Using the power of ideas to

influence policy: YPI in SA

Saadhna Panday (PhD)
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Vienna, Austria
 Outline of presentation
• History of youth development & role of
research
• Opening policy window post-2000
• Framework for generating political priority
• Collective action for youth development
• Power of two ideas
• youth bulge
• second chances
• Participation vs. Protection
• rights vs. demand
• Lessons for research translation
History of youth development
• 70s-80s: ‘Young lions’ overthrew Apartheid
political champions
• Early 90s: concern for ‘lost generation’
• 1994: Mainstreaming of youth development
• 1996: National Youth Commission
• 1996: South African Youth Council
• 1997: National Youth Policy
• 1999: Declining youth participation
• 2001: National Youth Development Policy
Framework
• 2001: Umsobomvu Youth Fund
 Generating political priority
• Collective action of powerful actors
• Strong guiding institutions
• Political champions / knowledge brokers
• Grassroots support
• Power of the ideas
• Frame ideas that resonate with policy
community & public
• Credible individuals to champion ideas
• Opening of favourable policy contexts
• Merits of the issue
 Youth Policy Initiative
RT 1 Youth policy & institutions 23 May 07

RT 2 Youth bulge 19 Jul 07

RT 3 Livelihood strategies 9 Oct 07

RT 4 Learner retention 20 Nov 07

RT 5 Pregnancy 6 Mar 08

RT 6 Crime & violence 13 May 08

 Power of the actors
• Implementation network
• Youth development politically contested
• Collective capacity & experience in the
field
• Guiding institution, buy-in & ownership
• Tone of roundtables – collaborative &
positive youth development
• Emergence of knowledge brokers
• Youth desk in the Presidency
• National Youth Commission
 Grassroots participation
• Instant Grass (6)
• Web poll (10)
• SMS poll (10)
• Newspaper articles (27)
• Radio interviews (51)
• Web/podcasts (6)
• Group discussions (6)
• Brochures & pamphlets (10 000)
 “You need connections to be heard”

There is a firm belief that if you don’t have a “connection”, you have very little chance of
getting through to government. However, being heard doesn’t mean there will be action.

 “I’ve tried speaking to government, especially in school days (did things with Amnesty International). The
only reason I was able to get through to them was because of connections.”

 “Eish mfethu, don’t even try if you don’t have connections. It will take forever or it wont work. They are helpful
it you get there, but it is the getting there that is impossible.”
“My wallet is my ‘savings’ account”

The youth will withdraw all the money they receive in a month on pay day and keep this
money in their wallet for safe keeping. People feel that they do not earn enough money to
use banks. The wallet in their pocket is adequate for the amount of money they earn. They
can also show off how much they earn, even though this could be a security risk.

 “Mostly guys, withdraw

all their money at the
end of the month for
show and keep most
of it in their wallets
and a bit of it at home
in the cupboard..for
rainy days”

 “I get two thousand

bucks a month, I can
put that money in my
one pocket, it's little
and the banks charge
for services even for
little cash, AINT
WORTH IT.”

1.
“You lack a sense of belonging”

Unemployed Youth go through a number of negative emotions, but among them one of the
strongest is the feeling that you do not belong. Particularly when friends are working, the
Youth experience strong feelings of isolation and often feel like outcasts.

“Being unemployed or not having money come in is

sad to me, I feel like I’m not doing anything and that I
have no right to be where I am. I don’t think that’s a
feeling anyone likes.”

“Everyone wants cash money, but its also something

to do, somewhere you belong, something you can be
good at and grow in! It also kind of makes you feel
like you’re not a complete loser/failure.”
“Society labels us outcasts”

Regardless of reasons for dropping out, ex pupils find it difficult to shake off negative titles
that society labels them with. These titles tend to live with dropouts creating even more
doubt in their minds as to the ability they have to empower themselves.

“Not having been awarded the opportunities

to go to school or further my education
because of a lack of financial constraints has
made me a “loser”.”

 “Society often outcasts high school dropouts

and tends to classify them as the lazy bunch
in the community.”

 “School dropouts are more often than not

misunderstood and may sometimes be the
product of pure misfortune or bad luck.”
“Parents not open with their kids”

 “The reasons these

Because parents feel uncomfortable about talking to their pregnancies happen is
kids about sex, kids tend to refrain from talking to them because my friends are
and asking them necessary questions. afraid to talk to their parents/
teachers/ elders about family
planning and scared to tell
them they are having sex
and scared to ask for
contraceptives because of
the stigma that is out there
about sex especially
amongst older people.”
“It’s a structural issue”

Many feel that the issue of crime/violence is a deep rooted and multi-faceted one. There
is a strong link between crime & violence and the societal situation - the
repercussions of apartheid and how it was dealt with by the present government.

“Until there can be a clear balance in the poverty vs.

riches issue; crime will always be a large problem in this
country. It’s not the government’s job; it’s the citizens of
this country who have to do something about it.
Unfortunately, not everybody sees that.”

