Guide to Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessments

The Guide to Conducting Cross-Sectoral Youth Assessments provides a conceptual framework, instruments, and tools for designing and implementing youth assessments in developing countries. It is intended for use by assessment specialists and USAID Mission staff interested in conducting a comprehensive cross-sectoral assessment of the assets and needs of youth. Assessments often serve as an early step in developing either a country-based youth strategy or a new youth project that USAID, or are used to help different sectors within the Mission to develop youth-related activities to achieve sector-specific, as well as cross-sector, strategic objectives.

Combining the use of both qualitative and quantitative assessment techniques, this Guide provides instructions on how to conduct hands-on research designed to engage youth and other key stakeholders and understand their knowledge, perceptions, and experiences regarding youth development needs. It also provides guidance for conducting more formal sector-level reviews of youth-related indicators and programs.

The Guide is purposely organized to reflect the priorities of the USAID sectors of economic growth, education, democracy and governance, agriculture, and health. There are six modules or steps to guide users to assemble and analyze specific kinds of information that match their requirements and interest.