Youth Programme Document...6 Part 2: Youth Employment Strategy and the Youth Employment and...

PROJECT PROPOSAL

The Government of Sierra Leone

United Nations Development Programme

In partnership with the Ministry Youth Employment and Sports

Youth Employment & Empowerment Programme [Sierra Leone]

UN Joint Vision Priority Area: Economic and Social Integration of Youth; Programme 19 - Youth Development and Employment

Programme Period: 2011 - 2012 Programme Component: Youth Employment and Development Project Title: Youth Employment and Empowerment Programme (YEEP) Project Duration: April 2011 – 2012 Dec

Brief Description The Youth Employment and Empowerment Programme will be a central component of the UN Joint Vision Programme on Youth Employment. This new programme builds on the two previous youth employment programmes supported by UNDP, and is based within the framework of the global UN policy on Post Conflict Employment Creation, Income Generation and Reintegration. The new programme will complement the other youth employment projects that will concentrate on quick-impact cash-for-work and NGO-run employment projects, by establishing the systems and structures that will:-

- Bring about policy and strategy coherence - Develop a strategy based on best practices - Identify best practices through systematic evaluations and research - Develop a comprehensive understanding of the situation for youth through structured research - Provide services to enable youth to start micro and small business - Provide careers advice and placement services and a programme of internship and apprenticeship - Enable informed decision making based on good knowledge and information e.g

o Research into appropriate business models not yet widely used in Sierra Leone o Employment opportunity information (by district) o Systematic dissemination of lessons learned from employment initiatives o Systematic research into important issues for youth e.g. urbanization; o Structured support to youth to enable them to play a positive and respected role in society with an

emphasis on social cohesion and conflict prevention

Total Budget: USD 9,951,590 Allocated resources: USD 1,700,000 Unfunded budget: USD 8,251,590

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Table of Contents

Part 1: Background and Situation Analysis Programme Rationale

Part 2: Youth employment strategy and the Youth Employment and Empowerment Programme Part 3: Programme Components

3.1 Component 1: Institutional and Policy Development 3.2 Component 2: Youth Employment through Micro & Small Business Development

3.3 Component 3: Engagement of Youth through youth-led public works

3.4 Component 4: Youth Empowerment Part 4: Programme Management & Coordination Arrangements Annex 1: Capacity Assessment Annex 2: Risk Analysis Annex 3: Workplan 2011 Annex 4: Workplan 2012 Annex 5: Resource Mobilization Annex 6: Indicative Job Descriptions

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Part 1: Background and Situation Analysis 1.2 The Situation for Youth: The Government has placed youth employment as a core outcome of the national economic development strategy. The Agenda for Change prioritizes agriculture, infrastructure/transport, energy and human development as strategic sectors with the private sector as the engine for growth. These sectors have tremendous potential to create job opportunities. In the short to medium term, the Government has targeted job creation in the agricultural sector where large numbers of job opportunities can be created for youth.

During recent years, the Government has made significant strides in improving the environment for investment and private sector development including a 15-place improvement in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index, the development of investment and export strategies, prioritizing the smallholder commercialization of agriculture and land tenure reform. There has been a 12-point improvement in the Corruption Perception Index1. The Government has encouraged interventions in skills training and employment opportunities. It has created a new ministry which has the direct responsibility for youth employment , the Ministry of Youth Employment and Sports (MYES) and established the National Youth Commission (NYC) that will provide overall leadership on youth employment and empowerment in Sierra Leone.

While economic development can create employment in the longer term, the rise in GDP will take some time to have a significant impact on employment. It is estimated that there are 800,000 people (aged 15 to 25) who are unemployed, employed without remuneration or underemployed2 and that it will take nearly a decade of steady 7% job-absorbing growth in GDP to provide job opportunities for this group3. Furthermore, maintaining such a high growth rate is unlikely. Thus, while economic growth forms the bedrock for employment initiatives through the private sector, international assistance will be required to accelerate the development of job opportunities in the short term.

Currently, over 65% of livelihoods in Sierra Leone are based on agriculture, but they generate little income. In addition, there are few businesses based on agriculture. For example, of the 11,541 Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) registered by the Sierra Leone Indigenous Business Association (SLIBA), only about 1% are in agriculture with the majority in the retail trade. Nonetheless, agriculture and associated agricultural services have the best potential for improving livelihoods and employment in the short and medium term in the country. The Government’s Smallholder Commercialization Programme (SCP) can provide thousands of job opportunities by establishing businesses and agricultural services through value chain development of agriculture commodities.

International investment will create employment, for example, the Addax investment is expected to create 4,000 to 6,000 jobs, FNP Agricultural Company plans to provide over 10,000 jobs and African Minerals 11,000 jobs.

Overall, youth are not prepared with the requisite skills for employment. Sierra Leone has very low human capital. The average number of completed-years of education of youth in Sierra Leone is half that of India, one third of China and a fourth of South East Asia4. About half of the youth (15-24 years) population in Sierra Leone are illiterate5. In general, youth have had little connection to the formal economy and lack relevant life skills. Equally, they do not have the knowledge and skills to start a business enterprise. Although youth believe that self-employment is the best income opportunity, only one third of working youth are self-employed, mainly because they lack capital, the business network and the necessary skills6.

Many young people feel caught in the “youth trap” where they cannot earn sufficient income to marry, have a family and transition into adulthood. They feel subject to the decisions of elders and locked into unpaid labour for elders. Many youth have migrated to urban areas in an attempt to escape the “trap”. However, in urban areas unemployment and underemployment are the highest, particularly for males. More than 50% of young people living in urban areas are surviving on ‘tips’ for casual work. 1 Transparency International 2 Peeters, Pia, Wendy Cunningham, Gayatri Acharya and Arvil Van Adams (2009), Youth Employment in Sierra Leone: Sustainable Livelihood Opportunities in a Post-Conflict Setting, Washington, DC: The World Bank, cited in “Youth Employment Support Project” (2010), page 2 3 Ibid, page 2 4 Ibid, page 3 5 UNICEF at glance, 2009 6 Peeters, World Bank, page 3.

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Youth survive on a multitude of activities. For example, in urban areas lorry parks attract many young men seeking casual labour opportunities, carrying loads, finding passengers for buses, as well as skilled trades such as drivers, mechanics and barbers. Young women predominantly work as shopkeepers, street retailers and hairdressers. Many children work as street retailers outside school hours. Such market areas attract migrant youth and many sleep in nearby kiosks and ataya bases. The majority of these youth do not know about local institutions and thus are unlikely to directly benefit from local development programmes7.

By contrast, in the rural areas, the majority of youth are involved in brushing and ploughing farmland. There are few opportunities for petty trading. The sale of charcoal, wood and stone are important sources of income. However, in general, youth do not want to be farmers where income is seasonal. They prefer “daily money” and would therefore rather move to town or work in the fishing sector. Consequently, insufficient able-bodied labour for farming is a growing phenomenon.

The current decline in purchasing power creates additional socio-economic pressure, which intensifies the sense of the being caught in the “youth trap”. For example, rice is about 20% more expensive than in 2007. However, many incomes have not risen alongside this rise in food prices. Translated into daily earnings, a barber has to carry out 40% more haircuts and a taxi driver must collect 35% more fares to purchase the same amount of rice as s/he did two years ago8.

