are a lot of wonderful youth projects organised in Europe every year that provide learning opportunities and even change the lives of young people. Often, however, a wider impact is lacking because the visibility of the project to the outside world is poor and the outcomes aren’t picked up. That’s why the dissemination and exploitation of results is a crucial element in any Erasmus+ project, and in particular for Structured Dialogue projects, where youth participation is the key goal.
Creating impact with a project is like throwing a stone into the water: if you throw it
nonchalantly in, it will only make a little splash. But if you throw it in a more forceful way, it will ricochet across the water and make waves. That’s why creating an impact doesn’t start when you disseminate the outcomes of your project. It starts at the drawing board, when you’re designing the project.
There are a number of strategic questions to ask yourself to help you understand the potential impact of your project and plan accordingly. You need to have a good understanding of: what the objectives of the project are, what the expected outcomes and results are, who the target group of your message is and what type of message works best for that target group.
There are different levels of Making Waves: Micro – Meso– Macro, according to the type of project or the type of actors involved.
Most youth projects have the greatest impact at the micro-level: the participants of the project, young people in the youth organisations, the local community and partner organisations directly linked to the project.
Meso-level impact targets the youth sector more widely, as opposed to the individual project: youth workers, multipliers, other organisations active in the youth sector.
Macro-level impact is about feeding policy developments, at national or European level, or at the level of the European programme, rather than at the level of the individual project. This can be achieved by linking your project to specific national or European events or participatory processes, such as the Structured Dialogue.
Visibility means giving your project exposure throughout its different stages. Carrying out a project is a valid reason in itself to let the outside world know about your activities, your organisation and the Erasmus+ programme.
Dissemination means sharing information about the results of the project with
key actors. You can use a wide variety of media to document your project results and send them to the most appropriate target groups.
Exploitation means making sure the outcomes and products of the projects are effectively used. Go one step further and make sure your product makes a difference and is used in other projects or policies.
For a project that aims at youth participation in decision-making, it is crucial that decision-makers take the results into account in their work. This can be done by setting up a dialogue between young people and decision-makers and by lobby and advocacy actions. Target the policy-makers who are open to dialogue and are in a position to do something with what you tell them.
Ensure that the young people are well prepared to engage in a dialogue with decision-makers. Make sure they know who they’re talking to and what process they’re participating in. Expectations on both sides should be clear and the format should fit the purpose of the dialogue.
If the youngsters have engaged with their peers, they will feel empowered to act as representatives. You can set up a consultation, organise focus groups or include a discussion in your regular activities with the young people. In many countries, the EU Structured Dialogue is implemented through a core group of youth ambassadors. This is a model that can also be applied at other levels.
Working together with representative youth structures, such as youth councils and youth organisations or youth authorities, can help. They often have the knowledge and network that can help you plan and achieve the impact you are looking for. They can also pick up the outcomes in their own actions or youth policy making.
Involving young people, experts and decision-makers in a regular dialogue over a longer period of time can increase the chances of the dialogue you set up leading to results. This allows for a relationship of trust to grow between the different participants in the dialogue. Ideas and recommendations can be looked at again or feedback given after implementation.
Creating impact with a project is like throwing a stone into the water: if you throw it
nonchalantly in, it will only make a little splash. But if you throw it in a more forceful way, it will ricochet across the water and make waves. That’s why creating an impact doesn’t start when you disseminate the outcomes of your project. It starts at the drawing board, when you’re designing the project.
There are a number of strategic questions to ask yourself to help you understand the potential impact of your project and plan accordingly. You need to have a good understanding of: what the objectives of the project are, what the expected outcomes and results are, who the target group of your message is and what type of message works best for that target group.
There are different levels of Making Waves: Micro – Meso– Macro, according to the type of project or the type of actors involved.
Most youth projects have the greatest impact at the micro-level: the participants of the project, young people in the youth organisations, the local community and partner organisations directly linked to the project.
Meso-level impact targets the youth sector more widely, as opposed to the individual project: youth workers, multipliers, other organisations active in the youth sector.
Macro-level impact is about feeding policy developments, at national or European level, or at the level of the European programme, rather than at the level of the individual project. This can be achieved by linking your project to specific national or European events or participatory processes, such as the Structured Dialogue.
Visibility means giving your project exposure throughout its different stages. Carrying out a project is a valid reason in itself to let the outside world know about your activities, your organisation and the Erasmus+ programme.
Dissemination means sharing information about the results of the project with
key actors. You can use a wide variety of media to document your project results and send them to the most appropriate target groups.
Exploitation means making sure the outcomes and products of the projects are effectively used. Go one step further and make sure your product makes a difference and is used in other projects or policies.
For a project that aims at youth participation in decision-making, it is crucial that decision-makers take the results into account in their work. This can be done by setting up a dialogue between young people and decision-makers and by lobby and advocacy actions. Target the policy-makers who are open to dialogue and are in a position to do something with what you tell them.
Ensure that the young people are well prepared to engage in a dialogue with decision-makers. Make sure they know who they’re talking to and what process they’re participating in. Expectations on both sides should be clear and the format should fit the purpose of the dialogue.
If the youngsters have engaged with their peers, they will feel empowered to act as representatives. You can set up a consultation, organise focus groups or include a discussion in your regular activities with the young people. In many countries, the EU Structured Dialogue is implemented through a core group of youth ambassadors. This is a model that can also be applied at other levels.
Working together with representative youth structures, such as youth councils and youth organisations or youth authorities, can help. They often have the knowledge and network that can help you plan and achieve the impact you are looking for. They can also pick up the outcomes in their own actions or youth policy making.
Involving young people, experts and decision-makers in a regular dialogue over a longer period of time can increase the chances of the dialogue you set up leading to results. This allows for a relationship of trust to grow between the different participants in the dialogue. Ideas and recommendations can be looked at again or feedback given after implementation.
Understand how to achieve impact - Erasmus+ Youth Funding
Reviewed by sdfdr
on
March 23, 2018
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Reviewed by sdfdr
on
March 23, 2018
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