Deadline: 05-Jun-2026
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is seeking qualified partners to co-develop and implement a Child Participation Strategy under the Child Protection Systems Strengthening (CPSS) Model of Intervention, known as Project Kalinga. The initiative will be implemented in Brooke’s Point, Palawan and Catbalogan City, Samar, Philippines, with a focus on strengthening child protection systems through meaningful child participation and community engagement.
The project aims to ensure that children and young people are actively involved in decisions affecting their lives while strengthening local child protection systems, governance mechanisms, safeguarding practices, and service delivery pathways.
Overview
Project Kalinga is designed to integrate child participation into child protection systems at the local level. The initiative recognizes children’s right to be heard and participate in matters affecting their lives, consistent with the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
Through partnerships with qualified organizations, UNICEF seeks to establish sustainable mechanisms that enable children and adolescents to contribute to planning, implementation, monitoring, and decision-making processes within their communities.
Geographic Focus
The project will be implemented in:
- Brooke’s Point, Palawan
- Catbalogan City, Samar
- Philippines
Activities will focus on strengthening child protection systems and participation mechanisms within these target locations.
Key Objectives
The initiative aims to:
- Strengthen child protection systems through meaningful child participation
- Promote children’s rights and inclusive decision-making
- Improve community engagement in child protection efforts
- Institutionalize child participation within local governance systems
- Strengthen safeguarding and child-sensitive engagement practices
- Support child marriage prevention initiatives
- Enhance adolescent protection measures
- Improve accountability and feedback systems for children
- Strengthen child protection referral pathways and service delivery
- Promote youth leadership and child-led action
Thematic Areas
The project covers multiple child protection and participation priorities, including:
- Child protection
- Child participation
- Child rights
- Child protection systems strengthening
- Safeguarding
- Community engagement
- Child-sensitive programming
- Child marriage prevention
- Adolescent protection
- Governance and policy integration
- Social and behavior change
- Youth leadership
- Child-friendly accountability mechanisms
- Referral systems and case management
- Inclusive decision-making processes
Evidence Generation and Assessment Activities
A key component of the initiative involves generating evidence to strengthen child participation programming.
Activities may include:
- Assessment of existing child participation mechanisms
- Mapping of participation structures within communities
- Consultations with children and adolescents
- Engagement with caregivers and community members
- Consultations with government officials and duty-bearers
- Identification of barriers to meaningful participation
- Documentation of local experiences and lessons learned
The findings will support evidence-based improvements to child participation approaches within Project Kalinga.
Development of a Child Participation Integration Plan
The project will support the creation of a comprehensive Child Participation Integration Plan.
The plan is expected to:
- Embed child participation across project components
- Define participation standards and approaches
- Establish practical implementation frameworks
- Promote child-sensitive and rights-based engagement
- Strengthen accountability mechanisms
- Support long-term sustainability
The integration plan will serve as a roadmap for incorporating children’s voices into local child protection systems.
Knowledge Management and Documentation
The initiative will generate resources that can inform future child participation programming.
Expected outputs may include:
- Case studies
- Knowledge products
- Lessons learned reports
- Good practice documentation
- Child participation tools and resources
- Technical guidance materials
These resources will help strengthen child protection programming beyond the target communities.
Capacity Strengthening Activities
Capacity building is a major pillar of Project Kalinga.
Training and coaching activities will target:
- Local government officials
- Social workers
- Teachers
- Community actors
- Child protection practitioners
- Caregivers
- Children and adolescents
Training Topics
Capacity-building activities may cover:
- Meaningful child participation
- Child rights principles
- Safeguarding practices
- Child-sensitive communication
- Youth leadership
- Child protection systems
- Community engagement
- Inclusive decision-making
- Accountability and feedback mechanisms
Strengthening Local Governance Systems
The project seeks to institutionalize child participation within local governance and child protection structures.
Key activities may include:
- Establishing child advisory groups
- Strengthening youth participation mechanisms
- Supporting child and youth leadership structures
- Integrating child participation into local planning processes
- Enhancing policy frameworks related to child protection
- Improving coordination among stakeholders
The goal is to ensure children’s perspectives are consistently reflected in governance and decision-making processes.
Linkages with Local Councils for the Protection of Children
The initiative will strengthen connections between child participation mechanisms and Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPCs).
