ARC Linkage Project: Child-centred evidence to drive meaningful social change for children

Generating child-centred evidence to drive targeted policy and action for children in Australia and the Pacific.

Our Vision

In Australia and the Pacific, children under 18 face increasingly uncertain futures, negatively impacting their capacity to claim their rights (UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) OHCHR 1989). However, there is a shortage of robust, child-centred research on cross-cutting child rights issues to drive effective, evidence-based systemic change initiatives in Australia and the Pacific. This project will generate new methods and novel data about children’s experiences of their rights, which centre the needs and aspirations of children.

Our Project Plan

This 4-year project brings together 4 significant child rights organisations (CROs) in Australia and the Pacific region (ChildFund (CF); Save the Children Australia (StC); SNAICC–National Voice for our Children (SNAICC); and UNICEF Australia (UA); leading child participation and child rights researchers; and children themselves to explore 2 research questions:

RQ1. How do children of diverse backgrounds in Australia and the Pacific experience their rights in relation to cross-cutting issues, what change do they want, and how do they want to contribute to decision-making that impacts them?

RQ2. How can CROs in Australia and the Pacific region develop child rights-focused policies, programs and services that are both systematically based on evidence generated with children, and impactful?

Project History
This project builds on the work of the CROs and leading child participation and child rights researchers in reviewing and reporting on child rights issues to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

What impact will this research have?

The research will generate actionable, child-centered evidence to drive change that positively impacts children’s everyday lives and opportunities.

Outputs

The project will produce a sustainable, best-practice Child-Centred Data Generation and Activation Toolkit (Toolkit) to strengthen CRO capacity to routinely engage with children–especially those considered vulnerable–to generate child-centred data. It will include:

• A Child-Centred, Child Rights Evidence Framework and Data Generation Protocol (Framework)
• A Digital Data Observatory (Observatory)
• Child-Centred Indicators and Measures (CCI)
• A Quantitative and Qualitative Survey Instrument (Survey)
• A Children’s Storytelling Toolkit (CST)
• Research Translation Guidance (Translation Guidance)

The project will also produce:

• 5 x journal articles
• 1 x co-authored book
• 2 x National Children’s Reports
• 2 x First Nations Companion Reports
• PNG Children’s Report
• CRO Evidence Briefs
• Infographics
• Children’s Life Stories
• Research Translation Case Studies
• Other accessible media (e.g. short videos, blogs)

Collaboration Team

Internal Collaborators
Prof. Amanda Third
Dr Catharine Fleming

Dr Kim Lam
Mr Daniel Prichard

External Collaborators/Partners
Dr Holly Doel Mackaway (Macquarie University)

Prof Kate Douglas (Flinders University)

Prof John Tobin (The University of Melbourne)

UNICEF Australia

ChildFund Australia

Save the Children Australia

SNAICC – National Voice for our Children

Funding
This project is funded by the Australian Research Council Linkage Projects Scheme.

Period
2026-2029 (4 years)

Contact
If you would like to get in contact with the ‘Child-centered evidence to drive meaningful social change for children’ team, please email Dr Kim Lam at kim.lam@westernsydney.edu.au.