The sense of marginalization combined with low income and very limited prospects for employment and personal economic growth makes the youth volatile and vulnerable to manipulation.

Employment and empowerment of the youth is the key to turning youth from being potentially negative into a constructive positive asset for the country.

1.2 Programme Rationale: The Government of Sierra Leone, the United Nations (UN) and development partners all agree that youth employment is one of the three major threats (along with corruption and the illegal trade in illicit drugs) to the country’s stability and development. 1.2.1 A Priority for Government: Youth employment is a priority area in the Agenda for Change, National Development Strategy (2009-2012). The strategy identifies six areas of focus:

Support to Youths in Agriculture Support Viable Youth Enterprise Labour Intensive Public Works Schemes Waste Management and Disposal Handy Corps Scheme Job Centres (Employment Service Centres)

The Government has created the Ministry of Youth Employment and Sports (MYES) and established the National Youth Commission (NYC) to raise the profile of the youth issue, to enable youth to participate more in the development planning and initiatives that directly affect their lives, and to bring better coordination, more focus and better alignment of all youth employment interventions. Other relevant Government strategies and programmes focusing on employment creation include the Private Sector Development Strategy, Export Development Strategy, Smallholder Commercialization of Agriculture, Fisheries and Tourism Development. 1.2.2 A Priority for the UN: Youth employment is a priority for the UN. The UN Joint Vision has one programme dedicated to Youth Employment, Programme 19. This joint programme focuses on six areas: Labour Intensive Public Works;

7 Baseline Study: Cash and Food for Work Programme in Sierra Leone’s Western Area, WFP, January 2010, p. 21 8 Ibid, p. 24

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Private Sector & Agro-business Jobs; Employability & Transition to Work; Youth Empowerment; Sector Planning & Coordination; and Research. The UN Joint Vision Programme is guided by the global UN Policy on Post Conflict Employment Creation, Income Generation and Reintegration and the UNDP/ILO Global Jobs Pact. The Youth Employment and Empowerment Project is an integral part of this UN Joint Vision programme on youth employment and a central part of the Joint Response on Youth Employment by development partners. 1.2.3 A Priority for Development Partners The UN, World Bank, GDC, GTZ, IFAD and EC will coordinate their support to youth employment, through a Partner Group, to bring coherent and consistent support to the Government’s initiatives. Through combined knowledge sharing with all actors, project interventions will be progressively improved, policies will be consistently relevant to the current situation and there will be no significant capacity gaps in a critical part of the youth employment system. Coming together in a joint response the agencies will focus on four areas: 1) creating immediate, short-term work in labour-intensive public works in urban and rural areas, 2) expanding long-term livelihood opportunities, especially associated with agriculture, 3) creating employment opportunities for college and university graduates, and 4) supporting the development of relevant policies and capacity building of the technical ministries (particularly the MYES and MLSS) and the NYC.

The agencies will work together through joint strategic planning, coordinated implementation, joint work planning, identification and the expansion of best practices, joint analysis, evaluation, monitoring, information collection and dissemination. Currently, UNDP is the convener of the joint response.

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Part 2: Youth Employment Strategy and the Youth Employment and Empowerment Programme 2.1 National Youth Employment Strategy: Previous employment strategies in Sierra Leone have been predominantly supply-focused with particular emphasis on vocational skills training. 9 There has been relatively little concentration on tailoring training to labour market demand or creating employment opportunities. Hence, many youths graduating from vocational training and other employment training programmes have not been able to find employment or to start their own livelihood activities. As a consequence, the overall sector strategy on youth employment has now been re-directed to focus on creating employment opportunities, particularly the development of micro and small business. Additionally, job matching services are to be established to match the types of skills training provided to the jobs available. With an estimated 800,000 youths unemployed, employed without remuneration or underemployed, the national target is to create 300,000 job opportunities in three years as follows: Agro-business - 100,000 jobs; Public Works - 110,000 jobs; Public and Private Partnership - 60,000 jobs and Small Medium Enterprises - 30,000 jobs.

2.2 The Youth Employment and Empowerment Programme The programme interventions will develop the systems that will create job opportunities and livelihoods through micro and small business run by the youth and to match the youth skills-development projects with labour market demand, thereby contributing to the achievement of the Government’s targets for youth

9 Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Youth Employment Scheme (YES). Mid-Term Review of 2009 Projects: Commonalities, Innovation and Employment Potential. 2009.

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employment. The programme design has drawn on the lessons learned from the previous programmes, the Basket Fund (2007-2010) and Peace Building Fund (2007-2010). The programme has four components:- Component 1: Institutional Capacity and Policy Development Component 2: Youth employment through micro & small business development Component 3: Engagement of Youth through youth-led public works Component 4: Youth Career Development, Empowerment and Research Conflict Prevention: The Government, UN and development partners all agree that youth employment is one of the three major threats to the country’s stability. Thus this programme, which will work youth on employment and empowerment issues, must take into consideration conflict prevention. A conflict prevention analysis has been carried out (led by UNIPSIL). This analysis has particular reference to the upcoming national elections in 2012. Using this analysis as the framework, the YEEP programme will analyze the programme interventions, particularly regarding the youth empowerment components, with regard to the prevention of conflict in this run-up to elections and in the longer term. UNIPSIL, with PBF financial support, will take the lead in the interventions relating to the youth and election-related violence. Gender: Access to job opportunities for both females and males is a very important part of all the programme interventions. Firstly, polices will need to facilitate equal access to employment for females. Secondly, the business skills development and careers advice and placement services will have targets to assist at least 50% females. Equally, the internship and apprenticeships must be at least 50% female. The M&E systems will be set up to specifically monitor equal access and the indicators for best practices will include (at least 40% percentage access) to female youth. Illicit Drugs: The illegal trade in illicit drugs is one of three major threats to the country’s stability. The interdiction of the supply routes is the current priority of the government, supported by UNODC/UNIPSIL. It is assumed that youth are commonly used in the trade. This programme will complement the Government’s efforts by providing education to youth in secondary schools and youth groups on the dangers of illicit drugs and the illicit drugs trade and the inclusion of these issues in the life skills education that is part of the careers advice and business skills development. The technical support for this work will be provided by UNODC/UNIPSIL. 2.3 Partnerships This new programme will work in close partnership with all the major stakeholders involved in youth employment. At the strategic level, the partnership will be coordinated through the Partner Group on youth employment whereby the UN, World Bank, GTZ, IFAD and EC will coordinate their support to youth employment to bring coherent and consistent support to the Government’s initiatives. The agencies will work together through joint strategic planning, coordinated implementation, joint work planning, identification and the expansion of best practices, joint analysis, evaluation, monitoring, information collection and dissemination.

At the UN level, the partnership is structured through UN Joint Vision Programme 19 on youth employment that brings together the plans and projects of all the UN agencies involved in youth employment.

2.4 Complementarity and Coherent Strategy: In the past, interventions in youth employment were fragmented and disconnected. There is now a clear intention on the part of all the major actors to bring complementarity and coherence to all the interventions.

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An assessment of the employment situation by the UNDP/ILO led team tasked with rolling out the UN system-wide team on Post-Conflict Employment Creation, Income Generation and Reintegration documented the following institutional and policy gaps: - Since the end of the war, no employment policy has been adopted by the country to provide a

comprehensive framework for planning action, resource mobilization and guidance for tackling the country’s mammoth employment challenges.

