The use of consensus methodology in determining key research and practice: development questions in the field of intervention with children associated with fighting forces

Alastair Ager¹, Neil Boothby², Mike Wessells^3
1 Program on Forced Migration & Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 60 Haven Avenue, B-4, New York, 10027, New York, USA., USA
² Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health and Director of the Program on Forced Migration and Health at the Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University. He also has served in senior positions for UNHCR, UNICEF and Save the Children
³ Senior Advisor on Child Protection for Christian Children's Fund and Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health at Columbia University

Correspondence Address:

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

Over the course of a consultation meeting on best practice in care and protection of children associated with fighting forces, consensus methodology was used to identify appraisals of key areas where research was required to strengthen the knowledge base supporting programming policy. Nineteen leading practitioners and policymakers (drawn from intergovernmental and nongovernmental agencies working in the field) completed three successive rounds of a consensus rating task, based on themes identified in the course of the meeting. A wide range of issues were identified, but those suggested as key areas of priority for research and practice development were: scalable livelihood interventions; integration of girls formerly associated with fighting forces; improved monitoring and evaluation strategies; and documenting the comparative effectiveness of community based psychosocial and clinical interventions. Areas of required policy development were also identified.