“People prescribe simple solutions like the death

penalty and harsher laws, not understanding that the
problem is greater than that. Is has to do with the
societal structure”
YPI poster & brochure
SMS polls
Where do you put your
savings?
My bank
9% account

0% I can't afford to
save
11%
Stokvel

52% My wallet is my
savings account

A Friend or
28% family member
bank account
Other
0%
 Web polls
Has the youth policy made a difference What do young people need the most to
in the lives of young people in South succeed in life? Quality
Education
Africa? 5% 2%
6% Access to
13% information &
career guidance
Supportive
13% families & social
networks
Yes Finance

No 59% Organisations
that support
youth
15% Other
87%

What is the main reason learners A new education policy recommends that
dropout at school? young mothers should not go back to
Learning
school for two years after giving birth. Do
18%
difficulty
you think this is fair?
Financial
27% difficulty

Pregnancy
44% Yes
Caring for 56% No
4% household
member
Other
13% 38%
YPI web page
 Group discussions
Province Partners Age No. of Topics
Participants

Mpumalanga Colour My World 20 - 35 20 Learner retention

KwaZulu-Natal Mpofana YAC 18 - 35 30 Learner retention

Limpopo ECYD Giyane 18 - 38 60 Learner retention

& livelihoods
Limpopo ECYD Masisi 15 - 35 55 Learner retention
& livelihoods
Limpopo ECYD Bochum 20 - 35 45 Learner retention

Mpumalanga UYF & ECYD 18 - 36 40 Learner retention

Bushbuckridge
Newspaper articles
 Radio interviews
Date Radio station Topic Interviewee
26-Jun-07 GMFM Youth Policy Initiative Majuta Mamogale
07-Aug-07 Musupatsela Youth Policy Initiative Geoffrey Nkadimeng
06-Oct-07 Ikwekwezi fm Youth participation Nomhle Ndimande
06-Oct-07 Mughana Lonene fm Youth participation Khanyisa Phaweni
08-Oct -07 Lesedi fm Youth participation Geoffrey Nkadimeng
09-Oct -07 Thobela fm Youth participation Geoffrey Nkadimeng
10-Oct -07 CKI fm Youth participation Thokozani Mhlambi
13-Oct -07 Legwalagwala fm Youth participation Glodean Thani
13-Oct -07 Umhlobo Wonene Youth participation Thokozani Mhlambi
25-Oct -07 Ukhozi fm Youth participation Nomhle Ndimande
15-Sep-07 Phalaphala fm Youth participation Mulalo
07-Mar-08 RSG Learner retention Fabian Arends
02-Apr-08 RSG Learner retention Fabian Arends
09-May-08 Radio 2000 Crime & Violence Saadhna Panday
12-May-08 Radio 2000 Crime & Violence Cathy Ward
13-May-08 E-TV Crime & Violence Patrick Button
 The Youth Bulge
• Largest number of youth in human history
• Africa is close to experiencing a bulge in the
working age population
• Comes about through a drop in mortality,
followed by fertility
• Opportunity for human & economic development
• Contributed 25-40% of East Asian miracle
between 1960-1990
• SSA is the only region in the world yet to peak
 Demographic transition

Falling death & fertility rates cause a population bulge

Graph slides
 Dividend is not automatic
• Family planning – lower fertility
• Public health – drive down disease in working
age population
• Education - training for knowledge-based
economy
• Full employment
• Empowerment of women – education & jobs
• Old age - pension, healthcare, residential care
• AND BULGE DOES NOT LAST FOREVER
 The Youth bulge

40% of population are between 14-35 years of age

 The bulge will last ±
2-3 decades from
2010
Youth bulge offers
a positive frame to
view young people

Provided…
•Healthy
•Educated
•Able to find work
•Participate in civic
life

About 67% of the population is aged 15 to 64 years, leveling off

…but youth development in crisis

Healthy?
• Pregnancy: 27% pregnant (19 yrs of age), 70% unplanned
• HIV, substance use, mental ill health peaking
• Crime & violence: 180 000 young men in prison
Educated?
• Quantity -1 million leave school / yr, 29% matric
• Quality - poorest on maths & science scores
Able to find work?
• 50% of 18-24 yr olds are unemployed
Participate in civic life?
• Expanding rights, contracting participation
 Second chances
• Policy focus on the youth we have today
• Strengthen institutions to provide sound first
chances
• Second chances are small scale, fragmented,
lack a coherent strategy, not part of HRDS
• Poor political will to focus on second chances
• Sceptism that vulnerability can be turned
around
• Responsibility rests with individuals & families
 Second chances continued
• Remediation is costly but society can ill afford
the loss of human capital potential
• Second chances must be well targeted, allow
for reintegration & restorative vs. punitive
• SA first generation policy goals broadly
formulated
• Recognised priority groups but strategies not
differentiated to meet their needs
• Recommendation: second generation youth
policy must legislate for second chances
 Second chances continued
• Second chances ≠ second rate
• Considered ‘school for rejects’, ‘fly-by-nights’, for
‘stupid people’
• Youth in the mainstream need second chances
– must be adequately resourced
• Linked to exit opportunities
• Support services - holistic
“You lack a sense of belonging, you feel like a
loser/failure, you become a beggar, its like living
in a prison, society labels you an outcast”
 Lessons learnt continued
• Used an opening policy window to set up knowledge transfer
project
• Use the power of dialogue to influence policy development
• Ideas with totemic value resonated with policy community
• Combined strengths of evidence with experience to
advocate for shift in policy
• Implementation network gave credibility & legitimacy
• Knowledge brokers: placed good ideas
in policy spaces
 Lessons learnt continued
Research translation is a science & art
• Investment required to attract attention of
senior officials & sustain interest
• Requires combined experience of
researchers to generate good ideas
• Political scientists to access policy spaces
• Communication expert to package ideas
• Lobbyist for coalition building
• Large scale grassroots support
 Lessons learnt continued
Few experts with decision-making ability vs. larger
collaborative group
• Large group to cohere around ideas
• Win – influence direction of policy
• Compromise – detail required to facilitate
implementation
• Effectiveness studies required to
demonstrate how good ideas can be
integrated into existing systems
• Evaluation of research translation processes a
challenge