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The Programs And Practices Review (PPR)


The Programs and Practices Review (PPR) was a was a qualitative meta-analysis of existing and documented programs and practices that that focused on eliminating, preventing, or reducing child labor in the carpet industry in India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The review consisted of a desk review of the literature followed by a field Study of selected programs.

Prior to the desk review, a set of criteria was established to evaluate programs, projects, and interventions. The criteria included: made an effective impact, was sustainable, was capable of being replicated elsewhere, was innovative, was responsive to those children most in need of assistance, was conducted with ethical soundness, and was documented. During the review, the reviewer noted a serious limitation-many effective programs and interventions were never documented or the documentation was not readily available. Additionally, formal evaluations were lacking for many programs.

The original intent was to limit the review to programs that explicitly combated child labor in the carpet industry in the three countries. After reviewing the linkage between child labor and education, the scope was further expanded to include educational programs, even if they did not specifically mention child labor.

The review identified 13 programs that addressed, directly or indirectly, the problem of child labor in the carpet industry in the three targeted countries. A summary of the basic characteristics of these programs as well as the strategies and practices used to reduce or eliminate child labor is provided. The review also provides a discussion of a number of types of interventions, some focused on combating child labor and others focused on improving access to education, that were effective ways of addressing the interlinked issues of child labor and education for all.