Orphans and Vulnerable Children Wellbeing Tool Users Guide
Shannon Senefeld, Susan Strasser, and James Campbell
One goal of Catholic Relief Services' programs for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) is to improve those children's wellbeing—but "wellbeing" is an elusive concept, and measuring it is a challenging problem.
The CRS Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) Wellbeing Tool, a self-reporting measure for individuals aged 13–18, was developed as an answer to that challenge. Piloted during a comprehensive evaluation of OVC programs funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in Haiti, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia, then refined after analysis of the results of that pilot, the tool is 36 questions long and takes approximately 20 minutes to administer. Scoring can be done immediately or via a computer program. Results are used to monitor OVC programs over time.
The OWT provides a fast, easy method of securing data about the overall wellbeing of children in OVC programs. By collecting this self-report data over time, CRS anticipates being able to see patterns in its OVC programs that will allow for real-time assessment and response to current issues within the program.
As of 2009 OWT has now been used in Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zambia. Translations from all of these countries will be made available for download from this site as we receive them.
2009
Publications library
New publications
- Strategies for Sustainable Coffee
Coffee production is important to both the economies and ecologies of the regions in which it is produced. This poster looks at how CRS is providing support for coffee-based livelihoods to
Increasing Smallholder Access to Finance
This poster looks at how increasing smallholder access to finance through saving and lending can lead to increased investment in agriculture.
Increasing Market Access for Smallhold…
CRS is helping farmers in the Phillipines organize into product clusters to supply quality produce at the right price and time. Download this poster to learn more about this approach.
A Holistic Livelihoods-based Approach …
CRS uses the Integral Human Development conceptual framework to help design programs in the field. The framework and how it works is presented in this poster.
Baby-Friendly Farms
This poster explains how CRS is helping women practice exclusive breastfeeding and improve their nutrition through baby-friendly farms to reduce infant morbidity and mortality in Sierra Leone.