Real Life Examples (Case Study)

This tool is useful only if we know that the case study is illustrative of the characteristics of a specific group of children. If so, the case study can offer insights into how and why risky behavior took place, the perceptions of different people and the influencing events that took place over a period of time. A case study is possible only when the person collecting the data is experienced in this method and has an excellent rapport with the person from whom information is being collected.

USING DATA FOR PLANNING

Once the data is collected, analysis should be conducted using simple counting, tables and graphs. Whichever method is used, analysis requires experience; it is suggested that research experts be involved in this process. If information has been collected from the community, do not forget to share your findings with them, and if possible, include children as well. This can be done in a simple manner through an oral or visual presentation.

This information is your first step in planning a Life Skills Education Program. The Bridge Model (please refer to the illustration on page 21) is a useful tool to decide which set of life skills tools should be chosen for your program. The model is a visual tool for listing problems and choosing specific for program development. A brief description of the model is presented below. On one side of the bridge are the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes that young people currently have about HIV/AIDS. The children have to “cross” the bridge to get to the opposite side of the river, which is where a positive, healthy lifestyle resides. The river represents all of the problems that children face that prevent them from reaching the other side. The Life Skills Education Program therefore develops “planks” (blocks of wood) to be placed

side by side to make a bridge; each plank represents a life skill that can be added to help children “cross over” the “river of problems.”

As discussed earlier, children are often resilient and acquire positive coping mechanisms along the way. These strengths, identified during the planning process when the needs of the children were assessed, are the “positive planks.” When building the bridge for the program, these “positive planks” can be identified by using a different color from skills the children still need to learn.13 _Program

staffs need to be as specific as possible when defining the “planks.” Adaptation of the Bridge Model makes the tool versatile and easily

adaptable; as children work through the Life Skills Education Program and the “positive planks” grow in number, the field worker can easily identify and work with the life skills’ “missing planks.”

The Bridge Model helps in planning goals and objectives. In the above example, the children’s goal is a positive lifestyle and avoiding risky situations. To reach the goal, the program objectives are to increase knowledge of HIV, reduce alcohol and substance use, and increase accessibility of youth services. In order to accomplish this, a number of life skills are needed. Since life skills are interrelated, it is a good idea for the children to learn all the psychosocial skills (or life skills) although emphasis on specific skills may vary.

21

•

LIFE SKILLS EDUCA

TION TOOLKIT F

OR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA

Positive healthy lifestyle, e.g. children will be able to avoid risky behavior (goal) Poor knowledge of STI

Myths and HIV Misconceptions about HIV

Risky sexual behavior Attitude towards girls Masturbation myths Poor reproductive hygiene Do not know how to care for PLHA

Many drink alcohol

Few share injecting equipment

Death due to HIV/AIDS related illness Drug addiction

Violent crime

STI

Caught for stealing Unwanted pregnancy

Need good role models Influenced by media Resist peer pressure, saying no to bullies Decision making skills, not to be impulsive Self esteem, need to know strengths Goals for future needed Understand consequences of taking alcohol Empowerment of girls, and knowledge of risks of early marriage Assertiveness, can say no

THE BRIDGE MODEL

SETTING OBJECTIVES AND INDICATORS

The planning process provides information on problems, the needs of the children and the life skills required to address these problems and needs. The next step in the planning process is to set objectives to guide program implementation. Objectives define what we want to do in the program. These keep the program on track and

answer the question, “What do we want to achieve by doing this program/activity?” If we know what we want, we can plan how to do it and find out whether we have completed what we set out to do.

Objectives that are SMART (Specific, Measurable,

Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) are very useful to plan, implement and evaluate a Life Skills Education Program.

Objectives SMART Objectives

Children in a Life Skills Education Program At the end of the first year … will:

• Increase knowledge of HIV transmission. • Forty percent of children in the project have completed 12 life skills sessions.

• Increase assertiveness and learn • Sixty percent of children who attended the life how to resist peer pressure. skills sessions can report two instances where

they used assertiveness skills with peers. • Learn to make safe decisions. • Eighty percent of children can give at least two

examples where they identify low, medium and high risk situations and can make safe decisions. • Participate in the community. • At least two examples of children-initiated

activities are taking place in the community. • Learn life skills from trained facilitators. • All facilitators have completed a five-day

in-service training on life skills during the first three months of the Life Skills Education Program.

Every life skills module provides suggested objectives, which can be a useful starting point for facilitators to plan and set their own objectives for a Life Skills Education Program. It is a good idea to add measurable or quantitative aspects to the objectives provided for each session. For example, instead of “Will learn assertiveness skills,” the objective could be SMART: “By the end of the Life Skills Education Program, at least 50 percent of

the street children attending the program will learn the assertiveness skills of ‘saying no’ and will use ‘I feel’ statements.”

By setting SMART objectives, it is easier to monitor and evaluate our work. To find out whether we have achieved our objectives, we need to set indicators. If indicators are set during the planning phase, facilitators can “check” on them during

23 • LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA

implementation and “check” again when the program is completed. In other words, good indicators set up during the planning phase help to both monitor and evaluate the program. For each objective, there may be several indicators, and the most appropriate and relevant will need to be selected. It is always advisable to have more than one indicator for each objective.

