SPRI Global is supporting UNICEF Tanzania in conducting a Situation Analysis (SitAn) of children and adolescents to inform the country’s next development planning cycle. This assignment provides a rigorous, evidence-based assessment of the realization of children’s rights, identifying the structural causes of inequality and deprivation. In addition to the core analysis, the project involves developing a series of policy-oriented research papers to address specific knowledge gaps in the national child rights agenda.

Since the last Situation Analysis in 2021, Tanzania has experienced significant demographic, social, and economic changes. Nearly half of the population is now under 18, a figure projected to rise significantly by 2050, creating intense demand for essential services. Rapid urbanisation is placing pressure on service delivery systems, while climate vulnerabilities—including recurrent droughts and floods—threaten household resilience. Although the economic outlook remains stable, shrinking global aid and fiscal constraints pose challenges for social sector spending. These trends necessitate an updated, forward-looking analysis to guide resource allocation and policy prioritization for the most vulnerable children.

Specific project objectives include:

• Analyzing the status of child rights using a rights-based, equity-focused lens to identify priority deprivations across Mainland and Zanzibar.
• Assessing the enabling environment, including legislation, governance, and public finance for children, to understand the structural causes of shortfalls.
• Evaluating risks and vulnerabilities, specifically focusing on climate hazards, geographic inequities, and humanitarian needs.
• Developing research papers based on secondary data to deepen analysis on priority themes aligned with the Child-Focused Policy Research Agenda.

Our approach applies UNICEF’s “New Generation SitAn framework,” which integrates a Human Rights-Based Approach to Programming (HRBAP) with a strong equity lens. The methodology relies largely on secondary data analysis and stakeholder consultations, ensuring a streamlined process that maximizes the value of existing national evidence.