CO-ORDINATION AND ADVISORY SERVICES NATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT POLICY FRAMEWORK MID-TERM REVIEW: TERMS OF REFERENCES
1. INTRODUCTION The National Youth Development Policy Framework (2002-2007) was adopted by government to serve as an instrument to guide youth development. As 2007 draws near, it has become necessary for the Presidency to review this Policy Framework. The intention of the review is to evaluate the impact of this policy and to make recommendations on the Policy Framework beyond 2007.
The current Policy Framework aims to ensure that youth issues are integrated into broader government policies and programmes. The approach is that mainstreaming of youth issues should ensure coherent and integrated youth development rather than a mere implementation of stand alone youth development programmes. The Policy Framework set out priorities that were envisaged to inform youth programmes within the broader development agenda of the State.
2005 saw the release of three important reports emphasising the need to address the challenges facing young people. These are: "Young People in South Africa in 2005" by HSRC (also known as the Status of Youth Report), the "World Youth Report 2005" (United Nations) and "Making Commitments Matter: Young People's Input into the 10 year Review of the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond" (UN Secretary-General). .
These reports remind us to accelerate efforts to reduce youth marginalisation characterised by asset and income poverty, poor education and skills, limited participation in decision making, inadequate access to social services, gender imbalances, marginal participation in the labour market, poor entrepreneurship and, the lack of appropriate policy and budget mechanisms to support the implementation of integrated and sustainable interventions that ameliorate the conditions of young people. Rural and peri-urban youth are mostly affected by these problems. Their participation in the labour market is often constrained by lack of education and skills and largely, difficulties in accessing information about careers and jobs available. Some of the data emerging from impact studies of social assistance indicate that a large number of youth survive through State income transfers - Social Security.
Writing in his weekly online newsletter President Mbeki (October 2005) observed that the findings of the Status of Youth Report are "a call to action". This is a call to streamline interventions targeting people who, according to Census 2001, constituted 41 % of our population and just over 70% of the unemployed. The Macro Social Report (2005) also presents a discomforting reality of the status of youth, especially in relation to social capital, social cohesion and labour market participation.
True to the belief that young people are at the epicentre of social and economic transformation in the country, in November 2005 Cabinet approved a review of the Policy Framework, existing institutional arrangements and the effectiveness of current youth development programmes. This, among others, forms the basis for the proposed exercise.
2. BACKGROUND
2006 marks an important year in the history of youth development in South Africa. First, we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the June 16 Uprising where youth took to the streets to protest against unjust education system imposed by the Apartheid regime. This system served to condemn black South Africans to the margins of the labour market and excluded them from the economic mainstream. Second, 2006 marks the 10th Anniversary of the National Youth Commission established through the National Youth Commission Act of 1996. Third, Umsobomvu Youth Fund, an institution established following the 1st Presidential Job Summit (1998) turns 5 this year.
It is important to note that these milestones find expression in the government's commitment to youth development into the future. Already, government has pushed youth development up on the development agenda with significant developments such as having youth input into the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative, serving Cabinet Memos endorsing short to medium term opportunities for youth as well as elaborating further on Cabinet Clusters' youth development deliverables.
From the onset, the democratic government used the Reconstruction and Development Programme document to set itself a task of renewing and transforming a divided society. The programme pays attention to the special needs of youth through urgent interventions in the areas of education and training, job creation, participation and sport and recreation. This was to be achieved using a combination of targeted programmes and mainstreaming youth development within government programmes. Important to note were the efforts towards creating structures to support youth development.
3. PROBLEM STATEMENT Despite numerous efforts and policies put in place to address the historical challenge of youth development, problems persist. As indicated above, government has increased investments in the areas of education and training, social and economic development, entrepreneurship, and created structures that support participation in the broader social and political lives of society, Some studies show that these have not necessarily yielded desired results for the youth.
It is important that we concisely document the status of youth development in the country in order to assess weaknesses, identify opportunities and map the new path consistent with the broader national development goals. There is a need to understand the impact of our policies and programmes in order to make adjustments where necessary and to consolidate our achievements. The proposed review is a case' in point.
4. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES The purpose of this exercise is to review the impact of the National Youth Development Policy Framework and the effectiveness of programmes and institutional mechanisms put in place to support the implementation of the policy. It is further intended that the review will assist government to revise the Policy Framework and add to it an Integrated Youth Development Strategy 2014.
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Hereunder are the specific objectives:
A. To determine the state of youth development in the country 10 years after the National Youth Commission was established and 5 years post the adoption of the National Development Policy Framework and the establishment of Umsobornvu Youth Fund;
Output:
The output of this exercise will be a paper summarising the status of youth in 2006 using the Millennium Development Goals, UN (World Programme of Action on Youth) and the NYDPF indicators to draw conclusions Le. it should look at social, economic, political issues etc.
B. To establish the extent to which the national expenditure adequately responds to the challenge of youth development;
Output:
A report examining State expenditure with particular reference to programmes that impact directly or indirectly on young people and their transition to adulthood.
C. To understand constrains to mainstreaming youth development, up-scaling of interventions and the effectiveness of programmes and institutions established to support youth development;
Output: Separate reports from the National Youth Commission and Umsobomvu Youth Fund discussing their experiences in supporting youth development. In undertaking this task, both institutions should pay particular attention to issues ranging from their mandates; existing or lack of capacity to deliver on their mandates; factors constraining delivery; appropriateness and effectiveness of programmes initiated; strategic partnerships with government (all spheres), civil society and business; achievements made and opportunities ahead.
The South African Youth Council (SAYC) will be required to complete the same exercise. Of particular interest is their effectiveness in strategic structures they participate in (NEDLAC and the National Skills Authority). Even though SAYC is a voluntary civil society structure, they have received substantial resources from government and in a way this undertaking seeks to establish the cost benefit.
D. To allow youth organisations to share their perspectives on the state of youth development in the country within the context of the Policy Framework. This will be achieved by inviting youth wings of political parties represented in Parliament. Youth organisations are not expected to commission any research to achieve this goal but are but to simply document their perspectives and make recommendations. Already, organisations like the ANC Youth League and the UDM Youth Vanguard have voluntarily submitted some perspectives on youth development and recommendations. Many other youth organisations have expressed opinions via the media. This is an opportunity to make formal submissions that can be used to formulate future responses to the challenge of youth development.
Output: Youth political and interested civil society organisations will submit papers that share their perspectives on the state of youth development as well as the efficacy of the Policy Framework. Specific recommendations should be made on sections of the Policy Framework that require strengthening; on youth development opportunities that government can support and lastly; on the structure and content of an Integrated Youth Development Strategy that will form part of the revised Policy Framework.
E. To use outputs of objectives A, B, C and D discussed above to identify gaps, recommend changes and finalise the National Youth Development Policy Framework 2014 to be complemented by an Integrated Youth Development Strategy.
Output: A revised National Youth Development Policy Framework 2014 incorporating an Integrated Youth Development Strategy with specific targets and indicators to be used to measure progress in the long-term.
As a learning organisation government hopes to use this process to identify best practices and eliminate weaknesses in order to map a long-term path towards sustainable youth development.