Children and Youth in Sustainable

Development

Juan Felipe Sanchez, Senior Children and Youth Specialist

HDNCY, The World Bank, 2006
 Underpinning Concepts

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 Concepts: The Intergenerational
Transmission of Poverty

Source: Moore, K, quoted in UN WYR 2003

02/21/2006 JF Sanchez - The World Bank

 Why Children? Why Youth?
The earlier the investment,
the longer the benefits
and, usually, the lower the
costs:
•Demographic urgency
•Investing in children:
•Highest leverage point
•Economic efficiency for investments to build
human / social capital

•Political imperative •Investing in youth:

•Preserves benefits of
earlier investments in
•Crucial to achieve MDGs children
•Counteracts lack of
earlier investments
•Has added value of
immediate
intergenerational effects
as youth become new
parents
Source: HDNCY 2005, The World Bank

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 Concepts: Children and Youth Assets

Children & Youth Assets (forms of

capital)
•Human – e.g. health, nutrition,
hygiene/sanitation, education/life skills

•Social – e.g. household relations, networks,

peers, associations, NGOs/CBOs

•Financial – e.g. income, employment,

access to credit/cash transfers programs

•Physical – e.g. shelter/housing, built

environment/urban infrastructure, public space

•Natural – e.g. quality of air/water/land,

risk-free areas

•Political – e.g. participation/involvement in

national / local development/civic affairs;
enabling policies /legal/protection;
human/children rights

•Cultural – e.g. socio-cultural norms and

values; dreams/aspirations
Source: J.F. Sanchez 2003, Plan International

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 Concepts: Determinants of Children and Youth Assets

Children and Youth Assets

(forms of capital)
Enabling Policies,
Context
Institutions and
•Income programs
•Age
•Policy
•Gender environment (e.g.
governance, livability,
•Ethnic competitiveness, land use,
zoning, legal/ judicial/ police)
•Urban / rural •Implementation of Rights
settings (e.g. high population of the Child (CRC)
density, slums / at risk areas,
distance, access) •Supply side (e.g.
quantity/quality of programs,
•Family/community location, structure, targeting,
service delivery, staffing,
/peers budgets)

•Conflict •Demand side (e.g.

•Shocks
cash incentives, interaction
•Trends among clients/ service
providers/ policy makers)

Choices
(household / individual choices)

•Information
•Resources •Managing risks

Children and Youth assets might •Seizing

decrease or increase as a result of the
•Capabilities opportunities
interaction between the context,
Source: J.F. Sanchez, 2005, HDNCY -The World Bank
policies / institutions / programs, and
choices
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 Concepts: Children and Youth

Maternal/neo-natal
stage 0-5
Early childhood years

At-risk
Children
and Children and
Growing up healthy 6-14 years
Youth
Youth

Adolescents 15-18 years

Young adults 19-24 years

Source: HDNCY 2005, The World Bank

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 Concepts: The Life Cycle Framework
CHILDREN AND YOUTH FACE DIFFERENT
VULNERABILITIES AT DIFFERENT AGES
The main stages in the lifecycle

Peri-natal
Perinatal period
Neonatal period
Pregnancy

Birth
7 days
Early Infancy
neonatal 28 days
Death period

Aging
1 year

Adulthood
"Pre - school” years
20 years 5 years
Reproductive
period 10 years
Childhood

Adolescence
"School - age"

Source: HDNCY 2005, The World Bank

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 Concepts: Identifying Risks and Opportunities
with a Life-Cycle Framework

Many of the
greatest
risks are
concentrated
in the
earliest
years and in
adolescence

Source: HDNCY 2005, The World Bank

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 Concepts: Risks, Determinants, and Outcomes Are
Linked
Vertically Along the Life Cycle

Ages 0-5 (Early Child Care) Ages 6-14 (School Years) Ages 15-24 (Youth Years)

Survival; care and protection of new Adjustment to formal school Adjustment to adolescent years
born Completion of primary school Completion of higher education
Nutrition adequacy Readiness for reading, counting, and social Entering marriage age
Immunization interaction Adjusting to reproductive roles and
Cognitive stimulation Maintaining good health behaviors
Readiness for school Readiness for job markets

Malnutrition in mothers Poor health outcomes and lack of Poor school performance and
aggravates risks for child pre-school affect school attendance participation, and continuous poor
mortality and malnutrition. Child and performance, and are health outcomes further affect
malnutrition raises risks of child aggravated by illiterate parents, reproductive health for women,
mortality and school especially mothers. employability, and income-earning
performance in later years. opportunities later in life.

