Network, ‘Strengthening Country Health Information Systems: Assessment and monitoring
tool’, 2006, ; World Health Organization,
‘Section 3. Health Information Systems’, in Monitoring the Building Blocks of Health Systems: A handbook of
indicators and their measurement strategies, WHO, Geneva, 2010, ; World Health Organization, Rapid Assessment of National Civil Registration and Vital
Statistics Systems, WHO, Geneva, 2010, .
8 Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children: A tool for country-level self-evaluation
In addition to these components, indicators that reflect standards • Sentencing and restorative justice,
the tool incorporates three core to track capacity in relation to reliance on noncustodial options,
outcomes that should be present in child justice.3 This three-part and specialized sentencing
an ideal administrative data system: toolkit includes a minimum set of guidelines and standards for
indicators on justice for children children are instituted
• Child-focused – system design that were identified through a • Juvenile offender accountability,
and operation have children’s best systematic review and development rehabilitation, reintegration, and
interests at their centre process. While not the only measure prevention of recidivism become
• Built from the community up – of performance, the ability of an the norm.
local impact and engagement administrative system to produce
in high-quality data collection data on a core set of indicators In the Sectoral Questionnaire,
and use are important for provides important insights into Part 2 of the toolkit, indicators
development outcomes involving the strength of that system. The relevant to individual sectors have
children, as well as for feeding indicators included in the toolkit been included. Some overlap may
into national planning address children’s access to justice occur when several different sector
• Cross-sectoral – strong in a broad sense; however, they all stakeholders collect the same data.
foundations across multiple share important guiding principles For example, family courts may
sectors at the national level that uphold children’s rights. identify cases involving children
are necessary to support an These principles are mentioned (custody and access, for example),
administrative data system for to some degree in all international while social welfare will also collect
children that is effective and instruments and should guide any data on individual children for
durable.2 interventions related to justice for routine assessment in such cases.
children – from policy development Alternatively, more than one sector
These principles were also to interaction with and services may be charged with collecting
incorporated into the diagnostic for children – ultimately measuring data for a particular indicator,
elements of the tool. Respondents the extent to which countries although it is possible that only one
are asked if staff are trained incorporate child rights into their of the sources actually does so.
in child-friendly interviewing justice systems. For example, both the police and
techniques and if data protection the prosecution may collect data
for children is established and The principles are as follows: on criminal proceedings initiated
implemented (child-focused); against children. It will be up to
if data are used for decision- • Children’s access to justice is each country team to decide which
making, planning, budgeting and improved, including the ability to sector’s data will be used for joint
programming improvements at all participate fully in proceedings, reporting on justice for children.
administrative levels – district, state, equitable access no matter what
regional, national (built from the region, and the ability to appeal It is helpful for countries to
community up); and if governance court/tribunal rulings distinguish between indicators that
and coordination mechanisms for • Children’s equality before and are used for data collection and
administrative databases on justice under the law is assured, including those that are included in reports.
for children exist across multiple the right to nondiscrimination This assessment exercise should
sectors (cross-sectoral). • Effective assistance, remedies reveal when data are available,
and reparations are available and though not currently used, and when
provided to children who are data are not captured in records
Indicators on justice for victims at all. It will also help countries
children • Crimes against and by children understand which sectors require
are prevented more strengthening in relation to
United Nations agencies and • Specialized and child-friendly data collection if it is revealed that,
partners, as well as national procedures for all children in for example, the judiciary could
governments, have developed contact with the law are applied not report easily, if at all, on the
2 3
indicators assigned to its sector.
2
United Nations Children’s Fund, ADaMM: Admin Data Maturity Model v 1.5, unpublished draft.
