Using Interactive Planning to Create a Child Protection Framework in an NGO Setting Case Study of a Consultancy Project in India

This paper offers a critical reflection of how the interactive planning approach was used to develop a child protection framework for a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in India. The case in point is Universal Team for Social Action and Help (UTSAH), an NGO that the author consulted with between October-2013 and December-2013. UTSAH was in existence for over two-and-half years then. It was at a stage of self-transformation in order to surface as an agency in social action and as an effective voice in the child rights advocacy space, for the future. In order to realize this vision, the organization worked closely with the author to develop a child protection framework to support its work. In this paper, the author attempts to describe the intervention undertaken, highlighting its participatory and inclusive nature. An emergent critique is also presented that offers a retrospective appreciation of the approach and framework, in light of the argument that it is practical and realistic. Deliberations presented here are believed to be beneficial and informative for both academicians and practitioners of systems thinking and for professionals working in the development sector.