Attachment_J.1f_SOO_Annex_6_Youth_in_Development_Policy.pdf

Ph ot o:

S ha h M ar ai

YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT

Realizing the Demographic Opportunity

USAID POLICY

YOUTH

OCTOBER 2012

“[T]here are underlying dynamics that are affecting young people everywhere – changes in demographics and technology, economics and politics that are bringing together this unique moment in history. Young people are at the heart of today’s great strategic opportunities and challenges, from rebuilding the global economy to combating violent extremism to building sustainable democracies.”

Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, “Youth Rising,”Tunisia, February 25, 2012

USAID

YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT

POLICY

Realizing the Demographic Opportunity

OCTOBER 2012

WASHINGTON, DC

PDACS999

iii iv

Youth in Development Policy Contents

CONTENTS

Message from theAdministrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii

Executive Summary

I. Introduction:Youth in Development

II. Challenges and Opportunities:A Global Snapshot

III. Goal and Objectivies

IV.Objective One: StrengthenYouth Programming, Participation, and Partnership

Framework and Guiding Principles

V.ObjectiveTwo: Integrating and MainstreamingYouth

VI.Agency Roles and Coordination

Conclusion

AnnexA: Factors for Selectivity and Focus

Annex B: Project Specifics: IllustrativeYouth in Development ProjectTypes

Annex C:Top 40 USAID Countries:“Rapidly Growing and Bulging” Populations as % ofTotal, 2010

Bibliography v

Message from the Administrator Youth in Development Policy

MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR

I am pleased to share with you USAID’s first policy on youth in development. Building on the Agency’s decades of experience working with young people, this policy provides guidance on pur suing smarter, more innovative, and more cost effective approaches to empowering youth to contribute to and benefit from their countries’ development efforts. In so doing, we seek to accelerate economic growth, strengthen societies, and respond to the needs and aspirations of young people everywhere.

No challenge is more important. Last year, world population sur passed seven billion people, more than half of whom are under the age of 30. Changing age structures can provides the opportu nity to benefit from a socalled“demographic dividend.” As children live longer and family sizes decrease, the share of those people in working ages grows in comparison to the very young or very old. Coupled with strategic, evidencedriven and results oriented investments, this phenomenon can add as much as two percentage points of growth for years. This is especially true in today’s world of rapid transformation and connectivity, where youth serve as energetic change agents in their communities and countries.

But there is nothing inevitable or automatic about achieving this promise. Young people must be given the skills, resources and opportunities to succeed through quality education, access to health care, adequate nutrition, supportive families and social net works, and the promise of good jobs. If so, they can be proponents of stable democracies, strong societies and prosper ous economies. If not, there is another, less hopeful vision: where a large part of the population in developing countries is unem ployed, frustrated, volatile, and subject to the siren songs of warlords, crime kingpins and traffickers in persons alike.

Under this policy, we place a strong emphasis on integrating youth considerations as a crosscutting factor in all our programming.

We also stress the importance of building diverse partnerships and fostering innovation with and on behalf of young people, and the need to better evaluate our youth programming. The policy highlights the need for new research, particularly around youth, food security and climate change where evidence in more limited.

While this policy is framed around the complex youth transition from adolescence to adulthood, it also addresses the important synergies with childhood interventions, including in health, protec tion, education, and nutrition.

With the release of this policy, USAID reaffirms its commitment to empowering young people with the tools they need to create a more prosperous and peaceful world for us all.

Rajiv J. Shah Administrator vi

Youth in Development Policy Acknowledgements

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

A PolicyTaskTeam (PTT), chaired by Nicole Goldin from the Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning (PPL) with Mark Han nafin from the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA)/Executive Secretariat, produced USAID’s Policy onYouth In Development.The PTT comprised seven indi viduals from across the Agency for their recognized knowledge and expertise on these issues. These USAID staff worked inten sively and collaboratively in service to this critical policy, and will continue to serve as important resources in the policy’s imple mentation:

■ Christine CapacciCarneal (Middle East and Asia Bureaus)

■ Clare Ignatowski (Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and the Environment)

■ Cate Lane (Bureau for Global Health)

■ Erin Mazursky (Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs)

■ Mark Meassick (Mission/Kenya)

■ Enrique Roig (Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean)

■ Jennifer Watts (Bureau for Policy, Planning, and Learning)

The PTT held a series of internal and external listening sessions, as well as a review of the knowledge and evidence base for inter national youth development and relevant lessons from domestic experience. Early drafting was further informed byWashington and mission resource groups, and we thank them for their thoughtful feedback and contributions.We would also like to acknowledge Devon McLorg, a Presidential Management Fellow for providing critical support to theTeam in the final months.

This policy is also the result of robust consultations across the Agency and interagency, as well as with interested Congressional staff, external practitioners and partners, and youth themselves.

