MSc in International Child Protection Research PROPOSAL ...€¦ · MSc in International Child Protection Research PROPOSAL: FOR SCHOOL BOARD OF STUDIES COMMITTEE 2 SUMMARY INFORMATION

MSc in International Child Protection Research

PROPOSAL: FOR SCHOOL BOARD OF STUDIES COMMITTEE

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PROPOSAL

Moray House School of Education

September 2013

Address for Correspondence:

Deborah Fry

St Leonard’s Land

Holyrood Road

Edinburgh EH8 8AQ

Telephone: 514796

Email: [email protected]

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mailto:[email protected]



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SUMMARY INFORMATION

Awarding institution The University of Edinburgh

School Moray House School of Education

Final Award MSc

Programme Title International Child Protection Research

Programme Director Deborah Fry, Lecturer in Child Protection

Programme Team Professor Julie Taylor, Dr. Anne Stafford, Dr. Chris Jones, Connie

Smith and Deborah Fry

Duration of study Full-time

Proposed start date September 2014



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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Overview and educational aims 4

2. Background to the proposal 6

2.1 Background context 6

2.2 Relevance of the programme to the University and School Plan 7

2.3 Relationship with the Child Protection Research Centre 7

3. Programme information 10

3.1 Programme overview 10

3.2 Dissertation options 11

3.3 Programme staffing 12

3.4 Progression arrangements 13

4. Market information 14

4.1 About the market 14

4.2 Market survey 14

4.3 International child protection research job market 15

4.4 Catalysing demand: Feeder programmes 15

4.5 Competitor programmes 16

4.6 Marketing strategy 17

5. Resource Information 19

5.1 Student numbers and fees 19

5.2 Funding and resource implications 20

5.3 Sustainability 21

6. Appendices 24

A. Child Protection Research Centre charter and logic model 24

B. Capstone dissertation details 28

C. Most comparable programmes 33

D. Marketing strategy 35



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1. OVERVIEW AND EDUCATIONAL AIMS

The development of a Masters programme in International Child Protection Research is a response to

growing demand for specialist professionals who are able to respond to local, national and

international child protection agendas. The proposed MSc is aimed at equipping those who want to

analyse, commission or design robust research that specifically can help keep children safe from all

kinds of abuse and neglect in both stable and complex environments.

This programme will build on and complement existing research within the University of

Edinburgh/NSPCC Child Protection Research Centre which is based within the Institute of Education,

Community & Society at the Moray House School of Education. This unique partnership between

NSPCC, the UK’s biggest child welfare charity and a prestigious university, ensures that our work has

academic rigour and independence, as well as strong links to practice and policy development. The

programme is designed to build and enhance the research skills of upcoming professionals in the field

of child protection globally.

The educational aims of the MSc programme in International Child Protection Research are to:

I. Equip students with critical and comparative knowledge of the current theories, methodological

issues and research evidence relating to child protection including the evidence of the magnitude

and scope of child protection issues globally, effective systems and responses, and prevention

efforts.

II. Enable students to synthesise research evidence in order to critique the symbiotic relationship

between current child protection recommendations, policy and practice and how these in turn

inform research agendas and vice versa and to identify gaps in the research evidence.

III. Provide students with specialist measurement and research skills to investigate with discernment

issues in the field of child protection both in stable environments but also in complex

emergencies and post-conflict settings.

IV. Provide students with the specialist policy analysis skills to examine critically child protection

policies and systems within various environments.

V. Foster the development of independent learners and leaders in the field of child protection

research with transferable intellectual, policy analysis and research skills who can make a

socially responsible contribution to the field of child protection globally.

The MSc in International Child Protection would be world-leading internationally in two key

components: it is the only research-focused child protection postgraduate degree that a) is concerned

with children and young people in both stable and complex environments; and b) includes an

international research placement as part of the degree.

Figure 1 (overleaf) highlights the conceptual framework for the MSc in International Child Protection

Research. Our programme is for those who want to work in commissioning, conducting or applying

research; as well as those working (or aspiring) to shape policy and practice to address pressing issues

in relation to children. It is applicable to individuals from many disciplines including child welfare,

health, judiciary/law, education, political science, the social sciences including social policy,

international development. The programme is designed for those who want to conduct research on

issues of child welfare and child protection in academic, private sector, government or non-

governmental settings.



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Figure 1: MSc in International Child Protection Research Schema

Keeping children and young people safe is at the heart of our postgraduate teaching development and

our research. Conducting this type of research is not easy, it requires a sophisticated understanding of

the wider context of surrounding issues, environment and responses to child abuse and neglect. Our

teaching will be informed by and include this ecological framework (individual, family, community

and society) to better understand the context surrounding keeping children and young people safe in

both stable and complex environments globally.

This new MSc will increase knowledge and understanding of the risk and protective factors, the

prevalence and incidence, the theories and promising programmes and policies that exist to prevent

and respond to child protection and will provide students with the specialist skills to make a socially

responsible contribution to tackling child maltreatment and youth violence globally.



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2. BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSAL

2.1 Background

Within the University of Edinburgh, the MSc in International Child Protection Research is unique in

that it will be based within a research centre at the Moray House School of Education. The Child

Protection Research Centre is an innovative partnership between the University of Edinburgh and the

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). The Centre conducts

interdisciplinary research and fosters dialogue to address entrenched problems in child protection in

the UK and globally. Students taking this programme will benefit by working within a research rich

culture on a programme delivered by staff actively researching child abuse and neglect and violence in

adolescence internationally. This MSc is located within the Moray House School of Education, which

is renowned both for its high-level teaching, but also for providing an outstanding student experience.

For us and our students ‘child protection’ includes all forms of harm perpetuated against children and

young people whether from caregivers and adults or from other children and young people. The

challenges for those working within the field of child protection are immense. Yet organisations and

professionals working across the UK and internationally can and do make a difference to children. To

be effective requires constant vigilance and joint working and so, at the Child Protection Research

Centre, we join with those working to keep children and young people safe by bringing our research,

knowledge and insights to support this important work. We want to ensure that children and young

people are kept safe from all forms of child maltreatment: emotional, physical and sexual abuse,

neglect and peer-to-peer harm; and where they have already been harmed, to help them recover as

quickly and as fully as possible.

The evidence-base for keeping children and young people safe is not constrained within professional

bodies or national borders. Like many other fields, child protection research has been developed in

silos—whether by discipline (e.g. criminal justice, public health, social policy perspectives) or by

environment and context (stable environments, complex emergencies, post-conflict settings, etc.). The

MSc in International Child Protection Research is unique and innovative in bringing these various

aspects of child protection research together in our teaching for a multidisciplinary and international

study of child maltreatment. We believe that research innovation to address some of the most

entrenched issues in child protection will only happen by learning across disciplines and across

countries. The multidisciplinary aspect has been woven throughout all the core courses with specific

reading examples being expanded upon during class time to discuss various professional lenses and

their impact on research language and analytical frameworks. Similarly, students will gain a global

perspective of child protection research and the impact of various environments (stable environments

and complex emergencies) on the design, conduct and analysis of research and how the cross-

pollination of research across environments can lead to advances in child protection research, policy

and practice.

Child protection research is growing internationally, evidenced by large-scale investment in

international child abuse and neglect prevalence studies (such as the ‘Violence Against Children’

surveys being conducted globally by UNICEF and the ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’ surveys),

coupled with increasing investment in promising practices to respond to and prevent child

maltreatment. The development of this Masters programme links to local, national and international

child protection agendas with the increasing realisation of the importance of promoting primary

prevention and effective response to child maltreatment and violence in adolescence. This highlights

the growing need for child protection researchers who are at the forefront of research internationally.



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These large-scale investments in child protection research and evaluation also indicate that offering

postgraduate training in this specialised field is vitally important and timely. The Child Protection

Research Centre is well placed to contribute to the agenda of understanding the magnitude and

consequences of child abuse and neglect; to evaluate and scale up effective response and prevention;

and to offer bespoke postgraduate education in child protection research and evaluation.

2.2 Relevance of the programme to the University and School Plan

The programme is a top priority within the Institute and School Strategic plans and the University’s

strategy to increase postgraduate student numbers, particularly in relation to postgraduate training

provision. The programme will facilitate stronger links between research and teaching within the

School of Education, ensuring that research feeds directly into the learning experience for

postgraduate students. This is also the first Masters degree programme being led from a research

centre in Moray House and – as demonstrated by other Masters programmes based within Research

Centres at the University of Edinburgh – will provide a good model, for future efforts for innovative

research-led teaching.

This area of work fits many key objectives and targets of the University including:

Creating new fields of knowledge and being at the forefront of research with an international

reputation.

Creating new opportunities for students to gain an international experience as part of their

Edinburgh Degree.

Advancing internationalisation.

Enhancing the student experience.

Increasing the proportion of international students from beyond the five most well-represented

countries.

Building strategic partnerships and collaborations.

While this is a taught programme, it is also anticipated that the programme will contribute indirectly to

building research capacity within the School by providing a pathway for the recruitment of PhD

students and future researchers in this field. This programme is unlikely to be eligible for the 1 + 3

(Masters + PhD) within the context of the Scotland wide Doctoral Training Centre (accredited by

ESRC). While the nature of the programme (length and structure) may preclude ESRC student

funding, the Programme Team is still exploring this avenue in addition to other funding options for

students and have included two bursaries as part of the budget model for the programme.

