Desk-based Meta-Evaluation of Child Protection Projects in Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Somaliland, and Zambia (Save the Children Finland, 2025)

The report is a meta-evaluation of Save the Children Finland’s Global Child Protection programme, implemented from 2022 to 2025 in four countries in Africa – Burkina Faso, Côte d´Ivoire, Somaliland and Zambia – spanning development, humanitarian and peace-building contexts.

The meta-evaluation synthesizes findings from the programme which aimed to strengthen national CP systems, empower communities and families, and promote inclusive, gender-responsive, and child-centred approaches to prevent and respond to violence against children. Gender equality, inclusion of persons with disabilities, and climate change were key cross-cutting priorities of the programme across all four countries. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining extensive desk review, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews with staff, partners, and government actors.

Overall, the programme demonstrated strong relevance by aligning with the rights and needs of the most vulnerable children, grounded in global standards, focused on systems strengthening and aligned with national priorities. Key interventions related to positive parenting, case management, social norms change, and policy/legal reform are designed to address structural and immediate drivers of violence against children. The programme has engaged in meaningful partnerships with government ministries, UN agencies, and community organisations in all four countries to avoid duplication and to contribute to a more coherent national child protection system. There is evidence of positive change across all three outcome areas: children and families’ access to services has generally improved as well as case management and social service workforce support; children report increased awareness of their rights and better access to safe spaces and peer support groups and there has been notable progress in policy and legal reform, with new laws, SOPs, and national strategies adopted in several countries.

Finally, the programme has promoted sustainability through several strategic approaches, including national system reform efforts, strong collaboration with technical government departments, collaboration, alignment with national child protection priorities, and participatory planning, joint missions and coordination mechanisms. Community-level sustainability is supported by strengthened local structures, community ownership, reinforced local capacity and shifting social norms. Overall, the Child Protection programme has laid a strong foundation for systemic, inclusive, and community-driven child protection.