3
United Nations Children’s Fund, Achieving Justice for Children: A review of innovative data initiatives around the world, UNICEF, New York, 2021.Overview 9
Sources of information
The main sources of information
for the assessment are the
ministries of justice, interior/public
safety, attorney-general’s office/
prosecution and social welfare along
with the judiciary and civil society
organizations providing services
related to child justice. These are the
sectors that are usually responsible
for the generation, synthesis,
analysis and use of data on justice
for children. The diagram below
provides a breakdown of the main
data sources, organized by a child’s
contact with the justice system,
whether through conflict with the
law, as child victims or witnesses, or
as participants or interested parties in
civil and administrative processes. It
provides a starting point for countries
seeking to organize a national
process to assess its administrative
data on justice for children. © UNICEF/UNI158311/Vockel
FIGURE 1
Common sources of administrative data on children in contact with the justice system
Children in conflict Children in civil and
Child victims/witnesses
with the law administrative law processes
Police Police
Civil courts/family courts/
administrative tribunals –
Prosecutors Prosecutors judiciary or panels
Criminal courts – judiciary Criminal courts – judiciary
Legal aid/bar association
Prisons/corrections or
Social welfare/protection services
rehabilitation centres
Social welfare/protection services
Legal aid/bar association
Social welfare – counselling/
probation Ombudsperson/human rights
Health/medical services commissioner for appeals
Diversion/mediation
Traditional/customary justice
Traditional/customary justice
Alternative measures
NGOs/international NGOs/
Legal aid/bar association
civil society/faith services – NGOs/international NGOs/
shelters, psychosocial, etc. civil society/faith services
Traditional/customary justice10 Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children: A tool for country-level self-evaluation
TABLE 1
Gauging the maturity of an administrative data system on justice for children: Three stages of development
Current status of country in relation to the component
Component
System strengthening needed System moving towards maturity System is mature
The country lacks protective legislation Some legislation exists to protect children The country has adequate protective
for children, including laws providing involved in criminal procedures, court legislation for children (such as a
special provisions for children in criminal processes and in relation to privacy and Children’s Act, Juvenile Justice Law) and
procedures, court processes and in relation confidentiality, but comprehensive laws are special provisions exist for children in
to privacy and confidentiality. required or existing laws need updating. criminal procedures, court processes and
in relation to privacy and confidentiality.
Legislation is incomplete in terms of child Legislation covers some aspects of child Legislation related to child rights and
rights and protections, juvenile justice, data rights and protections, juvenile justice, data protections, juvenile justice, data
privacy and access restrictions or, if already privacy and access restrictions, and it is privacy and access restrictions is fully
developed, has not been consistently enforced, but not consistently. implemented and enforced.
implemented or enforced.
A. Obligatory data capture and reporting on Some legislation, policies and regulations National legislation, policies and
Legal and children in contact with the law are weak for data capture and reporting on children regulations for data capture and reporting
normative and need to be developed and enforced in contact with the law exist, but they on children in contact with the law exist
framework for data through legislation, policies and regulations. require updating or amendments to make and are enforced.
and statistics on them more comprehensive. Enforcement is
justice for children inconsistent.
There is no central reporting facility Some legislation, policies and regulations A national statistics office or central
or national statistics office with a exist that compel a central reporting facility reporting facility, with a clear mandate
clear mandate, including roles and or national statistics office to regularly and role, is responsible for collating,
responsibilities to ensure regular collating, report on the achievement of justice for reviewing and publishing data on the
reviewing and publishing of data on the children, but they require amendments/ achievement of justice for children.
achievement of justice for children. updating or must be implemented/
enforced.
Data privacy and data protection are weak There is a comprehensive data privacy Data privacy and access to information
and require that a regulatory framework be and regulatory framework that is not well are strictly regulated through legislation
adopted and implemented among justice known or enforced at some subnational and all justice actors comply, with strict
actors. levels or among some justice for children penalties for noncompliance.
sectors.
A data governance framework does not Either a formal or informal data A formal data governance framework
exist and must be developed for justice governance framework exists to guide on justice for children exists, including
for children data among stakeholder data responsibilities, definitions, coding well-defined institutional responsibilities,
institutions. Alternatively, an existing data instructions, data storage and security, data definitions, coding instructions, data
governance framework, such as that used collection, management and reporting, storage and security, data collection,
in criminal justice, for example, may be but it does not cover the entire justice for management and reporting.
used to guide data collection and reporting children sector (for example, it is limited
on justice for children. to violence against children and does not
cover juvenile justice).
