Youth Policy Planning and Implementation

This Program will enable you to develop the skills required to investigate, analyse and influence the policy-making processes that shape welfare services, particularly those that directly affect the quality of young people’s lives. It will focus in particular on the nature and scope of youth policy – the common themes that underpin national youth policies and the characteristic tensions within such policies. The relationship between youth policies and the wider policy environment will be considered. The program will also look at the criteria for success or failure of youth policies and the evaluation of their outcomes.

When you successfully complete this program, you should be able to:

• Describe the origins, history and development of youth policies in at least two countries in your region.
• Outline the main themes that underpin the formulation, development and implementation of youth policies.
• Demonstrate a broad awareness of the impact of youth policies on youth development work.
• Evaluate the success of such policies through, for example, the use of performance indicators.
• Contribute to the strategic development of agencies in the youth development field through youth policy development.
• Establish and/or work within partnerships created to achieve key objectives of youth policy at local level.
• Influence policy-making processes in a way that is appropriate to your role.

• Members of National Youth Councils.
• Youth Workers in government departments, corporations and NGOs.
• Youth Parliamentarian Committees.
• Professionals responsible for policy formulation and strategy development in youth focused organizations.

Day 1

Youth policy Overview

Policy Definition - social/welfare policy - youth policy

Youth Policy

Nature, Objectives and Importance

Characteristics of youth policies

Day 2

The scope of youth policy

Policy planning and formulation

Policy impact and implementation

Analyzing Social Policy

Social policy in context

Government involvement in social policy

Grassroots policy development: another approach

Day 3

Youth policy principles

Youth policy and the wider policy environment

Elements of a successful youth policy

Policy success and failure

Measuring success or failure

Elements of a successful policy

Day 4

Frameworks in action

Key headings for a youth policy

Essential features of a youth policy

Evaluation of the effectiveness of policies