The lack of reliable and accessible data on OVC&Y is a major weakness for the majority of SADC member states in the region, particularly certain age & gender cohorts of children and young people between ages 10-19. Data on OVC&Y is for instance grossly missing from HIV and AIDS reports produced by the SADC Secretariat thus far because Member States are not able to provide them. As a result, it is difficult to track the patterns, trends and levels of vulnerability for OVC&Y and to address their needs accordingly.

The overall goal of the project is to attain evidence informed and effective policies and programmes for OVC&Y in key sectors that deliver services in SADC region, in particular Ministries of Education, Health, Social Welfare, Youth and Children and Gender

SADC Member States, Ministries of Education, Health, Social Welfare, Youth and Children and Gender Beneficiaries: Vulnerable boys and girls children (0-17) and vulnerable young women and men (18-24) within the SADC region

1. Improved capacity of member states (national level) to generate and utilize data for sound decision making on OVC&Y within the SADC region.
2. mproved knowledge and targeting of specific vulnerabilities amongst OVC&Y.
3. Enhanced sharing and use of good practices for the effective delivery of comprehensive services for OVC&Y in the SADC region.
4. Improved coordination, monitoring and reporting of progress of the OVC&Y programmes.

Results from previous phases:  

The Initiative to Strengthen Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Systems for OVC&Y programming in SADC builds on work that began with the establishment of the SADC Special Programme for Orphans and other Vulnerable Children and Youth (OVC&Y) since 2007. With initial support from the SIDA, REPSSI, the African Development Bank (ADB), and EU Commission, the unit has developed among other strategic documents the SADC Strategic Framework for OVC&Y (2008-2015) and an accompanying Business Plan (2009 -2015), the SADC Minimum Package of Services, and an accompanying Conceptual Framework for Psychosocial Support for OVC&Y, and the SADC Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework, with an accompanying M&E Capacity Building Plan for OVC&Y. The situational analysis conducted by the SADC Secretariat on M&E for OVC&Y in the region, confirmed that Member States lacked M&E capacity to provide disaggregated, adequate, timely, accurate, reliable and useful data and information. The M&E Capacity Building Plan focuses on a capacity building programme by SADC to strengthen the capacity for M&E and for collecting and managing information and statistics addressing vulnerabilities of children and young people. The SADC Member States through the SADC policy organs (Committees of Sector Ministers, Council and Summit) have specifically requested SADC Secretariat to produce annual HIV and AIDS epidemic and progress reports based on information that is reported directly by Member States.

Phase 1 01.04.2013 - 31.03.2019   (Completed)