With collaboration from partners, we engaged over 150 young people in 15 countries and over 100 practitioners.All contribu tions substantially informed and improved this final policy.We are grateful to Deputy Administrator Donald Steinberg for his com mitment to this policy and the young people it serves.

As we move to implement this policy, we intend to embrace feedback on how to ensure the Agency is achieving maximum impact and sustainable partnerships with host countries, other donors, young people, and a wide range of youth practitioners.

vii http:policy.We http:contributions.We viii

Youth in Development Policy Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This Policy on Youth in Development is the first of its kind for USAID. It is both timely and necessary as more than half of the world’s population today is under the age of 30, with the vast majority living in the developing world.As Secretary Clinton said in Tunisia in February 2012,“…in every region, responding to the needs and aspirations of young people is a crucial challenge for the future.”The policy is predicated on emerging best and promising practice for youth develop ment and engagement that are gleaned from USAID and partner’s experience in youth programming, as well as through consultations with young people across the develop ing world.The policy is further informed by principles and practices articulated in the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development (PPD), the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR), the National Security Strategy 2010, State Department Youth Policy 2011, USAID Forward, and the USAID Policy Framework 20112015.

USAID has decades of valuable experience in leading efforts with young people and societies to enable safe and produc tive transition of youth to adulthood. However, USAID has not always approached its work with youth systematically.

This policy puts forward an overarching goal for youth devel opment along with related objectives and outcomes to be achieved. It outlines a conceptual approach to youth in devel opment and provides guiding principles and operational practices in support of USAID’s efforts to mainstream youth in development, carry out more effective programs, and ele vate youth participation. Importantly, this policy will position USAID and its partners to capitalize on favorable global pop ulation trends by investing in programs and policies by, with, and for youth that seize opportunity and lead to sustainable growth and human development, including through the real ization of what is often referred to as a demographic dividend.

Goal: Improve the capacities and enable the aspira tions of youth so that they can contribute to and benefit from more stable, democratic, and prosperous communities and nations.

Objectives

1: Strengthen youth programming, participation and partner ship in support of Agency development objectives.

2: Mainstream and integrate youth issues and engage young people across Agency initiatives and operations.

Expected Outcomes

■ Youth are better able to access economic and social opportunities, share in economic growth, live healthy lives, and contribute to household, community, and national wellbeing.

■ Youth fully participate in democratic and development processes, play active roles in peacebuilding and civil soci ety, and are less involved in youth gangs, criminal networks, and insurgent organizations.

■ Youth have a stronger voice in, and are better served by local and national institutions, with more robust and youth friendly policies.

Sizeable youth populations are both an opportunity and a challenge. Development can be accelerated when the major ity of youth in any country are able to make significant contributions to economic, social, and political life in a way that lifts countries out of poverty, ensures greater stability and promotes healthier societies. Alternatively, peace, progress and prosperity are held back when countries are unable to meet the basic needs of their youth.With few exceptions, in the coming decades, developing countries have or will have a population age structure that favors economic growth. For some countries, the window to capitalize on this opportunity is short, while for others, it is just opening or still a few decades away.

Reaching youth potential depends upon their preparation for and participation in development efforts; leveraging invest ments in early childhood in order to set the stage for tomorrow’s development outcomes.

http:world.As

Executive Summary

To achieve objective one, the policy provides a concep tual framework for youth in development that comprises four intertwined elements: support, protect, prepare and engage. Youth programming has traditionally been imple mented within specific sectors, including health, education, employment, and civic participation. Increasingly, however, youth development practitioners recommend that sector approaches be broadened to include crosssector and inte grated approaches, and that greater attention be paid to strengthening youth development systems.This framework and guiding principles will shape efforts to meet objectives and achieve expected outcomes.These principles include:

■ Recognize that youth participation is vital for effective programs;

■ Invest in assets that build youth resilience;

■ Account for youth differences and commonalities;

■ Create second chance opportunities;

■ Involve and support mentors, families, and communities;

■ Pursue gender equality; and

■ Embrace innovation and technology by and for youth.

Youth in Development Policy

To achieve objective two, the policy calls for Agency offi cers to mainstream, integrate and invest in youth to yield success, scale and sustainability across Agency core initiatives and priorities. It advances a development model that fully embraces youth potential and participation, and it provides insight into how to program strategically for this target group.

While youth development programs often focus on young people in the 1524 year age range, the policy recognizes that USAID youth programs likely engage a broader cohort of 10 and 29 year olds; with the critical understanding that the transition from childhood to adulthood is not finite or linear and varies across and within countries.The policy asks all USAID missions to consider how they can mainstream youth across their portfolios, and provides guidance on when and how to prioritize and target intentional youth develop ment efforts.While this policy is framed around young people’s development, it also acknowledges the important links to and synergies with protection issues and interven tions, as well as laws and policies protecting those aged 0 to 17 (who are defined as “children” by international standards and convention).