- The existing vocational training policy does not adequately reflect the skill needs of the post war labour market. Existing and new policies and laws do not often cohere with the overall objective of employment promotion. A major gap in the existing laws concerns the labour law and the minimum pay legislation.

- There is the need for a coherent disability policy on employment for the disabled - Although there is a tripartite body (government, employers and trade unions) in existence, the scope for

social dialogue in the formulation of employment policies and programmes has not been fully exploited so far.

The Youth Employment and Empowerment Programme will be complementary in two ways, Firstly, the programme will take the lead in the development and implementation of systems for coordination, the identification and dissemination of best practices and the systematic revision and updating of national strategies and policies. In addition, UNDP will provide direct technical support to coordinate the major support to youth employment through the Partner Group and the coordination of all project implementers. Secondly, the YEEP programme will work on areas that will complement the interventions of other programmes. For example, the Youth Employment Support Programme (World Bank supported) which will have the largest financial input ($20m; 2010 to 2012) will support Cash-for-Work schemes ($10m), employment projects managed by NGOs ($6m), and provide institutional support ($1m). This project focuses on project-level implementation. The YEEP programme will complement this intervention by providing technical support to national institutions so that there is clear national policy framework for youth employment projects. In addition, the YEEP Programme will develop the structures that will form the basic structure of the national employment promotion services that will progressively take over the initiatives established by individual employment projects. These services include district-based services on business skills development, business development mentoring, employment opportunity mapping, job matching and careers guidance. The YEEP Programme will collaborate closely with the ILO interventions on the capacity development of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) and in particular on the updating of the employment policy and related policies. The YEEP will support macro-economic policy analysis and recommendations to complement the employment policy and data and best practices from youth employment interventions to date to inform policy makers. 2.5 UNDP’s Comparative Advantage: UNDP will bring considerable hands-on experience in Sierra Leone and other relevant countries in the technical area of youth employment, especially relating to institutional capacity development, policy development, coordination and project management. UNDP has been a central player in youth employment at the national institutional level from the start of the youth employment interventions after the end of the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Programme in 2002. UNDP will apply the lessons learned from the experience of leading the development of the Youth Policy (2005) and the first National Youth Employment Programme (2006) and its revision in 2009. The institutional response to youth employment has faced a number of challenges. All the actions required to create jobs or enable youths to be more employable in such a small economy do not fit into a simple and predictable system. Thus the strategy is not precisely defined. This situation does not facilitate the development of a systematic and coherent approach and generally leads to fragmentation. UNDP is playing a central role in changing this situation to bring more coherence, for projects to be based on best practices and for the interventions to be better coordinated. UNDP has established the working relationships with all the actors, has developed the credibility and has an institution on the ground that can continuously support the provision of technical support over the long term.

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UNDP is a significant player in all the national initiatives. The establishment and capacity development of the Youth Employment Secretariat (YES) and the management of the Peace Building Fund projects have given UNDP very relevant experience that can be applied to the further implementation of youth employment initiatives in Sierra Leone. UNDP has built up a large network of partners and organizations involved in youth and the youth employment sector. UNDP is known for its association with youth employment and has credibility as a focal point in the technical area. Thus UNDP can mobilize the organizations. In addition UNDP has a very good working relationship with the YES and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MYES) that is necessary to facilitate network building. Using the growing network, UNDP and the YES are facilitating the coordination of actors with a particular focus on the identification of good practices and their dissemination. This coordination will be a major feature of the work of the Youth Commission. UNDP has initiated the coordination of the UN, World Bank, EC, GTZ and IFAD to develop joint strategic planning, coordinated implementation, joint work planning, identification and the expansion of best practices, joint analysis, evaluation, monitoring, information collection and dissemination.

UNDP draws on an international network. Firstly, there is a community of practice of Country Offices with youth employment initiatives. Secondly, UNDP can provide expert technical advice and pro-bono services from large international companies by using the resources available through the “Business Call to Action” and UN Global Compact office.

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Part 3: Programme Components 3.1 Output 1: Institutional and Policy Development The institutional response to youth employment has faced a number of challenges. There is no single approach to create jobs or enable youths to be more employable. Thus the youth employment strategy does not neatly fit into any one simple model. This situation generally leads to inconsistent policies and the fragmentation of programme interventions. The YEEP will address this issue by bringing sufficient technical capacity to the MYES/NYC to ensure that there is rigor to the policy development process that is based on well-researched information. The Ministry of Youth Employment and Sports and the National Youth Commission have been established to focus on the advancement and empowerment of youth to develop their potential, creativity and skills for national development.10 Its main function will be to bring coherence to the fragmented youth sector by coordinating and promoting all youth interventions across line ministries and youth organizations, and to act as an interface between the Government, development partners, NGOs and the private sector to increase the impact of all youth-orientated interventions. Output strategy: The YEEP project will build capacity of the MYES/NYC to provide effective leadership on a national and district level. The YEEP Project will provide direct technical support to develop policies and strategies and to coordinate activities in specific technical areas. This component will assist the NYC to fulfill its role with respect to the following: a) Coordination of programmes managed by public and private implementers in the area of youth

employment support to ensure synergies and prevent overlap; b) Provision of policy guidance to ministries, agencies, Local Councils and other institutions active in the

sector; c) Coordination between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), project implementers,

development partners and the private sector; and, d) Monitoring and evaluation of existing programs and setting up of systems to assist in the identification

of beneficiaries. Interventions to be Implemented: The YEEP will provide financial and technical support to help the MYES/NYC fulfill their mandated roles, which will include identification of competence gaps in the proposed structures and personnel. The YEEP Project will provide technical assistance to fill these gaps and build capacity to establish the following departments and functions of the MYES/NYC: Policy Development; Youth Empowerment; Human Resources and Financial Management; Resource Mobilization; Research, Monitoring and Evaluation. It is expected that technical advisors will be required in the first phase in the four areas listed below. Duration of the adviser positions will be determined by current needs. The indicative Job Descriptions can be found in Annex 6.

i. Policy and Capacity Development Advisor. ii. Business Development Services Advisor. iii. Youth Empowerment Advisor. iv. Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Advisor

10 National Youth Commission Act, 18 January 2010.

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Activity Result: 1.1: Policy development The YEEP programme will assist the Government to develop policy responses through systematic analytical work on youth policy, employment policy, labour laws, labour markets, skills certification, monitoring and evaluation of existing projects and setting up systems to assist in the identification of youth beneficiaries. As part of the policy development, the YEEP will support the Government to improve its statistical database on youth employment and to undertake periodic analysis of the current macro-economic policy and its impact (positive and negative) on employment, with particular emphasis on employment creation for youth. Additionally, the periodic analysis will propose changes to policies designed to stimulate employment in the short and medium term. Targets:

- Youth policy that is relevant to current needs. - Employment policy and macroeconomic policies that are supportive to the employment of youth. - Youth employment strategy that is relevant and realistic.

