Development Cluster

Background

Youth Development holds significant importance as both an approach to support and empower young people and a scientific discipline that explores the sociopolitical, physiological, and psychosexual aspects of adolescents and youth. This knowledge serves as a guiding framework to empower youth within a broader population. Moreover, Youth Development is a practical field that encompasses intentional professional principles and practices to address the comprehensive development of young individuals.

In Jamaica, the youth population plays a vital role as agents of social change, economic development, and technological innovation. Accounting for 28 percent of the population, young people aged 10 to 24 represent a crucial human resource for national progress [1]

 [2]. At the national level, the Revised National Youth Policy 2017-2030 serves as a comprehensive guide for the Government of Jamaica, addressing the vision, policy priorities, goals, and strategic objectives concerning youth. This policy takes into account the dynamic nature of the environment and adopts a pluralistic and positive developmental approach to youth empowerment. Critical areas such as education and training, health and well-being, employment and entrepreneurship, youth participation and involvement, social inclusion, and reintegration are emphasized.

While Jamaica has an updated National Youth Policy, the most recent youth development assessments were conducted in the early 2000s. In 2001, studies such as "Youth in Jamaica: Meeting Their Development Needs" and the National Centre for Youth Development's (NCYD) Situation Assessment Report aimed to understand the challenges faced by Jamaican youth and assess the existing youth-serving organizations. In 2012, the Youth Mainstreaming Manual, supported by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), aimed to develop a national strategy to incorporate youth concerns across various sectors in Jamaica.

Given the multidisciplinary nature of youth development, information and research on youth-related issues are dispersed across different agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, and the government. This fragmentation, coupled with the lack of timely data, hampers the effective execution of existing youth policies. To address these challenges, our research cluster aims to consolidate information, monitor progress, and establish an integrated knowledge-sharing platform for youth stakeholders.

Our aim is to establish a vibrant research hub serving as the central platform for comprehensive exploration of the factors influencing youth holistic development. Through rigorous research, we seek to gain an in-depth understanding of the interconnected dimensions of their physical, cognitive, emotional, and social well-being. By employing a holistic approach, we aim to identify the challenges, opportunities, and effective strategies for nurturing the overall development of young individuals.

Our research cluster will provide timely information, facilitate knowledge sharing, and serve as a catalyst for evidence-based interventions and policies. By empowering youth, promoting resilience, and facilitating their journey towards becoming well-rounded, thriving adults, our work will contribute to the sustainable development and prosperity of Jamaican society.

We invite collaboration, knowledge sharing and funding support from esteemed organizations to join us in this transformative endeavour and make a lasting impact on the lives of Jamaican youth. Together, we can create a brighter future, where young individuals have the necessary resources, opportunities, and support systems to thrive and contribute meaningfully to their communities and the nation as a whole.

About The Cluster Chair- Dr. Stephen Johnson:

Dr. Stephen Johnson is an accomplished researcher with extensive experience in research methods and monitoring and evaluation methodologies. With a vast portfolio of projects and research publications focused on confronting developmental issues in Jamaica, the wider Caribbean, and the developing world, Dr. Johnson is committed to taking a pragmatic approach to development challenges. His expertise lies in advanced research methods, monitoring and evaluation, voting behaviour, user experience analysis, predictive analytics, harm reduction and behaviour modification campaigns.

The British Commonwealth Scholar holds a Ph.D. in International Relations (International Trade Policy) from the University of Sussex, UK. He also obtained an MSc in Government and a BSc in International Relations from the University of the West Indies, Jamaica.

Dr. Johnson currently holds the position of Research Fellow, where he delivers lectures on Research Methods and equips graduate students with the necessary skills to conduct rigorous research. As a supervisor for graduate students, he provides personalized guidance and mentorship throughout their research journey. Dr. Johnson also serves as the chair of the youth development research cluster, where he fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and drives research initiatives focused on youth development. Through his dedication to producing impactful scholarly research, he contributes to the academic community's knowledge base and promotes evidence-based practices.

