OVC Toolkit

Before deciding what we are going to do to address the OVC problems in the country, we need to have a clear idea in our minds of our desired level of engagement. Will our project focus solely on addressing the OVC issue or are we looking to simply find ways that our project might have a positive impact on the OVC problem, while pursuing other objectives, whether it be building a road, improving child education, or supporting community-driven development. At a minimum, we may want to simply avoid exacerbating the problem of OVC. If we are government policy-makers, our interest may be to eliminate the OVC problem through a comprehensive, multi-sectoral set of policies an interventions. Here are three levels of engagement that may help you determine where you stand.

Considering OVC. Projects in non-social sectors such as transport, urban development, energy and environment can generally be considered marginal with respect to OVC, and the intersections between OVC and the projects are somewhat random and often unintended. These projects should aim at identifying where these intersections occur, and how they can be managed in a way that prevents more children from becoming OVC and maximizes the positive outcome for OVC and potential OVC.
Including OVC. For education, health, nutrition and other projects that have (poor) children as a primary target group the main challenge is to ensure that OVC do not end up being excluded from project benefits. In this context, the objective should be to ensure an increased participation of OVC, and the interventions designed should have this as a primary objective.
Focusing specifically on OVC. Community driven Development projects (CDD), social funds, post-conflict projects, MAP projects and other projects that are multi-sectoral and target primarily vulnerable groups, including OVC, will also face inclusion issues. However, these will often be not to ensure that OVC can take advantage of services that should be available to all children, but to ensure that the project includes specific interventions for OVC only (or primarily). In this sense, the project will require a more holistic approach to the OVC's life situation overall. Typically, these projects would relate to children at the very bottom of the downward spiral of vulnerability, and thus require technically specialized interventions aimed at supporting, rehabilitating and reinserting children in extreme circumstances.