This may involve:
- Formal engagement channels for children and youth
- Representation in local discussions
- Structured consultation processes
- Child-centered planning and monitoring activities
- Stronger coordination between stakeholders
These efforts aim to improve responsiveness to child protection concerns at the local level.
Child-Friendly Feedback and Accountability Mechanisms
The project will support the development of systems that allow children to safely express concerns, provide feedback, and contribute ideas.
Activities may include:
- Designing child-friendly reporting channels
- Creating accessible feedback systems
- Strengthening accountability mechanisms
- Promoting safe participation environments
- Improving communication between service providers and children
Such mechanisms are intended to increase transparency and responsiveness within child protection services.
Community Engagement and Child-Led Action
Community engagement is central to Project Kalinga.
Activities may include:
- Community dialogues
- Child-led consultations
- Youth advocacy initiatives
- Awareness campaigns
- Community action projects
- Stakeholder engagement activities
These activities encourage children and young people to become active participants in addressing local child protection issues.
Advocacy and Communication Activities
The project will support the co-creation of advocacy and communication materials with children and youth.
Potential outputs include:
- Child protection awareness materials
- Child marriage prevention campaigns
- Community information resources
- Youth-led communication products
- Educational materials
- Social and behavior change communication tools
These resources will be disseminated through community platforms and stakeholder networks.
Strengthening Service Delivery and Referral Pathways
The initiative seeks to improve the integration of child participation within child protection services.
Activities may include:
- Involving children in service planning discussions
- Strengthening referral pathways
- Improving access to child protection services
- Developing child-friendly information materials
- Enhancing feedback mechanisms within services
- Supporting more responsive case management systems
These efforts aim to ensure services are more accessible, effective, and responsive to children’s needs.
Expected Outcomes
Through Project Kalinga, UNICEF aims to achieve several long-term outcomes:
- Stronger child protection systems
- Increased child participation in governance processes
- Enhanced safeguarding and accountability practices
- Improved child protection service delivery
- More effective referral pathways
- Greater youth leadership and engagement
- Increased community awareness of child protection issues
- Stronger prevention efforts related to child marriage and violence against children
- Sustainable integration of child participation into local systems
Who Should Apply?
UNICEF is seeking qualified partners capable of supporting child protection and child participation programming.
Suitable organizations may include:
- Civil society organizations
- Child rights organizations
- Non-governmental organizations
- Community-based organizations
- Youth-focused organizations
- Organizations with child protection expertise
- Institutions experienced in community engagement and capacity building
Applicants should demonstrate experience in working with children, safeguarding, child participation, governance, community mobilization, and child protection systems strengthening.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What is Project Kalinga?
- Project Kalinga is UNICEF’s Child Protection Systems Strengthening (CPSS) Model of Intervention that seeks to strengthen child protection systems through meaningful child participation and community engagement.
- Where will the project be implemented?
- The initiative will be implemented in Brooke’s Point, Palawan and Catbalogan City, Samar in the Philippines.
- What is the main objective of the project?
- To integrate children’s voices into child protection systems, governance processes, service delivery, and community decision-making.
- Who are the primary beneficiaries?
- Children, adolescents, caregivers, communities, local government units, and child protection stakeholders.
- What types of activities will be supported?
- Child participation assessments, capacity building, governance strengthening, community engagement, advocacy campaigns, safeguarding initiatives, and child-friendly feedback mechanisms.
- Will children be involved in decision-making processes?
- Yes. The project specifically aims to ensure children participate meaningfully in planning, implementation, monitoring, and governance activities.
- What long-term impact does UNICEF expect?
- Stronger, more inclusive, accountable, and child-responsive protection systems that empower children and young people to influence decisions affecting their lives.
Conclusion
UNICEF’s Project Kalinga represents a significant effort to strengthen child protection systems in the Philippines by placing children’s voices at the center of decision-making. Through child participation, governance reform, safeguarding, community engagement, and capacity building, the initiative seeks to create sustainable systems that are more responsive, inclusive, and accountable. Organizations with expertise in child rights, community development, and child protection are encouraged to partner with UNICEF to help advance meaningful participation and improve outcomes for children and adolescents in target communities.
For more information, visit UN Partner Portal.