2.3 Relationship with the Child Protection Research Centre

The proposed MSc will build on the work being led by academics in the Child Protection Research

Centre. Since our inception, the Centre has undertaken specific studies in areas of identified priority

and gaps in child protection research. Additionally, we have examined the direction of child protection

reform, trends in policy and the impact of devolution on child protection in the UK. Preventing child

abuse and neglect is our ultimate vision. We contribute to this by providing research and education to:

Understand the scope and magnitude of child abuse and neglect;

Identify, scale-up and evaluate promising interventions for response and prevention;

Influence policymakers and practitioners with our research.



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To achieve our mission and vision of preventing child abuse and neglect we undertake research at all

levels of need, including a particular focus on children at significant risk of harm and/or with acute or

complex needs. We take a public health approach to child protection research and the Medical

Research Council (MRC) framework for complex interventions informs our work. We are committed

to user involvement throughout the research process. For the Child Protection Research Centre,

success means that:

Child abuse and neglect are prevented.

All children, young people and adults who have experienced child abuse and neglect have

access to the best responses and these responses are developed incorporating the views of

children and young people.

Policymakers incorporate the voice of children and young people and use evidence-based

research produced by the Centre to develop and inform policies addressing child abuse and

neglect.

For a more detailed description of the Centre’s research and goals see Appendix A.

Offering bespoke graduate training is part of the core vision of the Child Protection Research Centre in

order to provide research leadership and ongoing skill development for research on child abuse and

neglect. This new MSc programme will:

Provide the opportunity to establish direct links between current research and teaching,

Enhance research dissemination opportunities,

Extend links with existing national and international child protection experts and networks,

Attract a high calibre pool of potential PhD applicants, and

Enhance research capacity in child protection both nationally and internationally.

The specifics of the MSc programme are provided in the next section on ‘Programme Information’

and in the Programme Specification document.

We are proactive in seeking to build evaluation mechanisms into the foundations of all that we do

including the Masters degree programme. The Programme Specification document highlights the

specific feedback and evaluation channels within the programme. We will measure success of the

programme in terms of both process and outcomes. For us, process means listening to and being

responsive to the student voice and experience as well as involving potential users in the design of our

programmes. For outcomes, we want to ensure the employability and success of our students (more

detailed information on how we aim to achieve this is detailed in the Programme Specification

document).

Existing staff within the Child Protection Research Centre will contribute to the new programme,

providing specific expertise in child protection research. It is anticipated that the programme will

foster new collaborations within the School of Education expanding to colleagues and networks

internationally. Synergies across the University of Edinburgh are currently being explored, but thus

far these include:

A collaboration with the Centre for Population Health Sciences (CPHS) and the Masters

Degree in Public Health (MPH) programme to share two 10-credit core research courses with

different course codes (one for our programme and one for Public Health) that trigger different

assessments (ours being child protection focused). Discussions with CPHS and the Global

Health Academy are also taking place to explore the potential of a child protection

concentration within the public health degree programme.



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Current research and ongoing discussions with colleagues in Moray House School of

Education relating to the linkages between initial teacher preparation and child protection.

Discussions with colleagues in Moray House School of Education around the redesign of the

MSc in Education Research core courses and the redesign of the Media Analysis methods

course and potential synergies that may exist across the programmes.

Collaboration with colleagues in the Law School to provide student opportunities related to

interdisciplinary student teams working for the Edinburgh Award.

Early discussions with colleagues also engaged in developing or delivering capstone

dissertations across the University about sharing best practice and other potential capstone

collaborations (for example with colleagues in the Masters in Public Policy programme, in

International Development and with colleagues in Moray House who are interested in

developing a capstone dissertation component for an online coaching Masters degree).

Ongoing discussions with colleagues in the Centre for Research on Families and

Relationships, the School of Health in Social Science, the Child Welfare Research Group and

the Physical Activity and Health Research Group relating to potential research and teaching

collaborations.

Child protection research is an interdisciplinary field and we are keen to work with our colleagues

within the school, college wider university as well as building on international collaborations.



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3. PROGRAMME INFORMATION

3.1 Programme Overview

This MSc in International Child Protection Research will be offered as a full-time campus-based

Masters degree with the anticipated start date from September 2014. In order to develop a

comprehensive and focused programme that is open to international students, the programme team

will start with only a full-time, campus-based Masters degree (with the realisation that international

students need to study full-time in order to obtain a visa to the UK). The programme team proposes to

assess market demand for and explore potential development of part-time and distance learning

options in the future.

The MSc in International Child Protection Research will include five core courses and a dissertation,

which will cover:

Quantitative and qualitative research methods,

Theoretical, research and definitional underpinnings and debates in child protection research,

Advanced design, measurement and analysis considerations for child protection research,

Detailed evaluation methods training, and

Experience in conducting child protection research through a work-based placement or

through independent study.

These core courses are designed to give students the specialist research and analysis skills in child

protection research. The core courses were also designed not to replicate existing courses available to

students at the University of Edinburgh. Students will choose an additional research methods and/or

theoretical courses (for an equivalent of 40 credits) offered at the University. Successful completion of

taught courses will account for 120 credits with an additional 60-credit capstone, journal article-style

or research proposal dissertation. More details on student teaching, learning and assessment are

provided in the ‘Programme Specification’ document and details on additional exit qualifications is

presented below in section 3.4 ‘Progression Arrangements’.

The University of Edinburgh will be world-leading and unique in offering the MSc in International

Child Protection Research. The unique selling points of this programme are that:

This is the only research focused child protection postgraduate degree that includes an option

for an international research placement as part of the degree (highlighted in our competitor

analysis in section 4.5).

Takes an international and public health perspective to child protection that includes both

stable environments and complex and emergency settings.

More detailed descriptions of the programme structure and course content are available in the

‘Programme Specification’ and the ‘Course Descriptors’ documents.

An eclectic range of teaching methods will be employed to facilitate a stimulating learning

environment. These include lectures, seminars, workshops, debates and both individual and group

work. Student performance on courses will be assessed primarily through written assignments

although a wide range of innovative assessments is included to enhance the development of key

postgraduate attributes (examples include presentations of policy analysis papers at a conference

organised by the Child Protection Research Centre, development of a child protection Millennium

Development Goal, online ethics accreditation through CITI which provides a certificate which is

required for all investigators submitting research to Institutional Review Boards (i.e. Ethics Review

Boards) in the United States and through many international organisations).



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This programme adheres to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) Guidelines

for Preparing Programme Specifications. There is a specific focus to the programme and the learning

and teaching methods are clearly stated with the intention of enabling students to achieve the learning

outcomes and maximise their opportunity for career development in the field of child protection

research and policy. The teaching, learning and assessment framework can be found in the

accompanying ‘Programme Specification’ document. The MSc is at SCQF level 11 in Scotland and

meets the QAA standards in terms of required characteristics of graduates. This includes knowledge,

conceptual understanding, evaluation skills, ability to deal with complex issues systematically and

creatively and demonstration self-direction gained by the student. The ‘Programme Specification’

document includes a learning outcomes matrix, which shows the linkages between the overall

educational aims, the programme outcomes and the learning outcomes from each course.

3.2 Dissertation Options

Students will have an option to undertake either a capstone dissertation, a journal article style

dissertation or a proposal dissertation. All dissertation options are comparable and will be supervised

from within the Child Protection Research Centre with appropriately qualified colleagues from other

subject areas being appointed as dissertation supervisors in circumstances where their research

expertise best matches the student’s dissertation subject area.

Capstone Dissertation

One option for the student’s final dissertation is to undertake a Capstone Dissertation project based

within a leading and pre-approved organisation. This will be a 12-week international research-based

placement for students during the summer months. Students will then have until the end of November

to write up their dissertation. This model – which is new to Moray House – is being implemented

successfully elsewhere in the University through the Masters in Public Policy (MPP), Masters in

Business Administration (MBA) and MSc in International Development degrees and is being

considered as an option in the development of an online coaching degree within Moray House. A

Capstone Dissertation allows a student the opportunity to undertake real-world child protection

research at a leading organisation internationally. Utilising the Centre’s networks, students will have

the opportunity to undertake their capstone research dissertation work at one of many organisations

either in the UK or abroad including but not limited to1:

NSPCC country offices (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales)

UNICEF Regional Offices (Thailand, Kenya, Nepal and Panama)

World Health Organization, Violence and Injury Prevention Unit (Geneva)

Columbia University Center for Youth Violence Prevention (New York City)

UIC Interdisciplinary Center for research on Violence (Chicago)

University of Edinburgh/NSPCC Child Protection Research Centre

Professional students may undertake their capstone project at their place of employment if it represents

a new piece of research separate from their daily duties and if approved by the Director of the

programme. Additional links are being made with other potential capstone placement sites. It is

important to note that while the Programme Team will seek to place students who want to do a

Capstone Dissertation with a host organisation, a capstone dissertation placement is dependent on

many factors and cannot be guaranteed by the MSc Programme Team.

1 We have agreement in principle to place students in these organisations. The list will continue to grow; and

students may negotiate their own setting with approval from the Programme Director. See Appendix B.



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During the placement, students will work on a concrete and feasible piece of research work, which can

include (but is not limited to):

Developing a research protocol,

Developing and piloting research instruments,

Conducting qualitative or quantitative research,

Conducting an analysis of policy,

Developing an evaluation plan,

Conducting an evaluation,

Conducting a scoping study,

Conducting a systematic or integrative review, or

Another area of research to explore an entrenched issue in child protection recognition,

response or prevention.

