Co a c hi ng

Gu i de
OUTH | N| T| AT| vLS & PAPT| C| PAT| ON
OUTH | N| T| AT| vLS & PAPT| C| PAT| ON
Are you a youth worker, a youth leader, a volunteer ln a youth organlsatlon,
an omcer worklng ln an lnstltutlon for Luropean youth programmes,
a teacher, an educator, a tralner, or slmply a support or resource person
who wants to help young people to develop thelr own lnltlatlves!
Then we lnvlte you to take a look at thls handbook!
How would you name the actlvlty of helplng young people to prepare thelr pro[ects!
ou mlght have used the terms supportlng, advlslng, counselllng, mentorlng,
accompanylng, or maybe you have already heard about the word coachlng to
refer to thls klnd of actlvltles! Does coachlng apply to youth work!
How do we understand coachlng wlthln outh |nltlatlves! why people coach!
why do they (you) want to be a coach! what does lt mean to be a coach!
Somehow coachlng relates to openlng the door to young people for taklng the
lnltlatlve, for belng actlve, for showlng thelr lnterests, for taklng care of thelr own
contrlbutlons and development, for maklng the world a better place
wrltten by an lnternatlonal team of authors for local or lnternatlonal use!
Thls coachlng gulde can be downloaded for free at:
www.salto-youth.net/youthlnltlatlves
Co a c h-
i ng
Yo u t h
I ni t i a -
t i v e s
A gulde that explores the concepts of Coachlng,
outh |nltlatlves and outh Partlclpatlon, lncludlng practlcal
tools and methods, advlce and lnformatlon, opportunltles
and support for those encouraglng young peoples
partlclpatlon ln outh |nltlatlves
COACHI NG YOUT H I NI T I AT I V E S
Guide for Supporting Youth Participation
www.SALTO-YOUTH.net/YouthInitiatives/
by
Marlo dAgostlno, 1ochen 8utt-Ponlk, Mllena 8utt-Ponlk,
Pascal Chaumette, Ully Lnn, Helke Hornlg, Nerl[us Krlauclunas
Authots
8uzz 8ury
Contt|outot
Henar Conde
lJ|tot 8 Co-otJ|notot
Thls publlcatlon has been made posslble wlth the support of the Luropean Commlsslon, the 8ureau |nternatlonal
1eunesse ln the Prench Communlty of 8elglum and the Pollsh Natlonal Agency of the OUTH programme.
Many thanks to Patrlcla 8rulefert and Sandrlne Suel who provlded valuable support to the creatlon of thls gulde.
Also speclal thanks to Glsele Klrby for the nal proof-readlng.
COACHI NG YOUT H I NI T I AT I V E S
Guide for Supporting Youth Participation
6
Support, Advanced Learnlng and Tralnlng Opportunltles
wlthln the OUTH programme. The Luropean Commlsslon
has created a network of elght SALTO-YOUTH Resource
Centres to enhance the lmplementatlon of the OUTH
programme, whlch provldes young people wlth valuable
non-formal learnlng experlences.
SALTOs alm ls to support European YOUTH projects
deallng wlth lmportant lssues such as Soclal |ncluslon
or Cultural Dlverslty, wlth actlons such as outh |nltlatlves
(Actlon 3 of the OUTH programme), wlth reglons such
as LuroMed, South-Last Lurope or Lastern Lurope and
Caucasus, wlth Tralnlng and Co-operatlon actlvltles and
wlth |nformatlon tools for Natlonal Agencles of the OUTH
programme.
|n these Luropean prlorlty areas, SALTO-OUTH provldes
resources, information and training for Natlonal Agencles
and Luropean youth workers. Several resources ln the
above areas are onered vla www.!k|!0-\0U!N.aet. Plnd onllne
the Luropean Tralnlng Calendar, the Toolbox for Tralnlng
and outh work, Tralners Onllne for outh, llnks to onllne
resources and much more
SALTO-OUTH actlvely co-operates wlth other actors ln
Luropean youth work such as the Natlonal Agencles of the
OUTH programme, the Councll of Lurope, Luropean youth
workers and tralnlng organlsers.
The SALTO OUTH |nltlatlves Pesource Centre
www.SALTO-YOUTH.net/youthinitiatives/
The SALTO outh |nltlatlves Pesource Centre (ln Prench
Communlty of 8elglum) provldes support, lnformatlon and
tralnlng on Youth Initiatives of the YOUTH programme
(Actlon 3), wlth the alm to promote thls Actlon and
lncrease lts vlslblllty at both natlonal and Luropean level.
SALTO outh |nltlatlves works wlth Natlonal Agencles and
youth workers to develop a coaching strategy to support
and enhance the quallty of outh |nltlatlve pro[ects.
Purthermore SALTO outh |nltlatlves also contrlbute to
facllltate the search of partners and to empower young
people to develop networklng pro[ects.
To reach lts alms SALTO outh |nltlatlves provldes the
followlng resources:
tralnlng courses on coachlng and peer educatlon
tralnlng courses on networklng pro[ect management
annual magazlne on outh |nltlatlves related toplcs
database of local outh |nltlatlve pro[ects updated every
year
up-to-date lnformatlon about outh |nltlatlves and
opportunltles vla the outh |nltlatlves Newsletter
a serle of methodologlcal toolbox ready to use
for organlslng tralnlng courses on outh |ntlatlves
an overvlew of tralners and support persons ln the eld
of outh |nltlatlves
Por more detalls you can vlslt the outh |nltlatlve pages of
the SALTO-OUTH webslte: www.!k|!0-\0U!N.aet/\eat||altlatles/
SALTO-YOUTH Stands for...
7
Contents
POPLwOPD _+o
|NTPODUCT|ON _+z
1. OPENING THE DOOR FOR TAKING INITIATIVE _:6
+.+ The weather Porecast for Luropean outh Pollcy _+8
+.z Non-formal Lducatlon and Actlve Partlclpatlon _+p
+. outh |nltlatlves and Peallslng Partlclpatlon _z+
+.( oung People as Key Holders _z6
+. who Needs a Coach _z;
2. THE COACHING MIRROR _z8
z.+ what do we Mean by Coachlng _o
z.z A Coach ln Luropean outh work _o
z. Dlscoverlng ourself as a Coach _z
z..+ Clearlng our Coachlng Motlvatlon _z
z..z Penectlng on our Coachlng Attltude _
z.. Clarlfylng our Coachlng Pole _(
z..( |dentlfylng our Competencles and Lxperlences _
z.. 8elng Aware of our Llmlts and Posslbllltles _;
z.( 8etween Coachlng and Autonomy _p
3. THE COACHING BI-CYCLE _(z
.+ The Poad of outh |nltlatlves _((
.z The Mechanlcs of the Coachlng 8l-Cycle _(6
. Cllmblng on 8oard the Coachlng 8l-Cycle _(p
.( Pldlng the Coachlng 8l-Cycle _o
.(.+ Motlvatlng _o
.(.z Gettlng to Know Lach Other _
.(. 8ulldlng the Pelatlonshlp _6
.(.( |dentlfylng Needs and Competencles _8
.(. Supportlng _6o
.(.6 Lvaluatlng _6z
.(.; Keeplng Contact and Peedback _6;
. Challenges on the Poad _;o
4. INCREASING THE VELOCITY FOR YOUTH PARTICIPATION _;(
(.+ Learnlng to Partlclpate _;6
(.+.+ Personal Development through Progresslve Partlclpatlon _;6
(.+.z Soclal Development through Communlty Partlclpatlon _;p
(.+. Poute Plannlng from Local to Luropean _8+
(.z Travel Condltlons for Partlclpatlon _8z
5. BEST PRACTICE AND BEYOND _8(
.+ Postcard from Poland: Our Pew Mlnutes _86
.z Postcard from Llthuanla: vldeo 8ook of Peclpes _8p
. Postcard from |taly: |nltlatlve after |nltlatlve _pz
.( Postcard from Germany: Partlclpatlon Mlsslon (|m)posslble! _p
. Poscard from Prance: Agalnst vlolence at School _p8
.6 Postcard from Lstonla: Pural |nformatlon Network _+oo
.; Postcard from 8elglum: Urban Artlstlc Gallery _+o
.8 Summary and Prospectlve _+o
6. BI-CYCLE TOOLS _:o6
6.+ Coachlng Ghost |nventory _+o8
6.z vlsuallsatlon Methods _++(
6. Analysls of Coachlng Needs _++6
6.( Group 8ehavlours _++p
6. My Competences as a Coach _+zo
6.6 SwOT Analysls _+z+
6.; Assessment of Qualltatlve Crlterla _+z
6.8 Mld-Term Lvaluatlon Questlonnalre _+z
6.p |ncomplete Sentences _+z;
6.+o 8est Llked / Least Llked _+z8
6.++ Observatlon |ndlcators _+o
6.+z Self-Lsteem Questlonnalre _++
6.+ Personal Pecord of Achlevement _+z
THL COACH|NG SCLNLP PPOM ANOTHLP v|Lw PO|NT _+6
OUNG PLOPLL HAvL THL|P SA: A PLPPLCT COACH |S _+p
PLPLLCT|ON OP THL 1OUPNL _+(o
8|-CCLL D|CT|ONAP _+(+
8|-CCLL PAPTS SUPPL|LPS _+((
8|-CCLL MANUPACTUPLS AND 1OUPNL NAv|GATOPS _+(;
LD|TOP|AL |NPO _+o