Activity Result 1.2: Coordination and Dissemination of Best Practices The YEEP programme will support the MYES/NYC to strengthen sector coordination by providing technical support for the coordination of youth interventions at national and district levels. The YEEP Project will support the establishment of a coordination desk within the MYES/NYC as a key functions to coordinate and bring coherence to the youth employment sector. In addition, the capacity of the MYES/NYC to create synergies between the various interventions in youth employment and empowerment will be strengthened. In particular, coordination will seek to ensure that short term employment interventions such as Cash-for-Work catalyze longer term employment through concurrent capacity development measures and supportive policies at the macro-level. The YEEP Project will support the MYES/NYC in the dissemination of findings and organization of learning events to share the results and lessons learned from the project interventions. At least two events per year will be organized to facilitate knowledge sharing and improvements to ongoing projects. Targets:

- The project interventions that are complementary and coherent - The project interventions are based on best practices - Relevant MDAs are actively contributing to creating employment opportunities - A technical coordination group established and functioning at the national level that will identify

and disseminate project best practices - Best practices document produced and published twice per year

Activity Result 1.3: Monitoring, Evaluation and Data Collection

The YEEP Project will support the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) department of the MYES/NYC by creating capacity and backstopping all M&E activities with a technical advisor, as and when required. Monitoring activities will highlight ongoing successes and failures in implementation and will act as a feedback loop to inform the sector and allow for adjustments, changes and opportunities to replicate successful youth employment initiatives. The evaluations will measure project impact on income, employment probability, and food consumption and other selected welfare indicators as well as effectiveness of targeting in particular the Cash-for-Work programme. The technical working group will identify and collate best practices. This capacity building of the M&E department will complement the project impact evaluations that will be carried out by the Youth Employment Support Project and enable those evaluation exercises to contribute to the capacity development of a national institution with the mandate to disseminate project best practices and develop policy. Targets:

- M&E data from all the youth employment projects are collated

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- The lessons learned from the M&E project data are disseminated in a published document once per year

- Youth employment data is published annually - Youth Employment Opportunities Mapping data is available at district & national level

Activity Result 1.4: Research on the Situation of Youth As a result of the severe lack of qualitative information on the situation of youth in Sierra Leone, interventions to improve the situation of youth and their socio-economic conditions are often based on assumptions and inaccurate information. It is believed that a failure to address the socio-economic conditions of youth could escalate tension already prevalent in many communities across the country. Thus, there is a need to establish a more accurate picture of the situation of youth that can be used to inform the youth themselves and policy-makers. This is different, but complementary, to the project-related evaluations that will inform programme planners on project best practices. The YEEP programme will support a research programme that will track important youth–related issues e.g. urbanization, the impact of music on changing values, modern values and expectations, changing relationships with family and public authority, emerging value-systems (both positive and negative), coping mechanisms, attitudes to engagement in the political process, and life expectations. The research will be carried out by the University of Sierra Leone. Research capacity in the areas of youth will be strengthened in the University of Sierra Lone. If this sub-component is successful and the research is seen to be useful, a research unit could be formalized in the university. A series of 13 research areas have been identified and a paper on each will be produced over the next three years. This research component will complement the opportunity mapping and project best practices carried out in Component 1, which focuses on acquiring quantitative data. The two sets of information will provide a comprehensive view of the situation of youth in Sierra Leone. In addition to this information, research papers will be compiled on the link between crisis and livelihoods/economic recovery of youths in post conflict situations. Interventions to be Implemented: The research studies are to be carried out by students conducting their Masters Degree research as well as by established researchers through the Peace and Conflict Studies department at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. The research will be based on primary source data collected from individual interviews and focus group discussions. The first study is underway. The study will analyse the increasing urbanization of the youth population. It will be completed at the end of 2010. This proposal seeks funding to carry out the remaining eight thematic research studies for 2011 and 2012. Targets:

- Research capacity at the University of Sierra Leone on youth issues strengthened - 8 research studies competed - Research findings available to policy makers, national planers and project planners - Publication on the status of youth in Sierra Leone published and disseminated (by end of 2012)

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3.2 Output 2: Youth Employment through Micro & Small Business Development The large number of Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs) that engage about 90% of the work force commonly work in low value-added activities in agriculture, fisheries, and informal services such as petty trading.11 Thus, the MSEs are a very important vehicle for employment and livelihoods. Since these businesses are rarely registered, bringing them into the formal economy can open new avenues for their growth: despite the high share of agricultural employment, a mere 1% of the 11,541 registered MSEs operate in the agriculture sector, which means that there is enormous business potential associated with the commercialization of agriculture (if well-targeted).12 Therefore, the programme will support the creation of employment opportunities through the start-up and/or support to existing MSEs and will focus on the development of MSEs relating to agriculture. The Government is intent on transforming the informal sector by making the MSEs more productive and competitive and instilling a culture of entrepreneurship. This is to be accomplished primarily through “commercialization” in the agriculture sector, where the government intends to transform smallholders from subsistence farming to active market participants. In order to achieve this goal, MSEs will need support to become more competitive, increase productivity and shift to high value-added services and activities. This programme component will support the development of livelihood opportunities through facilitating the establishment of small businesses, primarily in services based on value-chain improvement in particular agricultural commodities, fisheries and tourism. This component will support new and innovative approaches for business development and employment creation by testing various “pro-poor” and inclusive business models. Output strategy: The programme will complement the establishment of Agriculture Business Centres (ABCs) by facilitating the creation of new MSEs and scaling-up existing ones as well as replicating successful employment creation initiatives (such as employment contracting). Businesses will be supported along the value chain for a number of commodities in support of the Government’s agriculture commercialization programme. This work will be complemented by the Local Economic Development Planning by the Local Governments. This new project on local-planning initiative will start in July 2011. Support will be provided through the establishment of a series of Business Development Service (BDS) and training centres in each district. BDS providers and mentors will be recruited to provide training and support to start-up and existing MSEs which have the potential to scale-up and move into expanded agricultural services, fisheries and new areas associated with the development of tourism services. UNDP will use its involvement with the Microfinance Investment and Technical Assistance Facility (MITAF), the second phase of which is set to begin in 2011 and has an explicit focus on rural finance, to increase the access of agricultural MSEs to financial services. Activity Result 2.1: Business Skills Development Services Business Development Services and Careers Advice and Placement are key components for increasing job opportunities. The YEEP will facilitate the establishment and support of a series of BDS and training centres in all the districts. District Youth Officers will be supported by a team of advisors and mentors providing business start-up support, business skills development training and mentoring and career advisory services. The district teams will form a nation-wide “Youth Service and Employment Opportunity Network”, which will channel start-up support and BDS to new and existing MSEs with basic business services for start-ups, including identification of business opportunities, business planning, marketing, budgeting, and accounting.

11 Unleashing the Talent of Our People: Op. Cit,. 2009-2013. p. 11. 12 Business Establishments Survey, 2009, SLIBA, p. 23 and 47

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The YEEP will support a BDS Advisor in the MYES/NYC to develop the strategy and supervise the roll-out of the business skills development service activities, In terms of sustainability, the BDS providers will be consultants who will establish a market for their services and progressively become self-financing. Information on the identification of new business opportunities will come from:-

- The data from the employment opportunity mapping exercises that will periodically take place in each district

- Information from the various agriculture value chain analyses that are taking place - Data and analysis from the Local Economic Development Planning that will be carried out by each

District and City Council with technical support from UNDP/UNCDF - Information from the Sierra Leone Investment and Export Promotion Agency (SLIEPA) on which

sectors in general receive the greatest interest from major investors and exporters as well as which specific investment initiatives are coming to fruition.