Upon completion of the placement, students will develop a professional analytical report for the host

organisation with their methodology and findings and specific recommendations based on their

research work. This report will be 8,000-10,000 words in length. In the report, students are expected

to identify and frame the issue, discuss their research methodology and strategy for addressing the

issue, write up their findings with specific recommendations based on the research. This report will be

presented formally to the Child Protection Research Centre, host organisation and cohort of MSc

students demonstrating the student’s skills in verbally communicating research in a clear and concise

manner to a group of peers, practitioner and academics. More detailed information on the Capstone

Dissertation, including quality assurance mechanisms, is provided in Appendix B.

Journal Article Style Dissertation

The second dissertation option follows an existing model within the Moray House School of

Education, where students have the option to undertake independent research and write up their

findings in journal article style for their dissertation. This model of dissertation was most recently

approved for the new MSc in Physical Activity for Health programme. Students will write up in the

style of key child protection or other appropriate journals such as Child Abuse & Neglect or Child

Abuse Review. Through the dissertation the student has the opportunity to identify a research or

professional practice issue in child protection and undertake an independent research study to address

it. The dissertation will be 8,000-10,000 words in total. Additional components include a reflection

piece of writing (1,500 words) and a presentation to academics at the Child Protection Research

Centre, child protection practitioners and a cohort of MSc students. More detailed information on the

Journal Article Style Dissertation is provided in the ‘Course Descriptors’ document.

Research Proposal Dissertation

A third style of dissertation is a research proposal that could serve as the basis for a future PhD

research proposal. Students will design and write-up a proposal for a substantive piece of research

using the ESRC PhD research proposal as a guide. The proposal will be 8,000-10,000 words in

length. In addition, students will write a reflective piece on the process (1,500 words) and present

their proposal to Centre staff, their own cohort and the new cohort of MSc students and to child

protection practitioners.

All three dissertation options are comparable and offer students practical opportunities to implement

the learning they gained over the course of the Programme.

3.3 Programme staffing



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The Child Protection Research Centre will coordinate the Masters Programme. The Centre is co-

directed by Professor Julie Taylor, Chair in Child Protection and Dr Anne Stafford, Senior Lecturer. It

has a growing international reputation in child protection research. The Programme Director is

Deborah Fry who is a Lecturer in Child Protection. Fry will have the overall responsibility of

coordinating the Centre’s delivery of the MSc in International Child Protection Research. Being the

first research centre-based Masters degree programme in Moray House, the Centre has developed a

collaborative team-based model for the development, delivery and assessment of the MSc in

International Child Protection Research. The Programme curriculum will be collaboratively

developed by academic staff at the Child Protection Research Centre led by the Course Organisers for

each individual course. A student steering group has also been formed to help guide curriculum

development. The MSc Team will meet weekly starting during the curriculum development phase and

will continue this practice once the Programme commences. It is anticipated that each member of the

team will contribute to teaching the equivalent of four to five lectures each semester across the main

core courses. This gives flexibility within the core team to allow for maximum benefit of research

expertise, research-led teaching and participatory learning.

3.4 Progression arrangements

Initially, the MSc in International Child Protection Research will be offered as a one-year full-time

campus-based degree. All students will be required to have completed successfully the taught courses

before progressing to the dissertation. According to the 2012/2013 Taught Assessment Regulations, in

order to progress to the Masters dissertation, students must:

Pass at least 80 credits at SCQF level 11 with a mark of at least 50% in each of the courses

which make up these credits,

Attain an average of at least 50% for the 120 credits of study examined at the point of decision

for progression, and

Satisfy any other specific requirements for the Masters degree programme that are clearly

stated in respective programme handbooks.

Students have the option of exiting the programme after taking three core courses (60 credits) to

receive a Postgraduate Certificate in International Child Protection Research. Likewise, students can

exit after having taken all the coursework without completing a dissertation. A Postgraduate Diploma

in International Child Protection Research will be awarded to those students who for any reason do not

submit a dissertation and who secure an overall average mark of at least 50%.

Further information on the specifics of the entry requirements, course details and exit qualifications is

provided in the ‘Programme Specification’ Document.



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4. MARKET INFORMATION

4.1 About the market

Our programme is for those who want to work in commissioning, conducting or applying research; as

well as those working (or aspiring) to shape policy and practice to address pressing issues in relation

to children. It is applicable to individuals who have experience or training in many different

disciplines.

It is anticipated that the MSc in International Child Protection Research will attract:

Recent graduates from the social sciences, humanities, education, health and other related

fields,

Students seeking dual degree Masters programmes or students currently in postgraduate

training who are realising they need a more skills-based graduate degree or that they want to

undertake a PhD in the future,

Professionals working in child protection or a related field who want to enhance their skills

through full-time study, and

Those interested in a career change, including mature students.

Students who graduate with an MSc in International Child Protection Research can work conducting,

managing or commissioning research, shaping policy and developing evidence-based practice in the

following areas:

Child welfare

Health

Criminal Justice

Education

Political Science

Social Sciences including Social Policy

Social Work

International Development

Academia, Private Sector, Government and Non-Governmental Organisations

We anticipate attracting primarily international students on the programme and will advertise actively

our MSc in several international markets. We have assessed potential demand in three ways: 1)

through a demand survey of potential applications, 2) through an informal scan of the viability of the

child protection research job market and 3) by catalysing demand through the development of ‘feeder

programmes’. This work is underpinned by an integrated marketing strategy.

4.2 Market survey

A demand survey was circulated in April 2013 through the Centre’s international and local networks.

Within this short period of time, 67 people had filled out the survey with 35 people indicating they

would be interested in study on the MSc in International Child Protection Research. These 35 people

have given their contact details to be kept informed on the development of the MSc. Our initial

sample included global representation with potential applicants expressing interest from North

America, South America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Oceania.

Those expressing interest were split almost evenly across our market profiles with the majority

identifying a desire for further postgraduate training (our dual degree market profile), those looking to



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change careers (our mature students and professional career changers market profile) and current

undergraduates.

The majority of interested potential applicants are also from outside the UK and are most interested in

full-time study. Part-time study was not a popular option in our demand survey; however, there is

interest in the Postgraduate Certificate among our market.

Our market also indicates that the most important items for a Masters degree are the calibre of

teaching staff and access to financial aid, grants and bursaries (which ranked higher than cost in terms

of importance for choosing a Masters degree programme). The largest motivator for our market in

choosing a Masters degree programme is to enhance career opportunities followed closely by

enhancing research skills. A further motivator for 27 people in our sample is to prepare for a PhD in

child protection research. The international focus of the MSc also resonates with the majority of

respondents who want to learn skills to conduct and apply child protection research in international

settings.

4.3 International Child Protection Research Job Market

Governments and funders are investing heavily ($1.5 billion in the United States and in the millions in

the United Kingdom) on evaluating home visitation programmes with similar amounts of money to

evaluate other early interventions. In the climate of evidence-based prevention and response,

opportunities have increased for researchers with strong evaluation skills.

Additionally, an informal scan of the child protection research job market shows a steady increase in

research jobs and consulting opportunities. There has also been an increase in child protection

research globally with the advent of national Violence Against Children surveys over the next five

years in China, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Haiti, Swaziland, Indonesia, Cambodia, Philippines, Lao, Viet

Nam, Papua New Guinea and Malaysia with more large-scale national level surveys being currently

planned. Recent national ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’ studies have also been undertaken in

Eastern Europe in Bulgaria, Romania and Russia. These resource intensive surveys require a cadre of

child protection researchers.

Further investment is also happening in the international child protection field with international

development organisations and UN agencies such as UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA and national

governments seeking to develop better indicators, surveillance systems and measurements of child

protection within country strategies. With the increasing recognition of the vulnerability of children

and young people after natural disasters, in other complex emergencies and in post-conflict and

transitional settings, funders and organisations are currently developing ways to measure and track

child protection concerns. Consulting, research and government opportunities are currently emerging

in these areas.

4.4 Catalysing Demand: Feeder Programmes

Building on the Centre’s strong international networks, we are developing two exchange programmes

for undergraduates that will feed into the MSc:

Washington University, St. Louis

With the top ranked social work department in the world, the Brown School provides excellent

undergraduate and graduate training to students. Many students have an interest in child welfare



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and international work. In collaboration with colleagues in Social Work and Public Health at

Washington University, the Child Protection Research Centre is assisting in their organisation of a

two-week exchange programme for students to come and visit Edinburgh and elsewhere in

Scotland. Applicants on this programme are undergraduates in social work, nursing, public health

and education. It is anticipated that this programme will take place during the U.S.’s winter break

(Jan 6-20), which would be an ideal time for those students to meet postgraduate students in

International Child Protection Research at the University of Edinburgh.

University of Illinois at Chicago

An exchange programme titled ‘Comparative Child Welfare: Understanding differences between

the U.S. and U.K. to inform research and policy’ has been proposed and is currently being

discussed through the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Study Abroad Office with links to the

University of Edinburgh International Office. This programme will be for both undergraduates

and graduate students from the University of Illinois at Chicago to come to the University of

Edinburgh. This exchange will include 5 weeks of teaching and associated site visits in Chicago

and Edinburgh and Glasgow and will be led primarily by University of Illinois at Chicago

academics.