With this policy, USAID will begin to strategically reorient its development activities towards improving prospects for and partnerships with youth, thus further advancing USAID’s broader development goal of shaping and sustaining peaceful, prosperous, just and democratic societies.

Youth in Development Policy I. Introduction:Youth in Development

1. INTRODUCTION

YOUTH IN DEVELOPMENT

On October 31, 2011, the world population reached seven bil lion. Half of this population is under the age of 30, and 1.7 billion are aged 10–24, making this the largest generation in human his tory.Young people make up an especially large share of the population in developing countries, often the largest share.1 In many places, this youth generation also spends more time in school, starts work later, and gets married and starts families later than previous ones.2

Globalization, technological advances, and the spread of social networking offer new opportunities for youth to connect and become more active participants in development, while at the same time making their lives more complex and challenging.This youthful demographic landscape must be a central part of any development policy, one designed to integrate young people more fully in political, economic and social life and enable them to share in the benefits of development.

Throughout history, young people have actively sought to bring social, political and economic change to their countries. In so doing they are sometimes credited with changing business as usual. Often they are portrayed as rebellious, destructive, reckless or violent. However, young people are today’s and tomorrow’s wage earners and entrepreneurs, educators and innovators, health professionals, political and civic leaders, vital to economic growth and wellbeing.

In its 2007World Development report, theWorld Bank sug gested that developing countries which invest in better education, healthcare, and job training for their record numbers of young people aged 1224 could take advantage of their “demographic dividend” to accelerate economic growth and sharply reduce poverty.3 Experience at home and abroad shows that engaging youth in neighborhood, community and national development yields an opportunity to harness their energy, enthusiasm, skills, and innovative ideas to increase economic growth, foster social stability, improve civic participation, and ensure healthier, more educated and productive societies.

USAID’sYouth in Development policy recognizes that young peo ple are both individuals transitioning through life’s developmental stages, and actors in the development of their countries and com munities. As young people, they experience physical, cognitive, emotional, and social changes that influence their needs, identities, and behavior as well as their opportunities.4 Research shows they also make choices and respond to incentives differently than do young children and adults. Better understanding of the biological, social and cultural dimensions of youth behavior will facilitate the design of programs that better support them, helping them to become part of the solution to today’s challenges.

The policy grows out of the Agency and partners’ experience in youth programming, an awareness of the principles on which it is based, and recognition of the need to identify clear policy goals and objectives as well as outcomes against which to measure results. It rests on two basic objectives: investing in youth pro grams and participation in support of USAID’s development objectives; and mainstreaming and integrating youth issues across Agency initiatives and processes.

Drawing on best practices for youth development and engage ment gleaned from Agency experience, as well as through consultations with young people and youthserving organizations across the developing world, the policy is further informed by principles and practices articulated in the PPD, the QDDR, the National Security Strategy 2010, State Department Youth Policy 2012, USAID Forward, and the USAID Policy Framework 2011 2015.Youth are also reflected in the Gender Equality and Female Empowerment Policy, the Development Response to CounteringVio lent Extremism and Insurgency, the CounterTrafficking In Persons Policy, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), USAID Education Strategy (201115), Climate Change and Develop ment Strategy (2012 – 16); and the U.S. Government Action Plan on Children In Adversity.

1 In SubSaharan and North Africa, about 40 percent of the population is under 15, and nearly 70 per 4 “The Adolescent Brain”, Jim CaseyYouth Opportunities Initiative, 2011.Available at cent is under thirty (Lin 2012). In Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia, 28 percent of the population is www.jimcaseyyouth.org.

aged 1524 years, compared to 19 percent in developed regions (Population Reference Bureau. 2011).

2 Rachel Nugent. (2005).Youth in A Global World. Population Reference Bureau.

3 World Bank Development Report (2007). Development and the Next Generation. The World Bank.

I. Introduction:Youth in Development Youth in Development Policy

The policy also responds to calls from Agency officers in the field and inWashington, for guidance in addressing their new demo graphic realities. USAID has been conducting youth programming for over two decades and in nearly 40 countries, yet efforts to estimate the dollar value of this work have been hampered by underreporting. Records show that in recent years, at least $300 million has been spent each year from various funding streams, though the actual value of investment is likely higher once cross cutting and “untagged” projects for young people are taken into account. Since 1994, USAID has implemented four major global youth mechanisms including: Focus onYoungAdults (19942000) andYouthNet (20002006) in the Global Health Bureau;Youth:

Work (20082013) and EQUIP3 (20032012) in the Economic Growth, Education, and Environment Bureau. Under EQUIP3, USAID funded workforce readiness and crosssectoral youth projects in 26 countries.Though USAID has been conducting pro grams targeting and benefiting youth, data has rarely been collected that allowed an evaluation of impact.

