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Africa Commission: Youth entrepreneurship facility (YEF and YEN): ILO Component - Final Evaluation
- eval_number:
- 1184
- eval_url:
- https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/eval/1184
- lessons_learned:
- themes:
- theme:
- Labour standards
- category:
- International Labour Standards
- comments:
- This component was implemented through establishment of a Youth to Youth (Y2Y) fund. Y2Y funds aimed at capacity building and offering funds to youth organizations. This component has one indicator which is at least one third of innovative solutions are able to be replicated.
- challenges:
- In terms of share of replicated solutions, 90 % of projects were completed under replication through the implementation agreements with local partners. However, at least 15% of the projects replicated by others one year after the funds support has been phased out.
The report of an evaluation of Y2YF conducted by ILO in February-March, 2015 shows the key achievements and lessons learnt in implementing the fund and the component in general. The key recommendations provided by respondents in this evaluation were:
Facilitate more Access to Capital by advocating for development of tailored financial products/models
Support to Grow beyond Start-up through regular monitoring and technical support visits to grantee organizations
Maintain Clear Administration and Communication Structures by developing a standardized protocol for Y2YF implementation
Leverage on Existing Networks for Sustainability
Advocate for adoption of Y2YF model by the public sector, donor agencies and development partners, as an effective strategy to promote youth entrepreneurship.
- success:
- In terms of share of replicated solutions, 90 % of projects were completed under replication through the implementation agreements with local partners. However, at least 15% of the projects replicated by others one year after the funds support has been phased out.
The report of an evaluation of Y2YF conducted by ILO in February-March, 2015 shows the key achievements and lessons learnt in implementing the fund and the component in general. The key recommendations provided by respondents in this evaluation were:
Facilitate more Access to Capital by advocating for development of tailored financial products/models
Support to Grow beyond Start-up through regular monitoring and technical support visits to grantee organizations
Maintain Clear Administration and Communication Structures by developing a standardized protocol for Y2YF implementation
Leverage on Existing Networks for Sustainability
Advocate for adoption of Y2YF model by the public sector, donor agencies and development partners, as an effective strategy to promote youth entrepreneurship.
- context:
- Outcome 4 of the YEF project is: Youth organizations provide innovative business development services. This outcome was expected to help young people to have access to Business Development Services, as well as building the capacity of the current BDS providers to serve young entrepreneurs in a cost effective and sustainable way. YEF has a main objective of contributing to creation of decent work for young African men and women in terms of self-employment and creation of jobs for others. To meet this objective, YEF set out overall targets of creating 11,500 new businesses and 23,000 new jobs for both youth men and women. This main objective has also been in line with not only the national development policies and plans in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda but also relevant to other ILO and UN initiatives in these countries.
- description:
- Implementation of providing youth organizations with innovative business development services was done through establishment of a Youth to Youth Fund (Y2YF). The Y2YF aimed at capacity building and offering funds to youth organizations. The administration of Y2YF has revealed that a large number of financial institutions exist in each of the three countries with a mandate to give loans in support of employment creation for youth; however, actual access to these funds remain as difficult as ever due to a number of administrative and regulatory requirements (bank loan requirements, official procedures, individual identity and certification, physical and psychological barriers to financial institutions, ignorance) most of which require active political will and private sector support. There, therefore, the need to advocate for adoption of Y2YF model by the public sector, donor agencies and development partners, as an effective strategy to promote youth entrepreneurship.
- administrative_issues:
- The Y2YF strategy was hinged on developing and using ILO tools from business idea generation to improving/expanding your business. ILO started this process by setting up appropriate infrastructure with organizations supportive of youth employment in the three countries.
Based on the experience of the Y2Y Fund, the YEF staff have remained very closely involved in supporting the local organizations that will implement the Fund, and continued to provide the entrepreneurship development expertise which the grant making organizations typically lack. It is also important to keep on providing training for the partners. This, in addition to the continuous monitoring and support required by the existing grantees, requires staff in each program country.
- url:
- https://webapps.ilo.org/ievaldiscovery/lessons/170275
- location:
- country:
- Africa - regional
- region:
- Africa
- eval_title:
- Africa Commission: Youth entrepreneurship facility (YEF and YEN): ILO Component - Final Evaluation
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