Youth Engagement in PYD Programs:
What are the best ways to measure and evaluate the impact of various levels of youth engagement on intended PYD indicators and program outcomes?
- Are PYD programs with high levels of youth engagement or specific types of youth engagement more effective than those without?
- Do youth who engage with PYD programs in depth or in specific ways get more benefit from those programs than youth who are less engaged?
- How does youth engagement benefit others in the community?
Youth Engagement Indicators for Monitoring and Evaluation
The Youth Engagement Community of Practice developed guidance and YouthPower Learning curated a collection of existing indicators for measuring youth engagement. Youth level indicators measure whether youth are actively engaged in their communities and civil society (i.e., connectedness), youth involvement in meaningful decision making, adult mentorship, and adult-youth partnerships (i.e., reciprocity). Institutional level indicators include the measurement of institutional capacity and commitment to engage youth. Enabling environment level indicators include national-level youth policies and laws in place and indicators to measure community recognition of youth leadership. Currently, measurement of these indicators or concepts is at the program level, often in one sector. Global-level measurement of these indicators across sectors is needed to understand global trends in youth engagement in development.
Evaluation Evidence of Youth Engagement and Program Outcomes
There is increasing evidence of the positive effects of youth engagement on program outcomes. Below we review evidence from health, democracy, human rights and governance, and agriculture and food security. These programs all include some degree of youth engagement and were evaluated to determine whether relevant outcomes for the sector have changed with youth engagement in the program.
Health
- Peer-led and school-based HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Malaysia, China and Vietnam showed improvements in knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, and risk reduction behaviors. HYPERLINK TO ARTICLES BELOW (link to each country name)
- Comprehensive ASRH programs in Africa using trainings, community engagement, and working with the health sector, have been effective at engaging youth in ASRH. Youth engagement was associated with improvements of youth utilization of STI, perinatal. and antenatal services in Ghana and increased HIV/AIDS knowledge and self-efficacy and reduced risky sexual behaviors and HIV incidence in South Africa. HYPERLINK TO ARTICLES BELOW
- Substance use prevention strategies engaging youth in Mexico, Taiwan, and Romania showed positive results. All were school-based interventions with young adolescents, and all showed reductions in substance use. HYPERLINK TO ARTICLES BELOW (link to each country name)
Health and Other Development Sectors
- The SHAZ! Program in Zimbabwe to improve livelihoods and health for 17-19-year old female adolescents included life-skills and health education, vocational training, micro-grants, and social support. The results showed reduced food insecurity, improved income, less transactional sex, more condom use, and less unintended pregnancy. HYPERLINK TO ARTICLE BELOW
Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance
- A study in Lebanon examined the short-term impact of a program to improve civic engagement, increase youth volunteering, and provide soft-skills training on the outcomes of social cohesion, soft-skills development, and employment. The authors found that volunteering was associated with increased perceptions of community belonging (i.e., social cohesion), but no program impact was found on employment or soft-skills development (e.g., measures of leadership/teamwork, communication skills, confidence skills). HYPERLINK TO
- A Youth Development Competencies Program in Russia was implemented from 2008-2010. The purpose of the program was to empower youth using PYD principles to develop competencies to succeed and contribute as professionals and citizens. Nearly 70 percent self-reported that their participation in the program helped them obtain professional skills.
Agriculture and Food Security
- A review of the literature of agribusiness development programs implemented by the government and other development partners found evidence of success in engaging youth in the agribusiness sector, improvements in youth access to resources, improved business management skills, improved market access, increased business networks and gainful youth employment. Additional insights include:
- The key to engaging youth in agribusiness in rural Africa is to demonstrate to youth and their families that it is a viable career option.
- Information communication technologies (ICTs) have played a critical role in attracting young people to agribusiness in Africa.
- Another important success in youth engagement in the agribusiness sector in Africa is youth skills development to fill market needs.
- Improving youth access to resources in Africa (e.g., land, financing) is associated with positive outcomes for youth in agribusiness.
See also: What strategies are effective in enabling meaningful youth engagement?