w
hat do w
e M
ean by Coachlng

A
Coach ln Luropean outh w
ork

D
lscoverlng ourself as a Coach


Clearlng our Coachlng M
otlvatlon


Penectlng on our Coachlng Attltude


Clarlfylng our Coachlng Pole

|dentlfylng our Com
petencles and Lxperlences

8elng Aw
are of our Llm
lts and Posslbllltles

8etw
een Coachlng and A
utonom
y
O
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8LST PPACT|CL AND 8LOND
Postcard from Poland: Our Pew Mlnutes
Postcard from Llthuanla: vldeo 8ook of Peclpes
Postcard from |taly: |nltlatlve after |nltlatlve
Postcard from Germany: Partlclpatlon Mlsslon (|m)posslble! Poscard from Prance: Agalnst vlolence at School Postcard from Lstonla: Pural |nformatlon Network
Postcard from 8elglum: Urban Artlstlc Gallery
Summary and Prospectlve
8
|-
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9
Ldltorlal lnfo
8l-cycle manufactures and [ourney navlgators
8l-cycle parts suppllers
8l-cycle dlctlonary
Penectlon of the [ourney
oung people have thelr say: a perfect coach ls
The coachlng scenery from another vlew polnt
1
0
A maglc dwells ln each beglnnlng, protectlng us,
tells us how to llve a German poem clalms. ou open the
book, the tltle may already have caught your attentlon, or
the strange mouse mlght have made you thlnk what ls thls
book about! So a few words to lntroduce you to Coachlng
outh |nltlatlves Gulde for Supportlng outh Partlclpatlon.
The tltle hopefully speaks for ltself. |t renects our attempt
to come to a common understandlng on how to provlde
support and advlce to groups of young people runnlng
outh |nltlatlve pro[ects. The actlon of coachlng
ls belng progresslvely developed wlthln the youth eld and
non-formal educatlon, both at natlonal and trans-natlonal
level, but stlll there ls not a clear plcture of what thls practlce
looks llke, partlcularly when lt comes to supportlng speclc
pro[ects such as outh |nltlatlves.
8ut what we found on thls eld ls lovely PACo, a vlvld llttle
creature wlth a lot of curloslty and sensltlve antennas on hls
mousey moustache. He wlll be wlth you as your Personal
Asslstant of the Coach throughout the book, brlnglng
addltlonal colour and a llttle sunshlne lnto the readlng.
So, let PACo lnvlte you now to take the rst steps lnto the
Coachlng outh Unlverse.
Peedback ls welcome at youthinitiatives@salto-youth.net
Welcome to Coaching Youth Initiatives
1
1
PACo encourages you to cllmb aboard the coachlng bl-cycle of youth partlclpatlon and to en[oy the [ourney of outh |nltlatlves
PACo
Personal Assistant of the Coach
Through thelr actlons, outh |nltlatlves enable a large
number of young people to become lnventlve ln thelr dally
llfe and to speak out on thelr local needs and lnterests but
also on the maln world lssues. The ldea behlnd thls actlon
of the Luropean programmes outh (2000-2006) and
outh ln Actlon (2007-20l3) ls to ensure that young people
develop thelr creatlvlty by glvlng them the opportunlty
to try out ldeas through lnltlatlves on dlnerent areas of llfe
such as: arts and culture, soclal lncluslon, envlronment,
herltage protectlon, youth partlclpatlon, Luropean
awareness, rural development, youth pollcles, health,
antl-drugs/ substances abuse, youth lelsure, antl-raclsm/
xenophobla, equal opportunltles, youth sport, medla and
communlcatlon and lots more. outh |nltlatlves allow
young people to be dlrectly and actlvely lnvolved ln thelr
local communlty and therefore are a real sprlngboard for
youth partlclpatlon.
Youth Initiatives: at the heart of contemporary change
The wlsh of young people to partlclpate ln the llfe of thelr
dlstrlct, clty, town or vlllage, as well as have thelr say ln
worldwlde questlons, ls relevant and young people are
gettlng more and more lnvolved. However, we can observe
an evolutlon ln these forms of lnvolvement. 8y comparlson
to thelr elders, there are less debates, long arguments and
lntermlnable exchanges of polltlcal vlews. Now the method
of lnvolvement ls more creatlve and ls dlrectly llnked to the
evolutlon of medla and globallsatlon.
A partlcular fondness ls becomlng apparent ln young
people for creatlve forms of lnvolvement, wlth lmages,
muslc, theatre, dlgltal developments, youth lnformatlon,
health and drugs educatlon, envlronmental pro[ects and
soclal actlons to the fore. A slngle outh |nltlatlve can
achleve a lot of thlngs such as creatlon of an art gallery
for the dlsplay of work by young artlsts of all orlglns and
cultures, creatlon of an oplnlon-based newspaper or local
radlo statlon, productlon of a dlscusslon slte, debates
and eyewltness accounts, productlon of a CD-rom on
a Luropean concern, organlsatlon of events/festlvals ln rural
surroundlngs, suggestlon of actlvltles to young chlldren ln
class, so as to help them dlscover Lurope
Youth Initiatives: a link for political and social Europe
outh |nltlatlves represent an essentlal actlon wlthln the
Luropean OUTH programme to ensure that young people
nd thelr place ln polltlcal and soclal Lurope, so that all
young people are able to get lnvolved ln the lssues of today
and tomorrow. |n allowlng young people to get lnvolved
ln a [olnt pro[ect, they oner concrete and llvely lnvolvement,
through whlch young people come to an agreement on
ob[ectlves and achleve results together. They also oner
the opportunlty for young people to try thelr hand
1
2
Foreword
at taklng responslblllty, negotlatlng between themselves
and thelr surroundlngs, plannlng and promotlon.
outh |nltlatlves ls an actlon that llnks an area (where
the young people llve) wlth a common lnterest ln the
Luropean context. That ls to say that these pro[ects are
about a theme or concern common to young Luropeans,
ln llne wlth the values upheld ln Lurope and glven prlorlty.
8y means of outh |nltlatlves, young people have the
chance to become actors ln thelr own llfe and torch
bearers for the future. |t provldes a platform for suggestlng
solutlons and lmprovements at a local level through the
creatlon of pro[ects or tools and arouses the lnterest of
other young people Lurope-wlde. Moreover, thls actlon
constltutes a remarkable means for provldlng experlence
ln responslblllty, autonomy and lnvolvement for the benet
of a common lnterest.
Youth Initiatives: experiential learning
outh |nltlatlves represent a great tool for non-formal and
experlentlal learnlng. The denlng characterlstlc of these
pro[ects ls that they take the day-to-day experlence of the
young people as a startlng polnt.
8y means of outh |nltlatlves, young people have
the opportunlty to galn cognltlve skllls (gatherlng
of lnformatlon on Lurope, other cultures, Luropean
lnstltutlons), soclal and relatlonal skllls (communlcatlng,
negotlatlng, group debate, actlng ln comblnatlon wlth
others, promotlng a pro[ect, meetlng people, llstenlng,
power to convlnce...), ethlcal skllls (openness to others,
development of solldarlty, respect of the democratlc
prlnclples of human freedom and equallty...), pragmatlc
and strateglc skllls (lllng ln an appllcatlon form, respectlng
deadllnes, plannlng and carrylng out an actlon...) or even
polltlcal skllls ln the sense mentloned prevlously (puttlng
oneself at the servlce of the common lnterest).
Youth Initiatives: a step-by-step adventure
The value of outh |nltlatlves experlence does not lle solely
ln the quallty or performance of the pro[ect. Pather lt lles
rst and foremost ln the wealth of the pro[ect processes.
That ls why those supportlng outh |nltlatlves have
encounters and negotlatlon wlthln a group as thelr maln
prlorlty. The adventure beglns wlth cultural and soclal
dlverslty, and relatlons between young women and men,
and thls adventure can be seen as a progresslve process:
communlcate, gather lnformatlon, co-exlst, express,
use lmaglnatlon, develop creatlvlty, carry out a common
productlon and promote lt, take the lnltlatlve, get lnvolved,
commlt oneself and act. Of course we are aware that each
pro[ect may start at a dlnerent level dependlng on the
young people and the context.
where ls the place of coachlng ln such an adventure!
Supportlng a outh |nltlatlve cannot be lmprovlsed but
requlres a solld preparatlon. Thls handbook ls lntended
to gulde those people coachlng youth pro[ects,
to glve some polnts of reference, keys for self-renectlon,
suggestlons and practlcal tools. |f thls ls what you are
looklng for, please [oln ln!
Ma[o Hansotte
C|t|zensh| Omcet
8uteou lntetnot|onol 1eunesse
ltench Commun|ty ol 8el|um
1
3
Why this Coaching Guide?
Slmply because we belleve lt ls needed. wlthln
the eld of non-formal educatlon ln the youth
sector, lt has become lncreaslngly evldent that
a varlety of support methods and strategles are
requlred to ensure actlve partlclpatlon, quallty
standards, recognltlon, and even health and
safety. The Luropean OUTH programme already
has a well establlshed system and understandlng
of mentorlng, supportlng lndlvlduals who are
reallslng Luropean voluntary Servlce pro[ects.
Thus we asked ourselves lf lt could be posslble
to transfer a slmllar type of support to outh
|nltlatlve pro[ects!
After consultlng a wlde range of practltloners
supportlng outh |nltlatlves we felt that there ls
somethlng qulte dlnerent than mentorlng that
happens when supportlng outh |nltlatlves. we
thlnk mentorlng descrlbes best the relatlonshlp
and actlvltles requlred for lndlvldual support as
ln Luropean voluntary Servlce. 8ut what about
supportlng a group of young people ln a outh
|nltlatlve pro[ect!
i nt r o -
| NT P ODUC T | ON
1
4
The term we chose and had a common
understandlng of was coachlng. Generally
coachlng has been understood as a process
ln whlch people and teams are helped to make
the best of themselves and facllltate the way
of worklng enectlvely as part of a team.
8ut nowadays thls word has a wlder meanlng.
And even though throughout dlnerent elds
thls term coachlng has many meanlngs and
lnterpretatlons, we ldentled lt as one of the ways
of lncreaslng the quallty of outh |nltlatlves as
well as worklng towards autonomy and actlve
partlclpatlon.
Coachlng ls a relatlvely new element ln supportlng
youth work and lt mlght be the case that you
would never use the equlvalent of the Lngllsh
word coachlng ln your language to descrlbe
the actlvlty you do. ou mlght thlnk of sport
coaches or hlgh pald consultants ln sults who
help managers to be better competltors, but not
of what you do. we thought of all those people
who support youth pro[ects and lnltlatlves and
would propose calllng thelr consultlng, helplng,
supportlng or advlslng, coachlng.
what you, as people supportlng outh |nltlatlves
do have ln common wlth other coaches! |t mlght
sound surprlslng but the [ob you do has so much
ln common wlth the [ob done by buslness or
sport coaches. ou have to have the experlence
and skllls on whlch you base your support, a clear
plcture of the change you want to achleve wlth
the group you coach (from the start tlll the endlng
polnt) and tools to get there. ou need as well
to be rather longer than short term perspectlve
orlented, lts almost lmposslble to coach a group
wlthln one meetlng wlthout monltorlng and
followlng thelr development. And you see lf your
coachlng bears frults or not, lf your youth team
plays better or brlng more benets to lts pro[ect
llfe.
So how to encourage young people to be actlve
throughout the pro[ect! How to oner the needed
support ln each step of the pro[ect! what are
the coachlng steps of a pro[ect! How to deal wlth
the challenges between coachlng and autonomy!
Thls Coachlng Gulde has been developed
as a handbook, wlth the alm of onerlng practlcal
support for people actlvely coachlng outh
|nltlatlves. Hopefully you wlll nd some answers
to the above questlons ln thls book.
Who is it meant for?
Somehow thls gulde, Coachlng outh |nltlatlves,
has arrlved ln your hands. Llther our promotlon
was lncredlbly successful, or you had an
expectatlon connected wlth the tltle, whlch made
you make the enort to get thls book. Por sure you
are exactly the rlght target group for thls materlal!
when the lnternatlonal edltorlal team of thls gulde
rst met ln 8russels we had somebody ln mlnd [ust
llke you: motlvated, actlve and dlrectly worklng
wlth young people, ls that rlght! Maybe you have
a vague understandlng of your supportlng role
wlth these young people as coachlng. Perhaps
you have the motlvatlon to coach ln the future,
because of your own experlences as a young
person, because of a need ln your organlsatlon
or because of professlonal alms. Thus, the
readers we address ln thls book are as dlverse as
the landscapes of Luropean youth work ltself,
startlng wlth young people who want to support
thelr own outh |nltlatlve to adult professlonals,
who want to expand thelr knowledge and skllls ln
youth work.
1
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our coachlng actlvlty mlght follow dlverse
ob[ectlves, accordlng to your organlsatlons
prole, the nature of youth work ln your country
or your target group. A handbook on such toplcs
publlshed at Luropean level would never be able
to t to all these posslble backgrounds and needs.
|n worklng as an lnternatlonal team, brlnglng
together people from elght Luropean countrles
and wlth such dlverse background as we expect
you readers to have, we attempt to benet rather
than loose from the dlverslty.
Through our dlnerent vlews and realltles of
coachlng young people you wlll nd ln thls book
a number of dlnerent experlences and approaches
towards thls toplc. we strongly recommend you
to take from thls whatever ts lnto your reallty
and needs. ou can read thls as any other book
startlng from the beglnnlng, and readlng to the
end. Or you can look only for practlcal tools and
choose to sklp the rest. ou know better than we
do what you are looklng for. we trled to glve thls
book a shape that enables you to easlly nd what
you are looklng for.
What is it all about?
what we publlsh here ls denltely dlnerent to
what you can nd ln handbooks on professlonal
coachlng of managers or sportsmen. Not only
because of the eld we work ln and the framework
we gave to thls book by connectlng coachlng
wlth youth work. |t dlners as well because of our
attltude, whlch makes thls not [ust a compllatlon
of dlnerent and posslbly contradlctory elements.
The authors agree on certaln values ln coachlng
youth pro[ects: rstly, lt should lead to greater
autonomy and actlve partlclpatlon of young
people and, secondly, the lmpact of the coachlng
should not replace the ldeas and lnterests of
the young people. ou wlll nd thls attltude of
coachlng more developed throughout the whole
book.
we wlll start the [ourney wlth chapter 1
Opening the Door for Taking Initiative ln
whlch we wlll take a closer look lnto some of the
key concepts behlnd the toplcs of the gulde llke
outh |nltlatlves and Actlve Partlclpatlon. ou wlll
nd vlews on the polltlcal relevance of such actlve
youth partlclpatlon and the role that coachlng
plays ln thls.
As a handbook whlch alms to oner practlcal
support for people actlve ln coachlng youth
pro[ects, the blggest part of thls publlcatlon
deals wlth coachlng ltself and the adaptatlon of
dlnerent coachlng technlques to the eld of youth
work. whlle chapter 2 The Coaching Mirror
oners a number of perspectlves to renect on the
role of a coach and lmpllcatlons of the coachlng
enects, chapter 3 The Coaching Bi-cycle
comes to the polnt of how coachlng mlght be
structured and of what elements and methods
lt should conslst wlthln the frame of youth work.
At thls polnt of the book we hope you wlll be
already seduced by the ldea of coachlng outh
|nltlatlves. 8ut you stlll mlght be asklng yourself
how to optlmlse the process, how to make the
best of your coachlng practlce for lmprovlng
actlve partlclpatlon of every young person of
a outh |nltlatlve. Chapter 4 Increasing the
Velocity for Youth Participation wlll help you to
ldentlfy dlnerent dlmenslons of partlclpatlon and
wlll provlde you wlth some hlnts and advlce to act
ln concrete sltuatlons.
As an lllustratlon of concrete pro[ects, a number of
examples of outh |nltlatlves and related coachlng
1
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experlences wlll be presented ln chapter 5 Best
Practice and Beyond . we wlll try to throw some
llght on how coachlng looks and can feel ln
reallty, for you to get lnsplred about what a outh
|nltlatlve pro[ect could be. Por you to learn from
our own practlces, good and bad ones.
Plnally, to make thls handbook helpful wlth a
practlcal purpose, chapter 6 Bi-cycle Tools
lncludes a selectlon of methods, technlques and
lnstruments to be used when coachlng outh
|nltlatlves, for you to adapt them to the context
you are worklng ln and to the people you are
worklng wlth.
Last but not least we would llke to thank all the
people who have contrlbuted to thls book greatly
wlth thelr oplnlons, ldeas and experlences.
Also thanks to 30 young people from l2 Luropean
countrles and to coaches and partlclpants of
natlonal and lnternatlonal semlnars whose
contrlbutlons are lncluded ln dlnerent chapters
of the gulde, as quotas from lntervlews and
questlonnalres.
we hope you en[oy readlng thls Coachlng Gulde
and nd some benet for your youth work.
|f you want to share your coachlng experlence,
tools, methods, llnks, addltlonal materlal wlth us,
or slmply glve feed-back about thls handbook,
please use the Card to the edltors we publlsh on
the last page.
Coachlng(ly) ours,
out lJ|tot|ol 7eom
duct i on
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i ni -
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l . OP L N| NG T HL DOOP P OP TAK| NG | N| T | AT | vL
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Be active! Dont wait for others to solve your problems! Show your interest! Take care of
your own contributions and development! See how you can make the world a better place
It is very likely that you have come across this type of slogan more than once, since they seem
to be quite popular these days. So why bother? Why is it so important to be hands on and take
the initiative?
In this chapter we will play around with the terms Youth Initiatives and Active Participation in
order to start refecting on some of these core issues. Why participate and what does it mean
to be active for a young person? How can tools such as local and international Youth Initiatives
be used to empower active participation? And why is it an issue at all?
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A wotm ltont |s ot|n|n o heot ol mot|vot|on onJ |ntetest |n the oteos ol youth ott|c|ot|on onJ oct|ve
c|t|zensh|...
Partlclpatlon of young people ln publlc llfe ls not only the core of the current gulde but ls one of
the key lssues ln the Luropean youth eld ln general. Pecent years have shown a remarkable rlse
ln attentlon to the lssues of youth partlclpatlon and actlve cltlzenshlp. The Luropean Unlon as well
as the Councll of Lurope are the two actors wlth probably the wldest lnnuence ln the area of youth
pollcy at a Luropean level.
On one hand the attentlon towards youth partlclpatlon ls evldent ln terms of polltlcal wlll, as varl-
ous declaratlons express the lmportance. 7he oct|ve ott|c|ot|on ol youn eole |n Jec|s|ons onJ
oct|ons ot locol onJ te|onol level |s essent|ol |l we ote to ou|lJ mote Jemoctot|c, |nclus|ve onJ tosetous
soc|et|es, states the Luropean Charter on the Partlclpatlon of oung People ln Local and Peglonal
Llfe of Councll of Lurope (revlsed verslon slnce zoo). Nevertheless the lntentlon does not concern
only the grass roots level but has a hlgher polltlcal lnterest. On :(-:.:z.zoo: the leaders of the LU
adopted the Laeken Declaratlon statlng that the Unlon has to resolve three baslc challenges. One of
these ls ...how to ot|n c|t|zens onJ t|mot|ly the youn, closet to the lutoeon Jes|n onJ the lutoeon
|nst|tut|ons, ambltlous but a truly lmportant ob[ectlve.
|n addltlon, lt ls of great lmportance that the Luropean Commlsslons whlte Paper A New |mpetus
for Luropean outh (zoo:) ldentled youth partlclpatlon as one of the prlorltles for actlon ln the
Luropean youth eld. The reasons for thls referred to slgnlcant demographlc and soclo-cultural
trends anectlng youth ln Lurope. |n partlcular the prolongatlon of the perlod of youth, the need
to attract youth to communlty work, when lndlvlduallsm becomes more and more the tendency ln
socletal developments and the lnterest of young people ln pro[ect-based rather than organlsatlonal
partlclpatlon mechanlsms, amongst others.
Although the reallty ls that, very often, a polltlcal paper does not change much ln practlce, ln the
youth eld a lot of emphasls has been pald to guaranteelng further attentlon to lssues ralsed by
the whlte Paper. |n the area of youth partlclpatlon one should rst of all mentlon the open method
of co-ordlnatlon (OMC, see the whlte Paper A new lmpetus for Luropean outh, zoo:) and the
questlonnalres drawn up by the Luropean Commlsslon.
These are almed at ldentlfylng practlces of Member States ln three maln areas:
partlclpatlon of young people ln local communlty llfe,
partlclpatlon of young people ln lnstltutlonal systems of representatlve democracy and
educatlon for actlve partlclpatlon.
The Weather Forecast for European Youth Policy
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1.1
Accordlng to the results of the questlonnalres the partlclpatlon systems are dlverse, youth counclls,
youth parllaments and youth assoclatlons belng the most common systems whlch represent local
communltles (Analysls of Member States replles to the Commlsslon questlonnalres on youth par-
tlclpatlon and lnformatlon, zoo).
Purthermore, the report seeks to ldentlfy practlces of coachlng for youth ln thelr partlclpatlve actlons
and nds that ...thete |s on emhos|s on the tole ol octots on the tounJ, |n ott|culot thot ol soc|ol wotl-
ets, who oct os on essent|ol teloy |n |nlotm|n youn eole ooout uol|c outhot|ty oct|on onJ totommes,
tov|J|n suott lot them |n |mlement|n tojects onJ |n|t|ot|ves, onJ uol|c|s|n onJ ut|l|s|n tesults.
As well os |nlotmot|on, u|Jonce onJ counsell|n oct|v|t|es, suott lot ott|c|ot|on |ncluJes tto|n|n,
|ncluJ|n tto|n|n |n toject monoement, onJ exchone ol exet|ence (lbd, p. 8). |n thls way, even lf
very generally, lt stlll provldes some guldellnes for coachlng actlons ln youth pro[ects.
The polltlcal actlons descrlbed above galn thelr very practlcal lmpact through dlnerent programmes and
actlons supported by natlonal authorltles as well as the Luropean Commlsslon. Por example the pan-
Luropean programme supportlng actlve partlclpatlon and non-formal learnlng ln the area of youth.
The good practlce of common actlon ln the form of a pan-Luropean youth eld programme dates
back to the :p8os and has shown great development ever slnce. whllst wrltlng the current gulde,
the Luropean programme called OUTH (zooo-zoo6) ls operatlng and alms at provldlng non-formal
learnlng and moblllty experlences for young people ln the age of :-z as well as to support co-op-
eratlon ln the youth work eld. wlth lts ve actlons (outh for Lurope, Luropean voluntary Servlce,
outh |nltlatlves, 1olnt Actlons and Support Measures), the eld of actlvltles wlthln the programme ls
rather wlde, lnvolvlng both actlvltles centred at lndlvlduals (e.g. Luropean voluntary Servlce) as well as
those supportlng the partlclpatlon of youth groups. The actlon whlch ls prlmarlly deslgned to provlde
youth groups wlth opportunltles to contrlbute to thelr local communlty ls outh |nltlatlves.
outh |nltlatlves do not only llve ln todays achlevements and concerns but alm to look ahead to
lmprove condltlons for tomorrow. The Luropean Commlsslon, ln co-operatlon wlth other actors
lnvolved wlth youth, has launched dlscusslons on a new Luropean programme for youth so-called
outh ln Actlon and startlng ln zoo;. outh |nltlatlves are one of the ways to support youth partlcl-
patlon and are rmly part of the new programme outh ln Actlon.
|n thls lnltlatlve young people can choose to concentrate on the needs of thelr local communlty and
thelr peers. where a group would llke to challenge themselves to lmplement a pro[ect ln co-opera-
tlon wlth one or several youth groups at lnternatlonal level, the opportunlty exlsts to get support
for lnternatlonal outh |nltlatlves.
Non-Formal Education and Active Participation 1. 2
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I understand a Youth Initiative
like the perfect method to try to make
a better world. A lot of persons can
make a diference in the society
where they live thanks to this action
Alex (18), Romania
whlle a local lnltlatlve alms to brlng a Luropean touch to purely local actlvltles (whether lt be by
chooslng a theme whlch ls relevant also for other countrles ln Lurope or by gettlng lnsplred by slmllar
klnd of pro[ects from other countrles wlthout dlrect co-operatlon) the trans-natlonal co-operatlon
brlngs an added value. |t comblnes the local actlvltles (each partner group lmplements them ln
thelr home envlronment) as well as actlvltles reallsed ln lnternatlonal partnershlp (exchange of own
experlences, produclng common materlals, organlslng lnternatlonal events).
|n that way lt ls not only dolng somethlng actlvely for your local communlty but also about maklng
your contrlbutlon towards todays Lurope. |t may sound blg words but probably for anyone who has
struggled to reallse a pro[ect ln partnershlp wlth youth groups from another country, sharlng the
same values and ldeals and seeklng to make a change through your pro[ect actlvltles, lt has great
meanlng and value.
So how does lt all work! The framework of the pan-Luropean programme has been deslgned by
the Luropean Commlsslon. The Commlsslon ls also responslble for the emclency of the programme
at a Luropean level and so set respectlve prlorltles, condltlons and crlterla. Havlng recognlsed that
the area of youth partlclpatlon ls a hlgh polltlcal prlorlty and mlght nd a practlcal reallsatlon ln
outh |nltlatlve pro[ects ln the frame of the Luropean outh programme, the Luropean Commlsslon
has also launched the SALTO outh |nltlatlves Pesource Centre ln zoo ln order to support outh
|nltlatlves wlth respectlve tralnlngs, materlals and resources. (More lnformatlon about SALTO outh
|nltlatlves ls avallable at the omclal webslte of SALTO-OUTH 8 http://www.salto-youth.net/)
Compared to structures at Luropean level mentloned above, closer to young people and youth
workers, who would llke to reallse thelr ldeas through lnltlatlve pro[ects, there are the Natlonal
Agencles. These are structures ln all countrles partlclpatlng ln the programme to provlde lnforma-
tlon, pro[ect counselllng, tralnlng and other support. Natlonal Agencles also oversee fundlng and
pro[ect appllcatlons. (ou can nd the contact detalls of Natlonal Agencles at the omclal webslte of
the Luropean Commlsslon 8 http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/index_en.html)
Youth Initiatives and Realising Participation 1. 3
As already mentloned outh |nltlatlves are a great tool for actlve partlclpatlon of young people
ln thelr local realltles. The ldea behlnd thls concept ls that young people themselves should take
the lnltlatlve to make thelr llfe better, solve the problems around them and respond to thelr needs
(wlthln thelr posslble scope of actlon and lnnuence) lnstead of waltlng for somebody to do lt for
them. Most of the outh |nltlatlves are thus dlrectly llnked wlth local communlty llfe but some of
them concern reglonal, natlonal or trans-natlonal lssues.
The scheme below renects the core of actlve partlclpatlon wlthln outh |nltlatlves. 8elng actlve glves
one the power of lnnuenclng the world around you and allows young people to use thelr creatlvlty
ln worklng on common tasks.
A Youth Initiative is a way to stress an interesting subject or very serious problem and show it to others, making them also think and do something about it. From my point of view
Youth Initiatives help to grow more intelligent and sensitive generation, since people who have ever done or attended a project of that kind, seem to return and stay with it for as long as possible
Jaana (19), Estonia
For me a Youth Initiative is
a chance for youth with ideas to put those
ideas into life. As for active participation.
it is not to wait for others to do the things
that you expect to be done.
Tomasz Moleda (21), Poland
8enets of young peoples actlve partlclpatlon are numerous: havlng an lmpact on thlngs whlch are
lmportant for young people, learnlng new skllls and capacltles, expresslng ones own creatlvlty and
lnterests, worklng ln groups of peers who share common perspectlves, shaplng self-responslblllty
together wlth responslblllty for local communlty, and lots more.
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being active shaping reality
working together
being responsible forthings
we can infuence
taking part
nothing about uswithout us
impact on decision-making process self-realisation
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Youth initiatives gives youngsters
a chance to gain skills and methods which
are not possible to learn at school.
Dimitri (18), Estonia
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When I am part of the workteam
I feel included and I can take some
bricks to build the wall
Martin (18), Czech Republic
Addltlonally there ls one more thlng whlch ls worth mentlonlng: the recognltlon of youth as an
actlve and vlvld force. |n cases where young people take an actlve role to contrlbute to thelr local
envlronment they are seen by others not as a potentlal source of problems (whlch ls often the case
ln communltles where youth ls passlve) but as a very lmportant resource group and partner whose
oplnlon ls to be taken serlously and wlth whom youth lssues should be dlscussed.
The llst of posslble themes for outh |nltlatlves ls not llmlted, the creatlvlty and lmaglnatlon of young
people are the only llmlts. These could concern art and culture, urban or rural development, peer
educatlon, equal opportunltles, work wlth mlgrants, work wlth dlsabled, elderly or homeless peo-
ple or could concentrate on youth lnformatlon, protectlon of the envlronment or developlng other
lnterests of young people. Speclal prlorlty ls glven to lnltlatlves whlch lnvolve young people who
have fewer opportunltles due to health, soclal, economlcal, geographlcal or cultural reasons.
Local/ Regional/ National Youth Initiatives
when reallslng a outh |nltlatlve at local level, a group of young people needs to co-operate together
ln carrylng out thelr common ldea, whlch on the one hand renects thelr own lnterests and on the
other has local lmpact and Luropean dlmenslon. 8oth of the terms are commonly used ln Luropean
youth work but what do they mean!
Local Impact
There are many ways for young people to be actlve and partlclpatlve ln thelr local llfe. Settlng up
thelr own youth club ln the nelghbourhood, creatlng walls for gramtl palnters, organlslng paths for
frogs under hlgh-ways, recrultlng volunteers to help ln elderly peoples houses, deslgnlng antl-drugs
promotlon ln schools and clubs, creatlng an lnternatlonal youth newspaper... these are [ust some
examples of young people actlons undertaken as outh |nltlatlves. So lt ls evldent that the forms of
actlve partlclpatlon can vary and thus can also be understood ln many ways. |n chapter |ncreaslng
the veloclty for outh Partlclpatlon we wlll come back to dlnerent denltlons of partlclpatlon, factors
whlch lnnuence lt and the role of a coach ln empowerlng young people to be actlve partlclpants.
8ut before that we would need to take a look at what ls a outh |nltlatlve.
|ndeed, one of the ways to look at the local lmpact ls to ldentlfy how the ldea whlch young people
want to develop wlll brlng benets to thelr local communlty. |t wlll change somethlng, help to
solve some local problems and develop local llfe. |t also means that young people wlll try to lnvolve
some other people and lnstltutlons ln worklng together such as a local councll, the town hall, the
munlclpallty, the schools, assoclatlons, youth clubs, church, newspaper, etc. worklng on an lssue
whlch has an lmportance for the local communlty, as well as co-operatlng together and lntegratlng
local forces ln order to achleve goals whlch are lmportant for local communltles, thls ls the heart of
the local lmpact.
Dlnerent outh |nltlatlves obvlously have rather dlnerent expresslons of local lmpact. Settlng up
a pool of young volunteers to work wlth dlsabled klds and helplng to organlse thelr free tlme has
For me a Youth Initiative is the
way to get new experience, develop my
skills and the frst step to change the
world, starting from your local society
Baiba (18), Latvia
already had a huge local lmpact, slnce ln that communlty nobody had ever before thought about
lntegratlng able young people and klds wlth dlsabllltles. |t goes wlthout saylng that the local lmpact
depends a lot on the dlnerent realltles and needs of the local communlty but lt ls often related to
helplng groups of people who face dlmcult sltuatlons. 8elng able to lnltlate new posslbllltles ln an
area through a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect can denltely have a huge local lmpact.
European Dimension
The Luropean dlmenslon ls the second lmportant element of a outh |nltlatlve. Does an lnltlatlve
whlch lnvolves only local actlvltles and no lnternatlonal cooperatlon have a Luropean dlmenslon!
|f yes, how! And lf no, how to develop thls dlmenslon!
|t ls not easy (or maybe lt ls even lmposslble) to glve the one and the rlght answer. Nevertheless,
one of the ways to start renectlng on thls ls through questlonlng: ls the theme we have for our outh
|nltlatlve only local or does also renect Luropean lssues! Por example ln a outh |nltlatlve deallng
wlth envlronment, the Luropean dlmenslon ls renected by the envlronment protectlon, concern
and challenge that ls common to any Luropean country.
Does the outh |nltlatlve pro[ect you support lnvolve groups of young people who have llmlted
access to opportunltles, such as the ones onered by the Luropean Communlty programmes, and
ls your lnltlatlve almlng to equallse thelr chances ln the soclety! Por example: young people who
are often marglnallsed by soclety because they are dlnerent (dlnerent colour, dlnerent mental or
physlcal abllltles, dlnerent culture, dlnerent sexual orlentatlon, dlnerent rellglon) or because they
are ln a vulnerable sltuatlon (lacklng famlly support, faclng poverty, llmlted quallcatlons, crlmlnal-
lty and abuse, addlctlon to drugs, unemployment) or because they are slmply llvlng ln rural or
remote areas wlth llmlted access to lnformatlon. |f your lnltlatlve ls targetlng any of those young
people, you mlght see thls as Luropean dlmenslon slnce worklng towards equal opportunltles ls
one of the Luropean prlorltles.
Havlng deslgned a pro[ect, do young people use methods or ldeas whlch were developed ln other
Luropean countrles! Por example lf a outh |nltlatlve group ls worklng on gramtl and alms to use
methods developed by youth ln some other Luropean country, lt could well be the element of
Luropean dlmenslon ln thls pro[ect. Actually almost any klnd of Luropean co-operatlon or experl-
ences whlch help young people to add new elements to thelr lnltlatlve could be seen as Luropean
dlmenslon of the pro[ect.
8ased on thls, ln prlnclple we can see the Luropean dlmenslon as an added value for a local pro[ect.
Try taklng on your own shoes for a moment and take a look at your local lnltlatlve from above to
see whlch elements are connected wlth Luropean lssues, values, prlorltles, themes, etc. There are
obvlously loads of materlals renectlng Luropean trends on the |nternet. ou mlght also llke to look
for more lnformatlon about actual Luropean prlorltles ln the Luropean outh Portal launched by
the Luropean Commlsslon (see llnk at the 8l-cycle Parts Supplles). 8ut you mlght also llke to take
the challenge of startlng up an lnternatlonal outh |nltlatlve from scratch.
For me a Youth Initiative its a way
to start to make something really good to
change society
Gianlucca (26), Italy
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2
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Youth initiatives can be local or be
done in co-operation with youth from
other countries in addition to concerning
local matters
Maria (20), Poland
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Transnational Youth Initiatives
|f asked to explaln what the transnatlonal outh |nltlatlves are, you mlght have some dlmcultles.
outh lnltlatlves are very often dened rst of all by thelr clear lmpact at a local level, so that thelr
relatlon to lnternatlonal lssues mlght ralse questlons. The transnatlonal outh |nltlatlves, as lntro-
duced ln the frame of the pan-Luropean OUTH programme, are based on the maln elements of the
local outh |nltlatlves but have strong lnternatlonal networklng and co-operatlon.
Actlvltles wlthln Transnatlonal outh |nltlatlves are deslgned as pro[ects of co-operatlon between
local youth lnltlatlves from dlnerent countrles where each of the partners work to the benet of thelr
local communlty. |n other words, a Transnatlonal outh |nltlatlve ls a pro[ect where young people
dolng local actlvltles co-operate together wlth lnternatlonal partners who have slmllar needs or
lnterests ln order to share and learn from other practlces, methodologles, etc.
One of the added values of Transnatlonal outh |nltlatlves ls that young people learn how to par-
tlclpate at Luropean level. |deally, such pro[ects wlll allow young people to develop lntercultural
competences, to experlence communlcatlon at lnternatlonal level, to learn how to work and take
declslons wlthln lnternatlonal teams, to share tasks and responslbllltles wlth people from other
countrles. Partlclpatlon ln such pro[ects helps to bulld self-condence to take an actlve stance ln
thelr local communlty and lmplement ldeas developed wlth Luropean peers.
Thlnk global, act local, thls well known motto applles also to Transnatlonal outh |nltlatlves slnce
very often the examples of good practlce from other countrles motlvate young people to start up
a pro[ect to change thelr local envlronment and try to make thelr llves better. So lt happens that by
sharlng experlences young people become more aware of realltles ln dlnerent countrles and learn
lnnovatlve ways to solve the lssues concernlng young people.
Transnatlonal outh |nltlatlve pro[ects run ln co-operatlon wlth partners allow young people to apply
experlence of Luropean peers ln thelr local reallty whlch ls one of the very practlcal explanatlons of
how transnatlonal pro[ects ralse the young peoples awareness of thelr role ln the communlty llfe
as actlve Luropean cltlzens. oung people together wlth thelr peers from other countrles search for
common lnterests or concerns and by comblnlng thelr enorts change thelr llfe for the better.
I think that Youth Initiatives
represents, for young people, a concrete
possibility to compare themselves
with contemporary life, themselves
with young people of their age
coming from other European countries
Claudio (24), Italy
Local/ Regional/ National versus Transnational Youth Initiatives
Youth Initiatives* Transnational Youth Initiatives*
local, reglonal or natlonal co-operatlon lnternatlonal co-operatlon based on networklng
prlnclples
lntercultural element ls not necessarlly present lntercultural element ls present
can have reglonal or natlonal moblllty can have reglonal, natlonal or lnternatlonal moblllty
core group from one country ls bulldlng up the
pro[ect, there ls no need for lnternatlonal pro[ect
partner
mlnlmum two groups of young people from
dlnerent countrles are bulldlng up the pro[ect ln
co-operatlon
pro[ect has the theme/actlvltles that renect the
lnterests of the core group and are concentrated
on local lssues
pro[ect has common themes/actlvltles that are
based on the lnterests of young people partlclpatlng
from dlnerent countrles
contlnued local actlvltles conslstlng of several
events or actlons
contlnued local and lnternatlonal actlvltles
conslstlng of several events or actlons
core group takes the lead of the pro[ect core groups from all partlclpatlng countrles share
the leadershlp of the pro[ect
responslbllltles and ownershlp of the pro[ect are
shared among members of a core group
responslbllltles and ownershlp of the pro[ect are
shared among members of all partner groups
core group applles for the pro[ect and, lf
successful, gets fundlng
one of the partner groups applles for the pro[ect
fundlng on behalf of all partners lnvolved and,
lf successful, recelves fundlng and dlstrlbutes lt
among partners accordlng to arrangements agreed
beforehand
group dynamlcs mostly concerns the core group group dynamlcs ln natlonal groups go ln parallel wlth
processes ln lnternatlonal group through the people
who have permanent contact wlth the partners
* Please note that these rules
might change for the new Youth
in Action programme to be
implemented in 2007. For the
updates, please check the Users
Guide of the Youth in Action
programme at the ofcial website
of the European Commission:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/
program/index_en.html
Summlng up, remember that ln both local/ reglonal/ natlonal and transnatlonal outh |nltlatlves, young
people themselves should be responslble for the plannlng, lmplementatlon and evaluatlon of thelr
pro[ect ldea and lt should brlng benets to the local communlty or communltles of the partner groups
lnvolved ln the pro[ect.
Thls gulde focuses malnly on how to support local/ reglonal/ natlonal outh |nltlatlves, however due to
dlnerences between these pro[ects and transnatlonal ones a varlety of suggestlons for Transnatlonal
outh |nltlatlves wlll be lntroduced and hlghllghted at dlnerent polnts throughout the gulde.
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To better understand what actlve partlclpatlon means for young people and what klnd of meanlngs
they relate to the terms outh |nltlatlve and Actlve Partlclpatlon, young people from dlnerent Lu-
ropean countrles were lntervlewed. |n addltlon to presentlng the lllustratlng quotatlons through the
gulde, we would llke to take a closer look lnto the oplnlons expressed durlng lntervlews as lt brlngs
out the perspectlves of young Luropeans on the maln toplcs tackled ln thls gulde. we conslder the
lntervlewed group of young people extenslve not only ln thelr geographlcal orlglns but also ln thelr
experlences ln outh |nltlatlves. Some of them have lmplemented transnatlonal lnltlatlves, some have
experlences ln local level lnltlatlves, whllst others have no prevlous llnks to such pro[ects. Por the
young people we lntervlewed whlle preparlng thls gulde a outh |nltlatlve means many thlngs:
Young People as Key Holders
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1. 4
The essence of these many answers ls common to all, outh |nltlatlves are young peoples actlons,
undertaken by them to brlng somethlng new to, or change somethlng ln, thelr close surroundlngs.
Moreover, as sald by young people, outh |nltlatlves glve them recognltlon as partners at a Luropean
level ln youth lssues, slnce young people and not local authorltles or schools, have recelved fundlng
for reallslng thelr ldeas.
Another aspect whlch young people emphaslse ls the llnk between self-development and devel-
opments ln local communlty. As they have lndlcated, outh |nltlatlves glve them a chance to make
a dlnerence, to brlng a small brlck to the bulldlng of local llfe. Needlng to do somethlng, not to be
passlve, to take problems and dlmcultles lnto ones own hands, are recognlsed by young people as
thelr own actlve partlclpatlon ln publlc llfe. The extent of the lmpact whlch thelr actlons have on
the local communlty ls of hlgh lmportance: l con |nhuence whots otounJ me was said
by a young person.
Actlve partlclpatlon ls seen by young people as a multllayer constructlon (dependlng on the sltuatlon
of youngsters). |n some cases not staylng at home ln front of Tv but dolng somethlng wlth others
ls already recognlsed as belng actlve. |n most cases actlve partlclpatlon ls llnked dlrectly wlth thelr
pro[ects and dlrect lnvolvement of outh |nltlatlve groups members ln all phases of the pro[ect.
The last layer of actlve partlclpatlon ls seen as belng fully aware of the lmportance and meanlng of
young people actlons for local authorltles, adults and other young peoples who llve ln the same
local communlty and whose lnterests actlve youngsters try to represent.
self development, opportunity to be active, responsibility for long-term ideas, willingness to help others, exchange of ideas, being engaged, working
with others, creating of ones own world according to ones own needs, improving the situation of young people, realisation of
ones own ideas and dreams, acting for others, trying out new paths and solutions, being
independent
from adults decisions, common aims and actions
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So, as far as those (one mlght say) ldeallstlc ldeas and understandlngs of actlve partlclpatlon ln outh
|nltlatlves are concerned there seems to be a rather good congruence between young peoples polnt
of vlew and polltlcally dened ob[ectlves.
Who Needs a Coach 1. 5
|n dlnerent stages of the outh |nltlatlve pro[ect young people have the chance to experlence and
take opportunltles to learn new skllls ln areas such as worklng ln groups, communlcatlon, pro[ect
management, problem solvlng, connlct management, nanclal management, fundralslng, publlc
relatlons and lots more. |t ls qulte an lmpresslve llst and brlngs forward the great potentlal of outh
|nltlatlves as pedagoglcal tools. 8ut stlll ln order to guarantee that the process turns lnto a valuable
learnlng experlence, young people may need some addltlonal support. |t mlght be because of dlf-
cultles they meet durlng the pro[ect process, llmlted skllls or lack of prevlous experlences.
8elng actlve ls not dlmcult when you are young and full of energy. 8ut dolng a pro[ect wlthln
a Luropean programme requlres more than energy and motlvatlon. Some skllls and abllltles, whlch
young people mlght not possess, are requlred ln order to respond to certaln rules and responslblll-
tles such us preparlng a budget, plannlng actlvltles, keeplng deadllnes, etc.
And once started, young people wlll probably face varlous challenges all through the pro[ect
process. How to keep the group together! How to motlvate thelr peers when they are bored and
not wllllng to help any more! How to manage money, collect lnvolces and pro[ect materlals, wrlte
reports, convlnce adults to be supportlve, communlcate wlth local communltles and react ln crlsls
sltuatlons! These are [ust some of the examples of sltuatlons where young people see a need for a
coach who would help them out and glve some support on how to move forward.
|n most cases outh |nltlatlve pro[ects are long term pro[ects whlch ralse an addltlonal challenge as
they result ln a long term commltment for young people. Accordlng to young people the coach ls
especlally needed to help out wlth the preparatlon of the pro[ect, checklng out lf everythlng ls OK,
keeplng a handle on legal and nanclal lssues as well as keeplng an eye on the group dynamlc.
|t can also be the case that the only tlme young people ldentlfy a need for support and asslstance ls
when belng faced wlth a problem or crlsls durlng the reallsatlon of the pro[ect. Por example, the blg-
gest fear may be that elther thelr group would collapse one day for dlnerent reasons or they would
not be able to prepare all nanclal documentatlon accordlng to the rules or sponsors expectatlon.
Pemember that lf the pro[ect or group collapses or folds, the legal responslblllty for the pro[ect wlll
be wlth at least one of the group members and posslbly the supportlng organlsatlon. |n these cases
your support as a coach wlll llkely be extremely valuable and much appreclated.
Last but not least, always keep ln mlnd that the amount of support needed depends on the lndl-
vldual sltuatlons and needs of course, but should always respect the lndependence and autonomy
of young people.
What I think is difcult is just to start
a project. When starting a project, I think that
advice from professionals is very important
Mari (18), Estonia
All the time when realising our
project we had a person to whom we could
ask questions when we had any problem.
This person wasnt taking over our project,
she was always our shadow giving us
support and help when needed.
Tomasz (21), Poland
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In this chapter we will share some thoughts and refections on coachlng and the coachs role
in the context of work with groups of young people willing to or already implementing Youth
Initiative projects. We believe these thoughts are also applicable to all the projects run by young
people themselves, supported or/and accompanied by resource people who work as volunteers
or professional youth workers.
So we will also invite you to look at the mirror and ask yourself: why am I coaching?
or, why do I want to be a coach? You might have diferent reasons for coaching: some of you
want to support young people to realise their potential, others want to support young people in
acquiring the skills for success. No matter what your reasons are every coach in every situation has
the same basic roles and should have the same basic attitude.
3
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As we already sald ln the lntroductlon, although coachlng ls not a new actlvlty lt ls a term that ls
stlll qulte rarely used ln the context of Luropean youth work. |t ls more often used ln the area of
sport or professlonal buslness, and these areas mlght more readlly come to mlnd when you thlnk of
coachlng. we know about the danger of settlng expectatlons wlth a term used ln dlnerent contexts
(as, for example, you thlnklng of football coaches lnltlally). 8ut even though coachlng for sport, for
educatlon, for buslness and for llfe can all brlng along very dlnerent experlences the prlnclples and
alms are usually the same. Coachlng ls usually dlalogue and actlvltles almed at releaslng potentlal
wlthln groups and lndlvlduals. |t ls a dlalogue of learnlng and change. At the same tlme the coachlng
dlalogue ls a model of how easlly and qulckly changes can be developed and achleved.
ou mlght not call your actlvlty of supportlng young people coachlng. |n thls handbook, lndeed
we do refer to a varlety of actlvltles whlch support young people ln carrylng out outh |nltlatlves
and youth pro[ects as coachlng. Some of the technlques used ln the eld of Luropean youth work
have thelr orlgln ln other elds of coachlng, but lncorporate speclc attltudes and approaches ln
the area of youth work at Luropean level.
There are non-governmental organlsatlons onerlng coachlng servlces for pro[ect groups, or teams
performlng concrete tasks, but ln the framework of the Luropean OUTH programme the use of
coachlng ls qulte new. As we stressed ln the lntroductlon, we want to further develop coachlng ln
thls eld, wlth the alm of supportlng hlgher quallty actlve youth partlclpatlon. Thls sltuatlon opens
the door for us to dene what we mean by uslng the terms coach or coachlng ourselves. At the
same tlme we are aware that we take the rlsk of not coverlng all elements of the actlvltles, prole
and speclc natlonal backgrounds lf we try to dene the content of the coachlng process and the
work done by a coach. At least we hope that our attempts to descrlbe coachlng wlll be a good base
for further dlscusslons.
What do We Mean by Coaching
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A Coach in European Youth Work 2. 2
we know that nelther the professlonal or educatlonal background denes thls person nor do the actlvl-
tles the person does. So what does he or she look llke! who ls thls coach we are talklng about here!
There ls no such tltle, vocatlonal career or unlverslty study as far as we know. Coaches ln our under-
standlng can be volunteers or professlonals, youth leaders or leaders of youth organlsatlons, workers of
youth clubs or youth servlces. They can be young people who have experlence ln lmplementlng outh
|nltlatlves or pro[ects and are startlng to spread thelr knowledge among other young people. Across
Lurope dlnerent countrles or even reglons have thelr own understandlng of youth work dependlng
on the structures of youth work, experlence and tradltlons, soclo-cultural context of the country.
coaching is a bit like opening eyes - helping to see different pictures and perspectives
Coach in a youth initiative project is more like a guide showing where there are
difficult moments on the route and proposing methods for dealing with these difficulties
we can try to dene the youth coach accordlng to what that person ls dolng wlth young people.
8y supportlng young people ln a speclc way, thls person rst of all alms at the personal develop-
ment of young people by uslng a varlety of methods or creatlng opportunltles to partlclpate ln dlner-
ent programmes or actlvltles. Generally we can conslder lt as non-formal educatlon. 8y partlclpatlng
ln non-formal educatlonal actlvltles young people galn self-condence and experlence, learn to
work together and take responslblllty for themselves and the envlronment they llve ln. Non-formal
educatlon ls also a good space for young people to learn how to partlclpate, as lt ls based on self
governance and voluntary prlnclples, where they have to make declslons themselves as well as take
the responslblllty of lmplementlng them.
Thls means, as well, that a coach has to have youth work experlence and competence to accompany
groups of young people and support thelr partlclpatlon. However, when lt comes to lnvolvement ln
the outh |nltlatlve process and relatlonshlp wlth the group of young people runnlng the pro[ect,
a coach has a posltlon whlch can be dlnerent.
A coach ls a resource person rather outslde a outh |nltlatlve but stlll supportlng the group of
young people ln the lmplementatlon of thelr pro[ect (so, even though the person mlght be physl-
cally present where the young people meet, the posltlon ls clearly dlnerent from belng a member
of the core group). He or she ls worklng wlth young people from tlme to tlme performlng speclc
tasks based on the needs of the group (llke provldlng lnformatlon, advlce, runnlng a tralnlng work-
shop).
The coach ls responslble for the coachlng process and rarely lnvolves hlm or herself ln the lmple-
mentatlon of the pro[ect by the young people or undertakes responslblllty for concrete tasks ln the
pro[ect. The place, role and responslbllltles determlne the speclc relatlonshlp between the person
accompanylng a outh |nltlatlve and a youth group lmplementlng the pro[ect.
Another lmportant aspect, as basls of the coach's work, ls the relatlonshlp wlth the young people.
Thls ls the most lmportant condltlon ln the empowerment process, ln our case empowerment for
greater partlclpatlon. The coach does not necessarlly have to know the group of young people
runnlng a outh |nltlatlve beforehand, but lf not, lt mlght take some tlme at the beglnnlng to bulld
a posltlve relatlonshlp wlth the group. The coach mlght also not know all members of the group,
but could meet a core group. Pegardlng the outh |nltlatlve process (as lt ls shown ln chapter ( The
Coachlng 8l-cycle) lt mlght even happen that coachlng starts not at the beglnnlng of a outh |nltla-
tlve pro[ect but ln the mlddle or even towards the end.
Please notlce that all aspects mentloned so far are not to be seen as excluslve factors. Thls ls not the
slngle denltlon of a coach ln Luropean youth work. Dependlng on the sltuatlon and varylng from
pro[ect to pro[ect the role of a person accompanylng the youth group can change. |t ls good to be
aware of thls as lt has an lnnuence on your work.
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Take a moment to look at the mlrror and ask yourself: who am | as a coach! why do | want to do
coachlng! what are my motlvatlons! what are my lnterests! what are my attltudes towards young
people! whlch of my prevlous experlences can be helpful for my current or future coachlng practlce!
what are my competences and abllltles to deal wlth people! what are my strengths and my llmlts
ln worklng wlth young people! whlch role ts me better or | feel more comfortable wlth! what are
my own resources to be a coach!
Maybe too many questlons or maybe not enough! Dlscoverlng who we are as persons, as human
belngs, ls a non-endlng llfe process. |n the same way, dlscoverlng who we are as coaches could be
a constant lntrospectlve process durlng our work wlth young people. Asklng questlons and self-
renectlon ls needed before startlng any coachlng actlvlty because lt wlll help you to know yourself
better, to dlscover your motlvatlons, your attltudes, your abllltles, your llmlts, your roles. To dlscover
yourself ln order to be ready to dlscover others.
Discovering Yourself as a Coach
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2. 3
Clearing your Coaching Motivation 2. 3.1
Motlvatlons to advlse and accompany a youth pro[ect can come from many dlnerent dlrectlons.
The lnltlal ldeas, nanclal, frlendly and personal or lnstltutlonal lnterests or motlves can play a role
here. |t ls lmportant to clarlfy ones own motlvatlons at the start before one beglns wlth the coach-
lng process ln a youth group. we wlll notlce ln the followlng text that one of the prerequlsltes for
successful and constructlve coachlng ls the lmpartlallty and openness of the coach.
|deallstlc lnterests can be a factor lf you belleve that the theme on what the youth group would
llke to work ls extremely lmportant and valuable for our soclety and therefore you wlll support the
lnltlatlve wlth all your commltment.
Plnanclal lnterests can be ln the foreground lf you work malnly as a coach and must safeguard your
llvellhood through thls work or you mlght as well belleve that lt wlll be of economlc value to the
communlty or your locallty.
|n cases where you, as the coach, are somehow already related to the group or you are a frlend of
some members of the group, your motlves to coach the group are llkely to be based on thls personal
relatlonshlp.
The most dangerous motlvatlon however ls lf lnstltutlonal lnterests or ones own lnterests are ln the
foreground. Dangerous because the coach could take a steerlng or leadlng role lnstead of onerlng
a frame and methods through whlch the group can proceed freely and reallse lts targets and ldeas
ln a self lnltlated way. |t could easlly happen that you start to manlpulate the group ln the dlrectlon
of your own lnterests and that the maln ldeas and alms of the group get lost.
So, lf at the start, after clarlfylng your personal lnterests and motlves, you notlce that you want to
accompany and to support the youth group malnly because you, or the organlsatlon you work for,
expect to prot out of the potentlal results of the pro[ect, ln thls case, you must pay attentlon dur-
lng the coachlng not to act ln a steerlng or teachlng way. |t would be useful ln such cases to name
the personal or lnstltutlonal lnterests openly at the start and, lf necessary, to come to an agreement
that both sldes understand the expectatlons.
To sum up, we would say: |f you are clear on your motlvatlon beforehand, then you smooth your own
way. ou wlll wln condence and clarlty and the group you coach wlll galn great benet from lt!
After renectlng on your own motlvatlon the next lmportant step ls to have a look at your attltude
when coachlng other people.
Refecting on Your Coaching Attitude 2. 3. 2
|f we ask ourselves for a moment: when was the last tlme that | had a consultatlon for myself! what
was, durlng thls consultatlon, helpful for me, what was lt | en[oyed! or the opposlte: what dlsturbed
me! very qulckly lt becomes clear, that we dont remember the purpose, creatlve methods and
technlques or lnterventlons of the mentor, but questlons llke: was the mentor devoted and sensltlve,
dld he/she llsten to my story or dld he/she freely glve me advlce!
Therefore you, as a coach, should prlmarlly have the value of estlmatlng the lnner attltude based
on a condentlal relatlonshlp. Thls attltude shows your readlness to llsten actlvely to the person ln
front of you, showlng your lnterest for hlm or her and also presentlng yourself as rst and foremost
an lndlvldual.
To coach a group constructlvely and successfully ln lts processes, you should, rst of all, create a
condence base between you and the group. |t ls essentlal to the constructlon of thls mutual trust
that you, as the coach, accept and respect the people slttlng ln front of you. Among other thlngs
thls means that you should be as free as posslble from pre[udlces and [udgements.
As a coach you should try to understand and to see the world of other people through thelr eyes.
Peellngs and expressed experlences are allowed and taken serlously. Plrst of all you should accept
that the members of a outh |nltlatlve are the owners and experts of the pro[ect and that ln prlncl-
ple they know the best answers to thelr questlons, as well as the solutlons for thelr own problems.
ou wlll provlde encouragement, advlce and perhaps help wlth structure of thoughts, as may be
needed from tlme to tlme, but you should never take over the responslblllty for the people you are
coachlng.
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don`t give up! Be like a drop of
water which slowly but surely
makes a difference in a stone.
Work on yourself!
|n every case you wlll be requlred to handle dlverse attltudes. ou must be able to take dlnerent
polnts of vlew and to thlnk across a range of dlsclpllnes. 8ut you are also a human belng and there-
fore your personal condltlon and emotlons play a role ln the process of coachlng. Personal problems
can represent an obstacle to an empathlc attltude from your slde. wlth reference to the condentlal
relatlonshlp between you and the group, lts lmportant to ldentlfy obstacles at such moments and
perhaps make another appolntment.
After questlonnlng and answerlng yourself about the attltude you wlll adopt towards the young peo-
ple you are coachlng, you wlll be able to clarlfy the role or roles you wlll take durlng the process.
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Clarifying Your Coaching Role 2. 3. 3
Lverybody takes on dlnerent characters, roles and posltlons ln everyday llfe. we are nelghbours,
frlends, fellows, llfe companlons, partners, parents, sons, daughters, colleagues, chlefs, co-workers
and a lot more Most of these characters and roles we know very well, we can take them over eas-
lly and we are tralned and self-condent wlthln them. |f we have to undertake a new role, we have
to accustom ourselves to lt. |n the beglnnlng, from tlme to tlme we may stumble ln thls unknown
terraln, we feel unt and clumsy. 8ut after a certaln experlence we almost certalnly learn fast how
to feel famlllar wlthln the new role.
So, what does lt mean for you, lf you want to start as a coach for self organlsed youth pro[ects, and of-
fer them your support and your experlence! what character and whlch role do you undertake then!
Are you a frlend and partner of the group, who asked you to advlse them! Or are you more a teacher
and leader! Do you see yourself as a colleague or do you ll ln the place of a chleftaln or the elder!
To answer thls questlon of role clarlcatlon ls easler lf you ask yourself what you would expect
from the person ln front of you lf lt were you looklng for advlce. Most probably you would llke to
nd somebody who llstens to you carefully, who asks the rlght questlons at the rlght moment, who
understands you but also crltlcally renects the sltuatlon. Not an arrogant person who thlnks he or
she knows all that ls needed to know, but a person who recognlses hlm or herself as an expert wlth
dlnerent quallcatlons.
|n addltlon, dependlng on the dlnerent clrcumstances, as a coach you mlght be asked to be an
empathlc medlator, a consplcuous teacher, a dlscreet counsellor, a senslble and honest fellow, an
enectlve tralner, ln short, an encouraglng person who helps the young people to help themselves
and who ls always a dlscreet condent.
Thls huge varlety of roles to play and approaches to use requlre nexlblllty as well as some tralnlng
and experlence. Probably you wlll know some of these roles from your every day llfe and lf you llsten
and observe actlvely you wlll recognlse the rlght moments, when you are asked to sllp lnto one or
another role or use a comblnatlon of roles.
before I became a coach I thought that coaching means letting young people to do whatever they want and being
a bit of emergency help. Now I see that it`s more complicated - it means a much more active role for the coach -
creating a good space for possible activities and inspiration
Once you are sure about your motlvatlon and have renected on your attltude and role as a coach, lt
ls lmportant to know what competences and experlences you should brlng wlth you when startlng
to coach others.
Identifying Your Competences and Experiences 2. 3. 4
whether you thlnk that you can, or that you cant, you are usually rlght. Thls quotatlon from Henry
Pord expresses very clearly that the most lmportant thlng ls to be aware and have bellef ln your own
abllltles. 8ellef and awareness ln our own abllltles are usually born and relnforced wlth the acqulsl-
tlon of competencles and through galnlng experlence. Por these reasons lt ls lmportant to renect
ln advance on your own experlences and competences.
whlch knowledge and experlences should | brlng when | want to advlse and support others ln an
enectlve and competent way! |s lt enough to have an open ear for the problems and sorrows of
other people! |s lt a baslc condltlon to have experlence ln developlng and lnltlatlng a pro[ect of my
own lf | want to help others wlth thelr pro[ect development!
These and others are questlons that you mlght ask yourself lf you are thlnklng about startlng to
become actlve as a coach for youth pro[ects! There could be very dlnerent forms of questlons ln a
varlety of contexts ln whlch coachlng wlll be requested. |t ls not posslble to dene a standard, llst-
lng exhaustlvely all the competences a coach needs for supportlng youth pro[ects, although thls
would be very useful.
we would suggest the followlng as a llst for ldeal abllltles, competences and experlences. ou
could ask yourself lf you full them or not, or lf you would llke to use them as a gulde ln future,
so take a look in the mirror
Ability What does this mean?! Check-Box
PATIENCE | have learned to walt untll others make up thelr own experlence! | am able to
watch group processes and to walt for the result they wlll achleve!
HUMOUR | am able to laugh wlth others and sometlmes also about myself! |n dlmcult
sltuatlons, e.g. lf the motlvatlon ln the group ls ln danger of dlsappearlng, some
sense of humour at the rlght tlme can help a lot.
EMPATHY | can respond to the emotlons of others, llke anger, fear, worry or shame wlthout
belng frlghtened! | always try to understand the polnt of vlew of the person faclng
me.
CAPABILITY OF SELF
REFLECTION
| know my personal strengths and weaknesses! | know my personal llmlts and |m
able to refer to them!
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PERSONAL STANDING | have both feet on the ground! | have surroundlngs ln whlch | feel comfortable and
| feel well supported by my frlends and famlly! 8ecause of thls | have people | can
talk to lf | need to renect on the coachlng sltuatlon.
CONFLICT AND
RELATIONSHIP
ATTITUDE
|m able to solve connlcts and crltlcal sltuatlons wlth others ln a posltlve and
constructlve way!
EXPERIENCE IN PROJECT
DEVELOPMENT AND
MANAGEMENT
| have already developed my own pro[ects and lnltlated them! 8ecause of thls | am
able to oner the group some methods and tools on how to develop thelr pro[ect.
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT
GROUP PROCESSES
| gather experlences and observatlons of how groups lnteract and whlch processes
they use regularly! Thls helps me to understand the emotlons and reactlons of the
partlclpants ln each step of the process.
COMMUNICATION
TECHNIQUES
| know one or more technlques of communlcatlon e.g. person centred lndlvldual
consultatlon! Thls helps me to moderate the group communlcatlon ln dlmcult
sltuatlons.
METHODS FOR
COACHING
| know some creatlve methods to vlsuallse or moderate sltuatlons and processes!
Those can be helpful to structure ldeas and oplnlons wlthln the group and support
the declslon maklng process.
SELF EXPERIENCE WITH
COACHING
| have had a consultatlon durlng a pro[ect development or other sltuatlon! Thls
helps me to see the advantage of lt. |t was lmportant that someone from outslde
who wasnt personally lnvolved supported me to structure my ldeas and oplnlons
ln a dlnerent way.
COACHING
EXPERIENCE
| have experlence ln coachlng groups or lndlvlduals! Out of thls experlence | know
about dlnerent reactlons of partlclpants ln dlnerent sltuatlons.
EXPERT KNOWLEDGE | have expert knowledge ln dlnerent areas, such as .., whlch
| can oner to others!
PERSONAL CONTACTS
WITH OTHER
ADVISORS
| have an exlstlng network of contacts wlth other experts concernlng consultatlon,
youth work or supervlslon!
PSYCHOLOGICAL AND
PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS
| have experlence ln psychologlcal or pedagoglcal support actlvltles!
ETC. ..
Ability What does this mean?! Check-Box
Posslbly thls llst lsnt complete and you could adapt lt to meet your own needs. ou should under-
stand lt as a motlvatlng technlque to renect ln advance about your own abllltles and llmlts. However
lts not necessary to satlsfy all the llsted requlrements. |f you can say yes! to at least half of the above
mentloned toplcs, we thlnk you are already well prepared to start coachlng youth pro[ects. |f you
are also wllllng to extend your own knowledge and experlences, there are no better precondltlons
you can have.
Comparlng the necesslty for renectlon on personal motlves and lnterests lt ls as lmportant to de-
velop a clear plcture about your own experlences and competences approprlate for coachlng youth
groups. |f you dlscover declts whlch you would llke to ellmlnate lts always posslble to gather new
experlences and to acqulre speclc knowledge. A proper analysls of ones own resources ls lndls-
pensable so that you can use the above llsted requlrements ln a convenlent and correct way. Please
dont overestlmate yourself and try to lnterpret the quotatlon of Henry Pord, mentloned above, ln
a way that lts good to be aware of the thlngs you can and especlally of the thlngs you cant! |f you
arrlve, at one polnt, ln a coachlng sltuatlon ln whlch you do not feel comfortable anymore, do not
hesltate to ask for advlce and guldance yourself.
Being Aware of Your Limits and Possibilities 2. 3. 5
Desplte lts lncreaslng popularlty, coachlng shouldnt be understood as a cure all for the success-
ful development of pro[ects. whlle coachlng self lnltlated youth pro[ects we have to handle the
lndlvldual bounds of the group ln a very sensltlve way so as not to dlsturb the creatlvlty and actlve
partlclpatlon.
So in which situations is it better not to coach a youth project?
Personal involvement: Because of all the trees, you cant see the forest?!
|t could occur that you lost the necessary dlstance from the group whlch you want to coach, be-
cause you have bullt up a very close relatlonshlp wlth the group or even because you are part of the
group. |ts no longer posslble for you to keep an ob[ectlve posltlon and you are unable to change
or to swltch between dlnerent perspectlves. |f thls happens at a tlme when the group ls stuck ltself,
lt could be advlsable to consult an external person. 8ut ln many cases lts sumclent to take a look
at dlnerent oplnlons or the thoughts of others. Thls could mean dlscusslng the coachlng process
and your feellngs wlth frlends or colleagues, whlch helps to wlden horlzons so as to nd the way
out of the sltuatlon.
Personality and looks: If the face doesnt ft fnd a new one!
|t ls [ust human that some persons are more attractlve to us than others. Sometlmes we meet people
and from the rst moment we feel a certaln harmony. On the other hand we have contact wlth new
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it`s not easy to resist temptation of
doing the project for young people
and deciding things for them
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people and we feel an undened antlpathy. we feel dlsturbed because of thls persons behavlour,
maybe we dont llke hls or her volce or the way he or she ls talklng, but there ls no concrete reason
why we dont llke hlm or her. Also wlthln the group who wants to be coached there could be one
or two partlclpants for whom you feel lmmedlately an antlpathy whlch posslbly stops you from
havlng an ob[ectlve perspectlve. |n such a case you can try to analyse your feellngs: what arouses
the negatlve feellngs, what has thls to do wlth myself! and then to make the enort to get a neutral
standpolnt on these partlclpants anyway. |f thls doesnt work, you mlght thlnk to recommend an-
other coach to the group.
Missing expert knowledge: I have no idea about the subject!
At some moments ln the coachlng process you wlll not need to know much about the toplc or the
content the group ls worklng on. |t ls often more lmportant to oner tools and methods to structure
the process and to smooth the way of declslon-maklng. To the contrary sometlmes lt could hap-
pen that you lnterfere personally too much. Partlcularly lf you are very famlllar wlth the sub[ect the
group ls worklng on. Should the group need professlonal advlce ln regard wlth the contents of the
pro[ect, lt could be your task as the coach to oner the group names and addresses of experts. No
more or less!
Missing variety of advice methodology: Running out of ideas?
Sooner or later you could arrlve at a polnt wlthln the coachlng process where you have the feellng
that you cant stop rotatlng ln a clrcle. ou always ask the same questlons agaln and agaln and you al-
ways get slmllar and partly monosyllablc answers. |t can be very helpful to use another conversatlon
and advlce methodology ln such sltuatlons or, for example, to use vlsuallsatlon (see 8l-c,c|e !ee|s ()).
Personal state of the coach: Own problems and worries?!
|f you, as the coach, are faclng problems and worrles, you surely wlll have dlmculty ln developlng a
real lnterest ln the requests of the youth group. |n any case lt makes sense ln such a sltuatlon that
you ask the group to postpone your appolntment. |t ls also advlsable for your posltlve relatlonshlp
wlth the group to be open and to lnform the group about the reason for the postponement. Por
example you could ask them: Today | feel not very well, are we able to nd another date!
Lack of time: Unexpected duties!
|t mlght happen that, when you are on the way to coach a outh |nltlatlve, you reallse that you do
not have enough tlme to meet the group. Maybe because the group has a blgger need than you
thought ln advance or maybe because you have more work than you expected beforehand. Then
lts agaln deslrable to be open and honest wlth the group members. |ts better to recommend to
the group somebody else who could support them rather than you havlng to hurry through short
meetlngs.