Reporting is weak to non-existent in the Legislation and/or regulations and policies Legislation and/or regulations and
B. area of justice for children. Regulations/ delineating which institutions must capture policies delineate which institutions are
Governance policies should be established to specify and report on data, including frequency responsible for capturing which data,
and planning which institutions are responsible for and form, exist and may be adequate, but as well as the frequency and form of
capturing and reporting on data and the not all responsible institutions report as reporting on those data.
frequency and form of such reporting. expected.
There is no emergency or natural disaster No formal planning mechanism exists. In In emergency or natural disaster
response plan in place in relation to specific this case, either a child justice working response, there is a planning mechanism
data requirements on justice for children. group or one of the institutions in the under the data governance framework
justice sector could coordinate a response on justice for children to capture specific
in an emergency or natural disaster and/or additional data required.
situation.Overview 11
Current status of country in relation to the component
Component
System strengthening needed System moving towards maturity System is mature
Stationery supplies are not always available Stationery supplies are generally available Necessary supplies such as forms, paper
and phones, computers, printers and copiers everywhere, but there are widespread and pens are adequate, and equipment
are very limited. Institutions responsible for shortages of phones, computers, printers such as phones, computers, printers and
administrative data on justice for children and copiers outside of urban areas. copiers are widely available.
require adequate supplies and equipment at
national and subnational levels.
ICT infrastructure is only found at national ICT infrastructure may be available at All stakeholder institutions have ICT
levels, if at all. Subnational levels are not subnational and national levels (or only in infrastructure at subnational and national
reliably connected to an ICT infrastructure, urban areas), but data are not transferred levels and use electronic databases
and intranet or web-/cloud-based platforms through intranet or web-/cloud-based to collect and compile data that are
have not been established. platforms. Data are transmitted through connected via intranet or web-/cloud-
email or manually. based platforms.
There is either no connection to an intranet No business intelligence tool is used to With an intranet or web-/cloud-based
or web-/cloud-based platform anywhere or generate automatic summaries, although platform, all subnational data can be
this is only available at the national level. there may be intranet or web-/cloud-based retrieved at a central reporting facility.
The result is that the central reporting platforms used to connect database The use of business intelligence software
C. facility must go through a process of data systems, either in urban capitals or enabling automated summaries of key
Data infrastructure input, coding and organization before throughout the country. performance indicators is commonplace.
and resources reporting, a time-consuming endeavour
that makes it untenable to report more
frequently than annually.
Staff may receive only on-the-job training, Training is either provided outside or on the All staff are provided with adequate
if at all, and the lack of training is an job, but it is frequently not enough. training to carry out their jobs in relation
impediment to the quality of administrative to administrative data on justice for
data on justice for children. children.
Staff turnover is higher than 30% and it is Staff turnover rate is between 11% and Staff turnover rate is 10% or below,
difficult to retain skilled and experienced 30%. Improvements could be made to resulting in the retention of experienced
data workers. retain skilled staff. data workers.
Currently, no national budget line exists for While a national budget may be provided National budgets provide for a functioning
ICT in the area of justice for children, either for ICT, it is not adequate to provide a information system as well as ICT
at subnational or national levels. functioning system at subnational and upgrades and maintenance as needed,
national levels. both at national and subnational levels.
There is no formal inter-agency committee No formal inter-agency committee exists, A formal inter-agency committee exists to
and little cooperation exists among but personal relationships are used to share ensure that there are protocols in place for
stakeholder institutions, resulting in and exchange information and resolve sharing and exchanging information among
duplication of data collection and reporting, problems, although these are not always stakeholder institutions. Information
inconsistencies in statistical reports and effective. systems can interact, and committee
incomplete analysis. members are comfortable contacting one
another when in need of data.