While addressing the needs of youth today,USAID’sYouth Policy recognizes that there is a continuum in development as children grow and transition into adults.The overlapping youth years are critical windows of opportunity to help older children thrive and reach their fullest potential. In lower and middleincome coun tries, an estimated 200 million children under five years of age – more than 30 percent of the world’s children – fail to reach their developmental potential, limiting their future ability to contribute to their communities and families or obtain gainful employment.5

Failure to address adversity at this time leads to lifelong deficien cies and compromises future youth in development opportunities. USAID sector strategies pay close attention to childhood interventions, helping seven million children through nutrition interventions that prevent stunting, reducing child mor tality with investments in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), family planning and maternal child health, and improving reading skills for 100 million children in primary grades by 2015.Yet enabling countries to empower youth in development and realize their demographic dividend requires continued investment into the teen years and beyond.

Investment in youth programs and services can reduce conditions that limit the potential for a demographic dividend, including for example high rates of youth unemployment, school dropout, early pregnancy, HIV/AIDS infection, and poor nutrition. Early marriage and pregnancy and limited family planning services are major contributors to the inability of girls and young women to complete their education, and achieve their full potential. Globally, young people ages 1524 represent 45 percent of all new HIV infections, with at least 95 percent of all new infections occurring in less developed countries,6 while some 70 percent of prema ture deaths among adults can be linked to harmful behaviors, such as smoking and alcohol use which are initiated during adolescence.7 Increasing our investment in youth will amplify and sustain important health and social gains from childhood interventions.

WHO AREYOUTH?

Youth is a life stage, one that is not finite or linear. Key mul continuum, beginning with deliberate attention to the criti tilaterals define youth as 1524 years for statistical purposes, cal years of children entering adolescence and into young yet for policy and programming many countries and organi adulthood. USAID views early adolescence as the onset of zations expand this range to reflect the broader range of youth transition with recognition that those under age 18 changes and developmental needs in the transition to adult are universally considered children and subject of numerous hood, as well as the diversity among cultural and country national and international norms and legal protections this contexts. USAID uses the term youth and young people policy seeks to reinforce.At the same time, this policy is interchangeably and while youth development programs reflective of youth voices and perspectives.When consulted, often focus on youth in the 15 to 24 year age range, some younger youth have identified themselves as teens or USAID programs also are likely to engage individuals aged youth, rather than as children. Recent research provides 1029 as a broader youth cohort.The transition to adult new understanding about brain development, physical hood involves multiple and overlapping physical, cognitive, changes, and social and emotional development that can be emotional, political, social and cultural changes. Successful used to inform and target programming along the youth life youth engagement and programming is based on a lifecycle span from adolescence through early adulthood.

5 GranthamMcGregor, S, et al. (2007).

6Youth and the Global HIV/AIDS Pandemic,Advocates forYouth (2008).

7 Glasier A,Gulmezogul,A; Schmid G, et al. (2006).

Youth in Development Policy II. Challenges and Opportunities:A Global Snapshot

1I. CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES:

A GLOBAL SNAPSHOT

While youth face enormous challenges, particularly with regard to employment and livelihoods, they nevertheless represent the opportunity of today and tomorrow—as edu cators and innovators, entrepreneurs and investors, health professionals and scientists, politicians and peacemakers.This makes it doubly important to invest in them now—making it possible for future generations not only to survive but also thrive, and so that countries that invest in their youth can realize the vitally important ‘demographic dividend’ these youth represent.

Societies that have begun their demographic transition (from high to low birth and death rates) have lower dependency ratios – or a lower number of dependents to the total work ing age populations. All else being equal, lower dependency ratios can favor higher productivity and economic growth with a resulting increase in a country’s per capita gross domestic product (GDP) when appropriate education, labor, and economic policies are also in place. Put another way, more people engaged in productive work can mean more growth. Coupled with higher domestic savings and invest ments in economic development and family welfare, this type of demographic transition can create elevated rates of eco nomic growth referred to as a demographic dividend.

In SubSaharan and North Africa8, around 40 percent of the population is under 15, and nearly 70 percent is under 30 – representing “pretransition” age structure.Yet many develop

Youth (15-24) Percent of Population:

<14%

14 - 17.6%

17.6 -19.7%

19.7 - 20.6%

>20.6% Source: USAID,Youth Bulges and Conflict Technical Brief: DCHA/CMM March 2011

8 Lin, 2012

II. Challenges and Opportunities:A Global Snapshot Youth in Development Policy ing countries, in Asia for example, are now experiencing or have begun to experience declining fertility rates, and larger shares of the population are working and contributing to national economies. However, economic growth does not automatically accelerate as fertility rates and dependency ratios decline and the share of working age population increases. Realizing a demographic dividend also depends on a favorable policy environment, which includes good gover nance, macroeconomic management and trade and labor policies aligned to development goals, and adequate invest ment in those goals.9 Therefore, in subSaharan Africa and elsewhere where fertility rates are poised decline, it is imper ative to establish an enabling policy environment now so that children and youth can benefit from investments in educa tion, health, employment and livelihood creation to become productive adult workers today and in the near future.

