Offering better guidance for youth participation in research and evaluation

Researchers seeking to engage young people in research will now have stronger guidance available, thanks to a set of evidence-based recommendations on youth participation developed by CEI for Youth Futures Foundation in the UK.

The report Youth participatory research: A review of reviews and practice guidance combines, for the first time, learnings from 18 systematic reviews and 15 practice guidance documents and toolkits, with a focus on promoting the voices of young people marginalised through systemic inequalities.

“Although the need for youth participation in research is increasingly recognised, we found inconsistency in how such approaches are implemented by researchers,” says CEI Advisor Jamie Rowland.

“Informed by existing evidence, our review identifies drivers of good practice across the research and evaluation project cycle – from set-up to closure – that can address power dynamics and ensure contributions from young people are received with equal value.”

The research team identified the following facilitators of promising practice in youth participatory research, which are described in detail in the review document:

• Theorising, conceptualising and reflexivity
• Consideration of youth voice
• Power sharing between adults and youth
• Communication and engagement throughout participation
• Transparency and feedback cycles
• Inclusive practices
• Safe spaces for participation
• Trauma-informed collaboration
• Incentives and recognition for youth participation

And four recommendations are offered that could improve implementation of participatory approaches:

• Reflecting on current participatory approaches
  Consider the extent to which participatory research approaches have been implemented and how this aligns with organisational ambition.
• Use frameworks to inform intentional approaches
  Pre-existing academic models of youth participatory research can be used during research design to promote a more transparent and intentional approach.
• Identifying spaces for improvement in line with drivers of promising practice
  Reflect on how it is possible to implement the drivers of promising practice throughout the research journey.
• Monitoring and evaluating the relationship of participatory approaches with outcomes
  Evaluate how the participatory approaches utilised relate to broader outcomes for young people.

“Youth participatory approaches are continuing to grow in importance across research and evaluation settings,” writes Alison McIntyre, Research Officer at Youth Futures Foundation, in a recent blog introducing the guide.

“There is a need for such approaches to be informed by existing evidence – to be designed in line with best practice, clearly strategised, and connected to potential outcomes. Without seeking an evidence informed approach, we chance ineffective practice and take ethical and safeguarding risks with the participating young people.”

Says Jamie: “The review seeks to offer practical and implementable recommendations to researchers and evaluators on the best means to ensure marginalised young people are engaged and participating – ethically and in ways likely to improve outcomes for all parties.”

The report Youth Participatory Research: A Review of Reviews and Practice Guidance is authored by CEI's Jamie Rowland, Emma Wills and Dr Ellie Ott, for Youth Futures Foundation, the UK's What Works Centre focused on employability for marginalised young people.

Download the report HERE

The review’s findings and recommendations are informing participatory approaches in research and evaluation at Youth Futures Foundation. Preliminary report findings were shared at a roundtable meeting with representatives from the UK youth employment sector and the wider What Works Network, with the goal of working towards better participatory practice.