Information-sharing protocols do not While there are information-sharing Information-sharing protocols among
D.
currently exist and data are not exchanged protocols among some or even all justice involved institutions exist, and data are
Coordination
across institutions. Protocols need to be institutions, data are not easily exchanged shared securely and electronically across
of data on justice
developed, and stable electronic systems due to inadequate ICT systems. these institutions.
for children
for data exchange should be established.
None of the ICT systems are linked and Among justice institutions, ICT systems ICT systems were developed to ensure
data may be exchanged manually, but not were developed independently of one the full integration of the police,
electronically. Electronic data linkages another, making integration impossible. prosecution, court and social welfare
need to be established among stakeholder Data are exchanged either manually or by database systems.
institutions. programmed software interface to recognize
different codes.12 Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children: A tool for country-level self-evaluation
Current status of country in relation to the component
Component
System strengthening needed System moving towards maturity System is mature
Statistics for none to some of the key The database systems can generate reports Disaggregated statistics on all the
indicators can be reported on annually, on some of the indicators, but not all, and recommended indicators on justice for
but there is no consistent reporting reports may be generated nationally or only children can be reported on annually at
of disaggregated data and there is no at local levels. national and subnational levels.
supporting ICT infrastructure to allow for
both subnational- and national-level figures.
Reporting forms/registers are not Standardized forms exist at national and A mandatory, single standardized form/
E. standardized and significant narrative subnational levels, and use of forced register is completed online, at the
Completeness reporting exists. Forced data fields and skip data fields and skip logic to ensure data national and subnational levels, to
of data on logic (not allowing for blank responses) collection completeness is limited. capture data. It relies on forced choice
justice for children will need to be incorporated into electronic data fields and does not allow for
registers for recording data. skipping of data.
Neither common definitions nor record There is limited use of common record Data are compatible among all stakeholders
identifiers exist across stakeholder identifiers in databases, and improvement through the use of common record
institutions, and records cannot be easily can be made in common definitions of identifiers in databases and common
shared or exchanged. variables and codes to enable seamless definitions of variables and codes used by
data transfers. each institution, making data transfer to the
central reporting facility seamless.
A paper-based system requires manual Local systems still use paper copies All data are collected through an intranet
collation of data from local to regional to of records that need to be scanned or or web-/cloud-based system that allows for
national offices and does not permit real- electronically input at regional or national centralized database updates each time a
time data availability. levels. Regions may or may not have intranet record is entered, with real-time viewing of
or web-/cloud-based systems. local data from the national offices. Local
records can be accessed from regional and
national offices easily.
Reporting from subnational levels is A schedule for reporting exists and delays There is an agreed schedule for when
F.
intermittent, and little effort is made by the may occur in timely report submission. statistics and reports are due, and
Data transmission
national offices to encourage more timely, These may or may not be communicated to reporting deadlines are taken seriously and
regular reporting. the central reporting facility. closely monitored.
None of the national offices of each While the ability to critically evaluate Each institutional sector has the capacity,
institutional sector can evaluate and requests for information exists, as does at national levels, to critically evaluate
respond to external requests for information the capacity to provide anonymized data, requests for information in line with
in a timely manner that respects the a timely response to external requests is legislation/policies/procedures and to
confidentiality and privacy of children. unlikely. provide anonymized data in a timely
fashion.
Not all of the key indicators are collected by Some of the key indicators are collected by All stakeholder institutions collect data on
stakeholder institutions, requiring that these stakeholder institutions at the national level, the key indicators and have the capacity to
be incorporated into data collection forms/ but this varies at subnational levels. do so at national and subnational levels.
registers at national and subnational levels.
There is no systematic or complete Some, but not all, stratifiers are found in All data are disaggregated as proposed in
disaggregation of data possible for children administrative databases. However, it may each institution’s administrative database
who come into contact with the justice be very difficult to extract and report on at all levels of data capture. Since they are
system. disaggregated data when records are paper- electronically input, stratified data reports
based at local levels, for example. can be easily extracted and produced.
