Youth work practice needs to be guided by a youth work policy that …

is developed in cooperation between all relevant stakeholders, including young people, having clear roles and mandates and being engaged in all stages of the process.

The policy development process is set up in different ways in different municipalities and is often strictly regulated. However, if young people are to be engaged, they also have to be invited to a dialogue on how the process as such should be designed and how their voices should be heard and taken into account.

In this dialogue, it is crucial to make clear the roles and mandates of young people and how the views of different groups of young people, e.g. organised and not organised young people, are to be considered.

The engagement of young people, as well as of other stakeholders, relies on that they know in advance what to expect regarding the process as such and in terms of influence. It is through meeting all stakeholders, their ideas and experiences, as resources that the best possible result will be obtained. This will also secure that the policy is well grounded and understood among all stakeholders concerned.

Do you agree on what this means in practice?
Do you agree on to what degree youth work meets this bullet point?
Here you find the questions you need to discuss to find out!

If you think that this is something you need to work on, click the “Add to development agenda” button below. You will then find your agenda on your personal page and be able to start a development process.

Please note!
If you start a development process related to this bullet point you will find the below questions also under the page “Discuss and assess”. There you will also be able to take notes.

Questions to discuss

Are young people and youth workers well represented in the local policy development process?
Is the local policy development process designed in way that it feels welcoming to all different kinds of stakeholders, including young people?
What are the risks of developing policy without having input from those closest concerned
- Regarding content and relevance?
- Regarding understanding and implementation?

References & tips

“Recognising that all young people are a resource to society, all policies and activities concerning young people should uphold young people’s right to participate in the development, implementation and follow-up of policies affecting them by means of meaningful participation of young people and youth organisations.” European Youth Strategy 2019 – 2027, Engage, Connect, Empower
One example of young people can be involved in the policy making process is the Council of Europe co-management system.
Another example is the EU Structured dialogue.
Democracy Reloading is a strategic Erasmus+ Youth/European Solidarity Corps National Agency cooperation project that started in 2015 with the aim to empower municipal workers to engage young people in decision-making.
Dypall is European network of civil society organisations, municipalities and research institutions dedicated to improving democracy through youth participation.