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Belief of the coach that the group has arrived at a point at which no further advice is needed:
When its over, its over!
The maln alm of coachlng for self lnltlated youth pro[ects ls to support the partlclpants to be crea-
tlve, self organlsed and actlve. wlth regard to thls goal the maln task of the coach ls to be aware of
the sltuatlons and phases wlthln thelr pro[ect processes and where lts better for the group to be
lndependent and left alone. |t ls absolutely posslble that you, the coach, and the group are no longer
feellng the same convlctlon. Then lts better to stop or to lnterrupt the coachlng process. ou prob-
ably could arrange a common nal meetlng to avold frustratlon and addltlonally you could arrange
an appolntment for an evaluatlon meetlng, where you as the coach are lnformed by the group about
further processes and the development of the pro[ect slnce the end of the coachlng.
And so, after all these thoughts and renectlon on motlvatlon, attltudes, roles, competencles and
experlences, llmlts and posslbllltles... dld you nally dlscover a blt more about who you are as a
coach! Actually you dont need to answer thls questlon rlght now. Dlscoverlng yourself as a coach,
as we sald at the beglnnlng of thls chapter, mlght be a very long trlp. 8ut lf you stlll want to know
more about yourself, and more concretely about your coachlng approach, we lnvlte you to go to
the end of thls gulde, 8l-c,c|e !ee|s (z), and ll ln The Coachlng Ghost |nventory exerclse. |t mlght
help you to explore and ldentlfy posslble learnlng and development areas for lmprovement as well
as to understand a blt better the role of a coach.
Between Coaching and Autonomy 2. 4
when you already ldentlfy yourself as a coach and nd out what roles belong to thls [ob then you
can easlly dlscover that belng a coach ls a wonderful experlence: you get the chance to lmprove
thlngs you tended to do wrong ln the past, so helplng others not to fall ln the same trap. As you get
to know (by your own experlence or durlng studles or professlonal development), there are many
traps, and we presume that a part of your motlvatlon ln belng a coach for youth pro[ects ls, that you
want to help them not to lnvent the wheel over and over agaln. 8ut what lf they want to lnvent lt
agaln! And what lf they are about to fall! As far as personal development ls concerned lt could be
the best thlng that could happen to them.
So what happens lf they fall! what about the lnvolvement of the organlsatlon ln the background
(maybe the body that pays you)! How much can they or can you anord a learnlng experlence endlng
wlth a fallure, meanlng that the grant glven for the pro[ect mlght be even pald back! |n soclology,
the youth age ls often seen as a klnd of moratorlum: a tlme where young people have a prolonged
tlme to galn experlences wlthout the full responslblllty of an adult ln terms of llablllty or carrylng
nanclal consequences. outh |nltlatlves and pro[ects are perfect tools for galnlng such experlences.
I would like the coach to give me
advice and answer my questions but not to
tell me everything, rather to motivate me
to search for answers and ideas by myself
Maria (20), Poland
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wlthln a framework young people are able to reallse thelr ldeas and lnterests and a fallure does not
necessarlly mean personal bankruptcy or slttlng ln [all for years as lt mlght be the case ln adult busl-
ness. Por the young people, fallure (lt maybe a clash ln the group, total breakdown ln the motlvatlon
of members or the organlsatlonal dlsaster of an event) can be a source of learnlng.
As a coach of outh |nltlatlves your very dlmcult task ls to nd a balance between the rlghts of young
people to galn thelr own (good and bad) experlences, your motlvatlon as a coach to be as helpful as
posslble and the lnterests of donors and supportlng organlsatlons. what ls the hlghest value ln thls!
|deallstlcally speaklng, of course the autonomy of the young people. 8ut reallstlcally, the lnnuence
of the mentloned external factors tend to have such a strong lmpact that young people sometlmes
become the mere materlal to be used to the organlsatlons and coachs advantage ln terms of grant
alded actlvltles, number of members, or others.
Therefore we see the role of a coach ln thls system as a medlator, somebody who glves enough space
for youth development, provldes protectlon agalnst belng used as lnstrument of organlsatlonal
lnterests and keeps an eye on the proper amount of support that ls needed to add to resources the
young people have themselves.
I would not like the coach to take
over our project. I would like to feel that
me and my group have done everyting by
ourselves, but with some support
Pia (20), Finland
The best coach should allow me
and all the group to fnd our own way to
reach our goal. The coach should ensure
me and my team to be autonomus
in our project activities. The coach should
be the map, not the driver!
Anna (23), Poland
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Our experlences and research have led us to ldentlfy ve unlversal coachlng prlnclples. They are an
lntegral part of the learnlng and changlng process. Consclous use of them as prlnclples of change
should provlde an easler and qulcker path to achlevlng goals.
Pesources for the [ob!
|n prlnclple we all have the resources for managlng challenges. |t only becomes dlmcult when we
fall to recognlse these skllls and resources ln ourselves. |dentlfylng our resources helps us feel con-
dent ln our abllltles.
1
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Principle:
Understandlng yourself and change!
|n prlnclple we all have the resources for managlng challenges. |t only becomes dlmcult when we
fall to recognlse these skllls and resources ln ourselves. |dentlfylng our resources helps us feel con-
dent ln our abllltles.
2
nd
Principle:
Taklng Pesponslblllty!
Pesponslblllty arlses out of the awareness for what ls and what should be. Trust, consclousness
and responslblllty are lmportant lngredlents of hlgh performance ln every actlvlty.
3
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Principle:
ou have the cholce!
Thls always applles! 1ust how many optlons we have depends on the degree of our awareness
and our wllllngness to take on responslblllty. Thlnk outslde the box, work outslde of your comfort
zone.
4
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Principle:
Learnlng Opportunltles!
That ls the fundamental prlnclple of learnlng! There ls always a rlsk lnvolved wlth trylng out some-
thlng new that you have not practlced before. Performance can only develop ln a prevlously un-
known sphere lf horlzons are broadened wlth every mlstake and every success that ls made. Accept
there ls no such thlng as mlstakes, only learnlng opportunltles.
5
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Principle:


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There is no universal approach, coaching is an art. Just as we cannot defne one type
of profle for a coach, there is no universal way to approach coaching, only individual approaches,
generally guided by professional ethics. Nevertheless there is a general consensus about the skills
required and the principles that must be respected.
In this chapter, you will not fnd any ready-made recipes, however you will be able to identify
many of the essential ingredients required for coaching. Projects cannot be dealt with by applying
a standard how to methodology and the same goes for coaching. But we can identify some key
points and moments to optimise the coaching experience as well as practical tools to be used at
diferent steps of the coaching process.
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outh |nltlatlve pro[ects follow the same road as every pro[ect: plannlng, lmplementatlon and evalu-
atlon, and hopefully, lt wlll have some future contlnuatlon or lmpact. The outh |nltlatlve process ls
organlsed around thls understandlng.
Planning: |n thls phase the group of young people work together on thelr pro[ect ldea and ad[ust lt
to the formal, qualltatlve and nanclal crlterla of outh |nltlatlves. 8efore the appllcatlon ls submltted
the whole pro[ect has to be deslgned and planned and tasks dlvlded wlthln the group.
Transnatlonal outh |nltlatlves should be planned and deslgned lnvolvlng all the groups from dlf-
ferent countrles. The task sharlng should be also balanced.
Implementation: |mplementatlon of the pro[ect should be done accordlng to what was planned,
descrlbed ln the pro[ect and conrmed ln the contract. All changes have to be monltored and most
often they have to be accepted by the grant glver or approvlng body.
Evaluation: |ts very lmportant that the pro[ect ls monltored and evaluated throughout the whole
pro[ect tlme, not only at the very end. |t helps young people to follow the now of the pro[ect and to
share the common experlence of learnlng together. |n practlce, monltorlng of the pro[ect can take
place ln many dlnerent forms.
The Road of Youth Initiatives 3.1
12 questions for planning Youth Initiatives
Context and motlvatlon why ls the ldea lmportant for the young people! why do they want to
reallse thls pro[ect wlthln outh |nltlatlves! whats the context of thls pro[ect! whats the personal
motlvatlon of young people!
Alms and ob[ectlves what are the alms and ob[ectlves of thls pro[ect! what do the young people
want to achleve through reallslng the pro[ect! what change should lt brlng and by what means!
8eneclarles who would benet from thls pro[ect! who are the people dlrectly anected by thls
pro[ect and what advantages wlll lt brlng! How wlll the young people themselves benet from the
lnltlatlve! what do they hope to learn for themselves personally!
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Preparatlon what actlons have to be done ln order to prepare for the reallsatlon of these alms!
|nvolvement of group members who and how would they be responslble for reallslng the pro[ect
ldea! Can all group members devote the same amount of tlme and energy! |s there any leader/s ln
the group! what are the roles wlthln the group! what communlcatlon channels are there for the
group durlng pro[ect!
Coachlng what ls the role of the coach and other supporters! when and how wlll they communl-
cate! what are the boundarles of self lndependence before asklng for help! |f there ls an lnformal
group whlch needs a supportlng organlsatlon, what are the means of communlcatlon and coopera-
tlon! How wlll money be transferred to young people and what would be the procedure of nanclal
reportlng!
Local lmpact what lmpact would thls pro[ect have on the llfe of local communlty! what other ac-
tors or/ and lnstltutlons are already lnvolved and wllllng to help ln the reallsatlon of thls ldea! who
could also be useful ln reallslng thls pro[ect and ln worklng towards maklng lt as beneclal for the
local communlty as posslble!
Luropean dlmenslon what ls the added Luropean value of thls pro[ect! why should lt be -
nanced not by local funds but through Luropean resources! what ls the Luropean dlmenslon of the
pro[ect!
Tlme schedule what actlvltles would help to achleve the alms and ob[ectlves set by young people!
who ls responslble for whlch part! when and where exactly wlll these actlvltles take place! what
are the tlme deadllnes!
8udget what are expenses llnked wlth thls pro[ect! what materlal and resources are needed! what
other expected resources (ln klnd or nanclal) are requlred for the pro[ect and should the budget
lnclude!
Lvaluatlon How wlll the pro[ect be evaluated throughout the whole process! How wlll young
people check lf everythlng ls reallsed accordlng to the plan and that they have reached thelr alms!
8y what means wlll they monltor the work as a group, lmpact of thelr pro[ect on local communlty
and development of thelr ldea!
Contlnuatlon How do they lmaglne posslble contlnuatlon of thelr pro[ect! whlch elements should
be contlnued and ln what forms! what are the next steps after the posslble concluslon and successful
happy end to thelr pro[ect!
The coachlng bl-cycle model (see plcture below), alms to provlde a gulde for the maln coachlng
phases and wlll help ln managlng the coachlng process. why we use the plcture of a penny farthlng
blcycle to descrlbe the coachlng process! |f you vlsuallse the structure of a regular penny farthlng you
wlll see two wheels: a maln blg wheel and a small wheel, next to the blg one. The structure of a penny
farthlng wlll help us to understand the coachlng cycle process, lncludlng the followlng phases:
motlvatlng
gettlng to know
bulldlng the relatlonshlp
ldentlfylng needs and competences
supportlng
evaluatlng
keeplng contact and feedback
Accordlng to the plcture, the coachlng process of a outh |nltlatlve wlll work ln a slmllar way that
a regular penny farthlng: two wheels movlng at the same tlme and lnnuenclng each other ln thelr
movement. The blg wheel represents the motlvatlonal and relatlonal aspect of the coachlng process
as well as the renectlon about abllltles of the group lndlvlduals to manage the pro[ect. The small
wheel represents the supportlng dlmenslon of the coachlng. Support could be onered ln many
dlnerent ways dependlng on the needs and competences ldentled for a speclc group. The small
wheel represents the dlnerent posslbllltles to oner support, lncludlng:
lnformlng
suggestlng
facllltatlng
tralnlng
other
Lvaluatlng should be done throughout the whole process, every support glven should be thoroughly
analysed and the coachlng strategy adopted accordlngly. Now take a look at the followlng plcture
whlch represents the dlnerent phases of the coachlng bl-cycle process, lncludlng relatlonal elements
of the blg wheel and supportlng posslbllltles of the small wheel.
The Mechanics of the Coaching Bi-cycle 3. 2
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Hopefully you wlll have now an understandlng of what a outh |nltlatlve looks llke and how you as
a coach can enter and move along thls [ourney. Slnce there are no ldentlcal outh |nltlatlves there
are no slmllar supportlng processes. 8ut stlll lt ls posslble to draw out maln phases of a coachlng
process that are present ln more or less all the cases of coachlng.
Are you ready to follow the road of Youth Initiatives? ou mlght need a vehlcle, why
not a slmple Coachlng 8l-cycle!
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The penny farthing was one of the frst
bicycles produced in the 1800s
8ut how are all these elements llnked wlth the practlce of coachlng! what exactly ls happenlng
durlng each of the phases of the coachlng bl-cycle!
8efore a startlng polnt can be ldentled rstly the young people must have the motivation,
lnsplratlon and enthuslasm to embark on a outh |nltlatlve. The deslre to take such a [ourney can
be an excltlng one, whlch ln ltself can be motlvatlon enough for the group, but the challenge can
often be malntalnlng thls motlvatlon and focus. Thls ls where the coach comes ln and thls can play
an lmportant part ln the development of, and support for the group. Another key factor wlll also
be the deslre and motlvatlon of an lndlvldual to become a coach. Thls can come from experlence,
tralnlng, and the determlnatlon of supportlng young people ln reallslng thelr dreams and reachlng
thelr potentlal.
Durlng the getting to know phase both the young people and the coach get to know each
other. Durlng thls phase the coach gets more lnformatlon about the group (thelr age, prevlous
experlences, lnterests, passlons, etc) and about thelr outh |nltlatlve pro[ect (maln ldea, alms and
Coaching Bi-cycle
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ob[ectlves, actlvltles, etc). The lnformatlon can be gathered through meetlng the young people,
from the supportlng organlsatlon(s), from the fundlng lnstltutlon, or others. Por young people lt
ls also good to know about the experlences of the coach and current lnvolvement ln the actlvltles.
The gettlng to know phase ls a startlng polnt and throughout the whole coachlng process people
usually get to know each other better.
Building the relationship phase ls for establlshlng the need for coachlng and ensurlng a
posltlve worklng relatlonshlp among the members of the group as well as the relatlonshlp between
the group and the coach. |t ls worth clarlfylng for both the coach and the group of young people
what are thelr respectlve expectatlons and where could be the llmlts of the coachlng process and
relatlonshlp. |t ls useful to know the roles and responslbllltles durlng the coachlng process. Agreelng
on communlcatlon, cooperatlon and responslblllty can slmpllfy the process of keeplng the contacts
allve.
To identify needs and competencies of the youth group both tlme and lnvestment are
needed. Durlng thls phase, through observlng the outh |nltlatlve process, exchanglng lnformatlon
wlth a group of young people, asklng questlons or uslng other tools, the coach ldentles both hard
and soft skllls for lmprovement and can advlse on the methods or ways of posslble development.
Thls phase ls repeated constantly as the process of a outh |nltlatlve can take qulte a long tlme ltself
and new needs appear throughout the pro[ect llfespan.
To answer the ldentled needs of the group as well as of the lndlvlduals, the coach should ldentlfy
accordlngly dlnerent ways of supporting young people ln thelr pro[ect development process.
Take a qulck look at the small wheel of the 8l-cycle model, lt hlghllghts: informing, suggesting,
facilitating, training and... others. There are no lngredlents for speclc methods to be used
ln coachlng that are ldentled as essentlal. |t ls better to look at thls phase of the coachlng cycle
as a comblnatlon of actlons, knowledge and skllls that are at the dlsposal of a coach. The declslon
however to use one or another of the methods ldentled ln helplng young people depends on the
experlence and competencles of the coach as well as the preferences of the group to be coached.
8esldes the above descrlbed phases, there are lmportant elements ln coachlng that cannot be put
as a separate phase as lt goes on throughout the entlre coachlng process. Those are evaluating,
keeping contact and feedback.
Evaluating phase ls for revlewlng, on the one hand the ob[ectlves and outcomes of the pro[ect,
and on the other one, the ob[ectlves and outcomes of the learnlng. |t ls also the moment t revlew the
coachlng process ltself. The coach can recelve feedback on hls or her work wlth the alm to lmprove hls
or her performance ln the future. |t can be negotlated wlth a group to contlnue the coachlng process
wlth follow-up actlvltles but thls should be clearly conrmed and agreed by both partles (the young
people and coach). Moreover, lf young people have en[oyed and learnt so much from the outh
|nltlatlve and coachlng experlence, why not become a coach! They could lndeed be encouraged to
become peer coaches for other young people wantlng to develop thelr own outh |nltlatlves. And
then the coachlng bl-cycle starts movlng agaln rldden by the young peer coaches themselves!
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Keeping contact and feedback between the group and the coach ls for followlng the proc-
ess from the beglnnlng tlll the end ln order to malntaln the relatlonshlp as well as to ldentlfy the
needs for lmprovement.
The lntenslty of the coachlng process wlll also depend on the tlme spent wlth the young people dur-
lng the outh |nltlatlve process. we tend to thlnk that the coach who spends more tlme wlth young
people have a more lntenslve relatlonshlp wlth them and through thls support them more emclently.
Thls ls probably true, but you should not take thls as a unlversal rule. Pemember that when lt comes
to personal relatlonshlps, quallty ls often much more appreclated than quantlty!
Climbing on Board the Coaching Bi-cycle 3. 3
Does an ldeal way of coachlng exlst! One unlversal model for all groups and dlnerent outh |nltlatlves
pro[ects ln dlnerent countrles! |t would be [ust perfect, rlght! Somehow, as we have seen above,
the lntultlve answer ls No, lt does not exlst. Lach group and toplc ls so speclc that lts not posslble
to have one approach on how to coach ln general outh |nltlatlves. Of course from all experlence
gathered by coaches from all over Lurope worklng wlth a glven type of young people, and from the
collectlon of speclc needs of the outh |nltlatlve pro[ects ln general, we can more or less create a
framework for the baslc elements of ldeal support. 8ut as lt ls mostly wlth all ldeals ln our llves, they
are not overlapplng wlth the reallty. |t always depends on a glven group, context, sltuatlon, need,
tlme, complexlty, alms, motlvatlon, and lots more.
When to start? The slmple answer ls: when needed. Some young people need a coach from the
very beglnnlng, maybe before the ldea for the pro[ect comes to thelr mlnd. They need somebody
who wlll stlmulate them, empower them and enable them to reallse the posslbllltles of dolng
somethlng together. |f young people are lndependent and self organlsed already they mlght need
coachlng ln further phases of thelr pro[ect when thlngs get naturally compllcated
What to do? A slmllar slmple answer would be: whatever ls needed. Plrst of all, try to bulld trust and
relatlonshlp. These are fundamental for worklng wlth young people. |ts lmportant to be honest and
reallstlc wlth maklng promlses and movlng forward. |f young people really trust you, they would feel
free to share thelr problems and dllemmas. Llsten to yourself and be honest about your llmlts. Try to
ensure a safe space and let young people ll lt themselves by whats most lmportant for them.
8elng a good coach ls llke dolng anythlng good ln our llfe. One has to be convlnced that what he or
she does makes sense and has a purpose. Moreover, whats needed ln coachlng, accordlng to the
young people whose oplnlon we asked for, ls: passlon, need for constant self development, need
to make a dlnerence, bellef ln young people, patlence, a lot of understandlng and tlme for young
people. The maln tool for worklng as a coach ls personallty and experlence, a good coach has to
have the respect and trust of young people.
The coach should be the person who
wouldnt be involved in the whole process
but only when a problem appears and
the team does not know how to solve it.
Rasa (18), Lithuania
Our coach was just watching
and giving tips how to improve
one or another thing
Gintaras (20), Lithuania
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|t seems to be qulte a hard [ob what does a coach get ln return! Plrst of all you wlll get self and [ob
satlsfactlon and the knowledge of the dlnerences whlch are made ln young peoples llves. Second of
all you wlll get self development as worklng wlth young people can be a source of constant learnlng.
Slnce we llve ln a tlme of constant change there ls no one stable adult world, the work ls not about
slmply transferrlng experlence and knowledge to the younger generatlon but rather about learnlng
from each other and common partlclpatlon ln pro[ects bullt around thls thlng we call llfe.
How to rlde the coachlng bl-cycle! Glven the lack of how to unlversal methodology to rlde coachlng,
lt mlght not be as easy as rldlng a real blcycle. 8ut stlll we wlll provlde you wlth a klnd of lnstructlons
manual, based on our coachlng practlces and experlences, to help you to cllmb on board and rlde
the coachlng bl-cycle. Por that we need to re-vlslt carefully the dlnerent phases of the two bl-cycle
wheels.
Riding the Coaching Bi-cycle 3. 4
As we hlghllghted ln chapter z The Coachlng Mlrror, the rst key factor ls the deslre and motlvatlon
of an lndlvldual to become a coach and thls can come from experlence, tralnlng, and the determlna-
tlon of supportlng young people ln reallslng thelr dreams and reachlng thelr potentlal. |f you are
motlvated yourself, then you are ready to motlvate others. 8ut how to do so! Not an easy task, we
know.
Plrstly try to dlscover young peoples motlvatlon, lnsplratlon and momentum to embark on a outh
|nltlatlve: what they llke, what they need, what thlngs or feellngs make them feel allve, what lnsplres
them to do a pro[ect together, why on thls toplc, why at thls perlod of thelr llves. Then the challenge
can often be malntalnlng thls motlvatlon and focus throughout thelr pro[ect llfetlme.
|t could be that the developed ob[ectlves of a pro[ect are dlmcult to achleve and therefore young
people feel less enthuslastlc than at the beglnnlng. |t ls your role then to keep the motlvatlon of the
group from the beglnnlng tlll the end of the pro[ect and challenge them ln ndlng solutlons to reach
thelr alms. Please remember that your role as a coach ln developlng and malntalnlng motlvatlon
can be lntegral to a successful pro[ect!
What is motivation?
Put slmply motlvatlon ls what makes people tlck. Motlvatlon ls what makes people want to do well,
for themselves, thelr frlends, thelr school, thelr [ob, and thelr famlly. Motlvated people are lncllned
Motivating 3.4.1
The most difcult can be to start
together and to fnish together
Ilja (24), Estonia
For me the perfect coach is a person
who never stops saying that there is
nothing impossible, if you try, then there
will be a time when you will succeed!
Baiba (18), Latvia
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to do thlngs wllllngly, wlth enthuslasm, dlrectlon and team sprlt. They are lncllned to do the best
of thelr ablllty.
So why ls lt so lmportant to help young people to keep and malntaln motlvatlon durlng the whole
outh |nltlatlve process! Motlvated young people wlll more easlly rlse to the challenge and achleve
thelr potentlal, thelr own enthuslasm wlll drlve them to perform. Motlvatlon wlll make them feel
enthuslastlc and full of energy, co-operate ln solvlng problems, accept responslblllty and change,
perform at a hlgh level.
Two theorlsts on motlvatlon are Maslow and Herzbeg (references ln 8l-cycle Parts Supplles). Lets
see what they say and how lt applles when lt comes to motlvate young people dolng outh |nltla-
tlves.
Maslows theory came from hls hlerarchy of needs. Hls thlnklng was that people are motlvated
to take actlon to meet varlous needs:
physlologlcal needs: to satlsfy hunger, thlrst, etc,
need for safety: to have emotlonal securlty and protectlon from physlcal danger,
need to belong: to have satlsfylng relatlonshlps wlth others,
need for self esteem: to feel good about themselves and to be recognlsed for thelr accompllsh-
ments,
need for self reallsatlon: to grow and develop ln a way that ls personally fullllng.
Herzbergs Theory was based on thlngs that cause satlsfactlon and thlngs that cause dlssatls-
factlon. The alm ls to ldentlfy areas under these two headlngs and worklng towards bulldlng on and
lncreaslng the satlsfactlon areas and lllumlnatlng the dlssatlsfactlon areas.
These theorles, as often happens, have been expanded, developed, explolted, dlsmlssed and chal-
lenged over the years, however they can stlll prove extremely valuable as a gulde and a tool when
thlnklng about our own motlvatlon and that of others.
PACo TIPS
Motivation in Transnational
Youth Initiatives
|n transnatlonal outh
|nltlatlves a strong motlvator
ls the opportunlty to
co-operate wlth young
people from other cultures
and countrles and maybe
even to vlslt and meet them.
At the same tlme
co-operatlon wlth people
from other cultures can be
a challenge. The goal for you
as a coach here ls to help
young people experlence
posltlve co-operatlon (for
lnstance provlde lntercultural
learnlng sesslons, cultural
dlverslty awareness),
that wlll make them feel
llke developlng other
lnternatlonal pro[ects (such as
organlslng a outh Lxchange
after a Transnatlonal outh
|nltlatlve).
What to do in practice?
Keep ln mlnd that everyone ls dlnerent and not necessarlly a perfect renectlon of the models de-
scrlbed by Maslow or Herzberg. |n general to motlvate people try to ensure that the coachlng process
provldes as many as the followlng elements as posslble.
Use the table below to help you identify motivational factors that may help ln the coachlng
of a outh |nltlatlve.
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Elements to be considered For the coach For the young people
A safe, healthy envlronment
(physlcal)
e.g. work space (omce) e.g. a good place to meet
A nurturlng envlronment
(emotlonal)
e.g. supervlslon and llne
management for the coach
e.g. space to talk, people to
llsten (maybe a group contract/
agreement), bulldlng a strong
group
Posltlve, respectful and
supportlve relatlonshlp
e.g. constructlve and posltlve
feedback from management
and colleagues
e.g. taklng responslblllty and
belng shown trust by the coach,
the communlty and others
Settlng reallstlc and achlevable
goals
e.g. tlme commltted to
the group and coachlng
process, belng aware of your
coachlng competences as
well as your coachlng llmlts
e.g. belng aware of the group
and lndlvlduals competences,
ldentlfylng short and long term
successes
Accompllshment,
responslblllty, trust and
recognltlon
e.g. management approval,
belng pald
e.g. certlcates, rewards, local
recognltlon (press/medla
coverage)
Use the models and thlnk about what your own motlvatlonal needs are for the coachlng process
to be a success. Then do the same for the young people, put yourself ln thelr shoes: what would
enthuse and motlvate you lf lt were your group and pro[ect! |t wlll be lmportant to remember that
you are there to coach the group and the pro[ect, other de-motlvatlng factors outslde of these wlll
be dlmcult to deal wlth.
To sum up, always keep ln mlnd to monltor and renect on the three dlnerent levels of motlvatlon:
your motlvatlon to be a coach and to coach thls speclc pro[ect, the motlvatlon of the group at the
start of the pro[ect, and nally malntalnlng the motlvatlon through the coachlng process for all
lnvolved.
Getting to Know Each Other 3. 4. 2
|n thls phase of the coachlng process, your task ls to get a sumclently clear plcture of the group and
the soclal and psycho-dynamlc reallty of lts members as well as thelr outh |nltlatlve pro[ect ldea.
ou should concentrate your actlons to bulld trust and a rellable relatlonshlp between the members
of the group but also between the group and yourself. 8ut how to do so! How to get to know each
other! How to get to know the pro[ect ldea! How to bulld trust, establlsh a relatlonshlp that bullds
the base for a productlve co-operatlon, wlthout belng too close and sabotage the dlstlnct functlon
of a coach, whlch ls ln the rst lnstance to accompany and not lead the outh |nltlatlve pro[ect!
Getting to Know the Group
who ls the group of young people you are golng to work wlth! How many are they! Slnce when they
know each other! what do they do ln llfe! what have they done together so far! what ls the stage
of the group process they are at! what are the potentlal obstacles for the success of your coachlng
havlng ln mlnd the educatlonal or psychologlcal background of the young people!
As your coachlng can be a permanent struggle to nd the rlght entrance (e.g. to nd the rlght words,
approaches, methods) that would enable a renectlon/ actlon/ process by the young people, you
should know about obstacles lnherent ln the soclal reallty and characters of the young people. Try
to get as much lnformatlon as posslble at the beglnnlng of your coachlng process to have a clear
plcture of the young people you wlll work wlth and the tasks to be undertaken accordlngly.
To help young people renect on thelr self-lmage and for you to get to know what are thelr deep-
est wlshes, dreams and fears, we suggest you to use the method Personal Mind Map. |t ls gener-
ally used for lllustratlng a task, a pro[ect ldea or the lnterdependence between varlous aspects of
a problem, startlng wlth wrltlng as brlef as posslble the maln denltlon, the ldea, the problem ln the
mlddle of a blg paper and then namlng sub-problems, slde-ldeas or parts of denltlon on branches,
startlng from thls glven mlddle polnt. As Personal Mlnd Map lt ls the name of one person (you/ the
young person) that stands ln the mlddle and the branches lead to aspects of thls person such as llfe
dream, wants to become, ls good at, ls afrald of, belongs to thls famlly etc. |t looks a blt llke thls:
Maria
My life dream is to live in a better world
I w
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w
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I am good at listening and advising people
I a
m
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I come from a Spanish family w
ho immigrated to Belgium
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Personal
Mind Map
What?
Pro[ect actlvltles and descrlptlon
Why?
Needs that the pro[ect responds to, motlvatlon
For Whom?
Target groups
Who?
Pro[ect group, partners
With What?
Pesources that are needed, budget
How?
Methods, reallsatlon
Where?
venue/s
When?
Tlme schedule
The Personal Mlnd Map ls a powerful tool for self-renectlon, gettlng to know each other and resource
orlentated youth work.
Thls gettlng to know each other perlod ls an lmportant foundatlon to a relatlvely long relatlonshlp
that wlll hopefully be productlve and frultful to both the coach and the group. Thls ls the coachs
chance to get to know the key characters and players ln the group: who ls leadlng, who has the
ldeas, who ls most passlonate about the pro[ect, who ls the most commltted, who ls the [oker, and
many others.
8esldes, please remember that gettlng to know each other means glvlng the opportunlty to young
people to get to know you as well. what experlences brought you there, what klnd of person are
you, what type of actlvltles you dld as a young person, what are the values you would ght for
whatever they want to know and you want to tell can be exchanged ln thls rst gettlng to know
sectlon of the process. |t ls here when both of you have to declde lf lt ts, lf you trust each other
at least enough to get the whole thlng started, lf you can get along. And lt ls at thls polnt where
coachlng can nd an end before lt even started.
|n the 8l-c,c|e !ee|s (;) you wlll nd a checkllst whlch wlll help you to formallse the process of get-
tlng to know and keep the hlstory of all outh |nltlatlves you wlll support durlng your coachlng
practlce llfe.
Getting to Know the Project Idea
As stressed already, you dont necessarlly have to be an expert ln the eld of the groups actlvlty or
pro[ect. 8ut for sure you have to have an understandlng of what the pro[ect ls about, what are the
ob[ectlves and alms, what are the nanclal and organlsatlonal requests, stamng and volunteer needs
and all the other aspects that are part of pro[ect management to be a good coach.
To get a clearer plcture what the pro[ect or actlvltles are about, we propose you follow the
8 w-Questlons (Laswell):
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Here the attentlon ls drawn on the pro[ect ldea and all elght (or more lf requlred) questlons should be
answered by the young people. |t allows you to structure and vlsuallse the most lmportant aspects
of the planned pro[ect and can therefore already be part of your coachlng!
Some of you mlght thlnk: after all our experlences, a pro[ect ls a pro[ect, and therefore lt does not
matter much from a coachlng polnt of vlew what the pro[ect ls about. Somehow you are rlght.
Pro[ects face very slmllar llfe cycles, slmllar problems and slmllar tasks for young people who try to
reallse them. 8ut pro[ect cycles, problems and tasks are to be faced by dlnerent groups of young
people. And therefore, as much as people are dlnerent, pro[ects are also dlnerent. Therefore lf you
want to galn the groups trust and to provlde them wlth the best of yourself, ln terms of understand-
lng, supportlng and feedbacklng, lt ls lmportant to get to know the group and the pro[ect as deeply
as posslble.
PACo TIPS
The project idea in Transnational Youth Initiatives
Creatlng a common understandlng about the pro[ect ldea can be more challenglng ln Transna-
tlonal pro[ects due to the cultural dlnerences, dlnerent realltles and the contexts young people
are llvlng, dlnerent experlences and dlstance between the groups as well as other communlcatlon
barrlers.
|deally the pro[ect ldea should come from the communlcatlon between, and agreement of all
the groups lnvolved. Qulte often lt comes as a proposal from one of the groups, ln thls case lt ls
worth ensurlng there ls space for the ldeas and understandlng of other partner groups to become
lnvolved.
Lnsure young people share and dlscuss essentlal questlons wlth thelr partners, such us: what ls
each partner understandlng of the pro[ect ldea! why do they want to do thls pro[ect! what are the
llnks wlth thelr local realltles! Do all partners lnvolved have a common vlslon of the pro[ect! |f yes,
whlch one! |f not, do thelr dlnerent vlslons t lnto a common pro[ect and how to deal wlth these
dlnerences!
|t ls also lmportant to be aware that dlnerent countrles may have dlnerent rules for account-
ancy and nanclal matters. Therefore lt ls good to clarlfy the rules from the very beglnnlng of the
pro[ect.
Lncourage young people to keep other partner groups lnformed of actlvlty levels, tlme commlt-
ments and achleved tasks to ensure emclency. Maybe an onllne [ournal/ dlary of events, chat rooms,
web forums and onllne meetlngs could help to lmprove communlcatlon .
Slgnlng an agreement outllnlng each partner groups responslbllltles and dlvlslon of tasks mlght
be a way to ensure the commltment of all the groups ln contrlbutlng to the pro[ect as well as to
avold posslble mlsunderstandlngs.
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when a group of young people come together to create and develop a outh |nltlatlve, what takes
place between them, besldes the pro[ect ltself, ls a group dynamlc. 8ulldlng the relatlonshlp means
essentlally managlng group dynamlcs, whlch ls managlng the lnteractlons between members of
the group as well as between the group and you.
At thls stage, some renectlon on group behavlours mlght be needed. Por example, whlch klnd of
group behavlours you wlll face durlng a outh |nltlatlve process! whlch style of group leadershlp
applles to whlch behavlours! |n the 8l-c,c|e !ee|s () you wlll nd a table whlch wlll help you to
ldentlfy behavlours and suggest ldeas for lmprovlng relatlonshlps wlthln groups of young people.
|n practlce, the alm ls to guarantee a favourable envlronment ln whlch the pro[ect and the group can
each develop. To ensure a favourable envlronment you wlll need to develop your skllls of observer
and of communlcator. ou should be able to understand the verbal and non verbal slgnals and know
what ls golng on wlth each of the members so as to get the most out of the group and to adapt to
dlnerent styles of communlcatlon. Among other thlngs, you have to be careful to avold negatlve
attltudes that prevent group members from expresslng themselves naturally.
The Porter Scale model mlght be useful to ldentlfy dlnerent styles of communlcatlon and select
those that encourage people to speak and communlcate.
Building the Relationship 3. 4. 3
Porter Scale
Actions Advice for the coach Tool Possible coach responses
Questlonnlng Durlng meetlngs
encourage young people
to renect about and
questlon what ls to be /
has been achleved... Get
them to ask questlons
themselves.
Slmple reformulatlon.
when someone stops
speaklng, encourage
them to say more by
repeatlng what was
sald.
So you dldnt get the
co-fundlng you were
expectlng, have you asked
yourself why lt falled!
Provldlng answers Plrst encourage young
people to nd the
answers themselves. Dont
automatlcally glve them
all the answers because lt
mlght prevent them from
thlnklng by themselves.
Slmple reformulatlon.
Dont be afrald of
sllence, posslble
answers mlght come
after some tlme of
renectlon.
OKso, llke you say, lts
not golng to be that easy
to get the Mayor to come
along to thls event. How
do you thlnk he mlght get
to know about the event
youre organlslng at the
start of your pro[ect!
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Problem solvlng Plrst ensure that everybody
llstens to the others vlew of
the problem. Pacllltate the
dlscusslon and encourage
them to suggest posslble
solutlons. |f needed
propose solutlons yourself
but let young people take
thelr own declslons.
Mlrror reformulatlon.
Penect the feellng that
you thlnk the other
person ls trylng to
express.
|f | understand correctly
there are two dlnerent
oplnlons about the
current sltuatlon. 8oth of
you thlnk to be rlght and
feel frustated because of
not belng understood by
others. Could you both
propose a way to solve
thls problem and we wlll
dlscuss lt all together!
|nterpretlng Try to sum up long
dlscusslon golng around
ln clrcles. 8e careful of
lnterpretatlons, slnce they
mlght lead to frustatlons lf
mlslnterpreted. Try to be as
neutral as posslble.
Peformulate and
summarlse. Take notes
and reformulate uslng
your own words.
OK, |ve made a note of
everythlng youve [ust
explalned. |d [ust llke
to go over lt to check
everythlngs understood
and see lf theres anythlng
thats not clear
Understandlng 8e empathlc and try to
accept others as they
are. Try to be as free of
pre[udlces as posslble.
Llsten and reformulate.
Try to make people feel
at ease so that they
express thelr lnner
feellngs.
So you sald you have
problems at the moment
and therefore you cannot
be lnvolved ln the pro[ect
as much as you wlshed
Statlng oplnlon whether lts posltlve or
negatlve, your oplnlon ls
llkely to lnnuence young
peoples oplnlon as what you
say (as a reference person)
can be taken for granted.
1ust dont do lt! Avold sentences llke:
Lets not work ln thls area
slnce the local populatlon
ls not lnterested ln your
pro[ect
To thls end we can suppose that some soclo-psychologlcal skllls useful for human lnteractlon wlll
help you to understand the process of group dynamlcs, thls comblned wlth communlcatlon skllls
wlll enable you to use thls knowledge to help members of the group to manage thelr asplratlons
and cope wlth change and succeed ln thelr pro[ects. 8ut most often, your enectlveness ln bulldlng
a good relatlonshlp wlth the group wlll depend on factors llnked to experlence, to your abllltles to
llsten, observe and establlsh a dlalogue, comblned wlth an open-mlnded splrlt and the ablllty to
deal wlth dlnerent personalltles.
Purthermore, bulldlng and malntalnlng a safe and trustful relatlonshlp durlng the tlme you spend
together wlll ensure that both sldes, the group and you, learn together and achleve a personal
development process.
try to know your group as much as possible - who they are?, what problems do they
have? What do they want to achieve in their lives,? What are their abilities?
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ou can suppose that to run a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect there ls rst an essentlal need: fundlng. And
you are rlght, most of pro[ect ldeas need money to be reallsed. 8ut money ls not the only need and
often nelther the most lmportant element to develop a pro[ect. what else ls then needed to reallse
a outh |nltlatlve! |t ls very lmportant that you nd out what competences and abllltles the members
of the group have already and whlch ones they need to develop ln order to reach the targets of the
pro[ect. Do not worry lf you nd out that the group ls mlsslng some essentlal capabllltles to reallse
a glven task related to the pro[ect. Through a outh |nltlatlve they wlll have the chance to develop
them and your tasks as a coach wlll be to help the group to ldentlfy thelr own learnlng ob[ectlves
to be reached durlng the pro[ect.
To support a group ln thls phase of the coachlng process, rst of all you have to know what target to
reach and the tlme estlmated to reach lt (:). Then you need to nd out whlch competences are avall-
able ln the group and whlch others are needed for reachlng the target (z). Last but not least lts very
lmportant to ldentlfy economlcal, structural, materlal and human resources to be used to reach the
target (). Here below follows an example and a scheme that lntends to be a tool for practlcal use.
Identifying Needs and Competences 3. 4. 4
Target (1) Competences needed
by the group (2)
Financial, structural, material and human
resources external to the group (3)
An electronlc
and multlmedla
publlcatlon
about youth
related lssues.
To be done ln 3
months.
- web deslgnlng skllls
- 1ournallstlc skllls
- Publlc relatlon skllls
- Organlsatlonal skllls
- Teamwork skllls
- Communlcatlon skllls
l|nonc|ol tesoutces
8udget needed to create the webslte ls 800
5ttuctutol tesoutces
workshop room wlth computers and telephone
avallable, photocopy machlne
Votet|ol tesoutces
Paper, dlgltal camera, CD-roms, software
progammes (Photoshop, Quark Xpress)
lumon tesoutces
Coach , |nformatlon and Telecommunlcatlon
Technology (|TT) expert
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Once you have clarled the targets to reach, the needed skllls and the avallable resources (from
a global polnt of vlew), you wlll have to ldentlfy the support to be onered accordlngly. ou wlll need
to clarlfy together wlth young people the followlng:
(a) what competences need to be developed ln order to reach the target of the pro[ect but also the
lndlvldual learnlng ob[ectlves
(b) whlch strategy to establlsh for developlng the competences needed
(c) who does the strategy address
(d) the places and spaces necessary to meet
(e) the tlme schedule
(f) whlch support people for helplng the development of the competences requlred
(a) What (b) How (c) For who (d) Where (e) When (f) With who
Learn how
to create
a webslte
Tralnlng course
organlsed
by an |TT
expert (700
expert fee)
+ workshop
on teamwork
organlsed by
the coach +
peer learnlng
for PP skllls
Por two of
the people
lnvolved ln the
pro[ect
|n the maln
room of the
assoclatlon
|n one month The coach can
support the
group to nd
an |TT expert
Thls ls [ust an example for a glven pro[ect and a glven group. Accordlng to the several tasks the group
ldentles, you wlll nd yourself suggestlng dlnerent strategles for supportlng the group.
Last but not least, thls phase could be a great moment to ldentlfy the learnlng ob[ectlves of the
group and/or the lndlvlduals: whlch skllls do you already have and whlch ones would you llke to
acqulre or to lmprove through the pro[ect! The dlvlslon of tasks could be done accordlng to the
competencles that the members of the group(s) already have or accordlng to the skllls that they
would llke to develop. Por example, lf lt ls the case of a Transnatlonal outh |nltlatlve and the task ls
to create a webslte, lt could be that the group more experlenced on web deslgnlng proposes ltself
to create and develop the webslte, or lt could be that one of the groups less experlenced ln thls eld
would llke to take thls task ln order to lmprove thelr skllls ln web deslglnlng. our role here would
be to encourage young people to learn from and support each other ln developlng new skllls. Peer
educatlon plays an lmportant role ln thls process and should be used as a tool to lead young people
towards autonomy and youth partlclpatlon.
Once you have determlned what the group needs for reallslng the pro[ect, you have to evaluate
your own competences to support elther lndlvldual or collectlve needs.
Durlng the outh |nltlatlve process speclc competences mlght be needed by you as a coach ln order
to meet speclc needs of the young people. Generally, the most needed skllls are related to:
Informing
|t mlght be that at a certaln moment ln the coachlng process young people wlll ask for concrete
lnformatlon related to the lmplementatlon of the pro[ect, e.g. aspects of pro[ect management,
contacts for fundlng. ou do not necessarlly have to be an expert here but to respond at all to thls
ls of cruclal lmportance. Not knowlng ls no shame, but use your competence to help them to nd
sources of lnformatlon and preferably leave the declslon of actlon on uslng lt or not wlth the young
people.
Suggesting
Thls ls creatlng opportunltles for young people to nd themselves answers and some klnd of dlrec-
tlon or solutlon to the more complex and dlmcult sltuatlons. Thls can also lnclude sharlng some
guldlng advlce galned from prlor experlences. our role here ls, together wlth the young people,
to clarlfy the sltuatlon and ldentlfy all posslble optlons for the declslon. Thls ls also to hlghllght
posslble consequences of each optlon, motlves, so as to make the nal declslon. Most lmportantly
young people should make the nal declslon, even lf sometlmes lt does not correspond wlth the
oplnlon of the coach.
Facilitating
ou as a coach can be asked or declde to take a facllltators role at certaln moments of the coachlng
process. Pacllltatlng can be useful when you are responslble for structurlng the process of the work
Supporting 3. 4. 5
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I would like the coach to share
with me his ideas and knowledge
Miriam (17), Malta
I wouldnt like the coach to give me
ready ideas but rather to mobilise me to
think by myself, to develop my own skills.
Not to force his/her solutions, to ask
how I see the things
Maria (20), Poland
Coaching young people means being close to
them, being open to their needs and problems.
Sometimes it means just being around
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When realising Youth Initiative the
most difcult for me and our group was to
achieve and coordinate diferent interests
and to manage the diversity of the group
Sonia (27), Portugal
Training, preparation would
have helped us to realise our project
even better than we did
Vytas (22), Lithuania
and the group of young people ls lllng ln the content. Thls mlght happen durlng meetlngs, the
plannlng or evaluatlng process or ln solvlng connlcts wlthln a group. |n thls sense facllltatlon lmplles
also moderatlon. ou can use dlnerent tools or methods: ask speclc questlons, make vlsual notes
and mlnutes to summarlse the results reached by the group, among others. |t ls lmportant to stay
as neutral as posslble, not stepplng lnto the content area but staylng responslble for structurlng
the process.
Training
|n order to lmprove the performance of a group, you mlght use tralnlng methods or arrange traln-
lng opportunltles. Tralnlng actlvltles mlght alm at personal development (e.g. self-awareness, tlme
management, plannlng skllls), lmprovement of the group performance (e.g. team work, sharlng
tasks and responslbllltles, connlct management) or be theme orlented (e.g. lntercultural learn-
lng, gender lssues). Tralnlng actlvltles can be run elther by you or by external tralners (tralnlng
opportunltles ln lnstltutlons, assoclatlons, enterprlses) as recommended by you.
Other
8esldes these competences there are also other abllltles or roles that you mlght perform durlng
the coachlng process. These roles are less concrete, but stlll remaln lmportant elements ln coach-
lng. As examples, you mlght thlnk of the roles of needs analyser, observer, challenger, teamworker,
anlmator, etc.
|n the 8l-c,c|e !ee|s (;) you wlll nd a tool whlch mlght help you to renect on your personal at-
tltudes, knowledge and skllls as a coach to support a glven outh |nltlatlve pro[ect.
PACo TIPS
helps to shake the world vlew of young people ln order to open new posslbllltles for actlon,
helps young people to ldentlfy thelr true lnterests and capacltles they have,
llstens, makes enqulres, observes and renects,
ldentles the areas for lmprovement and actlons plans for thelr development,
accompanles young people ln the development process motlvatlng and challenglng them ln
reachlng thelr alms,
works wlth young people to dlscover answers to thelr questlons and concerns,
explores the posslbllltles avallable and makes the results reached by a youth group vlslble to
them,
asks powerful, thought-provoklng questlons that touch the lnherent wlsdom and creatlvlty of
young people.
What does the coach do?
Lvaluatlon ls an essentlal part of the coachlng bl-cycle model. Maklng sure that the pro[ect works
well ln lts dlnerent stages and provldlng help wlth declslon-maklng for needed lmprovements, as
well as checklng wlth the group lf the coachlng ltself ls meetlng thelr needs, are not to be neglected
ln any coachlng process. |n terms of young peoples personal development, evaluatlon provldes an
opportunlty to set learnlng ob[ectlves for each of the young persons lnvolved ln the pro[ect (also
for the coach), then revlew these ob[ectlves at dlnerent moments of the process and nally renect
on what knowledge, skllls and competences you all galned through the process.
when evaluatlng a outh |nltlatlve you should take lnto conslderatlon three complementary ele-
ments: the group, the pro[ect and the coachlng. Por each of these, a maln general ob[ectlve ls to be
met: ldentlfy the llmlts and the needs for lmprovement and draw attentlon to posltlve achlevements.
|n thls way a outh |nltlatlve can be constantly lmproved both ln terms of the pro[ect actlvltles and
of the coachlng strategy.
8ut of course a nal evaluatlon revlewlng all dlnerent aspects of the outh |nltlatlve and maklng
clear end of the coachlng process ls needed.
Who to evaluate for
The young people, yourself, the fundlng lnstltutlon/s, the supportlng assoclatlon/s, the local (or
lnternatlonal) partner/s, the sponsors, the munlclpallty or even the local communlty. Keeplng ln
mlnd for whom you are evaluatlng wlll help you ln ldentlfylng the approprlate methods to be used.
Stresslng the lmportance from the beglnnlng of the pro[ect of settlng up an evaluatlon strategy
(ldentlfy concrete moments for evaluatlon durlng the pro[ect process, select methods, etc) wlll help
ln lmprovlng the pro[ect strategles and the actlons belng taken about future plannlng. Thls ls also
about belng accountable for the way publlc and/or prlvate money ls spent.
When and why to evaluate
Lven though the hlghllght of the evaluatlon ls often sltuated at the end of the coachlng bl-cycle, lt
should actually take place at dlnerent moments of the process, as an ongolng process ltself (helped
by constant feedback). |maglne that you are dolng a very long trlp by blke: you could go non-stop
tlll the end of the [ourney, or stopplng ln your way only when somethlng wrong happens, for ex-
ample one of the wheels ls broken, or you could stop at dlnerent moments of your trlp to check lf
everythlng ls OK, the alr ln the tyres, your health, etc.
As far as evaluatlon ls concerned, your task as a coach ls to ldentlfy the moments and methods
of evaluatlon based on the needs of the group, your own needs as a support person, the support
organlsatlon and the fundlng bodles. Also lt would be good to share and dlscuss wlth the young
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Evaluating 3. 4. 6
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Preliminary
Evaluation
At the
beglnnlng of
the coachlng
process
The purpose of thls evaluatlon ls to analyse lf the goals and planned
actlvltles wlll enable you to achleve the alm and clarlfy lf the goals
and actlvltles are reallstlc, achlevable and measurable. |t ls an
opportunlty to clarlfy the learnlng ob[ectlves for the group, the
lndlvlduals and the coach.
Mid term
Evaluation
At the
mlddle of the
coachlng
process
The purpose of thls evaluatlon ls to conrm that the goals and the
means chosen to achleve them are approprlate. |t also allows you
to adapt the coachlng accordlng to the results of the mld term
evaluatlon, conrm dlrectlon, achlevements and challenges at the
mld way polnt of the process and pro[ect. |t can be an opportunlty
to ldentlfy and celebrate those goals already achleved.
Final
Evaluation
At the end of
the coachlng
process
The purpose of thls evaluatlon ls to conrm that the lnltlal alms,
ob[ectlves and actlvltles have been achleved. The evaluatlon
provldes an opportunlty to assess the enectlveness of thls pro[ect,
how useful lt wlll be and whether lts enects are llkely to last. The
evaluatlon should also provlde some feedback about the coachlng
and about the lmpact on the young people (e.g. new skllls acqulred).
Follow-up
Evaluation
After an
ldentled
perlod of the
coachlng
process
The purpose of thls evaluatlon ls to measure the long term learnlng,
development and lmpact of the coachlng experlence and pro[ect.
|t would be an opportunlty to explore the achlevements followlng
the pro[ect and the transferable skllls and competences used.
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people the need and lmportance of evaluatlon. The followlng table mlght help you to ldentlfy some
concrete evaluatlon locatlon posslbllltles and understand the lmportance of them.
As you can see, evaluatlon ls needed troughout the whole coachlng bl-cycle and therefore should
not be consldered as a separate phase ln the process. The benet of carrylng out an ongolng evalu-
atlon ls for both you and the group of young people to ldentlfy and respond to the every day needs
of the process and the pro[ect. Thls wlll lnclude closlng sesslons or meetlngs, everyday dlscusslons
about the pro[ect, regular feedback and wlll allow you to gauge the ongolng success or not of
the coachlng process for yourself and for the group.
What to evaluate
wlthln a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect we have ldentled three clear areas for evaluatlng the process: the
pro[ect process, the coachlng process and the learnlng process. we wlll try now to understand what
lt means to evaluate each of these areas and wlll suggest some tools and methods accordlngly, to
be found ln the annexes of thls gulde.
1 Evaluation of the project process
To evaluate the pro[ect ltself you should rst make an assessment of the sltuatlon at a glven mo-
ment (startlng polnt), then declde what goals you want to achleve, at a certaln tlme t, then make
another assessment of the sltuatlon at a later tlme t+:, and nally measure the dlnerence between
thls sltuatlon and the startlng polnt, ln the llght of the goals that were declded at the beglnnlng.
|n order to do so, you have to be able to refer to lndlcators, that ls elements that allow you to
measure the dlnerence ln terms of quantltatlve or qualltatlve varlatlons. Por example, lf the goal
ls to lncrease the number of people that benet from the actlon, a slmple lndlcator would be the
number of people taklng part. However, the goals are often more complex (for example, lmprove
publlc awareness of envlronmental lssues) and the lndlcators are therefore more dlmcult to ldentlfy,
lmplement and measure.
To follow the pro[ect process you should organlse meetlngs wlth the young people, some of whlch
focuslng on the development of the pro[ect whlle others wlll be an opportunlty to keep thlngs on
track. Thanks to the contlnuous feed-back provlded durlng planned meetlngs, you can facllltate
synergy wlthln the group and help them to move forward wlth the pro[ect. Some meetlngs wlll
serve as warnlng llghts, key polnts ln the pro[ect process, taklng the form of partlal ongolng evalu-
atlons often requlrlng modlcatlons whlch can be ldentled uslng a SwOT analysls (see descrlptlon
of thls method at 8l-c,c|e !ee|s ()). Pemember that whatever method you declde upon lt ls very
lmportant that the group ls actlvely lnvolved ln the renectlon.
|n the 8l-c,c|e !ee|s ()-s) you wlll nd some questlonnalres whlch mlght help you to collect lnfor-
matlon about the pro[ect and the group durlng the planned meetlngs.
2 Evaluation of the coaching process
when collectlng lndlcators that wlll help you to adapt the coachlng strategy, lt ls essentlal to have
the rlght tools. However there are no maglc tools, only slmple ways of taklng note of hldden dlmen-
slons, thlngs not lmmedlately obvlous, sometlmes slmulated or under the surface such as feellngs,
the beglnnlngs of demotlvatlon, well-belng or asslmllatlons, etc.
The evaluatlon of the coachlng process should be open and lnteractlve. The alm ls to start a dls-
cusslon about somethlng that has not yet been dealt wlth ln the group such as, for example: the
enectlveness of the meetlngs wlth the group members, the relatlonshlp wlth you, your avallablllty,
your role and lnvolvement wlthln the pro[ect, the methods you used for supportlng the group, the
evaluatlon ltself, etc.
To stlmulate the dlscusslon you can use some startlng sentences whlch should be contlnued by the
young people, accordlng wlth thelr feellngs, oplnlons or suggestlons, such as: | feel | am happy
| dont have | suggest | would llke | dont llke etc, or such as: the three thlngs | best llked
are the three thlngs | least llked are |f you would llke to use these methods properly, they are
further developed ln the 8l-c,c|e !ee|s ()-c).
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the beginning is the most difficult: how to organize everything, how to coordinate the whole project?
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3 Evaluation of the learning process
|t often happens that after nlshlng a pro[ect we evaluate the outcomes of the pro[ect, that ls, lf the
ob[ectlves lnltlally planned have been reached or not, but do not put much attentlon on what has
been learned through belng lnvolved ln such experlence (no matter lf the nal outcomes are posltlve
or not). |t could happen that we focus too much on the results of the pro[ect ltself and not enough
(or not at all) on the process development. However our experlences showed us that whether the
pro[ect has been successful or not there ls always a learnlng outcome whlch should not be forgotten
or neglected. The learnlng outcomes should be also taken lnto conslderatlon when evaluatlng the
success of the pro[ect as a personal development experlence.
The evaluatlon of the learnlng process can be subdlvlded lnto two parts: the learnlng of group members
and your own learnlng as a coach. Lxperlence and skllls that young people acqulre from settlng up a
outh |nltlatlve pro[ect are usually called key or transferable skllls whlch lnclude, among others, work-
lng wlth others, self-awareness, communlcatlon, problem solvlng, autonomy, adaptablllty. Although
dlmcult to measure, thelr consequences are lnvaluable, also for professlonal lnsertlon purposes.
|a t|e 8l-c,c|e !ee|s () you wlll nd a llst of lndlcators that valldate what has been observed by you
ln terms of personal development of the group members. They correspond to ob[ectlves put forward
by the coach such as: developlng motlvatlon and enthuslasm, empowerlng, developlng autonomy,
bulldlng self esteem, changlng soclal behavlour, developlng cltlzenshlp, etc.
|f you want young people to evaluate themselves, for example ln terms of self-esteem and skllls to
lnteract wlth others, you can use the Self-esteem Questlonnalre provlded ln 8l-c,c|e !ee|s (z),
whlch alms to ldentlfy weak and strong polnts that could serve as learnlng ob[ectlves for personal
development durlng the progresslon of the pro[ect.
To ldentlfy what exactly has been the learnlng polnts from the pro[ect but also to guarantee that
the pro[ect achleves the set alm and ob[ectlves, both mld-term and nal evaluatlon should form
essentlal part of the pro[ect process. what ls your role as a coach ln that!
So the oplnlon and feedback from the coach! why not! |n some countrles the role of the coach ls also
assoclated wlth more concrete mapplng of acqulred skllls and competences, ln whlch young people
mlght need some support and wlll certalnly requlre feedback. Por example, ln the UK the 8rltlsh Councll
has developed a model of Personal Pecord of Achlevement (PPA) ln order to provlde evldence of young
peoples experlences and development from thelr partlclpatlon ln a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect (see
8l-c,c|e !ee|s (;). |t can be a valuable tool ln terms of recognltlon and accredltatlon of galned skllls.
To sum up, evaluatlon ls a constructlve and ongolng process and should be approached posltlvely.
|t shows the dynamlc nature of a pro[ect and the correspondlng actlons (posslblllty of adaptlng the
pro[ect, basls for communlcatlng lnformatlon about and outcomes of the pro[ect). |t can help
to strengthen co-operatlon between you and the group of young people (lncrease ln condence,
relnforce teamwork ). And lt ls an opportunlty to make the most out of the skllls (sharlng them,
recognlslng them).
The coach could point out
the shortages of our project because
sometimes the people that are
so involved in what they are doing
they dont analyse their actions,
Kadri (18), Estonia
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PACo TIPS
Coaching Bi-cycle in Transnational Youth Initiatives
|n pro[ects wlth lnternatlonal partners, gettlng to know the other groups lnvolved ln the
pro[ect may be a dlmcult and tlme consumlng process but extremely valuable for ensurlng a good
co-operatlon. |t wlll also be good to know about the coach(es) lnvolved ln the other youth group(s),
lf any, and plan coachlng strategles together. |f the country groups have never met before you could
suggest them to organlse a meetlng at the very beglnnlng of the pro[ect, gatherlng z- pro[ect
leaders of every partner country. Thls would be an opportunlty to get to know about each others
prevlous experlences and local actlvltles of thelr organlsatlons as well as to ensure that all groups
have the same understandlng of the pro[ect ldea. Penect wlth them on the followlng questlons:
why they want to do thls pro[ect (and not another one)! what ls the llnk between the pro[ect ldea
and thelr respectlve needs and lnterests! what ls the llnk between the pro[ect actlvltles and thelr
respectlve local communltles!
8ulldlng the relatlonshlp ln transnatlonal pro[ects take more tlme as there are dlnerent
cultural and country groups worklng together. when worklng as part of a wlder team lt ls good to
know the expectatlons of the partners lnvolved towards the pro[ect ltself, towards thelr co-operatlon
as an lnternatlonal team and towards your coachlng strategles and coachlng avallablllty. ou should
communlcate regularly wlth the partners lnvolved and set reallstlc frameworks for supportlng all the
groups, lf needed. 8e honest wlth the partner groups when dlscusslng the llmlts of your coachlng
practlce ln case there would not be any coach dlrectly supportlng the other groups.
when ldentlfylng needs and competences ln a transnatlonal pro[ect you should en-
sure that the dlnerent contexts and realltles of the countrles lnvolved ln the pro[ect are taken lnto
conslderatlon. Creatlng a pro[ect ldea wlth other countrles can be a lot of fun but lmplementlng lt
accordlng to dlnerent needs and lnterests of the local groups could be a challenge. Lncourage the
young people you are coachlng to share thelr group speclc needs wlth the partners as well as to
ldentlfy common needs of the network. Also work wlth them ln ldentlfylng competences of dlnerent
partners and looklng for posslbllltles for peer learnlng among the dlnerent groups.
when lt comes to supportlng a transnatlonal outh |nltlatlve one of the maln polnts to con-
slder ls how to communlcate wlthln lnternatlonal teams. Communlcatlon does not [ust happen, lt
has to be encouraged and lt has to be organlsed. |n thls sense you mlght help the group to develop
a communlcatlon strategy together wlth thelr partners: when to communlcate! How to communl-
cate! what to report to the other groups! who does lt! Sendlng regular emalls, organlslng vlrtual
meetlngs through chat forums, namlng a person reponslble to communlcate wlth the partners ln
each group, settlng an agenda about when to lnform about what could be suggested as useful
tools to lmprove better communlcatlon among the groups.
wlth regard to evaluatlon lt ls very lmportant to ensure that two dlnerent levels of actlvltles
are evaluated: the local actlvltles ln the partner countrles and the lnternatlonal actlvltles as a network.
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ou should also encourage the group to evaluate how they worked together as an lnternatlonal
team: dld they communlcate enectlvely! Dld all the groups feel part of the network! what they learnt
from each other! ou could also encourage the group to renect on thelr lntercultural awareness
before and after thelr networklng experlence. A nal evaluatlon meetlng lncludlng all the partners
could be organlsed wlthln the pro[ect. |t could be an opportunlty for the group to evaluate the
pro[ect but also to celebrate thelr achlevements as a team, and maybe to plan follow-up actlvltles
and future co-operatlon.
Keeping Contact and Feedback 3. 4. 7
|n addtlon to all key elements descrlbed prevlously: motlvatlng, gettlng to know, bulldlng the rela-
tlonshlp, ldentlfylng needs and competences, supportlng and evaluatlng, there are certaln tasks or
actlvltles that you, as a coach of a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect, wlll have to perform ln a permanent way,
that ls durlng the whole coachlng process. Those permanent tasks are related, on the one hand,
to malntalnlng regular contact wlth the group of young people and on the other hand to sharlng
feedback durlng the entlre process of a outh |nltlatlve.
As far as keeping contact ls concerned, lt lnvolves both you and the members of the group ln
contlnuous communlcatlon and exchange of lnformatlon. |t ls lmportant for you to have up-dated
lnformatlon about the sltuatlon ln the group, development of the pro[ect, answers to questlons that
concern the young people runnlng the pro[ect. Por the young people lt ls also lmportant to know
about your avallablllty lf the need for coachlng emerges.
As for feedback, lt ls lmportant to create the space for glvlng and recelvlng feedback both for the
group of young people and for you as coach. 8elng able to observe the process of a outh |nltla-
tlve from aslde can glve you the opportunlty to relay the enect of pro[ect process to the group/
lndlvlduals for thelr use and learnlng, therefore ralslng thelr awareness on the group process and
enabllng them to lmprove thelr performance. At the same tlme you can use feedback from the young
people to lmprove your own coachlng practlce.
|n order to make feedback be most productlve and beneclal, you should keep ln mlnd that the
feedback you provlde should be helpful to the person/s recelvlng lt. To be helpful, feedback to
the group or lndlvlduals must be such that the group or the person: understand the lnformatlon,
ls able to accept the lnformatlon and ls able to do somethlng about the lnformatlon. 8e sure that
the feedback you glve serves only the needs of the person/s recelvlng lt and not your own needs,
otherwlse lt ls llkely to produce defenslve reactlons from the group recelvlng the feedback and they
are unllkey to amend the pro[ect process as a result.
A coach should come up with
constructive criticism. I wouldnt like
him/her to express criticism without
having any suggestion for improvement.
Palmir (23), Denmar
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How to Give Feedback
PACo TIPS
:. our feedback should be glven ln terms of speclc, observable actlons or behavlours and the
enect of that on the pro[ect process and the pro[ect results.
z. Perceptlons, reactlons and oplnlons you have concernlng the pro[ect process or speclc be-
havlours of the group members should be presented as such and not as facts.
. Lnsure that feedback you provlde refers to the relevant performance, behavlour or outcomes,
but not to the group of young people or lndlvlduals as persons.
(. |f your feedback concerns an area of performance lt should lnclude a dlscusslon of what ls
vlewed as the hlgh and low polnts of the performance and the speclc behavlours whlch appear
to be contrlbutlng to or llmltlng full enectlveness or accompllshment.
. when dlscusslng problematlc areas you should try to encourage the group to nd out the ways
how to lmprove performance, and lf needed, also glve suggestlons. The dlscusslon mlght lead to
establlshlng some procedures or actlvlty plan for achlevlng solutlons.
6. when you glve feedback, lt should alm at posslble lmprovements and should thus have clear
evaluatlve purpose (rather than purely descrlptlve). et lt ls lmportant to avold slmplled [udgements
of good or bad and set clear crlterla for assessment.
;. The feedback you provlde should be concerned wlth those thlngs over whlch the group or an
lndlvldual can exerclse some control, and may lnclude lndlcators of how the feedback can be used
for lmprovement or plannlng alternatlve actlons.
8. ou should avold terms whlch produce emotlonal reactlons and ralse defences, but ln case
you encounter those reactlons, you should deal wlth the reactlons themselves rather than trylng to
convlnce, reason, or supply addltlonal lnformatlon.
p. ou should glve the feedback ln a manner whlch communlcates acceptance of the group/
lndlvlduals as a worthwhlle person/s and of that persons rlght to be dlnerent.
:o. Usually, feedback ls most enectlve when glven as soon as posslble after the event (though
some aspects of a persons performance may be better dealt wlth ln prlvate).
8ut ln practlce, how to ensure the contact keeplng and feedbacklng durlng the whole process! As
a general rule, when coachlng takes place lt ls ln the form of meetlngs between the coach and the
young people. These usually happen ln a place chosen by the coach (often where the coach works)
or a venue the coach ls aware of or used before. we would advlse you to go and meet the young
people regularly when the pro[ect actlvltles take place to see how the pro[ect ls developlng. All of
these meetlngs provlde opportunltles for you to help the group apply the ground rules they agreed
on together (punctuallty, checklng lf the pro[ect ls on schedule, etc).
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|t ls lmportant for the meetlngs to be lnformal, not to make the coach look lmportant but, because
you may need to redene the parameters, clarlfy your role and check that the young people have
enectlvely accompllshed the goals set for the pro[ect. ou can do thls by slmply holdlng a meetlng
ln your omce (lf you have any) or any other common place and dlscusslng how the pro[ect ls golng
on, wlth an omclal looklng le showlng the name of the group and the tltle of the pro[ect clearly
ln evldence! Thls klnd of admlnlstratlve detall lsnt [ust there for show, lts part of the guldellnes for
enectlve coachlng. our le on the pro[ect has to be up to date and contaln detalls showlng how
the group has evolved, the schedule and the tasks to be carrled out.
These meetlngs are therefore opportunltles for gettlng feedback from the group by remlndlng
them what happened durlng the rst meetlng when you both (the coach and the group) agreed to
embark together lnto thls outh |nltlatlve [ourney. |f you formallsed the agreement wlth a contract,
lt wlll be easler to refer to lt and maybe to redene your role, or more to the polnt, the roles and
responslbllltles of the young people!
Pemember that meetlngs wlth the group could also be an opportunlty for managlng group dynam-
lcs and work towards group coheslon. ou should alm, among other thlngs, to bulld thelr self-con-
dence, help them deal wlth connlctlng lssues (lf any) and focus energy on posltlve factors ln the
pro[ect group and the surroundlng envlronment.
A coach should help with
providing information, supporting,
advicing I would like to have regular
meetings with the coach
Vytas (22), Lithuania
Coaching Meetings
What role to undertake?
Speclfy the goal of each meetlng
Pacllltate dlscusslon between the members (l.e. questlons, suggestlons, etc)
Ask questlons and let the members answer
Malntaln order ln the dlscusslon
8rlng the group back to order when necessary
Help clarlfy the meanlng of certaln lnterventlons when they appear confused
Prom tlme to tlme, summarlse what has been sald or done
Lnsure the group ls lnvolved ln decldlng tasks and task dlvlslon
wlthout preventlng people from expresslng thelr dlnerences or posslble connlcts, dlrect dlscusslon
towards the ob[ectlves of the meetlng or check that lt doesnt [eopardlze the now of the meetlng
Make sure the meetlng moves along at a good pace
Summarlse the meetlng, make a short evaluatlon at the end of the meetlng
Which attitude to develop?
Llsten attentlvely to all members of the group
Pespect the ldeas and the lndlvlduals
Plrst try to understand, then to be understood
Glve equal opportunlty to the dlnerent polnts of vlew to be welghted and examlned by the group
Try your best not to have preconcelved ldeas about the members and the polnts of vlew
PACo TIPS
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Challenges and problems occurlng throughout the pro[ect and the coachlng process at the tlme
could be seen as the blggest dlsaster ever. |t ls only through renectlon and evaluatlon that these
dlsasters can help ln ldentlfylng problem solvlng technlques and hlghllghtlng personal develop-
ment and learnlng.
|maglne that there ls a book on your book-shelf Answets to oll oss|ole toolems youn eole con
hove |n the|t outh ln|t|ot|ves: o u|Je lot the cooch . whenever an obstacle would arlse ln a pro[ect, the
rlght solutlon would [ust be at your nger tlpslt would be borlng, rlght! Anyway, thls ls lmposslble!
Stlll, agaln, ln thls sectlon we try to oner some support and guldance on the posslble challenges
that you could face.
So the solutlons to obstacles would stlll need to be found by the pro[ect group ltself wlth your sup-
port and good coachlng, adapted to the very speclc pro[ect condltlons. |ndeed, lt ls evldent that
as young people, thelr experlences, skllls and competencles as well as envlronment ln whlch they
lmplement thelr pro[ect are very varled, so are the needs and obstacles related to thelr pro[ects.
Nevertheless ln rather generallsed terms lt could be sald that dlmcultles ln pro[ects are assoclated
elther wlth the core group ltself (l.e. motlvatlon, awareness, skllls, lnterpersonal relatlonshlps) or
external condltlons (l.e. condltlons ln whlch the pro[ect ls lmplemented, changes and requlred
ad[ustments, the need for publlc relatlons, lobbylng and nanclal resources). 8oth of these are
surely also lnnuentlal to each other. So below we take a further look lnto what could be the posslble
obstacles.
Setting the scene for the project... needs analysis, objectives
|n many pro[ect management handbooks lt ls stressed that a pro[ect starts wlth an ldea. Thls ls
lmportant, to the extent that we must remember and ensure that ldeas stlll come from the young
people rst. |n a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect everythlng starts from the young people (the core group),
thelr motlvatlon and ldeas, and one of the rst obstacles young people mlght face ls that there are
slmply not enough people to start to reallse thelr outh |nltlatlve pro[ect.
The ways for ndlng new group members are as creatlve and varled as young people themselves.
There are examples where advertlsements have been put ln local newspapers or street performances
done to attract the attentlon of other local young people, among others. Sometlmes the reward
and attractlon can be taklng part ln the rst place, other tlmes you may want to be clear about the
advantages of gettlng lnvolved.
what tends to be dlmcult for young people though ls the formatlon of a group wlth a common
understandlng of the pro[ects roots and purpose, lts alm and ob[ectlves. |t ls so often the case ln
Challenges on the Road 3. 5
my challenge is to gain the acceptance of young people and so be invited into their world. Its also challenging
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the plannlng process that we tend to [ump to denlng actlvltles (whlch are much more concrete
and easy to thlnk of) rather than havlng nlshed the needs analysls rst. et lt ls lmportant to avold
that the people ln the group have dlnerent understandlngs of what the pro[ect alms are and how to
achleve them and thus avold mlsunderstandlngs ln later phases of the pro[ect. Plrst of all, the whole
group should take the tlme to set the basls of the pro[ect. Part of lt ls to follow that the motlvatlons
of the young people who become part of the pro[ect core group are shared and are slmllar.
Identifying resources
when all klnds of resources needed for the pro[ect are belng ldentled, human resources (lnclud-
lng those wlthln the youth group) are of the greatest lmportance and are the rst ones to be put
forward. we then look for external means needed to lmplement the pro[ect.
8ut lets renect for a second what do young people conslder as obstacles!
locl ol lnowleJe, esec|olly ooout hnonc|ol |ssues Baiba (18), Latvia
|ndeed lf there are some lssues ln pro[ect management that young people fear lt ls mostly the
nanclal aspects of the pro[ect: how to know all the prlces and calculate the budget, how to nd
sumclent fundlng from other dlnerent sources, how to report on expenses and how to be legally
accountable for the fundlng.
|t ls clear that some knowledge ls requlred to be able to ldentlfy nanclal lssues of the pro[ect and
you, as a coach, mlght have already some skllls galned through prevlous experlences that could
be helpful to support young people ln thls matter. 8esldes that, for ndlng support for a pro[ect lt
ls lmportant to lntroduce the ldea, so you mlght be a valuable resource ln ldentlfylng targets and
channels for publlc relatlons, marketlng and (why not) lobbylng for addltlonal nanclal asslstance
and management.
Moreover young people mlght need support and advlce ln some [urldlcal aspects. |ndeed the pro[ect
may requlre rentlng some very expenslve materlal or hlrlng a professlonal servlce. |n these cases a
slgnature of contracts mlght be needed wlth all the [urldlcal responslbllltles that lt lmplles.
Group and time management
There ls an overall lack of tlme ln todays soclety and the reallty ls that very often those young people
who declde to start up a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect are also lnvolved ln, and busy wlth, other youth
actlvltles, thelr studles or work. 8esldes the motlvatlon the exact role dlvlslon ls often a determlnlng
factor for how much tlme and enort we are ready to dedlcate to the pro[ect... So the group and tlme
management become lmportant lssues ln the reallsatlon of the pro[ect.
|nltlally when the ldea ls fresh and motlvatlon ls hlgh the task dlvlslon should not be dlmcult ln the
pro[ect group. Lxperlence shows though that ln many pro[ects lt becomes a great challenge to keep
to the agreed task dlvlslon and schedule when the pro[ect progresses. Threfore taklng thls touch
of reallty lnto account, durlng the lnltlal plannlng of the task dlvlslon and of the tlmetable, could
One of the greatest problems is the lack
of money. It is possible to ask support
from diferent foundations, but usually
all the projects require own fnance too
Mari (18), Estonia
to build a common perspective of communication where I can be myself and they can be themselves
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be helpful. Or why not ldentlfy posslble rlsks that could happen so as to be ready to ad[ust to the
changlng condltlons!
|t mlght also be helpful for the group lf, on the one hand, the calendar of pro[ect actlvltles ls not
planned too tlght and busy (because desplte of good wlll, ln reallty lt can become rather dlmcult
to nd a tlme to meet and dedlcate yourself to the pro[ect once a week, for example) and, on the
other hand, the meetlng tlmes are set already at the pro[ect preparatlon stage so that everybody
can plan thelr agendas well ln advance.
The longer the pro[ect process ls, the more varled actlvltles are or the blgger the core group ls, the
more lmportant lt becomes to have good co-ordlnatlon for the pro[ect as a whole. Preferably the
co-ordlnatlon should be done by some member(s) of the youth group. Slmllarly, leadershlp ls another
sensltlve and rather challenglng lssue. That could also be a toplc where support and feedback from
the coach ls needed and appreclated all through the pro[ect process.
There is an obstacle in our way... so what do we do now?
The understandlng behlnd thls gulde ls that a youth pro[ect can brlng a valuable experlence for
young people even lf lt was not a smooth and problem-free process. |t mlght happen for lnstance
that the tasks agreed are not performed as lt was agreed by the group members and then tenslons
arlse.
Or maybe some people declde to wlthdraw from the pro[ect and there are not then sumclent hu-
man resources to contlnue wlth the pro[ect. Or lt could be that new people [oln ln ln the mlddle of
the process and the pro[ect starts to take a new dlrectlon whlch ls not appreclated by those people
lnvolved from the beglnnlng.
|n reallty the pro[ect ls planned lnltlally wlthout conslderlng potentlal changes that mlght occur
durlng the pro[ect process. So lt can be the case that ln some sltuatlons the tenslon ls rather hlgh
and the group would need you to act as a medlator to help to facllltate the evaluatlon of the current
sltuatlon and the plannlng of further steps.
8ut dont panlc! Pemember that obstacles are often good experlences that can brlng groups closer
and that wlll challenge thelr problem solvlng capabllltles.
Looklng at the lssues so far lt mlght sound llke settlng up a outh |nltlatlve ls a rather rlsky buslness...
well, lucklly ln reallty a pro[ect ls also much more, as lt ls renected ln thls gulde. Havlng brought
forward some of the lssues whlch seem to challenge the process ln many outh |nltlatlve pro[ects,
lt ls evldent that no tallor-made solutlons exlst. Agaln the solutlons are often based on the values
and attltudes of the people lnvolved. So lt mlght be that through your experlence, through dlnerent
pro[ects as a coach, you declde to create your own compllatlon of good and not-so-good practlces
and problem solvlng tools. Then, keep them on your book-shelf as reference to what you have
learned out of your past experlence for whenever needed ln the future
The tasks should be delegated
so that I would not have to do everything
on my own. But when everybody has
some kind of a task then its still important
that the team would feel a team.
That everybody would know their roles.
So if I was a leader of that project the
problem for me would be how to organise
the group and how to be a good leader
Kadri (18), Estonia
A problem that we met in my
second project was that one person takes
all the work to him or herself and does
not share any information or duties with
others. The most difcult is that this
person is starsick, does not want to
listen to what others think and does all
the things as he or she likes.
Jaana (18), Estonia
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The European Commissions motivation to choose active participation as a priority
in Youth Initiatives clearly identifes the value of this action in enabling young people to become
active citizens and therefore answers concretely one of the main topics of the White Paper on
Youth Policy. Through this action, a new approach to youth activities has been introduced to
guarantee the widest possible youth participation at both local and international level.
When speaking about youth participation we use diferent terms: participation, involvement,
active participation, proactive participation, etc. In this text you will not fnd any new defnition
for participation but rather some thoughts and approaches related to the topic. How can you as
a coach contribute to increase the active participation of each young person in the activities run
through a Youth Initiative project? How can you encourage young people to involve their local
community in the realisation of their project? This chapter will help you to identify the personal
and social dimensions of youth participation and what you can do, as a coach, to manage the
participation process of a Youth Initiative.
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when talklng about youth partlclpatlon ln outh |nltlatlves we should refer to two dlnerent dlmen-
slons of partlclpatlon: partlclpatlon at personal level and partlclpatlon at communlty level.
The rst dlmenslon, participation at personal level, refers to the potentlal of young people for tak-
lng declslons at each stage of the pro[ect. |t ls about encouraglng young people to take responslbll-
lty for thelr actlons and, ln tlme, thelr own llves. |t ls therefore related to young peoples personal
development.
As for the second dlmenslon, participation at community level, lt refers to the contrlbutlon of
young people, ln terms of ldeas and energles, towards the communlty (local, reglonal, natlonal or
lnternatlonal). |t ls about glvlng young people a volce, and hence some klnd of empowerment ln
soclety. |t ls therefore related to the young peoples soclal development.
To ensure actlve partlclpatlon of young people ln outh |nltlatlves lt ls lmportant to take lnto con-
slderatlon both dlmenslons of youth partlclpatlon and thls ls where your role of coach provldlng
support to a concrete outh |nltlatlve (both at lndlvldual and group level) plays a declslve role.
Learning to Participate 4.1
oung peoples personal development ls clearly encouraged through partlclpatlon ln outh |nltla-
tlves ln terms of learnlng how to take declslons and be autonomous.
1ohn Husklns (:pp6) descrlbes dlnerent degrees of partlclpatlon ln declslon maklng whlch entall
dlnerent levels of personal lnvolvement of young people ln youth actlvltles. Thls approach entltled
Currlculum Development Model (CDM) can be applled to the process of progresslve lnvolvement of
young people ln the management of a outh |nltlatlve, from dependence to lndependence of the
group ln the reallsatlon of the pro[ect (towards declslon maklng, responslblllty, autonomy).
we wlll represent the partlclpatlon of young people through the plcture of a shell whlch ls dlvlded
lnto seven progresslve stages (see plcture on the left). Lvery clrcle of the splral corresponds to thls
progresslon ln seven stages, meanlng that the process wlll be repeated and repeated through
a non-endlng coachlng splral. As seen by Husklns, durlng stages : to ( you, as a coach, are essentlally
actlng for young people, stage ls the slgnlcant change when you start actlng wlth them, stage
6 ls when actlvltles are run by young people, and stage ; ls through them taklng on a leadershlp
or peer educatlon role. Purthermore, we would add another stage to Husklns model: stage 8 would
Personal Development through Progressive Participation 4.1.1
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be when young people, after dolng a outh |nltlatlve, become coaches themselves for other young
people developlng pro[ects.
To explaln the dlnerent steps of thls model, lets take the example of an art gallery belng organlsed
ln a local communlty wlthln a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect.
example of Currlculum Development Model
frst contact
oung people are testlng thelr future coach out: what has thls adult to oner us! Can he or
she be trusted! lxomle: the tou tesent to you the|t |Jeo ol oton|s|n on ott ollety, they
wonJet how you woulJ hel them, to wh|ch extent you woulJ oe |nvolveJ |n the toject.
familiarising
8oth the group and the coach are gradually gettlng to know each other, gettlng to know
more about the pro[ect ldea, engaglng wlth each other: trust and sharlng beglns! lxomle:
you onJ the tou stott meet|n teulotly to J|scuss the Jeto|ls ol the toject, shot|n whot you
hove to ohet to eoch othet
socialising
The group and the coach are bulldlng the relatlonshlp, clarlfylng expectatlons from both
sldes, agreelng about roles and responslbllltles, settlng some rules for cooperatlon and com-
munlcatlon. lxomle: you hove teulot J|scuss|ons w|th the tou ooseJ on ttust, you tell the
tou thot you exect them to oe tesons|ole lot the toject onJ lot themselves, the tou tell
you thot they exect you to oJv|se them when thete ote J|hetent oss|o|l|t|es ot woys to lollow
onJ oe ovo|loole |l toolems oeot out not tole ovet the toject os o leoJet. oun eole oe|n
to extess o|n|ons ooout how to set u the ollety, test |Jeos onJ seel yout tesonses
taking part
oung people are lntroduced to a partlclpatlon process by taklng part ln the pro[ect actlvl-
tles developed out of thelr lnterests and needs. lxomle: the oen|n ol the ollety |s mo|nly
oton|seJ oy you out ooseJ on the |Jeos onJ o|n|ons ol the tou. oun eole ott|c|ote |n
the oen|n onJ stott collect|n |Jeos lot lutthet Jeveloment ol the ollety
being involved
oung people begln to take an actlve part ln plannlng and runnlng actlvltles, the coach stays
behlnd the scenes but ls always avallable ln case he or she ls asked for advlce or support. lxom-
le: the tou |s tesons|ole lot lonn|n onJ oton|s|n the next exh|o|t|ons, they set the oenJo
lot the lollow|n months, they J|scuss w|th you the themes ol the next exh|o|t|ons onJ mole the hnol
Jec|s|on themselves, they osl yout hel to seel lot contocts ol youn ott|sts |n the ne|hoouthooJ,
they collect |Jeos ooout how to oJvett|se the next oen|n onJ shote them w|th you
Stage l
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Why Peer Coaching
within Youth Initiatives?
Consultations with people who have
already done a Youth Initiative would have
helped me and my group to realise our
project even better
Gintaras (20), Lithuania
Peer education, that is learning by
ones peers or fellows of the same
age, is an important tool to be used in
Youth Initiatives in order to develop
an efective coaching system without
the youth workers infuence. Young
people leading the project from the
beginning till the end and benefting
from their experienced peers support
is what could be called peer coach-
ing. Promoting peer coaching and
using it as an educational approach is
interesting for diferent reasons: it is
cost-efective, it helps to foster youth
participation in non-formal education
and it reduces the barriers between
coaches and young people in terms of
facilitating understanding and com-
munication through proximity.
If you went throughout the process
of a Youth Initiative project, you can
ofer, as a peer, a coaching support
that would be close to and familiar
to young people since you know
the Youth Initiative process
organising
oung people take responslblllty for plannlng and runnlng actlvltles, they organlse the ac-
tlvltles themselves, the coach ls progresslvely dlstanclng hlm or herself from the group but
ls stlll there lf needed. lxomle: the tou cott|es out o teseotch on the locol commun|ty to hnJ
otent|ol ott|sts to oe |nvolveJ |n lollow|n exh|o|t|ons, they Jes|n |nv|tot|ons lot the next oen-
|n onJ J|stt|oute them |n the ne|hoouthooJ, they teote the sett|ns ol the ollety (scenety,
l|hts, etc, they ote tesons|ole lot the ouJet (ouy|n motet|ols, teott|n |nvo|ces
leading
oung people are fully lndependent ln thelr declslons and thelr actlons, they take the
leadershlp role or resort to peer educatlon: the coach ls not needed any more! lxomle: the
tou toles lull tesons|o|l|ty lot the teotot|on onJ oen|n ol the lollow|n exh|o|t|ons (tosls
J|v|s|on, contoct w|th ott|sts, contoct w|th the locol commun|ty, monoement ol the ouJet,
suott|n eoch othet os well os lot the evoluot|on ol the whole toject onJ the wt|t|n ol
the hnol teott. 7hey tole tesons|o|l|ty lot othets os well os themselves, you soy ooJ-oye to
the toul
peer coaching
After the leadlng stage young people are ready to take over a peer coachlng role, based
on thelr knowledge, skllls and experlence galned durlng the process of partlclpatlng ln the
outh |nltlatlve. That ls the reason for lncludlng thls lmportant next stage ln the model and
ln the clrcular process of the shell. lxomle: Jut|n the lost exh|o|t|on some youn v|s|tots su-
esteJ thot |t woulJ oe ooJ to |nvolve olJet eole |n the|t oct|v|t|es so os to show them cuttent
ott onJ comote o|nts ol v|ew ltom J|hetent oes, onJ thtouh thot, tomote |ntet-enetot|ons
unJetstonJ|n. 7he youn leoJets ol the ott ollety encoutoe them to Jevelo lutthet the|t |Jeo
onJ oly lot outh ln|t|ot|ves to et lunJ|n. 7hey ohet themselves to hel the new youth tou
|n the ol|cot|on tocess os well os |n teot|n onJ tunn|n the|t outh ln|t|ot|ve |l neeJeJ.
(Model adapted from CDM, John Huskin, 1996)
Stage 6
Stage 7
Stage 8
from your own experience.
Other young people would learn
from your experience. Your role
would not be to tell the group how
to do their project but to listen to
them, to share experiences, and to
see how you can contribute to the
group with your experience.
Becoming a peer coach can be
a challenge and at the same time
a great opportunity for you to continue
learning and sharing. Supporting
a Youth Initiative project can become
a process of learning a great deal about
life and about yourself. Based on your
experience you could coach your peers
in a kind of invisible way, leaving the
group to their own devices as much
as possible; precisely what you would
have wanted when you were coached
yourself!
As any on-going process you might face
unexpected obstacles and difculties
during any of the stages described
above, but as an empowerment experi-
ence you will be proud to have put into
practice what you have learned while
doing your project so as to help
8
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we belleve ln thls progresslve partlclpatlon process wlthln a declslon maklng approach as lt ensures the
development of young peoples autonomy. 8ut above all we belleve ln the prlnclple of young peoples
lnvolvement from the start. ou should lnvolve the group throughout the whole process, from the
very beglnnlng tlll the end, ln order to glve them a sense of ownershlp. Stages : to ( do not necessarlly
need to be consldered as actlng for young people (as stated by Husklns) but wlth young people,
lf they are encouraged progresslvely to take responslbllltles. The approach should never be to carry
out a pro[ect for young people, and not even wlth young people, but rather by young people.
Thls model can be used to provlde evldence of young peoples learnlng and behavloural change
resultlng from runnlng a outh |nltlatlve. Nevertheless lt should not be seen as a rlgld and unlque
model of progresslve partlclpatlon ln a youth pro[ect. Not all the groups runnlng a outh |nltlatlve
need to follow all the stages ln the order presented above. whlle stages : to (rst meetlng to
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Social Development through Community Participation 4.1. 2
outh |nltlatlves open channels for actlve partlclpatlon not only wlthln the group runnlng the outh
|nltlatlve but also wlthln the local communlty or even at a more lnternatlonal level.
oung peoples soclal development can be relnforced through partlclpatlng ln a outh |nltlatlve
ln terms of thelr lnvolvement ln, and the recognltlon they can get from, the local communlty.
A outh |nltlatlve can be developed wlthln a small or large communlty: at local level among cltlzens ln
a town, at natlonal level among cltlzens from several reglons, or at Luropean level connectlng com-
munltles from dlnerent countrles. |n each context we can ldentlfy the level of soclal partlclpatlon
by uslng dlnerent lndlcators whlch help to measure the degree of young peoples lnvolvement ln
the glven communlty.
There are lndeed dlnerent levels of partlclpatlon ln the local communlty. The followlng scale wlll
help us to understand the steps of the communitys participation ln soclety through a outh |nl-
tlatlve.
soclallsatlon) apply to most groups of young people, stages ( to ; (taklng part to leadlng) dlner
not only accordlng to partlcular groups but also to speclc lndlvlduals wlthln the group.
Por example, one group as a whole could [ump from soclallslng to belng lnvolved (slnce they are
ln general lndependent enough to plan and organlse the pro[ect actlvltles) but lnslde the group lt
could be one or several person(s) who stlll need(s) to go through the stage of taklng part whlle oth-
ers could go dlrectly to organlslng or even leadlng (for lnstance, a youth leader very experlenced
ln pro[ect management).
Obvlously startlng at one or another stage of the progresslon depends on the level of dependence/
lndependence of the young people about an actual outh |nltlatlve. ou should keep an eye on each
person lndlvldually to ensure that everybody progresses wlthln hls or her own level of partlclpatlon.
The alm ls not that all the groups actlvely partlclpate at the same level but that everyone progresses
accordlng to hls or her personal sltuatlon as a startlng polnt. Lvery group ls a unlque unlverse and
should be coached taklng lnto conslderatlon the partlcularltles of lts unlque members.
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION
ADVISORY PARTICIPATION
PARTICIPATION
MANIPULATIVE PARTICIPATION
NON PARTICIPATION
levels of
participation
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a new group to realise their own
Youth Initiative. You will want the
project to become a success because
their success is a bit of your success too!
If I would like to start and realise a Youth
Initiative the kind of support I would need
is concrete and practical examples. Just
someone who have done a Youth Initiative
and could tell us what they did, how much
paper work it was and how much time they
spent on it. Someone who could tell us if our
project is good or not and how practically to
work with it.
Pia (20), Finland
Lets take the example of a outh |nltlatlve organlsed by a students youth organlsatlon for other
young people ln the local communlty. The pro[ect ldea ls to organlse a theatre performance about
the toplc all dlnerent all equal almed at young people to promote tolerance and Luropean aware-
ness.
|t ls non participative when young people do not take part ln the actlvltles whlch have so-
clal and cultural lmpact ln the communlty. lxomle: youn eole ltom the locol commun|ty Jo not
ott|c|ote |n the theotte etlotmonce oton|seJ oy the stuJents youth oton|sot|on oecouse they ote
not |nlotmeJ ooout |t ot oecouse they ote not |ntetesteJ |n theotte, ot oecouse they connot ohotJ the
enttonce lee.
The manipulative participation occurs when the partlclpatlon of young people ls used by
someone else (assoclatlon, youth workers, coaches) to reach personal purposes, whlch often are
hldden behlnd other ob[ectlves. lxomle: sevetol |mm|tonts ltom the ne|hoouthooJ ote |nv|teJ to
etlotm w|th|n the theotet loy oll equol oll J|hetent. 7he J|tectot ltom the locol school who tecently hos
not occeteJ the ol|cot|on ol one Vusl|m |tl to entet the school, |s olso |nv|teJ. ln teol|ty the leoJets
ol the theotte woulJ telet to see the J|tectot to oe hteJ onJ the|t o|m |s thus to ot|n ottent|on to th|s
cose thtouh the theotte loy. ln th|s s|tuot|on youn |mm|tonts ote ott|c|ot|n |n the oct|v|ty w|thout
oe|n owote ol the h|JJen utose ol |t.
The level of participation ls when young people declde to partlclpate at a concrete actlvlty by
belng present. lxomle: Jut|n the theotte etlotmonce oll equol oll J|hetent o tou ol youn eole
ltom the ne|hoouthooJ Jec|Je to ott|c|ote os ouJ|ence. ln th|s cose the youn ouJ|ence ott|c|oteJ
|n the etlotmonce out wos ne|thet |nvolveJ |n the teotot|on not the |mlementot|on ol the show.
The advisory participation step ls when young people contrlbute to an actlvlty by onerlng
oplnlons to the organlsers but wlthout any declslonal responslblllty. lxomle: o tou ol youn eole
ltom the ne|hoouthooJ suests to the oton|sets ol the theotte etlotmonce some |Jeos concetn|n
the sett|n Jes|ns wh|ch w|ll oe tolen |nto cons|Jetot|on |n teot|n the stoe. 8es|Jes they w|ll ot-
t|c|ote os ouJ|ence.
The active participation step happens when young people from the communlty contrlbute
to the pro[ect wlth thelr own ldeas and declde by themselves, they are lnvolved ln declslon maklng
and ln taklng responslbllltles towards the pro[ect and other members of the group. lxomle: o tou
ol youn eole ltom the ne|hoouthooJ oton|ses toethet w|th the stuJents youth oton|sot|on the
theotte etlotmonce oy shot|n tesons|o|l|t|es |n tetms ol teotot|on, |mlementot|on onJ evoluot|on
ol the success ol the etlotmonce |n the |ven commun|ty.
|t ls generally the case that the hlgher the partlclpatlve levels, the blgger the motlvatlon of the com-
munlty to contrlbute to the pro[ect. No matter whlch target group from the nelgbourhood partlcl-
pates ln achlevlng a outh |nltlatlve, they should be glven the posslblllty to declde by themselves
and contrlbute wlth thelr knowledge, experlences and competences to the pro[ect actlvltles.
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when coachlng a outh |nltlatlve you should keep ln mlnd that there ls a constant need to nd out
the needs and competences both of the core group (youth leaders) and the target group (commu-
nlty), and to revlew your own posltlon towards the young peoples lnvolvement, dependlng on the
degree of autonomy reached step by step by the group and the communlty. what matters ls not to
replace the core group or target group when they are not competent but to help them to be aware
of what ls needed at each step of the pro[ect and support them ln the development of new skllls.
Route Planning from Local to European 4.1. 3
Partlclpatlon: local or Luropean! Certalnly not all young people have the same opportunltles and
abllltles to partlclpate at the same level. our role as a coach would be to ldentlfy the maxlmum
lndlvldual partlclpatlve levels and support thelr development progresslvely. |t does not matter lf
young people reach the hlgher leadlng or peer educatlon stage (as ldentled ln stage 8 of our
shell model), nelther lf they reach the hlgher Luropean lmpact, but what matters ls to facllltate a
self-condent learnlng space for each young person and for each group.
8oth the personal and soclal contexts of partlclpatlon presented ln thls chapter are needed for
young peoples actlve partlclpatlon ln soclety. The personal development ls about learnlng the skllls
needed to partlclpate and to take declslons wlthln a group lnltlatlve ltself. The soclal development ls
about partlclpatlng and taklng responslblllty wlthln the communlty. A good balance between both
aspects, on the one hand the learnlng experlence of the young person as an lndlvldual and of the
young people as a team and, on the other hand the lmpact of the pro[ect ln the communlty, would
contrlbute to a hlgh quallty outh |nltlatlve.
Leadlng a outh |nltlatlve glves young people the experlence of belng actlve by actlng and react-
lng on common Luropean concerns at local level, the feellng of prlde ln havlng achleved somethlng
posltlve at local level and as a posslble consequence of that, the feellng of wantlng new challenges
llke startlng co-operatlon at lnternatlonal level.
Learnlng to be cltlzens through a local outh |nltlatlve, but especlally through an lnternatlonal expe-
rlence, ls the rst step to progresslvely lnternallse the common responslblllty of becomlng cltlzens
not only of our reglon or our country but also cltlzens of Lurope and cltlzens of the world.
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Thlnk about a outh |nltlatlve as a [ourney through the road of partlclpatlon. ou are a coach and
are rldlng the coachlng bl-cycle wlth a group of young people dolng a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect. ou
are rldlng behlnd them, not too close but not too far. Par enough not to be too present on thelr trlp
but close enough to be there whenever ls needed. Along the slde of the road you wlll have at your
dlsposal dlnerent plt stops. The trlp could be qulte long and therefore you can declde when and
where to stop ln order to bulld up energy for the rest of the way. To support the group you are rldlng
wlth, energy could be glven ln terms of lncreaslng competences requlred to move forward
(knowledge about the road to follow, soclal skllls to communlcate wlth people along the way, etc),
ln terms of opportunities or resources needed for the way (drlnk and food, a map, etc), or ln
terms of motivation to contlnue tlll the end (challenges, enthuslasm, etc).
These three elements are lndeed seen as the maln condltlons for partlclpatlon wlthln a outh |nltlatlve:
Competences: knowledge, skllls and attltudes to partlclpate and take declslons.
Opportunltles: power to make declslons and resources avallable.
Motlvatlon: wllllngness to take an actlve role ln thelr communlty llfe.
|n outh |nltlatlve pro[ects the comblnatlon of all the mentloned condltlons dlners ln each phase
of the process. 8ecause of that, lt ls worth seelng youth partlclpatlon as a long-term process where
young people galn partlclpatlon experlence, develop capaclty to partlclpate and thelr motlvatlon
to partlclpate further ls growlng. our role as a coach should alm at lncreaslng the level of youth
partlclpatlon by worklng ln three dlrectlons: accompany the young peoples personal development
process, open dlnerent opportunltles to galn partlclpatlon experlences and encourage young peo-
ple to take an actlve stance ln thelr llfe.
Comlng back to the model of partlclpatlve levels, meanlng dlnerent lnvolvement of people ln mak-
lng and undertaklng declslons anectlng thelr llfe, outh |nltlatlves should be at the top level of
partlclpatlon because those pro[ects are prepared, run and evaluated by young people themselves.
|n reallty young people are not, usually, at the same level of partlclpatlon from the beglnnlng to the
end of the process of a outh |nltlatlve. 8ut stlll there ls a way for you as a coach to support every
group, no matter the partlclpatlon level they feel more comfortable wlth, towards autonomy and
youth partlclpatlon. Agaln an lndlvldual approach adapted to a glven group ln a concrete sltuatlon
wlll need to be adopted.
Travel Conditions for Participation 4. 2
Active participation is when
all the young people participate
and are active in the project.
If I had an idea I wouldnt like my
coach to give me his back and not
listen or understand me.
Miriam (17), Malta
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In this chapter you will fnd a European kaleidoscope of seven diferent project examples from seven
European countries. These stories will tell you about diverse projects and coaching realities. You will get to
know very diferent groups of young people from diferent backgrounds, with very diferent ideas and also very
diferent needs. This small compilation of examples shows the really wide variety of project possibilities and of
possible coaching situations.

