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Open-Source Child Protection Platform
An inter-agency initiative has strengthened child protection information management systems for a decade.
Takuya Kitazawa
July 07, 2025
💖 This week's byte: An inter-agency initiative has strengthened child protection information management systems for a decade. The software tool—widely available as a digital public good—can improve social workers’ productivity at scale.
📊 Did You Know?
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that “overall employment of social workers is projected to grow 7 percent from 2023 to 2033, faster than the average for all occupations” in the United States. The projection suggests a growing demand for social workers, yet their median annual wage $61,330 (in May 2024) is below the national average wage.
📖 The Story
Who, When, and Where — Context
Started in 2013, Primero is an inter-agency initiative focusing on social projects. The Board comprises multiple agencies, including UNICEF and Save the Children.
Why — Challenge
Social services workers are often overworked and under-resourced due to inefficiency in their work. To protect vulnerable children, for example, various actors who are managing data about vulnerable children and survivors of violence need to work hand in hand. However, there has been a lack of a common, secure system that protects data and relieves some of the information management burden on the actors.
What and How — Tech Solution
Primero™ is an open-source, digital public good information management platform that aims to drive digital transformation in social services. Designed by and for protection professionals, the software platform helps workers efficiently and effectively manage cases, monitor incidents, and trace and reunify families. In 2020, in response to the negative socio-economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF and Microsoft partnered and released a new version of the web application — Primero X.
💡 Key Insights
🖥️ Effective information management increases efficiency and productivity, which has been a challenge among social workers.
💌 The Digital Public Goods Alliance makes technology widely accessible while lowering the barrier to incorporating tech into field activities.
🎯 Continuous updates are essential for sustaining software tools in dynamic, ever-changing environments.
✅ Try This
See what kind of features Primero offers from their presentation deck [PDF].
💭 Share your thoughts: When a common information management system—like Primero—is implemented across multiple countries, organizations, and working environments, what are the potential challenges end users might face? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and building a common ground may overlook context-specific edge cases.
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