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 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 projects  Human 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 ProgrammeFunding 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!