G. Written or informal procedures/guidelines Either written procedures or informal There is a set of written procedures for
Standardized data do not exist and must be developed for guidelines exist for collection, storage, managing administrative data on justice for
and practices in managing data collection, storage, cleaning, cleaning, coding, quality control and security, children, including guidelines for collection,
relation to justice coding, quality control and security for data but they are not consistently implemented storage, cleaning, coding, quality control
for children on justice for children in all institutions and at and adhered to. and security, in all institutions and at
subnational and national levels. subnational and national levels. These
procedures are strictly adhered to.
If written codebooks do exist, they are not Written codebooks exist, although they Written codebooks exist to provide a
in use. may be out of date, and they may not be single definition for each data variable
found at all subnational levels. Adherence is and specifications for data collection
inconsistent. methods, transmission and use, which
are aligned with national legislation and
international standards. All institutions
at subnational and national levels strictly
adhere to these codebooks.Overview 13
Current status of country in relation to the component
Component
System strengthening needed System moving towards maturity System is mature
Staff training and guidance are not On-the-job as well as external training in Staff working in data recording and
sufficient for data quality assurance, nor data recording and extraction are in place. extraction are trained and formally
are there system measures in place, System quality assurance, such as through tested on their knowledge. There is a
such as drop-down menus/forced choice drop-down menus/forced choice data fields written guide for quality control and
H.
data fields and skip logic to prevent and skip logic, are not in standard use. system measures, such as drop-down
Administrative
data omissions. Data recording and Random sampling of data may take place menus/forced choice data fields and skip
data quality
extraction errors need to be systematically at the central reporting facility, but it is not logic, requiring that a field be entered
assurance
addressed. systematic. Local supervisors may provide before moving on. These are in place to
oversight of staff inputting data. ensure consistency and prevent errors.
Managers provide regular oversight.
Administrative data on justice for children Administrative data are used to compile Administrative data on justice for children
are not seen as having strategic value and crime statistics on juvenile offenders provide citizens with information on
their use is limited. Awareness-raising and child victims annually. They may be government accountability to deliver
as to the benefit of administrative data used to monitor programming and track justice for children. Government
for monitoring, evaluating, budgeting, trends in child victimization and juvenile demands administrative data for
planning, policymaking and research may offending, but not for other purposes. programme monitoring, development of
yield improvement, as could a champion in Anonymized data are shared with policies and programming to respond to
this area. researchers upon request. identified issues, budgeting and strategic
planning. Managers demand these
data to measure whether targets and
goals have been achieved. Researchers
request anonymized data to carry out
different analyses on justice trends and
to evaluate programming in this area.
Demand is regular and continuous.
There is no training of staff to analyse data Staff have been trained to analyse data Staff at both national and subnational
on children’s involvement in the justice on children’s involvement in the justice levels who analyse data on children’s
system. system, but only at the central reporting involvement in the justice system have
facility. been adequately trained.
Reports from the central reporting facility At a minimum, annual reports are Weekly, monthly, quarterly, biannual
that use administrative data on justice for produced from the central reporting facility and annual reports are produced from
children are rarely or never produced. and reports may also come out biannually administrative data on justice for children
and quarterly. by the central reporting facility.
I.
Data use, demand
and dissemination
Governments may use administrative data Administrative data on justice for children Governments use administrative data on
on justice for children to produce crime are used by governments to inform justice for children to evaluate department
statistics involving children, but there is planning and decision-making at national performance, plan and allocate resources,
limited use otherwise. The data are not and regional levels, but not locally. respond to periodic monitoring
considered to be of good quality. They are used to produce annual crime requests from international and regional
statistics involving children. Data quality is intergovernmental organizations, and
considered average. to set policies in order to improve the
experience of children involved in the
justice system. Data are perceived to be
of high quality by these users.
