The planning and implementation of policies to alleviate youth unemployment in Zambia : a study of Lusaka Province

Abstract

The planning and implementation of policies to alleviate youth unemployment is one way of tackling youth unemployment. Some others include outreach and volunteerism. An understanding of the ways in which planning and implementation of programmes and projects among youth organisations, and of the impact which their widespread use will have on development of the youth is assuming new importance. This study was designers to explore and assess the extent to which planning and implementation tools are being utilizex3 in youth development in Lusaka province, Zambia.The primary source of data for the study was Governmental (GO) and Non-Governmental (NGO) youth personnel who have substantial experience of working with youths in Zambia. A total of 72 respondents were interviewed, in 12 youth organisations drawn from Lusaka Province. A quota sampling design was applied to obtain 36 respondents from six GOs and 36 respondents from six NGOs. From each of these organisations three people involved in policy planning and three people in policy implementation were selected.The main findings of the study is that policy planning and implementation is less effectively carried out and have not helped in reducing the high rate of youth unemployment in the province. To reverse this situation it is recommended, that an attempt should be made:(a)to identify the existence of, and define and categorize the various forms of youth unemployment in the province;(b)to establish a comprehensive coordination and review of policies to alleviate youth unemployment in the overall context of policy and national development planning;(c)to apply mixed scanning model in the choice of youth programmes and projects; (d)to focus on various youth clientele systems and intervention methods when implementing youth programmes and projects; and(e)to ensure that manpower resource is sufficient in quantity and suitable in quality for active and effective planning and implementation of youth policies.