Operational manual

Operational Manual (OM) is well documented practical guidelines for effectively implementing and managing the project. The OM describes the process of operation in detail, designed in the case of ORC. It Supports the setting up of specific goals at all levels conducive to the larger objectives of the project and describes the structure and roles and responsibilities of various authorities and stakeholders



  • Introduction and Concept
  • Integrating ORC Into ICPS
  • Objectives of ORC
  • ORC Structure, Stakeholders and Responsibilities
  • Institutionalization of ORC Within ICPS
  • State Level Structure and Functionaries
  • District Level Structure
  • ORC Activities AT School Level
  • Institution-based interventions in Government and Private Children's Homes
  • Capacity Development of ORC Functionaries & Volunteers
  • IEC Strategy for Project ORC
  • Monitoring Strategy

There is a police and criminal dimension in every child. Of these two critical dimensions, which one gets prominence in the growth of a child's personality depends upon his or her personal experiences, and social, economic, technological and educational contexts. A caring, supportive, and nurturing context will strengthen the development of the police dimensions, while a conflictive, unsupportive, and emotionally deprived context can strengthen the emergence of the criminal tendencies.

Increasing problematic behavior among children is partly the result of rapid modern development that encourages globalization, privatization, and competition. Yet it does not provide the opportunities or wherewithal for all to equally participate in the benefits of such development, leading to disillusionment and discontent early on in life. It can also be the result of inappropriate parenting within homes, given the shift to nuclear families, or improper socialization and peer pressure in schools.

Ensuring a positive and nurturing environment is the collective responsibility of all who are responsible for child's well-being. It is primarily the responsibility of parents, but also that of schools, teachers, and society at large. Children are minor till they attain 18 years. Guardians, such as parents, are morally responsible, and sometime even legally liable for actions committed by the child. Moreover, the current correctional system for child delinquents appears to only harden the criminal dimension within children. Children have to be mentored, motivated, and enabled to strengthen the police dimension within them and to develop as productive citizens of this nation. This is a collective responsibility.

Our Responsibility to Children (ORC) is a joint initiative in this direction. The Departments of Education, Social Justice, Home and Local Self Government have jointly organized the initiative in collaboration with like-minded civil society organizations and individuals. At an institutional and organization level, ORC is a key component of Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). Initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, and being implemented by the Department of Social Justice in Kerala, this program aims to protect children and provide a safe environment for children to develop and flourish. ICPS aims to provide particularly for children in difficult circumstances, as well as to reduce the risks and vulnerabilities children have in various situations and actions that lead to abuse, neglect, exploitation, abandonment and separation of children. ORC, which has already been piloted in two districts, will function as a specialized niche within ICPS to deal only with children identified as having behavioural issues.

Initiated in Kozhikode, Kerala, in September 2010, ORC aimed to address increasing tendencies among youth and adolescents in the state to indulge in problematic behaviour. Such behaviours include drug and alcohol abuse, theft and robbery, destruction of public property, association with criminal gangs and so on. Project ORC was planned as a community intervention that targets children and young people between the ages of 10 to 17 years, the age group that directly concerns the juvenile justice system. It is also designed as a joint collaboration of several Government agencies, professional organizations, teachers, and social activists providing support to parents as and when needed to transform the children into productive and responsible citizens of tomorrow.

ORC is being implemented in phases. Between 2010 and 2012, the pilot phase was implemented in two districts in Kerala: Kozhikkode and Thrissur. It is now being replicated in Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram. In the third and final phase the scheme, may be implemented in every school in the State. It is also hoped that other schools, such as CBSE/ICSE Boards and Kendriya Vidhyalayas, will also adopt these programs. Preparatory activities will be initiated in the ten districts during the second phase. In addition, ORC will also be extended to children's institutions operated by the Government or the NGO sector.

The overall vision of the ICPS is that communities (including parents, schools, neighbourhoods, and children) take responsibility for children. The overarching framework for service provision under the ICPS would include: (i) Discovery and appreciation of what is working well in each school and community, (ii) Helping the community to visualize how they would like to improve the school; and (iii) Communities of volunteers helping them to develop and deliver specific projects to materialize their dreams.

