Implementation and adaption of
new strategies in specific youth contexts
In many countries, youth work strategies are an integral part of the national educational and social system, implemented by professional youth workers. In other countries, youth work is practiced without it being formally incorporated into these systems, mainly performed by youth organizations and paid workers/volunteers who have experience or are educated in a field close to work with or education of young people. In another set of countries, youth work is a combination of these two forms.
The purpose of this module is to underline the necessity for implementing and adapting new strategies for work with young people, and to provide youth workers with knowledge that can help them in adapting and implementing their strategies for youth work in their specific youth contexts.
Module objectives
- to help youth workers better understand the process and steps of implementing a new strategy for youth work;
- to prepare youth workers for possible challenges in the implementation or adaptation of a new strategy for youth work;
- to introduce youth workers to the EU Youth Strategy, as a key youth strategy that sets priorities in youth work at European level;
- to provide youth workers with an opportunity to learn from previous experiences in implementing and adapting a new strategy for youth work.
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this module, participants/learners/youth workers are expected to:
- be able to successfully implement and/or adapt a new strategy for youth work in their community;
- be better prepared for potential challenges that might affect the implementation and/or adaptation of a new strategy for youth work in their community;
- be better acquainted with the priorities of the EU Youth Strategy, which their specific youth work policies and goals can be based on.
1. Steps of implementing a
new strategy for youth work
Strategy implementation is the translation of a certain strategy into organized action in order to achieve strategic objectives. The success of youth workers and the strategies they develop largely depends on the youth workers’ capacity to implement their plans and decisions in an effective manner. To facilitate this crucial process, it is useful to divide and observe the implementation of the strategy in several steps.
Key Steps in Implementing a Strategy for Youth Work
1. Preparing an action plan and identifying potential obstacles
2. Defining roles and responsibilities and assigning tasks
3. Monitoring performance and progress
4. Adjusting and correcting action
5. Closing and reviewing implementation
The first step in implementing a new strategy is preparing a detailed action plan with concrete and clear description of timelines, activities, approaches and resources to be used. If you do not have a clear image of what you are attempting to achieve and how to achieve it, realizing your strategy can be difficult.
It is of outmost importance to define an action plan that is achievable and that correspond to your capacity, resources and circumstances. Engaging into a plan and goals that are not realistic can lead to disappointment, lack of energy and motivation for work of your team.
Another important point when preparing the action plan is to analyze what potential obstacles may take place in one or several stages of the project and jeopardize the achievement of the project objectives, and prepare possible solutions to these risks. The better prepared you are, the more successful the implementation will be.
At this stage, it is helpful to go through the resources that are available, including the staff of the organization, volunteers, teams and related units within the organization’s structure. Outline a clear picture of what each resource is responsible for achieving, and establish a communication scheme that everyone involved in the implementation of the strategy should respect.
Implementing strategic plans requires close communication between the persons involved in the process, and these persons need to know how to interact with each other and how often, as well as who the decision-makers are and who’s accountable for what.
Determine who needs to do what and when. Review the action plan timeline and goal list, and assign tasks to the appropriate team members, together with respective deadlines.
Once the plan has been put into action, you will need to regularly check the progress of the implementation. One effective approach for monitoring progress is to use weekly, monthly, semi-annual and annual reports and check-ins to receive feedback, provide updates, re-establish due dates and milestones, and ensure all work and teams are aligned.
Planned action can change at any point of the process of implementation, and unforeseen issues or challenges can arise. Sometimes, the original objectives will need to shift as the current circumstances on which the strategy depends change. Therefore, it is more important to be attentive, flexible, and willing to change or adjust plans than it is to blindly stick to your original goals.
Once your strategy has been implemented, review the process and assess how things went. Tackle questions like:
– Have the strategy objectives been achieved? If not, why?
– Was the original strategy and action plan followed and realized as planned?
– What obstacles (both expected and unexpected) appeared during the implementation process? Were they overcome? How can they be avoided in the future?
– How satisfied are the strategy targets and relevant stakeholders with the results of the implementation of the strategy?
– What is the level of impact of the strategy implementation?
– What lessons can you learn from the implementation process?
In order to assess the achievement of the strategy objectives and results, as well as the impact on the strategy target groups, it is useful to apply different sets of evaluation indicators, such as quantitative indicators (e.g. number of young people, youth organizations or other entities involved in or benefiting from the implementation of the strategy), qualitative indicators (e.g. percentage of young people’s satisfaction with the results and impact of the implementation of the strategy), and productivity indicators (presenting the degree of completion of tasks in relation to planned ones).
2. Challenges in implementing
a new strategy for youth work
2. Challenges in implementing a new strategy for youth work
The implementation of a new strategy may often be hindered by a variety of challenges. Understanding the most common and biggest potential challenges to the process of implementing the strategy listed below will help you avoid or be better prepared for overcoming these obstacles.
The strategy should have clear and achievable objectives, well-planned timelines, an appropriate division of roles and responsibilities, detailed analysis of resources available and resources needed. These are the foundations of the strategy and they need to be carefully prepared in order for the strategy to deliver the desired results. Therefore, work on outlining a stable and realistic strategy as long as necessary. Try not to set objectives and milestones that are hardly manageable. Do not delegate unclear responsibilities or an overwhelming amount of work to be done too fast and in narrow deadlines. Envision the process of implementation of the strategy before it starts.
The implementation of a strategy often begins with little more than a general estimation of what sorts of resources are needed. The further the implementation of a strategy is carried out without appropriate review of human and financial resources available and of resources needed, the higher the probability of encountering problems that can seriously affect the implementation process. For this reason, it is important to prepare a precise resource analysis before the implementation begins. Moreover, continuous monitoring of resource allocation and usage throughout the whole implementation process is recommended so that any potential resource shortage can be detected at an early stage and solutions can be considered.
