In a significant move towards enhancing child protection, iProbono’s team in Sri Lanka recently presented our landmark report, “Children First: A Deep Drive into the National Child Protection Authority’s Role in Child Protection:, to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA). This report, which analysed data from NCPA’s annual reports, statistics and auditor general’s findings, underscored the urgent need for standardised data collection, expansion of current programs and long-term impact impact reporting.
The meeting was attended by key stakeholders including Ms Preethi Inoka Ranasinghe, Chairperson of the NCPA, Mr Rohana Ranasinghe, Director of Research and Development, Mr Dimuthu Galapathi, Assistant Director Planning and Monitoring, and Ms Kugarajah Kalaatharshani, Program Officer. This collaboration between iProbono and the NCPA signifies a pivotal moment for child protection in Sri Lanka. By embracing data-driven decision-making and committing to program transparency, the NCPA has laid the groundwork for more accountable and effective child protection services.
One of the critical revelations in the report was the inconsistency in data presentation, which hampers effective impact analysis. For instance,we found notable discrepancies in child abuse complaint statistics mentioned on the NCPA website and its annual report in 2022. Recognising these issues, the NCPA has committed to adopting standardised data collection and reporting protocols in future publications.
Another important recommendation from the report was the nationwide expansion of Video Evidence Units, currently limited to the Western Province, with only 1% of cases utilising this tool. During the meeting, the NCPA announced their intention to establish these units across all nine provinces, which could significantly reduce the trauma children face in court proceedings.
The NCPA also responded to the report’s finding about the lack of comprehensive impact reporting in their annual reports. Encouragingly, the body has pledged to include long-term impact analysis in future reports, ensuring that the success and challenges of their initiatives are communicated in a transparent way.
iProbono is committed to supporting the NCPA in these transformative efforts and the impact they will deliver for vulnerable children across the nation.
Read the full report here.
Left to Right Ms. Kugarajah Kalaatharshani, Program Officer, NCPA; Mr. Dimuthu Galapathi, Assistant Director Planning and Monitoring, NCPA and Mr. Rohana Ranasinghe, Director of Research & Development, NCPA;, Shevindri Manuel, Program Manager, Sri Lanka iProbono, Aritha Wickramasinghe, Equality Law Director, iProbono; and Ashvina Sinnetamby – Former Program Officer, Sri Lanka iProbono.