We will provide information sessions to actively encourage students who participate on either of these

exchange programmes to apply for the MSc in International Child Protection Research.

4.5 Competitor programmes

To ensure the MSc in International Child Protection Research is offering a programme that is both

internationally appealing and distinctive, competitor market analysis has been conducted to review

comparable postgraduate programmes within and beyond the UK.

In reviewing these programmes four key elements were assessed to determine if they include the key

components of the MSc being proposed:

1. Logistics programme available 12-15mths, full-time, on campus

2. Content programme focused on child protection and developing research skills; includes overt

international material including reflecting post-conflict and unstable environments

3. Participants available to professionals and recent graduates; multidisciplinary; aimed at a mixed

mainly international student group

4. Dissertation option includes a workplace research project.

The currently available programmes that are most comparable are listed below, but none include all

the key elements outlined above (see appendix C for more information):

1. UK Programmes with a strong research focus:

- Children, Youth and International Development MA, Brunel University

- MSc Evidence-Based Social Intervention, University of Oxford

- Child Welfare MRes, Lancaster University

- Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding (MSc), Buckinghamshire New University

2. UK programmes with a strong child welfare focus (and not included above):

- Child Welfare and Safeguarding (MA), Huddersfield University

- MA International Child Studies, Kings College London

- MA Child Health & Social Care, University of Central Lancashire

- Children, Young People and Family Wellbeing (MSc), Oxford Brooks

3. International programmes:



17

- Master of Advanced Studies in Children’s Rights (MCR), Switzerland: University of

Fribourg (Switzerland) and the Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch (IUKB)

- Master of Child and Adolescent Welfare, Charles Sturt University, Australia

- MSc in Child Protection and Welfare, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

- MSW Child Welfare Training Program, Berkeley, USA

- MEd in Youth Development, University of Illinois, USA.

While numerous postgraduate programmes in social work/welfare, public health, public policy,

international development and nursing exist, a large proportion of these are aimed at practitioners.

Amongst those that go beyond direct practice (and are aimed to specifically enhance the skills of both

recent graduates and professionals), few are inter-disciplinary, focus on both child protection and

research skill development and not many cover international material (including both stable and

complex/unstable environments). Additionally, very few are designed for an internationally mixed

student group and the workplace research dissertation project would be particularly distinctive to

Edinburgh. Course sizes for targeted child welfare/protection courses appear to be quite small with at

least one institution taking a maximum of 20 students. It is noteworthy that many of the programmes

are offered by or in collaboration with a research centre or institute.

In conclusion, this analysis of existing postgraduate programmes in the UK and internationally has

highlighted the University of Edinburgh would be world-leading and unique in offering a child

protection focused Masters programme, focused on research and including an international

research placement as part of the degree, and including material relevant for both stable and

complex environments. The Centre will continue to monitor and track developments as this

programme is developed to ensure distinctiveness and to explore collaborations where appropriate and

possible.

4.6 Marketing Strategy

A brief summary of the marketing strategy is provided below, the Programme Team will work closely

with the School Marketing Officer and the International Office in all areas (see Appendix D for more

detail):

Key distinguishing features of our product:

This programme would be world-leading in focusing on child protection research, which includes

active teaching on child protection issues in both stable environments and complex emergencies, and

in offering a capstone research dissertation project in a leading organisation. Other key features of the

programme include:

Broad applicability,

Full-time on-campus study (delivered in English),

Available to both recent graduates and professionals,

Focused on enhancing skills for analysing, conducting and applying research on real-world issues,

Examining child protection in a range of settings: national and international; stable and post-

conflict environments, as well as complex emergencies

Aimed at a mixed nationality student group.

Marketing Objectives:

In 2013/14 our marketing objectives are to:

Raise awareness of the MSc programme in key networks globally (increase traffic to the MSc

information pages that will be added to our website),



18

Catalyse interest in the course (50 notes of interest), and

Generate at least 25 formal applications for the 2014 student intake.

Our proposed marketing strategy (Appendix D) highlights the research, tools and channels we will use

to achieve these goals. Additionally, through our marketing activity we will continue to quantify the

demand for this course and use the information we receive to shape ongoing activity.

5. RESOURCE INFORMATION

5.1 Student numbers and fees

Given adequate resourcing, 15-30 students could be supported on this programme. A conservative

estimate of student numbers is anticipated for the first two years of the programme.

Table: Anticipated Student Numbers

Students Number Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5

Home/EU 6 8 10 10 12

Overseas 9 12 15 15 18

15 20 25 25 30

Tuition fees for this programme will be set at fee spine point 2 for Home/EU students (£10,600) and

spine point 7 for overseas students (£17,400). These rates have been established and are comparable

with other internationally focused masters degrees at the University of Edinburgh. These rates are

lower than or comparable to all of the programmes that offer international capstone dissertation

placements at the University of Edinburgh (the MPP, MSc International Development and the MBA).

While we believe the premium tuition fees highlight the high-quality and innovative nature of the MSc

in International Child Protection Research, we also aim to ensure that our programme is accessible to

students including those from low-income economy countries. As such, the Child Protection Research

Centre will be offering two bursaries:

One full tuition bursary to student from a low-income economy country (£17,400 or 100% of

the tuition fees for one student), and

One Graduate Research Assistant part-tuition bursary to any student (£5,000 reduction in

tuition fees).

Full Tuition Bursary

This bursary will be for students from the lowest income economy countries as defined by the World

Bank (includes 36 countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi,

Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea,

Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Korea, Kyrgyz

Republic, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger,

Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe). This will be a

competitive application process and priority will be given to students who plan to go back to their

countries and make a significant contribution to child protection research.

Graduate Research Assistant Bursary

Following the model that exists in North American graduate programmes, one student will receive a

£5,000 reduction in tuition (in the form of a bursary) by being a ‘Graduate Research Assistant’ or



19

GRA. The GRA will work 14 hours a week during the academic year at the Child Protection Research

Centre. This is also a competitive bursary and applicants will be chosen whose experience and

interests most closely match the current research being conducted in the Centre. Meetings with the

University International Office have highlighted that international students often ask about potential

GRA opportunities.

Offering bursaries is dependent on meeting a threshold of enrolment for the programme (i.e. at least 15

students as shown in our costing model below). These bursaries have been reflected in the costing

model for the programme.

5.2 Funding and resource implications

The predominant resource burden is time of current research and administrative staff. Demand on

student support services (library and computing equipment and some laboratory needs) will be

adequately met by current provision within the Institute and School. The programme has neither IT or

laboratory intensive needs.

Details of resource implications are shown in the budget below:

(Draft) Budget Models:

The costs and associated income for this 15-month programme has been presented by student cohort

numbers:

Students Number (FTE) Cohort 1 Cohort 2 Cohort 3 Cohort 4 Cohort 5

Overseas 10 12 15 15 18

Home/EU 5 8 10 10 12

15 20 25 25 30

Cohort 1 2 3 4 5

Start Up Costs 5,000

Recurrent Costs

Marketing 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000

Staffing 90,077 62,779 69,792 69,792 75,702

Equipment 0 0 0 0 0

Bursaries 22,400 22,400 22,400 22,400 22,400

Materials 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000 3,000

Total Recurrent Costs 130,477 98,179 105,192 105,192 105,352

Total Fee Income

Overseas 174,000 208,800 261,000 261,000 313,200

Home/EU 53,000 84,800 106,000 106,000 127,200

Total Income 227,000 293,600 367,000 367,000 440,400

Fee Income (School)

Overseas 93,960 112,752 140,940 140,940 169,128

Home/EU 28,620 45,792 57,240 57,240 68,688



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Total Income 122,580 158,544 198,180 198,180 237,816

Annual

Surplus/Deficit (7,897) 60,365 92,988 92,988 132,464

The staffing costs include the delivery of new courses, marking and assessment for estimated student

numbers, moderation and second marking, guest lecturer fees (two per course), staff time involved in

capstone placements, dissertation supervision and dissertation marking for the research team and

programme administrative support (at the standard 0.1FTE). In addition, the first year costs include

blind double-marking for all assessments. Bursary costs include the one full overseas student tuition

and one bursary of £5,000. Marketing costs include web design and communications staff costs,

development and printing of leaflets, translation of materials, travel and on-line marketing costs

(please see Appendix D for the marketing strategy). Material costs include the yearly license for CITI

ethical online training course (which relates to an assessment) and handouts for the courses.

5.3 Sustainability

While it is impossible to eliminate the potential risk of not achieving projected student numbers, the

Programme Team has actively sought to include sustainability planning into the structure of the

Programme. Typically, notions of sustainability include the ability to meet and exceed present needs

and demands while at the same time planning for and being cognisant of the demand and supply

environment of the future. The Programme Team has planned for sustainability in the following ways:

1) understanding added value, 2) horizon scanning, 3) minimising risks and 4) building robust supply

and demand mechanisms.

Added Value

The Child Protection Research Centre is a research-intensive team who are supported by research

grants and research funding. In order to be sustainable, the MSc in International Child Protection

Research must be able to add value to the work being done by the Centre. We have purposefully built

in added value in the following ways:

Development of course assessments which enhance the research learning and knowledge

exchange functions of the Centre,

Hosting 1-3 of our capstone dissertation students within the Centre to conduct their

independent research on areas of priority for the Centre,

Through the ‘Graduate Research Assistant’ student who in exchange for receiving a £5,000

reduction in tuition fees will receive research training by working with the Centre team on

current research projects,

Working with Masters students to jointly publish their work in child protection journals, and

Through encouraging students to further their education through a PhD at the Centre.

