Selection Criteria

“Youth Leadership for Development” Initiatives

 

This text explains the criteria for inclusion of youth leadership for development programs in our database and map. The information provided includes an overview of operational and empirical definitions of “youth,” “leadership,” and “development.” 

 

Criteria 1

The target participants are young Africans.

  1. Cases have an explicit youth focus in title, mission or age requirements 

  2. Youth is typically defined as <35 years of age, though some programs may define youth otherwise. 

  3. Cases may include age groups outside this range but will be included in the database if they include any combination of the following terms :

    • Future or next generation

    • Young people

    • School-age

    • Student

    • Adolescents

    • Early-career

  4. Cases must have an explicit eligibility for African youth. In some situations, this may mean that non-Africans are also participants. In such situations, cases will be included in the database if they include any combination of the following:

  • specific African countries 

  • Global South 

  • developing countries 

  • emerging economies 

Criteria 2

The cases offer some form of educational training, professional development or support. 

These might include any combination of the following:

  • Skill building programs (Technical, interpersonal, communication, critical thinking, analytical, emotional intelligence

  • Workshops, seminars, conferences, mentorship networks, 

  • Explicit educational programs (degrees, scholarships, certificates, trainings)

  • Internships

  • Volunteer opportunities

  • Mentorship programs

  • Conferences and networking opportunities

  • Peer social-media trainings, networks

  • Grants and funding

Criteria 3

Cases have an explicit goal of cultivating leaders.

The definition of“leadership” may vary across programs. However, leadership will likely involve playing a central or leading role in society.

Areas of leadership might include any combination of the following: 

  • political or public sector

  • civil society(activists,policy, organizers)

  • corporate(entrepreneurs,professional)

  • academic or research

  • religious or moral

If cases do not explicitly use the term“leadership”, acceptable terms include: 

  • Empowerment

  • Entrepreneurship

  • Influence 

  • Change(changeagents, change makers)

  • Transformation

  • Innovator

  • Advocate

  • Impact

Criteria 4

They have an explicit mission of contributing to African development. 

This might include mention of any combination of the following:

  • Broad vision of African social development

  • Economic development

  • Capacity building

  • Moral or character development

  • Increasing the skilled, educated population in Africa

  • Encouraging more youth participation in civic life