Data are not used nationally or Reports generated from the central The reports coming from the central
subnationally by government to inform reporting facility on justice for children are reporting facility on justice for children
planning or strategic decision-making. used for national planning and strategic are used by all levels of government
Reporting on justice for children needs to decision-making, but not at subnational (subnational and national) to inform
add value to government activities. levels. planning and strategic decision-making.
Little awareness-raising and limited Key indicators are not generally well known Key indicators on justice for children
reporting have resulted in an absence of except among specialists, such as judicial are well known among political leaders,
knowledge about key indicators on justice educators, researchers/academics and government ministers, senior managers,
for children. juvenile police. academic researchers and the media.14 Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children: A tool for country-level self-evaluation
How to use the tool
The Tool to Assess Administrative How the process is conducted is
Data Systems on Justice left to the discretion of countries.
for Children is designed for For example, selected staff within a
stakeholders working on sector could fill out the questionnaire
administrative data in sectors/ jointly. Or, selected staff could fill
institutions involved in delivering it out individually, and then come
justice for children. It is intended together as group to discuss and
to help people working in these jointly fill out the questionnaire that
sectors to understand the strengths is to be submitted for that sector.
and gaps in their administrative Respondents should indicate which
data systems. With knowledge of sector is filling out the tool by
their needs, the various institutions checking the appropriate box at the
can make decisions and prioritize front of the questionnaire.
investments in their respective
administrative data systems and the Also included in the tool is an
national system of data reporting, additional questionnaire intended
including examining the need for a for all stakeholders, including the
central reporting facility. central reporting facility for data
on justice for children, if it exists,
The Sectoral Questionnaire is to fill out together at the national
organized by institutional sector, level. The Questionnaire for the
including the police, prosecution Central Reporting Facility and All
services, the courts (criminal/ Stakeholders, Part 3 of the toolkit,
juvenile, civil, family, religious) examines the intricacies of the
and social welfare/corrections. It administrative data system, as well
is expected that each sector (for as how data are captured, collated,
example, civil courts) will fill out analysed and reported on in the
its own questionnaire. area of justice for children.How to use the tool 15
Each sector agency or institution Each country will have a different centres’ instead of ‘corrections
is expected to complete both context, with different department institutions’, as relevant.
its own self-assessment and to and ministry names, different
participate in the national-level administrative levels (not all This assessment exercise
self-assessment, by completing countries have states or districts, would ideally be repeated at an
the following questionnaires: for example), and are at different appropriate interval, as determined
stages of development in terms of by a country’s circumstances,
• Sectoral Questionnaire for the their administrative data systems. preferably with the same
police (24 questions/72 points), The tool uses generic labels, and it stakeholders, in order to monitor
prosecution/attorney-general’s is expected that those completing progress and inform future plans to
office (24 questions/72 points), the self-assessment will adapt continuously improve the country’s
courts4 (24 questions/72 points), to their own country context, for administrative data system on
and social welfare/corrections5 example, using ‘juvenile education justice for children.
(24 questions/72 points).
• Questionnaire for the Central
Reporting Facility and All
Stakeholders (34 questions/102
points).
Questions have been grouped into
nine areas:
• Legal and normative framework
for data and statistics on justice
for children*
• Governance and planning*
• Data infrastructure and resources
• Coordination of data on justice
for children*
• Completeness of data on justice
for children
• Data transmission
• Standardized data and practices
in relation to justice for children
• Administrative data quality
assurance
• Data use, demand and
dissemination.
The starred (*) categories are
found only in the Questionnaire
for the Central Reporting Facility
and All Stakeholders, since these
questions relate to national-level
criteria and centralized coordination
and are less relevant to individual
sectors. © UNICEF/UN045580/Pirozzi
4
5
4
Each of the different courts – criminal/juvenile, civil, family and religious, if relevant – should complete a separate questionnaire.