Source: HDNCY 2005 and MNA 2005, The World Bank

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 Example of Missed Opportunities and Outcomes Along the Life Cycle
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES DURING EARLY YEARS (AGES 0-5)
 Children who survive are at risk of poor health due to inadequate nutrition and poor health.
 Children growing up in country *** and in particular in rural areas have few chances of pre-
school education.
 Lack of prenatal care, early marriage and hence early pregnancy, and high rates of teenage
fertility have contributed to maternal mortality

CONSEQUENCES FOR SCHOOL YEARS (AGES 6-14)

 Early school drop out (15.65%)
 Poor school performance (51% completion rates)
 Child labor prevalence (between 12-20%)
 Idleness – no work, no study (37%)
 Adapting to street life / falling in conflict with law (data not reliable – distorted estimates
suggest between 5-10%;)
 Disability (prevalence rates to be verified)
 Reduced chances of equal opportunity in the long run, especially for girls
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES IN SCHOOL YEARS (AGES 6-14)
• Dropping from school in early years
• Not reaching the school dropouts and disadvantaged (child labor, exploitation, idleness,
street life)
• Insufficient attention to parents literacy and awareness
• Lack of school health and nutrition
• Juvenile justice

CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUTH YEARS (15-24)

• Unemployment / Inactivity
• Lack of Access and Retention in Secondary Education
• Risky Behaviors (early pregnancy, HIV/AIDs, violence and crime, substance abuse
• Lack of Participation in Development Policies and Process
Source: MNA 2005, The World Bank

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 Policies, institutions, programs need to
manage opportunities and risks around 5
related transitions
Progressing
through
school

Staying Going to Growth and

Policies and healthy work Poverty
Institutions
Reduction

Exercising Forming
citizenship families
Source: WDR 2007, The World Bank

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 Policy Pillars

• Opportunities: Broaden options for young

people

• Agency: Enable capable and responsible

decision-making by them (or by care-givers in
the case of younger children)

• Second Chances: Mitigate the consequences

of poor decisions (made for and by the
young) and bad luck
Source: WDR 2007, The World Bank

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Social Risk Management Strategies

Source: World Bank HDNCY

2004

JF Sanchez --- childrenandyouth@worldbank.org

 Children and Youth: Sustainable Development Cycle

Outcomes
(effects on C&Y wellbeing)
Changes in Children
and Youth Assets
(forms of capital)
Policy Pillars •Growing up
•Opportunities healthy
•Agency •Learning
•Second Chances
Enabling •Working
Context policies,
institutions •Forming
(income, age,
gender, ethnic, and Risk Management families
type of urban
programs Strategies
setting, Natural
community)
• Prevention • Exercising
citizenship
• Mitigation
• Coping

•Survival
•Development
•Protection
Choices •Participation
(household / individual) (Outcomes as
per the
Convention on
the Rights of
the Child)

Source: J.F. Sanchez 2006, based on HDNCY 2005 and WDR2007, The World Bank

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 Integrating Children & Youth Into
Cross Sector Programs

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 Integrating Children and Youth (C&Y) into Cross
Sector Program Cycles
Dialogues/participation at all stages of
strategy/policy development and
implementation
e.g. including children and youth -and institutions that
affect them
Age-specific cross-sector
C & Y monitoring /
analyses
evaluation (M&E) 1- Identification and
e.g. age-specific indicators,
1.Identificaci
óny
mobilization of key e.g. poverty
annual state of C&Y progress
mobilizaci
óndelos
stakeholders analysis/mapping, vulnerability
report; participatory monitoring
actores
principales assessments, public
/ social accountability expenditure reviews, social
assessments
5 – Monitoring,
5.Monitoreo
, Evaluaci
ón 2.Evaluaci
ónde la
2- Assessing the
yAprendizaje
evaluation and learning
situaci
situation ón

Linking children and youth

outcomes with cross sector
Set-up adequate cross- 3 - Direccionamiento
Setting direction,:objectives program goals
sector coordination – Implementing
4.4action
Implementaci óndelos 3. definici
and targets / preparing action
ónde
plans
planes acci
deón visi
ó n
plans
, objetivosy metas ; formulación e.g. growth, investments in
e.g. Children and Youth focal deestrategias y planesacci deón human development, etc.
point, coordination platforms,
mandates, capacity building

Focusing budgets / sector actions on long-term

results for children and youth included in cross-
sector program
e.g. within poverty reduction mechanisms, MDG action
plans, sector programs
Source: J.F. Sanchez 2005

