Usaid/Mauritania Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessment Report
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USAID/MAURITANIA CROSS-SECTORAL YOUTH ASSESSMENT REPORT August 18, 2020 This report is made possible by the support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Making Cents International through YouthPower: Evidence and Evaluation Task Order 1 (YouthPower Learning). This report does not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government. USAID/MAURITANIA CROSS-SECTORAL YOUTH ASSESSMENT REPORT August 18, 2020 By: Michelle Barsa, Independent Consultant for Making Cents International Haroune Sidatt, Independent Consultant for Making Cents International USAID’s YouthPower Learning generates and disseminates knowledge about the implementation and impact of positive youth development (PYD) and cross-sectoral approaches in international youth development. We are leading research, evaluations, and events designed to build the evidence base and inform the global community about how to transition young people successfully into productive, healthy adults. PYD is defined by USAID as: Positive Youth Development (PYD) engages youth along with their families, communities, and/or governments so that youth are empowered to reach their full potential. PYD approaches build skills, assets and competencies; foster healthy relationships; strengthen the environment; and transform systems. Visit us at YouthPower.org to learn more and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates. For public inquiries and additional information please email [email protected] or mail to Making Cents International, attn: YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation, 1350 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 410, Washington DC 20036. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 6 I. INTRODUCTION 8 Figure 1: Positive Youth Development Framework 9 II. CONTEXT OVERVIEW 10 III. VIOLENT EXTREMISM IN MAURITANIA 11 IV. METHODOLOGY AND PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS 13 Data Collection 13 Figure 2: Youth Participants by Region 13 Limitations 13 Site Selection 14 Participant Demographics 14 Figure 3. Youth Participant Demographics 15 Figure 4: Education and Employment Status of Youth Participants 16 V. YOUTH SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS 16 A. Youth Dreams and Aspirations 16 Figure 5: Word Cloud of Youth Aspirations 17 Table 1. Resource Prioritization Disaggregated by Sex, Age, and Location 19 Table 2. In Their Own Words: Community Support Services for Youth 20 VI. CHALLENGES BY SECTOR 20 A. Youth and Education 20 Table 3. In Their Own Words: Education 22 B. Youth, Employment, and Livelihoods 23 Table 4. In Their Own Words: Employment and Livelihoods 24 C. Safety and Security 24 Table 5. In Their Own Words: Community-Level Violence 25 VII. VULNERABILITY FACTORS 25 A. Urban vs. Rural 27 B. Gender and Generation 27 Figure 7: Youth Perspectives on Qualities of a Good Woman and Good Man 29 Table 7. In Their Own Words: Gender Norms 31 C. Exclusion, Discrimination, and Injustice 32 Table 8. In Their Own Words: Exclusion, Discrimination, and Injustice 34 4 D. Poor Governance, Nepotism, and Corruption 34 Table 9. In Their Own Words: Poor Governance, Nepotism, and Corruption 35 E. Youth Idle Time and Access to Information 36 Figure 8: Word Cloud of Information-Sharing Channels 37 Table 10. Youth Idle Time and Access to Information 37 VIII. Stakeholder Analysis 37 A. USG Youth Programming 38 B. Other Donor-Funded Youth Programming 39 C. National Youth Programming 40 D. Mauritanian Youth-Led and Youth-Serving Organizations 41 E. Private Sector 42 IX. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 42 SUPPORT AND CREATE YOUTH-CENTRIC PROTECTIVE ENVIRONMENTS 42 INCREASE MARKET-RELEVANT SKILL SETS FOR YOUTH 43 INCREASE YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH MARKET-FOCUSED, PUBLIC-PRIVATE EFFORTS 45 EXPAND YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 46 Table 11. A PYD Approach to Entrepreneurship 47 INTEGRATE NON-CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH APPROACHES INTO ALL COMMUNITY- LEVEL PROGRAMMING 48 INOCULATE COMMUNITIES IN CONFLICT AGAINST INFILTRATION BY VEOs 48 IMPLEMENT SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE STRATEGIES 49 MEANINGFULLY INCLUDE YOUTH IN PROGRAM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION 50 X. CONCLUSION 51 ANNEX A: RESEARCH SITE AND INTERVIEW DATA 53 Regional Targeting for PFGDs, Youth Phone Interviews, and KIIs 53 Peer Focus Group Discussions, by location 53 Key Informant and Youth Phone Interviews 54 ANNEX B. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY RESEARCH QUESTIONS 55 ANNEX C: YOUTH-RELATED ACTIVITIES BY ORGANIZATION 57 BIBLIOGRAPHY 60 5 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ADB African Development Bank AQIM al-Qa’ida in the Islamic Maghreb AMELP Assessment, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Plan ANAPEJ Agence Nationale de Promotion de l’Emploi des Jeunes BDS Business Development Services CCD Citoyennes, Citoyens Debout CDD The Deposit and Development Fund CLA Collaborative Learning and Adapting COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019 CSO Civil Society Organization CSYA Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessment CVE Countering Violent Extremism DO Development Objective ECHO European Commission for Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection EMELI Empowering Mauritanian Youth through Education, Leadership and Self-Improvement EU European Union FORSATY Favorable Opportunities to Reinforce Self-Advancement for Today’s Youth GIRM Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ICS Integrated Country Strategy INAP-FTP National Institute for the Promotion of Technical and Professional Training IOM International Organization for Migration ISIS Islamic State in Iraq and Syria JNIM Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin KII Key Informant Interview LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender MEL Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning NGO Nongovernmental Organization NSS National Security Strategy PAD Project Appraisal Document PD Program Description PFGD Peer Focus Group Discussion PNIDDLE National Integrated Program for Decentralization, Local Development, and Employment Public-Private Partnerships PPPs PRESM Projet de Renforcement de Employabilité des Sortants des Mahadras PYD Positive Youth Development SCAPP Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity SEM Socio-Ecological Model SGBV Sexual- and Gender-Based Violence 6 SME Subject Matter Expert SRO Sahel Regional Office (USAID) SWEED Sahel Women’s Economic Empowerment and Demographic Dividend TSCTP Trans-Sahara Counter Terrorism Partnership funds TVPA Trafficking Victims Protection Act UN United Nations UNDP United Nations Development Program UNHCR United Nations High Commission for Refugees USAID United States Agency for International Development VE Violent Extremism VEO Violent Extremist Organization WA West Africa 7 I. INTRODUCTION Contained in this report are findings from the Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessment (CSYA) conducted for the USAID Sahel Regional Office (SRO) and Office of Mauritania by the USAID YouthPower Learning (YP Learning) project from March to May 2020. The CSYA sought to understand the drivers of violent extremism (VE) among youth in Mauritania and to identify strategies to prevent VE by providing positive alternatives for at-risk youth. The findings of the CSYA and ideas outlined in this report will inform the USAID/SRO and Office of Mauritania’s redesign of the office’s flagship youth activity, Nafoore,1 authorized by the regional Bridge Project Appraisal Document (PAD) issued by USAID/West Africa (WA) and USAID/SRO. The US has enforced Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) sanctions2 against the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (GIRM), which clearly dictate that US foreign assistance cannot, in any way, serve to benefit the government. In accordance with TVPA sanctions, the CSYA was undertaken with an expressed intent not to collaborate with or aid the GIRM. The framework of the redesigned youth-focused Mauritania Activity will comply with existing sanctions and work exclusively with civil society and private sector actors. It will also consider that youth are: a) beneficiaries and participants of sustainable Mauritanian-owned development solutions that can be brought to scale over time, thus contributing to Mauritania’s self-reliance; and b) key actors, empowered with appropriate market-driven vocational and soft skills training in addition to coaching and mentoring to enhance their employability to serve as productive employees on the job market. The regional Bridge Project explicitly and intentionally aims activities at the nexus of countering violent extremism (CVE) and resilience across the Sahel. It directly aligns with the US National Security Strategy (NSS) imperatives to reduce VE threats in Africa3 and to partner with governments, civil society, and regional organizations to end enduring violent conflicts. As such, this CSYA considered previous studies on VE in Mauritania4 as well as the Sahelian region;5 reviewed monitoring, evaluation, and learning reports from prior US government-supported CVE 1 Nafoore is a Pulaar word meaning “add value to.” 2 During FY 2019 Mauritania was placed under TVPA sanctions, causing USAID to terminate the main flagship youth employment activity: EMELI (Jan 2017–May 2019). 3 The US National Security Strategy is available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18- 2017-0905.pdf. 4 See, for example: William Miles, Moussa Batchilly, John Grayzel, and Aboubekrine Kone, EAS Project for Regional Peace and Governance Programs: Mauritania Assessment Countering Violent Extremism: Resources and Programming, Accra: USAID/West Africa, EAS/WARP, The Mitchell Group GS-10F-004N/AID-624-M-13-00001, 2016. 5 See, for example: International