Economic Opportunity

Realizing the demographic dividend requires getting more young people into productive employment and income gen erating activities, making the current scale of youth underemployment and unemployment a matter of world wide concern. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that over 75 million young people worldwide are unemployed, and more than a billion jobs must be created in order to accommodate new workers and reduce unemploy

Richard Bernardo, 18, of conflictafflicted Mandanao region of the Phillippines, com pleted a twomonth automotive servicing course for outofschool youth under USAID’s EQuALLS Project.

Credit: Rojessa TiamsonSaceda/EQuALLS Project

9 Bloom and Canning, 2008.

ment.10 Also alarming is the increasing number of youth ‘NEETs – Not Employed or in Education or Training’ – ILO data for 24 developing economies show an average NEET rate of 12.4 per cent for young men and 28.1 per cent for young women. Unemployment rates among young people everywhere are higher than among adults – averaging nearly three times the rate of the adult workforce. The challenge in cities can be particularly acute, as urban youth often face greater labor market barriers due to their lack of prior job experience and lack of links to professional networks and contacts, or the fact that their education and training did not prepare them for the world of work or is not matched to growth sectors. They are also entering a labor market in which informal or part time jobs are the most rapidly grow ing form of employment, especially since the onset of the 2010 financial crisis, so the jobs they can find are generally shortterm with little job security and few, if any, benefits. Yet, in many developing countries, agriculture still remains the heart of the economy, utilizing up to 70 percent of the labor force. In terms of financial inclusion, youth aged 1524 are 33 percent less likely to have a bank account. It is therefore increasingly important that programs seek to address both the demand and the supply side of job creation, promote selfemployment and entrepreneurship, engage youth pro ductively in agriculture and value chains, and expand access to services for economic success such as financial literacy and information communications technology, banking and credit.

Youth Learning

Overcoming inequity requires a population that is informed, educated and skilled. In fact, investment in education has increased and developing countries have experienced major gains in education for young people. By 2009, some 531 mil lion students were enrolled in secondary education, and 165 million in tertiary education.11 Results show that investment in early education and literacy is foundational to continued progress and achievement. Gender gaps have also been clos ing: the ratio of girls to boys in primary school in 2010 was 97:100, up from 91:100 in 1999, and 96:100 in secondary school, up from 88:100 in 1999.The total out of school pop ulation fell from 106 million to 67 million between 1999 and 2009, with the share of girls in this population dropping from 58 to 53 percent.While completion rates are less satisfac tory – for example, in 19 African countries, up to 95 percent

10TheYouth Employment Crisis:A call for Action. International Labour Organization. 2012.

11 Report of the expert group meeting on ‘Quantitative Indicators for theWorld Programme ofAction forYouth’,NewYork, 1213 December 2011.

http:education.11

Youth in Development Policy II. Challenges and Opportunities:A Global Snapshot of girls drop out of secondary school12 improved data col lection shows that many school dropouts eventually return to school. In Ethiopia, almost 75 percent of primary outof school children will eventually return, while in Cambodia, Liberia and Zambia, most outofschool children will attend school at some point in the future.13 Youth literacy, which is a vital prerequisite for education as well as employment, is also improving as a result of increased investment. The global literacy rate for youth (aged 15 to 24) increased from 83 to 90 percent between 1990 and 2010.Yet in many USAID footprint countries, youth literacy rates are still low, especially for rural youth and girls – though gender gaps are gradually narrowing globally. In 2010, there were 95 literate young women for every 100 young men, compared to 90 young women for every 100 young men two decades ago.14

As national and global enrolment rates improve, there is growing attention to groups that are harder to reach, includ ing migrant and refugee youth, street children, rural youth, married girls and young people with disabilities. While open source platforms and the Internet hold much promise for learning access, per the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), 77 percent of those over age 25 in the devel oping world are not online and 70 percent of under 25year olds – 1.9 billion – are not yet online.There is also increasing attention to the quality of educational systems to ensure schools teach the information and skills youth need in order to enter the workforce or participate in civic life. In addition to cognitive skill development,“noncognitive skills such as perseverance, motivation, risk aversion, selfesteem and self control are strongly predictive of life outcomes.”15

Youth Health

Health and nutrition among young people is another area in which investment pays off, and adolescent health has improved to a lesser extent than that of younger children. In a recent study of 50 countries, childhood mortality was reported to have declined by more than 80 percent in the past 50 years. By contrast, adolescent mortality has only marginally improved.16 The leading causes of youth mortality worldwide are injury (traffic accidents, violence, drowning, and fires), suicide, pregnancy and childbirth, respiratory infec tions, HIV, tuberculosis, and meningitis. Moreover, around 70

12 Cited in www.7billionactions.org, a UNFPA global internet campaign initiated in June 2012

13 There are dramatic regional differences in tertiary education, ranging from 63 girls for every 100 boys in subSaharan Africa to 128 girls for every 100 boys in Latin America and the Caribbean (UN MDG

Report 2012).

