Mechanisms to Evaluate Municipal Child Policies for the Development of Child Friendly Cities

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K01774
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Childhood science (childhood environment science)
• Research Institution: Toyo University
• Principal Investigator: Uchida Toko 東洋大学, ライフデザイン学部, 准教授 (80329036)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 子どもにやさしいまち・コミュニティづくり / 自治体子ども政策 / 評価検証 / 国連・子どもの権利条約 / 子ども参加 / 地方自治

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to promote the development of “child friendly cities/communities, which seeks to implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the local level, the characteristics of the mechanisms for the evaluation of municipal child policies, conducted in a variety of manners in different parts of the world, were analyzed as to: (i) evaluation proposed by international bodies (UNICEF); (ii) evaluation on the initiative of central governments; and (iii) evaluation undertaken by local municipalities on their own. The analysis indicates that, while the progress had been speedily achieved in the cases of (i) and (ii), challenges remained in terms of respecting local autonomy and of ensuring agency of children and other citizens. The case (iii) showed that it is difficult to replicate progressive initiatives in other municipalities, highlighting the importance of working on municipalities and other stakeholders by independent actors.

Free Research Field

教育学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

国連・子どもの権利条約（以下、条約）の視点から行う自治体子ども政策の評価検証は、現在、世界各地で実践が蓄積され、各国の実践分析が報告されつつあるが、それらの比較考察はこれからの領域であった。本研究では、評価主体の違いにより評価検証方法を３つのタイプに分類し、それぞれの特徴と課題を明らかにするとともに、本研究の今後の研究枠組や視点を提示することができた。本研究成果は、これから条約の視点から自治体子ども施策の評価検証を実施しようとする国・地域が、それぞれの実情に応じた評価検証方法を選択する際の手助けとなり、「子どもにやさしいまち」づくりの進展のために一定の貢献をしたのではないかと思われる。