Horizon Scanning

The Programme Team seeks to build sustainability into the programme by ensuring our product meets

the needs of ever changing demographics. Through our extensive involvement in national and

international child protection networks, we are able to know ahead of time key drivers in child

protection research. With this knowledge we are better able to equip students to meet these demands

and explore potential in the job market. The Programme Team will also actively explore future

distance learning and CPD opportunities.



21

Mimimising Risks

While risk cannot be completely eliminated, planning for sustainability means that we actively engage

in the process of risk planning and management and continually reassess risks and their likelihood and

impact. Current risks include:

Nature of Risk Likelihood of

Risk Impact of Risk

Factors taken to Mitigate

Risk

Lower than expected

recruitment

Low-Medium:

projections are

conservative and

marketing will be

intensive

Low-medium:

programme could

run at a loss beyond

the 1st year

A marketing budget and

strategy have been developed

and earmarked to actively

market the MSc and increase

the number of applications to

the programme. The MSc

Team will closely monitor

recruitment

Departure of staff Low-Medium Medium to High

Some key staff would need

replacing for the MSc to

continue delivery. Our Team

Model approach to the

Programme means that all

MSc Team members will be

knowledgeable about all

course content and

responsibilities of each

member.

Unavailability of staff

due to other work

commitments, e.g.

research

funding/contracts

Medium-High

(given the unique

situation of the

MSc being

located within a

Research Centre)

Low

It is anticipated that this

scenario would exist in the

instance that staff have

attracted research funding but

that this would provide

appropriate teaching cover.

Within the MSc delivery

model developed by the Child

Protection Research Centre,

the team will ensure that all

academic Research Centre

staff can deliver any of the

lectures on all of the courses.

Careful yearly planning will

be conducted to ensure that

the Centre delivers both its

research and teaching outputs.

Lack of student capstone

placements Low-Medium Medium

Wide outreach to potential

capstone placement hosts will

be conducted. Furthermore,

capstone project placement

will be for research that is

beneficial and timely to the



22

host organisations.

Supply and Demand Mechanisms

Planning for sustainability also includes realistically assessing and seeking to develop better supply

and demand mechanisms. In terms of supply, planning sufficient programme capacity is of utmost

importance. The Programme Team has sought to build sustainability into issues of capacity in the

following ways:

Through jointly developing course content such that any member of the team can deliver course

lectures,

By actively engaging with guest lecturers. Each course has budgeted for at least two guest

lectures from experts in the field of child protection research,

By including teaching and teaching assistance into any new job description for research staff at the

Centre, where appropriate,

Using income generated from the programme to support additional capacity for teaching and

assessment,

By engaging the entire research team in tutoring and marking of assessments, and

By building in increased capacity through the Graduate Research Assistant position and through

capstone dissertation placements.

Supply is only one side of the equation and sustainability planning needs to take account of ways to

increase demand. The Programme Team has built sustainability into demand in the following ways:

Development of international ‘feeder programmes’, which actively engage undergraduate

audiences with the MSc in International Child Protection Research,

Through a dedicated marketing strategy with an earmarked marketing budget that goes beyond

simply a web presence to more active email and social media campaigns combined with in-person

networking and presentations,

Through a presence and marketing of the programme in national and international child protection

networks,

By offering two bursaries to students,

Through the development of an alumni network that can recommend the programme to others,

serve as placement hosts in the future and donate to the continued development of the programme,

and

By conducting and disseminating high-calibre and internationally recognised research.



23

APPENDIX A CHILD PROTECTION RESEARCH CENTRE CHARTER AND LOGIC MODEL

Overview of the Centre

This paper provides a brief overview of the Centre including our work, approach, progress to date and

our direction of travel. It should be read in conjunction with the Centre’s Logic Model (see pg 27) that

includes additional detail particularly in relation to types of research and outcomes.

1. WHAT WE DO

The Child Protection Research Centre is an innovative partnership between the University of

Edinburgh and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC). We conduct

interdisciplinary and international research and foster dialogue to address entrenched problems in child

protection.

2. WHY WE EXIST

For us ‘child protection’ includes all forms of harm perpetrated against children and young people

whether from caregivers and adults or from other children and young people. The challenges for those

working within the field of child protection are immense. Yet organisations and professionals working

across the UK and internationally can and do make a difference to children. To be effective requires

constant vigilance and joint working and so, at the Child Protection Research Centre, we join with

those working to keep children and young people safe by bringing our research, knowledge and

insights to support this important work. We want to ensure that children and young people are kept

safe from all forms of child maltreatment: emotional, physical and sexual abuse, neglect and peer-to-

peer harm; and where they have already been harmed, to help them recover as quickly and as fully as

possible.

3. VISION AND MISSION

Preventing child abuse and neglect is our ultimate vision. We contribute to this by providing research

and education to:

- Understand the scope and magnitude of child abuse and neglect;

- Identify, scale-up and evaluate promising interventions for response and prevention;

- Influence policymakers and practitioners with our research.

For us, success means that:

- Child abuse and neglect is prevented.

- All children, young people and adults who have experienced child abuse and neglect have access

to the best responses and these responses are developed incorporating the views of children and

young people.

- Policymakers incorporate the voice of children and young people and use evidence-based research

produced by the Centre to develop and inform policies addressing child abuse and neglect.

4. AUDIENCE

Our work is designed to be appropriate for an international, multidisciplinary audience of academics,

senior policymakers and professionals. It is designed to be helpful to children and young people,

parents and communities. Our research is relevant to national governments, international bodies,

professionals in health, social work, education, law enforcement and the criminal justice systems as

well as to international development organisations.



24

5. HOW WE WORK

We work to ensure our research is excellent, relevant, accessible and collaborative. These are the

principles and values that underpin our work:

- Delivering excellent research that is independent and academically robust.

- Conducting research that is relevant both within the devolved UK and an international context.

- Ensuring our work is accessible to a wide, multi-disciplinary audience including academics, senior

policymakers, professionals and other users and beneficiaries of research, including children and

young people.

- Actively fostering links through collaborations and exchanges to strengthen the work and its

impact both in the UK and globally.

6. ACTIVITY

Our work encompasses all areas of child protection and has four main strands:

- Providing research leadership and ongoing skill development for research on child abuse and

neglect. This includes participating in advisory committees, government working groups and

professional bodies at both local and international levels.

- Conducting a wide variety of child protection research to address gaps in our understanding of

the magnitude of child abuse and neglect and to provide a deeper understanding of the

mechanisms underlying effective response and prevention. This includes prevalence studies,

systematic reviews, policy research and participatory research, among other approaches.

- Ensuring an active programme of knowledge exchange and sharing learning through

publication and fostering links and dialogue nationally and internationally.

- Developing an MSc in International Child Protection Research to educate the next generation

of child protection researchers who can make a contribution to the field of child protection

globally.

7. OUR APPROACH TO RESEARCH

Our core work streams are established in dialogue with key stakeholders including the NSPCC, the

University of Edinburgh disciplines and the Centre’s Advisory Committee and draws on the extensive

knowledge of others involved in child protection across the UK and internationally. To achieve our

mission and vision we draw on our multi-disciplinary team to undertake research at all levels of need2,

including a particular focus on children at significant risk of harm and/or with acute or complex needs.

We take a public health approach to child protection and our work is informed by the MRC

framework3 for complex interventions. We are committed to user involvement throughout the research

process.

8. PROGRESS TO DATE

Since our inception, the Centre has undertaken specific studies in areas of identified priority and gaps

in child protection research. Additionally, we have examined the direction of child protection reform,

trends in policy and the impact of devolution on child protection in the UK. Collaboration is at the

heart of our approach. While maintaining independence, we continue to strengthen our relationship

with our founding partner – the NSPCC – and with senior policymakers and academics. Our work has

been presented through publications including a book series, journal articles, reports and key message

papers. Additionally, we have hosted a number of four-nation seminars, international exchange visits

2 Four Levels of Need Model: Level 1 – all children and young people; Level 2 – children who are vulnerable (may be at risk of school exclusion); Level 3 – children in need (complex needs); Level 4 – children at significant risk and/or with acute needs. (Drawn from Hardiker,

P., Exton, K. and Barker, M. (1991) Policies and Practices in Preventive Child Care. Aldershot: Avebury.) 3 http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Utilities/Documentrecord/index.htm?d=MRC003372

http://www.mrc.ac.uk/Utilities/Documentrecord/index.htm?d=MRC003372



25

and we have participated on government working groups and international conferences on child

protection.

9. AMBITIONS AND DIRECTION OF TRAVEL

Child protection research is growing internationally, evidenced by investment in national child abuse

and neglect prevalence studies, coupled with increasing investment in promising practices to respond

to and prevent child maltreatment. This highlights the growing need for child protection researchers

who are at the forefront of research internationally. These large-scale investments in child protection

research and evaluation also indicate that offering postgraduate training in this specialised field is

vitally important and timely. The Child Protection Research Centre is well placed to contribute to the

agenda of understanding the magnitude and consequences of child abuse and neglect; to evaluate and

scale up effective response and prevention; and to offer bespoke postgraduate education in child

protection research.

In order to achieve our mission and goals, the Centre will:

- Continue to secure funding and conduct excellent, relevant, accessible and collaborative research.

