Pilot study to help young children in BiH beat the odds

Genesis has helped Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), a country with an ageing population, invest in young children. We worked with UNICEF and the government of BiH to show how spending money on health, education and social protection for children would pay off in the long run. Our work also involved designing and testing a plan to improve services for children in two areas of the country.

Enrolment in Early Childhood Development (ECD) in BiH is among the lowest in Europe. Children face multiple deprivations in their early years, particularly those from marginalised groups such as the Roma, those with disabilities, and those in rural areas.

In the face of such urgent need, Genesis produced an evidence-based advocacy package showing the magnitude of monetary and non-monetary benefits of making strategic investments in ECD. Detailed analysis produced a cost-benefit ratio for BiH that made it clear that for every $1 invested in ECD over the next decade, almost $7 would be returned by 2052.

The team also designed a trajectory for implementing the package of ECD interventions in two pilot municipalities. This involved going deep into local politics (often at mayoral level), understanding the complex implementation environment (BiH has 13 ministries of education) and the available fiscal space. We conducted deep feasibility studies to facilitate uptake of our recommendations, including how to use the evidence provided by us to advocate for changes in allocation patterns for education spending.

Our support enabled the government to use our analysis to make the case for strategic investments in ECD. The pilot will prove the model for a nationwide scale-up that will lead to improved outcomes for young children and contribute to the overall productivity of the ageing nation. The hope is that the process will help with the ambitious plans BiH has for entering the European Union community.