There is a long list of issues that should be addressed in advance of starting the NYS development process. Issues related to ownership, accountability and transparency have already been mentioned. This chapter reviews more thoroughly the concrete preparatory steps that need to be considered and decisions that need to be taken before that NYS development process starts. It also outlines an example of a project design with a number of different working bodies that are deemed appropriate for such a comprehensive process.50 Furthermore, it presents the different levels of a strategy, how the overall goals can be “broken down” to their smallest components in order to ensure that the activities which will be implemented in the strategy actually correspond to the overall goals and objectives. However, as is emphasised below, this is but one example of developing a national youth strategy.

The 1rst important step is to map the situation for young people in the country. The ministry responsible for youth should collect research and analyses that have been carried out in recent years, including surveys and statistical data. The different sets of indicators, or areas, of youth policy that are mentioned in sections 3.1.4. and 3.1.5. can serve as a guide for which areas it is important to gather information on. If no recent research on the situation of young people has been undertaken, or is available, it is of crucial importance that such research is carried out. It is a government responsibility to commission such research as the 1rst step in developing a national youth strategy. Even if it is the case that recent research does exist, it can be dif1cult for government decision makers, stakeholder groups and other interested parties to gather this information. The government should therefore take on the task of developing an overview of existing research, so that it can be brought to the attention of the different working groups on thematic areas that will be covered by the strategy. 51 As part of mapping the situation for young people in the country, a focus should be on determining which groups of youth live in vulnerable situations created by either current circumstances, political conditions or long histories of social exclusion and discrimination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW_ax_Zlt_Q - why do we need youth policy?

■We speak of youth policy having a cross-sectoral dimension when there is a process of co-operation between the youth sector and other sectors in matters relevant to young people. For cross-sectoral co-ordination, we may find within a ministry responsible for youth a cross- or inter-ministerial committee. Alternatively, there could be a political representative for youth affairs with a co-ordinating responsibility. While appropriate and needed in theory, working in partnership across different policy sectors (hence, across ministries and agencies) is a demanding process in practice.

Challenges in policy-making

There are many challenges related to youth policy. Some are related to the contemporary realities youth policy is supposed to address (e.g. youth unemployment, violent extremism). Others are recurrent within the youth policy debate, such as:

► Public authorities do not really commit to youth policy. Actions and programmes are scattered across different policy domains. There may be “something” related to youth, but no coherent goals.

► Youth policy is developed on the basis of political ideologies or current interests, at times becoming a tool for maintaining political power, not taking into account the situation, needs or rights of young people.

► The mechanisms and resources to implement youth strategies are missing.

► When youth policy is defined and implemented, different agencies or public authorities do not work together, even if they target young people in relation to problems linked with several policy domains.

► Young people are not involved in shaping youth policies. If and when young people are involved, the policy agenda is already set and their input is not taken into account or young people who participate are not considered representative.

► Public authorities in charge of youth policy are insufficiently prepared to work with young people.

► There is no independent monitoring and/or evaluation of what a youth policy has achieved and where it has failed, or what other needs it should address. Programmes are replicated without learning from what was done. What main challenges for youth policy do you see in your country/ region? What main questions should those responsible for youth policy prioritise in your country/region?

► When a youth policy foresees funding schemes for (youth) organisations or other civil society entities, they are not open to all organisations, regardless of what they propose.

► Professionals working with/for young people, such as youth workers, youth counselling and information officers, or educators are insufficiently trained.

► The outreach of youth policy is problematic. Programmes do not reach those they are designed for, or the target group definition is too narrow and there is little for young people in general.

Public youth policies

Public youth policies should have the following objectives:

-To invest purposefully in young people in a coherent and mutually reinforcing way, wherever possible through an opportunity-focused rather than problem-oriented approach, by elaborating, among other things, standards and instruments of youth policy where necessary;

-To involve young people both in the strategic formulation of youth policies and in eliciting their views about the operational effectiveness of policy implementation;

-To create the conditions for learning, opportunity and experience which ensure and enable young people to develop their knowledge, skills and competences to play a full part in both the labour market and in civil society;

-To establish systems for robust data collections both to demonstrate the effectiveness of youth policies and to reveal the extent to which ‘policy gaps’ exist in relation to effective service delivery to young people from certain social groups, in certain areas or in certain conditions;

-To display a commitment to reducing such ‘policy gaps’ where they demonstrably exist.

■Key aspects of effective and purposeful youth policy include:

► a clearly defined government authority on youth, a body that can lead, direct, coordinate and consolidate the work.

► a clearly defined intended beneficiary group of young people, for example a definition of age limits and/or of the groups that the policy intervention aims to reach.

► a concrete and transparent strategy and an action plan, and mechanisms of monitoring and evaluation, to keep policy makers accountable and to learn in order to improve youth policy.

► a knowledge base, for example a mapping of the different needs of different young people, research and statistics, and empirical information from policy implementation.

► a vision considering young people as a resource, not as a problem, to support and empower young people to develop their full potential and to contribute positively to society.

► a belief in the value of and a capacity to enable meaningful youth participation, i.e. young people participating in policy processes and being engaged in youth organisations and community life.

► a cross-sectoral approach to youth policy, bringing together different sectors of public policies that have a role to play in the lives of young people, from the “youth field” and beyond.

► a separate sustainable budget, because policy needs to be backed by sustainable, dedicated, adequate resources for implementation.

► established links between local, regional and national levels, recognising the competences and responsibilities of all actors and seeking cooperation, co-ordination and partnership.

► consistency with international practice, taking into account standards, recommendations and good practices.

Summary

Each country has its own mechanisms for youth policy implementation. Generally, the central government has a role in the formulation of the policy framework, when it creates (for example, through legislation and budgets) the conditions for regional and local level action, and finally it generally follows up and evaluates the implementation of policy objectives. When developing youth policy objectives, the authorities consider the outcomes of earlier policy processes and outcomes, as well as relevant research data. The central government may establish general objectives and sometimes require local or regional authorities to develop specific ones. The second step concerns the provision of structures and resources, and this may consist of having specific legislation to define services or funding arrangements. This creates the conditions for activities, interventions and services to be put in place. Finally, the state assesses the results from the regional and local levels. Youth policy action may and should be complemented by gathering empirical data on how policy aspirations are implemented in practice, who they have reached, with what effect, in order to know what to change when needed. For this cycle to function effectively, the formulation of objectives should come together with benchmarks for their evaluation: objectives should be unambiguous, ideologically explicit, measurable and relative to the resources available. Other youth policy actors, as well as government, should be involved throughout the process. 

Open ended questions

1. Describe the process of policy-making. in your country.

2. What are the challenges of making a youth policy in your country?

3. Is there any cross-sectoral body that monitors the development of youth policy in your country?

4. Which must be the objectives of youth policies in your country?

5. What kind of evidence supports the objectives of youth policy in your context?