It is important that young people understand what has been the outcome of interventions that have taken place in their communities and that may have involved their participation, and are involved in monitoring and evaluation – this can help to encourage them to continue their involvement over the long term.

Why involve young people in review and reflection processes?

• It’s an essential part of the empowerment process.
• Involving young people in M&E means youth involved in your work are more likely to notify you when things are going off-track in the project.

Barriers to involving young people in M&E

• Staff may feel that they do not have the right skills and knowledge needed to engage young people.
• Staff may lack time and resources.
• Adults may not wish to hand over control of review and reflection processes to youth.
• Adults may not believe that young people can make a positive contribution to the field of monitoring and evaluation.
• Young people ‘asking questions’ may not be well-received by certain sections of the community.
• Cultural and religious barriers may prevent young women in particular from taking part.

Involving youth in review and reflection

1. Planning your evaluation - Decide what the phases to your evaluation/review and reflection process will be. Working together with young people, decide which stages and aspects of evaluation they would be most interested in participating in. For each stage, consider what the challenges young people might face.
2. Selecting young participants - Be clear what skills are needed for carrying out specific review and reflection activities.
3. Assess risks and secure buy-in - Allocate time for consulting with key stakeholders if there is a likely risk of ‘backlash’ against young people conducting evaluations. Allow frank and open discussion of what stakeholder concerns are, and consider how gender norms might be behind the opposition.
4. Training / supporting young participants - Youth will need support and/or targeted training if they are to be meaningfully involved in monitoring and evaluation. Post-training, follow-up support to enable young people to critically reflect and improve their skills is essential. Consider partnering young people with adult ‘mentors’ or ‘M&E coaches’ to provide them with support to apply new learning to everyday practice.
5. Implementing review and reflection activities - Use a checklist at the implementation stage when you are engaging young people in M&E activities to ensure meaningful youth participation throughout the process.

References

• Youth Programming Toolkit, ActionAid, 2015, p. 78-87.