Data Governance That Puts Children First: Boosting the Efficiency and Impact of the Primero Information Management System Through Responsible Data Practices

Imagine a young girl in a humanitarian setting who has just survived sexual assault. She seeks help through a local service provider who uses a digital tool to manage her case. Her personal story, sensitive details about her health, family situation, and safety, enters a digital system designed to coordinate care, track follow-ups, and ensure that children don’t fall through the cracks of the system due to overlooked or uncoordinated care. Every piece of data recorded is essential for protection, but if mishandled, could expose her to further harm and stigmatization.

Primero is a widely used information management system built to help child protection actors work together, securely and efficiently. With collecting data comes responsibility, and that responsibility doesn’t stop at data entry; that’s where it starts How we govern that data, how it’s collected, accessed, used, and protected, makes the difference between safeguarding a child and putting them at additional risk.

This is where the new Data Governance for Children service offering comes in.

Rooted in the Responsible Data for Children (RD4C) principles, the new service offering ensures that data in systems like Primero is handled ethically, securely, and with children’s rights at the centre - not as an afterthought.

Child-Centred Data Governance Services Integrated into the Primero Subscription

To help partners implement responsible data governance from the start, or enhance it in existing rollouts, tailored service packages are now offered as part of the Primero subscription model.

These services are designed to match the stage and context of each implementation. Depending on an organisation’s needs, data governance experts will design a tailored process that incorporates selected RD4C tools such as the Opportunity and Risk Diagnostic, the Decision Provenance Mapping tool, or the 22 Questions Audit.

These tools help identify governance gaps, clarify accountabilities, and ensure that data is not just collected but used both responsibly and effectively. The value of data materializes when it is used. If just collected, data is risk without benefits.

Tailored Support Aligned to Your Implementation Stage

RD4C principles-based data governance services are adapted to where you are in your Primero journey. Whether you're rolling out a new system or improving an existing one, tools and support are chosen to match your specific needs. This might include participatory workshops, risk diagnostics, or dedicated fact finding, always aimed at embedding responsible data practices that are ethical, proportionate, and effective.

These services are customizable, scalable, and cost-effective, offering a high return on investment by helping organisations avoid the significant costs of data breaches, data misuse, and reputational harm while also improving service delivery efficiency through smarter data use.

Why Implement Responsible Data Practices?

To those on the front lines of service delivery, UNICEF country offices, NGOs, and government actors, the challenges are familiar: a strong approach to data governance is far more than a regulatory obligation. It is a vital safeguard that protects children from the real harm of data misuse, including identity theft, retraumatization, and exploitation. It also shields organisations from the erosion of trust that can occur when platforms, services, or institutions fail to manage sensitive information responsibly. If overlooked, poor data governance can lead to costly duplication, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities to intervene early and effectively.

In short, responsible data governance isn’t optional, it’s a necessity for doing this work well and with children’s interests at heart. It reduces risks, strengthens systems, and ultimately delivers better outcomes for the children and families who rely on them.

The Bottom Line: Data Governance Is Child Protection

We cannot strengthen protection services for children without carefully governing the data we rely on, not just to protect privacy, but to actively use it for smarter, more impactful services. With this new service offering, UNICEF and its partners are making sure data becomes a tool for empowerment, not exploitation.

By offering new data governance services into the Primero subscription, we are turning principles into practice - ensuring that every child’s data journey is a safe one.

Ready to strengthen your data governance approach?
In a world where digital systems play an increasingly central role in delivering social services, how we manage data about children is no longer a technical question, it’s a matter of rights, trust, and impact.

Explore the DG4C service offerings and get in touch with the team to learn how we can support your Primero implementation.

Contact us to learn more.