Youth Programming Assessment Tool (YPAT)
The Youth Programming Assessment Tool (YPAT) tool helps youth-serving civil society organizations (YSOs) reflect upon their own internal programming and institutional practices and identify areas for improvement. The tool sets standards of best practice and provides concrete steps and examples for how a YSO can operationalize Positive Youth Development (PYD) with the ultimate goal of improving programming to enhance developmental outcomes for youth.
The tool’s primary goals are:
- To promote reflection among key program staff and youth participants on programming practices.
- To generate data to inform program improvement. The tool does not provide specific action items, but the results will help an organization prioritize areas requiring programmatic improvements.
- To gain youth perspective on program services.
Organizations that piloted the YPAT found that it helped them consider meaningful improvements to help their youth, including: improving skills instruction, developing youth councils, and building organizational capacity with an eye towards youth.