5
If these are two separate ministries or departments, it may make sense to have each institution complete the questionnaire separately. Corrections departments
and social welfare have different names in different countries. The stakeholders here are the ones who provide social and protective services support to children
(social welfare) and those who operate the institutions (corrections, remand, educational centres) and programmes (pre-trial and post-trial diversion, community
service, reintegration programming) for child offenders (corrections).16 Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children: A tool for country-level self-evaluation
© UNICEF/UNI99097/Dormino
Who should complete the questionnaires?
The self-assessment examines questionnaire. Likewise, social At least one member of the national
many areas, including database welfare and corrections should statistics office should also be
systems, tools and software for conduct separate assessments. present for the national-level self-
systems, data categories and Any other subsector agency/ assessment since legislation may
coding, data input, practices institution should feel free to grant exclusive permission to this
and procedures, and legislation/ complete a separate questionnaire if office to use and report on data.
policy that shapes and limits it makes sense due to the existence This representative should be
the administrative data system. of different database systems. knowledgeable about justice for
Therefore, it requires input from children, trained as a statistician or
those who are knowledgeable When filling out the Questionnaire demographer, and be comfortable
about these issues. It is expected for the Central Reporting Facility discussing electronic databases.
that each sectoral self-assessment and All Stakeholders, those who
process will involve ICT experts, completed the questionnaire for Database administrators and a
database designers (if available), each sector should ideally be representative working directly
database administrators, data present. ‘Central reporting facility’ with children from administrative
analysts, monitoring and evaluation refers to a separate institution, if tribunals, the national human
experts, a person responsible for it exists, responsible for collecting rights institution and/or the
intersectoral coordination, and a data on justice for children from ombudsperson’s office should
representative who interacts with all relevant sectors and producing also participate in the national-
children and uses the database comprehensive reports on justice level assessment with the goal
to record the interaction. Some for children indicators. In some to improve their data capture in
representation from district, countries, the central reporting the area of justice for children. If
state, regional and national hubs facility is a unit attached to the administrative tribunals already
receiving data is also beneficial. national statistics office. If such a collect data specific to children and
All participants completing the facility does not exist, the national can report on the minimum set
assessment should have knowledge self-assessment exercise may help of indicators, it is recommended
and experience in justice for determine if a particular sector that these stakeholders conduct
children related to the specific can take on a centralized role to a separate sectoral assessment
sector (juvenile police, for example). report on behalf of others, or if of administrative tribunal data
The courts – including criminal investments should be made to on children and that these
(juvenile-focused, if available), create a separate facility to collect representatives join the national-
civil, family and religious courts, if and report on child justice data at level assessment.
relevant in the country context – the national level.
should each complete a separateHow to use the tool
17
Scoring the tool
A score sheet is provided
at the beginning of the
How to score response scenarios
sectoral and the national-level
questionnaires. For each
question in the assessment Response scenario A B C D
tool, stakeholders select one
of four response scenarios Score 3 2 1 0
(labelled A, B, C and D),
which describe a range
of hypothetical scenarios Each question should be discussed and 102/102 for the national-level
allowing for an objective by the group members completing questionnaire. Each question has
and numbered rating. The both the Sectoral Questionnaire a maximum point value of 3 and a
numeric value attached to and the Questionnaire for the minimum of 0. Once the sum of
each scenario permits a total Central Reporting Facility and All all 24 questions for the sectoral
score to be obtained within Stakeholders. assessment is known, that number
each section, as well as a should be divided by 72 to get the
total score for all sections. To finalize the scoring for percentage score. For example,
The highest score (3) is given each sector, numeric scores a score of 58/72 would result in a
for a scenario considered are converted into averages/ score of 81 per cent (58 divided by
‘highly adequate’ when percentages. For a total score, 72). The national-level assessment
compared to the minimum the numeric responses for all is scored out of 102, so a score of
score of zero (0), which is questions should be added for a 83, for example, would also result
regarded as ‘not functional’. total score (out of either 72 for in a percentage score of 81 per
If the situation in a country each sector or 102 for the national cent, suggesting that the system is
is not precisely defined by level). A perfect score would be functional, but needs improvement.