Given the common objectives of both program, the Government of Kerala has decided to integrate the ORC project into the ICPS Program. This Operational Manual (OM) describes the processes for this integration and provides guidance for how this will be implemented in all the 14 districts. Although it is expected that all districts will share basic principles and values, approaches to each school and to individual children will need to be tailored to local contexts and requirements. This Operational Manual is to be tested during the pilot phase when the ORC program will be implemented in 10 schools each in 4 pilot ORC districts (Ernakulum, Kozhikode, Thrissur, and Trivandrum) and 5 schools each in the remaining 10 districts. In addition, it will also target child care institutions run by the Department of Social Justice. After the pilot period, this Operational Manual will be revised and issues based on feedback and lessons learnt.

Within this overall umbrella of ICPS, ORC aims to create a safe, nurturing, and just environment wherein vulnerable children involved, or at risk of getting involved, in destructive behaviour are brought to the mainstream equipped and empowered with life skills, appropriate support, and knowledge to realize their full potential and become productive members of society.

Key principles underlying the ORC Approach include:

  • Best interests of the child
  • Service packages are tailored to each child's context and adhere to sector norms and standards
  • Respect for gender, religion, caste, and economic differences; and
  • Primary responsibility for the child rests with both parents and teachers, supported by school, the community, ORC staff, and a variety of relevant skilled professions, especially in the health and education sectors.

While the overall responsibility of implementing the ICPS, including ORC project, rests with the Department of Social Justice (DSJ), the Departments of Education will be a key partner. The Departments of Health, Home, and LSG will be other stakeholders. Representatives of these Departments will be members of the decision making bodies both at the state and district levels. The Education Departments will issue necessary orders clarifying the roles and responsibilities of the Deputy Director of Education (DDE), the District Education Officer, and the functionaries at the school level in the implementation of ORC.

Within the ICPS framework, ORC will focus on identification and management of children at risk through appropriate interventions. ORC will achieve its objectives through enabling existing protection and service agencies (including non-governmental organisations) as well as strengthening the community role in the protection and safeguarding of children's interests. Through ICPS, ORC will facilitate coordination, collaboration and effective functional linkages among relevant stakeholders at community, district and state levels.

ORC will operate at three levels - school, district, and state. They will consist of two sets of functionaries, namely those working on a volunteer basis and government functionaries, most of whom will be government staff or consultants. Although ORC will be managed overall through the SCPS and DCPU structures, they will have separate functionaries devoted to ORC. In addition, ORC will have a significant civil society participation in the implementation of its activities.

The State Governing Body of the ICPS will oversee all ORC activities and ensure inter-departmental synergies between all stakeholders. The State Executive Committee for the ICPS Project, headed by the Principal Secretary (currently the Additional Chief Secretary), Department of Social Justice (DSJ), will guide and oversee policy and financial issues.

The Secretary will appoint the State and State Additional Nodal Officers. The ORC State Nodal Officer and the Additional Nodal Officers will be members of the State Governing Body and the State Executive Committee. The State Nodal Officer will be responsible for:

  • Supervising the implementation of the project consistently with the action plan developed by the ORC office and approved by the State Executive Committee;
  • Preparation and submission of monthly reports on project implementation and progress according to the agreed action plan; and
  • All other responsibilities assigned to him for by the SAG.

The Additional State Nodal Officers will support the State Nodal Officer in the functioning of the above duties.

