Toolkits: YAL Toolbox

Youth Action Lab Playbook
A collection of resources, learnings and recommendations for donors and youth partners.

This is a guide for organisations looking to build or strengthen their supporting mechanisms for young individual activists, non youth-led or focused unregistered collectives and grassroots groups.

The following boxes are short methodologies of each of the main practices used during the Youth Action Lab pilot project 2019 - 2022.

Based on the stage of your initiative or organisation, and your current needs, click on the box with the practice that you would like to learn more from. Each practice is independent from each other which allows you to analyse and test in the order of your preference and at your own time. You will dedicate 4-5 minutes per practice and there is no previous knowledge required.

INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND

Introduction & Background

An introduction to the background of the Youth Action Lab initiative and the purpose of the YAL Playbook.

PROGRAMME DESIGN

Co-Design

The conditions for success for constructing a co-design process from inception to completion with the target user.

Selection Process

A summary of a youth-led, diverse and participatory selection and recruitment process with an international cohort.

ONBOARDING

Engaged Grant-Making

A 10 minute read of detailed examples and templates on how to make grants more usable and friendly to youth.

Peer Knowledge Exchange

An overview of the YAL needs assessement phase and participant-led Peer-Learning Exchange Festival.

SUPPORT

Capacity Development Training

A synopsis of two Global South feminist-led capacity development training courses suited for youth activists.

Visibility & Alliance Building

Approaches for strategic network engagement and trust building through increased visibility and alliance building.

Sustaining Engagement

A series of principles and conditions to co-create opportunities for sustaining engagement after project funding ends.

EVALUATION & LEARNING

Peer-Accountability

An approach for monitoring and accountability through peer-led check-ins.

Reporting

Methods for providing support to youth partners throughout the reporting process and strengthening community accountability in grantmaking.

Recommendations for Youth Allies

A comprehensive list of learnings and recommendations for youth allies based on the good practices and mistakes of the Youth Action Lab.

Authors: Elisa Novoa and Enhle Khumalo, CIVICUS Youth Engagement Team
Acknowledgements: Hannah Wheatley, Athavarn Srikantharajah, Lerato Pagiwa, Thapelo Masiwa