WP8 Policy assessment

Objectives:

WP8 deals with the co-ordination of policy measures and strategies to strengthen young people’s negotiating positions in the transition to the labour market. Centre-stage here is the development and coordination of policy efforts within a system of multi-level governance. We ask when multi-level policy coordination to help labour market integration of young people works at its best. Under what conditions are the development and coordination of such policies across multiple level of governance likely to succeed? Against this background, WP8 aims to:

  • Develop an analytical framework that makes it possible to identify ways to strengthen the efficacy of multi-level governance in combating youth unemployment and early job insecurity in Europe.
  • Assess the implementation and impact of European programmes like the ‘Youth guarantee’, the ‘Youth Employment initiative’ and ‘Youth on the move’ at the national and sub-national levels.
  • Examine the re-integration of national experiences in the European policy agenda.
  • Identify models of good practice that contribute to vertical as well as horizontal policy learning with regard to the effective governance and design of measures and strategies to combat youth unemployment, marginalisation and early job insecurity

Description of work:

Task 8.1 Analytical framework

Develop a framework and common template for national chapters concerning the mode of governance and kind of policy measures and strategies applied in each of the participating countries to combat youth unemployment and job insecurity.

The purpose is to develop a framework for assessing 1) what impact European initiatives, support and mutual learning have had on national and subnational policies/ strategies and; 2) how they are coordinated vertically and horizontally. The framework will be designed with a view to generating recommendations on how policy actors might improve coordination across governance levels.

Lead partner: UB. Participants: MU. Duration: Months 13-16

NEGOTIATE Working paper No. 8.1: “Strategies to improve labour market integration of young people: Analyzing linkages between horizontal and vertical policy coordination”
Download paper: NEGOTIATE working paper D8.1 (pdf)

Task 8.2 Policy coordination in nine countries

Based on the output from task 8.1, the participating national teams will produce country chapters detailing what the national (or federal) governments have done/are currently doing to implement of the European level strategies to combat youth unemployment and early job insecurity and how these programmes are co-ordinated horizontally and vertically at national and sub-national levels. Does co-ordination take place through ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ measures and which actors are involved in the decision-making?

The chapters will be based on secondary country-based literature, official documents, existing national policy/programme evaluations, and expert interviews with 4–5 key officials from agencies involved in the implementation of these programmes. Each national team will be encouraged to discuss draft chapters with its NYP. The lead partner (UB) is responsible for assembling the chapters into one large report.

Lead partner: UB. Participants: HiOA-NOVA, UOB, MU, UNIBAS, UDG, UPSPS, PUE, ISSK. Duration: Months 17-24

NEGOTIATE Working paper No. 8.2: “Strategies to improve labour market integration of young people: Comparing policy coordination in nine European countries”. Download paper: NEGOTIATE_WP_8.2 (pdf)

National Reports:

D8.2_Bulgaria_National_report (pdf)
D_8_2_Spain_National_report (pdf)
D8.2_Country_Report_Switzerland (pdf)
D8.2_Czech_National_report (pdf)
D8.2_Norway_National_report (pdf)
D8.2_Country_report_Greece (pdf)
D 8.2_YG implementation Germany (pdf)
D8_2_Country_report_UK (pdf)

Task 8.3 Strengths and weaknesses in policy coordination

Broad-based comparative study of the strengths and weaknesses of policy coordination and policy outcomes in a system of multi-level governance.

Drawing on task 8.2, the work done in WP3, the results from the life course interviews, as well as European policy documents and 5-10 interviews with EU level policy experts, the analysis will identify possibilities and pitfalls in policy implementation at national, and sub-national levels. As part of this assessment we also examine which approaches, experiences and achievements of EU member states or other countries that have influenced European level policy initiatives.

Lead partner: UB. Participant: MU and SOLIDAR. Duration: Months 25-30

NEGOTIATE Working paper No. 8.3: “The strengths and weaknesses of policy coordination and policy outcomes in a system of multi-level governance: A comparative analysis”: NEGOTIATE_working_paper_no_D8.3 (pdf)

Task 8.4 Identifying conditions of policy success

Provide policy recommendations to reduce youth unemployment, job insecurity and consequences of labour market adversity and describe under what conditions these efforts are likely to be successful within a multi-level governance framework. Based on observed good practice (established under tasks 8.2 and 8.3) in policy legislation, coordination, implementation, and actual content the task is focused on developing new strategies and instruments capable of succeeding in a multi-level context.

NEGOTIATE Working paper No. 8.4:  “The fight against youth unemployment: Enhancing the chances of success by strengthening linkages between horizontal and vertical policy coordination”: NEGOTIATE_working_paper_8.4 (pdf)

Lead partner: MU. Participant: UB and SOLIDAR. Duration: Months 31-33