A State Action Group (SAG) will be constituted under the Principal Secretary to provide periodical guidance for project implementation, troubleshooting and fine-tuning policies. State-level monitoring, review, and coordination of ORC activities in various districts will be the responsibility of SAG. ORC Coordinator, with guidance from DCPO, will report to the ORC State Nodal Officer and ICPS Program Manager through the ORC SPO. The ORC Nodal Officer will be a convenor of SAG. Member Secretary KELSA, Secretaries of Departments of Education (General, Higher, Higher Secondary, and Vocational), Health, Home, Labour, Tribal Development, Scheduled Caste, Social Justice, IGP, Police Headquarters, Chairperson, Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Chairpersons of Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee as well as the Convenor of the Childline Forum, will be members of SAG. Directors of Social Justice, Public Instructions, Vocational Higher Secondary, and Higher Secondary Schools will also participate. Other members will be nominated from civil society and different relevant professions. This will include a Celebrity and a Principal Mentor. The State Action Group will also maintain a pool of international volunteers with diverse relevant expertise, whose services can be tapped as and when needed. A State Resource Person (SRC) will be appointed to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of the ORC Project. The SRC will report to and assist the State Nodal Officer in performing his or her functions.

A Program Officer will be appointed at the state level to implement the ORC project (SPO). The SPO will be responsible for the implementation of the project across the State, in consultation with the State ICPS Program Manager. Responsibilities include:

  • Executing ORC project in the State,
  • Ensuring that systematic monitoring is taking place, and
  • Preparing all necessary reports; and
  • All other responsibilities assigned.

The SPO will be supported as necessary by the staff of the ICPS Program. In addition, an office assistant cum data entry operator will be appointed for the ORC project, who will assist the SPO in the effective implementation of ORC.

State Infrastructure and Facilities

The ORC State Resource Centre will be situated in Trivandrum, as an integral part of the ICPS State Office. The Program Manager (SCPS), in consultation with the SAG is responsible for establishing an ORC office with sufficient space, furniture, computer, computer accessories, internet and other such facilities. The ORC State Office will be assigned a vehicle for functioning of duties.

Planning and Implementation at State Level

The Program Manager (SCPS) is responsible for overseeing the budget and financial aspects of the ORC Project at the State level. Under the overall guidance of the State Nodal Officer, the SPO, in consultation with the Program Manager (ICPS), will prepare an annual activity calendar with an estimated budget. The Annual Work Plan and budget for ORC activities will be part of the annual work plan and budget for the ICPS. A monthly contingency expenditure of not more than Rs. 5000 will be placed under the disposal of the SPO to be spent on petty items as per existing Government norms.

As required by the State Nodal Officer, the SPO will also prepare a monthly Action Taken Report as well as a financial statement indicating progress and expenditures. This will be submitted to the State Nodal Officer by the fifth of every month. In addition, a consolidated monitoring report will be updated and attached to the Action Taken Report. The SPO should send a soft copy of the reports to all members of the State Action Group as soon as it is cleared by the State Nodal Officer.

Institutionalization of ORC Within DCPU

At the district-level, ORC will be an integral part of DCPU's institutional framework. Within the DCPU framework ORC will focus on addressing issues faced by problem children in the district. Through DCPU, ORC will facilitate coordination, collaboration and functional linkages among relevant stakeholders at district and community levels.

District-Level Functionaries & Structures

The District Child Protection Committee (DCPC) will oversee ORC activities in the district. The suggestions of district administration and concerned LSGIs should always be taken into account, as the project will need to seek their support to enhance and sustain development effectiveness.

The District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) will manage district-level ORC activities. The DCPO will designate one officer (either the Protection Officer/Legal cum Probation Officer), in consultation with the State Nodal Officer, as ORC coordinator. The DCPO will organize consultative sessions with Nodal Teachers and counsellors once every quarter in order to obtain feedback on the functioning of the project in the school.

An ORC District-level Action Group (DAG) will be constituted to guide project implementation in each district. DAG will report to DCPC through DCPO. The representative of the District Collector, who will act as Chair, and the DCPO, who will be the convenor of DAG, will manage this. Representatives of the district collector, district police chief, district-level officers of Departments of Education (General, Higher, Higher Secondary, and Vocational), Health, Scheduled Caste, Social Justice, Tribal Development, Secretary, DLSA, District Nodal Officer (Student Police Cadet) nominees of the Juvenile Justice Board, Child Welfare Committee, Childline coordinators, and the Local Self-Government Institution will also participate. Other members may be nominated as per decision of DAG including representatives from civil society, a District Celebrity and a District Mentor. The DAG will meet before the 10th of each month.