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 Building Blocks for Integrated Children and
Youth Investments Along the Life Cycle

Age
25

Livelihoods

Life-long
14 learning

Secondary
Healthy
+ tertiary
education behaviors

Primary health,
6 Primary
care and
education
nutrition
Safe,
healthy
ECD Protection
habitat
0
Enabling policies, institutions and processes
Source: Lund, N. and Sanchez, J.F., 2004
JF Sanchez --- childrenandyouth@worldbank.org
Enabling policies, institutions and processes

• Policy Environment:
• Economic growth, targeted development, policy, knowledge, expenditure
priorities
• Supply Side Bottlenecks:
• Service delivery (public, private, NGO), human capacity, governance
• Demand Side Bottlenecks:
• Tackling incentive problems to increase effective demand for needed
services, legal reform + protection (including application of Convention on
the Rights of the Child), removing barriers to access and participation

• Linking C&Y priorities with long term development goals, including the MDGs goals
• Integrated interventions along the life cycle, with emphasis on preventions and co-
targeting
• National children and youth assessments and strategies.
• Improving client, service provider and public policy interface
• National monitoring and evaluation systems
• Partnerships and collaborations
• Donor aid harmonization

Enabling policies, institutions and processes

Source: Lund, N. and Sanchez, J.F., 2004
JF Sanchez --- childrenandyouth@worldbank.org
Participation
• Inclusion, youth at the
development table
• Youth in civil society dialogues
• Youth voices and links to country /
local development
• PRSPs / CAS / national / urban
development planning
• Participation in preparation and
implementation of policy
instruments and reforms
• Youth-led initiatives and projects
• Monitoring of development results;
social audits
• Enhancing capacity of youth
organizations and their local and
global networks

Source: Lund, N. and Sanchez, J.F., 2004

JF Sanchez --- childrenandyouth@worldbank.org

Supportive families and communities
• Household level demand factors
• Social recognition of youth potential
• Youth-friendly cultural norms and
institutions concerning:
• Entitlements
• Inheritance
• Property rights
• Marriage institutions
• Age
• Gender
• Ethnic
• Religion
• Elimination of stigma (HIV-AIDS, youth
gangs, etc.)
• Youth participation in community-driven
development
• Civil society engagement
JF Sanchez --- childrenandyouth@worldbank.org Source: Lund, N. and Sanchez, J.F., 2004
 Investing in the young -and
engaging them in development
processes- will lead to
healthier and safer
communities, enabling their
contribution to growth and
wellbeing! Source: J.F. Sanchez 2006, HDNCY – The World Bank

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 Towards Age-specific Cross-sector Programs:

Children

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 Building Blocks for Cross-sector Programs Along the Life Cycle:
Investing Early in Life…

Age
25
Livelihoods
and
employment

Life-long
learning
14
Secondary
+ tertiary Healthy
education behaviors
Protection of
Primary the most
education vulnerable
6 (OVC)
Safe, Early
healthy Childhood Child health
habitat Development + nutrition

0 Supportive families and communities

Source: HDNCY 2005, The World Bank

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 Examples of Cross-sector Interdependencies to Achieve
Children Outcomes
Preventing child mortality depends on:
•Long-term improvements in environmental factors at the community / local levels (Land
Use Planning, Environment, Infrastructure, Disaster Prevention Sectors)
•Provision of safe water and sanitation (Water/Environment Sectors)
•Adequate shelter (Housing Sector)
•Mother’s education (Education Sector)
•Adequate income support to buy adequate food supply (Social Affairs/Social Protection
Sectors)
•Nutrition and facilitating access to health services (Health Sector)

Achieving “education for all” is a function of both supply and

demand side measures:
•Demand side measures
•conditional income support to families of out of school children (Conditional Cash Transfers
Programs)
•counseling and rehabilitation programs for children with special needs (NGO’s and Community-
based organizations)
•Supply side measures
•location of additional educational facilities (Land Use Planning, Zoning)
•skilled human resources and quality education content and systems (Education, Finance and/or
Planning Sectors)
Source: HDNCY 2005 and MNA 2005, The World Bank

