Developing a comprehensive framework for monitoring and evaluation

Highlights

The project “Developing a comprehensive framework for the monitoring and evaluation of early childhood education and care (ECEC) in the Czech Republic” was funded by the European Union through the Technical Support Instrument and implemented by UNICEF in cooperation with the European Commission. On the Czech side, it was led by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (MoLSA) in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS).

The initiative supported national reforms aimed at strengthening the quality, governance, and inclusiveness of early childhood education and care services in the Czech Republic. It focused on children from birth to six years of age, with particular attention to those under three and from vulnerable backgrounds, ensuring that every child has equitable access to nurturing, high-quality early learning and care.

Importance of Accessible and Quality Early Childhood Education and Care – and the Motivation for a TSI Project in the Czech Republic

Early childhood offers a vital opportunity to shape children’s holistic development and lifelong success. In line with the European Pillar of Social Rights, every child has the right to affordable, high-quality ECEC, which plays a key role in promoting cognitive and social-emotional growth, especially for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The availability of high quality ECEC also supports higher workforce participation, particularly among women. This is particularly important in the Czech Republic which faces one of the EU's highest gender employment gaps and a large share of women who are economically inactive due to caregiving responsibilities.

In response, the Czech Republic prioritized ECEC within the European Child Guarantee, which aims to prevent and combat social exclusion by guaranteeing effective access of children in need to a set of key services including free ECEC. The ECEC system for children aged 0–3 has expanded significantly, with children’s group places growing from 10,000 in 2018 to over 26,000 by April 2025, supported by the European Union through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the European Social Fund+.

However, the split governance between the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports1 has complicated the development of a unified monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework across the 0–6 age range. To address this, the Czech authorities sought technical support from the European Commission. With funding from the EU’s Technical Support Instrument, UNICEF, together with the European Commission, has been implementing the project “Developing a comprehensive framework for the monitoring and evaluation of early childhood education and care in the Czech Republic” over the past two years.

Project results

1. One of the main project results was the development of a robust body of evidence that served two key purposes.

First, it informed the creation of the M&E Framework aimed at enhancing the system’s long-term capacity to plan for and manage quality. Second, it supported the data-driven and quality-focused expansion of ECEC services, aligned with ongoing and anticipated investments including through the European Social Fund Plus and the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The three analytical reports produced as part of the project offered critical insights into the supply and demand for ECEC services, the existing monitoring and evaluation systems, and European best practices that could inform future reforms.

All project components were developed through a participatory process involving the Working Group. The findings were shared with ministerial leadership and other stakeholders to support the next steps of the project. Reports were also shared with other EU Member States, partner countries and stakeholder organizations through the European Commission‘s EEA Working group on Early childhood education and care.

2. The second main result was the project initiating and developing the Framework for the Monitoring and evaluation of Early Childhood Education and Care in the Czech Republic.

The framework establishes a continuous, systematic approach to collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, with the goal of supporting ongoing quality improvement and ensuring inclusive, accessible early childhood education and care for all children.

A significant achievement was the joint decision by the involved ministries and the Working Group to develop a single, comprehensive M&E Framework for the entire 0–6 age group. This integrated approach covers both children’s groups and kindergartens, with the potential to extend to other types of ECEC services in the future.

3. A particularly positive result of the project implementation and framework development process was the strong collaboration and collegial spirit that emerged among ECEC stakeholders within the project Working Group.

The process also fostered valuable connections, mutual learning, and the exchange of experiences across sectors and institutions — bringing added benefits beyond the framework itself.

4. Another key achievement of the project was the development of practical support materials aimed at strengthening strategic communication around the reform and helping municipalities and ministries expand ECEC services with quality.

A dedicated toolkit was created for local governments to support their capacity-building efforts, promote access to services, and improve the quality of ECEC for all children. In parallel, a Concept for a Communication Strategy was developed to guide the authorities in the outreach to municipalities — highlighting the importance of inclusive, high-quality ECEC, particularly for families at risk. These tools contribute to reshaping the public narrative around ECEC as a foundational stage in children's development, a driver of social cohesion, and a smart investment in the future of society.

5. Finally, the project also led to the development of strategic recommendations.

These recommendations aimed not only at supporting the implementation of the M&E Framework but also at addressing related areas such as governance, funding, legislation, and workforce capacity — reflecting the interconnected nature of system quality and contributing to the overall strengthening of the ECEC system in the Czech Republic.