Dr. Johnson has served as the Monitoring Evaluation Research and Learning (MERL) Manager for one of Jamaica's most successful youth crime and violence prevention projects. The project, known as the Local Partner Development (LPD) activity, had a budget of $16 million and spanned over six years. Implemented by prime partner FHI 360 and funded exclusively by the USAID, the LPD activity aimed to strengthen the capacity of targeted Jamaican CSOs and government entities supporting them. The goal was to enhance their effectiveness in preventing crime and violence among medium and high-risk youth by promoting the adoption of evidence-based approaches and fostering collaboration among the government, private sector, and civil society. (See Final Evaluation Report)

Dr. Johnson is a highly accomplished researcher and has received multiple prestigious awards for his contributions to the field. His accolades include:

• 2022: Best Award Paper at The Rii Forum (April 2022) for his outstanding work titled "Woe is the Dark Web: The Potential Challenges faced by Caribbean Societies combating crime."
• 2017: The University of the West Indies, Mona Principal's Research Award for his research project that attracted the most research funds in collaboration with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund and the European Union. The project focused on poverty reduction and involved baseline desk study research and analysis.
• 2012: The University of the West Indies, Mona Principal's Research Award for his research project with the greatest business, economic, and development impact. This project focused on developing a National Strategy for Mainstreaming Youth Development in Jamaica, highlighting Dr. Johnson's commitment to addressing crucial societal issues.

With a strong track record of successful research projects and consultancies, Dr. Stephen Johnson is well-equipped to lead the research cluster. His expertise in research methods, monitoring and evaluation, and data analysis will be instrumental in driving evidence-based decision-making and contributing to improved well-being, opportunities, and positive outcomes for young individuals.

Summary of the youth cluster M&E plan:

The Youth Cluster Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan outlines the key indicators and targets for measuring the progress and outcomes of the cluster's initiatives. The plan focuses on three main results:

• increased coordination between stakeholders on issues affecting youth,
• improved timely access to youth development data, and
• increased research output on issues affecting youth.

Result 1 aims to enhance coordination between stakeholders. The M&E plan sets targets for the number of stakeholders participating in research forums, with a baseline of 0 and a target of 40 participants. Additionally, the plan aims to establish signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the cluster's institution (SALISES) and youth stakeholders. The target is to have 12 MOUs signed, indicating increased collaboration and engagement. The plan also outlines the target for grant funding, with a baseline of USD 0 and a two year target of USD 100,000. The plan specifies the allocated amounts for each fiscal year (FY2024: USD 20,000, FY2025: USD 40,000, FY2026: USD 40,000).

Result 2 focuses on improving timely access to youth development data. The plan sets a target for the number of interactions with the research database, starting from a baseline of 0 and aiming to reach 51,000 interactions. The plan further outlines the targets for each fiscal year, with FY2024 aiming for 1,000 interactions, FY2025 targeting 20,000 interactions, and FY2026 aiming for 30,000 interactions. Increased interactions with the research database will ensure better access to relevant and up-to-date information.

Result 3 aims to increase research output on issues affecting youth. The M&E plan includes targets for various types of studies. It sets a target for the number of baseline studies on key dimensions affecting youth development, starting from a baseline of 0 and aiming for 4 studies. For midline studies, the plan targets a total of 4 studies, starting from the baseline of 0, with 2 studies planned for FY2025 and an additional 2 studies for FY2026. The plan also sets targets for the number of scholarly research publications, aiming for a total of 6 publications, with 2 publications planned for FY2025 and another 2 for FY2026.

The Youth Cluster M&E Plan provides a clear framework for monitoring and evaluating the cluster's progress and outcomes. By tracking these indicators and targets, the plan enables the cluster to assess its effectiveness in achieving its goals of improved coordination, timely access to data, and increased research output on youth-related issues.