Broadly, indicators come in two types: Outcome Indicators and Process Indicators.

Outcome Indicators tell us what will happen, or

change, at the end of a given project. A simple way of constructing these indicators is by saying “At the end of the program, the children will….”

Know ………. Feel ………….. Do ………..

For example, after life skills sessions on communication skills, children will:

Know - that communication is both verbal and

non-verbal and understand what they communicate and with whom;

Feel - confident in practicing the new skills; and Do - use communication skills with friends and family.

Process Indicators tell us about quality and whether

the activity is actually being carried out correctly. For example, if planned life skills sessions do not take place (process indicator), there is no point in measuring whether assertiveness skills have been learned or, in other words, measuring the impact of the program (outcome and impact indicators). Examples of process indicators could be

“participatory methods were used by facilitators” or “the children surveyed the community and mapped the services available,” or “all facilitators completed a training-of-trainers (TOT) session” or “materials were developed by the children for the program.”

Remember, process and outcome indicators need to be SMART!

Objectives and indicators are useful when continually referred to by project implementers. It is a good idea to place a regular review of objectives and indicators in the action plan. A review will not only help to monitor progress, but will provide an opportunity to review the relevance of the indicators. In many action programs, indicators need to be flexible (of course, within limits!) as field realities are never constant. When a Life Skills Education Program is implemented within an ongoing program for children, it is useful to review goals and objectives within this framework. How to link a Life Skills Education Program with other programs is discussed on page 31: “Linking with other Programs.” By setting goals within the framework on an existing youth program, it is possible to reinforce life skills and make it easier for children to practice skills in different contexts.

USING THE LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT

The toolkit has a number of modules, sessions and activities. Each module is divided into two or three program sessions. Each session has a number of activities from which to choose.

A systematic planning process is important in selecting relevant modules, sessions and activities to prepare a curriculum for the Life Skills Education Program. To summarize, various data collection tools identify and prioritize the needs of children; the Bridge Model identifies which life skills the children need to learn, and SMART objectives determine what the program will achieve. To select modules, sessions and activities, the organization needs to invest in planning of meetings. Because Life Skills Education Programs influence other programs, it is useful to include

staff from these groups as well. In addition, Life Skills Education Program planning must include:

• Time; • Location; • Duration;

• Children – which, how many, age, sex; • Referral resources; and

• Our own capacities.

Since children are mobile, it may be difficult to answer these planning questions, and

organizations must meet specific targets. The temptation may be to conduct as many life skills sessions as possible with more children in the shortest time. But remember, it is far more important for children to learn a few relevant skills and learn them well. Besides, it is not easy for children to learn new behavior (some learning requires ‘unlearning’ as well). Each child has his or her own pace of learning and practicing new skills, so they cannot be rushed!

The activities in the module sessions are organized in a logical sequence. The activities at the

beginning of the session are introductory, and the ones towards the end expect the children to explore more complex issues. However, the activities may be organized in any order and in a framework that reflects the needs of the children and systematically develops skills. Children’s need will change over time, and planning frameworks can be flexible. The toolkit helps to form ideas and to tailor-make activities according to the children’s needs. It is a good idea to plan in a way to easily evaluate outcomes.

The facilitator must prepare for each session by reading the appropriate information sheets, introduction to the session, objectives and key points. Next, the facilitator must review each step of the activity, so that it can be easily

implemented. Colleagues can help in this process. This is a good opportunity to discuss session adaptations or additional staff support. The time required for the activities is only an estimate. Different groups may require varying time; plans need to build in this flexibility.

The “Linking Learning with Life” activities provide continuity and an opportunity to practice between sessions. They are an integral and critical component in life skills activities and

must be included in the training sessions. Each

new session must begin with feedback from the children regarding what has happened since the last training session. In the toolkit these are known as “Group Check Ins.”

Sessions must always be adapted to the children’s needs. The Group Check Ins and “Linking Learning to Life” activities provide valuable information to the facilitator about how to adapt ongoing sessions if required. The age of the children, their developmental levels, the knowledge required at each age and their changing life experiences, all determine what is included in the sessions.

Learning skills and changing behavior is a time consuming process and miracles are not achieved overnight. Practitioners and implementers need to be patient!

25 • LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION TOOLKIT FOR ORPHANS AND VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN INDIA

Note: Some behaviors will be appropriate to a stage and do not need to be changed. However, children may need help to learn the

“right” way, so that they do not have to unlearn behaviors in the future.

What is the behavior that exists today? (list behavior using information from “Understanding needs of children,” Bridge Model and 3 P Matrix) What behavior or change in behavior is needed? (develop SMART objectives; also see 3 P matrix)

What life skills are needed? (refer to the Bridge Model and 3 P matrix) What activities/ sessions will be used from each module? (review objectives in each Module/ Session to select) What kind of community support is needed? (advocacy, youth friendly services, links with other NGOs)

The following planning example was developed at a TOT workshop in New Delhi, March 2005:

A) A Bridge Model for boys and girls aged 10-14 years in a brothel area identified existing behavior and