Understanding Child Time Use
An Introduction to a Measurement Tool
Why Measure How Children/Youth Spend Their Time?
– Program placement
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Are those children/youth you are trying to reach in school?
Are they working?
What other activities are they engaged in?
What activities are important to them? What do they want to do?
What is their living environment (home, street)?
– Access and Safety
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What routes do they take between these places?
How long does travel take?
By what mode?
Is it safe for them? Safe for you?
Introduction to a Participatory Rapid Appraisal Tool
• Key Elements
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Informed consent: parents/caregivers and youth
Selecting places where they spend time
Mapping their community
Linking the places: routes, transport modes, time
Allocating time spent per location
Expressing what activity is most important to them
PRA Tool Sampling and Setup
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Understand your target population
Modify tool appropriately
Mixed-gender or single-gender groups?
Supplies – depend on age and final PRA protocol
– Poster board or large paper
– Photos, drawings of places or blanks for group
identification
– Markers, pens
– Tokens to represent time (e.g., one token=one hour)
• Capable, friendly facilitator
Map
Sample Results Table
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
6:00-7:00 a.m.
House
House
House
House
House
House
House
7-8
Madrasa
School
School
School
School
School
Madrasa
8-9
Madrasa
School
School
School
School
School
Madrasa
9-10
Madrasa
School
School
School
School
School
Madrasa
10-11
Madrasa
School
School
School
School
School
Madrasa
11-12 noon
House
House
House
House
House
House
House
12noon- 1
House
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
House
1-2 pm
Madrasa
School
School
School
School
School
Madrasa
2-3 pm
Madrasa
School
School
School
School
School
Madrasa
3-4 pm
Seaweed farming
Playground
Playground
Playground
Playground
Playground
Seaweed farming
4-5 pm
Playground
House
House
House
House
House
Playground
5-6 pm
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
6-7 pm
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Masjid
Tallied Results
Sunday
House
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
13
14
14
14
14
14
14
Madrasa
6
0
0
0
0
0
6
Masjid
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
Playground
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
School
0
6
6
6
6
6
0
Seaweed Farm
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
24
24
24
24
24
24
24
Total
Drawing of “most important activity”
Power of Mixed Methods
– Time tables
– Maps
– Drawings
• These tools enable us to see the complex system in
which young people live. This in turn enables us to
design appropriate, targeted interventions to meet
their needs.