PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK FOR CHILD PROTECTION IN AFGHANISTAN

Transcription

1 PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORK FOR CHILD PROTECTION IN AFGHANISTAN Using the DaCUM method to develop and operationalize competency based standards for social work

2 2 Objectives of this presentation Introduce some background on child protection social work in Afghanistan Discuss why the Afghan government wanted to develop social work for children Discuss the method used to develop national skills standards, a competency based approach to evaluating the effectiveness of training and education Discuss some issues in blending of international and local elements to create the standards and curriculum

3 3 Brief Background Prior to 1979, Afghanistan was a country that prided itself on the care and protection of children, through intricate layers of community and family based systems Since 1979, Afghanistan has been the site of war and military occupation as great powers and competing ideologies from around the world battle on its soil (International Crisis Group, 2012) With war and its sequelae, those systems have broken down or become subject to abuse

4 4 Brief Background The Government of Afghanistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1994 a time of great turmoil A National Strategy for Children at Risk was formalized in 2006 That strategy called for the development of a cadre of trained social workers to support child protection Called madadkaar ejetimaayee in Dari these workers received a variety of ad hoc trainings and worked in communities to support children and families The project was a next step begun by the Afghan government to formalize and systematize social work for children

5 5 Professional Social Work for Afghan Children The Project to Develop Professional Social Work for Child Protection in Afghanistan was a Joint Project of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs Martyrs and Disabled (MOLSAMD) the National Skills Development Program (NSDP) and UNICEF in cooperation with the Hunter College School of Social Work of the City University of New York and the Boston College Graduate School of Social Work It s purpose was to develop culturally relevant, professional social work for children in Afghanistan based on local knowledge, as well as regional and global standards

6 6 Objectives of the Project The one year objectives of the project were to complete the studies necessary to draft National Skills Standards in Social Work for the Associates or paraprofessional level to work with the Ministry of Higher Education to develop introductory curricula and syllabi on the BSW and MSW levels The contract was the result of a response to an International Request for Proposals by the Afghan Government, seeking a university partner

7 7 Why develop professional social work for child protection: The Afghan view? Professional social workers can support comprehensive and sustainable child protection using a systems approach They can oversee research on children s wellbeing They can set national priorities and direct resources accordingly They can oversee international projects and insure their sustainability They are in the best position to review social norms and promote social change

8 8 Comprehensive Career Path for Child Protection Professionals Many Afghans had already been working in child protection They work in government and non-governmental organizations They have learned from unique experiences in Afghanistan They have participated in multiple training courses However, they cannot currently publish what they know in an Afghan journal, enhance their knowledge through higher education, or build knowledge through participation in academic research

9 9 Child Protection Social Work in Neighboring Countries In all of the countries that neighbor Afghanistan, social work for children and families is a recognized profession supported by an academic qualification Internationally recognized schools of social work have long existed in Iran, Pakistan and India, educating social workers on the BSW, MSW and PhD levels China s recently established university level social work programs have rapidly expanded throughout the country and been instrumental in disaster response and planning Degree level programs in social work are newly established in the university systems of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan

10 10 National Skills Development Program: Addressing the Need for Sustainable Child Protection Systems MoLSAMD, through its component the NSDP, called for a two pronged approach to address these issues: The development of national standards for social work at all levels The development of professional social work education Both of these tasks are complex and, in other countries, have required many years to develop.. Over the course of the year, Hunter College and Boston College partnered with NSDP to begin the development process by creating a draft of each.

11 11 Global Standards and Cultural Relevance The International Association of Schools of Social Work and the International Federation of Social Workers have established global standards for the profession (IFSW/ IASSW 2004) The question the NSDP wanted to address: How best to develop social work curricula which adheres to international professional standards while maintaining cultural relevance and deriving legitimacy from the population at all levels

12 12 Culture is dynamic: curriculum development complex Culture for the purpose of this presentation is how we come to know, how we behave and how we make meaning of experience (Barth, 1995). Culture is always plural, always hybrid and always heterogeneous Child protection is a cultural construct as is social work Therefore the development of curricula was a collaborative process among those who will teach, learn and use, working together over time Our first year s work represents a beginning of that process