The people who gave advice and support to the following groups met the young people at certain stages during
their project. They had diferent roles and resources they could ofer to the young people. In those presented
cases, where the support was rather sporadic, you will fnd the description of the example is outlined from an
outsiders view and also written in the third person, so as to comment on possible successes but also mistakes
and failures. In other cases where the coach of the group was accompanying them throughout the whole
process, the example is described from the perspective of the coaching person.
Before you start reading the examples now, we would suggest you keep in mind the diferent models of
participation we introduced in the last chapter. Based on them you may refect at what point the aim to support
the highest level of participation, young people leading the project and coach supporting the group as a mere
adviser, is reached.
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Postcard from Poland: Our Few Minutes 5.1
by Milena Butt-Ponik
The project idea
A group of young people from a small town ln south east Poland prepared a pro[ect called our few
mlnutes. The tltle refers to the feellng they had, that as a group they had a very short tlme left before
they could do somethlng together, before they start becomlng adults, busy wlth work, responslblll-
tles and personal obllgatlons for llfe.
The town they llve ln does not oner many posslbllltles for spendlng free tlme out of home and
school. The unemployment rate ls very hlgh and the famllles of young people who prepared thls
pro[ect suner from economlc and soclal dlmcultles. All of the lnltlators were students of the same
hlgh school where they created the Students Club of |ndependent Arts. The maln alm of thls club
was to create a space for self development and some actlvltles whlch could compete wlth Tv and
dolng nothlng.
As they sald, everybody can be a member of thelr club: loved or not, too sllm or too fat, blg and
small, talented or not, happy or unhappy, hard worklng student or lazy one. They wanted to create a
world of alternatlves where they could express themselves. The ldea of the outh |nltlatlve pro[ect
came as a need to develop further thelr Club and so motlvate other young people to dlscover thelr
talents and deeper wlshes. To get people out from thelr llfe corners.
The initiators
The most actlve members of the Club of |ndependent Arts came up wlth the ldea of the outh
|nltlatlve. |n total nlne young people, aged between :( and z, created the pro[ect. Slnce they dld
not have any experlence wlth preparlng pro[ects and applylng for money, the llbrarlan from thelr
hlgh school onered them support and help ln creatlng and wrltlng the pro[ect. The school llbrary
was a gatherlng polnt where most of the group meetlngs took place.
These young people were already known ln thelr local communlty slnce they organlsed poetry
evenlngs, exhlbltlons, valentlne Days and common actlvltles wlth dlsabled young people from the
town. The dlrector of thelr school together wlth the teachers helped the group to create and submlt
thelr pro[ect to the OUTH Natlonal Agency ln Poland. They had :( meetlngs together before the
appllcatlon was ready to be sent ln.
The timetable and methodology
The pro[ect was planned for ve months, but later on lt was extended due to changes ln the pro-
gramme and wlthln the group of young people.
Durlng the rst month, preparatlon and rst actlvltles started. A questlonnalre almlng to ldentlfy the
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most common needs and lnterest of youngsters, whlch couldnt be reallsed due to lack of money, was
created and dlstrlbuted to young people from the town. Accordlng to responses, four maln areas of
worklng were put forward: art, archltecture, electronlc and computer and forelgn languages.
The rst phase of the pro[ect was very enthuslastlc. oung peple were very motlvated and happy that
they managed to recelve a grant. Co-operatlon wlth the school was very good as well as wlthln the
group of lnltlators. The advlsor from the school, who took the role of coach for the young people, was
dolng a great deal for the group, as well as belng the contact person wlth the Natlonal Agency.
Durlng the second month, lmplementatlon started. And then, the rst problems appeared: connlct
between the co-ordlnator of the pro[ect and the advlsor. The role of co-ordlnatlng the pro[ect was
glven by the group of lnltlators to a young poet. One day the co-ordlnator called the Natlonal
Agency wlth a complalnt that the advlsor was lnnuenclng the pro[ect too much and dld not allow
the young people to act freely as lt should be by the prlnclples of outh |nltlatlves. The rst phone
call wlth the advlsor and other group members, made by the Natlonal Agency, showed a dlnerent
understandlng of the problem. The group promlsed to rst dlscuss the lssue together and then nd
a common solutlon.
As for the coachlng system provlded by the Natlonal Agency, three steps were lmplemented.
First step: e-mails and telephone talks
|n a few days the Natlonal Agency recelved a letter from the group lnformlng about a change of the
pro[ect co-ordlnator. The same day the Natlonal Agency recelved a letter from the co-ordlnator that
due to manlpulatlon by the advlsor the group was forced to re[ect her as the co-ordlnator of the
pro[ect. Talklng to both sldes by phone and medlatlng between them dld not brlng total clarlcatlon.
At thls stage the maln reason for connlct was recognlsed ln the advlsors lnvolvement.
Second step: meeting with the whole group at the National Agency ofce
Slnce the lnformatlon was contradlctory, we lnvlted the whole group to the Natlonal Agency for a
meetlng to dlscuss posslble solutlons. The group was very unlted agalnst the co-ordlnator who was
seen as a betrayer slnce she lnformed the Natlonal Agency about the connlct. Dlnerent methods
were used to ldentlfy the source of connlct wlthln the group and to reach posslble solutlons. we
dlscussed the motlvatlon of team members to work together and pro[ected the results of a posslble
solutlon. At the end the group agreed to compromlse so that they would glve one more chance to
the co-ordlnator. At thls stage the maln reason of connlct was recognlsed as the relatlonshlp between
the group and the co-ordlnator, the group dld not want to be co-ordlnated by a person they dld
not respect and dld not trust. The advlsor was not present durlng thls meetlng. All members of the
group had very good oplnlon about the role of the advlsor and the lmportance of the help glven
by the advlsor ln thelr actlon plan.
Third step: meeting with the whole group in their town
The co-ordlnator dld not full what was agreed ln the compromlse and the group asked for further
support. A rst talk wlth the co-ordlnator showed that she felt a huge pressure from belng observed
and lack of trust by members of the group. The group declded that slnce communlcatlon was so
dlmcult and so many emotlons were lnvolved, lt would be much better lf the actual co-ordlnator
would take over the responslblllty for co-ordlnatlon of one sectlon lnstead of the whole pro[ect. The
advlsor was not present durlng our meetlng.
The project results
The pro[ect met lts alm: young people created space for thelr talents and creatlvlty. The town be-
came more and more a place where young people could spend thelr free tlme. All actlvltles whlch
were planned ln the tlmetable were reallsed. However the lnltlal pro[ect co-ordlnator dropped out
of the group and never came back. So the prlnclple of the Club that every person can be an actlve
member was not accompllshed.
The coaching approach
Prom my renectlon, the strong polnts of the coachlng approach were: taklng problems serlously,
showlng boundarles, ensurlng young people take declslons by themselves, suggestlng to young
people alternatlves for solutlons and common analysls of benets and dlsadvantages of glven strate-
gles, [olntly confrontlng the core of the connlct and leavlng the nal declslon ln young people hands,
create safe space for mutual exchange of oplnlons and needs. As for the weak polnts of coachlng,
| would ldentlfy: not understandlng the local context and the lmportance of an adults presence ln
recognltlon of the group by local authorltles, not properly ldentlfylng roles wlthln the group and
not appreclatlng the cruclal posltlon of the advlsor for the young people.
Prom the very beglnnlng thls group of young people was supported by dlnerent adults: teachers,
llbrarlan and parents, and at the end, omcers of the Natlonal Agency. what was the most problematlc
area was llnked more wlth them as a group than any external problem. The maln eld of needed
coachlng concerned connlct management, communlcatlon, group dynamlcs and team bulldlng.
The pro[ect ltself brought new and unknown challenges to the young people: how to work ln a
group together! How to reach thelr ambltlous alms and ob[ectlves and stlll llke each other! How to
manage communlcatlon wlthln the group! How to deal wlth group members who dont obey group
rules! How to communlcate wlth adults! whose slde to take ln case of connlct among advlsors or
group members! How to deal wlth personal confrontatlon and crlsls of frlendshlps! How to clarlfy
mlsunderstandlng and doubts!
| thlnk that lt would have been very good for thls group to have had have some team bulldlng and
group worklng exerclses whlch would have helped them to know each other better from the per-
spectlve of worklng together wlthln a team for many months. Moreover lt would have been helpful
for young people to have had one coach external to thelr group or support organlsatlon. The young
people lacked support from somebody who was not lnvolved lnto the pro[ect.
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Postcard from Lithuania: Video Book of Recipes 5. 2
The project idea
The maln ldea of the outh |nltlatlve ellow-Green-Ped was to create a vldeo reclpe book. oung
people wanted to gather cooklng reclpes of tradltlonal meals prepared by people from dlnerent
cultures llvlng ln Llthuanla and put that on vldeo.
what was drlvlng young people durlng thls pro[ect was the posslblllty of travelllng around the
country, meetlng people from other cultures, playlng wlth the vldeo, trylng new and lnterestlng
meals and havlng a good tlme durlng the summer holldays. |n fact they were motlvated by a classl-
cal formula: new experlence, challenge and fun. 8ut also the pro[ect gave the opportunlty to show
other young people that lt ls posslble to do somethlng lnterestlng whllst drawlng thelr attentlon to
the cultural dlverslty around them. Moreover the posslblllty of experlenclng non-formal educatlon
was also lmportant even lf they were not totally aware of lt.
All partlclpatlng people were llvlng ln vllnlus, the capltal clty of Llthuanla, whlch ls often celebratlng
cultural dlverslty, but not necessarlly paylng a lot of attentlon to lt or valulng lt ln dally llfe.
The initiators
Around o young people partlclpated ln thls outh |nltlatlve and 6-; of them were the maln people
who carrled lt out. The ages dlnered from :6 to :8 years old and thelr experlences were also varled.
Por almost all of them thls was the rst contact wlth the OUTH programme. Untll thls experlence
the young people knew each other as frlends wlth whom lt was good to party. outh |nltlatlves gave
them the posslblllty of knowlng themselves as colleagues ln work and that turned out as a totally
dlnerent experlence. Por some of them partlclpatlon ln the pro[ect bullt thelr condence, others
were convlnced they would rather stay as frlends rather than as pro[ect co-leaders.
The timetable and methodology
The startlng polnt of the pro[ect was the search for a common idea. Durlng thls stage |, as coach,
was uslng some creatlve thlnklng technlques that helped to nd enough orlglnal and lnnovatlve
ldeas. After ndlng a common ldea lt was lmportant to put ln order all maln actlons and tasks to be
undertaken durlng the pro[ect. |t helped then to plan concrete steps of the pro[ect, uslng partlcl-
patory technlques.
After ndlng the ldea and plannlng concrete steps, the young people started to fll in the application
form. They had meetlngs where they were dlscusslng parts of the appllcatlon form, then sharlng
responslbllltles out and lllng lt ln. | was dolng proof readlng of the appllcatlon and sendlng my
feedback vla emall.
by Nerijus Kriauciunas
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After gettlng the grant the young people had meetings to plan project activities, share the tasks
and responslbllltles. |t was lmportant to rstly plan all the vlslts ln dlnerent reglons where people
from other cultures llve, agree wlth them on meetlngs, and ldentlfy resources avallable and needed.
Lverythlng was planned and declded by the young people wlth some consultatlon wlth me vla
phone calls. Durlng consultatlon | was trylng to clarlfy the optlons, but the nal declslon was made
by the young people themselves.
Durlng the rst weekend vlslt we trled to comblne group building activities and shooting the flm.
Por the group bulldlng | used several methods based on experlentlal learnlng prlnclples. Actlvltles
showed some dlsagreements wlthln the group and weak polnts ln thelr common work. The nega-
tlve slde was that some people from the group dld not know a lot about the pro[ect as they were
lnvlted to [oln lt [ust before the rst vlslt. Durlng that vlslt | partlclpated ln the rst shootlng of the
lm as well. (Although | dld not partlclpate ln the rest of the shootlng, | was posltlvely surprlsed
when, durlng the last presentatlon of the movle, | saw how many people from dlnerent cultures
they managed to place on the vldeo!)
Durlng some of the followlng weekend vlslts | used experiential learning as a way of answerlng
the concrete needs of the young people ln the group. |n one of the rst stages of the pro[ect we
went on a nlght trlp ln order to get to know each other better. |n the mlddle stage of the pro[ect we
went on a boat trlp to dlscuss gender lssues as lt was appearlng as one of the lmportant toplcs ln
the group. |n both cases | made suggestlons after ldentlfylng the group needs and young people
were decldlng to take the challenge or not.
One of the main barriers for some group members partlclpatlon of some members of the group
was money. As the pro[ect fundlng was delayed the young people had to pay thelr partlclpatlon
to the vlslts from thelr own money and ln few cases they pald extra money to cover the costs of
other people lnvolved ln the pro[ect. As a learnlng polnt from thls they took more tlme to work on
co-fundlng.
The most difcult stage was ln the autumn when they had to nlsh the preparatlon of the vldeo
book and organlse lts presentatlon. The maln problems were the startlng of the school year, partlcl-
patlon ln other after school actlvltles and lack of motlvatlon. My role here was more to put questlons
trylng to clarlfy thelr lnterest and wlsh to contlnue the pro[ect.
Durlng the fnal stage of the project young people partlclpated ln two weekend semlnars. One was
focuslng more on lntercultural learnlng and the other one on generatlng ldeas and plannlng. Durlng
the lntercultural learnlng weekend | prepared workshops and worked wlth them more as a tralner.
Por the second one | helped them to nd two tralners who worked wlth them.
Durlng the evaluation stage of the pro[ect we had two evaluatlon meetlngs. The young people
used some evaluatlon tools to renect on the outh |nltlatlve experlence and evaluate the outcomes.
Durlng the evaluatlon meetlngs they prepared the nal presentatlon of the pro[ect. | was partlclpat-
lng as a guest.
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|t ls worth mentlonlng that due to the over run of the last stage of the pro[ect, lt was necessary to
extend the end date of the pro[ect. The nal verslon of the movle was cut by professlonals ln co-
operatlon wlth the young people whlch gave them the opportunlty to learn new skllls. | dld not use
the vldeo lm as a source for evaluatlon but lt could be a very good tool for thls purpose.
Durlng the reporting tlme | advlsed the leader of the group on how to prepare the nanclal and
actlvlty parts of the report. As we were submlttlng the nal report to the Natlonal Agency together,
lt was lmportant to agree the changes ln the pro[ect.
The project results
To a great extent the maln alm of the pro[ect was achleved as lt was supposed to be beneclal to the
lnltlators of the pro[ect themselves. Thats how lt happened. Maybe the product of thls outh |nltla-
tlve, a vldeo book of reclpes, ls not of the best quallty, but the process was valuable for the personal
development of the young people. Through thls pro[ect they strengthened thelr motlvatlon to keep
an lnterest ln other cultures and actlvely partlclpate ln slmllar actlvltles ln future.
The year after nlshlng thls outh |nltlatlve pro[ect several of the young people hosted a multllateral
outh Lxchange pro[ect wlth the maln theme Culture. The local communlty was lnvolved ln some
actlvltles of that lnternatlonal pro[ect and partlclpated ln the nal presentatlon of the pro[ect.
Thls outh |nltlatlve was beneclal not only for the young people dlrectly lnvolved ln the pro[ect
but for other people too. Durlng one of the rst vlslts to a small town a new outh |nltlatlve was
born to be lmplemented the year after the pro[ect. |n that new outh |nltlatlve some of the young
people from the vldeo reclpe book outh |nltlatlve partlclpated as well. Through partlclpatlng for
the second tlme ln a outh |nltlatlve young people were actlve ln advlslng, lnsplrlng and onerlng
creatlve proposals to thelr peers.
The coaching approach
Prom the methods and technlques | used ln coachlng thls outh |nltlatlve the best were creatlve
thlnklng technlques and experlentlal learnlng actlvltles. Qulte good was also the worklng group
bulldlng actlvltles and evaluatlon tools.
My coachlng was lmportant at the very early stage of the pro[ect when the young people were
searchlng for an ldea and preparlng the appllcatlon form. At the nal stage lt was lmportant to
motlvate the young people to nlsh the pro[ect and to encourage successful reportlng so that the
young people could cope wlth thelr obllgatlons.
| thlnk wlthout my coachlng the outh |nltlatlve would be dlnerent, but lt ls very dlmcult to say what
lt would be, lf lt would be
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Postcard from Italy: Initiative after Initiative 5. 3
by Mario DAgostino
The project idea
The pro[ect |m descrlblng doesnt concern one slngle outh |nltlatlve but two of them, one after
another. The ldea of these lnltlatlves was to develop young peoples opportunltles ln a terrltory
where there were nelther youth pollcy nor youth organlsatlons or youth centres, and therefore
there werent any youth actlvltles.
|n :pp | was a soclal worker responslble for a centre for young people wlth dlsabllltles and at the
same tlme | was a young actlvlst of the outh Lxpress Network, from excluslon to lntegratlon.
Thanks to the outh Lxpress Network | had the opportunlty to partlclpate ln the Long Term Tralnlng
Course held at the Luropean outh Centre ln Strasbourg. Partlclpants on thls tralnlng course came
from all over Lurope wlth an ldea of what a youth pro[ect could be. The pro[ect | had ln mlnd was
to bulld a youth centre ln my mother town Tlvoll (6o.ooo habltants, provlnce of Pome) ln order to
oner an opportunlty to young people to be creatlve and actlve and to promote the culture of youth
partlclpatlon among young people and polltlclans.
The initiators
Thanks to the lnformatlon and skllls | acqulred durlng my tralnlng ln Strasbourg and the support
of the outh Lxpress Network, | started to spread what | had learned to a group of young people
llvlng ln 8orgonuovo, a soclally dlsadvantaged suburb of Tlvoll. | was enthuslastlc to tell the group
that, as young Luropean cltlzens, we had a chance to express our rlght to be actlve and creatlve and
above all, that we had the opportunlty to develop a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect through the outh for
Lurope programme.
So | started meetlng at the centre for young people wlth dlsabllltles where | was worklng wlth
a group of :-:p years old young people, who were strongly motlvated to reallse thelr own pro[ect
wlth me. Thls was the beglnnlng of my experlence as a coach for a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect.
The timetable and methodology
|nltlatlve after lnltlatlve, the dlnerent phases of the whole pro[ect ldea were the followlng:
First phase : Youth Initiative Letter to Europe
After several meetlngs ln 1anuary :pp6, the group nally agreed on a common ldea for a pro[ect. At
thls stage | trled to do my best as a coach not to lnnuence thelr cholce, but supportlng them to clarlfy
thelr ldea for the pro[ect. Thelr ldea was to produce a lm that would show thelr llvlng sltuatlon. Par
from becomlng famous actors thelr alm was to spend some good tlme together and at the same
tlme to let the others, such as young people, local polltlclans and Luropean youth organlsatlons,
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know about thelr reallty. we wrote down the pro[ect and nally sent the appllcatlon to the Natlonal
Agency of the outh for Lurope programme.
we faced many dlmcultles because we were lnformed that the pro[ect was approved 6 months after
sendlng the appllcatlon, and the nanclal support arrlved to us : year later. |t was very dlmcult for me
as a coach to keep thelr motlvatlon hlgh for such a long tlme and lt was really stressful to support the
group wlthout any tool and wlthout any money. et | couldnt leave the group at that moment.
8ut nally, at the end of :pp; the lm tltled Letter to Lurope was ready and subtltled ln Lngllsh and
Prench. The lm was a documentary lncludlng a strong denounclatlon of the soclal and cultural
sltuatlon of the young people llvlng ln thls suburb.
At thls polnt the group declded to hlre a clnema ln order to show thelr lm to cltlzens and polltl-
clans. Thelr lntentlon was also to organlse a forum on youth lssues wlth local polltlclans, as a place
where to ask the polltlclans to support them ln establlshlng a youth assoclatlon, ln settlng up a
youth centre and ln developlng a youth local councll. That day the clnema was full of people (wlth
exceptlon of polltlclans). Later on | reallsed that the need of holdlng a forum wlth polltlclans was
much more mlne than the groups.
when the lm was over the group told about thelr experlence and lnvlted the other young people
to [oln them ln creatlng a youth organlsatlon and ln clalmlng a youth centre.
Second phase : Youth Organisation Free Young City
About 8 new strongly motlvated young people [olned the group after the outh |nltlatlve Letter to
Lurope. |n :pp8 nally they succeeded ln establlshlng thelr youth organlsatlon called Pree oung
Clty, but a few months later only 6 people were left ln the organlsatlon, from whlch only z were
part of the orlglnal group. Por a long perlod the group of 6 trled to organlse llttle actlvltles for other
young people and chlldren but lt was dlmcult for them to keep thelr organlsatlon allve wlthout
recognltlon and support from the munlclpallty.
Third phase : Youth Initiative From Creativity to Participation
|n zoo:, after a blg crlsls among the members of the group, the organlsatlon reallsed a local outh
|nltlatlve pro[ect entltled Prom Creatlvlty to Partlclpatlon supported by the OUTH Natlonal Agency,
and once agaln wlth my volunteer support as a coach.
|n 8 months throughout thls pro[ect, a group of : young people from the Pree oung Clty organl-
satlon reallsed several actlvltles, such as concerts, movle forums on youth sltuatlons, performances
by young artlsts, round table dlscusslons on youth pollcy and youth partlclpatlon and workshops
on theatre, tradltlonal muslc, lntercultural work, clownlng and vldeo maklng. They rented an old
factory that became a self-managed youth centre for the perlod of the pro[ect. Thls tlme, | was sure
that the alms of thls pro[ect such as motlvatlng young people to be actlve and polltlclans to support
youth pollcy were the ones carrled out by the group and not by me. My role as a coach was rather to
traln the group ln pro[ect management ln order to lmprove thelr ablllty and autonomy to manage
the pro[ect by themselves.
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The result of thls pro[ect was a vldeo documentary that has been dlscussed wlth the Mayor durlng
a publlc conference. Plndlng lnsplratlon ln the whlte Paper on outh Pollcy of the Luropean Com-
mlsslon and the Card of Partlclpatlon of the Councll of Lurope, the young people asked the Mayor to
provlde them wlth a youth centre and to support a youth local councll. At that moment, the Mayor
took the commltment to pay the rent of the centre for :o months and to support young people ln
order to nd a common way to develop youth pollcy.
Fourth phase: Youth Centre Youth Community of Tivoli
|n zooz the youth organlsatlon had zo young members. The organlsatlon asked me to contlnue
supportlng the group ln the research for funds to reallse a partlclpatlve youth centre. 8y that tlme
a reglonal law set aslde a fund to lncrease youth partlclpatlon. 8oth the organlsatlon and | were
seelng our lnltlal dream come true. Plnally, the organlsatlon recelved economlc support to start
a youth centre almlng to promote actlve youth partlclpatlon ln the clty of Tlvoll.
The project results
The fact that today there ls a youth centre that fosters partlclpatlon ls a result of a process carrled
out durlng more than ; years thanks to outh for Lurope and outh Luropean programmes.
Nowadays, slx people aged z-o belonglng to the orlglnal group and to the youth organlsatlon
Pree oung Clty are worklng as youth workers for dlnerent organlsatlons ln the area. About me,
| am currently coachlng a group of young people comlng from a town of :oo.ooo habltants ln the
south of |taly, where no youth organlsatlon nor youth centres exlst.
The coaching approach
|n the lnltlal phase of the pro[ect | worked above all to spread lnformatlon about the Luropean op-
portunltles and to motlvate the group ln reallslng somethlng for themselves and for the local youth
communlty. |n thls phase | shared wlth the group concerns and emotlons, taklng myself the role of
group and pro[ect leader. At that tlme | was young and probably | was more a soclal worker and an
actlvlst than a coach. what | am asklng myself and what | ask you ls, lf ln your oplnlon lts rlght that
the alms of a young soclal worker are to be transferred to a group of younger people. Do you thlnk
| manlpulated the group or that | gave them an opportunlty!
|n the second phase the group was looklng for autonomy and ldentlty so that some older members,
unfortunately the more soclally and economlcally dlsadvantaged ones, left the group whlle younger
ones entered. |t was tough for me not to enter the group ln thls phase, above all because the young
people whom | thought could brlng an lmportant contrlbutlon to the group were leavlng. | sup-
ported the group only when they asked me to do lt. Sometlmes | ask myself lf lt would have been
better to be more present as a peer. what do you thlnk!
|n the thlrd phase the young people came to me to have some consultatlon about a problem related
to the partlclpatlon of young people to the actlvltles they were promotlng. They asked me to support
them ln reallslng a local outh |nltlatlve pro[ect. Thls tlme as a coach | facllltated communlcatlon
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among the group members, | shared alms and strategles of the pro[ect, | tralned them on pro[ect
management, | helped them to ldentlfy thelr lndlvldual competences and | acted as a mentor. Thls
was the phase | felt to be more sultable for me, maybe because thls ls what | was asked for.
The fourth phase meant, to me, the end of my coachlng role. | put my knowledge and my com-
petences at the dlsposal of the youth organlsatlon, as far as fund research to reallse a democratlc
partlclpatlve youth centre was concerned. Unfortunately, after recelvlng the economlc support of
the Peglon the organlsatlon board dld not accompllsh a partlclpatlve management of the centre.
The only ones to manage lt were the presldent, the vlce presldent, the treasurer and the secretary
who were all worklng as youth workers.
So now |m asklng myself and to you: ls lt posslble for a coach to be manlpulated by a group of
young people!
Two vldeos document thls experlence: Letter to Lurope lmed ln :pp6 and Prom Creatlvlty to Par-
tlclpatlon lmed ln zoo:. A copy can be requested at the e-mall address rlodagoQtlscall.lt
Postcard from Germany: Participation... Mission (Im)possible 5. 4
by Jochen Butt-Ponik
The project idea
|n my posltlon of a youth worker for a blg youth organlsatlon, | have to nd addltlonal funds from
tlme to tlme to balance the cuttlng by the state or dlstrlct of our regular grants. Prom research,
| found a grant posslblllty ln a pro[ect fund for lmprovlng the soclal partlclpatlon of young people,
onerlng a maxlmum of :o.ooo c for pro[ects that alm at contracts between young people and polltl-
cal representatlves, local authorltles or even prlvate companles.
Por my assoclatlon, | set up the pro[ect ldea of Partlclpatlon Mlsslon (|m)posslble to create a frame
for local youth groups to develop such contracts and to reallse pro[ects correspondlng wlth thelr
local needs. Our omce would provlde a CD-Pom wlth materlal and tools on pro[ect management
and oner a tralnlng course to accompany the local pro[ects, and the local pro[ects would do what
they felt was needed to lmprove thelr sltuatlon.
The initiators
when | wrote down the appllcatlon, there was not a clear and expressed need of the young people
themselves that | responded to, but more a feellng that thls would be needed and a focus on the
lnterests of the organlsatlon | work for. | made leanets and spread lnfo about the pro[ect among the
local groups of our assoclatlon to motlvate young people to take part ln that pro[ect once lt was
granted. And lt was! we got the approval, my board was happy wlth the extra money and | had the
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extra enect of feellng that | could comblne my lnterest to motlvate my target group for pro[ect work
wlth the needs of my organlsatlon. So honestly, the lnlator was me and not the young people.
The timetable and methodology
8ut what happened was that after three months of publlclslng thls grant (lncludlng money for lo-
cal pro[ects), nobody seemed to be lnterested. what to do! | stlll found our orlglnal ldea valld and
good, and had the feellng that the young people should get lnvolved ln the planned pro[ect. The
benet for them would be great, at least we thought so. They could get better representatlon of thelr
ldeas, maybe solve some local problems, learn how to get along wlth the promlses of polltlclans, all
good results, but somehow the young people dldnt seem to be really lnterested. |n addtltlon, the
benet to our organlsatlon would be worth the enort: some extra money, better contact wlth our
young volunteers, and somethlng else, lets call lt reputatlon, a nlce success whlch could be shown
to the publlc.
Coachlng under such clrcumstances ls ln danger of becomlng a dlrty buslness. ou get more and
more xed on the vlew that you have to nd [ust anybody to reallse your pro[ect ldea. what are the
young peoples coachlng needs! Certalnly lt ls not proposlng them to solve thelr problems through
partlclpatlon ln your pro[ect. Of course, you dont sell the ldea to everybody. No partlclpatlon work ls
sustalnable and has a good lnvolvement of the young people lf lt does not correspond to thelr own
lnterests and needs. So | trled to convlnce people here, place a comment about the benets of the
pro[ect there, and try to create an atmosphere, where the young people start to thlnk about the op-
portunltles for them lf they take part ln my pro[ect. |f they would do lt at the end | wasnt sure.
So maybe | would have had to wrlte the pro[ect report wlth a blgger use of my fantasy, or glve back
some of the money, or [ust evaluate that my planned pro[ect was not based on needs, but on a (lnsuf-
clently estlmated) predlctlon of dynamlcs. |t ls hard to reach such a concluslon especlally when your
[ob ls connected wlth the success of such enterprlses, but better thls way than maklng the young
people the tool of your ldeas. | would not have wanted to be treated llke raw materlal for a youth
workers sake when | was young and thls could be a clear polnt of reference on the questlon of how
far you can use your role as a coach to full your own ldeas wlth the young people you work wlth.
The project results
After two more months, all of a sudden partlclpants on one of my semlnars started to show an
lnterest ln the pro[ect posslbllltles. Those young people | had prevlously worked wlth for some
tlme created thelr own ldeas and ldentled needs for thls pro[ect. Then they sent me a SMS ln the
mlddle of the nlght asklng about fundlng rules. | guess they would not have done so lf | had made
them do the pro[ect!
we used a sequence of four semlnars to coach and support local pro[ects run by the young volun-
teers. They were supposed to be based on thelr needs at a local level, for example the renovatlon
of a youth room ln thelr assoclatlons house or the creatlon of attractlve optlons for local youth to
spend free tlme durlng summer holldays. Por thelr support, my organlsatlon developed a CD-Pom
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wlth checkllsts and materlals for dolng local pro[ects and work as a volunteer ln the youth boards
of our organlsatlon.
The problems they faced lmplementlng local pro[ects were, and stlll are, enormous and reallstlcally
lt seems that these pro[ects are not really of the hlghest prlorlty for thelr work ln the assoclatlon.
Nevertheless, some of them trled out pro[ect work, went through experlences wlth such partlclpa-
tlon pro[ects and (at least thats my hope) learned a lot. we had the rst blg publlc presentatlon of
the pro[ect and lt proved how much the young people understood thls whole thlng as thelr lssue.
The coaching approach
| guess that a lot of youth workers are ln a slmllar posltlon: trylng to nd a balance between thelr
organlsatlonal lnterests and the lnterests of the young people themselves. |n most of the cases, your
professlonal success ls most llkely based on fosterlng successful youth pro[ects or actlvltles. Gettlng
publlc money mlght need your pro[ect ldeas on the one hand and young peoples lnvolvement on
the other, but should you try to connect these both by all means necessary!
where ls the boundary where manlpulatlon starts and your coachlng support ls uslng the young
people to full the organlsatlons needs! Pather easy to dene maybe by a lack of commltment of
the young people and by a bad consclence ln you. |f you take a reallstlc look at your role ln the group
of young people and you nd yourself ln a posltlon of belng the overall motlvator, the only one who
ls taklng responslblllty, lf you llsten to your words when you coach the young people and you hear
mere attempts to convlnce... then take a step back and renect on your role agaln!
Coachlng wlth an attltude towards actlve youth partlclpatlon leads to stunnlng results and you stlll
llke to look at your face ln the mlrror
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Postcard from France: Against Violence at School 5. 5
by Pascal Chaumette
The project idea
P.A.S au bahut ls a dramatlsed debate on the theme of vlolence at school. The alm of thls serles of
sketches ls to ght agalnst vlolence ln prlmary schools, secondary schools and hlgh schools. The
lnnovatlve aspect of the pro[ect ls that P.A.S au bahut ls an lnteractlve performance, or what ls
known as an lnteractlve dramatlsed debate, meanlng that durlng the performance there are constant
exchanges between spectators, actors and a medlator.
what happens! A scene ls rst performed by actors playlng the role of a monltor or teacher who ls the
vlctlm of an act of vlolence. when the scene comes to an end, the actors freeze, meanlng that they
stay xed ln thelr roles whlle the medlator lnvltes the audlence to nd solutlons. As ldeas take shape,
the medlator gradually ldentles two or three perceptlve young people and asks them to come up
on stage to act out not [ust thelr own role, but also that of the teacher who has been attacked |t
wlll be up to the young people, on stage, to resolve the connlct ln the falrest way posslble.
Through these sketches, puplls of a secondary school or college can have an open dlscusslon about
sub[ects llke verbal vlolence, rackets, steallng and slmllar lssues that they can encounter everyday,
and try to nd solutlons to these problems together.
The initiators
The pro[ect was lnltlated by ve young people aged between :8 and z, led by a young lady who
played the role of co-ordlnator. They were all unemployed but loved actlng and theatre. They strug-
gled on gettlng whatever [obs they could but wlth thls pro[ect ln mlnd almed at young people who
are vlctlms of vlolence at school every day. The co-ordlnator and her frlends have wltnessed thls
type of vlolence and wanted to perform theatre wlth purposes.
The timetable and methodology
wlth a great ldea llke thls, people from the local communlty dldnt need much to be convlnced of
the need to develop such a pro[ect and the good lmpact lt would have ln the schools. |t was slmply
a matter of settlng up the pro[ect, for lnstance telllng people about lt, emphaslslng that the skllls
already exlst ln the group, the goodwlll ls ln place, but that there ls a lack of means.
when the co-ordlnator rst came to see me, she presented the pro[ect wlthout a slngle wrltten
word! we needed to work on the draftlng and consequently the structurlng of the pro[ect. Together
we dlscussed everythlng ln detall, and as | knew nothlng about her, she put together her network
map: a practlcal tool that can be used to ldentlfy exlstlng knowledge that could contrlbute to the
pro[ect, whether personal, professlonal, or others.
we then worked on all aspects of organlsatlon and above all we focused on the ways to nd the
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necessary fundlng. we had to deal wlth setbacks when we got refusals from fundlng sources, that
was a dlmcult tlme when we had to overcome doubts and hesltatlons.
The project results
Thls pro[ect was set up years ago and stlll exlsts! |n terms of recognltlon, the group recelved the
natlonal rst prlze for lnltlatlves led by young people.
Today, the co-ordlnator and her frlends have created an assoclatlon: TracnArt Theatre. She ls lts
dlrector and contlnues to work on thls pro[ect, among other actlvltles deallng wlth sub[ects that
concern young people (A|DS, drugs).
Hundreds of secondary schools and hlgh schools have asked her to perform for them: there ls a long
waltlng llst to get a performance by thls group as lts results are extraordlnary! Thats no surprlse be-
cause here the ethlcs do not come from the teachers or the parents or even from the actors on stage.
8ecause of the way they are lnvolved, the message comes from the young people themselves!
The coaching approach
My maln alm as the coach of those young people was to get the pro[ect golng and organlse the group,
set up a pro[ect management process that would allow us to work through establlshed steps to reach the
ob[ectlves. Seelng that they were motlvated and convlnced about the pro[ect but were somewhat lost
when lt came to paperwork and admlnlstratlve detalls, my role was also to create synergles between the
group and potentlal partners. Thls way we were able to share out the responslbllltles and each person
was clear about what they needed to do whlle stlll remalnlng wlthln the general framework of settlng
up a pro[ect. 8ased on thelr dlnerent skllls, the group declded for themselves who would do what.
|t was lmportant that the group dldnt glve up thelr ldea or get dlscouraged because of the quantlty
of paperwork and admlnlstratlve challenges they had to deal wlth. The rst steps ln any pro[ect are
absolutely cruclal for consolldatlng the team and should all be notlced, underllned and even cel-
ebrated! Durlng our weekly meetlngs, my ob[ectlve ln terms of team management was to ratlonallse
what they were dolng and hold everythlng together so that they could have a clear plcture of where
they were golng wlth the pro[ect. Thls approach apparently pald on slnce the group members told
me that they felt as lf they were bulldlng a [lg-saw puzzle and at the same tlme they were one of
the pleces of the puzzle.
As | know very llttle about the world of theatre myself, | had to enllst the help of experts for thlngs
llke the needs analysls and especlally for ndlng low-cost materlals. My ldea was to conclllate technl-
cal detalls and teambulldlng, slnce | belleve lts much easler to concentrate on the human slde of
thlngs when the technlcal lssues have been dealt wlth!
My role malnly was settlng out the general procedures. There was no need to revlew the ob[ectlves or
contents, but rather a need to work on the means for developlng the pro[ect. |n fact, the group had al-
ready a great capaclty to be autonomous as well as the skllls requlred for pro[ect management, but there
was a need for a gulde to show them the way to structure the pro[ect stages. Thls ls the role | took over!
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Postcard from Estonia: Rural Information Network 5. 6
by lly Enn
The project idea
Thls outh |nltlatlve was run by a group of young people from a local youth club ln one of the rather
remote areas ln Southern Lstonla. |n prlnclple lt was one of those places one could easlly moan
about that lt ls too small, too far away from the centre of the reglon and thus a rather borlng place
for young people to llve. wlth the exceptlon that ln thls llttle vlllage the co-operatlon between
dlnerent generatlons to develop the communlty worked rather well. Por lnstance, the local youth
club was launched wlth strong support from local government and the events of the youth club
were very popular among the local populatlon. So ln one of the gatherlngs of the local youth club
a new pro[ect ldea was ralsed: a group of young people actlve ln the youth club declded to make
thelr contrlbutlon to ralse the youth awareness and lnterest ln actlve partlclpatlon ln other more
remote vlllages ln thelr reglon.
The initiators
The ldea of the pro[ect was launched by some young people who were actlve ln the local youth club
slnce lts beglnnlng and thus had most experlence ln local level actlvltles. |n order to open up the
group and lnvolve other lnterested people, an lnvltatlon was sent around through the e-mall group
of the youth club and nally :( young people, most of them aged :-:p started to develop the pro[ect
ldea further. Slnce lt was a rather small vlllage, all of them knew each other qulte well.
The pro[ect almed to lnvolve young people llvlng ln dlnerent vlllages of the reglon so that they would
become more aware of thelr potentlal for actlve partlclpatlon and startlng somethlng on thelr own
ln thelr home envlronment. The emphasls of the pro[ect was lald on the young people wlth the ldea
that lf lt succeeds the whole communlty would benet ln the long term.
The timetable and methodology
The pro[ect was planned for :z months. Durlng lts lntroductlon phase, the pro[ect ldea was presented
ln the reglonal radlo for wlder publlclty (for one week dlnerent lntervlews and lnteractlve games took
place as part of the radlo programme to attract the attentlon of youth) as well as through targeted
malllng towards local governments ln the reglon.
Next stage was organlslng awareness ralslng events ln dlnerent vlllages. Altogether 6 events took
place lnvolvlng more than zoo young people. The programme of events lncluded lntroductlon to
the pro[ect and to the local youth club, lnfo sesslons on how to start up a local youth club, how to
lnltlate youth pro[ects and where to nd nanclal support for local level youth actlvltles, as well
as a workshop on obstacles to local youth partlclpatlon and some entertalnment (sports games
and dlsco). Durlng each meetlng ldeas from local youth for further lnltlatlves were gathered and a
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contact llst for the reglonal youth lnformatlon network conslstlng of young people from dlnerent
vlllages was started.
The results of the events run ln vlllages as well as the grand nale were forwarded to the heads of
local authorltles. Speaklng of the pro[ect results ln terms of products, the followlng were created: a
web-page wlth useful materlal for those lnterested ln local youth partlclpatlon and an lnformatlon
booklet about local youth clubs.
Through the pro[ect process the group of lnltlators was supported by a youth worker actlve ln the
co-ordlnatlon of the local youth club. |n addltlon ln Lstonla, all the core groups of outh |nltlatlves
grant alded ln the frame of the OUTH programme are also supported by the Natlonal Agency by
lnvolvlng young people ln the Mld-Term Lvaluatlon Tralnlng. Some coachlng was then also provlded
by the Natlonal Agency ltself.
|t ls a plty that even though normally the tralnlng takes place somewhere ln the mlddle of the
pro[ect process (to ralse the quallty of pro[ects through support to thelr mld-term evaluatlon and
further phases of pro[ect), thls pro[ect group got lnvolved ln tralnlng [ust a month before the end
of thelr pro[ect.
Due to that my coachlng, as Natlonal Agencys pro[ect omcer, lnvolved malnly support to the evalu-
atlon of the experlence durlng the tralnlng (lncludlng asslstance ln management of some mlsun-
derstandlngs between the core group and the local coach, ldentlcatlon of maln learnlng polnts
together wlth the young people, etc) as well as some phone and e-mall consultancy after the tralnlng
to provlde support ln the nal actlvltles and reportlng of the pro[ect.
The project results
|n general lt could be sald that the young people reached thelr maln alm: they succeeded ralslng
awareness of how to start up somethlng at a local level ln small vlllages and as a result several local
youth clubs were formed. Also, through the events of the pro[ect, publlc attentlon was attracted
to youth lssues.
|n addltlon the benets of the pro[ect can also be measured by extenslve learnlng experlence for
the core group. The pro[ect process was rather long and not very easy and therefore the young
people faced a few challenges:
dlmcultles ln the relatlonshlp wlth the youth worker of the local youth club. |t became evldent that
the young people and the youth worker had dlnerent vlews on the pro[ect reallsatlon. As omclally
the youth worker was the person responslble for the pro[ect, accordlng to the young people, lt had
created qulte sensltlve dlscusslons on ownershlp of the pro[ect.
a modest lnterest (and ln some pro[ect workshops even arrogant and lnterruptlng behavlour)
from the young people ln the target group. |n general the pro[ect was welcomed very warmly by
youth ln vlllages, but ln some events lt dld not work out well ln creatlng contacts wlth local young
people.
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As a result of these dlmcultles some of the group members lost thelr motlvatlon to contlnue the
pro[ect. So the actual reallty of the pro[ect was that ln trylng to reach thelr planned ob[ectlves and
create a posltlve local lmpact on youth partlclpatlon ln rather remote vlllages uslng thelr own per-
sonal experlence as a good example, they also had to struggle wlth challenges related to team-work
and lnnuences from local communlty, among others.
The coaching approach
Thls pro[ect was run ln an envlronment where, ln prlnclple, the young lnltlators had many people
and lnstltutlons to turn to for coachlng: thelr local youth club, the local authorlty and the Natlonal
Agency. Prom the example we can see that ln some aspects of the pro[ect the group had to be ready
to nd the best solutlons for the pro[ect to be reallsed. Thls had to be completed rather lndepend-
ently of coachlng.
|t ls a plty that the tralnlng organlsed by the Natlonal Agency could only happen so late slnce lt was
evldent that lt provlded the group wlth a rather safe and comfortable envlronment to evaluate thelr
pro[ect process, as well as to ldentlfy those moments ln whlch they clearly needed some monltorlng
and asslstance from somebody outslde the pro[ect process. Durlng the tralnlng dlnerent methods
were used: creatlng commerclals to brlng up the essentlals of the pro[ect, facllltatlng group dlscus-
slons to ldentlfy the learnlng experlences ln terms of galned skllls, attltudes and knowledge, work-
shops based on forum theatre to try to ldentlfy solutlons for problems experlenced by the core group
members durlng thelr pro[ect, lndlvldual and group level mapplng of achlevements and results of
the group lnltlatlve. After tralnlng the coachlng malnly lnvolved phone and e-mall consultatlons.
So the story ends qulte well for thls pro[ect as the maln alms were achleved and the young people
galned a valuable learnlng experlence. Probably, wlthout coachlng, the pro[ect process would have
been dlnerent and maybe not that dlmcult for the core group. Another way to look at outh |nltla-
tlves though ls to admlt that a outh |nltlatlve ls a rather safe envlronment to try out your own ablll-
tles and understand your own mlstakes ln pro[ect management and ln thls llght, lf all went perfectly
as lt was for thls partlcular group ln thls partlcular pro[ect.
After the pro[ect, some of the young people from the core group have also been lnvolved ln form-
lng youth groups for new pro[ects ln the frame of the OUTH programme such as another outh
|nltlaltve and several outh Lxchanges.
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Postcard from Belgium: Urban Artistic Gallery 5. 7
The project idea
Thls ls the pro[ect story of a group of young artlsts from dlnerent countrles and backgrounds who
shared a common dream: create a network of Luropean artlsts from urban culture and a space for
artlstlc exchange ln an area of 8russels where the partners and the local communlty could reallse
thelr pro[ects. The ldea to create a pro[ect came up when thls group of young artlsts had for the
rst tlme the opportunlty to set up an exhlbltlon ln a youth assoclatlon ln 8russels, capltal clty of
8elglum. They were ln charge of organlslng the openlng, selllng the palntlngs and other artlstlc
ob[ects, receptlon of the publlc... what an enrlchlng experlence! why not create a space where they
could exchange thelr own artlstlc expertlse, learn from each other, be autonomous, be themselves!
why not reallse thelr common dream by settlng up a pro[ect together wlth other groups of young
people ln Lurope!
As the group was composed of young people from dlnerent countrles they had created ln each
country a network of local artlsts. Altogether they declded to set up an art gallery ln 8russels where
young artlsts from dlnerent countrles could llve the experlence of creatlng thelr own plece of work
and show lt to the publlc.
The initiators
The promoters of the pro[ect were from 6 dlnerent countrles, all resldents ln 8elglum, and aged
between zz and z. They were all passlonate about urban art and culture, and because lt generally
lacks recognltlon and ls often not understood by the publlc and the lnstltutlons, they declded to set
up a pro[ect almlng to make urban art better known and appreclated ln the area.
Two of the lnltlators ln 8russels were students at that moment and the rest were unemployed, so
they proposed themselves to co-ordlnate the pro[ect. On behalf of the network of young artlsts ln
dlnerent countrles, these ( young people ln 8elglum applled for a Networklng pro[ect (Transnatlonal
outh |nltlatlve), wlth partners from Prance, Spaln, Czech Pepubllc and 8elglum. They were granted
the funds!
why dld they want to do thls pro[ect! On the one hand they dld lt for themselves, to develop thelr
artlstlc and personal skllls, and on the other hand they dld lt for thelr network, to exchange practlces
and expertlse and galn recognltlon for thelr work. 8esldes, slnce there ls not art gallery dedlcated
to urban art ln 8russels, they wanted to do thls pro[ect for the local communlty (nelghbours, local
assoclatlons, schools, and communlty servlces) to make urban culture more vlslble and better known
throughout the nelghbourhood. Prom a long term perspectlve, thelr nal ambltlon was to become
an autonomous cultural enterprlse, so as to be lntegrated ln the labour market.
by Henar Conde
The timetable and methodology
The pro[ect ldea was ln young peoples mlnd one year before they were awarded the grant to reallse
lt. The pro[ect ltself lasted one year but they were plannlng to contlnue afterwards.
The task dlvlslon was done on the basls of the competences and motlvatlons of each member of the
group: wrltlng the appllcatlon, creatlng the |nternet webslte, admlnlstratlve lssues, communlcatlon,
graphlcs, looklng for future partners and looklng for a place to set up the gallery and organlse the
exhlbltlons. All partners should prepare a folder wlth a port-follo about thelr assoclatlon and thelr
artlstlc work. Lach member of the group should nd the role that sulted hlm or her best but all of
them should have an overall vlslon of the tasks ln order to co-operate better ln the pro[ect.
The rst thlng the co-ordlnatlng group dld was to nd a place for thelr actlvltles. The next step was
communlcatlon related: to create an emall address, webslte related to the actlvltles, name and logo
ln order to ensure the recognltlon and vlslblllty of the pro[ect. Then the programme of actlvltles
was lmplemented: openlng of the gallery, productlon of posters and lnvltatlons, contact wlth the
nelghbourhood, promotlon of future actlvltles, and so on.