14 UNMDG Report, p. 19.

15 JPAL 2012. p. 4.

16 Sawyer, et. al. 2012.

percent of premature deaths among all adults have been linked to smoking and alcohol use and other behaviors initi ated during adolescence.17 The biggest risk factors for all youth include alcohol, unsafe sex and illicit drugs.18 Among girls and young women, however, complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the greater danger: the proportion of girls aged 1014 that die in pregnancy or childbirth is five times higher than that of women aged 2024, and twice as high among girls aged 1519. The vast majority of these deaths take place within marriage, making the fight against early mar riage and the promotion of youth sexual and reproductive health critical.19

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to malnutrition, which is common among young people living in poverty. Over 500 million youth live on less than $2 per day; some 238 million (22.5 percent) live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1 dollar per day.Accordingly, the United Nations Secretary General has urged countries to prioritize nutrition in national development. And this trend tends to be worse for youth who were undernourished in early childhood, thus com pounding the problems and underlining the need for integrated and coordinated childyouth programming. Global attention is also increasingly focused on food security, which has been subject to more and more frequent crises in the last decade.

Young people, and young women especially, are also partic ularly vulnerable to HIV infection.There were 2.7 million new HIV/AIDS infections in 2010, down 21 percent from 1997. About 40 percent of new HIV infections are among young people age 1524, yet only 40 percent of young men and 38 percent of young women have comprehensive knowledge about HIV transmission. However, far more young people know how to prevent HIV infection. As a result, HIV incidence has fallen in 33 countries, 22 of them in subSaharan Africa. According to UNAIDS, declines in new HIV infections have been primarily due to changes in behavior—including among young people, as well as by greatly increased access to HIV prevention, care and treat ment services.20 In this regard, youth also are important influencers in families and communities, promoting positive behavior across generations.

17 Glasier, et al. 2006.

18 Expert group meeting on Quantitative Indicators, 2011, p.16.

19 Cited in www.7billionactions.org

20 UNAIDS DataTables 2011.

http:www.7billionactions.org http:services.20 http:critical.19 http:drugs.18 http:adolescence.17 http:Report,p.19 http:www.7billionactions.org http:improved.16 http:future.13

Message from the Administrator USAID Policy /The Development Response to Violent Extremism and Insurgency

Peace, Security and Democracy

Achieving the benefits of investment in young people depends on a secure environment and a belief by youth that they have a stake in governance, peace and democracy.

Young people especially suffer from a lack of physical security in their daily lives. Children and youth who witness or expe rience violence at home, on the street, at school, or wherever it occurs are significantly more at risk for health problems, anxiety disorders, poor school performance and violent behavior.21 Worldwide some 250,000 homicides a year occur among youth aged 10–29 years, 41 percent of the annual global total.22 Violence against young women is particularly alarming. While this varies across countries and cultures, a 2005 World Health Organization study found that in 10 out of 15 countries studied, 20–36 percent of women aged 15–19 years old reported being subject to at least one act of physical violence in the previous year.A sixcountry study found that women who were younger than 20 years when they married or started living with their husband or partner were more likely to report physical or sexual vio lence than those who were older than 20 years.23

Violence, high school dropout rates and the challenges of the schooltowork transition can create conditions for youth to be recruited into criminal networks, armed groups, youth gangs, and trafficking, all of which contribute to sustained vio lence, extremism and insurgencies.24 Political and civic marginalization can further fuel discontent. It has been sug gested that a “youth bulge” (especially one that is made up of many unemployed or idle young men) may result in social unrest, war or violent extremism. Indeed, 86 percent of all countries experiencing the outbreak of civil conflict have populations with a majority under the age of 30.25 However, studies on population trends and incidences of civil conflict suggest that the security concerns related to youth are more nuanced, and that a large youth population is only one of many risk factors involved in civil conflict, crime and violence.

While large youth cohorts are often exploited to confront deeper social grievances, they are not the cause of violence.

Other factors include rapid urbanization, poor natural resource management, economic stagnation, unemployment, limited social investment, and few opportunities for political participation.26 In fact, engaging young people in creating safe environments—safe schools, safe neighborhoods, safe jobs, safe cities—is already showing positive results. Similarly, while accurate accounts of youth voting are lacking, anecdotal experience shows that youth civic and political education and participation supports stabilization and democracy.