DAG will function under the leadership of the Child Protection Officer and the District Chief Mentor who will act as coordinator. The District Collector in consultation with the State Nodal Officer will appoint the members of DAG and the District Mentor Coordinator. The District Mentor Coordinator will be appointed from the pool of mentors and volunteers. DAG will be responsible for implementing the annual and monthly activity calendar approved by the SAG. In addition, DAG will be responsible for:

  • Preparing a detailed action plan based on the activity calendar;
  • Identification of volunteers and mentors through networking;
  • Identification of potential partners, relevant and interested stakeholders, and participating schools;
  • Identification of list of experts to be included in Expert Panel, and submit for approval to the SAGs ; and
  • Monitoring and supervising district-level activities.

An Expert Resource group will be formed and maintained by DRC. DRC should also ensure that it has a panel of specialists who can treat specific issues beyond that of mere behavioral issues. This Expert Resource Group would also be expected to provide training, on-going support and supervision to the mentors/expert teachers on a regular basis. They would also be expected to train teachers to classify three groups of children – those who require universal strengthening strategies, those who would require targeted prevention but within the school, or those who should be treated by the expert group, using the conventional models of service delivery - including inpatient services. Internationally acclaimed and locally validated screening tools, such as administration of SDQ will be used to help identify children at risk. Kerala state government has agreed to support the resource groups to be released from their duties to take part in this process

There will be an ORC Resource Centre in each district (DRC), which will take on a coordination and facilitating role for ORC activities at the district level. It will facilitate counseling, expert consultation, mentor-mentee interface, and skill acquisition programs. These Centres will provide facilities and appropriate and sufficient space for mentor-mentee or mentor-parents interface, counselling, expert consultation (medical or other special attention), relevant training, digital conference hall, a visitor's room, a reference library (including electronic media) as well as office space for ORC project administration. DRC will become a knowledge hub for all families with children who fall under the ORC categories. It will be responsible for undertaking the resource mapping, in consultation with the schools. It must initiate and establish systems for tele-facility, so that families or teachers may call and discuss problems. Its role will also include incentivizing all mentors and monitoring their performance.

The DCPO, in consultation with the DAG, is responsible for establishing an ORC unit (minimum 1000 sq. footage) as part of the DCPU, with sufficient furniture, computer, computer accessories, Internet and other such facilities. The ORC District Resource Centre will be assigned a vehicle or provided with the authority to lease a vehicle for effective functioning of duties.

Planning and Implementation at District Level

>Resource Mapping is the DRC's responsibility. The office must maintain all resources available for the child including list of experts in all areas of problems covered by ORC. This will include resources that can be utilized to provide specific behavioral problems or those that require special treatment or requiring additional treatment specialized professionals. Care should be taken to see that the process is does not duplicate, and is consistent, with the overall resource mapping undertaken by the DCPU.

DCPO is responsible for overseeing the budget and financial aspects of the ORC Project at the District level. A monthly contingency expenditure of not more than Rs. 5000 will be placed under the disposal of the Program Officer in charge of ORC as contingency expenditure, to be spent as per existing Government norms. DAG will ratify the expenditures under this head. The DPO, in consultation with DCPO, will plan and prepare a monthly activity calendar and its financial requirement, within the State Activity Calendar. DAG will approve the monthly activity calendar and financial requirements. This will be submitted to the ORC State Nodal Officer and the ICPS Program Manager through the SPO by the second of every month. In addition, a monitoring report will be attached to the monthly Action Taken Report. A soft copy of the reports should be sent to all members of DAG and District ORC Council.

School selection for Pilot: The DCPC will obtain a list of potential schools from the DDE, in consultation with LSGI. Schools will be selected/ratified by the DAG. For the pilot, schools will be selected only if they have (i) a teacher willing to act as the Nodal Teacher; (ii) requisite infrastructure; (iii) a counsellor, (iv) Junior Public Health Nurse (JPHN) and (v) necessary space for counselling. Schools which are participating in the Student Police Cadet Program should get priority all else being equal.