The development of District Employment Opportunity Mapping is now being piloted in five districts (Bombali, Koinadugu, Kenema, Kailahun & Bo) . The YEEP will support the expansion of this service to all the districts. Periodically, information will be systematically collected to identify potential employment opportunities in each district. This will be carried out in conjunction with the district councils, line ministries, entrepreneurs, businesses, and UN agencies and development partners. The mapping survey will identify and create a database on potential areas of employment/livelihoods, particularly for the unemployed skilled youth, youth farmers groups and youth business groups. The information will cover a range of areas such as:-

- Commodity trade (mainly locally produced agricultural products) - Processing of local agricultural products - Demand for supplies e.g. packaging, spare parts - Locally required services (mechanics, etc.) - Apprenticeship opportunities - Manufacturing/production of local commodities (non agro items)

Targets

- Business Service Support Centers (BSSC) are established and operational in all the districts, providing business skills training and business start-up mentoring to youth-led MSEs.

- The service is provided to 5,000 young entrepreneurs in the first 2 years of operation - District Employment Opportunity information available in each district and updated annually - 20 youth-serving NGOs are trained in how to provide business development skills training and give

business start-up mentoring support to youth-led MSEs

Activity Result 2.2: Career Development and Employment for Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and University Graduates This component will work with MYES/NYC/MLSS and the private sector to develop links between skills training and job skills demanded in the labour market. This initiative will be linked to the on-going process to make the TVET courses and university education more closely related to labour-market requirements. The YEEP programme will work in two areas. One is to link skills training to the job skills demanded in the labour market. The YEEP will continue to support the Youth Employment Secretariat (YES), the MYES and MLSS to create an apprenticeship placement system for the TVET institutions it is supporting at district level. The second area is to establish Career Advice and Placement Service (CAPS) centers in four university campuses and nine TVET colleges that will offer the full range of careers advice and job placement services. Career Advice and Placement Services (CAPS) will be established by educational institutions to facilitate job internships and shadowing involving the selection of academic courses, career exploration, employability workshops, recruitment and job placement, and job and career fairs. Essential ‘soft skills’ in the workplace such as teamwork, communications, conflict resolution and good work ethics are also taught. A social and interactive environment for students to explore the world of work and to collaborate on educational and career topics will also be provided.

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The CAPS will be used to enhance employability of youth by matching job-seeker skills to employer needs and facilitating internships and placements for graduates in the private and public sectors. The CAPS will establish a productive relationship between the university and employers, and will involve employers in career-related workshops, seminars and job fairs. The job fairs will engage the private sector on an on-going basis and create a vested interest and clear benefit for them in the CAPS, and thus make it sustainable. The Life Skills training which is a component of the CAPS will include conflict prevention, conflict mediation, HIV/AIDS, gender and the dangers of illicit drugs. This service will build partnerships with the private sector and local business communities, government MDAs, NGOs, UN Agencies and INGOs to facilitate the school-to-work transition for trained youth. Incentives for recipient employers such as provision of tools and stipends paid to the interns for up to six months while they are attached to the organizations will be introduced to encourage recipient employers to take on placements and apprentices. Targets:

- 13 Career Advice and Placement Services (CAPS) operational in the 4 university campuses and 9 TVET Colleges

- Careers advice available to senior secondary schools, the centres run by a youth-serving NGO which will be served by a mobile CAPS service operated from the static CAPS centres.

- 200 university graduates per year in the internship programme - 300 youth per year in an apprenticeship scheme.

Activity Result 2.3: Research on Potential Business Models This sub-component will identify and research business models that will create job opportunities. The research will be rooted in existing business models and value chain studies. The studies will identify economic activities with high potential demand where adjustments to the business model could increase production volumes, value added and employment. The YEEP programme will focus on the micro and small scale enterprises and collaborate closely with MITAF so that the access to finance is an integral part of the proposed business model. Practicality, scalability and reliability will be the three most important aspects to determine feasible and sustainable potential business models. As a first step, the YEEP will support studies to identify appropriate mechanism to offer loans to youth who have no collateral or previous work experience. 3.3 Output 3: Engagement of Youth through youth-led public works

The YEEP programme will focus on the engagement and empowerment of youth using works projects as the vehicle for engagement. The works projects will improve recreation and sports facilities and protect fragile environment sites in urban and peri-urban areas Output Strategy The programme will focus on providing business skills and career development to youth engaged in imaginative, youth-related projects in construction, sports and environment in urban and peri-urban areas. Youth have few recreation and sports facilities to use in Sierra Leone. For example, football is played on many makeshift pitches. The youth already have a way to organise the use of these areas. This component will work with these youth to improve their facilities and in so doing, engage the youth in learning skills to start micro-businesses, get connected into a network of youth with similar employment aspirations, connect with the business skills development component of this programme and overall, improve their employability. The YEEP programme will create opportunities for youth using labour intensive approaches to improve recreation and environmental infrastructure in urban and peri-urban areas. Under the umbrella of the MYES/NYC, the programme will support relevant NGOs to mobilize and engage youth to improve sports facilities through coastal/urban conservation and rehabilitation projects. These works activities will be

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planned in collaboration with Local Councils and implemented through 10 sports-related NGOs and 5 environment-related NGO The YEEP programme will engage 15,000 youth in rehabilitation of key infrastructure, sports fields and coastal and urban environmental management in Freetown, Bo, Makeni and Kenema. The City Councils and youth groups will identify the sports physical and environment-related public works projects such as the rehabilitation of football pitches/other key infrastructure as might be required, environmental protection/awareness, tree planting, erosion control and swamp protection. The YEEP programme will partner with NGOs experienced in working with youth groups and youth-led projects to manage such projects and to facilitate the process to engage the youth in self-development activities to enhance employability and in some cases, to start micro-businesses. Through discussions with the Local Councils, community leaders and the youth, 100 football pitches will be identified and the youth will be organised and facilitated to carry out the rehabilitation work. In a similar manner, 50 environmental projects will be identified and public works projects created. In certain circumstances, such as at Lumley Beach, the work will be coordinated with the National Tourist Board. Youth participating in the above public works will receive training in basic literacy, life skills development and employability training. Potential youth leaders and young entrepreneurs will be identified for additional training in business development and leadership training. 20 potential “young entrepreneurs” and 20 “environmental protectors” will be trained in MSEs and environmental stewardship in each of the three provincial capitals and in Freetown. The business skills training packages will include business planning, basic record keeping, micro-finance enterprise development and the use of credit, career development, business development ; and Record keeping. Targets:

- 15,000 youth involved in small-scale public works - 100 community football pitches upgraded in Freetown, Bo, Kenema & Makeni (projects managed

by the youth) - 50 environment protection schemes completed in the urban or peri-urban areas (projects managed by

the youth) - 20 potential “young entrepreneurs” and 20 “environmental protectors” will be trained in micro and

small enterprises and environmental stewardship Short-term Jobs to be created through Public Works

Sector NGOs Projects Youth/ project Duration Number of Jobs

Year 1 Year 2 Total

Recreation 10 10 50 1 month 5,000 5,000 10,000

Environmental 5 10 50 1 month 2,500 2,500 5,000

NGO training 2 weeks

Employability 3 months 7,500 7,500 15,000

3.4 Output 4: Youth Empowerment Output strategy: With the national parliamentary and presidential elections the need for the positive engagement of youth is critical. The objective of this component is to create an effective national framework for youth career development, engagement and peace consolidation, integrating local and national actors. Under the auspices of MYES/NYC, the youth career development and empowerment component of the programme is anchored around three key National Youth Policy objectives:

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- To collaborate with ministries, institutions and youth serving agencies in encouraging and facilitating the employment of youth in the private and public sector

- To enhance the empowerment of young women by incorporating gender sensitivity into all aspects of youth policy and programmes

- To mobilize the youth of all ages to replace the culture of violence with a culture of peace, dialogue and responsible citizenship through intensive campaigns, value education programmes and life skills training.

