Rights-based analysis related to children and young people (RBA) is a tool for those working within or on behalf of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The tool should be used when you want to integrate a child rights and youth perspective in your work.
Integrating a child rights and youth perspective requires us to carry out analyses of how children and young people are affected by our activities. The analysis should be rights-based and sometimes include the knowledge/experience and/or views of children and young people.
What is a rights-based analysis
There are many different variants of what are known as child rights impact assessments. This RBA tool was created specifically for the Nordic Council of Ministers by experts on child rights issues and advisers in Nordic co-operation, adapted to our broad target group of children and young people aged 0-25. It is therefore not a regular or standard child rights impact assessment. The analysis is inspired by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's writings on impact assessments and different models for impact assessments in the Nordic Region and Europe.
Who can do a rights-based analysis
Managers, senior advisers/advisers, project managers/officers, communicators, coordinators/administrators, service and IT and consultants. In principle, an RBA can be carried out by the person responsible for the initiative/task/decision/project. Depending on the scope and closeness to children and young people, colleagues or consultants may be involved.
When to do a rights-based analysis
An RBA can be carried out in many different processes and at different levels, such as decision-making, development of policy documents, goals and budgets, procurement or contracting, or project implementation. We recommend that an RBA is mainly carried out before implementation so that the results of the analysis can inform further work. You can also use an RBA during and after implementation to use and learn from the results.
How to use the results
Once you have completed your RBA form, you have completed the analysis itself and you can save it for further use. This is a valuable resource in your work to integrate a child rights and youth perspective. The basic idea is that you act on your analysis in your subsequent work. For example, if the analysis is part of an upcoming decision, the results of the analysis should be included in the decision documentation or attached as an appendix to the decision in its entirety. The analysis can also be the basis for a discussion or decision on how to proceed in, for example, procurement/commissioning of assignments, projects, or criteria in a grant program. There are many ways to turn the analysis into action, and you are the responsible person who knows how and when the results of the analysis can best be used.
Why are there different forms
To make the analysis as useful as possible, you can use different forms depending on the nature of your work. For example, if you are going to involve children directly in the project, you need to analyze the consequences of this before you start. There are different types of activities in the Nordic Council of Ministers, and no one form fits all. By answering the three introductory questions, you will be guided to the form that suits what you want to analyze.