The EU-CoE youth partnership stems from the close relations that the Council of Europe and the European Commission have developed in the youth field over the years since 1998. The overall goal is to foster synergies between the youth-oriented activities of the two institutions. The specific themes are participation/citizenship, social inclusion, recognition and quality of youth work.
What is youth policy, and what major elements should a national youth policy strategy include? How can young people be consulted and otherwise involved in developing youth policy? How do institutions such as the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations address youth policy, and how can this work be concretely linked to the efforts of a national government to develop a youth policy agenda? How is youth policy organised in specific countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region?
These are some of the essential questions addressed in this publication. The Youth policy manual should be considered a source work, a tool and a helpful guide both for policy makers in the youth field and for non-governmental organisations and other stakeholder groups who advocate improved youth policy at the national level.
This manual proposes one possible model for how a national youth policy strategy can be developed. It is a revised version of the Youth policy manual (2009) and takes into account relevant specificities of the MENA region.
ABBREVIATIONS AND GLOSSARY
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
1. WHAT IS A NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY?
1.1. A clearly defined government authority on youth
1.2. A clearly defined intended beneficiary group
1.3. A concrete and transparent strategy
1.4. A knowledge-based policy
1.5. Young people as a resource, not a problem
1.6. Promoting youth participation
1.7. A cross-sectoral, integrated approach to youth policy
1.8. Inter-ministerial co-operation
1.9. A separate budget
1.10. Established links between local, regional and national levels
1.11. In line with international practice
2. YOUTH POLICY INTERNATIONALLY AND REGIONALLY
2.1. The League of Arab States
2.2. Youth policy in the MENA region
2.3. The Council of Europe
2.4. The European Union
2.5. The youth partnership between the European Commission and the Council of Europe
2.6. The United Nations system
3. WHY YOUTH PARTICIPATION – AND HOW?
3.1. Why youth participation?
3.2. Why youth organisations?
3.3. How to involve youth in decision making
4. SOME IMPORTANT ISSUES TO ADDRESS WHEN DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A NATIONAL YOUTH STRATEGY
4.1. Youth policy and youth development models
4.2. Why do we need a national youth strategy?
4.3. Ownership
4.4. Process focus versus goal focus
4.5. Confidence, transparency and accountability
4.6. Legislation
4.7. Cross-sectoral co-operation at the governmental level
4.8. Vertical co-operation at the government level
4.9. Expecting the unexpected
5. SETTING THE STAGE: PLANNING THE STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
5.1. A budget for the process
5.2. The need for research
5.3. Identify the stakeholders
5.4. Develop a project design for the process
5.5. Drawing the timeline
5.6. Different levels of a strategy
5.7. Developing a publicity and communications plan
5.8. Monitoring and evaluation
5.9. A strategy document and an action plan
6. DEVELOPING A YOUTH STRATEGY IN SEVEN STAGES: AN EXAMPLE
Stage 1: early preparations
Stage 2: getting started and the first consultation
Stage 3: the second consultation
Stage 4: developing the first draft
Stage 5: the third consultation
Stage 6: final draft for adoption
Stage 7: developing the action plan
REFERENCES
LITERATURE
The EU-CoE youth partnership stems from the close relations that the Council of Europe and the European Commission have developed in the youth field over the years since 1998. The overall goal is to foster synergies between the youth-oriented activities of the two institutions. The specific themes are participation/citizenship, social inclusion, recognition and quality of youth work.
What is youth policy, and what major elements should a national youth policy strategy include? How can young people be consulted and otherwise involved in developing youth policy? How do institutions such as the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations address youth policy, and how can this work be concretely linked to the efforts of a national government to develop a youth policy agenda? How is youth policy organised in specific countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region?
These are some of the essential questions addressed in this publication. The Youth policy manual should be considered a source work, a tool and a helpful guide both for policy makers in the youth field and for non-governmental organisations and other stakeholder groups who advocate improved youth policy at the national level.
This manual proposes one possible model for how a national youth policy strategy can be developed. It is a revised version of the Youth policy manual (2009) and takes into account relevant specificities of the MENA region.