Within this context, the youth career development and empowerment component of the programme

will aim at:

- Supporting the strengthening of national, regional, district and ward governance structures to enhance inclusive dialogue and social cohesion within the respective districts and wards.

- Increasing the channels of communication to build a vision and voice of youth in chieftaincy and local government.

- Promoting a sense of active citizenship, reinforce local identity and nationhood as a means of changing the mind set of youths against violence.

- Facilitating dialogue among the youth across political, regional, cultural and religious divides - Facilitating political and social interaction, mobilizing youth groups for involvement in, and ownership

of, local initiatives.

- Strengthening sports and social programmes for consolidation of peace and social cohesion - Career guidance - Research on youth issues

The overall strategy is to build the human and institutional & implementation capacity of umbrella youth civil service organizations (through technical assistance and operational support) to train youth in leadership skills, peace building, conflict management, and peer-to-peer mediation. Support to the work related to political party youth wings under the Political Parties Joint Communiqué (2009) and other initiatives related to youth in the political process will be led by UNIPSIL Interventions to be Implemented: - Support youth civil society organizations and their activities to galvanise the voice of youth groups

including marginalized youth; - Establish mechanisms for youth representation in each of the fourteen districts; - Train 1,000 youth in leadership skills, peace building, conflict management, and peer-to-peer mediation

to work with other youth; - Support a nationwide programme to transform the mindset that sees violence as a socially-valued form

of masculinity. The programme will include district, regional and national annual youth cultural and peace festivals and the development of radio and TV series that enable youth to discuss their issues

- Strengthen of political party youth wings, specifically the All Political Parties Youth Association (APPYA), to focus on issue and value-based politics, corruption-free politics, politics of service to the nation and not simply as a profession, and nationalistic politics (in the positive sense that will enable them to put the country first and other differences such as ethnicity, religion and corruption second).

Activity Result 4.1: Capacity development, dialogue and Social Cohesion The programme will work on five areas. These include the establishment of systems and structures that will enable youth to have voice in local and national decision-making, to build individual youth capacity to analyse issues and express their position clearly and effectively, and to enable youth to organise social and sporting events that will engage youth in constructive social enterprises. Capacity Development

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The programme will strengthen the MYES/NYC to implement policies, strategies and programmes related to youth empowerment, sports programmes and career development at national, district and ward levels. This will include training of key personnel to be able to perform functional responsibilities e.g. situation analysis and strategy formulation, resource management, programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

The MYES/NYC will build the capacity to engage in the prevention, management and resolution of local and low intensity youth-related conflicts in collaboration with existing traditional structures for developing bottom-up mechanisms (i.e. alternative dispute resolution methods, including traditional approaches) to reinforce the existing peace and security architecture.

Promote dialogue and social cohesion Using existing youth committees at various levels, the MYES/NYC will facilitate the process whereby local leaders can recognise the signs of potential youth-related violence – such as Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and inter-community tensions and take, through the local structures, preventive actions.

Leadership Development The programme will support initiatives that build the capacity of youth to take leadership roles in the local community and will also support effective local youth organisations. This will enable youth to take an active part in decision-making on issues that directly affect their lives. .

Sports and Social Forums Social Cohesion and Peaceful Co-existence Youth organisations will be supported to enable them to manage sports facilities and competitions and organise cultural festivities and social forums to engage youth in constructive activities that strengthen their home communities. This will include inter-district exchange programmes and volunteer schemes. Chieftaincy and district sports including soccer competitions will be organised to promote access to higher level sports opportunities. The use of traditional and contemporary music festivals and mini trade fairs will be used to promote music as a business concept for income generation

Communication of youth issues in the public media The Programme will support the development of the radio and TV media (at national, district and community levels) to broadcast the issues that the youth feel are critical and to enable youth to play an active and constructive part of the production and direction of youth programmes. Targets: - Youth Committees established, operational and supported at the Ward and District levels - The technical and operational capacity of the District Youth oOfficers strengthened so that they are able

to support the work of the Ward and District youth committees - Through the Youth Committees , the youth to have a voice in local decision-making and learn skills of

mediation, constructive negotiation and conflict management - 1,000 youth trained in leadership skills, peace building, conflict management, and peer-to-peer

mediation - One annual youth cultural festival in each district and one national festival organized by the youth - Weekly Radio and TV series produced by the youth that are broadcast nationwide

Activity Result 4.2 National Youth Service The YEEP programme will support the review of the proposal to establish a National Youth Service. If the plan is accepted the programme will support a pilot scheme with the expectation of a national roll-out. The scheme will use the successful experiences of the PADCO project and draw inspiration from the Youth Service Programme of the Government of Ghana and other countries with similar sitatuions. A National Youth Service is an opportunity that the country can give to its youth to gain practical work experience by serving in programmes of development value to the country. The duration of the service is one year and would be offered to young people who have completed tertiary education (University, Polytechnic, Vocational). It can adapted to also bring in youth who have skills but outside the educational

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system. It will be overseen by the MYES/NYC, which is responsible for mobilizing the funding required to run the scheme. The benefits are tremendous:

- Young people get their first professional work experience; - They live and work in another part of the country thereby gaining an enhanced perspective of their

own country; - Through their work, they gain a practical understanding of the development challenges confronting

their country; - They develop links and contacts with employers that become important during job search; - They receive a monthly allowance and through that get practical experience in saving, personal

financial management and dealing with financial institutions; - They have the opportunity to get business skills training support,careers advice and placement

support.

Targets: - National Youth Service pilot designed - Pilot National Youth Service operational - Lessons from the implementation of the pilot are documented and disseminated

Activity Result 4.3: Youth and Political Violence The programme activities will be a follow-on to the successful work with the youth wings of the political parties in the context of the 2009 Joint Communiqué on the reduction of violence. There has been the first round of leadership training and district outreach to enable youth to be aware of the fact that the political parties are committed to a non-violent form of political competition. The APPYA has been established and will be progressively strengthened and supported to ensure all youth are aware and support the notion of non-violence in political competition. Targets: - Women are empowered within the political parties - Each party has a gender policy - The youth wings of the political parties have a policy research capacity and are able to facilitate

youth-interparty debate on issue and value-based politics - The APPYA is implementing a programme of outreach to youth at the ward and district levels - The APPYA carries out mediation interventions in situations of potential conflict with

mediation activities.