13 13 Methods the NSDP Uses to Develop Culturally Relevant Standards To address these challenges for all of the occupations that it certifies, National Skills Development Program utilizes two methods: -Establishment of an Advisory Committee -The DaCUM Method

14 14 The Child Protection Advisory Committee The Advisory Committee (CPAC) consisted of Afghan experts from Government Ministries, Afghan and International Non-Governmental Organizations and Academia The purpose was to: Advise on technical issues Support recruitment of participants for the DaCUM sessions Review and advise on draft competencies and curricula Consult on use of professional terminology

15 15 The DaCUM Method The DaCUM Method (Develop a Curriculum) is one way to learn how to define and elaborate a profession based on knowledge from practitioners, service uses, and local experts. It is well-known in labor studies It involves both focus group discussions and key informant interviews Service users are consulted on two levels: the grass roots level and from those institutions such as police, juvenile justice, health, and education who employ or need to employ the professionals Professional experts are consulted at the level of the advisory committee and support the participatory DaCUM methodology by identifying participants

16 16 Procedures Participants were selected from 5 regions of the country. They were grouped by role- community worker, social worker, manager, policy maker, grass roots service user, and professional service user. Participants were asked: What is social work? Who should be a social worker? What must social workers know? (knowledge) What must social workers know how to do? (skills) What are the most important values needed to be a social worker? (values) Responses were put into a chart format and coded by frequency and emphasis

17 17 DACUM Session Participants Demographic Information from DACUM Sessions Total all participants 291 Jalalabad 73 Mazar-i-Sharif 70 Herat 94 Kabul 54 Total participants for each level Community Social Worker 135 Social Worker 100 Social Work Manager 56 Total number of participants for each level by gender Community Social Worker Male 71 Female 64 Social Worker Male 54 Female 46 Social Work Manager 41 Male 41 Female 15

18 FOR COMPETENCY LEVEL TWO: SOCIAL WORKER 18

19 FOR COMPETENCY LEVEL TWO: SOCIAL WORKER 19

20 FOR COMPETENCY LEVEL TWO: SOCIAL WORKER 20

21 21 Developing National Standards Standards were drafted for 3 levels of social work based on the DaCUM charts, using CSWE s competency based model, EPAS to create generic categories EPAS were used because they were familiar in the region and were seen to be an heuristic devise generic enough to contain the details derived from the DaCUM charts The levels are: Community Child Protection Social Work Associate (AA level) Child Protection Social Worker (BSW Level) Child Protection Social Work Supervisor ( MSW Level)

22 22 From DaCUM charts to NOSS The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs NSDP has a complex and specific system for turning DaCUM charts to the National Skills Standards required for each approved and paid occupation The documents outline a series of up to 10 major duties Each duty has up to 10 tasks Each task has pages of individual performance performance standards which include sub-tasks, and enabling knowledge skills values and tools We used the EPAS to provide the generic standards to insure that Afghan social workers, had generic competencies that would be recognized internationally We filled in the tasks, performance standards, competencies from the DaCUM charts

23 2/25/14 JOB PROFILE FOR CHILD PROTECTION SOCIAL WORKER (BSW) 23

24 2/25/14 TASK PROFILE FOR CHILD PROTECTION SOCIAL WORKER (BSW) 24 OCCUPATION: CHILD PROTECTION SOCIAL WORKER DUTY NUMBER 1 DUTY IDENTIFY AS A PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL WORKER TASK NUMBER 1.01 TASK ADVOCATE ACCESS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO SOCIAL WORK SERVICES LEVEL BSW PERFORMANCE STANDARD: THE SOCIAL WORKER SHOULD ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO HAVE ACCESS TO SOCIAL WORK SERVICES BY CONDUCTING HIM OF HERSELF IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER AND ACT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MISSION AND CORE VALUES OF THE PROFESSION. SUBTASK/STEP ENABLING REQUIREMENTS (Knowledge, Skill, Attitude, and Safety) TOOLS/EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS 1. Obtain necessary professional knowledge to advocate successfully for clients 2. Possess knowledge and education regarding the laws, teachings and values of Islam to better understand the needs of children and their families Knowledge Mission of social work in regard to advocacy for children and families Core values of the social work profession Types of advocacy possible for children and their families Islamic laws teachings and values regarding the rights and needs of children and families Skills Represent oneself as a professional social worker to children and their families Carry out the core values of the social work profession Apply Islamic laws teachings and values on behalf of children Documents Global Standards for the Education and Training of the Social Work Profession Children in Islam Documents: Global Standards for the Education and Training of the Social Work Profession Attitude and conduct Serve as a role model for the social work profession Be respectful of the traditions, customs, and cultural expressions of the all of the peoples of Afghanistan within the context of Islam and its laws, teachings and values Be respectful and sensitive to all Be respectful of elders and sensitive to the needs of children and youth Preserve the confidentiality of children and their families Values Value the importance of Islamic laws, and teachings when conducting social work assessments, interventions and evaluations at all levels Value the skills and standards of the social work profession as practiced with children and families according to the teachings and values of Islam. Children in Islam: their care upbringing and protection Terre des Hommes Child Protection Policy ld-protection-policy or equivalents

