Our approach
Child-sensitive, gender-sensitive, inclusive and rigorous research and foresight produced with and for children and young people
UNICEF Innocenti works for and with children and young people to seek solutions to their most pressing challenges. As we focus on the rights and lives of children and young people, we always ask: Who else can we include? Will this work cause unintended harm? Are there events that could surprise us? Does this work drive change?
What we do
Data by topic and country
UNICEF is a leading source of official statistics on the lives of children and women. We collect, analyse and curate high-quality data across key areas of child well-being, including health, education and protection, to show where progress is being made and where more is needed. These data help drive better, more equitable decisions, support global monitoring and strengthen accountability for children.
Foresight
Foresight analysis allows us to ask: What might the future hold for children and young people? And what can we do today to make the world a better place for them tomorrow? As we chart a path to a more peaceful, prosperous and sustainable future, we work with and for children and young people on new and emerging issues that will impact their lives.
Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS)
Since the mid-1990s, UNICEF’s Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) programme has helped countries collect reliable data on children and families. Working with governments and national partners, we design and carry out household surveys, including face-to-face interviews on issues that shape children’s lives. This information helps fill important gaps, track progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and shape policies and programmes that improve outcomes for girls and boys across the world.
Programme effectiveness
UNICEF’s work in programme effectiveness sets the standards, tools and processes that guide how we plan, implement and monitor programmes. This work helps align strategic planning with country programmes, strengthen partnerships and oversight and improve how results are tracked and reported. By integrating data, performance and learning, we support more effective and accountable programmes for children.
Research
UNICEF Innocenti reaches beyond traditional approaches to generating and curating evidence. We listen and engage with children and young people. We are child-sensitive and gender-sensitive as we use the most rigorous methods to seek answers to the issues that impact children’s rights, lives and futures. With and for children and young people, we focus on generating evidence that drives change for children.
How we work
Disability inclusion
UNICEF Innocenti’s research and foresight shine a light on the challenges and opportunities that children and young people with disabilities face in their daily lives. Our work aims to mainstream their concerns into everything we do, provide a global knowledge base and offer a coordination platform on disability.
Ethical evidence generation
Working with and for children and young people is a privilege and a responsibility. It means that UNICEF Innocenti must make sure our efforts are inclusive, respectful, just and fair. As we generate evidence and foresight, we focus on including and protecting the world’s most marginalized children, young people and communities.
Youth engagement
UNICEF Innocenti envisions a world where adolescents and young people are empowered to shape their futures. We are committed to listening to and engaging with young people. Through initiatives including the UNICEF Youth Foresight Fellowship, we systematically integrate their expertise, experiences and perspectives into our research, foresight and convening.