The project results
The pro[ect reached lts alm: the openlng of the rst exhlbltlon was crowded wlth vlsltors and so were
the followlng exhlbltlons! Local partners and new artlsts from the nelghbourhood were present.
Lots of new contacts were created. Short magazlnes were produced at the end of each exhlbltlon
and a nal book lncludlng all artlsts partlclpatlng ln the pro[ect was planned to be publlshed as a
follow-up to the pro[ect. Several people expressed thelr lnterest ln buylng some pleces of work and
some fresh lnternatlonal artlstlc atmosphere was spread around the nelghbourhood.
The pro[ect had a dlrect benet on the core group co-ordlnatlng the pro[ect ln 8elglum and on the
partner artlsts but also on a large number of other artlsts and non artlsts who presented thelr work
ln the gallery. Actually the real number of beneclarles ls very dlmcult to calculate slnce the lmpact
reached not only the local communlty ln 8russels but also ln the partner countrles.
The coaching approach
Unfortunately the group dld not have a coach provldlng regular support durlng the lmplementa-
tlon of the pro[ect and therefore they recelved no help when dlnerent problems appeared. How to
reallse a pro[ect! How to put what ls wrltten ln the appllcatlon lnto practlce! wrltlng the appllcatlon,
worklng out the budget, these are easy tasks. ou can learn lt thanks to your studles, but how to
set up a concrete pro[ect ln the real world! There ls a Users Gulde about theoretlcal questlons but
there ls no gulde about how to deal wlth practlcal lssues, thats what they mlssed.
Moreover the lnternatlonal aspect of these pro[ect brought addltlonal dlmcultles to the devel-
opment of the network such as communlcatlng between partner groups, deallng wlth dlnerent
expectatlons and lnterests of the groups, tasks and budget dlvlslon, lnvolvement of partners, and
others. Por those questlons, a support person would have been very helpful.
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|ts very llkely that havlng a coach durlng the preparatlon and lmplementatlon of the pro[ect would
have helped to deal wlth some mlsunderstandlngs wlthln the co-ordlnatlng group and wlth the
partners and probably lt would have helped wlth some technlcal skllls that the group lacked such
as accountancy. Maybe also lt would have encouraged the motlvatlon of the group durlng some
dlmcult steps when thlngs dld not seem to work as lnltlally planned. 8ut even though they had no
support from the coachlng slde they managed to deal wlth the dlmcultles they encountered and
they denltely learnt a lot.
The coach mlght have avolded the overall frustatlon felt by the group, yet they galned self-con-
dence and new artlstlc skllls as well as new competencles on pro[ect management, communlcatlon,
loglstlcs, admlnlstratlon, deslgnlng, publlclty, and lots more. And lt was a great lntercultural experl-
ence: learnlng to work ln an lnternatlonal team, sharlng practlces and ldeas Probably, the coachlng
here would not have had enect on the outcomes of the pro[ect slnce thls was a great success but
would have been very useful ln the process ltself, as the young beneclalres easlly acknowledged!
Summary and Prospective 5. 8

As you could see above, the presented storles can be hardly called the best examples of our coach-
lng practlce. Our ldea was to share wlth you the complexlty of each case and posslble ways (whlch
not always were successful and proper!) to support these lnltlatlves. we belleve that we can learn
and galn from each others experlence, even lf lts an experlence of fallure.
These seven examples hopefully show that the coachlng support for youth pro[ects ls very valuable
not only to ralse the quallty, lmprove the process and the success of the pro[ects but also (and above
all) of the young peoples learnlng experlence. we dont know ln whlch way the pro[ect results would
have been dlnerent wlthout coachlng, but for sure we can oner new doors for the young people
who wlsh to lnltlate thelr own pro[ect. we can try to motlvate them lf they are stuck ln thelr process
and provlde them wlth methods to contlnue and follow thelr ldeas.
Obvlously the most lmportant polnt to remember whlle coachlng ls to leave the self lnltlatlve and
actlve partlclpatlon as much as posslble to young people themselves!
t o o l s
6 . 8| - CCL L TOOL S
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It is not sufcient for a successful coaching to have its heart in the right place, to ask the right questions
at the right moments and to be able to put oneself in someones place. Coaching means to reach
defned goals and to fnd solutions together in a common group process. The task is to discover all
existing resources and to make them useable and available to others.

To create this process you need tools and instruments helping you to visualise important aspects,
to get to know the group you will work with, to identify your own competences and resources as a
coach, to evaluate the project and the coaching processes, to refect on skills gained by the young
people or even to unravel confused thoughts and to structure them. There is a need for explanation
models, advisory methodology and intervention technology. In this chapter you will fnd a variety
of tools and instruments that might help you to ride the Coaching Bi-cycle in the most efcient and
participative way, taking care of the creativity and diferent ways of expression of each individual.
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Use thls tool as a self-renectlve assessment model to gulde you ln supportlng and challenglng your
development as a coach. |t wlll help you to explore whlch coachlng style ts you better, as well as
to understand the dlnerent roles that a coach can play when supportlng youth pro[ects.
Coaching Ghost Inventory
BI-CYCLE TOOL 1
Directions:
Pead the followlng
statements and clrcle your
responses for each statement
on the response form table
provlded on the next page.
Responses:
To what extent does
each of the (o coachlng
|nventory statements
descrlbe your behavlours,
values or attltudes!
Clrcle the approprlate letter
for each statement uslng the
followlng key:
A Always
S Sometlmes
N Never
Note: you con only c|tcle one
tesonse et stotement.
Coaching Inventory Statements
+. The responslblllty for learnlng and development
always lle wlth the coach.
z. As a coach | llke to share my skllls and knowl-
edge by belng lnvolved.
. Coachlng ls about showlng people the way.
(. People learn best when they take responslblllty
and get lnvolved.
. People need coaches to facllltate learnlng and
for dlrectlng them to success.
6. Learnlng by dolng wlth others ls essentlal for the
coach and the learners.
;. Coaches are essentlal lf expertlse and knowl-
edge are to be transferred.
8. |t ls lmportant for everyone to be lnvolved
through the whole process.
p. A coach ls there to ensure people stay focussed
and on track.
+o. A coachs partlclpatlon ls an lmportant part of
any team.
++. The responslblllty for learnlng ls that of the par-
tlclpants, the coach ls there [ust to support.
+z. The coach has to ensure everyone has the op-
portunlty to fully get lnvolved.
+. Coachlng ls another frlendller term for a man-
ager.
+(. As a coach | nd lt dlmcult not to get lnvolved.
+. |f people are the vehlcles and drlvers, the coach
ls the map.
+6. A coach has to be able to creatlvely engage all
partlclpants.
+;. The coach remlnds the partlclpants of the
agreed alms and ob[ectlves.
+8. The coach can motlvate and ensure the group
achleves more through seelng themselves as
part of the group.
+p. The coach ls there to hold the hands of the
partlclpants.
zo. when a group ls functlonlng enectlvely the
coach lsnt needed.
z+. A coach wlll have more experlence and knowl-
edge than the partlclpants.
zz. 8elng totally part of the group allows the coach
to fully understand the group dynamlcs and
learnlng process.
z. A coach wlll encourage and motlvate the group
to ldentlfy forward strategles.
z(. A coach should allow the group to revlew and
evaluate thelr own actlvltles.
z. A coach should not allow the group to devlate
from lts goals.
z6. The coachs lnput of ldeas ls as lmportant as the
partlclpants.
z;. A coach ls there to manage the groups dynamlc
not the group actlvltles.
z8. The coach wlll ensure everyone ln the group has
equal opportunlty to glve thelr vlews.
zp. A coach wlll make sure meetlngs move on a
good pace.
o. A group cannot meet lf the coach lsnt there.
+. A coach can make suggestlons about the proc-
ess but the group wlll make the declslons about
the dlrectlon and actlvlty.
z. The process ls more lmportant than the prod-
uct.
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N
2 A
S
N
3 A
S
N
4 A
S
N
5 A
S
N
6 A
S
N
7 A
S
N
8 A
S
N
9 A
S
N
l0 A
S
N
ll A
S
N
l2 A
S
N
l3 A
S
N
l4 A
S
N
l5 A
S
N
l6 A
S
N
l7 A
S
N
l8 A
S
N
l9 A
S
N
20 A
S
N
2l A
S
N
22 A
S
N
23 A
S
N
24 A
S
N
25 A
S
N
26 A
S
N
27 A
S
N
28 A
S
N
29 A
S
N
30 A
S
N
3l A
S
N
32 A
S
N
33 A
S
N
34 A
S
N
35 A
S
N
36 A
S
N
37 A
S
N
38 A
S
N
39 A
S
N
40 A
S
N
. A coach can rstly show the group how tasks
can be accompllshed before allowlng them to
attempt them.
(. A coachs needs are [ust as lmportant as the
groups.
. A coach wlll support the group ln renectlng to
ensure the group learns from the experlence of
partlclpatlng.
6. The group chooses lts own dlrectlon and tasks.
;. A coach should encourage the group to thlnk
outslde of the box, to be creatlve when ap-
proachlng a challenge.
8. Problem solvlng ls the responslblllty of both the
coach and the learners.
p. The coach wlll ensure there ls a safe and pro-
ductlve learnlng envlronment.
(o. The role of the coach ls to be llke a ny on the
wall and [ust observe.

