Assessment of the Program for ‘Children in Contact with Railway Stations’ (CCRS)
Azim Premji Philanthropic Initiatives (APPI) partnered with Railway Children India (RCI) and Child India Foundation (CIF) to rescue and rehabilitate missing/run-away children at the selected railway stations of the country under the Children in contact with railway stations (CCRS) program.
The Philanthropic Initiatives engaged Development Solutions to assess the effectiveness of the CCRS programme and outline opportunities for improvement in its design and implementation.
Objectives
- Assess the effectiveness of the CCRS programme and intervention design – in achieving the expected outcomes, determine the overall effect on targeted stakeholders, especially children.
- Assess the CCRS programme policies and their effectiveness.
- Enable recommendations for programme strengthening and replication in other contexts
Approach and methodology
A mixed-method approach for data collection combining desk review, quantitative and qualitative data collection was used for the assessment. Given the travel restrictions due to Covid-19, the data was collected through phone interviews and limited direct in-person interactions. Six of the 12 railway stations where the programme was implemented were selected for in-person data collection. The selection of six stations was made based on the number of rescues, progress in implementation using the MIS data, and consultations with the Philanthropic Initiatives team.
The children who benefitted from the CCRS program, and parents of rehabilitated children were interviewed through structured interviews, both in-person and over the phone. Qualitative interactions were undertaken with the CCRS program team and other external stakeholders. Programme documents and reports were collated and reviewed through the execution of the assessment.
Results
The assessment sought to understand the effectiveness of the CCRS programme process in achieving the expected outcomes, to enable recommendations for program strategy and replication in other contexts. Children and parents have reported quick and effective restoration. The programme would help spread awareness and sensitization among Government and non-Government stakeholder groups on identification and support for vulnerable children.
Contact
17/109, Lower Ground Floor, Vikram Vihar, Lajpat Nagar IV, New Delhi – 110024