- Strengthen our networks, profile and contribution on UK and international committees,

government working groups, global bodies and in other arenas with the outcome of moving the

child protection field forward by our contributions.

- Reinforce our contribution to the excellent reputations of both NSPCC and the University of

Edinburgh by conducting robust research, increasing our academic outputs and being at the

forefront of knowledge exchange in child protection research. Two examples of how we plan to

achieve this are to host the British Society of Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (BASPCAN)

Conference in 2015 and to make a strong contribution to the University of Edinburgh’s 2014 and

2019 Research Excellence Framework exercises.

- Develop a world-leading MSc in International Child Protection Research that builds on existing

research within the Centre. We aim to foster the development of critical thinkers and independent

researchers who can make a contribution to the field of child protection globally.

10. SET-UP AND GOVERNANCE

The Centre4, established in 2007, is part funded by the NSPCC and is based within the University of

Edinburgh, situated within the Moray House School of Education. This unique partnership between

the UK’s biggest child welfare charity and a prestigious university5, ensures that our work has

academic rigour and independence, as well as strong links to practice and policy development. We

collaborate closely with our colleagues at the NSPCC to ensure the relevance of our programme

design and application. We contribute to the strategic goals of excellence in education, research and

innovation at the University of Edinburgh through our development of high quality academic papers,

events and by our participation in University programmes and committees. Our links internationally

and across the UK as well as our Advisory Committee are pivotal in ensuring the relevance and

applicability of our work. In addition to funding and support from both the NSPCC and University of

Edinburgh, we actively seek grants for work that meets our mission.

The research team members come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds including social policy,

nursing and public health; and we ensure all research is conducted at the highest level with ongoing

knowledge exchange and input from the NSPCC and other key stakeholders.

4 The Centre was previously known as the University of Edinburgh/NSPCC Centre for UK-wide Learning in Child Protection (CLiCP).

This name features on publications produced between 2007-2011. 5 The University of Edinburgh is a Russell Group University and was ranked 32nd in the 2012/13 Times Higher World Rankings.



26



27

APPENDIX B CAPSTONE DISSERTATION DETAILS

This appendix draws on the Masters in Public Policy (MPP) Capstone Handbook as a model and has

been informed by discussions on best practice with programmes across the University that offer

capstone placements.

About the Capstone Dissertation

The Capstone Project is one dissertation option offered in the MSc in International Child Protection

Research. The capstone placement is the culminating experience for the MSc programme. A Capstone

Dissertation allows a student the opportunity to undertake real-world child protection research at a

leading organisation internationally. The Capstone Dissertation accounts for one-third of the final

mark for the MSc programme (60 credits).

The capstone placement will be a 12-week international research-based placement for students during

the summer months. Students will then have until the end of November to write up their dissertation

report. Utilising the Centre’s networks, students will have the opportunity to undertake their capstone

research dissertation work at one of many organisations either in the UK or abroad including but not

limited to:

NSPCC country offices (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales)

UNICEF Regional Offices (Thailand, Kenya, Nepal and Panama)

World Health Organization, Violence and Injury Prevention Unit (Geneva)

Columbia University Center for Youth Violence Prevention (New York City)

UIC Interdisciplinary Center for research on Violence (Chicago)

University of Edinburgh/NSPCC Child Protection Research Centre

Professional students may undertake their capstone project at their place of employment if it represents

a new piece of research separate from their daily duties and if the Director of the programme approves

it. Additional links are being made with other potential capstone placement sites. It is important to

note that while the Programme Team will seek to place students who want to do a Capstone

Dissertation with a host organisation, a capstone dissertation placement cannot be guaranteed by the

MSc Programme Team.

During the placement, students will work on a concrete and feasible piece of research work that can

include (but is not limited to):

Developing a research protocol,

Developing and piloting research instruments,

Conducting qualitative or quantitative research,

Conducting an analysis of policy,

Developing an evaluation plan,

Conducting an evaluation,

Conducting a scoping study,

Conducting a systematic or integrative review, or

Another area of research to explore an entrenched issue in child protection recognition,

response or prevention.

The Capstone Dissertation enables students to develop and present a piece of research using a real-life

situation in an existing academic, public sector, private sector or non-profit/voluntary organisation. By

the end of the dissertation, students will be able to:



28

1. Identify and frame a research problem in a real-life situation,

2. Appreciate and address practical and ethical issues in the process of child protection research,

3. Design a strategy to address the given research problem,

4. Collect data and information on a given research area,

5. Examine the methodological issues in the real-life situation and devise research strategies to limit

or overcome these and to address risk of bias,

6. Write a professional analytical report for a real-life client with specific recommendations,

7. Apply theories and insights from child protection research to practical issues,

8. Verbally communicate research findings and recommendations in a clear and concise manner to a

group of peers, practitioners and academics, and

9. Gain practical professional experience through the placement component.

On completion of the placement, students will develop a professional analytical report for the host

organisation with their methodology and findings and specific recommendations based on their

research work. This report will be 8,000-10,000 words in length. In the report, students are expected

to identify and frame the issue, discuss their research methodology and strategy for addressing the

issue, write up their findings with specific recommendations based on the research. This report will be

formally presented to the Child Protection Research Centre, host organisation and cohort of MSc

students demonstrating the student’s skills in verbally communicating research in a clear and concise

manner to a group of peers, practitioner and academics.

Timeline

The timeline process for the Capstone Dissertation is as follows (discussed more in-depth in the

sections below):

Summer and autumn: Dissertation Course Organiser and Programme Director begin reaching

out to potential placement sites to discuss research opportunities.

September: Students orientation to the Programme including specific information on types of

dissertations, students also submit up-to-date CVs and start thinking about dissertation options

with Personal Tutors

October: Student round-table discussion with Programme Director and Dissertation Course

Organiser on the dissertation options.

November: Students attend previous MSc cohorts dissertation presentations and students make

final decision on dissertation option

November and December: Students who choose to do a capstone dissertation are presented

with placement options (where available) and meet with the Programme Director and

Dissertation Course Organiser to discuss and choose their placement site. They may also

participate in interviews or informal conversations with the placement organisation.

December and January: All placements choices are finalised and MOUs are drafted

January to April: MOUs are finalised and the MOU meeting held between the student, the

host organisation, the Programme Director and the Dissertation Course Organiser

February: During innovative learning week, the Programme Team will run two events on

preparing for the dissertation (including preparing for placements)

March: Students will be assigned to an academic supervisor for their dissertation

April: Students will meet with Personal Tutor to discuss making the most of their dissertation

May to August: Students undertake their dissertation research and are in contact with their

Academic supervisors.

August to November: Students write-up their dissertation report and meet with their academic

supervisors



29

October: Practice presentation session for students who would like to practice and get

feedback on their dissertation presentation in advance (optional)

November: Students present their dissertation to the new cohort of MSc students, the Child

Protection Research Centre Team and to child protection practitioners; they also hand-in their

dissertation.

The Placement

The first element of the Capstone Dissertation is the placement with an organisation conducting child

protection research. Students will be expected to undertake a 12-week placement (approximately

beginning of May until the beginning of August).

Language Support

The Programme Director and Dissertation Course Organiser will meet with students wishing to

undertake a Capstone Dissertation placement in English who are not native English speakers to assess

their comfort level and support needs to undertake a work-based research project. Support, if needed,

may include:

Additional English language courses through the University to help prepare for the work-

based project,

Undertake a Capstone Dissertation placement in an English speaking organisation but with a

line manager who is a native speaker of the student’s language, or

Undertake a Capstone Dissertation placement in their native language6

Matching Process

Students are individually matched to host organisations in order to produce mutually beneficial

relationships. Placement organisations can be locally or internationally based. Potential placement

organisations can include (but are not limited to) academic research centres, government departments,

nonprofit sector and voluntary organisations, health service organisations, child welfare organisations,

think-tanks, consultancy firms, regional institutions, and international organisations.

Academic staff will begin the process of collecting research project ideas and matching students to

host organisations in the period from September to December. At the start of this period, students will

be asked to provide an up-to-date CV to use in the matching process. The Programme Team will first

have a conversation with potential host organisations to better understand their research needs and to

engage in a discussion of potential research placements. The Programme Team will then match these

existing opportunities to student interests and may give students the choice of 1-3 placement options.

Simultaneously, the Programme Team will give a presentation to all the MSc students on the three

dissertation options available and new MSc students will be able to attend the previous cohorts

presentations from the three types of dissertations. This will give MSc students the opportunity to

interact with previous students on their experiences and to get a better sense of the different

dissertation options available to them. The Programme Team will request students to confirm their

choice of either the Journal Article Style Dissertation or a Capstone Dissertation by early December.

Students will also be asked if they prefer a local or an international organisation.

During this ‘matching’ period, the Programme Team will aim to ensure that the skills, training,

specialisation and interests of the student are matched to the interests, capacity and needs of the host

6 No matter what country or language in which students undertake their dissertation, they are still required to complete the dissertation

according to the specifications of the programme. This includes presenting English translations of any instruments used and any transcripts

presented in the dissertation report.



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organisation. Students will also be able to set up their own placements, but will need the approval of

the Programme Director.

Once an organisation has agreed to host a student’s placement, more detailed conversations about the

nature of the work activities/project will take place in January to March. Organisations might invite

the student for a meeting before confirming a placement (if locally based) or via Skype (if

international).