25 25 Translation and Cultural Relevance One of the key elements in developing new curricula for a new profession is language Each language has its own way of understanding complex concepts Translating literally, whether from English or any other language, can distort meaning CPAC members have shared the terminology that they use in Dari and in Pashto A workshop was held at Kabul University solely to discuss initial language What should be the official names given to professional social work and its activities? How shall the terminology used in the coursework be developed?

26 26 Developing the Curricula Utilizing the DaCUM charts, competency based documents were developed which pegged the field notes to global social work competencies: These were examined in the light of social work curricula taught in the region. Initial curricula were drafted based on these elements The initial curricula and syllabi at the Associates, Bachelors and Masters degree level were drafted Curricula were reviewed and commented on by the CPAC Curricula were then revised based on the comments

27 27 Developing the Curricula II The Steering Committee of the Faculty of Psychology and Education then reviewed the revised curricula They added additional subjects based on the necessary competencies The K U faculty joined the international Faculty to revise the curriculum The revised curricua were presented to curriculum committees at the University level The curricula were revised and presented to the Ministry of Higher Education Curriculum Committee The CPAC has re-convened to prepare the way to develop field education

28 28 Way Forward: The End is the Beginning The end of this process is actually the beginning Planned next steps include the incorporation of the NOSS into national competency examinations, and testing of those examination questions to determine if they do indeed measure competence in social work However the method is an interesting one to look at as we consider measuring hard to measure concepts and whether the DaCUM method is one that can help us to measure the effectiveness of social work education in countries in crisis

29 29 Contact Information Martha Bragin Silberman School of Social Work Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)

30 30 AFGHAN PROFESSIONALS DISCUSS SOCIAL WORK

31 31 What is Social Work? The social worker is the doctor of the society: The social worker diagnoses and treats social problems, both at their roots in society, and through the symptoms that appear in the community, the family, the child. Wahidullah Shinwari, MSW Program Director, Achiana, an Afghan NGO

32 32 What does a social worker do? The social worker must be the mediator between the society and the person. In fighting for rights they must understand the true meaning of Holy Quran; that it is not the same as local custom and belief They must have the strength and capacity to teach these things, so that children and families can be protected even in the most difficult times Program Coordinator Medica Mondiale A Women s NGO

33 33 Why we need professional social work When we work in the courts to defend children we must have professional social workers to provide competent services from investigation defense to rehabilitation planning Without professional social workers, children are at the mercy of the judiciary and the root causes of their problems are not solved Defense lawyer/ former family court judge

34 34 Why we need social work We need to lift up our wives and children, even our daughters, so that we are not reduced to poverty and begging. Those who come to help us must be honest people, understand Holy Koran, and use the knowledge to teach us to fight for ourselves, for our families and educate our people. Community Elder from Kandahar

35 35 On doing community social work To enter the community is not easy, you face many obstacles. In order to succeed you must work with the people, not for them and not look down on anybody you must be a person who models what it is to be a friend to all. Even the poorest, most vulnerable, most neglected child must feel free to walk with you Supervisor, Community Child Protection Program, Afghan NGO

36 36 Way forward for social work This is my country, where shall I go? I have to work every day to make this place better for children. Now I want to hire qualified social workers to make my programs the best that they can be. Engineer Youssef Afghan NGO Director (Eng Yousseff is the founder of ASCHIANA an Afghan NGO that has worked throughout the last 20 years to help street working children and families)