Analysis of Youth Policy Formulation and Implementation with a Special Emphasis on Youth Participation: A Multiple Case Analysis
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The FDRE National Youth Policy emphasized the role of youth in determining their
own destiny through their active participation in the formulation and implementation
of policies and strategies that affect them. Accordingly, the purpose of the study was
to analyze youth policy formulation and implementation focusing on the participation
of the youth and explore the challenges in the implementation of strategies for youth
participation in the policy process. A policy analysis framework was used to analyze
the content, the role of actors, and the context of the development of the policy and
policy packages and demonstrate the dynamics among them. In addition, youth access
and influence on the policy process was analyzed to gauge the progress made in
realizing the democratic rights of the youth and their meaningful participation. The
methodology used is a multiple case study approach at macro, meso and micro levels
to analyze the formulation and implementation processes at various levels of
administration. A qualitative approach was used to analyze the research questions in
the study. In-depth interviews with key informants, document review and observation
methods of data collection were used and in addition served as a way to triangulate
the data. A purposive sampling method was used to select and undertake in-depth
interviews with a total of 15 Key Informants from both the government i.e the Youth
Department at the Ministry, Youth Bureau at Addis Ababa City Government and the
youth secretariats in the selected Sub-city and woreda, and the Youth actors
comprising of the Ethiopian Youth Federation, Addis Ababa Youth Federation and
Addis Ababa Youth Association. The Key Informants were selected for their special
knowledge and insights of the policy formulation and implementation processes and
different interview guides were used for each organization, group and various
hierarchical levels to obtain the data. Findings indicate that most of the progressive
strategies for ensuring the meaningful participation of the youth through independent
participation of the youth in the policy process, implementing structures and
mechanisms forwarded in the National Youth Policy have not been reflected in the
subsequent policy packages and there were insignificant changes among the various
policy packages. Findings also indicated as one of the challenges in the policy
process, the state’s influence on the policy environment which limited the
participation of the youth to government affiliated national and regional youth
federations and associations which are under the shadow of the government as they
rely on it for their financial needs which in turn has affected their bargaining power.
The government’s youth departments at the City government level also face similar
issues of capacity which impeded the monitoring and coordination of youth issues and
in addition face autonomy issues due to the top-down approach of the federal
government. In conclusion, the government has been lagging in ensuring the
participation of the youth through the provision of access to the policy process and
enhancing the quality of their participation. Strong legal frameworks to ensure the
autonomy of the youth organizations and creative ways to reach and involve youth
are necessary to safeguard the participation of the youth.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Public Administration and Development
Management of Addis Ababa University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for
the Degree of Masters in Public Management and Policy (MPMP)
Keywords
Case study, Formulation, Implementation, Youth policy