New and Innovative Forms of Youth Participation in Decision-Making Processes
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New and innovative forms of youth participation in decision-making processes Anne Crowley & Dan Moxon New and innovative forms of youth participation in decision-making processes Anne Crowley & Dan Moxon Council of Europe ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank members of the Reflection Group and the Youth Department Secretariat for their advice, support and direction. The range of experiences and knowledge, as well as understanding, has been tremendously useful in guiding both the research itself but also the analysis and reporting. AUTHORS Dr Anne Crowley is a policy and research consultant and recently completed a PhD on the impact of children’s and young people’s participation on decision making. She is currently an Associate at the CASCADE research centre at Cardiff University where she is involved in a range of research and policy projects. From 2010-12, Anne worked with the Council of Europe on drafting Recommendation CM/Rec(2012)2 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the participation of children and young people under the age of 18, and has subsequently been engaged with the Secretariat and other experts to develop the Child Participation Assessment Tool (CPAT) for member States to use to assess their progress in implementing the Recommendation. Prior to becoming involved in policy and research, The opinions expressed in this work are the Anne worked with marginalised young people responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily as a social worker and a probation officer. reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe. Dan Moxon is an expert in youth participation with All requests concerning the reproduction or over 18 years’ experience working with children, translation of all or part of this document should be young people and families in the voluntary, public, addressed to the Directorate of Communication for-profit and academic sectors. He is an experienced (F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex or [email protected]). researcher, evaluator and writer with a research focus All other correspondence concerning this document on children’s and young people’s participation, and should be addressed to the Directorate General of in using participatory research techniques to enable Democracy – Youth Department ([email protected]). young people to influence policy and strategy. He Cover and layout: Documents and Publications is an Associate Director at the University of Central Production Department (SPDP), Council of Europe Lancashire’s Centre for Children and Young People’s Participation, the only research centre in the world Cover photo: © Council of Europe focused exclusively on participation. He has led work on behalf of the UK Youth Parliament, British Youth This publication has not been copy- Council, Department of Health, England, NHS-NW, edited by the SPDP Editorial Unit to correct Government Office for the North West of England, typographical and grammatical errors. The Railway Children, as well as a variety of local © Council of Europe, October 2017 authorities, voluntary organisations and research Printed at the Council of Europe institutions in the UK, Finland, Iceland and Italy. Contents CHAPTER 1 – EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 5 Background 5 Research findings 5 Conclusions 6 Recommendations 6 CHAPTER 2 – INTRODUCTION 7 CHAPTER 3 – METHODOLOGY 9 Documentary analysis 9 Online survey of stakeholders 9 Review of case studies 10 Analysis and recommendations 11 CHAPTER 4 – YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN DECISION MAKING 13 What do we mean by youth participation? 13 The European policy framework for youth participation 14 An overview of the policy instruments of the Council of Europe 14 Current debates and developments: an overview 15 New and innovative youth participation 18 CHAPTER 5 – STAKEHOLDER VIEWS ON INNOVATIVE FORMS 23 Defining the forms of youth participation in decision making 23 Survey results 24 Summary 27 CHAPTER 6 – EXAMPLES OF INNOVATIVE PARTICIPATION PROJECTS 29 What do the case studies tell us about innovation? 53 CHAPTER 7 – DISCUSSION 57 Alternative forms of participation and their relationship to innovation 57 Defining innovation within youth participation 58 How might public authorities engage with the concept of innovation? 58 What encourages innovation at project level? 59 What strategic and policy responses could encourage innovation in youth participation? 60 Summary 60 CHAPTER 8 – RECOMMENDATIONS 63 Public authorities 63 Council of Europe 65 ► Page 3 Chapter 1 Executive Summary Background ► a review of examples of successful initiatives and practices; This study of new and innovative forms of youth participation was commissioned by the Council of ► a thematic analysis of the issues arising with Europe’s Youth Department. The study focuses on regard to new and innovative forms of youth young people’s participation in decision-making pro- participation. cesses at national, regional and local levels. The find- ings and recommendations in the study are intended Research findings to inform the Council of Europe youth sector’s future work in this field and its strategic objectives to sup- Defining the concept of innovative forms of youth port young people’s (positive) attitude to influence participation has proved to be a challenge. The review decisions in democratic processes and increase their of literature in this report identifies a general con- involvement in the development of inclusive and sensus of concern for the shift in young people’s peaceful societies. methods of political expression away from voting and The backdrop to this work is increasing concern at engagement with political parties into other forms of political level and evidence to indicate that young participation. However, defining what young people people have been turning away from established have moved to does not have the same consensus, forms of democratic participation. This is represented, and concepts of innovative forms of participation amongst other things, by a decline in voter turn- are poorly defined. The literature also identified the out amongst young people, and their decreasing concept of policy innovation within other sectors as a membership of political parties. It is argued by some method used to drive improvement in public services. commentators that, as young people disengage The survey explored perceptions, amongst stake- from these ‘traditional’ forms of participation, they holders, of different forms of participation in decision are finding ‘alternative’ or ‘innovative’ forms of par- making. The key findings are that: ticipation to replace them. Parallel to this social shift amongst young people is an increasing emphasis in ► co-management, co-production, digital partici- the development of public policy across all sectors on pation, deliberative participation and for some, ‘innovation’ and the political desire for public authori- the concept of ‘participatory spaces’ are seen ties to be ‘innovative’. This study set out to explore as the more innovative forms of participation; and identify ‘innovative’ forms of youth participation ► youth councils and similar bodies, and youth and to understand the role of innovation within the activism or popular protest are seen as the less context of youth participation in decision making. innovative forms of participation; The study comprised a documentary analysis of ► in general, the ‘more innovative forms’ are not existing research; an e-survey of policymakers, more or less effective than the ‘less innovative practitioners and other stakeholders; and a review forms’; of examples of innovative practice from a range of different contexts. The report includes: ► these more innovative forms are facing similar barriers to those faced by youth councils and ► an overview of the current debates and devel- forums in terms of young people’s views being opments on youth involvement in decision taken into account by public bodies. Barriers making at European, national, regional and include: municipal levels and an exploration of the concept of ‘new and innovative’ participation; – lack of funds and resources; ► an analysis of the results of a survey of 356 – lack of political support; stakeholders; – lack of understanding by public authorities. ► Page 5 The case studies provide examples of these various young people’s views when they are making deci- forms. However, they also serve to highlight the dif- sions by developing and testing new methods, forms ferent understandings of the concept of ‘innovation’ or concepts. and how innovation, by its very nature, is strongly In the context of youth participation in decision context specific. What is innovative in one reality is making, innovation is therefore conceptualised likely to be less so in another depending on historical as part of the quest for the most effective ways to legacies, tradition and a myriad of cultural consider- involve young people in the development of policy ations. Importantly, this indicates that forms that are and service provision and a wide variety of other currently considered more innovative will change decision-making processes. However, the end goal over time as they become accepted or embedded in of innovation is not simply to create a new way of practice. The case studies also highlight a number of doing things but to establish better ways in terms of other key messages: achieving stated objectives. Support for innovation ► innovative approaches can come from both by public bodies means that new approaches must young people and adults/professionals; have clear objectives, be systematically