Besides formal frameworks, accountability to young people involves informal means of supporting their autonomy as individuals and groups e.g. having and giving reasons for all actions and decisions concerning them; sharing information; sharing decision-making power democratically.

The learning and articulation of the rights and responsibilities of a person in relation to their local communities and wider society around them. This is a dynamic process that allows an individual to build their own perception of citizenship; and to understand and explore their position. It can function from the local to the global.

This is the culmination of an individual’s capacity to act: their skills and capabilities and their ability to change their own lives.

Appreciating and mobilising individual or group talents and strengths, rather than focusing only on deficits (needs), problems or threats.

An attitudinal, structural, and cultural process whereby young people gain the ability, authority, and agency to make decisions and implement change in their own lives and the lives of other people, including youth and adults.

Relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power or verify performance. It consists either of a separate process or of a specific part of management or leadership processes. Governance is a feature of all institutions, state and non-state. It should involve young people.

This is the means by which people survive/subsist (including skills, assets and other resources), as distinct from simply jobs or labour. In the programming context, and especially with youth, a ‘livelihood programme’ would be aimed at more than enterprise/employability to take in life skills, health etc. The “sustainable livelihoods” framework has been adopted by DFID and others.

The process of assessing the implications for [youth] of any planned action, including legislation, policy or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making [young people’s] concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that [young people] benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. (Adapted from: ECOSOC Agreed Conclusions 1997/2)

The active, informed and voluntary involvement of people in decision-making and the life of their communities (both locally and globally). Participation means work with and by people, not merely work for them. The human rights approach to development acknowledges that youth have the right to participation, including under-18s who have the right “to express...views freely in all matters affecting [them], the views...being given due weight in accordance with [their] age and maturity” (Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989, Article 12).

The process of moving from conflict and states of emergency to routine national development.

A process by which certain groups are systematically disadvantaged because they are discriminated against (in public institutions or socially e.g. in the household) on the basis of their ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, caste, descent, gender, age, disability, HIV status, migrant status or where they live.

Youth overlaps with, but is distinct from adolescence, as it extends into adulthood. This guide follows the United Nations in defining “youth” as persons of 15-24 years. This is helpful in capturing many of those who have finished schooling, are sexually active and are facing livelihoods/unemployment issues.

An approach to development driven and guided by young people that draws upon their energy, creativity and skills to create positive change. It can be on a small or large scale and implicitly values young people as an asset for society.