Strategic Analysis of the Present Situation in Terms of Early Childhood Development of Iranian Children and Recommended Strategies and Activities

Since lack of strategies and activities based on situation analysis for promotion of health and development in Iranian children has always been an important and serious challenge in this field of work, the main objective of the study, on the basis of which the present manuscript was written was to develop a comprehensive strategic analysis (SWOT analysis) of the present situation in Iran in terms of early childhood development, leading to strategies and activities based on its results, derived from maximal professional consensus among experts and heads of related governmental and non-governmental organizations. This was part of a larger qualitative study which was carried out in five stages, during which the first pre-draft, second pre-draft, first, second and third (final) drafts of a comprehensive plan for promotion of development in Iranian children were developed respectively. One important section of the plan consisted of the situational analysis and another, included recommended strategies based on the situation analysis. The study population was the population of experts and executive managers of governmental and nongovernmental organizations dealing with child health, care and development in the country and the Delphi procedure as well as focus group discussions were the main methods for gathering information. According to qualitative study protocols, we tried to choose the best and most knowledgeable people, meeting the inclusion criteria, as the sample for this study. By carrying out a SWOT analysis, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in this field of work in the country have been identified and confirmed by experts and executive managers cooperating in this study, after which in order to overcome the present challenges 2 goals, 5 objectives, 19 strategies, and several number of activities have been suggested. The authors recommend that the four main ministries dealing with child health, care and development in Iran, that is the ministries of Health, Welfare, Education, and Higher Education and Science, on behalf of their mission and legal responsibilities, give serious attention to the results of the present situation analysis which has been established and approved by a significant group of experts or managers somehow related to childhood issues in the country, and consequently take effective steps for implementing their strategic recommendations, at the national level.