A Systemic Governance Approach to an Effective Re-integration Process for the Institutionalized Children in Sri Lanka: Application of Critical Systems Heuristics

Abstract

This is the second paper which makes a case in a two part paper. The first paper was titled “The quality of life of Sri Lankan Children: Participatory Action Research (PAR) to address the governance issues of the Voluntary Children’s Homes” (Ariyadasa and McIntyre-Mills, Quality of life of Sri Lankan children: participatory action research to address the governance issues of voluntary children’s homes, 2014). The first paper explored the governance issues of the Sri Lankan children’s homes and clarified that institutionalized children are denied their rights, often because their re-integration process is not efficient and/or effective. Thus, this paper addresses the issue of systemic governance of the re-integration process of the voluntary children’s homes as part of PhD research using PAR and critical systemic praxis undertaken at Flinders University. The research addresses the major task for policy makers and service providers to ensure that institutionalised children are supported by a systemic program that addresses their complex social needs. The research was conducted across all nine provinces in Sri Lanka, involving policy makers and service providers responsible for institutional care of children. All nine commissioners of the provincial departments of probation and child care services were interviewed to collect information on policy implications and their role in the policy making process. Thirty managers from different children’s homes were interviewed to ascertain information with regards to their service provision. All 298 probation officers, 287 child rights promotion officers, and matrons and wardens of all 416 children’s homes were included in a questionnaire census approach. Of these, approximately half responded. The aim of the research is to advocate for the standard of care the children receive, and the life chances they deserve in order for them to reach their full potential and integrate into their societies when they leave the children’s homes. In achieving this aim, the paper discusses the significance of re-integration and critiques the existing re-integration mechanism using this PAR’s empirical and secondary data. Furthermore, by applying Ulrich’s Critical Systems Heuristics (CSH), through this paper, we attempt to explore praxis to address the social justice challenge encountered by institutionalized children. The 12 boundary questions of CSH in the actual and ideal modes (Flood and Romm, Critical systems thinking: current research and practice, 1996) have made a platform to inquire the process by which plans are implemented and evaluated.