Memorandum of Understanding

All placements will involve an identified programme of work which the student will be undertaking

that has to be formally agreed between the Child Protection Research Centre and the host organisation

and signed off by the Programme Director. The details of this programme of work must be in place

before the start of the work-based project.

Therefore, prior to undertaking the placement, the student, the Programme Director, the Dissertation

Course Organiser and the host organisation will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which

will set out how the placement will be managed. This document will include details of the placement

work activities, a suggested timetable for completion of the activities, and the responsibilities of the

student, the host organisation and the University. The MoU must be signed by the student, the host

organisation and the Programme Director.

It is important to note that this MOU is not a legal document and does not imply any liability on the

part of the University or the host organisation. The Memorandum of Understanding template is not

formally derived and according to the Graduate School Administrator that the MoU can be redrawn

relatively flexibly to meet the demands of various host organisations. The MoU is used in the

Capstone Dissertation as both a quality assurance, communication, management and planning tool for

the student placements.

Placement Work Activities

The Capstone Dissertation placement is very different from a standard ‘work experience’ internship.

Students are expected to undertake a substantive research project, upon which (or related to which)

they will write-up their final dissertation.

Please note, however, that there are some cases whereby the placement activities will not form the

entire basis of the dissertation report, for example in cases where confidentiality issues are involved in

the placement research. In this case, the student – in collaboration with the host organisation will –

will be given the opportunity to appropriately anonymise their dissertation report.

The purpose of the placement is for the student to gain experience of working and learning in a child

protection research context on a clearly defined research project for the host organisation. The

placement should not, be used to carry out other research about, or report on, the workings of the host

organisation itself. In particular, the placement should not be regarded as participant observation, and

students should be aware of their ethical obligations in regard to this.

The agreed programme of work can either be a piece of research requested by the host organisation, an

evaluation or a specific research contribution to an identified project depending on the organisation’s

needs. Therefore, the topic of the placement project may be directly related to a research project that

the host organisation is addressing, and therefore the student would become part of that ‘project team’,

or it may be a new and separate piece of work that the organisation seeks to explore in greater detail.



31

All the projects will have a clear focus and will not rely on a lot of organisation-specific knowledge.

The only condition is that the proposed project is sufficiently in-depth to meet the standard required at

the MSc level.

Insurance and Costs

During the placement the student is treated as an employee and may be covered by their host’s liability

insurance. Students can also take out University insurance for their travel that covers most issues that

may arise. It is entirely the responsibility of students to cover their own insurance, travel,

accommodation and subsistence costs when carrying out fieldwork or work-based placements.

Students may also be required by their host organisation to undertake a criminal record check in order

to conduct the research or to work at the organisation. The costs of undertaking a criminal record

check should be met by the student as they will then have this documentation that they can use on their

CV and for future work.

MSc students do not require a salary payment for the placement as the project is an inherent element

of their degree programme. It is recognised that MSc students offer value for money and some

organisations may decide to make discretionary payments, however, this is not expected and any

agreement would be between the host organisation and the student. If students are required to travel as

part of the research project (i.e. to meetings or as part of a sampling exercise), then it is the

responsibility of the host organisation to provide for the student’s travel and subsistence.

For students working either in Europe or the UK the health and safety regime is similar (the European

directives governing health and safety at work are based largely on UK practice) – for students

working overseas it is important that they make sure they are aware of the relevant health and safety

regulations and practices. This will be covered in the Capstone Dissertation handbook.

Supervision and Management

One of the members of the Child Protection Research Centre team will be allocated as an Academic

Supervisor to the Capstone Dissertation students. The Academic Supervisor will supervise the

Capstone Project. Students are expected to be in regular contact by email during the placement (when

submitting weekly memos through LEARN – see below), and to meet at least once a month during the

writing up of the Dissertation report during August to November. Students will also have a line

manager based in the host organisation, who will manage the day-to-day tasks of the student. The

Academic Supervisor will assess the student’s weekly memos (which will provide evidence of their

satisfactory completion of the placement), and will be the second marker of the student’s final

Dissertation Report and oral presentation.

The Dissertation Course Organiser is the first point of contact with the University if the student is

experiencing problems during the placement. They should be contacted (ideally by e-mail) if, for

example:

The student is off work for longer than one week as a result of an accident or illness,

The student is involved in an accident at work, or a near miss, they must tell them their

Academic Supervisor as soon as possible,

If the student is unhappy in their placement, and

If the student is worried that the work they are undertaking will not meet the Universities

requirements for the placement.



32

If students are unable to contact the Dissertation Course Organiser, they will be directed to contact the

Programme Director.

The Dissertation Course Organiser will regularly check-in with Academic Supervisors and will

proactively engage with students on field placements.

Weekly Memos

Throughout the three-month placement, students will be expected to send brief weekly memos (200-

300 words each) by email to the host organisation Line Manager and their Academic Supervisor. The

weekly memos are designed to assess performance in the project placement organisation.

The memos will include:

A description of the work under taken

An analysis of how this fits into the overall objectives of the placement

(where appropriate) a description and analysis of any obstacles encountered in fulfilling these

aims and objectives, and attempts made to over come these

A description and analysis of what went well and what you’ve learned over the past week

The weekly memos are due each week on Friday. The memos will be emailed first to the host

organisation Line Manager, who will ‘sign off’ the content (especially if relating to confidential

information). The weekly memo will then be emailed to the Academic Supervisor, to enable them to

monitor the student’s progress, and cc’d to the Dissertation Course Organiser and the MSc

Administrator for Programme records.

Feedback on weekly memos is at the discretion of the Academic Supervisor. The weekly memo itself

is not assessed, however, the weekly memos provide documentary evidence for the host organisation

and the Academic Supervisor when assessing the placement experience. Completion of a successful

placement comprises 10% of the Capstone Dissertation marks. The host organisation will confirm that

the student has ‘satisfactorily completed’ the placement to enable allocation of these marks, which will

then be verified by the Academic Supervisor. The memos will aid this decision.

The host organisation will not grade the student’s performance; they will agree or disagree that the

student has satisfactorily completed the placement. Therefore the placement will be assessed on a

‘pass’ (i.e. a 100% grade) or ‘fail’ (i.e. 0% grade) basis.

Assessment Criteria

Assessment for the Capstone Dissertation is based on: (1) the placement; (2) an oral presentation of

the placement research; and (3) a written dissertation report of the research undertaken. The division

of marks/grades for the student is as follows:

10% Placement experience

20% Final presentation of Capstone Project

70% Analytical Report (8,000 to 10,000 words)

In the case the student is unable to complete the placement through no fault of his/her own (for

instance, due to illness or other special circumstances, or problems within the host organisation), then

the marks for the placement experience will be reallocated to the dissertation report, so the assessment

weighting would be as follows: 20% final presentation of capstone; 80% dissertation report.



33

If at any point it proves impossible to adhere to the Capstone Dissertation process, the Programme

Director and Dissertation Course Organiser will meet with the student to discuss various options

including switching to other another type of dissertation.



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APPENDIX C MOST COMPARABLE PROGRAMMES/INSTITUTIONS

Brief notes to show how the proposed University of Edinburgh Masters would be distinct from these

programmes:

1. UK Programmes with a strong research focus:

- Children, Youth and International Development MA at Brunel University: focus is broad

(i.e. on children and young people generally, not exclusively addressing child

protection/welfare); focus is specific to international development contexts (material directly

relevant for stable environments not explicitly addressed); research module is focused on

analysis and on research with children and young people as opposed to research design.

- M.Sc. Evidence-Based Social Intervention at University of Oxford: course material is

related to social interventions broadly and is not specific to children and young people and/or

welfare/protection issues; no workplace dissertation.

- Child Welfare MRes at Lancaster University: Aimed primarily at practitioners; does not

include international or unstable environments; no workplace dissertation option highlighted;

research skills for simple/small scale research, not advanced research design.

- Child Protection and Adult Safeguarding (MSc) at Buckinghamshire New University:

children and adults; only available as distance learning; international material/contexts not

included.

2. UK programmes with a strong child welfare focus (and not included above)

- Child Welfare and Safeguarding (MA) at Huddersfield University: advanced study for

experienced UK-based professionals; no workplace dissertation option highlighted.

- MA International Child Studies at Kings College London: course is aimed at developing

practitioner not research skills; broad child development focus with one of the four core

modules focused on safeguarding.

- MA Child Health & Social Care at University of Central Lancashire: Not including

international or post-conflict contexts; no workplace dissertation option.

- Children, Young People and Family Wellbeing (MSc) at Oxford Brooks distance learning

course aimed at practitioners; no workplace dissertation option.

3. International programmes

- Master of Advanced Studies in Children’s Rights (MCR) at Switzerland: University of

Fribourg (Switzerland) and the Institut Universitaire Kurt Bösch (IUKB): two-year, part-time

course for experienced professionals and focused on children’s rights (not focused on

developing advanced research skills in child protection).

- Master of Child and Adolescent Welfare at Charles Sturt University, Australia: only

distance learning; includes one module on human services research methods (not advanced

research analysis and design for child protection contexts. [CORRECT]

- MSc in Child Protection and Welfare, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland: two-year, part-

time course and for experienced professionals; and not including international contexts.

- Graduate Certificate in Child Protection Practice, University of Western Australia:

practitioner focused, certificate level, not including international contexts.

- Graduate certificate in Child wellbeing and Protection, Flinders University, Australia:

practitioner and Australia focused certificate.