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 Example: Malnutrition
Mother’s Education
(feeding practices)
•Public Health:
breastfeeding / weaning
practices; mother’s
nutrition
•Education: Literacy for
mothers
02/21/2006
Food Availability Health Environment
(associated with poverty) (water/sanitation)
•Social Funds: cash •Water/Sanitation:
transfers access to safe drinking
water; healthy habitat;
•Food/Agriculture:
hygiene practices
prices; food
availability/imports;
household agricultural
initiatives
•Planning: growth, land
use, zoning; peri-urban
areas improvement
•Transport: market
access; transportation;
storage; distribution
Source: HDNCY 2005 and MNA 2005, The World Bank
JF Sanchez - The World Bank 27
 Towards Age-specific Cross-sector Programs:

Youth

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 Building Blocks for Cross-sector Programs Along the Life Cycle:
… Continue Investing in Youth

Age
25
Livelihoods
and
employment

Life-long
learning
14
Secondary
+ tertiary Healthy
education behaviors

6
Investing earlier in life

0 Supportive families and communities

Source: HDNCY 2005, The World Bank

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 Example: Reaching School Drop-outs

Institutional Mentoring Second Chances Participatory Ed. Cash / in-kind

capacity building programs Methodology incentives

•Social Funds: •Education: •Education: •Education: •Social

institutional School restoration to Specialized Funds: food;
capacity counseling & education; teacher training; cash transfers
building, mentoring literacy; class-based
municipalities, (volunteers, vocational reforms
universities; university direction
youth students; youth
organizations) •Social welfare:
organizations)
Integration into
family and
community

Source: HDNCY 2005 and MNA 2005, The World Bank

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 An Example of Cross-sector Interdependencies:
Enhancing the Education – Employment Nexus
Improving quantity and
quality of post-primary
education
•Education: financing
and expansion of
secondary / tertiary
education (public –
private – informal)
•Planning/transport:
Land use/supply;
infrastructure; location of
education facilities
•Education: Improving
curricula, teachers and
accountability of
secondary / tertiary
education
• Vocational Training:
linking VET to labor
market demands
02/21/2006
(transition to work)
Enhancing Choices Second Chances
(information, capacity, resources)
•Social Funds /
•Labor / Education / Social Social Welfare:
Affairs / Youth: information incentives / credit /
dissemination of market-based student loans for
skill demands and learning post-primary school
opportunities attendance
•Social Affairs / youth / •Education:
Education: counseling / equivalence programs
mentoring / vocation orientation
•Social Affairs /
•Vocational Training: market-
Education / Youth /
based training and programs NGOs: remediation /
•Vocational Training: youth literacy /skills-
enterprise-based training based programs
•Social Affairs /
•Social Funds: credit for youth
livelihood activities / enterprise Youth: youth-led
creation income generation
projects
Source: HDNCY 2005 and MNA 2005, The World Bank
JF Sanchez - The World Bank 31
 Youth are not to be feared or
perceived just as a ‘problem’ or
an issue to be solved sometime in
the future.

The young are a dynamic

piece of the development
puzzle –a positive part of
the solution…today!
Source: J.F. Sanchez 2006, HDNCY – The World Bank

JF Sanchez --- childrenandyouth@worldbank.org

 Annexes

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 Annex 1: MDGs on Children & Youth
Outcomes are the measure
of success:
Within the 8 broad MDGs there
are specific indicators targeted
for children (0-14) and for youth
(15-24)
Progress on meeting these has
been the weakest, with most
countries likely to fail
If we do not scale up actions
rapidly and focus more intensively
on the next generation, these
outcomes will not be met.
02/21/2006 JF Sanchez - The World Bank
MDG Indicators
Targeting Children and Youth
Children (0-14)
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
(4) Prevalence of underweight children (< 5 yrs)
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
(6) Net enrollment ratio in primary education
(7a) % of pupils starting grade 1 who reach grade 5
(7b)* Primary completion rate
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
(9) Ratio of girls to boys in primary education
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
(13) Under -5 mortality rate
(14) Infant mortality rate
(15) Proportion of 1 yr-olds immunized against measles
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
(16) Maternal mortality ratio
(17) Proportion of births attended by skilled health
personnel
Youth (15-24)
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
(8) Literacy rates among 15-24
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
(9) Ratio of girls to boys in sec. & tertiary ed
(10) Ratio of literate females to males 15-24
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
(18) HIV Prevalence among pregnant women (15-24)
(19*) % of pop. 15-24 with comprehensive correct
knowledge of HIV/AIDS
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
(45) Unemployment rate among 15-24
* Proposed as additional MDG indicators, but not yet adopted
Source: United Nations MDGs
Source: HDNCY, 2005, The World Bank
34
 Annex 2
Ages 0-5—MDGs and Risks
Relevant MDG Target
• Reduce prevalence of under-weight
children from --% in -- to --% by --
• Reduce the infant mortality rate to --
and under-5 mortality to -- per 1,000
live births by 2015
• Reduce maternal mortality and
morbidity rate to -- per 100,000 live
births by 2015 from about -- per
100,000
• Increase routine measles vaccines to
at least --% combined with a second •
opportunity for a measles
vaccination
02/21/2006 JF Sanchez - The World Bank
Relevant Risks
• Malnutrition: Stunting: --%;
Underweight: --%; Wasting: --%
• Infant/Child Mortality Rate: IMR: --
per 1,000 live births: CMR: --
• Maternal Mortality and Morbidity:
MMR: -- per 100,000 live births
• Childhood Illness: Incidence of
diarrhea (--%); Incidence of ARI (--
%); Incidence of fever (--%)
Lack of Early Child Care and
Education: ECD enrollment
Source: MNA, 2005, The World Bank
35
 Annex 3
Ages 6-14: MDGs, Risks and Programs
Relevant MDG Target Relevant Risks