The DAG will maintain a pool of volunteers. The volunteers should be from diverse social and educational backgrounds. Volunteers will help in the implementation of ORC in the district. DAG will allocate volunteers as needed to various tasks. A subgroup of volunteers, experienced in dealing with children, will act as District Voluntary Mentors (DVMs). Others will be utilized for various activities such as participatory monitoring, organizing workshops, disseminating ORC objectives and principles amongst the general public, and documenting activities and processes.

DCPU will maintain a pool of DVMs. DVMs will be carefully selected through advertisement and word of mouth. DVMs should be selected from different social and economic backgrounds in the local vicinities and may include retired teachers, qualified parents, and members of the alumni. Criteria for selection of DVMs include: (i) qualifications of candidates; (ii) experience working with children; (iii) no known personal vices or addictions or criminal background; and (iv) respect for Constitutional values of equality and respect for diversity. They should be agreeable to spend at least 24 working hours (approximately 3 working days) in a month to the cause, without any expectation of remuneration. DVMs should be willing to undergo a screening. DMVs will be provided regular training on matters related to mentoring children; this will updated at least once in six months. Where the assigned child has a problem that requires special treatment based on her or his unique circumstances, the DVM may seek support from the ORC DRC, and notify the same to the School ORC Unit. For example, in the case of a child needing medical treatment or special protection from an alcoholic parent DVMs will act in close collaboration with teachers, social workers, counsellors, medical experts or police/justice/protection personnel.

DVMs are expected to engage with the child at least once every week. Mentoring students need not always be face-to-face but can be facilitated through Skype. ORC should ensure that, when it creates a pool of counsellors or psychologists or Psychiatrists to whom they will be referring children, they should first train them on approaches to deal with ORC children. Even videos of presentations should be sufficient to some extent. DAG will appoint District Mentor Coordinators (DMCs) from the pool of DVMs. They will be responsible for regular monitoring of the quality of the kind of care provided. DMCs should visit each school, once every 3 months, to supervise activities and report progress. They should also monitor the performance of DVMs both to assure provision of quality service and that results are being achieved. Such performance can be assessed through seeking the opinion of the parent, teacher, and mentees. The results framework should aim to understand: (i) positive changes noted in the mentee by family or teachers; (ii) innovative methods utilized by the mentor; and (iii) personal contribution to the ORC program.

Since DVMs receive no remuneration, their contribution should be recognized in different ways. Such recognition should be based on their good performance. While this would vary from place to place, typically, they have included: (i) identifying good work and initiative at District or State level meetings; (ii) a congratulatory letter commending their good performance from the State Committee or Chief Nodal Officer. Preparing and Updating the ICPS Directory Support Services: A directory must be prepared including all the details about various support systems for successful implementation of the scheme. The ORC unit within the school, with the help of the ORC District team will be responsible for preparing a list of services available in the area to support the children and their families. Services of counselling centres, legal assistance centres, Child Line Centres, adolescent clinic services, and Child Welfare Committees, the police, relevant NGOs, and so on may be facilitated through the ORC Project to support the nodal teacher. Additionally, these different agencies must be made aware of ORC.

The School will be the central place for delivery of ORC services. The Head of the each participating school will have the overall charge of the ORC Core team to be established in each school. The Core Team will consist of: the Nodal teacher, counsellor, JPHN, and the PTA Secretary. This team can also seek the support of SPC teachers and peer mentors and student representatives.

Each participating school should form a Peer Mentor Group. Selection criteria will include: (i) academic performance (in the top 20 per cent of her or his class); (ii) responsible and caring behaviour; and (iii) active participation in different school or other public initiatives. In schools where SPC is functional, peer mentors should be selected from the cadets.

The Head will appoint the ORC Nodal Teacher from the panel of eligible teachers. Criteria for selection of Nodal Teachers will include: (i) willingness of teacher, (ii) consensus of teacher and students; and (iii) past experience in counselling and/or involvement in co-curricular activities of students.