35

- Columbia University, USA has a number of interesting programmes and collaborations

(including internationally with Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Middle East) but no similar child

welfare/protection masters programme.

- Youth Violence Prevention Graduate Fellows Programme based at Institute for the

Study of Social Change (ISSC), Berkley, USA: not a masters programme, supports doctoral

students.

- MSW Child Welfare Training Program, Berkeley, USA This is a practice and locally

focused programme.

- MEd in Youth Development, University of Illinois, USA. A practitioner focused

programme focused on education and youth development.

Harvard University and the University of Indonesia have been highlighted through professional

networks as institutions that may be in the process of scoping the potential to offer child

welfare/protection programmes at postgraduate level. Very little information is currently available; we

will continue to monitor these developments.



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APPENDIX D Proposed Marketing Strategy

1. PRODUCT

MSc in International Child Protection Research a 15-month on-campus, taught course with

capstone, placement dissertation option offered by the University of Edinburgh/NSPCC Child

Protection Research Centre based within the Moray House School of Education.

Key distinguishing features:

This programme would be world-leading in that it focuses on child protection research which includes

active teaching on child protection issues in both stable environments and complex emergencies and

includes and option for a capstone research dissertation project in a leading international organization.

Other key features of the programme include:

- Broad applicability (see target audience below)

- Full-time7 on-campus study (delivered in English)

- Available to both recent graduates and professionals

- Focused on enhancing skills for analysing, conducting and applying research on real-world

issues

- Examining child protection in a range of settings: national and international; stable and post-

conflict environments, as well as complex emergencies

- Aimed at a mixed nationality student group.

2. PRICE AND BURSARIES

The course will have a programme fee for the 15 months equivalent to £10,600 for home/EU students

and £17,400 for international students per year. While we believe the tuition fees highlight the high-

quality and innovative nature of the MSc in International Child Protection Research, we also aim to

ensure that our programme is accessible to students from low-income economy countries. As such,

the Child Protection Research Centre will be offering two bursaries, which have been built into our

budget models:

One full tuition bursary to student from a low-income economy country (£17,400 or 100% of

the tuition fees for one student), and

One Graduate Research Assistant bursary to any student (£5,000).

Full Tuition Bursary

This bursary will be for students from the lowest income economy countries as defined by the World

Bank (includes 36 countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi,

Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea,

Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Korea, Kyrgyz

Republic, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger,

Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe). This will be a

competitive application process and priority will be given to students who plan to go back to their

countries and make a significant contribution to child protection research.

Graduate Research Assistant Bursary

Following the model that exists in North American graduate programmes, one student will receive a

£5,000 reduction in tuition fees (in the form of a bursary) by being a ‘Graduate Research Assistant’ or

GRA. The GRA will work 14 hours a week during the autumn and spring semester times in the Child

7 UK visas are only available to international students who are studying full-time.



37

Protection Research Centre. This is also a competitive bursary and applicants will be chosen whose

experience and interests most closely match the current research being conducted in the Centre.

3. TARGET MARKET

The target market is primarily international students (from outside the UK and EU) particularly the

USA, Canada, the Middle East and Asia. The masters is aimed at those who want to work in

commissioning, conducting or applying research; as well as those working (or aspiring) to shape

policy and practice to address pressing issues in relation to children. It is applicable to a range of

fields including: child welfare, health, judiciary/legal, education, political science, social sciences

including social policy, international development, academia, government and non-governmental

organisations. The target market segments are:

Recent graduates from the social sciences, humanities, education, health and other related

fields

Students seeking dual degree master’s programmes or students currently in postgraduate

training who are realising they need a more skills-based graduate degree or that they want to

undertake a PhD in the future

Professionals working in child protection or a related field who want to enhance their skills

through full-time study

Those interested in a career change including mature students.

For year 1 and 2, we envision our marketing focus will be on recent graduates and those seeking dual

masters degrees, as well as raising awareness of the course amongst key networks involved in

international research and the wellbeing of children.

4. INITIAL MARKET RESEARCH

A demand survey was circulated in April 2013 through the Centre’s international and local networks.

Within a two-week short period of time, 67 people have filled out the survey with 35 people indicating

they would be interested in study on the MSc in International Child Protection Research. These 35

people have given their contact details to be kept informed on the development of the MSc. Six

additional inquiries have been received since May about the programme. Our initial sample includes

global representation with potential applicants expressing interest from North America, South

America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Oceania.

Those expressing interest are split almost evenly across our market profiles with the majority

identifying a desire for further postgraduate training (our dual degree market profile), those looking to

change careers (our mature students and professional career changers market profile) and current

undergraduates.

So far, majority of interested potential applicants are from outside the UK and are most interested in

full-time study. Part-time study was not a popular option in our demand survey; however, there is

interest in the Postgraduate Certificate among our market.

Our market also indicates that the most important items for a Masters degree are the calibre of

teaching staff and access to financial aid, grants and bursaries (which ranked higher than cost in terms

of importance for choosing a Masters degree programme). The largest motivator for our market in

choosing a Masters degree programme is to enhance career opportunities followed closely by

enhancing research skills. A further motivator for 27 people in our sample is to prepare for a PhD in

child protection research. The international focus of the MSc also resonates with the majority of

respondents who want to learn skills to conduct and apply child protection research in international

settings.



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5. MARKETING –INITIAL IDEAS

2013/14 marketing objectives:

- To raise awareness of the MSc programme in key networks globally (increase traffic to the

MSc information pages on our website)

- Catalyse interest in the course (50 notes of interest)

- Generate 30 formal applications for the 2014/2015 student intake.

- Other objectives recommended by the School and International Office

Additionally, through our marketing activity we will continue to quantify the demand for this course

and use the information we receive to shape ongoing activity.

6. MAXIMISING CHANNELS AND NETWORKS FOR PROMOTION

We would like to explore marketing channels through:

- University and School channels for home and abroad

- Follow-up with contacts developed through the market survey

- Feeder programmes and contacts (The Centre is currently in dialogue with contacts in the USA

to arrange short-term exchange visits with undergraduate students who would be potential

applicants for the Masters; currently these links include the University of Illinois at Chicago and

University of Washington in St. Louis)

- Links with NSPCC since the Research Centre is a joint initiative between the NSPCC and the

University

- Explore links through the Child Protection Research Centre Advisory Committee, which

includes key policymakers from each of the four nations

- Follow-up on our good academic links with UK Academics—since we have ensured our

programme is unique from others in the UK we can utilise networks for cross-promotion

- Conference Networks—the University led by the Child Protection Research Centre will be

hosting the UKs largest child abuse and neglect conference in April 2015

- Additional International Networks, staff at the Child Protection Research Centre sit on the

following research boards and committees:

- World Health Organization (WHO): WHO is the directing and coordinating authority

for health within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on

global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards,

articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and

monitoring and assessing health trends. Deborah Fry has been selected to provide

research expertise to the WHO Youth Violence Prevention Guidelines Development

Committee.

- United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF): UNICEF is a United Nations Programme

that provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and

mothers in developing countries using a children’s rights approach. UNICEF works in

191 countries worldwide. To inform policies and programs for the prevention of child

maltreatment, the UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office (EAPRO) is developing

a regional package of evidence on child maltreatment. Deborah Fry is one of eight

members of an expert UNICEF Think Tank for the East Asia and Pacific Region.



39

- BASPCAN: The British Association for the Study and Prevention of Child Abuse and

Neglect (BASPCAN) is a registered charity, which aims to prevent physical, emotional

and sexual abuse and neglect of children by promoting the physical, emotional, and social

well being of children. In 2015 BASPCAN will be holding their 9th Congress in

Edinburgh, with an expectation of over 700 delegates from 28 countries attending. Julie

Taylor will be the Congress Convenor, Connie Smith is a member of the Local Organising

Committee and Deborah Fry a member of the Scientific Committee and the Local

Organising Committee.

7. MARKETING ACTIVITY—INITIAL IDEAS

RESEARCH:

- Competitor analysis (complete): this review has highlighted the distinctive nature of the Masters

currently in development.

- Market survey: (see previous section). In addition to gathering intelligence on the demand for the

course, the survey is designed to generate contacts for further promotion as well as identify

additional networks to be added to the marketing database.

TOOLS:

- Marketing database development (proposed). Work proposed would involve gathering email

contacts:

- Secretaries for relevant undergraduate courses in the USA, Canada, Middle East and Asia

(within the USA this would be for both state and private schools); we are also gathering

the contact information of librarians at these Universities

- Using existing key contacts to gather the names/emails of key networks in child welfare

and research globally

- Promote Course information (upon validation)

- Liaise with International and School offices

- Explore printed and electronic promotional materials in various languages(?) (Ideas

include: printed and electronic posters, flyers, leaflets, pop-up banners, social media etc.)

8. MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS

We are eager to ensure we can measure effectiveness of various marketing strategies to inform future

work. We would like to discuss ideas on ways we can accomplish this.

9. RESOURCES

The bulk of the marketing activity requires time investment; some capital is needed for printing

posters, leaflets, flyers and a banner. The Programme Director has some time dedicated to marketing

activities (upon validation) and additional monies have been earmarked to support marketing

activities.

MSc in International Child Protection Research PROPOSAL ...€¦ · MSc in International Child Protection Research PROPOSAL: FOR SCHOOL BOARD OF STUDIES COMMITTEE 2 SUMMARY INFORMATION

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