1. Raise the net enrolment rate 1. School dropouts

in primary education and
increase the 6th grade
completion rate to 100%
2. Eliminate the gender gap in
primary education by 2015
2.
 Out of school: --%
 Dropout rate: --%
 Primary school completion
rate: --%
 Idle children: --%
Disadvantaged Children
 Child laborers: --%
 Street children: --% (5-9
years); --% (10-18 years)
 Disabled children --%

Source: MNA, 2005, The World Bank

02/21/2006 JF Sanchez - The World Bank 36

 Annex 4
Ages 15-24: MDGs and Risks
Relevant MDG Target Relevant Risks
1. Slow the increase in Unemployment / Idleness
spread of HIV/AIDs by Unemployment rate: --%
2005 and halve the rate Inactivity rate: teenage girls (15-19) = --%; teenage boys
of increase by 2010 (15-19) = --%; young adult females (20-24) = --%; young
2. Reduce HIV prevalence adult males (20-24) = --%
3. Increase literacy rates Lack of Access and Retention in Secondary Education
4. Increase ratio of girls Secondary school enrollment and completion rates: Gross
to boys in secondary secondary enrolment rates = --% for boys, --% for girls
and tertiary education. (2000/01); Gross tertiary enrolment rates = --% for young
5. Reduce unemployment men, --% for young women (2000/01); data on completion
rate rates
Literacy rate males: --%; females: --%
Risky Behaviors
Early pregnancy: % of early pregnancy (1999) = --%
(teenagers), --% (young adults): impacts maternal mortality
and morbidity and infant/child mortality
HIV/AIDS: Incidence --% of population aged 10-49
Violence and Crime
Substance Abuse
Lack of Participation in Development Policies and Process

Source: MNA, 2005, The World Bank

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 Example: Risk Factors For Children and Youth in Urban Settings
Urban enclaves of poverty, high population densities, low levels of
infrastructure, and lack of leisure facilities/public space

Living in disaster-prone/high risk areas, exposure to contaminants

/pollutants

High percentage of young people in the settlement

Low levels of education

Disproportionate high levels of youth unemployment and/or youth

idleness

Weak or non-existent family and community support

Restricted avenues for youth participation and contribution

Limited or differentiated state presence, corrupt and/or violent

state apparatus

Relatively easy access to illicit activities and/or weapons

Source: J. F. Sanchez and A. Semlali, 2006 , HDNCY -The World Bank

02/21/2006 JF Sanchez - The World Bank 38

 Example: Young People Affected by Violence
Risk factors
• Poverty/inequality of wealth
• Lack of economic options due
to low levels of education and
high unemployment
• Social marginalization of poor
or minority ethnic groups
prejudice/racism/low self
esteem
• Violence from state forces or
armed groups
• Lack of leisure facilities,
nothing to do, unemployment
• Family problems
Poverty
02/21/2006
Responses made possible by joining an
armed group
Society •Access to money and consumer goods
A job/remunerated services, access to guns
as economic tool
Community Social recognition: clear and strong identity,
status and power, more attractive to girls,
access to guns as a status symbol
Peer group •Protection, revenge, belonging to a strong
group, access to guns for protection
•Group culture, parties, drugs, adrenaline
Family •Friendship, surrogate family, belonging to a
mutually supportive group
Child/
Youth Adapted from: Dowdney, L. 2005, Neither War nor Peace: International
Comparisons of Children and Youth in Organized Violence, COAV
JF Sanchez - The World Bank 39