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Paper short abstract

Through co-production methodologies with care-experienced children and young people, this paper offers novel insights into how youth-defined understandings of accountability to children and young people shape approaches to child protection and efficacy of interventions in childcare reform.

Paper long abstract

Possibilities for accountability to children and young people start from the point that they are involved in knowledge production about what accountability means and how it is measured in development programming and donor activities. Yet different methodologies for engaging children and young people’s participation in defining and evaluating accountability significantly shapes the impact of their participation. Youth engagement strategies that neglect multiple dynamic aspects of relational power and which do not allow sufficient time, space for support and resources limit the meaningful participation of children and young people. These engagement strategies are also connected to the practice of accountability to children and young people, and co-production and youth-led work offer the most promise.

Through co-production methodologies with care-experienced children and young people in Rwanda and South Africa, this research offers novel insights into how youth-defined understandings of accountability to children and young people shape approaches to child protection and efficacy of interventions in childcare reform. Especially novel is a youth-defined understanding of accountability that centres space to be heard and prioritises partnership, feedback loops and information and learning between adult structures and children and young people. These applications extend beyond individual development projects and can also shift the way accountability is conceptualised at the global level. This is research that is part of a two-year knowledge transfer partnership with global NGO Hope and Homes for Children.