Coaching Ghost Inventory Response Form
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Clrcle your scores
correspondlng to the
kesonse lotm. The clrcles on
your Pesponse Porm should
be ln exactly the same place
on the 5cot|n lotm.
Coaching Ghost Inventory Scoring Form
l 2
3
l
2 3
2
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3 3
2
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4 3
2
l
5 2
3
l
6 3
2
l
7 2
3
l
8 2
3
l
9 l
3
2
l0 l
2
3
ll 3
2
l
l2 2
3
l
l3 3
2
l
l4 3
2
l
l5 2
3
l
l6 2
3
l
l7 2
3
l
l8 2
3
l
l9 l
3
2
20 l
2
3
2l l
3
2
22 l
2
3
23 3
2
l
24 3
2
l
25 2
3
l
26 l
2
3
27 2
3
l
28 2
3
l
29 2
3
l
30 l
2
3
3l 3
2
l
32 3
2
l
33 2
3
l
34 l
2
3
35 2
3
l
36 3
2
l
37 3
2
l
38 2
3
l
39 3
2
l
40 2
3
l

Directive

Involved

Guiding

Participative
TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL
Directions:
Add each column (down)
and place totals ln the
boxes provlded. Then
also add all the columns
together to glve you
your grand total.
GPAND TOTAL:
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Plotting Your Results
To obtaln a more graphlc lllustratlon of your Coachlng Ghost results, transfer your column totals
from the scorlng form to the table below. Maybe use dlnerent colours and ll the columns to create
a graph llke lllustratlon.
30
25
20
l5
l0
5
Dlrectlve |nvolved Guldlng Partlclpatlve
Coaching Ghost Interpretation
The Coachlng Ghost |nventory ls a self renectlve assessment model to be used as a gulde for sup-
portlng and challenglng your development as a Coach.
The maxlmum score on thls Coachlng Ghost |nventory ls +zo polnts. Any score above +oo wlll usu-
ally mean that you use a balanced comblnatlon of coachlng method styles and have a broad and
advanced understandlng of coachlng methods and technlques. ou are aware of the lmportance
of coachlng and that dlnerent learners and groups can have dlnerent learnlng needs and ap-
proaches.
|f your score ls ln the range of 6o +oo, thls could mean you have a good understandlng of coachlng
methods and technlques and you may be sllghtly experlenced but not a regular coachlng practl-
tloner. |n tlme wlth some self renectlon, tralnlng and further experlences of coachlng you are well
on your way to lmprovlng your practlce and understandlng of coachlng.
|f your score ls below 6o thls could mean that you are a coachlng novlce. our understandlng of the
term and your experlence of coachlng mlght be relatlvely new. Completlng the Coachlng Ghost
|nventory could be your rst posltlve step to becomlng a coach and understandlng lts roles.
The column wlth the hlghest score can mean lt ls thls approach you feel most comfortable and
famlllar wlth. However lt ls lmportant to look closer at those areas where you reach a low score to
ldentlfy posslble learnlng and development areas for you as a coach.
Pemember a good coach wlll always use a varlety of technlques and methods dependlng on needs.
A well balanced coach wlll have column scores that are close and slmllar.
Directive
Thls style and method of coachlng ls very much based on the coach onerlng dlrectlon and some-
tlmes steerlng the group ln a certaln or deslred way. The coach acts as a slgn post through ldentlfy-
lng posslble routes and opportunltles and occaslonally wlll try and persuade the group to choose
a partlcular route. The coach clearly and fully understands that thls sllghtly manlpulatlve approach
ls necessary at that partlcular tlme.
Involved
Thls style and method ls where the coach feels belng a member and part of the group. Thls ls more
allgned to a peer approach. The coach wlll usually feel he or she has the same amount of lnvest-
ment as the group and therefore deserves the same amount of the reward. Thls ls where the coach
ls lmmersed ln the whole group process, he or she ls lnvolved yet at the same tlme he or she ls the
coach. The coach here may only be ldentled by havlng more skllls ln, experlence and understand-
lng of, the toplc area.
Guiding
Thls style and method ls where the coach focuses on supportlng the group or lndlvlduals. The coach
ls there to ensure the partlclpants well belng by ensurlng a safe learnlng envlronment and that the
group process ls well managed. Thls ls where the coach supports the group at every level, almost
handholdlng the group and maklng sure they dont experlence potentlal hazards.
Participative
Thls style and method are where the coach allows the group to nd lts own way and lndlvlduals are
self dlrectlve. The coach wlll ensure the group has ownershlp and autonomy of the pro[ects and
actlvltles. The coach here acts more as a soundlng board and can oner suggestlons but the partlcl-
pants ultlmately make the nal declslon and choose thelr own dlrectlon.
Coaching Action Plan
8ased on your scores of the Coachlng Ghost |nventory whlch coachlng method and style do you
most strongly allgn yourself wlth (thls wlll be the column wlth the hlghest score)!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8ased on your scores of the Coachlng Ghost |nventory whlch coachlng method and style do you
have the weakest connectlon wlth (thls wlll be the column wlth the lowest score)!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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whlch coachlng style and method do you belleve best ts wlth your understandlng of outh |nltla-
tlves!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what strategles can you lmplement to explore further the coachlng method and style you scored
lowest on!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what strategles can you lmplement to develop a more balanced approach to coachlng!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what opportunltles ln terms of support, tralnlng, resources, consultatlon does your support or-
ganlsatlon, your Natlonal Agency, SALTO-OUTH network, other peer colleagues, etc can oner ln
lmprovlng your coachlng awareness and skllls!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what opportunltles do supportlng outh |nltlatlves oner ln lmprovlng your coachlng awareness
and skllls!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
My commltment to my own development and that of others:
Throughout the next 6 months | wlll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Through supportlng outh |nltlatlves | wlll . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
wlshes are ok, but lntentlons are for real
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Here you wlll nd two creatlve open methods that mlght help you to see where the group stands
ln the beglnnlng. Moreover we lntroduce you to dlnerent methods of vlsuallsatlon for practlcal use
durlng the coachlng process.
The mirror
Por the rst contact wlth a new group you could brlng a rectangular mlrror wlth you. After the rst
gettlng to know each other you brlng out the mlrror (rst wlth the back slde ln front of the group)
and ask the group, whot Jo you th|nl, whot Jo l hove hete |n my honJs/ 8ecause the partlclpants of
the group are slttlng ln dlnerent posltlons and therefore they have dlnerent polnts of slght, you wlll
get a varlety of suggestlons llke plcture-frame, palntlng, blackboard or also mlrror.
After a short renectlon on the fact that thlngs can change lf you look at them out of dlnerent perspec-
tlves, you turn the mlrror ln the rlght posltlon (horlzontally) and lnvlte the group to place themselves
ln front of the mlrror, so that they can see themselves and all other members of the group. |f they
succeed, lts posslble to turn the mlrror agaln ln the vertlcal posltlon and to ask them to solve the
same task to place themselves ln front of the mlrror, watchlng themselves and the others. 8ecause
the mlrror glves them less space when lts ln the vertlcal posltlon than when lt was horlzontal, the
group wlll squeeze ln to have an external look on themselves.
The bicycle
ou draw a blcycle on a nlp-chart and explaln: lot the oe|nn|n l l|le to |nv|te you lot o shott exet|-
ment ol thouhts onJ exlo|n ot the some t|me how l wotl lmo|ne thot th|s o|cycle |s stonJ|n hete
|n out toom. lt |s stoo|l|seJ ot the honJleoot, so thot |t cont loll on the t|ht ot lelt s|Je. lotwotJs onJ
ooclwotJs |t |s moveoole. 7he eJols ote vett|col, so one |s tutneJ u onJ the othet |s tutneJ Jown. 7he
one wh|ch |s tutneJ Jown |s tutneJ to yout s|ht. lmo|ne lutthet on, thot l hx o stt|n on the eJol wh|ch
|s tutneJ Jown onJ thot l ull w|th the stt|n |n o po onle towotJs the oocl ol the o|cycle. Then draw
a strlng on your blcycle on the nlp-chart and ask to the group: |n wh|ch J|tect|on |s the o|cycle mov|n/
Pleose J|scuss shottly w|th eoch othet onJ tell me yout tesultl
The group wlll put thelr heads together and dlscuss for a whlle Unanlmously they should agree
that the blcycle wlll move forwards. Now you brlng out a hldden blcycle and x llke ln theory
a strlng on the pedal. One partlclpant ls now asked to hold the blcycle and another one should pull
the strlng. As a surprlse for the whole group the blke ls movlng backwards.
ou can use thls astonlshed atmosphere to oner the group some new glasses. whot l l|le to show
w|th th|s exet|ment |s the telot|onsh| oetween theoty onJ toct|ce. 7hete ote mony J|hetent theot|es
ex|st|n concetn|n the to|c wotl|n |n teoms onJ tous. 8ut toct|colly seol|n the teol|ty olten lools
comletely J|hetent l|le we just exet|enceJ some m|nutes ool w|th teotJ to th|s loct l suest
Visualisation Methods
BI-CYCLE TOOL 2
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olso to tty to chone etsect|ves onJ os|t|ons somet|mes Jut|n out lutute co-oetot|on. 7h|s w|ll hel
us to lool ot the J|hetent th|ns ltom J|hetent s|Jes...
The most common and standard method of vlsuallslng thoughts, perceptlons and solutlons ls to
wrlte the contents on cards. Toplcs and Goals are wrltten lndlvldually on cards to sort them out and
to brlng them nally ln a new structure.
Slmllarly we are used to create schematlcally presentatlons on a nlp-chart helplng us to understand
the context ln a better way. |n these cases lts helpful to ask the partlclpants to draw thelr own
presentatlons, because then lt ls easler for externals to understand the thoughts of somebody else
and often lt also helps the person who ls vlsuallslng hls/her own ldeas and thoughts to clarlfy them
meanwhlle.
Another convenlent method of vlsuallsatlon ls to create moveable plctures out of dlnerent materl-
als. Therefore you can use for example wooden gures or also postcards wlth dlnerent sub[ects,
characters or sltuatlonal atmospheres. To work on the noor oners the advantage to better play wlth
the dlstances. The overvlew from above supports a dlstanced perspectlve especlally lf the people
are strongly lnvolved ln the toplc.
Pollowlng the motto one plcture tells more than thousand words, vlsuallsatlons can help durlng
the coachlng process to clarlfy and structure some elements of the pro[ect. The plctures answer the
purpose to medlate ln communlcatlon. vlsuallsatlon oners the posslblllty to get more dlstance and
also sometlmes to renect wlth a blt of humour.
8ut above all, the heart of coachlng ls an open and constructlve dlalogue lnvolvlng actlve llstenlng
and questlons whlch support the self renectlon of partlclpants. A posslble danger of vlsuallsatlon
ls that you loose real contact wlth the group for example lf you concentrate more on the aesthetlc
of the plctures than on the content!
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when lt comes to coach a new group you wlll rst need to get some general lnformatlon about the
group such as contact detalls, group structure, group lnterests and actlvlty prole. 8esldes that, lt
mlght be helpful to analyse the coachlng needs ln a systematlc way, lncludlng motlvatlon for the
coachlng and speclc role you wlll play as well as ldentlcatlon of challenges and resources for every
coachlng process.
Hereby you wlll nd a complete check llst to formallse a blt the gettlng to know phase and analysls
of coachlng needs. |t wlll help you to keep the hlstory of all outh |nltlatlves you wlll support durlng
your coachlng practlce experlence.
a. General information
Name of the group/lnltlatlve: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Name of a contact person: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Address: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
L-mall: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Phone: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what ls thelr favourlte medlum to keep ln contact! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Supportlng organlsatlon (lf any): . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Names of group members: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other general lnformatlon: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
b. Group structure
How many people are lnvolved! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what type of group ls lt! (|nformal group/ branch of youth organlsatlon/ assoclatlon/)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Analysis of Coaching Needs
BI-CYCLE TOOL 3
6. 3
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who ls leadlng the group! (outh worker/ somebody from the group ltself/)
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How do they make declslons! what are thelr formal regulatlons! (8oard/Chalrman/collectlve)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what ls the age range!
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How many young men, how many young women are lnvolved!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what are the group members dolng! Are they worklng! (Puplls, students, apprentlceshlp, [obs,
unemployed)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Are all members volunteers or ls there any professlonal worker lnvolved!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How often do they meet!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Have they establlshed the group themselves or do they belong to an exlstlng structure!
c. Groups interests and activity profle
what are the maln actlvltles!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what lnterests (cultural or soclal lnterest/lelsure tlme/frlendshlp/outer force) keep the group
together!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what do they want to do (outh |nltlatlve pro[ect)!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what ls the tlme range of thelr actlvltles or planned pro[ect!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Other relevant lnformatlon concernlng the actlvlty prole:
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Obvlously, there are
some structural reasons for
group problems, such as too
small or too blg group (and
contradlctory wlshes), a wlde
age range or an unequal
dlvlslon of sexes could lead
to unsatlsfactory sltuatlons
for some group members.
ou should as well be able to
ldentlfy the envlronment of
a outh |nltlatlve: how much
stress mlght come from thelr
soclal or work sltuatlon, etc.
Dlssatlsfactlon could also arlse
from a mlsmatch of an omclal
structure and the group, such
as a rlgld hlerarchy golng
agalnst the group lnterests.
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d. Analysis of coaching need I Voluntarism and motivation
who made the rst step to do thls coachlng! The group ltself, thelr supportlng organlsatlons, youth
workers or was lt you!
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|s your role as a coach clearly expressed! Or do you have a dlnerent functlon!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Does the youth group want to be coached! Do they want you to coach them!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
wlll you be pald to coach! wlll you coach them as part of your current [ob! wlll you coach them on
a voluntary basls!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
e. Analysis of coaching need II Identifying Challenges
what ls the coachlng need ln the eyes of the young people themselves! why do they thlnk they
need your coachlng support!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what do they want to achleve, develop wlth your support!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|n what of the lssues mentloned before (e.g. group structure, group lnterests) you see addltlonal
obstacles whlch mlght lnnuence substantlally the coachlng process! How far can they be lncluded
ln your coachlng strategy!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
f. Analysis of coaching need III Identifying Resources
what klnd of strengths, abllltles and resources can you (as a coach) ldentlfy that would allow to take
up the challenges llnked to the coachlng process!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what abllltles do you thlnk the group already have or should further develop to progress wlthout
you or the help of any other coach!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Any coachlng actlvlty
needs the voluntary wlll of the
young people to be coached,
for example why lt would be
good to be coached and why lt
should be done by you.
|f these mlnlmal condltlons
are not fullled, the coachlng
wlll not lead to deslrable and
constructlve results. Lspeclally
the motlvatlons of external
elements such as organlsatlons
and youth workers (we want
them to do a good pro[ect for
the benet of our organlsatlon)
have to be clearly ldentled.
Normally, there ls no such
thlng as the one reason for a
coachlng need. our problem
ldentlcatlon should be able to
ldentlfy a number of elements
and thelr connectlons to glve
successful support.
As coachlng ls a llmlted
process ln terms of tlme and
lmpact, your lnnuence ls and
should be llmlted as well. Thus,
the overall alm ln coachlng
youth pro[ects ls to make your
support unnecessary at the end.
Pesource orlentatlon helps to
ldentlfy the strengths they
can use wlthout permanent
support from you or any
other coach.
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8ulldlng the relatlonshlp durlng a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect ls generally a never endlng process. oung
people, as human belngs wlth dlnerent backgrounds and experlences, are, feel and behave dlnerent
when lnteractlng ln a group of people. Use thls tool to ldentlfy some group behavlours that may
appear durlng the process of a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect and to nd coachlng approaches to lncrease
the group coheslon.
Group Behaviours
BI-CYCLE TOOL 4
Group dynamic Description Advice for the coach
Co-operation
Collaboratlon of one or more
members of the group. Posltlve
attltude.
Glve posltlve recognltlon, use lt as a
reference. The pro[ect ltself ls a form of
co-operatlon.
Competition
One or more group members
compete wlth each other.
Put thlngs ln proportlon. |dentlfy
the dlmculty and encourage people
to talk about the lssues. |t can be a
posltlve stlmulus for the group.
Withdrawal
Someone wlthdraws from the
rest of the group.
Set up some klnd of teambulldlng
exerclse. Speak to the person
lndlvldually (away from the group).
Scapegoat
One person ls blamed for all
the real or lmaglnary thlngs
that go wrong. Thls allows the
group to overcome the feellng of
lnsecurlty.
|dentlfy the real problems and nd
out why they are happenlng. Get the
group to talk about lt ln one-to-one or
group meetlngs.
Rejection
The group adopts a [udgemental
posltlon and re[ects one of lts
members.
Analyse the problem and oner
to medlate. Create a space when
everybody has a say and ls llstened to
by others.
Flight
The group glves up or some
members drop out.
Suggest a mld-term evaluatlon
to dlscuss the coachlng and the
vlablllty of the pro[ect. work on thelr
motlvatlon.
Alliance
Advanced sub-group dynamlc
that allows some people to move
forward and others to stay ln the
background.
Lncourge the ones dolng a lot to
delegate and the ones not belng
actlve to take more lnltlatlve ln order
to reach a better balance.
6. 4
Coalition
An alllance between members
dlrected agalnst a speclc target.
Lncourage open dlscusslons wlth the
alm of reduclng tenslons.
Of the subject
People chattlng about other
thlngs (durlng meetlngs).
Pemlnd them what they agreed
lnltlally (rules declded all together).
Pocus the groups attentlon on the
sub[ect.
Leadership
A leader emerges, a group
member percelves a need and
trles to answer lt.
Dont lntervene dlrectly.
Lvaluate the leadershlp style
(charlsmatlc, authorltarlan,
democratlc) and check lf the others
are happy wlth thls new role or lf they
are [ust reslgned.
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8efore deslgnlng a coachlng strategy for a glven group of young people you should ldentlfy your
own competences (strengths and weaknesses) related to the needs of coachlng for thls speclc
group. Try to complete thls table through ldentlfylng the knowledge, skllls and attltudes you have
and those you can develop to support a speclc outh |nltlatlve group accordlng to thelr needs
and demands.
My Competences as a Coach
BI-CYCLE TOOL 5
AS A COACH I have already I have to develop
My knowledge
My skllls
My attltudes
The followlng tool can help you to renect on your skllls and abllltles llnked to the maln speclc
tasks and roles of a coach and openly share wlth the group how you can support them and how
you cannot.
6. 5
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AS A COACH I am good at I have difculties in I am not able to
|nformlng
Suggestlng
Pacllltatlng
Tralnlng
Others, e.g. medlatlng,
challenglng, team
worklng, anlmatlng, etc
SWOT stands for: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Use thls method wlth young people to enable them to ldentlfy thelr Strengths and weaknesses,
Opportunltles and Threats they mlght face durlng a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect. Through thls tool you
mlght help them to focus thelr actlvltles lnto areas where they are strong and where the greatest
opportunltles lle. |t ls lmportant to examlne both the lnternal (strengths and weaknesses) and ex-
ternal (opportunltles and threats) envlronments as to nd out the factors that wlll have an lnnuence
on thelr pro[ect.
SWOT Analysis
BI-CYCLE TOOL 6
Positive Negative
Internal Strengths weaknesses
External Opportunltes Threats
6. 6
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wrlte down answers to the followlng questlons:
Strengths:
what do you do well! what are your best skllls/ abllltles!
what relevant resources do you have access to ln your town/ clty!
what advantages do you have comparlng to other pro[ects/ organlsatlons ln the same town/
clty!
what do other people see as your unlque strengths!
Weaknesses:
what do you do badly! what could you lmprove!
what resources are you mlsslng ln your town/ clty!
what dlsadvantages do you have comparlng to other pro[ects/ organlsatlon ln the same town/
clty!
what do other people see as your blggest llmlts!
Opportunities:
where are the good opportunltles that you face!
what are the lnterestlng developments ln youth work ln your town/ clty!
Threats:
what obstacles do you face ln your organlsatlon/ ln your town/ ln your clty!
|s the local communlty sceptlcal or re[ectlng your pro[ect ldea (nelgbourhood, munlclpallty,
youth counclls, schools)!
|s tlme golng to be a factor to endange the success of the pro[ect! Are you, all members of the
group, avallable to contrlbute equally to the pro[ect!
Do you, all members of the group/ organlsatlon, have the same understandlng of the pro[ect
ldea! Do you want to reach the same ob[ectlves!
Do you have all the fundlng needed to set up your pro[ect or you are stlll looklng for co-fund-
lng!
Could any of your weaknesses serlously threaten your pro[ect!
Conslder thls from your own polnt of vlew and from the polnt of vlew of the people you deal wlth.
Dont be modest. 8e reallstlc. |f you are havlng any dlmculty wlth thls, try wrltlng down a llst of your
characterlstlcs and abllltles.
Carrylng out thls analysls wlll often be lllumlnatlng, both ln terms of polntlng out what needs to be
done, and ln puttlng problems lnto perspectlve.
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ou can use the followlng analysls grld at dlnerent moments of the coachlng process to assess
a serles of quallty crlterla related to the partlcularlty of outh |nltlatlves. Of course you can adapt
the assesment crlterla below to a glven group and a glven pro[ect. |t mlght be useful for measurlng
the progress of the group concernlng a number of lndlcators that you conslder essentlal for hlgh
quallty outh |nltlatlve pro[ects.
Assessment of Qualitative Criteria
BI-CYCLE TOOL 7
Project Title ............................................................................................................................................................................ Date ........................................................................
Assesment criteria




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Active participation: How lnvolved are young people ln the pro[ect! Are they contrlbutlng
to the pro[ect wlth thelr own ldeas! Are they maklng declslons by themselves! Are they taklng
responslbllltles towards the pro[ect and other members of the group!
Local impact: How ls the pro[ect lnvolvlng, or beneclal for, the local communlty! To what extent
does the pro[ect lncorporate awareness of other people and soclal commltment! Are the pro[ect
actlvltles related to or lncludlng other young people from the communlty!
Innovation: How can thls pro[ect be a new experlence for the young people or/and for the local
communlty! How are the pro[ect process and pro[ect actlvltles belng a new learnlng experlence for
the group!
European dimension: How are the young people becomlng aware of the Luropean culture
herltage! |s the theme of the pro[ect of Luropean lnterest! |s lt easlly transferable to other young
people ln other countrles! |s lt contrlbutlng to Luropean cltlzenshlp!
Partnership (if any): How ls the lnvolvement of dlnerent partner groups ln the pro[ect!
Are all partners sharlng a common vlslon and contrlbutlng equally to the pro[ect!
Are they all reallslng actlvltles related to a common purpose! Are they communlcatlng regularly!
Budget: How ls the budget balanced! Are all the costs related to the pro[ect actlvltles!
Are all expendltures clearly [ustled! |s the total grant amount sumclent to reallse the pro[ect
as orlglnally planned!
6. 7
Feasibility of the project: How can the pro[ect be accompllshed accordlng to the orlglnal plans!
Does the pro[ect meet an ldentled need! Are the ob[ectlves set at the beglnnlng belng reached!
Personal/ group challenge: Have the young people challenged themselves accordlng to thelr
potentlal at the start of the pro[ect! what are the level of motlvatlon and the degree of personal
and group enorts lnvested ln order to accompllsh the pro[ect!
Group dynamic: How are the young people bulldlng a relatlonshlp wlthln the group! Are they
gettlng on together! Are they worklng well as a team! Are they communlcatlng enectlvely!
Learning outcomes: How ls the experlence contrlbutlng to lmprove or galn new skllls!
what professlonal alms does the pro[ect have! To what extent wlll lt brlng new skllls for the young
people lnvolved!
Peer learning: How are the young people learnlng from each other! Are the young people sharlng
experlences, knowledge and skllls wlthln the group! Are they helplng each other! Are new abllltles
belng developed by lndlvlduals through sharlng experlences!
Evaluation: ls the group able to undertake self-evaluatlon! Are the young people renectlng on what
ls belng achleved! Are they ldentlfylng what stlll needs to be done! Are they adaptlng the pro[ect
accordlng to results of the evaluatlon process!
Follow-up: How could the pro[ect be contlnued after the contractual perlod! what are the expected
developments of the pro[ect from a long term perspectlve!
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Assesment criteria




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when lt comes to evaluate the pro[ect and group processes, there ls always the posslblllty to use an
lndlvldual questlonnalre at any moment of the coachlng bl-cycle. 8elow you can nd one example
of questlonnalre for Mld-Term Lvaluatlon, lncludlng questlons deallng wlth lmportant elements
lnherent ln the functlonlng of any group. They may seem obvlous or repetltlve sometlmes but they
allow you to make everyone aware of the dlnerent phases of the pro[ect and to understand the
process. The answers should brlng out lssues relatlng to the degree of group coheslon.
Questlonnalre for Mld Term Lvaluatlon
GPOUP wOPK
Aims and tasks
Dld you set ob[ectlves for bulldlng your pro[ect!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Do you thlnk that all of you agreed wlth the group ob[ectlves for bulldlng the pro[ect!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Do you thlnk that any of you had dlnerent understandlngs of these ob[ectlves!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Has the group achleved lts ob[ectlves!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what role have you played yourself ln achlevlng these ob[ectlves!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Has the group accompllshed lts tasks!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mid-term Evaluation Questionnaire
BI-CYCLE TOOL 8
6. 8
Do you thlnk you could have done better! How and ln what condltlons!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working methods
what method dld you use to bulld your pro[ect!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How dld you nd thls method! who suggested lt!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dld thls way of worklng help you to accompllsh your tasks!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Participation
Has everyone contrlbuted to the pro[ect!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
|f people dldnt partlclpate equally, was that felt as a problem for you or for the group!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
what klnd of atmosphere ls there ln the group!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Do you thlnk that thls atmosphere ls good for cooperatlon and mutual understandlng!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
How the group works and adapts itself
Dld your group have some klnd of structure or organlsatlon!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Dld you dlscuss about each others tasks before launchlng your pro[ect!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dld you feel any tenslons! Any barrlers! why!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use thls tool to start a dlscusslon wlth a group almlng to evaluate dlnerent aspects of the coachlng
process. |t ls an lnformal way of gettlng to know thoughts and feellngs of the young people you
are supportlng related to your coachlng approach: what they llke, what they dont llke, what they
would llke to change.
Incomplete Sentences
BI-CYCLE TOOL 9
| feel | am happy
| dont have | dont llke
| would llke | suggest
How to proceed
1. Use a dlagram or an overhead pro[ector, wrlte or 6 lncomplete phrases (see example ln table
above). ou should change or adapt them accordlng to your needs. what ls lmportant ls to allow
the young people to look back at what has happened before and to put forward suggestlons
for the future.
2. Lxplaln to them that thls exerclse ls lmportant for the success of the actlvlty and that all thelr
ldeas and suggestlons wlll be taken serlously.
3. Glve them + mlnutes to wrlte down posslble endlngs for the phrases. Thls ls to help those who
dont feel condent about speaklng or who are shy.
4. Ask all of them to read two of the complete sentences aloud, glvlng each person a maxlmum of
one mlnute each. (|n the case of small groups have them read out all the sentences).
5. Start a dlscusslon about the polnts to be taken lnto account, set up a two-way communlcatlon
wlth them avoldlng recrlmlnatlons and [ustlcatlons.
6. 9
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Use thls tool to assess young peoples satlsfactlon wlth the coachlng process. ou wlll get to know
about the best and least llked aspects of your coachlng, through the eyes of young people them-
selves.
The three thlngs you best liked about the coachlng experlence:
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The three thlngs you least liked about the coachlng experlence:
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
oung people should be glven about ten mlnutes thlnklng and wrltlng (on the top of thelr head),
then they are asked to share thelr comments. The followlng steps mlght help you to use thls tool
ln practlce.
Best Liked / Least Liked
BI-CYCLE TOOL 10
Tool adapted from: Foundation for
Young Australians and Dr Colin Sharp,
Flinders Institute of Public Policy and
Management. (2000) Start do it
yourself evaluation manual. Australia.
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How to proceed
1. Ask young people to express how they understand thelr role and contrlbutlon ln the pro[ect.
2. Provlde them wlth the worksheet above and ask them to wrlte notes (prlvately) about what are
thelr lnltlal oplnlons about the coachlng experlence, speclfylng three thlngs they best llked and
three thlngs they least llked.
3. Ask them to share thelr comments about the best llked ltems ln a round-robln fashlon amongst
the group.
4. Pacllltate a general dlscusslon of prlorlty ltems to summarlse the key polnts best llked.
5. Count the number of tlmes each ltem appears to nd out whlch were the most common and so
probably the most lmportant ltems. These are then re-llsted startlng wlth the ltems havlng more
responses, then the next most frequent and so on down the llst.
6. Pepeat steps three, four and ve wlth the least llked responses.
7. The evaluatlon can now be brought to the polnt by comparlng the best llked and worst llked
aspects of the coachlng process under revlew.
8. Quantltatlve analysls can be done (optlonal).
ou can use thls tool to collect lnformatlon about how the coachlng process was felt by the group
coached and whether the coachlng system helped or helps the lmplementatlon of the pro[ect
wlthout anectlng the lntegrlty of the group. |t ls helpful to encourage you and the young people to
express yourselves about the sub[ect that brought you together: the pro[ect and the coachlng.
Objectives Indicators
Moblllse, motlvate, encourage pro-actlve
partlclpatlon of the group
Degree of motlvatlon for the pro[ect
Ablllty to get lnvolved ln an actlon
Level of partlclpatlon (actlve/passlve) ln an actlon
Lmpower ownershlp Ablllty to take declslons and accept responslblllty
Pespect for terms of contract and commltment
Degree of lnltlatlve
Develop autonomy Ablllty to make cholces
Ablllty to take responslblllty
8ulld self-esteem Self condence
Awareness of own potentlal
Assertlveness (expresslng oplnlon)
Develop teamwork skllls Ablllty to form part of a group (lntegratlon/ lsolatlon)
Team splrlt
Attltude to others (aggresslve/ frlendly)
Tolerance, self-dlsclpllne, self control
Develop communlcatlon skllls Ablllty to speak ln publlc, to communlcate wlth other
people
Oral nuency, ablllty to analyse
Glve meanlng to certaln values Solldarlty wlth others
Transferable skllls for work and
employment
Ablllty to learn new technlques
Ablllty to ldentlfy technlcal skllls and knowledge
galned durlng the pro[ect
Lncourage young people to thlnk about
thelr professlonal future
Attltude to the future (passlve/ actlve)
|deas about what they want to do next (are they
actlvely looklng for work or for tralnlng!)
Observation Indicators
BI-CYCLE TOOL 11
|n order to evaluate the achlevement of concrete learnlng ob[ectlves lt ls necessary to set some
lndlcators, long term and medlum term, whlch wlll help you to observe the group accordlngly or
create sultable adapted questlonnalres. Here you can nd an example of an ob[ectlves-lndlcators
table for practlcal use. However we recommend you to adapt lt accordlng to the speclc group wlth
whom thls method wlll be used.
The indicators above are based
on Etudes VVVSI (1995): Sitelle,
Rigault-Villi Consultant, France
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|f your alm ls to work on the personal development of the young people you mlght use the followlng
tool. |t ls a self-esteem questlonnalre and should be done tlmes at 6 month lntervals. Through renect-
lng on, and lllng ln, the grld below, every young person can evaluate hlm or herself by ldentlfylng
thelr weak and strong polnts related to two categorles: own personallty and relatlon wlth others.
Self-Esteem Questionnaire
BI-CYCLE TOOL 12
How would you describe yourself on the following characteristics?
For each description, put a tick in the column that best describes you.
| am very much Pretty much Not much Not at all
M OwN PLPSONAL|T
Condent
Unrellable
Happy
Lasy golng
Moody
Prlendly
Get angry qulckly
Take responslblllty
|ntelllgent and brlght
Lazy
Porgetful
Always on tlme
Shy
Courageous
Sympathetlc
Always the [oker
Have good ldeas
Get bored qulckly
Avold hard work
Practlcal mlnded
6.12
Calm
Lnergetlc
Trustworthy
Creatlve
M PLLAT|ON w|TH OTHLPS
Open mlnded
Make frlends easlly
Plnd lt easy to get on wlth adults
Cooperatlve
A good leader
Good at organlslng self and others
Good llstener
work well ln a team
Talk a lot
Look out for others
Make put down comments
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| am very much Pretty much Not much Not at all
Personal Record of Achievement (PRA)
BI-CYCLE TOOL 13
ou can use thls tool to help young people to track and provlde evldence of thelr experlences and
development galned (knowledge, skllls and understandlng) from thelr partlclpatlon ln a outh |nltla-
tlve. Thls method has been developed by Connect outh (8rltlsh Councll, UK) and ls used as a tool
for recognltlon and accredltatlon.
|t ls avallable at |ttp://www.|rltls|ceaacl|.erq/ceaaect,eat|-,eat|-laltlatles-recer4-car4s.p4f
The PPA for outh |nltlatlves hlghllghts that all pro[ects should entall partlclpants uslng and
developlng certaln skllls whlch are consldered base sklll areas. There are slx of these base sklll
areas. 8esldes, there are also elght optlonal sklll areas ldentled. Partlclpants are encouraged and
expected to show development evldence ln all slx base sklll areas as well as two cholces from the
optlonal sklll areas. Those are the followlng:
6.13
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Working with others
How the others react to you!
How do others behave ln the group! what could you do to try to make thlngs more enectlve!
How declslons are made ln the group! Can the process be lmproved!
How you lnvolve others ln developlng the part of the pro[ect for whlch you have responslblllty!
what approaches do people respond best to and why!
How do you respond to dlrect lnstructlons!
7h|nl ooout how you
wotl |n the tou...
Personal Record
of Achievement (PRA)
8ase
!|l||s
worklng wlth others
Self-awareness
|ntercultural and global awareness
Pevlew and evaluatlon
Communlcatlon skllls
Problem solvlng
Cltlzenshlp
0ptleaa|
!|l||s
Number and lnformatlon
technology
Lqual opportunltles
Health and safety
Polltlcal awareness
Analytlcal skllls
Pro[ect theme skllls
|mprovlng learnlng
and performance
Lach sklll area has then a varlety of learnlng
outcomes to be measured and evldence
provlded as well as some notes, guldlng
questlons and suggestlons, for how to re-
nect wlth the group on the dlnerent sklll
areas. we wlll present below a summary of
the guldlng notes for the base skllls, you
can nd respectlve notes for the optlonal
skllls ln the PPA folder avallable at the
webslte lndlcated above.
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Self-awareness
Are you feellng nervous about worklng wlth your colleagues! what ls that you actually feel nerv-
ous about!
|f you dont feel nervous, do you feel anythlng else! what you feel and how lt anects your be-
havlour!
Can you ldentlfy your own strengths and areas where you are not so strong!
How you behave ln the group and how your behavlour anects others ln the group!
How the others see you!

