Perspectives on Impact Evaluation Conference 02 April 2009

1. Using Knowledge Management Functions to Achieve Influence Amuzweni Lerato Ngoma Knowledge Management Unit Umsobomvu Youth Fund Perspectives on Impact Evaluation Conference 02 April 2009 UYF Presentation Template Rev01

2. About Umsobomvu Youth Fund • Established in 2001 to address the economic and skills development needs of young South Africans • Youth = 18 -35 years, divided into: • Two age cohorts: 18-25 years and 26-35 years. • Vulnerable youth groups are a priority: • Young women, young people in the rural areas, young people at risk (e.g. in conflict with the law) Purpose To enable the implementation of effective youth development programmes and mainstreaming youth development for youth to have sustainable livelihoods. Vision To enhance the active participation of South Africa’s youth in the mainstream of the economy. Mission To facilitate and promote the creation of jobs and skills development for South Africa’s young people. UYF Presentation Template Rev01

3. The Three Critical Roles - UYF 1. Funder • Key investor in youth development programmes- • Contact, Information and Counselling; • Call centre, youth advisory mobiles etc… • Skills Development and Transfer • Training and development • Entrepreneurship Development and Support • Finance and business development services 2. Capacity Developer • Build capacity of service providers / partners in order to mainstream best practices of Youth Development • Knowledge Driven-institution: not only money on the table 3. Youth Development Advocate • Get government and private sector to service the needs of young people UYF Presentation Template Rev01

4. The Umsobomvu Way UYF Presentation Template Rev01

5. Support Functions • Information Communication and Technology • E.g. Systems Design • Finance and Administration • E.g. Legal services • Operations Support • E.g. Quality Management System • Human Resource Management • E.g. Training of partners • Research and Evaluation • E.g. Knowledge Management • Service Delivery Channel • E.g. management of branch network UYF Presentation Template Rev01

6. Purpose UYF KM Programme • The creation of an authoritative body of applied knowledge based on UYF experience. • To draw and generate an authoritative body of knowledge based on the experiences of players in the Youth development sector. • The main outcome being: use of this knowledge for the effective promotion of mainstreamed; innovative and high impact youth development products and programmes in the country or otherwise. UYF Presentation Template Rev01

7. Some Key Questions asked by KM • How is the Fund transforming its experience into re-usable knowledge? • How do we: • Document the change and growth of our development practice? • Ensure that the “same mistakes are not repeated”? • Improve? • What are our best practices? And who are holders & actors of this knowledge? • What are the practices of sharing internally and externally? UYF Presentation Template Rev01

8. Knowledge Creation Focus Operational Factors: • Scale, • Efficiency and Effectiveness, • Customer-focus and Integration Youth Development Practice: • Clear and measurable goals: the goals of the relevant organisation must be consistent with the programme • Effective management: this requires commitment of programme and project leaders to the goals and objectives of the programme, staff development, resource mobilisation etc • Preparation for livelihoods: prepare youth for economic livelihoods, consider local economy, information, infrastructure etc, scarce skills • Foster youth transformation: this can be achieved by promoting young people's participation in decision making, promoting and nurturing leadership • Measure impact: effective youth development programmes apply indicators to measure compliance, must have the capability to collect and analyse information about transformation in the lives of programme participants, testing the strength of every aspect of the programme against agreed deliverables UYF Presentation Template Rev01

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10. Knowledge Management Community oriented Strategies Process-Oriented strategies Portal Strategies UYF Presentation Template Rev01

11. Knowledge Management Process-Oriented strategies Seek to provide the organization with relevant knowledge on how best to conduct its business. This means that employees are able to receive the knowledge they need for their tasks in the business process. Portal Strategies Focus on using IT systems to integrate pre-existing databases and bringing them together via a standard user interface Community oriented Strategies Emphasize the management of communities that stress the importance of discussion and evaluation of business-relevant information. UYF Presentation Template Rev01

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13. Lessons Learned and Best Practice Case Studies • The investigation, collation and analysis of UYF data and information in order to discern lessons learnt & insights in the design and delivery of the UYF’s programmes. • It is conducted through comparative and longitudinal case studies • The outcome of this function is the production of knowledge and practice reports that summarise lessons and insights gained from programme and product design, implementation and impact. The primary goal of this KM product is to provide the organisation with relevant knowledge on how best to conduct its business. UYF Presentation Template Rev01