any of the four options, 72/72 for sectoral assessments
the response scenario that
most closely aligns with
current practice, systems Percentage scores and their ratings
and structures should be
selected. The comments Score (%) Rating Actions to consider
section in the response
options table allows those Substantial system improvement is required
Below 34 Not functional
in all areas
responding to provide
additional clarification or
detail for future reference. Multiple issues require attention, with many
35-64 Weak
The scoring is expected to aspects of the system not functioning well
provide an indication of the
functionality and quality
of the administrative data The system works, but some elements
Functional, but needs require attention; specific weaknesses might
system and the data it 65-84
improvement be more comprehensively examined before
produces. making changes
Minor adjustments might be required in an
85-100 Well-functioning
otherwise well-functioning system18 Assessing Administrative Data Systems on Justice for Children: A tool for country-level self-evaluation
Interpreting the results
This tool is purely diagnostic in that it critical system needs and immediate accessed by the courts. Another
does not provide recommendations investment priorities, as well as mid- country may be lacking coordination
for how the country should proceed term and longer-term support and and a governance structure among
in order to improve its administrative development necessary to improve the justice for children institutions
data system on justice for children.6 monitoring and reporting on justice that gather and report on data.
Nor is the tool exhaustive. It is for children. In this case, an existing justice
not intended to closely evaluate for children working group could
software programmes for data For example, in most countries, the be called upon to establish a
collection, for example, but rather police have fairly comprehensive sub-working group or committee
to examine the administrative data data records on accused offenders devoted to strengthening the
system, both as a whole and in and their victims. However, these administrative data system
selected parts, with the aim of records may be paper-based in through better coordination and
identifying the general areas and some locations and it might be the development of a governance
sectors of the system that would a priority to provide electronic framework, building on what is
benefit from targeted intervention systems and statistical software to already in place.
and investment. It supports the this sector. It may also be important
use of existing data collection and that these new systems are able to In conclusion, this assessment tool
reporting tools first, looking at ways link with the prosecution service so will identify which sectors have
to enhance or strengthen these. It that data are complete and do not adequate systems and which do
also recognizes that there are no need to be entered into the system not. It will also identify some of
specific stages through which an more than once. Alternatively, if civil the gaps within and among sectors
administrative data system must courts are not able to report on the (that is, the need to link or integrate
develop, since emerging technology number of cases heard that involve systems). While this information
could ‘leapfrog’ one sector of a children, and the social welfare is critical to understanding
low-income country from a paper- system collects information on each administrative data system
based system to a state-of-the-art child assessed for these cases, requirements, the country context
electronic database. There is no it may be a priority to develop a is just as important to ensure that
need to move through the more system linkage whereby social future plans and investments result
cumbersome and less efficient welfare uses court file numbers as in better data on justice for children
development that occurred in many part of its data codes that can be for decision-makers.
high-income countries that took
advantage of technologies that were
new at the time, but not nearly as
efficient as today’s systems.
Since countries develop their
administrative data systems at
different paces, there is no one-size-
fits-all approach to strengthening
these systems. Each country will
have different requirements to
improve its system and each sector
will identify its own system gaps
and strengths. The stakeholders
who conduct the national-level
assessment are expected to
evaluate these requirements and
© UNICEF/UNI27995/Noorani
build consensus, as a first step, on
6
6
Some broad considerations for undertaking activities to improve data on justice for children that emerged from the research and country studies undertaken
to develop this tool are documented in: United Nations Children’s Fund, Achieving Justice for Children: A review of innovative data initiatives around the world,
UNICEF, New York, 2021.How to use the tool 19 © UNICEF/UNI75408/Pirozzi
UNICEF Data and Analytics Section
Division of Data, Analytics, Planning and Monitoring
3 United Nations Plaza
New York, NY 10017 USA
Email: data@unicef.org Website: data.unicef.orgYou can also read