21 See USAID Gender equality policy, p. 7.

22 SeeWHO Fact Sheet #356“YouthViolence”.August 2011.

23 Hindin et al., 2008

24The Development Response toViolent and Extremism and Insurgency,USAID Policy, September 2011

25 Collier, et al., 2006.

26 Cincotta, et al., 2003.

http:participation.26 http:insurgencies.24 http:years.23 http:total.22 http:behavior.21

Youth in Development Policy III. Goal and Objectives

1II. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

USAID envisions a world in which women and men, girls and boys enjoy economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights and are equally empowered to secure better lives for themselves, their families and communities; and to access quality education, health care and employment opportunities, exercise their own voice, and live free from intimidation, harassment, discrimination and violence.27

The goal of theYouth in Development policy is to improve the capacities and enable the aspirations of young people so that they contribute to and benefit from more stable, democratic, and prosperous communities and nations. In support of this goal, USAID will work towards two objectives:

1: Strengthen youth programming, participation, and partnership in support of Agency development objectives.

USAID will implement programming designed specifically to support, protect, prepare and engage young people to access quality education, health and nutrition, jobs and livelihoods and to live free of violence and abuse, particularly in conflict and cri sis situations in order to harness the demographic opportunity and achieve broader development outcomes. Scaling up our investment in youth programs will sustain and amplify important health and social gains from childhood interventions, and enable them to bear fruit. Increasing youth participation in the develop ment of policies, programs and services should inevitably lead to better results.

As youth initiatives are tested, evaluated and proven effective, USAID should explore scaling up through creative partnerships with public and private institutions and communities atlarge, including countrylevel ministries and the private sector.

2: Mainstream and integrate youth issues and engage young people across Agency initiatives and opera tions.

Many areas of development work can be significantly strength ened by considering the age demographics and life conditions of young people, and incorporating their perspectives, aspirations and ideas. USAID will strive to mainstream and integrate youth into program planning across sectors, increase their meaningful participation, and incorporate youth development practices across systems and into areas of escalating investment such as food security, global health, child protection, and climate change, while promoting gender equality and embracing science and technology by and for youth.

USAID will seek to identify and strengthen youthled and youth serving organizations and networks. USAID will further seek to identify, support, and promote research and innovation by, with, and for youth. It is expected that Agency policies, country strate gies, and partnerships will be inclusive of youth and will actively leverage the assets, priorities, and ideas of young people.

USAID efforts towards these objectives are designed to achieve three critical outcomes across multiple programs and sectors:

■ Youth are better able to access economic and social opportu nities, share in economic growth, live healthy lives, and contribute to household, community, and national wellbeing.

■ Youth are empowered to participate in building peaceful and democratic societies and are less involved in youth gangs, criminal networks, and insurgent organizations.

■ Youth have a stronger voice in, and are better served by, local and national institutions, with more robust and youthfriendly policies.

Applying selectivity and focus in meeting objectives

In an era of scarce resources, multiple USG national security interests and variable country contexts, not all missions will be able to, or necessarily need to, focus on youth in the same way.

USAID can also be more effective by being more strategic about where it conducts youth work, and what the focus of those programs is. USAID activities in countries where the age structure favors achievement of the demographic dividend need a different investment strategy than activities in countries where the demographic transition has only just begun or is years away.

This policy will affect countries differently, given varying operat ing environments, and national commitment to programming for youth.The policy expects USAID operating units to strategically consider how mainstreaming youth can support the achieve ment of their development objectives.To ensure adequate selectivity and focus in where we do youth work and what we

27 Vision shared in USAID Policy on Gender Equality and Female Empowerment, 2012.

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III. Goal and Objectives Youth in Development Policy

UNDERSTANDINGYOUTH:

THE POWER OF ASSESSMENT

Since 2004 USAID has innovated methodologies for conducting crosssector youth assessments to enable missions and development partners to iden tify critical dynamics in education, employment, health, security, and democracy and governance that affect young people’s life chances.Trained youth in developing countries participate with expert assess ment teams and lead mapping teams: they facilitate focus groups, collect and analyze data, and offer input to strategic programming decisions. Often these assessments allow diverse technical offices in USAID Missions to collaborate closely to develop more integrated responses to youth challenges.

USAID’s YouthMap project is bringing youthdriven cross sector assessment methodology to eight countries in Africa. (Photo on right depicts the Guide to CrossSectoral Youth Assessments developed under the EQUIP3 Project.)

do, the policy recommends that each mission examine the potential for enhanced youth programming by conducting strong assessments, considering demographic trends, country context and indicators as well as national priorities, and age appropriate programming. Further analysis and guidance on considerations for selectivity and focus can be found in Annex A.

Youth assessments provide a detailed understanding of the needs of the diverse youth population including the identifica tion of vulnerable youth, the areas of greatest need, the conditions that may drive youth toward risky behavior, and the potential opportunity for impact. Informing USAID Country Development Cooperation Strategies (CDCS) and in concert with other development partners, USAID Missions are encour aged to consider the entire span from adolescence to young adulthood—including intergenerational implications—to arrive at the highest priority interventions.