The School Counsellor (appointed by the Department of Social Justice) will support the ORC team in implementing ORC activities in the school. The Nodal Teacher will identify a panel of School-level volunteer mentors to support the implementation of the ORC program. Where the school is unable to identify sufficient DVMs, DCPU will provide or allot mentors from the district pool.

Planning and Implementation at School Level

Each School will prepare an individual school activity plan. Such activity plan will be made available to the DAG and will specify any activities, anticipated expenditures, and monitoring indicators in the stated format . DAG will need to clear the activity plan before implementation begins at the school level.

Class teachers will be primarily responsible for identification of ORC children. Teachers will, first, prepare an individual profile for each student in the class according to the format provided. Ideally, the teacher will prepare the profile through an interview with the student, and parents when available. The teacher will prepare a Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire (SDQ) for each child. The teacher will identify those students who need expert evaluation and management and refer them to the Nodal Teacher. The Nodal Teacher will be responsible for the maintenance of the records. Teachers will be trained to enable them with the process of identification and provided necessary tools and guidance to classify the children, and for ensuring interventions for classroom management and interventions for addressing behavioural, learning, and emotional problems. The process of identification should emphasize the positive angle of the program, and avoids any type of stigmatization.

Nodal Teachers will also be responsible to organize training for PTA members and other alumina, who are interested in contributing to the program. The Nodal Teacher will be given protected time for ORC activities. The Nodal Teacher, in consultation with the head teacher, must submit a monthly report in the provided per forma to the DCPO. The Nodal Teacher will be eligible for an honorarium as well as a contingency amount as determined by State Executive Committee.

Once the Nodal Teacher receives the confidential list of ORC children from the teacher, he or she in consultation with School Counselor undertakes an inquiry to confirm or revise list and constitute a draft school list in provided format. The Nodal School Teacher obtains the prior approval of the parents, and after clearance of list with headteacher, prepares a school profile with the help of the Counsellor. The Counsellor, in consultation with the Nodal teacher, and the DVCs then determines school-level measures for addressing children with moderate issues. They then forward the school profile in the agreed Format, and a copy of the reference letter issues to the parent and details of children with severe issues to the DRC. A common format will be provided by ICPS for undertaking such a profile in selected schools and to better understand the specific problems in the school.

The ORC core team is responsible for assigning a DVM to the children who are seen as needing school level interventions. The school prepares an individual ORC student plan and takes step to ensure its follow-up.

Incentivizing parents of children with problems may be needed in some cases. The Nodal Teacher and the counsellor as well as DVMs should be instrumental in this regard and should act as a pressure group, along with school staff to ensure that parents proactively participate in the process. Although it is the role of the PTA to bring parents of children on board the program, in cases of parents who are resistant, ORC teachers and mentors should plan home visits to convince parents that ORC is merely a supportive group to parents to help their children and to ensure greater cohesiveness of families. Monthly class-wise PTA meetings should be held with both parents to enable better teacher-parent interaction and for monitoring child performance.

School Protection Groups (SPGs) have been found to be effective in supporting ORC implementation. SPGs are formed to protect the school and the children from anti-social elements in society by the society. SPG will act a firewall, protecting the children in erected by the community around the student community in the school. In schools were are there existing SPGs, they should be strengthened. Where they do not exist, they should be established. Responsible Parenting: Parents bear the primary responsibility for the safety and well being of their children. Awareness may be created among parents in the following areas for protecting their child from risk of abuse. This will include awareness building on identifying and addressing behavioural problem as well as better awareness on adolescent health problems, capacity to identify learning problems among children including those related to gender and socialization.

A broad introductory/orientation session about ORC is mandatory in each participating school. This program aims to raise awareness of teachers, staff and PTA community. Subsequently or at the same time, meetings must be arranged with key persons of all clubs and student associations operating in the school to seek their suggestions and active feedback in implementing the program in their schools. The District ORC Coordinator should organize monthly follow-up meetings to understand whether the program is being implemented as planned and whether the desired objectives are likely to be met.

Enhanced Awareness Among Children: Children may be educated about the various kinds of abuses by conducting awareness programmes in school or by arranging talk of an expert in school assembly on special days. Inculcating social responsibility among the children will also help to reduce risks faced by children.