Intercultural and global awareness
whlch ways you can nd out how young people ln other countrles tackle the lssue you have
chosen for your pro[ect!
|f you thlnk about other ways of tackllng the same lssue, how cultural dlnerences may have af-
fected those varlous approaches!
Are you keeplng a llst of what lnformatlon you lnform your partner about! How do you do lt and
what response, lf any, you recelve! How dld these match your prevlous thoughts!
Communication skills
How do you communlcate ln your own group and wlth your partner group (lf you have one)!
what reports you wlll need to wrlte ln connectlon wlth your pro[ect and what lnformatlon you
want to pass on about lt! what skllls do you need to have so that others fully understand the
purpose and value of your pro[ect!
Problem solving
How wlll you deal wlth these problems lf they occur!
whlch skllls do you have that can help to solve problems!
what new skllls you learn so that you can help to solve other problems you have not dealt wlth
before ln other areas of your llfe!
Can you ldentlfy at least three problems, wlth whlch you were dlrectly concerned, whlle the
pro[ect was taklng place and the role you played ln enabllng these to be overcome!
Review and evaluation
when you set out to develop the pro[ect, are you sure that you have clear targets about what you
personally want to get from lt and why!
How you can lnvolve your partner group, lf you have one, ln the evaluatlon and what you wlll do
wlth the lnformatlon you get!
Can you ldentlfy at least four ways ln whlch the alms of the pro[ect were met and descrlbe your
role ln achlevlng these!
7h|nl ooout yout leel|ns
7h|nl ooout how yout
toject tehects o lutoeon
J|mens|on
7h|nl ooout the vot|ety ol
J|hetent eole who you w|ll
toll w|th ooth oelote onJ
Jut|n yout toject
7h|nl ooout toolems you moy
encountet Jut|n the toject
7h|nl ooout woys
you con mole teulot
tev|ew|n
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Lvldence of the above skllls can be provlded ln many formats such as: wrltten, audlo recordlng,
drawlngs, multl medla or slmply orally. The lmportant thlng to remember ls that lt should be re-
corded ln some way to allow creatlvlty and expresslon of a glven group of young people, taklng lnto
conslderatlon thelr preferences and abllltles to express themselves.
The evldence ls then usually valldated or assessed by a youth worker or coach supportlng the group.
There may also be an opportunlty to lnvolve the whole group ln the assessment, as more of a peer ap-
proach. On completlon the lndlvldual recelves a certlcate and has a portfollo of learnlng evldence.
The portfollo should be the property of the young person completlng lt. Therefore lf you as a coach
wlsh to monltor each lndlvlduals learnlng process and completlon of the PPA, keeplng a coachlng
record wlll be essentlal. Thls can be done for each lndlvldual or tracklng thelr progress as a group.
On the completlon of the nal assessment lt can be extremely beneclal to celebrate the learnlng
achlevements of partlclpants. Thls can be done through holdlng a presentatlon evenlng or award
ceremony to present the nal certlcates, lncludlng the local communlty lnvolved ln the pro[ect,
the nelghbourhood, frlends, famlly and even the medla!
Uslng the PPA can lntroduce a new dynamlc to the coachlng process: lt encourages and allows you
to focus more on the partlclpants learnlng rather than the task or actlvlty. Nevertheless, you should
be aware that completlng the PPA process requlres a huge amount of dedlcatlon, support and tlme.
|n addltlon to the actual pro[ect the PPA can sometlmes also present ltself as a dlmcult and tlme con-
sumlng tasks whlch comes ln addltlon to an already challenglng experlence. |n thls case you should
use your creatlvlty ln hlghllghtlng the lmportance of the PPA and malntalnlng the motlvatlon of the
group to come to the end of the process. |f embarklng on the PPA wlth a group, as a coach you wlll
also need to be aware of the addltlonal tlme and commltment requlred from your slde.
Last but not least, you should keep ln mlnd that chooslng the PPA as an assessment and evaluatlon
tool has to be a declslon taken together wlth the group, and of course lndlvlduals wlthln the group
should be glven the cholce not to work on lt.
T HL COACH| NG S CL NL P P P OM ANOT HL P v| L w P O| NT
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So nally... what does lt mean coachlng ln practlce! Hopefully most of you have found (at least)
some answers to thls questlon through the pages of thls book, whether lt was thanks to the theo-
retlcal and practlcal lnputs, the tools and methods to use, the saylngs from the young people and
coaches or the concrete examples.
As a last contrlbutlon from the grass roots, thls sectlon wlll oner you another vlew polnt of coachlng.
A llst of practlcal tlps on pro[ect coachlng methods wlll brlng you a new perspectlve to look out to
the coachlng scenery.
So... we lnvlte you to follow us through thls new coachlng adventure. Dlrectly comlng from practlce.
ou [ust cannot mlss lt!
Coaching stages of a Youth Initiative
A methoJ, me/
loch toject hos |ts own style ol cooch|n: |ts the em|t|col methoJ whete you oJot youtsell to octuol
neeJs. et, l hove oeen oole to |Jent|ly stoes |n cooch|n, the toles ol the cooch Jut|n eoch stoe onJ
some tools ot tt|cls thot l olten use.
Project coaching methods
1. Clarify what the request involves
7he htst th|n to Jo |s to l|sten. Asl quest|ons, then l|sten to the youn eole extess themselves onJ tty
to J|scovet whot |s oeh|nJ the|t tequest. 5omet|mes when the youn eole toll ooout o toject whot
they teolly wont |s o wotl locement
2. Help to reformulate, write down the objectives
lot some eole |t seems |moss|ole to o thtouh th|s vety lotmol wt|tten stoe. w|thout Jo|n |t lot
them, you hove to telotmulote, ttonslote the toject |nto cleot lonuoe, onJ hel them et |t Jown on
oet.
3. Checking up the personal motivations and talents or skills
lt |s |mottont to hnJ out exoctly whot they exect ltom the|t toject. A s|mle vet|hcot|on ol sl|lls w|ll
ollow you to suest tto|n|n ot|ons whete otot|ote.
4. Evaluation of means to be put into practice: human, material and fnancial
7he exet|ence ol the cooch w|ll oe uselul to hel to Jtow u o comlete l|st ol whot |s neeJeJ to cotty out
the toject. l tememoet o youn mon who wonteJ to set u on oton|sot|on tov|J|n o home Jel|vety
setv|ce |n o tutol oteo out hoJ not |ven ony thouht to ttonsott costsl
lntetv|ew ol Marie Rouxel,
o toless|onol cooch, ltonce
Llstener stage
Pen stage
Problng stage
Cooklng stage
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5. Study of similar projects
7he toject holJet |s olwoys conv|nceJ he ot shes Jo|n someth|n |nnovot|ve. 7he lnowleJe thot the
cooch hos ol the locol oteo coulJ hel to set u meet|ns w|th othet eole who hove s|m|lot tojects.
8ewote ol the |nwotJ-lool|n teoct|on: they ote o|n to steol my toject |Jeo ot yes l lnow, out they
Jont lnow onyth|n ooout th|s to|c
6. Identifcation of people who can help and creation of a skills network
7he |Jeo |s to ut toethet o locol whos who so you con use the netwotl Jynom|cs to et eole w|th
tojects |nto contoct w|th exetts.
7. Making a preliminary budget
lt |s o ooJ |Jeo to Jtow u on |n|t|ol lo|tytole ouJet, covet|n oll exenJ|tute os lully os oss|ole. 7hen,
move on to on |Jeol ouJet they shoulJ oe o|m|n lot. AnJ hnolly Jo on ot|m|st|c ouJet, wh|ch |s l|lely
to hoen |l oll oes well. 7he lost ste cons|sts |n Jtow|n u o ess|m|st|c ot hyet-teol|st|c ouJet,
wh|ch shows whot they m|ht et |l th|ns Jo not o occotJ|n to lons. AccotJ|n to the totess ol the
toject, they moy telet to one ot othet ol these ouJets (lo|tytole lot hles to oe tesenteJ to sonsots,
lot exomle.
8. Search for resources
when they tesent the|t toject, youn eole olten only hove o ott|ol ot |noccutote concet ol oss|ole
soutces ol hnonc|n. lt |s the tole ol the cooch to hel them hnJ the|t woy thtouh the junle ol lunJ|n
mechon|sms.
9. Setting up a schedule
l|tst ol oll the cooch hos to ovo|J ett|n cott|eJ owoy oy the utency synJtome. ou hove to oe oole to
tell eole who wont to suom|t o outh ln|t|ot|ves ol|cot|on |n two Joys thot they neeJ to oe th|nl|n
mote ol thtee ot lout months. ln oJJ|t|on, you w|ll neeJ to hel them set u on oct|on lon, w|th teulot
meet|ns to checl how the oct|v|t|es o oheoJ.
10. Test period
7o ovo|J mojot lo|lutes, ott|culotly concetn|n lote tojects, |t |s uselul to tov|Je test et|oJs (JeenJ-
|n on tojects to see how th|ns ote wotl|n out onJ, |l necessoty, to ollow the tou to tev|ew the
s|tuot|on onJ tole o teol|ty checl.
11. Communication
loc|l|tote contocts w|th the meJ|o lot exomle oy holJ|n o meet|n w|th o joutnol|st. 7hey coulJ, lot
exomle, et o stuJent |n commun|cot|on to wotl on how to tomote the toject (|n ott|culot, mole
the|t toject lnown to sonsots.
Mlrror stage
Head-hunter stage
Calculator stage
Gold dlgger stage
Tlmer stage
Safeguard stage
Spokesperson stage
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12. Implementation
Althouh |t |s oest to lee yout J|stonce when the toject |s unJet woy, onJ ovo|J ony temtot|on to tole
ovet, the toject tou moy l|le to hove you otounJ, |l only lot teossutonce, Jut|n th|s |mlementot|on
hose. lt |s olso |mottont to let them o ot some stoe when you leel thot the tou con monoe on
the|t own.
13. Evaluation
lot toject tous, mol|n o teott |s olten cons|JeteJ os useless. lowevet, whethet cott|eJ out |ntetnolly
ot w|th extetnol ottnets, th|s stoe |s essent|ol. 7he cooch must ensute thot ony os oetween whot wos
ot||nolly lonneJ ot the stott ol the toject, onJ whot octuolly hoeneJ, ote evoluoteJ. 7h|s stoe moy
oe extenJeJ os some l|nJ ol lollow-u |l the toject oes on lot o cetto|n lenth ol t|me.
A few tricks
The coach is not God
whethet |ts o quest|on ol oe|n ovo|loole, hov|n the necessoty sl|lls ot s|mly tecon|s|n thot sevetol
heoJs ote oettet thon one, the cooch neeJs to lnow when to honJ on to someone else ot coll on othets
lot suott.
Contacts
l hove on oJJtess oool lull ol nomes ol eole l lnow onJ who w|ll oe teoJy to |ve o lt|enJly eot to eole
Jo|n tojects. lt |s not o ooJ |Jeo to tty to tole the exetts loce, the toject tou moy well holJ |t
oo|nst you |l you Jo. A cooch con olso use h|s/het oJJtess oool to evoluote the|t own cooch|n.
The whats in it for me? test
7hete |s on olJ m|ss|onoty tt|cl whete you lool ot whoevet |n|t|oteJ the toject, checl thot |t teolly |s the|t
toject onJ thot they exect to et someth|n out ol |t lot themselves (onJ not just lot otents, lt|enJs,
etc.. whot |s the|t etsonol toject w|th|n the collect|ve one/
The contract
ou neeJ to teoch on oteement w|th the tou ooout the|t ools onJ the woy they |ntenJ to och|eve
them. ln toct|col tetms, no one leoves my omce w|thout hov|n some l|nJ ol tosl. ln tetutn, ot the enJ
ol o meet|n l tty to mole sute my v|s|tots leove w|th some sec|hc |nlotmot|on ot o comm|tment ooout
whot l w|ll Jo ot out next meet|n.
The conference
7h|s |s ooout ot|n|n o th|tJ etson |nto the cooch/coocheJ ottnetsh| to et on outs|Je o|n|on ooout
the woy the toject |s o|n oheoJ onJ exom|ne ony toolemot|c |ssues.
Emergency exits
7h|s |s o u|Jonce counsell|n techn|que. when you con see thot the ot||nol toject moy not oe leos|ole,
you lool lot oltetnot|ve solut|ons w|th the tou to ovo|J enJ|n u w|th o lo|lute. 7h|s moy s|mly meon
oston|n the toject, mol|n |t less omo|t|ous ot hnJ|n onothet |ntet|m solut|on.
8lah blah blah stage
Godmother stage
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YOUNG P E OP L E HAV E T HE I R S AY: A P E R F E C T COACH I S
oung people who were lntervlewed for thls gulde also gave thelr renectlon about ldeal coachlng
by answerlng the questlon: Por me a perfect coach ls
Ln[oy the collectlon of some of the answers hereby and hopefully you wlll feel that thls could be
you lndeed! So, for me the perfect coach ls
Polm|t (:, 0onemotl
1ocel (:}, PolonJ
Von|co (:, Pottuol
loten (+8, lston|o
7omosz (:+, PolonJ
koso (+8, l|thuon|o
Vott|n (+8, Czech keuol|c
5on|o (:8, Pottuol
ltzystol (+p, PolonJ
C|onluco (:6, ltoly
P|o (:o, l|nlonJ
Votc|n (:6, PolonJ
vytos (:: l|thuon|o
AnJy (:;, Volto
lljo (:}, lston|o
C|ntotos (:o, l|thuon|o
Anno (:, PolonJ
someooJy thot hos enouh emothy to unJetstonJ the J|hetent etsonol|t|es, |v|n conhJence,
com|n u w|th consttuct|ve ct|t|c|sm. One thot hnJs the etlect oolonce oetween outhot|ty onJ neuttol|ty,
oetween oosetvot|on onJ ott|c|ot|on
someone who hos cleot v|s|on ol how he/she con hel me, mot|votes me, |s eosy to contoct w|th
suott|ve, sens|t|ve, w|th lots ol lnowleJe onJ lun
tesectlul towotJs the ott|c|onts, exett on h|s ot het to|c, oole to hel |n lo|st|cs onJ oton|sot|onol
wotl on sot Jut|n the oct|v|t|es, J|sctete onJ lull ol enety
o etson thot olwoys hels me to teol|se my |Jeo, not to chone |tl
someone who woulJ olwoys oe hellul, ovo|loole onJ teoteJ lot |v|n h|s/het honJ whenevet |s neeJeJ
someone who hove lnowleJe, exet|ences, v|s|on onJ enety to hn|sh the toject w|th us, someone
who wonts to shote oll he/she lnows
|v|n oJv|ce onJ toct|col h|nts, |v|n contocts, shot|n J|mcult|es onJ m|stoles, hov|n ooJ humot,
os|t|ve th|nl|n
someone who shows the woy
not only o cooch out o ooJ lt|enJ
o etson who |s oen m|nJeJ, ooJ l|stenet, hex|ole (out not too much, colm onJ enetet|c
o etson who hels to conctet|se neeJs onJ leel|ns, onJ hels w|th toject lonn|n onJ monoement,
onJ olwoys |s neot |n otJet to |ve suott, oJv|ce
suott|n, oJv|s|n, w|se, exet|enceJ, sl|llull
o u|J|n l|ht |n the m|JJle ol the Jotl lotestl
toless|onol, neuttol, J|lomot|c onJ n|ce etson whom l ttust
etson who lnows whot to soy onJ when to soy |t
o mo, not the Jt|vetl
R E F L E C T I ON OF T HE J OUR NE Y
what do we leave you wlth now, dear reader! wlth [ust
another handbook on the book shelf! wlth a bundle of
questlon marks ln your head, replaced by new ones! As stated
ln dlnerent parts of thls handbook, we dld not nd ourselves
ln the posltlon to [ust collect all posslble wlsdom whlch lays
undlscovered ln Luropean youth work, mlx lt thoroughly, and
vo|l: we proudly present you the mlracle coachlng strategy
for actlve youth partlclpatlon!
The coachlng strategy for outh |nltlatlves belng under
constructlon, lt made the wrltlng of thls gulde a dlmcult [ob.
Uslng coachlng for youth pro[ects ls a relatlvely new eld,
wlth a number of dlnerlng approaches and experlences
developed so far. |n thls context we, as an lnternatlonal team
of people who are actlve at dlnerent levels of Luropean youth
work, trled to cover a wlde spectrum of thls area. ou wlll have
to declde whether we succeeded or not.
Nevertheless, not belng able to glve the best solutlons ever
does not mean not to be able to present you a posltlon
towards values, strategles and technlques of coachlng outh
|nltlatlves. At least we trled to convlnce you to follow us ln
one elementary polnt: that coachlng outh |nltlatlves should
lead young people to greater autonomy, not to greater
dependence on coachlng support. we see your (and our)
task as eventually maklng your coachlng unnecessary for the
young people, thls ls when you have done a good [ob as a
coach! Purthermore, we belleve ln what we called progresslve
partlclpatlon and we belleve that coaches can play a declslve
role ln lts development.
So are we at the startlng polnt of creatlng a new professlonal
sphere of youth coaches, wlth Luropean budget to be spent
on, [ob posslbllltles for unemployed youth workers and a
number of handbooks llke thls one to be publlshed! Not
really. |t ls not wlthout reason that peer-to-peer educatlon
ls one of the most recommended ways of coachlng and
supportlng outh |nltlatlves and ls promoted by the Luropean
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Commlsslon, SALTO-OUTH network and Natlonal Agencles
of the OUTH programme. Of course thls does not mean that
lf you are not young any more you should not coach outh
|nltlatlves!
what came out as one of the most valuable ndlngs durlng
the work on thls handbook ls that coachlng outh |nltlatlves
takes place under a certaln lnner tenslon between two
poles: the strlve for the lncrease of actlve partlclpatlon
and qualltatlve aspects of belng a good and helpful coach.
Dolng a outh |nltlatlve means havlng the rlght to dlscover
new ways, learnlng by dolng and learnlng by mlstakes. 8elng
a good coach means reachlng a compromlse between these
two poles. Thls mlght not be easy but lets work at lt!
|f you feel encouraged, by what you read ln thls handbook, to
share your vlews wlth the authors, as well as to suggest further
readlng, resources or materlals... please do not hesltate to get
ln touch wlth us uslng the e-mall ,eat|laltlatleszsa|te-,eat|.aet
or the post card to edltors on the last page.
Currently, the rst tralnlng courses on Coachlng outh
|nltlatlves are belng set up ln Lurope by SALTO outh
|nltlatlves Pesource Centre, Natlonal Agencles of the OUTH
programme and some of the authors of thls gulde (www.sa|te-
,eat|.aet/a1cearses/). |f you would llke to co-operate wlth us to
organlse further semlnars and tralnlng on thls lssue, please
get ln touch wlth us.
We hope you enjoyed our work and wish you good
luck in future coaching!
The editorial team:
8uzz, le|le, lenot, 1ochen, Vot|o, V|leno, Net|jus, Poscol onJ ully
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B I - CYCL E DI C T I ONAR Y
All through thls gulde we have been renectlng on coachlng as a way to support young people ln
thelr outh |nltlatlve pro[ects. Therefore ln thls gulde somebody called coach ls ln the key posltlon.
The reallty of outh |nltlatlves ls much more complex though and there are people that mlght help
young people ln one or another moment durlng the pro[ect process ln varlous roles.
8elow we take a brlef look at some of these roles ln order to create a basls for further dlscusslons on
who, and how, could be a help for young people ln thelr lnltlatlves. And ln dolng so, there ls no polnt
to re-lnvent the wheel, so we take the advantage of what has already been developed by Luropean
colleagues and ts well wlth our understandlngs.
Coach
ls a commonly used term ln varlous elds (probably ln sports and buslness) to descrlbe someone
whose task ls to support the quallty of performance of a certaln group of people or lndlvlduals. Tradl-
tlonal coachlng ls focused at a behavloural level, lnvolvlng the process of helplng another person to
achleve or lmprove a partlcular behavloural performance. Coachlng methods at thls level derlve prl-
marlly from a sports tralnlng model, promotlng consclous awareness of resources and abllltles, and
the development of consclous competence. They lnvolve drawlng out and strengthenlng peoples
abllltltes through careful observatlon and feedback, and then facllltatlng then to act ln co-ordlnatlon
wlth other team members. An enectlve coachlng of thls type observes peoples behavlour and glves
them tlps and guldance about how to lmprove ln speclc contexts and sltuatlons.
|n the context of outh |nltlatlves lt refers to the person who develops a relatlonshlp of mutual re-
spect and trust wlth a outh |nltlatlve core group ln order to help young people to work enectlvely
as a team to reach thelr pro[ect goals. Coachlng ln outh |nltlatlves means supportlng a groupwork
process, through the cycle of dlalogue and actlvltles, that alms at encouraglng the group to real-
lse lts potentlal through autonomy, learnlng and change. |n lts actlvltles the coach can therefore
choose to lnform, suggest, facllltate, traln, motlvate but all ln the dlalogue wlth young people
slnce whatever the methods used or length of the coachlng perlod ln the pro[ect process, ln outh
|nltlatlves the actlvltles undertaken by the coach should always lead to greater autonomy and actlve
partlclpatlon of young people.
Dlnerently from other forms, coachlng young people durlng a outh |nltlatlve does not necessarlly
take place all through the pro[ect process but could be called upon or proposed to young people
as response to thelr respectlve needs. The role of the coach can be undertaken by people who
otherwlse have dlnerent roles, for example some young person wlth extenslve outh |nltlatlves
experlences can declde to start coachlng hls/her peers, but lt could also be done by youth work
professlonals.
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Mentor
|n |s o sttuctuteJ tocess lot tov|J|n etsonol u|Jonce onJ suott to someone who |s younet, less
exet|enceJ ot new to the ome- whotevet the context moy oe, out most commonly |n eJucot|on, tto|n|n onJ
emloyment contexts. Ventots oct os ct|t|col out non-juJementol lt|enJs, tov|Je o tole moJel onJ o soutce
ol uselul |nlotmot|on onJ oJv|ce, onJ con tole on o cooch|n tosl (hel|n to |mtove etlotmonce.
Lynne Chlsholm (ln 8rldges for Pecognltlon. Promotlng Pecognltlon of outh work across Lurope, Leuven +p-z
1anuary zoo, p.(;)
Mentorlng ls the process of deallng wlth lndlvldluals ln terms of thelr total personallty ln order to advlse,
counsel and /or gulde them through partlcular llfe challenges. |t lnvolves guldlng someone to dlscover
hls or her own unconsclous competences and overcome lnternal reslstances and lnterferences, through
bellevlng ln the person and valldatlng hls or her posltlve lntentlons. Mentors help to shape or lnnuence
a persons bellefs and values ln a postlve way by resonatlng wlth, releaslng, or unvelllng that persons
lnner wlsdom, frequently through the mentors own example. Thls type of mentorlng often becomes
lnternallsed as part of a person, so that the external presence of the mentor ls no longer necessary. People
are able to carry lnner mentors as counsellors and guldes for thelr llves ln many sltuatlons.
Peer supporter
ln the context of outh |nltlatlves ls a young person who takes a role to support other young people
wlth hls/her experlences, knowledge, motlvatlon The actlvltles of peer supporter can take varlous
forms dependlng on the speclc context, the needs of young people and the skllls of the peer supporter:
renectlon on hls/her own experlences as lnput for further dlscusslons, use of tralnlng methods supportlng
the non-formal learnlng of pro[ect group, etc.
Support person
ls the more general term often used to descrlbe anyone who has the relatlonshlp to the youth group
lmplementlng the outh |nltlatlve and asslsts wlth lnformatlon and guldance. One could say that coaches,
mentors, peers, tralners... can all have thelr supportlve role towards young people lmplementlng the
outh |nltlatlve pro[ect and therefore can be referred to as support persons.
Teacher
|s the wotJ ttoJ|t|onolly useJ to telet to those who shoe, u|Je onJ occomony leotn|n tocesses |n
schools, collees onJ - to some extent h|het eJucot|on.
Lynne Chlsholm (ln 8rldges for Pecognltlon. Promotlng Pecognltlon of outh work across Lurope, Leuven +p-z
1anuary zoo, p.(;)
Teachlng relates to helplng a person develop cognltlve skllls and capabllltles. The goal of teachlng ls gener-
ally to asslst people to lncrease competencles and thlnklng skllls relevant to an area of learnlng. Teachlng
focuses on the acqulsltlon of general cognltlve abllltles, rather than on partlcular performances ln speclc
sltuatlons. A teacher helps a person to develop new strategles for thlnklng and actlng. The emphasls of teach-
lng ls more on new learnlng than on renlng ones pervlous performance (as lt ls the case ln coachlng).
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|t goes wlthout saylng that ln case young people have a good relatlonshlp wlth some teacher from thelr
school, the teacher mlght be asked to get lnvolved ln the outh |nltlatlve pro[ect ln a supportlve role or
teach young people a speclc sub[ect related to the pro[ect theme or lmplementatlon.
Trainer
|s the wotJ ttoJ|t|onolly useJ to telet to those who shoe, u|Je onJ occomony leotn|n tocesses |n the
|n|t|ol onJ cont|nu|n vocot|onol eJucot|on onJ tto|n|n sectots.
Lynne Chlsholm (ln 8rldges for Pecognltlon. Promotlng Pecognltlon of outh work across Lurope, Leuven +p-z
1anuary zoo, p.(;)
Tralner ls usually seen as an lnstructor of technlques or skllls on a speclc sub[ect. |n outh |nltlatlves lt
may happen that the coach or the youth worker takes a role of the tralner and runs a tralnlng actlvlty at
certaln polnt ln the pro[ect where development of speclc skllls or attltudes seems to be a need. Other-
wlse lt can also happen that the coach asslsts young people ln ndlng the contact wlth some tralner lf
the group seems to be ln the need or has communlcated the need to develop thelr performance through
partlclpatlon ln the tralnlng actlvlty.
Youth Workers
ote eole who wotl w|th youn eole |n o w|Je vot|ety ol non-lotmol onJ |nlotmol contexts, ty|colly
locus|n on etsonol onJ soc|ol Jeveloment thtouh one-to-one telot|onsh|s onJ |n tou-ooseJ oct|v|-
t|es. 8e|n leotn|n loc|l|totots moy oe the|t mo|n tosls out |t |s ot leost l|lely thot youth wotlets tole o soc|ol
eJoo|c ot J|tectly soc|ol wotl ooseJ otooch. ln mony coses, these toles onJ lunct|ons ote como|neJ
w|th eoch othet.
Lynne Chlsholm (ln 8rldges for Pecognltlon. Promotlng Pecognltlon of outh work across Lurope, Leuven +p-z
1anuary zoo, p.(8)
A youth worker creates voluntary opportunltles for young people to establlsh relatlonshlps, relatlonshlps
wlthln whlch youth workers seek to engage wlth young people ln the dellberate and purposeful process
of experlence, renectlon and learnlng. On the contrary, coaches do not create the voluntary opportunl-
tles, they already exlst through the OUTH programme and lnltlally the coach does not seek to engage
as thls ls led and done by the young people.
Although the ldea for a outh |nltlatlve comes from the young people themselves, they may often turn to,
or be proposed to turn to, some professlonal for further help and guldance a youth worker. Sometlmes
the need to start co-operatlon wlth some youth worker could also be motlvated by leglslatlve or nan-
clal regulatlons such as the need to engage adults ln book-keeplng or contractual procedures related to
pro[ect lmplementatlon. Dependlng on the local/natlonal youth work practlce, type of the lnstltutlon, etc.,
the youth worker can be lnvolved ln a outh |nltlatlve on professlonal or volunteer basls, yet lt ls normally
the practlce to be lnvolved wlth the group all through the pro[ect process, often even consldered as one
of the pro[ect actors wlth speclc role all through dlnerent phases.
B I - CYCL E PAR T S S UP P L I E R S
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APLL, Helno, DLPN8ACH, Dorothee, KDLLPLTLP, Thomas, wL|N8PLNNLP, Peter, (+pp8): wee zut
Zulunltsloh|le|t - l|n VethoJenhonJouch. Stlftung Mltarbelt, 8onn.
COLLL, H. (zoo+): k|ht|n te-wt|t|ns ol the m|yth ol mentot: o ct|t|col etsect|ve on coteet u|Jonce
mentot|n. 8rltlsh 1ournal of Guldance and Counselllng, zp (z) +;;-+p8.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (+pp8): leys to ott|c|ot|on A toct|t|onets u|Je. Councll of Lurope, Stras-
bourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (zooo): leys to youth ott|c|ot|on |n lostetn lutoe. Councll of Lurope, Stras-
bourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (+ppp) : Pott|c|ot|on onJ c|t|zensh| 7to|n|n lot m|not|ty outh tojects |n
lutoe. Councll of Lurope, Strasbourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (zoo+): outh cultutes, l|lestyles onJ c|t|zensh|. Councll of Lurope, Strasbourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (zoo+): outh teseotch |n lutoe: the next enetot|on Petsect|ves on ttons|t|ons,
|Jent|t|es onJ c|t|zensh|. Councll of Lurope, Strasbourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (zooz): Con youth mole o J|hetence/ outh ol|cy loc|n J|vets|ty onJ chone.
Councll of Lurope, Strasbourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (zoo): 7-l|t n. 8 5oc|ol lnclus|on. Councll of Lurope, Strasbourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (zooo): 7-l|t n. Ptoject Vonoement. Councll of Lurope, Strasbourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (zooo): 7-l|t n. } lntetcultutol leotn|n. Councll of Lurope, Strasbourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (zoo): 0om|no A monuol to use eet tou eJucot|on os o meons to hht toc|sm,
xenohoo|o, ont|-5em|t|sm onJ |ntoletonce. Councll of Lurope, Strasbourg.
COUNC|L OP LUPOPL (zoo): kev|s|t|n youth ol|t|col ott|c|ot|on. Chollenes lot teseotch onJ Jemo-
ctot|c toct|ce |n lutoe. Councll of Lurope, Strasbourg.
D|LTS, Pobert (zoo): ltom Cooch to Awolenet. Meta, Callfornla.
DU8O|S, Davld L., KAPCHLP, Mlchael 1. (zoo ): lonJoool ol outh Ventot|n. Sage, USA.
LMPLOMLNT SUPPOPT UN|T (zooo): Ventot|n youn eole: lessons ltom outhstott. LSU, 8lrmlng-
ham.
LUPOPLAN COMM|SS|ON (zooz): A new |metus lot lutoeon youth. wh|te Poet. Omce for Omclal
Publlcatlons of the Luropean Communltles, Luxembourg.
LUPOPLAN COMM|SS|ON (zoo(): lncluJ|n oll w|th the outh totomme. An |ns|tot|onol ooollet. Of-
ce for Omclal Publlcatlons of the Luropean Communltles, Luxembourg.
Bibliography
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P|SCHLP-LPL, Maren (zooz): Cooch|n: V|te|nonJet Z|ele ette|chen. Powohlt Taschenbuch verlag, Pe-
lnbek bel Hamburg.
GA, 8. and STLPHLNSON, 1. (+pp8): The mentorlng dllemma: guldance and/or dlrectlon! Mentorlng
and Tutorlng, 6 (+) (-(.
HA8LPLL|TNLP, Lllsabeth, DL|STLLP, Lllsabeth, UNGvAP|, Pobert, (zoo+): luhten, lotJetn, Coochen: so
entw|cleln s|e J|e otent|ole |htet m|totoe|tet. Ueberreuter, wlen.
HLPZ8LPG, Prederlck (+pp): 7he mot|vot|on to wotl, Transactlon, New 8runswlck.
MASLOw, Abraham (+p8;) : Vot|vot|on onJ etsonol|ty, Longman, New ork.
POPTLP, Lyman (+pp): lumon kelot|ons. Dartmouth, USA.
SCHULZ vON THUN, Prledemann (zoo(): 0os |nnete teom |n olt|on. Ptolt|sche otoe|t m|t Jem moJell.
Powohlt, Pelnbek bel Hamburg.
SK|NNLP, A. and PLLM|NG, 1. (+ppp): Ventot|n soc|olly excluJeJ youn eole: lessons ltom toct|ce.
Natlonal Mentorlng Network, Machester.
w|LCOX, Davld (+pp(): 7he u|Je to ehect|ve ott|c|ot|on. Delta Press, 8rlghton.
OUNG, Kerry (+ppp): 7he ott ol youth wotl. Pussel House Publlshlng, Dorset.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/index_en.html
outh slte of the Luropean Commlsslon contalns lnformatlon ln the area of youth (also youth work and
youth pollcy) ln the Unlon, lncludlng youth pollcy lssues and documents, lnformatlon of outh pro-
gramme, calls for proposals etc
http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/Youth/TXT_charter_participation.pdf
Luropean Charter on the Partlclpatlon of oung People ln Local and Peglonal Llfe (revlsed verslon slnce
zoo) ls dlvlded lnto three sectlons. The rst provldes local and reglonal authorltles wlth guldellnes for
how to conduct pollcles anectlng young people ln a number of areas. The second part provldes the
tools for furtherlng the partlclpatlon of young people. Plnally, the thlrd sectlon provldes advlce on how
to provlde lnstltutlonal condltlons for partlclpatlon of young people.
http://europa.eu.int/constitution/futurum/documents/oftext/doc_en.htm
Declaratlon on the Puture of Lurope known also as the Laeken declaratlon was adopted by the Luropean
Councll on +.+z.zoo+ and ls recognlzed as havlng opened the way to ma[or reform for the future ln the
Luropean Unlon.
http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/whitepaper/index_en.html
The whlte Paper on outh (adopted ln November zoo+) has been lnltlated by the Luropean Commlsslon ln
order to deepen the Communlty co-operatlon to the benet and wlth the lnvolvement of young people.
The whlte Paper covers not only the sltuatlon of young people but also studles thelr concerns and deslres.
|t also attempts to draw the actlon llnes ln order to further develop the youth eld.
http://europa.eu.int/scadplus/leg/en/cha/c.htm
Analysls of Member States replles to the Luropean Commlsslon questlonnalres on youth partlclpatlon
Online Resources
and lnformatlon (slnce zoo) presents the baslc lnformatlon on the leglslatlon ln force ln each country,
outllnes the current pollcles wlth examples of best practlce as well as descrlbes the expectatlons at Lu-
ropean level. The questlonnalres were lnltlated by the Luropean Commlsslon ln appllcatlon of the open
method of coordlnatlon (OMC) as result of the whlte Paper on outh.
http://www.salto-youth.net
SALTO-OUTH stands for Support and Advanced Learnlng and Tralnlng Opportunltles wlthln the Lu-
ropean OUTH programme. Started ln zooo, lt ls today a network of 8 Pesource Centres worklng on
Luropean prlorlty areas wlthln the youth eld: provldlng youth work and tralnlng resources, organlslng
tralnlng and contact-maklng actlvltles to support organlsatlons and Natlonal Agencles wlthln the frame
of the Luropean Commlsslons OUTH programme and beyond.
http://www.salto-youth.net/acompedium
Here you wlll nd many examples of outh |nltlatlves pro[ects done all around Lurope ln zoo(. Take a
look lf you are a young person between + and z and are looklng for Luropean partners to set up an
lnternatlonal outh |nltlatlve or [ust need some lnsplratlon for pro[ect ldeas.
http://www.coe.int/T/E/Cultural_Co-operation/Youth/
outh slte of the Councll of Lurope contalns lmportant lnformatlon ln the area of youth of the lnstltu-
tlon, lncludlng lts youth sector prlorltles, calls for appllcatlons for nanclal support, tralnlng and other
support materlals, etc.
http://www.leargas.ie/youth/dwl/gi-guide.pdf
A gulde that provldes lnformatlon and guldellnes to youth groups and young people about how to take
part ln and run a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect. |t explalns what group lnltlatlves and networklng pro[ects are,
as well as provldlng tools for pro[ect management and hlgllghtlng supports avallable to help you. Thls
gulde has been created by Leargas outh work Servlce (wS), |reland.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/connectyouth-youth-initiatives-record-cards.pdf
A Pecord of Achlevement to allow young people to provlde evldence that they have developed a range
of knowledge, skllls and understandlng as a result of partlclpantlng ln a outh |nltlatlve pro[ect. Thls tool
has been deslgned by Connect outh, 8rltlsh Councll, UK.
http://europa.eu.int/youth/
Luropean outh Portal, launched by the Luropean Commlsslon, whlch oners you lnformatlon, news and
dlscusslons about Lurope. |t lncludes detalled natlonal, reglonal and local level lnformatlon presented
under headlngs such as Studylng, worklng, volunteerlng and Lxchanges, our Plghts, Portals for oung
People, Travelllng Lurope and |nfo on Lurope. |n addltlon, you can submlt your own contrlbutlons, par-
tlclpate ln dlscusslon forums and ask questlons to lnformatlon experts ln your own country.
http://www.salto-youth.net/toolbox
Peport on the SALTO tralnlng courses |ncluslon and group lnltlatlves whlch took place ln zooz provldes
a collectlon of methods used durlng the tralnlng and proposed as posslble tools to encourage lncluslon
of young people wlth fewer opportunltles through youth lnltlatlve pro[ects. 8esldes thls tralnlng report
the toolbox mlght be an lnterestlng source to dlscover other lnsplrlng materlals and why not to contrlbute
wlth your own.
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B I - CYCL E MANUFAC T UR E S AND J OUR NE Y NAV I GATOR S
Henar Conde (Belgium) EDITOR, CO-ORDINATOR & AUTHOR
Henar has been worklng for SALTO outh |nltlatlves Pesource Centre ln 8elglum slnce lt was created ln
zoo untll the end of 1anuary zoo6. She has a background ln psycho-pedagogy and she ls currently dolng
her PhD ln the eld of Comparatlve Lducatlon. Durlng the tlme she worked for SALTO-OUTH she focused
on outh |nltlatlves and partlcularly on promotlng youth partlclpatlon and developlng a coachlng strategy
for youth pro[ects. She used to organlse tralnlng courses and was responslble for publlcatlons on the
mentloned toplcs. She partlclpated ln the Tralnlng of Tralners for Luropean OUTH pro[ects and slnce
then she ls passlonate about tralnlng. She ls always looklng for self-development and new challenges, llke
the current publlcatlon! Henar ls currently worklng for the Lducatlon, Audlovlsual and Culture Lxecutlve
Agency of the Luropean Commlsslon.
Contact: |eaar.cea4ezec.earepa.ea
lly Enn (Estonia) AUTHOR
Ully has been worklng for the Lstonlan Natlonal Agency of the OUTH programme slnce lt was started ln
+pp;. Through these years her work has been lnvolved wlth all the actlons of the Programme, lncludlng
outh |nltlatlves. Holdlng the Vo|stet Att|um degree ln Soclal work on research ln the areas of speclallsed
youth work and young people wlth fewer opportunltles, she ls currently responslble for lncluslon. She has
also been actlvely lnvolved ln the developments of Lstonlan youth work eld, lncludlng the partlclpatlon
ln the development of the Lstonlan outh work Concept and varlous thematlc worklng groups at natlonal
level but also as lecturer and author of publlcatlons. Ully ls also worklng as a tralner both ln Lstonla as
well as at lnternatlonal level, mostly ln the areas of lncluslon and outh |nltlatlves.
Contact: a||,zaeere4.ee
Pascal Chaumette (France) AUTHOR
Pascal ls the head of |nternatlonal Development System (|D6), an organlsatlon that works ln the eld
of tralnlng and Lurope related lssues wlth unlversltles, schools and youth organlsatlons. Graduated ln
Polltlcal Sclences and havlng partlclpated ln the Long Term Tralnlng Course (LTTC) and other courses of
the Councll of Lurope, he has several experlences ln uslng the Luropean programmes: structural funds,
Socrates, outh Pascal ls ln charge of the Luropean sector of the Mlsslon Locale of Poubalx (Prance)
whlch malnly deals wlth young people wlth fewer opportunltles. He ls also the co-ordlnator and founder
of the Luropean outh Opportunltles Network (www.,eaet.erq).
Contact: cerlpaszwaaa4ee.fr
Mario Dagostino (Italy) AUTHOR
8elng a pedagogue and free thlnker, Marlo ls an expert ln the eld of non formal educatlon and of soclal
anlmatlon slnce +p8p. Hls professlon as soclal worker has led hlm to work wlth chlldren, young people
and adults comlng from dlnerent soclal, cultural and geographlcal contexts. Slnce +pp he ls member of
the outh Lxpress Network whlch he has represented from +ppp to zoo as member of the Advlsory Coun-
cll of the Councll of Lurope ln the role of vlce presldent. At the moment he llves ln Latlna (|taly) and works
as advlsor for lnstltutlons and organlzatlons. He ls also tralner ln cooperatlon, networklng, partlclpatlon,
human rlghts educatlon, lntercultural learnlng and leadershlp lssues and works mostly everywhere.
Contact: rle4aqeztlsca|l.lt
Jochen Butt-Ponik (Germany) AUTHOR
1ochen 8utt-Ponlk ls a free lance tralner and pro[ect manager, malnly actlve ln the elds of youth lnltla-
tlves, contact maklng semlnars and youth partlclpatlon. Durlng decades of voluntary work ln youth lnltla-
tlves and youth pro[ects he learned about most of the mlstakes posslbly happenlng ln such structures. As
founder and pro[ect manager of the non-prot assoclatlon Profondo he ls co-operatlon partner of the
German Natlonal Agency of the OUTH programme and works for a number of other bodles ln the eld
of natlonal and lnternatlonal youth work. |n zooz he publlshed wlth hls assoclatlon the consultlng book
for youth lnltlatlves wos Ceht (roughly to be translated as whats up) unfortunately ln German.
Contact: jec|ea.|attzfreeaet.4e
Milena Butt-Ponik (Poland) AUTHOR
Mllena 8utt-Ponlk has been worklng for the OUTH programme ln Poland slnce zoo+. She completed
M.A. ln soclology. 8elng ralsed ln a small vlllage, she has close understandlng of what does lt mean to
have fewer opportunltles and how dlmcult lt ls for young people to lncrease them. She trles to use these
experlences and knowledge as the co-ordlnator of outh |nltlatlves Pollsh Natlonal Agency of the OUTH
programme. |n her work she support and coach young people wllllng to start or already dolng outh |nltla-
tlves and she ls lnvolved ln developlng and facllltatlng outh |nltlatlves tralnlng and semlnars at natlonal
and lnternatlonal level. She completed the Tralnlng of Tralners for Luropean OUTH pro[ects and natlonal
school of coaches and tralners and wlshes to dlscover more thls path of non-formal educatlon.
Contact: ml|eaaz;1zwp.p|
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Heike Hornig (Germany) AUTHOR
Prom +pp8 untll zooz Helke has been worklng for the German Natlonal Agency outh for Lurope ln 8onn,
responslble for outh |nltlatlves wlthln the OUTH programme. Slnce zooz shes worklng as a free lance
supervlsor for the Luropean volunteers ln Germany and addltlonally as a tralner ln adventure and expe-
rlentlal learnlng based pro[ects for young people and adults. Helke ls a soclal worker and outdoor tralner
ln the eld of lnternatlonal youth work. |n the summer zooo Helke generated and publlshed a methods
handbook wlth the tltle Voch wos Jtousl (to be translated as Take your chance) for the German Na-
tlonal Agency, wlth tlps and trlcks for youngsters to plan and develop pro[ects wlthln the frame of outh
|nltlatlves. Prom tlme to tlme Helke ls stlll supportlng the development of outh |nltlatlves ln Germany.
Contact: |el|ezelml.4e
Nerijus Kriauciunas (Lithuania) AUTHOR
Nerl[us has been worklng as a tralner slnce zoo+. He nlshed buslness related studles at vllnlus Unlver-
slty and started MA ln adult educatlon. Tlll now he was lnvolved as partlclpant ln a outh |nltlatlve and
as youth worker supported youth groups runnlng outh |nltlatlves. whlle worklng as a volunteer ln the
Llthuanlan Natlonal Agency of the OUTH programme he had experlence ln lnformlng and consultlng
young people on outh |nltlatlves. |n hls work wlth young people hls maln lnterests are cultural dlverslty
and youth partlclpatlon. 8y uslng creatlve methods, lntercultural learnlng, experlentlal learnlng and
outdoor educatlon he supports the groups of young people ln creatlng, runnlng and evaluatlng thelr
local and lnternatlonal pro[ects.
Contact: aercaszemal|.|t
Buzz Bury (United Kingdom) CONTRIBUTOR, PROOF-READING
8uzz has over zo years experlence as a qualled youth and communlty worker both at practltloner and
management levels. Lxperlence has come from a wlde varlety of actlvltles ranglng from health promotlon,
club and centre based work, tralnlng and pro[ect development. wlth +o years lnternatlonal experlence
galned from exchanges, supportlng volunteers and partlcularly supportlng outh |nltlatlves. 8uzz ls now
a freelance tralner and educatlon consultant based ln the north west of Lngland. Hls lnternatlonal tralnlng
actlvltles are now lncreaslng and he has recently completed partlclpatlon ln the Tralnlng of Tralners for
Luropean OUTH Pro[ects, organlsed by SALTO-OUTH Tralnlng and Co-operatlon and |nterkulturelles
Zentrum. He ls also a very keen cycllst.
Contact: mal|z|att|ar,.ce.a|
1
5
2
Publlshed ln May zoo6 by
SALTO outh |nltlatlves Pesource Centre
www.!k|!0-\0U!N.aet/\eat||altlatles/
(Support, Advanced Learnlng and Tralnlng Opportunltles wlthln the OUTH programme)
8ureau |nternatlonal 1eunesse, rue du commerce zo-zz, +ooo 8russels, 8elglum
Tel : +z (o) zz; z 8z or +z (o) z+p op o6, fax : +z (o) z (8 8 8p
,eat|laltlatlesz!k|!0-\0U!N.aet
Authors: Marlo dAgostlno, 1ochen 8utt-Ponlk, Mllena 8utt-Ponlk, Pascal Chaumette,
Ully Lnn, Helke Hornlg, Nerl[us Krlauclunas
Contrlbutor: 8uzz 8ury
Ldltlng & Co-ordlnatlon: Henar Conde
Proof-readlng: 8uzz 8ury, Glsele Klrby
Lay out: rzeczyobrazkowe.pl
Prlntlng: CHPOMAPPLSS
PACo deslgn: Pawthoughts
Plctures: pro[ects beneclarles, partlclpants ln SALTO tralnlng courses and OUTH programme events.
Speclal thanks to Marcln Kamlskl, 8artosz Mleleckl, Helke Hornlg and Agnleszka Moskwlak for photos.
Thls document does not necessarlly express the omclal vlew of the Luropean Commlsslon,
thelr member states or the organlsatlons co-operatlng wlth the lnstltutlons.
Peproductlon and use for non-commerclal purposes ls permltted provlded the source
www.!k|!0-\0U!N.aet/\eat||altlatles/ ls mentloned.
SALTO-OUTH outh |nltlatlves Pesource Centre, May zoo6
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