Developing Participation Strategies

We help organisations develop and implement strategies to enable young people to effectively influence their projects, services and decision-making processes. Through developing these strategies jointly with their young people, youth workers, volunteers, managers and Board members, organisations can ensure that the responsibility for encouraging youth participation is shared and doesn't fall on just one or two peoples' shoulders.

At the end of this extensive programme, your organisation can expect:

• A clear, unique organisational strategy for youth participation

• An action plan to ensure effective implementation of your new strategy

• Improved services as a result of increased user involvement from young people

• Stakeholders' agreement on what youth participation means within the context of your work and programmes

• A strengthened ability to apply for funding requiring evidence of user involvement.

How the programme works: Over a period of approximately six months, we will work with your organisation to help you develop and implement your youth participation strategy. We do this through:

• Facilitating a series of preparatory meetings to explore the meaning, benefits and costs of youth participation to your organisation

• Facilitating an Away Day to enable your organisation to develop your strategy and Action Plan

• Offering follow-up coaching, support and training to assist you in implementing your strategy.

At the end of this process, your organisation will be able to show that it is concerned with implementing best practice with regards to youth participation.

For more information on how your organisation can develop its own youth participation strategy, please email us at
ypp@ica-uk.org.uk.

Read a case study

Plan It Yourself project

Download the “Plan It Yourself fact-sheet in pdf”

Other Facilitation Services

ICA:UK offers a wide range of facilitation services to organisations working with young people. Our people have experience working with or for organisations such as Surestart, Children Funds, Connexions, schools, local authority Youth Services, voluntary youth organisations and Councils for Voluntary Youth Services - experience that means they can quickly begin to understand your situation.

For more information on how our facilitation services may be able to help your organisation make some important decisions, please click here.