Landscape Analysis of Early Childhood Development in Emergencies

Abstract

Despite the vast amount of research that supports investing in early childhood development and education in emergencies (ECDEiE), this area of programming continues to be underprioritized and underfunded. We applied a strategic problem-solving framework to systematically address the challenge of low access to ECDEiE in the global context. Specifically, we addressed three root causes of this problem: low prioritization of ECDEiE across sectors; the lack of a systematic characterization of the ECDEiE institutional and programmatic landscapes; and limited consensus on strategic advocacy for ECDEiE. To address these issues, we applied a mixed methods approach and administered an online global stocktaking survey to 118 respondents, including those working in humanitarian aid, ECDEiE, government, and academia. We also reviewed the gray literature (N=218 documents). We discuss our six main findings in order to inform strategic initiatives that could be used to increase access to ECDEiE globewide.