“A matter of when and how, not if” – research on involvement of young people in decision-making of National Agencies
Year of production: 2025
Cover illustration of the report on involvement of young people in decision-making of National Agencies
How can young people be effectively involved in the decision-making processes of National Agencies for Erasmus+ Youth and European Solidarity Corps? This report explores challenges and lessons learned in youth involvement in decision-making, taking the next step and emphasizing that the question is not whether to involve young people, but rather how and when to do so. Among other conclusions, it encourages institutions to try, experiment and develop initiatives that can then grow into long-term sustainable mechanisms of involvement.
This research, conducted as part of the “New Power in Youth” Strategic Partnership, investigates the practices of youth involvement in decision-making across various National Agencies and SALTO Resource Centres. It highlights the importance of youth participation in enhancing the quality and efficiency of these agencies, ultimately benefiting both the organizations and the young people they serve.
Key Findings: The report identifies several successful strategies for youth involvement, including:
Developing a culture of participation
This involves creating safe and supportive environments where youth feel valued and empowered to contribute.
Ensuring flexibility in participation approaches
Flexibility is crucial to accommodate young people’s busy schedules. Meeting youth where they are—both physically and virtually—enhances accessibility and engagement. A mixed approach that combines online and offline events allows for personal support while respecting participants’ time constraints, making involvement more appealing.
Adopting an inclusive approach to recruitment
An inclusive recruitment strategy that values diversity among participants is vital. Actively seeking out marginalized voices helps build trust and rapport, ensuring that young people feel genuinely invited to participate. Professionals’ emphasis on care and relationship-building is key to overcoming initial hesitancy and fostering a sense of belonging.
Importance of support and investment
Successful youth involvement requires attention to detail and a commitment to creating welcoming environments. Both young people and professionals recognize the positive impact of well-organized activities, which encourage active engagement and build trust.
Significance of a bottom-up approach
Meaningful youth participation often arises from a bottom-up approach, where initiatives are driven by the creativity of individual professionals. Small-scale experiments can lead to significant changes within agencies, demonstrating that youth involvement can enhance decision-making processes effectively.
The research involved 22 interviews with agency representatives and young people, as well as discussions at various events. It revealed that while challenges such as busyness, remuneration, fragmentation, and administrative complexities exist, agencies are making strides in creating supportive environments for youth participation.
Culture of participation: the report emphasizes the importance of fostering a culture of participation within agencies, where young people feel safe and valued. This involves creating models of participation that work and utilizing both physical and virtual spaces for engagement, as well as approaching youth involvement with care and relationship building.
Recommendations and strategies for the future: This research explored how meaningful youth involvement in decision-making is understood and realized within the work of National Agencies. The data indicates that while the forms of participation vary between cases, key elements such as care, a willingness to try, organizational flexibility, and an emphasis on broadly defined participation are shared. Participants recognized challenges impacting youth participation but actively sought solutions.
The level of impact young people could have on decision-making varied, from consultations to being part of decision-making groups and boards. Successful cases often found points of cooperation, such as involving young people in managing agency social media accounts, allowing them creative control while adhering to certain guidelines.
The form of participation will differ based on the young people involved and their capacity to engage. Therefore, it is essential to set realistic goals and avoid overburdening participants. Some NAs have established processes for youth participation, while others are just beginning to learn about young people’s needs through consultative events.
Current approaches suggest that exploring activities is more critical than establishing long-term strategies for participation. Demonstrating that participation can be realized, regardless of scale, increases the likelihood of fostering a culture of participation. Participants reported that their chosen activities positively impacted the daily work of their national agency.
Ultimately, meaningful youth participation is valuable in itself and enhances agency work, shifting the perspective from a paternalistic approach to a participatory endeavor that benefits both young people and society. This aligns with the principles of active citizenship and youth participatory structures.
This research was conducted in 2024, as part of the “New Power in Youth” Strategic Partnership between National Agencies and several SALTO Resource Centres. It contributes to one of its aims “Supporting the strategic development of youth participation in democratic life on local, national and European level”. It also aligns with Aim 5 of the Youth Participation Strategy – to encourage National Agencies and other actors to involve young people when making decisions about the management and implementation in the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes, and to take a quality approach to youth participation when doing so.
This publication was co-founded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. The European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained in this publication.
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