Youth in Development Policy IV. Objective One: StrengthenYouth Programming, Participation, and Partnership Framework and Guiding Principles

1V.OBJECTIVE ONE: STRENGTHENYOUTH

PROGRAMMING,PARTICIPATION,AND PARTNERSHIP

FRAMEWORKAND GUIDING PRINCIPLES

With this policy, USAID seeks to strengthen youth programming, participation and partnership in support of Agency development objectives. Youth in Development at USAID is the intentional, ongoing process of assisting youth in their transition from child hood into adulthood. It is based on a conceptual framework –drawn from best practices in youth specific programs – compro mising four interacting elements:

■ Support: Meeting basic youth developmental needs and valu ing their contributions.

■ Protect: Preventing and responding to violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect; and ensuring young people are safe and receive care.

■ Prepare: Building youth competencies and skills to become informed, healthy and productive citizens.

■ Engage: Creating channels for dialogue and participation that enable youth to contribute to their own and their communities’ development.

USAID support efforts center on the creation of an enabling environment, envisioned as a youth ‘ecosystem’ that supports youth at the individual, family, community and national levels.28

These efforts utilize a systems approach, which shapes the policies, norms, values and beliefs of individuals, communities, local and national institutions towards positive life trajectories for youth through partnerships, coordination, and coalitions across sectors and among diverse youth and adult stakeholders.

Protection efforts focus on preserving young people’s rights, and bolstering and aligning programs in adherence to national and international legal frameworks regarding vulnerable youth, conflict and disaster response. Protection programs will incorporate com mitments, policy and best practices per the forthcoming U.S.

Government Action Plan on Children in Adversity. USAID’s youth portfolio will also incorporate other relevant USAID policy, strat egy guidance, and tools towards the safety of all young people.

Particular attention will be given to early marriage, genderbased violence, trafficking in persons, and the rights of lesbian, gay, bisex ual and transgender (LGBT) populations.

Preparing youth for adulthood occurs within and across multi ple sectors and domains by strengthening capacities and building assets. Mounting evidence holds that holistic or integrated youth programming can be particularly effective in addressing the com plexities of young people’s lives. Crosssector approaches comprehensively address youth life transitions (learning, work, health, family, citizenship) and are designed around common fac tors (e.g., education, employment, life skills, security), leading to overlapping positive outcomes across multiple domains.They also respond to the USAID Policy Framework which advocates inte grated approaches that leverage resources and generate transformative outcomes on complex, multidimensional issues.

Efforts to engage youth involve elevating their voices and ensur ing meaningful opportunities to contribute to resolving issues and promoting positive change in their communities and nations.Youth engagement also involves preparation of adults to listen to and work with young people.There is a need to improve the quality of partnerships with youth, to provide more concrete platforms for youth participation, to support existing local youth networks and initiatives, and to include youth in science, technology and innovation initiatives. USAID will collaborate with other USG agencies to support youth engagement throughYouthAdvisory Councils; and other types of consultation mechanisms (online or inperson), at home and abroad.

Annex B illustrates different types of sector, crosssector and sys tems projects that serve to support, protect, prepare and engage youth in development.

Guiding Principles

Youth programming varies widely owing to the distinct phases of the life span, the multiplicity of sectors and policies that influence youth development outcomes, the diversity among youth and

28 The Commonwealth Secretariat (2007) recommends the involvement of ministries of health, finance, economic development, housing, justice, education, environment, and agriculture.

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IV. Objective One: StrengthenYouth Programming, Participation, and Partnership Framework and Guiding Principles Youth in Development Policy their needs and aspirations. In order to take these into account while at the same time utilizing best practice interventions and responding to broader Agency objectives, the following principles are designed to improve the consistency and quality of USAID’s youth development efforts:

■ Recognize youth participation as vital for effective programs;

■ Invest in assets that build youth resilience;

■ Account for youth differences and commonalities;

■ Create second chance opportunities;

■ Involve and support mentors, families, and communities;

■ Pursue gender equality; and

■ Embrace innovation and technology by and for youth.

Recognize youth participation as vital for effective pro grams. Given the opportunity and preparation, youth are valuable partners, who can offer insight, guidance, innovative think ing and solutions.They know how to reach other youth in ways that can improve knowledge, shift attitudes, and ultimately change behaviors. By strengthening their social and leadership skills, youth participation not only reduces passivity and apathy among youth but also promotes a positive view of young people in the wider adult community.

EFFECTIVEYOUTH

PARTICIPATION INTHE

USAID PROGRAM CYCLE

■ Youth are consulted in policy development.

■ Youth have specific roles in assessment, program design, implementation and evaluation.

■ Youthserving…