“By involving a large number of national youth in NDP processes, we are creating a large base of the public that will be able to support, engage with and promote national development.” SPW

The social development advisor at DFID Uganda was acutely aware of the growing youth bulge in the country, and the need to engage more actively with young people in order to minimise the risk of youth apathy or violence. DFID Uganda commissioned a civil society organisation, SPW, to lead and organise a two-day national youth consultation at the request of the National Planning Authority in June 2009. Young people’s recommendations were listened to and clearly documented as part of the formulation of the National Development Plan (NDP).

Problems addressed:

• The consultation was designed to address the lack of youth input and involvement in the development of Uganda’s Five-Year National Development Plan (2009 to 2014), especially regarding the key issues affecting young people, such as unemployment, education, health and poverty.

Objectives

• To ensure young people across Uganda have the opportunity to learn about and feed into the NDP process;
• To engage youth creativity and expertise to identify policies and programmes required to achieve NDP objectives;
• To provide an opportunity for face-to-face discussion between young people and decision-makers; so decision-makers can better understand the barriers to employment and prosperity facing young people across Uganda;
• To ensure effective dissemination of consultation findings.

Youth as partners

Fifty-two young people (providing national representation for Uganda’s districts and youth-led organisations), were recruited from youth NGOs, student associations and youth disability groups. This group discussed the key thematic areas of the NDP and formulated recommendations for the government. Key members of the staff team responsible for the consultation were also young people.

Process

• National newspaper advertisement inviting contributions via SMS;
• Participants representing official youth structures, NGOs, disabled and student groups;
• Introduction to SPW and the NDP; 
• Training for participants on strategy analysis;
• Tools included a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis and spider diagram/mind mapping;
• Four groups created strategies in the key areas of education, employment, health and population, and gender and social development;
• Twelve key strategic recommendations were agreed;
• Two young people presented the recommendations to the National Planning Authority and Ministry of Children and Youth;
• Consultation outcomes disseminated across all key ministries and decision- makers in Uganda.

Results

• Draft NDP mentions youth entrepreneurship (USD$5m earmarked for start-ups); vocational skills for out-of-school youth with attention to quality and moral aspects and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health and rights. There is an emphasis on vulnerable youth in the sections on gender and social protection.
• Government considering follow-up regional consultations, and youth participation in M&E of the plan.
• World Bank Uganda seeking young people to participate in Country Assistance Strategy (2010).

Lessons learned

• Capacity building during or ideally before the consultation can equip/empower youth to discuss and prioritise key issues in a more effective manner.
• Media involvement created a wider coverage, collected views and recruited participants. Rural youth can be contacted via SMS, radio or newspaper announcements.
• Face-to-face orientation and training between adults and rural youth, practitioners and donor agencies enabled them to connect with each other’s realities.
• Government officials and policy advisors should contribute by: overseeing and participating in the consultation, and ensuring follow up and dissemination of findings internally.
• The implementing partner organisation should organise the following:
  • A core management team
  • Member of senior staff responsible for developing the relationship with donor agency and government official(s)
  • Overall management of consultation and logistics
  • Staff member(s) who liaise with young people
• Particular costs to consider: travel, accommodation and food for all the young participants. Where appropriate i.e., for those under 18 years of age, a chaperone should be provided. Officials’ travel costs if appropriate.

Potential challenges

• Reaching and securing the participation of key authority figures;
• Ensuring a fair and thorough representation of diverse young people.

For further Information contact:

Students Partnership Worldwide, http://www.spw.org