A new strategic plan cannot be turned into action without proper competences, knowledge and training of the team expected to implement the strategy. When delegating the tasks and responsibilities, it is important that each member of the team has the skills and knowledge they need in order to be able to carry out the tasks assigned to them. Reallocation of human resources or providing further training where needed can help to ensure quality and professional completion of the work.
Reliable, transparent and regular communication between staff or team members is not only the quality of an effective organization, but it is a necessary step for any attempt to transform a plan into concrete action. Lack of communication and cooperation between and within the teams engaged in the implementation of the strategy can result in disorganized and ineffective work. In order to prevent this kind of issues, establishing communication channels, coordination of the communication, and meticulous planning of the schedule and task distribution is crucial.
It can be said that the implementation of a new strategy is never over. There should be regularly scheduled reviews of the new strategy in order to inspect the process, ensure the plan is delivering the results as envisioned, and make adaptations, if necessary. This can be achieved through meetings, reporting and evaluation at set periods of time.
3. Review of key youth strategies:
EU Youth Strategy
According to the United Nations, young people aged 10 to 24 account for one quarter of the world’s total population today, making it the largest generation of young people in history. It is the competences, ambitions and achievements of these 1.8 billion people that will shape the future. Considering the importance of the personal and professional development of young people for the development of societies, work with youth and for youth has become a priority at national, European and global level, resulting in the creation and implementation of different youth policies in different countries.
In the section below, you can find information about the main features and the essence of the the EU Youth Strategy, as one of the most relevant agendas aimed at youth development.
Based on a resolution adopted by the Council of the European Union in 2018, the EU Youth Strategy is the framework for EU youth policy cooperation for 2019-2027. It is a plan aimed at encouraging youth participation in democratic life, supporting social and civic engagement and ensuring that all young people have the necessary resources to take part in society.
In particular, the EU Youth Strategy focuses on the following 11 European Youth Goals, proposed by and reflecting the views of European youth:
1. Connecting EU with Youth
2. Equality of All Genders
3. Inclusive Societies
4. Information & Constructive Dialogue
5. Mental Health & Wellbeing
6. Moving Rural Youth Forward
7. Quality Employment for All
8. Quality Learning
9. Space and Participation for All
10. Sustainable Green Europe
11. Youth Organisations & European Programmes
The Strategy is centered around three key forms of action: engage, connect, empower.
With “engage”, the EU Youth Strategy aims at achieving a meaningful civic, economic, social, cultural and political participation of young people.
Connections and exchanges of experience are a pivotal asset for solidarity and the future development of the European Union. This connection happens through different forms of mobility.
Empowerment of young people means encouraging them to take charge of their own lives. Today, young people across Europe are facing diverse challenges and youth work in all its forms can serve as a catalyst for empowerment.
Achieving the aims and goals of the EU Youth Strategy is realized through various instruments, such as:
– Mutual learning activities (expert groups and learning between Member States, the European Commission and relevant stakeholders);
– Future National Activities Planners (Member States aligning their priorities with the EU Youth Strategy);
– EU Youth Dialogue (structured dialogue with young people and youth organisations involving policy and decision makers, experts, researchers and other relevant civil society actors);
– EU Youth Strategy Platform (which facilitates participatory governance and coordination of the implementation of the Strategy);
– Evidence-based tools (statistics, indicators and data collection sources)
The cross-sectorial cooperation in the implementation of the EU Youth Strategy is coordinated by an EU Youth Coordinator within the European Commission.
4. Case study
In 2015, following a decision of the Council of the Municipality of Bitola, the Local Youth Council of the Municipality of Bitola was formed, together with its Youth Strategy for the period 2014-2019.
The goals of the Youth Strategy of the Local Youth Council of the Municipality of Bitola were as follows:
– Fostering active cooperation with and engaging young people in local policies;
-Establishing an institutionalized dialogue between the Municipality and the local youth through;
– Fostering youth activism and participation of young people in society;
– Increasing the availability of non-formal education in secondary schools;
– Supporting the employment of young people.
In order to implement the Youth Strategy, the following steps were undertaken:
– Participation of members of the Local Youth Council in a series of trainings organized by OSCE in Macedonia aimed at building capacities of local youth council in Macedonia;
– Setting up an annual action plan in collaboration with the Municipality, defining timeframes, priority fields of action and forming teams heading each of the five priorities;
– Organizing meetings with local non-governmental organizations, secondary schools, the University of Bitola and representatives of the youth of the dominant political parties;
– Monthly meetings of the Local Youth Council for reporting about the realization of the action plan and intervening when necessary;
– Final analysis of the results of the implementation of the Youth Strategy and reporting to the Council of the Municipality of Bitola through a public presentation and debate.
– Lack of capacities: considering that this was the first youth council of the Municipality of Bitola, it was clear that the Local Youth Council lacked appropriate experience in the field of institutionalized work with the local youth. This challenge was overcome to a certain degree with the help of the OSCE Mission in Macedonia, which organized trainings aimed at building the capacities of youth council through achieving financial stability, networking, exchange of good practices, positioning of the local youth councils in the Municipality;
– Lack of resources: a good deal of the activities and work of the Local Youth Council were limited by the lack of sufficient resources, which were mainly based on help from the Municipality and sponsors from the local community;
– Lack of objective and thorough analysis of results: considering the composition of both the Local Youth Council and the Council of the Municipality of Bitola, and due to the involvement of political parties in both bodies, there was no objective and constructive analysis of the work on the Local Youth Council and the implementation of the Youth Strategy.
