Innovation Portfolios: Problem Statements

Climate/environmental policy development lacks meaningful engagement from young people.
Climate resilience and disaster risk reduction resources lack integration in emergency response.
Without environmental sustainability and disaster risk reduction/mitigation, children’s lives, rights and futures are at risk.
Information gaps in the demand and supply for sustainability services limit market-shaping capabilities.

Girls – especially adolescent girls – have less access to skills, learning and relevant employment activities.
Girls’ voices and feedback are not part of policy decisions and programme design.
Gender-restrictive norms and stereotypes perpetuate inequalities that affect girls both online and offline.
Adolescent girls consistently lack access to critical services.

Data systems and solutions are not fully integrated across the development and humanitarian nexus, particularly for real-time risk assessment and preparedness for climate, conflict and public health emergencies.
Data governance in emergency and fragile contexts is limited – and in some cases, absent.
State-of-the-art technologies that enable comprehensive analysis for decision-making are not fully deployed in humanitarian responses.
Unpredictable and unreliable power and energy supply in humanitarian contexts hinders the delivery of services that children rely on to meet basic needs (food, water and sanitation, education and health).
End-user feedback mechanisms that inform the adaptation and effective delivery of humanitarian assistance are not systematically rolled out.
People with disabilities face heightened barriers to humanitarian assistance.
Community-led first responders to humanitarian crises face barriers and constraints in capacity building and in achieving full operational readiness for emergencies.

A lack of quality data presents challenges for the management of vaccine demand and supply, for informed decision-making that meets the needs of zero-dose communities and for the logistics response for ‘last-mile’ deliveries.
Without a data-driven approach, progress toward the zero-dose agenda is at risk.
Behavioural science and people-centred approaches have been lacking in the application of immunization programmes that seek to develop and implement locally relevant strategies with communities, in order to reach unvaccinated and undervaccinated children and adult populations.
Misinformation around vaccines undermines public trust and confidence in routine immunization.

Parents and caregivers need support to prepare children for school.
Delivering basic literacy and numeracy skills requires innovative approaches.
Learners need skills and training to be prepared for the future of work.
All learners face challenges in equitable access to quality online learning.
Children with disabilities require solutions that ensure and enable their access to education.

The lack of quality and timely data and the limited use of data for decision-making across health system functions present barriers to strengthening people-centered health services for women and children.
Traditional approaches have been ineffective in supporting primary health care platforms that reflect and address equity challenges and promote healthy behaviours.
Inadequate funding allocations and rising healthcare costs remain a challenge for the limited budgets of country health programmes.

Insufficient data on child and adolescent-specific mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS).
Limited and constrained access to MHPSS services.
Low capacity of MHPSS workforce to support and sustain mental health and psychosocial well-being.

To enhance the global WASH response, UNICEF and partners require efficient market-shaping mechanisms.
Agile and robust solutions are required to improve access to WASH services, particularly when disrupted by climate change.
Enhanced monitoring of WASH services delivery is required to strengthen delivery systems and approaches.
Vulnerable populations lack access to resilient WASH services in emergencies.

A lack of quality data hinders the development of effective interventions for preventing overweight and obesity in children and young people, especially in lower-middle-income countries.

Adolescents and young people face unequal opportunities for participation and civic engagement in making decisions that affect their lives and in creating positive social change.
Adolescents and young people are not equipped to be problem solvers and engaged members of society.
Adolescents and young people do not have access to accountability mechanisms to engage and report issues in emergencies and humanitarian settings.
Adolescent boys and girls face inequality and constraints in accessing trusted and quality sexual reproductive health information and services that are gender-responsive and age-specific.
Adolescent girls lack integrated age-appropriate services throughout pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period.
An increased number of adolescent boys and girls are anaemic, overweight and obese.
An increased number of adolescent boys and girls engage in risky behaviours with regard to alcohol, tobacco and drug use.

A problem-driven approach to innovation