Guided by our Strategic Framework 2016-2020 “Advancing Accountability to Africa’s Children: Knowledge, Dialogue and Advocacy for Change” ACPF pursues three broad programmatic outcomes:

• African governments are increasingly fulfilling their child rights obligations and undertake legal, policy and practical measures to improve the wellbeing of all children.
• Children in Africa have increased and effective protection of the law.
• Effective national child protection systems are in place to ensure that all children, particularly those in vulnerable situation and those who are victims of extreme forms of violence and crimes, are protected.

To reach each of these outcomes, we strive to give voices to children and young people by systematically reflecting their perspectives in research and policy development and building partnerships for change.

ACPF implements its work through three programmes:

ACPF seeks to implement its 2016-20 programmes using a set of four interrelated strategies:

• Knowledge building
• Advocacy and lobbying
• Capacity building
• Facilitation of policy-to-practice linkages

As a Pan-African organisation, we engage with pan-African and regional bodies, with a view to influencing national policy processes. However, given the need for linking policies to practices, and the repeated call for better enforcement and implementation of existing policies, national engagement remains an important part of ACPF’s work. We strongly believe that local and national CSOs are better placed to effectively engage with their constituencies and do proper follow ups. Hence, ACPF provides capacity building support to national CSOs to enable them undertake better evidence-based advocacy. In addition, as part of our efforts to positively influence national processes, we contribute to improving policy-to- practice linkages and cross-country learning by documenting, critically evaluating and piloting progressive service models and facilitating their replication in countries of similar socioeconomic contexts. Finally, we catalyse cross-learning between governments and thereby improve country-level programming and intergovernmental partnership.

Our partnership, therefore encompasses interactions at the following levels