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

Agenda

• About the Fund

• Policy

• Programmes

• Budget

• Anticipated policy and programmes

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)

Thank you!