Presentation to Joint Committee on the Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of
Youth and Disabled Persons
Umsobomvu Youth Fund
Wednesday, May 30, 2001
Policy
• Definition: “strategies designed to bring about certain desired goals”.
Goal: “amelioration of the plight of the most needy youth”
• Strategies / policies– what UYF wishes to achieve regarding policy
formulation/ strategy development– Strategic guiding principles
• Vision, mission, key performance areas, core competencies, primary stakeholders
• Investment philosophy / approach to programmes• Policies for effective practice
Policy
What UYF wishes to achieve?
• A clear link between policy and implementation– Policy framework created by the National Youth
Commission. Focus links with policy
• Need to narrow the gaps between:– knowledge and policy– policy and practice For policy to be effective, those affected and
knowledgeable must participate
• To build: research capacity, professionalise youth work
Policy
Strategic guiding principles
• Government’s mandate– Create a platform for job creation and skills development
transfer for youth
• Strategic guiding principles– Vision: “To enhance the active participation of youth in
the mainstream economy”
– Mission: “To facilitate and promote the creation of jobs and the development of skills for the South African Youth”
Policy
Strategic guiding principles• Key Performance Areas
– Skills development
– Job creation
– Prudent resource management
– Communication of information
• Core competencies- Co-ordinating ability- Access to networks and resources- Being a catalyst for youth development
Policy
Target group
• 18 - 35 years• Predominantly out of school• Catering for different cohorts
– Skilled/ unskilled
– Rural/ peri-urban
– Women
– Disabled
– Hiv / Aids
• Not to duplicate the education’s sphere
Investment philosophies
- Always have a policy of diversifying its exposure by syndicating projects with other funders/donors and by forming linkages;
- Neither be a tag along or a Fund for departments nor should it aim to displace existing programmes;
- Each project must specify outcome measures for on-going monitoring and evaluation;
- Pursue a strategic (narrow) focus in order to achieve sustainable impact;
- Endeavour to attain national coverage; and- Not intending to build a huge bureaucracy.
Policy
For effective practice
• Intergrated approach to youth development
• There is no single model
• Leverage resources through collaboration
• Provide extended service: Support & follow-up
• Hire and develop quality staff
• Adult support and structure
• Commit to continuous improvement
• Treat youth as a resource
• Make use of work (including community service)
Policy
INVESTMENTS & PROJECTS
Contact, Information & Counselling
Skills Development &
Transfer
Youth
Entrepreneurship
Youth information service-Youth line-Internet-Youth advisory centres
On-the-job Training / Skills Development-National Youth Service-Special projectsHuman Resource Development
SME Development (Funding)Enterpreneurship Support-Business skills development-After-care / mentoring
Focus of the Fund
The model informing our focus
Provide economically enabling information
Provide a platform for development of skills
Employment
Self-employment
Focus of the Fund
• Contact, information and counselling– Address lack of information
– Provide a reliable resource for information
– In the short-term, address the lack of institutional capacity
• Skills development & transfer– Emphasis is on training in the context of work
– Providing support for the human resource requirements
– A retrieval programme for marginalised youth
Focus of the Fund
• Youth entrepreneurship– Formal sector is not creating jobs
– Encourages self-sustainability
– Addresses economic transformation objectives
– SMEs are an imperative for economic growth
• To consider an interim Fund– to sustain existing programmes within our focus
– to build capacity of surviving NGOs/CBOs
– to learn from existing programmes
Budget
• Approx. R930 million• Allocation to programmes
– 5 years to 7 years (crisis intervention)• R172 m to R123m per annum
Programme Funding• Information - 20%• Skills development - 30%• Entrepreneurship - 50%
Challenges
• Capacity– Govt. support (line managers)
– Private sector support
– Funding not sufficient
– NGOs/CBOs (institutional and individual capacity)
• Policy & strategy– Consensus (e.g. with organised labour)
– Co-ordination(Intergrated youth, rural, H.R. develoment)
Policy
Challenges
• Information– Access to right channels– Alternative channels of communication
• Youth– Participation– “Unrealistic” expectations– Lack of capacity amongst youth structures
• Risk management– Monitoring and evaluation
Policy
Sustainability
• Good and effective practice (management) • Focused approach - not everything to every one• Form linkages (e.g. National Skills Fund)• Donor funding• Government’s on-going funding• Youth entrepreneurship
Anticipated policy and programmes
• Clear policy definition of catering for disabled persons as part of the mainstream– Universal policies and universal designs in planning
and implementing to allow differences to be accommodated within the mainstream and not separately
• Gender balance (e.g. teenage pregnancy)• Juvenile offenders (e.g. difficulty of obtaining
employment)
Anticipated policy and programmes
• Raising the Profile of Positive Youth Development– Urgent need for youth development sector to be taken
seriously
– Youth development is the frontline of national development (its an imperative)