14. Youth Enterprise Journal Seeks to produce fresh information that contributes to the promotion of good practices and successful models in youth entrepreneurship support and development. It is further driven by the need to stimulate and maintain a vibrant discourse on youth development practice in South Africa. The journal captures, documents and disseminates best practice knowledge extracted from the theory and practice on youth enterprise development s UYF Presentation Template Rev01

15. Knowledge Essentials Newsletter A ‘knowledge essentials’ electronic discussion brief will be authored and managed by the KMP. The aim of the discussion brief is to surface and document observed practice within the Fund. The second aim of the knowledge essential brief is to create a constant platform for KM which continuously engages UYF staff members. UYF Presentation Template Rev01

16. Knowledge Network Seminars Acts as a platform for the generation and sharing of ideas, information and knowledge on youth development practice. Youth development practitioners, both within UYF and externally, and sector specific experts will share their past experiences and lessons learned on the design, delivery and assessment of youth development programmes. The Knowledge Network seminars stress the importance of discussion and evaluation of information relevant to conducting business. UYF Presentation Template Rev01

17. The lessons learned and best practice review: • Lessons learned during the implementation of the BCSVP; • Extracts key lessons as the UYF fully transitions from the Allocating Agent Model to own-delivery (YAC model) of the BCSVP; and • Inform future decision-making on the programme. UYF Presentation Template Rev01

18. Old BCSVP Delivery Model & Relationships Current BCSVP Delivery Model & Relationships UYF BCSVP UYF BCSVP 1 2 AA SP 6 2 3 4 YE 5 YE 5 SP Legend: AA-YE assessment, intake and product/service quality assurance relationship 1 UYF-AA Contractual relationship 4 5 SP-YE service / product delivery and capacity building relationship 2 UYF-SP Contractual relationship SP-YE service / product delivery and capacity building relationship 3 AA-SP non-contractual but oversight relationship 6 BCSVP Operating Model UYF Presentation Template Rev01

19. Methodology • Documentary Review: • Internal Monitoring and Evaluation Reports (2004). • Impact Assessments (2004 & 2007). • Extraction of Knowledge Variables: • Youth Development Experience • Operational (Screening & Issuance, Product Relevance) • Management / Oversight SP and impact of programme • Voucher Activity Integration, capacity Building and Sustainability. • Development of Interview tool – temporally sensitive (measured pilot, roll-out & YAC phase). • In-depth Interviews (Telephonic & Face-to-Face) – AAs & selected SPs. • Report write up • Lessons Learned workshop will all AAs UYF Presentation Template Rev01

20. Pilot & Roll-Out Arguably YD experience critical for the smooth implementation of youth dev. Programme. Enables practitioners to appropriately route the YP through interventions. Only one org. with YD experience. AA’s YD experience increased during implementation of the VP. Predominantly rural provinces combined used municipal infrastructure to reach youth. Implications for Redesign High YD within context of entrepreneurship requires urgent attention. Existing knowledge and skills should be exploited for broader org. learning. Naturally emerging best practice – was the ability to assess a YE and route them to multiple products, within & without the voucher. In this instance the VP became a mobile service in which everything was done there and activated back at the urban-located office. Capacity Building on knowledge of financial institutions and their requirements On-going facilitation of relationship btw SPs and Financiers. Youth Development Experience UYF Presentation Template Rev01

21. YE Transformation • “We are injecting a sense of professionalism into young entrepreneurs; however, there is still a lot of work to be done. It is heartening if a young person comes back to us, and says I went for this tender, in my presentation I was able to use the branding that I got through the voucher. • ”Some of the voucher clients had consumed our training products as x-organization. However, it looks like the training was just training was just for training. There was synergy between x-organization (training), y-organization (finance) and the voucher programme. We did take cognizance of the linkages between the three; we consciously let clients flow from one product into the other.” • We can say that the Voucher was innovative at the time that it was designed. However now is the time for major shifts to take place. One of which is in terms of the products and services that we offer. UYF Presentation Template Rev01