Part 4: Programme Management & Coordination Arrangements The YEEP programme will be implemented by the DEX modality The implementation of the programme will be in partnership with the Ministry Youth Employment and Sports and the National Youth Commission. The programme will engage implementing partners through the UNDP procurement process and based on the UNDP guidelines and procedures. UNDP will provide further backstopping in terms of programme advice, analysis, procurement, finance, M&E, reporting, coordination and fund raising for the programme. The fiduciary arrangement for the management of funds as well as the reporting and monitoring and evaluation arrangements will provide flexibility in the management of the programme and reduce transaction costs whilst reporting and joint monitoring will simplify the implementation of programme activities. In order to ensure national ownership and leadership of national stakeholders in the programme, the programme management committee and any other coordination and management structures will be chaired by key national institutions. Coherence with the UN Joint Vision and PRSP II: This programme forms part of the UN Joint Vision Programme 19, which has a single framework for the coordination of all youth interventions supported by the UN and also aligned with the PRSP II ‘Agenda for Change. The UN Joint Vision Programme 19 forms part of the “Joint Response to Youth Employment in Sierra Leone” which offers a forum for policy and strategy dialogue between the Government and all partners on youth issues. Project Steering Committee: A Project Steering Committee will be established which will be composed of the UNDP Country Director, Programme Manager and representatives of the Ministry of Youth Employment and Sports, the National Youth Commission and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and from the Development Partners. This body will meet once per year. The Project Steering Committee will be responsible for:-

- the strategic direction of the project - resource mobilisation for the project - aderence of the project international and national standards - how the project will collaborate with other projects in the youth employment sector - approval of annual work plans - review of the progress of the project activity results.

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Project Board: The Project Board will be responsible for the oversight of the implementation of activities and the achievement of targets. The Board will be chaied by the MYES and included the Programme Manger representatives from the MYES, NYC, MLSS, MAFFS,Ministry of Finance. The Board will:-

- review the implemention of the activites set out in the Annual Work Plans - prepare the programme annual and quarterly work plan, M&E plans with indicators - review and make recommendations on revsions to the annual work plan - review and make recommendations on the funding of the project - reveiew progress on the programme outputs - recommend any necessary changes to the programme - responsible for the quality of the annual report and reports to donors

The Project Board will meet every three months, or at any other time as required. Project Implementation Management: The daily implementation will be the responsibility of the Project Manger on behalf of the Project Board. The Project Manager’s prime responsibility will be to ensure that the project produces the results specified in the project document, to the required standard of quality and within the specified time and cost.. The Project Manager and the MYES/NYC will jointly oversee the work of the technical advisers. The Technical Advisers will be supervised by the Commissioner of the National Youth Commission. The Project Manager (P4) will be supported by a Programme Specialist (NOC) and Programme Assistant (GS6). Technical Support: Four senior level technical advisors will be recruited and based in the MYES/NYC to provide technical leadership and management of programme implementation. Policy and Capacity Development Advisor. The advisor will be responsible for the technical support to ensure the successful implementation of component I. Business Development Services Advisor. The advisor will be responsible for the technical support to ensure the successful implementation of components 2 and 3 Youth Empowerment Advisor. The advisor will be responsible The advisor will be responsible for the technical support to ensure the successful implementation of component 4. Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Advisor The advisor will be responsible to develop the M&E capacity in the MYES/NYC and build the capacity of the national counterpart who will be their successor.

Project Manager UNDP (P4)

Project Board

Senior Beneficiary Ministry of Education Youth

and Sports National Youth Commission

Executive UNDP

Senior Supplier UNDP

Project Assurance Project Steering

Committee Project Support

Finance Associate

Project Assistant

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Monitoring Framework and Evaluation

Monitoring and evaluation will be the collaborative responsibility of the MYES/NYC and UNDP, These institutions together will ensure the design, establishment and implementation of an effective M&E system to monitor activities and results of this programme which is directly linked to the Agenda for Change and UN Joint Vision The YEEP programme will be monitored through the following: Within the annual cycle

On a quarterly basis, a quality assessment shall record progress towards the completion of key activities, based on quality criteria and methods captured in the Quality Management table below.

An Issue Log shall be activated in Atlas and updated by the Project Manager to facilitate tracking and resolution of potential problems or requests for change.

Based on the initial risk analysis submitted (see annex 1), a risk log shall be activated in Atlas and regularly updated by reviewing the external environment that may affect the project implementation.

Based on the above information recorded in Atlas, a Project Progress Reports (PPR) shall be submitted by the Project Manager to the Project Board through Project Assurance, using the standard report format available in the Executive Snapshot.

a project Lesson-learned log shall be activated and regularly updated to ensure on-going learning and adaptation within the organization, and to facilitate the preparation of the Lessons-learned Report at the end of the project

a Monitoring Schedule Plan shall be activated in Atlas and updated to track key management actions/events

Quarterly

Quarterly reports IPs will prepare a quarter reports in the format agreed by the project board. This report should provide an overview of the activities of the previous quarter as well as providing for trend analysis. It will also mention the challenges to implementation and how they were addressed

Annually

Annual Project Review. At the end of the year, an internal project performance review will be conducted during the fourth quarter of the year to assess the level of implementation of the AWP, review monitoring data produced during implementation and assess the overall quality and progress of programme implementation This review will be driven by the Project Board and may involve other stakeholders as required. It shall focus on the extent to which progress is being made towards outputs, and that these remain aligned to appropriate outcomes.

Annual Review Report. An Annual Review Report shall be prepared by the Project Manager and shared with the Project Board and Project Steering Committee one week after the review. As minimum requirement, the Annual Review Report shall consist of the Atlas standard format for the QPR covering the whole year with updated information for each above element of the QPR as well as a summary of results achieved against pre-defined annual targets at the output level.

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Quality Management for Project Activity Results Replicate the table for each activity result of the AWP to provide information on monitoring actions based on quality criteria. To be completed during the process “Defining a Project” if the information is available. This table shall be further refined during the process “Initiating a Project”. OUTPUT 1: Institutional Capacity Development and Policy Development Activity Result 1 (Atlas Activity ID)

Policy Development Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

To develop a coherent policy framework that covers employment, youth employment and youth empowerment and to establish a coherent national leadership on youth and youth employment

Description

Planned actions to produce the activity result.

- Recruit Policy and Capacity Development Advisor (P4) - Review the strategy and policy on youth employment - Youth Policy updated - Youth Employment Strategy fully updated and developed - Training/orientation of the MYES/ NYC employment/ youth employment issues

Quality Criteria how/with what indicators the quality of the activity result will be measured?

Quality Method Means of verification. What method will be used to determine if quality criteria has been met?

Date of Assessment When will the assessment of quality be performed?