Childcare Institutions, operated by the Government and other NGOs, are also likely to have young residents at risk. These institutions could benefit from attention by the ORC District team. The program will be actively implemented in such institutions through special programs tailored to their context, with the understanding that the percentage of children in need of support will be more than in regular schools and with complicating factors. Childcare institutions should be selected only if they are operating consistent with Government regulations. Services to be provided should be determined in consultation with the Superintendent/Director as the case may be. The services should be within the scope of the ORC project. An institutional action plan should be prepared and all activities recommended at the school-level should be adapted and applied. A social worker in the institution should be appointed to perform functions equivalent to that of a Nodal Teacher.

As required other organizations such as LSGI, NGOs, Kerala Legal Services Authority, with specific skills may be invited to participate in the process at different levels. This will be undertaken as part of the ICPS Program, and ORC will also benefit from such increased partnerships.

The development and implementation of effective training modules is critical to ensure effective implementation of the ORC project. All functionaries will receive initial as well as refresher training to impart an understanding of their roles and skills needed for their effective participation in the project. The same modules will be delivered across the state in order to ensure consistency in all 14 districts. The outcomes of the training will include:

  • Better Understanding ORC: LogFrame and ORC OM;
  • Improved identification and Classification of Children at Risk;
  • Enhanced Skills in Designing Intervention And Prevention Strategies As Well As To Distinguish Between Different Types Of Problems And Responses.
  • Strategies To Involve And Incentivize Various Stakeholders And Volunteers
  • Timely Monitoring and Evaluation of Results
  • A Knowledge Hub on matters related to children
  • A training manual is being developed in a highly participatory manner for capacity development of trainers. The training manual consists of a manual with the details of the sessions and a Handbook for Mentors and Teachers that provide more background information and knowledge. The training manual is designed for all ORC functionaries, families of adolescent children, and wider community.

    Selection of trainers is very important and should be done in a competitive and transparent manner through predetermined criteria. A panel of trainers, approved by the SAG, should be developed and made available to the DRC. The DAG may recommend suitable trainers to the Program Officer (ORC) for inclusion in the panel to be presented to the SAG. Proper remuneration can be provided in order to attract qualified trainers.

    The Nodal Teachers will be responsible for developing the capacity of the school-level stakeholders and for strengthening capacity of functionaries and implementation processes in each school. Their responsibilities include training PTAs and other school functionaries ensuring that training and awareness is focused with the beneficiary children at the Centre.

    To ensure quality, all modules for training will be prepared and vetted by experts; this will be the responsibility of the SPO. These "living documents" will be updated as ORC moves ahead and gains experience. In order to understand the effectiveness of the training, Level 1 evaluation forms will to be mandatorily issued for each training course. In addition, periodical checks and surveys by key mentors will be conducted to understand if the skills imparted are being utilized.

Within the overall ICPS IEC strategy, tailored IEC campaigns focused on ORC should address both the supply and demand side of the issue of behavioural problem. The media can play an effective role in disseminating information about the Project ORC. Mass awareness may be delivered through TV/Radio Programmes, articles in various magazines/bi-weeklies, publication of newsletters etc. Social media can also be resorted for information dissemination, since they are more popular among young people.

The progress in implementation and the achievement of results should be monitored and reviewed on a regular basis by the Department of Social Justice as part of the overall ICPS monitoring System. An ORC monitoring report will be regularly provided to the State Nodal Officer. ORC's LogFrame provides the overall results framework for the ORC project and the associated indicators determined in a participatory manner.

Figure1: Sample Monitoring Framework with Associated Indicators

At the state level, the SPO will be responsible for putting together quarterly monitoring reports, aggregating all data collected at the district levels. The SPO will undertake some spot checks in each district to ensure that data is being collected accurately. The monthly monitoring reports will be attached to the Activity Taken Reports each year.

The SPO will maintain all financial records in accordance with the ICPS financial guidelines. Such records will be made available in a timely manner for internal and external audits.