Youth policy published Published document Dec 2011 Youth employment strategy published Published document Dec 2011 Employment policy for youth published Published document Dec 2011 Activity Result 2 (Atlas Activity ID)

Coordination and Dissemination of Best Practices Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

Youth employment projects and interventions are using the best practices

Description


- Two national meetings per year on youth employment best practices - Monthly Technical Working Group meeting held - Workshop to analyse and identify the best practices - Joint Response coordination meeting - Implementing Partners coordination meeting - Publication of annual report on Youth Employment Project with information on best

Practices




Annual report on youth employment best practices published

Published document Dec 2011

Employment Projects using the latest best practices

Impact evaluation study (in collaboration with World Bank)

Dec 2011 and Dec 2012

Activity Result 3 (Atlas Activity ID)

Monitoring, Evaluation and Data Collection Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

Reliable data is available on youth, youth employment is available to decision makers, the youth and the general public

Description


- M&E Advisor/consultant - Collate the information of project reports - Analyse lessons learnt - Establish and biannually update of Youth Projects Database

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- Establish District-Based Opportunity Network




Youth employment data published annually

Published document Dec 2011; Dec 2012

District employment opportunities information available at the district youth office

Documents available Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011; Dec 2012

Lessons learned from employment projects disseminated

Document available and distributed to all stakeholders Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011; Dec 2011 Dec 2012


Research on the Situation of Youth Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

To build up a body of knowledge on the youth segment in society

Description


- Support University to carry out the research - Identification of topics - Conduct 6 months review of youth employment status and identify the gaps - Publication of research findings (four study reports) - Faciliate 6 dissemination workshops




Research studies published Published documents Every 6 months Status of youth report published Published document Dec 2012 Research findings disseminated to policy makers

Workshop reports Dec 2011 Dec 2012

OUTPUT 2: Youth Employment through Micro & Small Business Development Activity Result 1 (Atlas Activity ID)

Business Skills Development Services Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

To establish a business skills development service in every district

Description


- Establish the Bunsness Skills Development centres - Provide services to 5,000 youth




Business development service provided Service Centre monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

5,000 youth use the service Service Centre monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

20 youth-serving NGOs provide business skills development services

Service Centre Monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2011

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Career Development and Employment for TVET and University Graduates

Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

To establish a Careers and Placement Service for university and TVET graduates and secondary school students

Description


- Career Advice and Placement Services (CAPS) operational in the 4 university campuses and 4 TVET Colleges

- CAPS staff negotiate on internship host companies/agencies - Establish the Internship Opportunity data base - Provide incentives for employers - Conduct trace study of students upon completion of internship - Training of SS teachers and religious leaders on how to provide career advice - District job fair (7 districts)




13 CAPS operational in 4 university campuses & 9 TECVOC colleges

CAPS Centre monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

CAPS services provided to senior secondary schools


Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Caps services provided at centers that are run by youth-serving NGOs (at least 30 centres)


Dec 2011 Dec 2012


Research on Potential Business Models Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

To identify new MSEs that can provide more employment opportunities for youth

Description


- Conduct research on innovative business area and model - South-South cooperation trip - Disseminate the research findings - Research and market studies undertaken new areas such as in adventure and eco-

tourism, fisheries and agriculture




Potential business models published Published document (annually) Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Potential business models document available in the BSDC and CAPS centres

BSDS Centre monthly reports CAPS Centre monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

OUTPUT 3: Engagement of 15,000 Youth through youth-led public works Activity Result 1 (Atlas Activity ID)

50 football pitches rehabilitated Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

Engage youth in youth empowerment activities through support to them to rehabilitate the football pitches that they use

Description Planned actions to produce the activity result.

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- Conduct field survey - Identify IPs - Support to project implementation for 10 IPs




50 football pitches rehabilitated NGO IP monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Youth engaged in empowerment activities NGO IP monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012


25 environmental projects implemented Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

Engage youth in youth empowerment activities through support to them to take action on an environment issue in their locality

Description


- Conduct field survey - Identify IPs - Support to project implementation for 5 IPs




25 environment projects being implemented

NGO IP monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Youth engaged in empowerment activities NGO IP monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012


Train Young Entrepreneurs Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

To enable 20 youth from the football pitch group and environmental protection groups who show real potential to start their own micro business

Description


- Buinses skills training of trainers to the IPs - Business skills training to 20 youth - Buisneness Development Mentoring to 20 youth




Business Skills training undertaken NGO IP monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Business Development Mentoring undertaken

NGO IP monthly reports Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Number of business profitable Project impact evaluation Dec 2011

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OUTPUT 4: Youth Empowerment and Research Activity Result 1 (Atlas Activity ID)

Capacity development, dialogue and Social Cohesion Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

Structures and systems are developed that will enable youth to have a voice in decision-making

Description


- Recruit Youth Empowerment Advisor/consultant - Support to establish the structures of youth committees - Training on youth leaders (representative from each district/chiefdom youth

committees) - Awareness and planning meeting with Local Councils and Chiefs and Youth

Organizations for trainings and festivals - Identification of and support to IPs to implement media outreach




Youth structures at Ward and District level operational

Monthly report by District Youth officers Annual report by Local Councils Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2011 Dec 2012

District youth Offices operational Monthly report by District Youth officers Annual report by Local Councils Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2011 Dec 2012

1,000 youth trained in leadership, conflict management,

Monthly report by District Youth officers Annual report by Local Councils Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2011 Dec 2012

One cultural festival at district annually Monthly report by District Youth officers Annual report by Local Councils Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2011 Dec 2012


National Youth Service Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

To pilot a model for a National Youth Service

Description


- Design a pilot scheme - Equip and support NAYCOM as an implementer - Support roll-out of the scheme - Conduct regular monitoring and trace studies - Design a national programme




Pilot scheme designed Mid Term Project review Dec 2011

Pilot Scheme operational Mid Term Project review Dec 2011

Tracer studies undertaken Specific tracer studies Dec 2011; June 2012 National Programme Designed and approved

Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

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Youth and Political Violence Start Date: 1 Jan 2011 End Date: 31 Dec 2012

Purpose

To reduce the possibility of youth being directly involved in violence that is politically-related.

Description

Planned actions to produce the activity result. - Training for Women’s wings to develop a gender policy for political parties - Youth mainstream youth in the political party policies - Rehabilitate and equip regional offices of APPYA - Train APPYA staff - Support outreach activities at ditrict and ward levels




Gender policy for political parties Monthly report by District Youth officers Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation Monthly reports by UNIPSIL officers

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Youth issues mainstreamed in the polices promoted by each of the political parties

Monthly report by District Youth officers Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation Monthly reports by UNIPSIL officers

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Regional APPYA offices operational Monthly report by District Youth officers Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation Monthly reports by UNIPSIL officers

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Outreach activities undertaken Monthly report by District Youth officers Mid Term Project review Project impact evaluation Monthly reports by UNIPSIL officers

Dec 2011 Dec 2012

Legal Context

This project document shall be the instrument referred to as such in Article 1 of the SBAA between the Government of Sierra Leone and UNDP, signed on the 21st December 1977. Consistent with the Article III of the Standard Basic Assistance Agreement, the responsibility for the safety and security of the executing agency and its personnel and property, and of UNDP’s property in the executing agency’s custody, rests with the executing agency. The executing agency shall:

a) put in place an appropriate security plan and maintain the security plan, taking into account the security situation in the country where the project is being carried;

b) assume all risks and liabilities related to the executing agency’s security, and the full implementation of the security plan.

UNDP reserves the right to verify whether such a plan is in place, and to suggest modifications to the plan when necessary. Failure to maintain and implement an appropriate security plan as required hereunder shall be deemed a breach of this agreement. The executing agency agrees to undertake all reasonable efforts to ensure that none of the UNDP funds received pursuant to the Project Document are used to provide support to individuals or entities associated with terrorism and that the recipients of any amounts provided by UNDP hereunder do not appear on the list maintained by the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999). The list can be accessed via

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http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/commi

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