Enhancing the role of youth in designing and monitoring public projects at the local level (TN0058)

Description of the commitment: Enhancing the role of youth from different age groups and in a number of governorates in the decision-making process and the formulation of national reforms and following up on their implementation. Indeed the youth will be encouraged to use their capabilities, potential and qualifications to express their concerns, opinions and aspirations. In this context, the active participation of youth is a tool for positive change and a model to follow in the process of comprehensive reform and community development. This approach would also contribute to consecrating collective responsibility and proposing solutions to the youth’s most common issues, such as unemployment, social and geographical disparity, and illegal migration. In addition, the approach will help with rethinking the priorities and orientations for the benefit of the youth, especially at the local level. In this context, work will be carried out on the design of mechanisms for engaging the youth in formulating some local projects and monitoring their implementation through enabling them to design action plans that provide for a number of priority projects at the level of 12 municipalities that will be implemented in a participatory manner in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders, notably the local authorities. A set of mechanisms will also be implemented that will contribute to the continuation of this trend aimed at enhancing youth participation at the local level, such as: the Youth Charter, Signing a partnership agreement with municipalities to ensure continued youth participation, allocating days for youth in the participatory path in a number of municipalities and allocating a percentage of the municipal budget to implement projects proposed by youth. This is in addition to the municipalities organizing periodic meetings with youth……

Problem/Background: - The limited frameworks available to communicate with the youth about their concerns, - Youth reluctance to participate in public life and local affairs, - Limited practical mechanisms to foster youth participation and representation in public life at the central, regional and local levels in accordance with both the constitution and the national strategies in this field

Identification of commitment objectives/expected results: Under this commitment, local youth action plans will provide for a range of pilot projects that entrench a culture of partnership between all youth actors at the local level and strengthen the capacities of the various stakeholders in the field of governance and public participation. A large number of young women and men across the country will have an opportunity to express their concerns and perceptions of their own issues. Guarantees should however be provided that youth views are taken on board in decision-making and the design of government projects.

How will the commitment contribute to solve the public problem: - Youth participation in designing action plans at the local level will afford them greater opportunities to display their capacity to participate in public life, - Build youth capacities to work as one team within the framework of a participatory approach that brings together the stakeholders engaged in decision-making at the local level. This will enable the youth to offer ideas and proposals in line with their needs and expectations and help to implement them - Enhance the effectiveness of the decision-making process through a relationship of trust and responsibility between youth and local authorities, which gives a voice to the youth in local affairs.

Relevance with OGP values: - Participation: enable young people to have access to public decision-making processes by affording them the opportunity to present ideas and proposals on their own issues - Accountability: provide mechanisms to hold the relevant authorities, notably at the local level, to account with regard to the development and implementation of public reforms.

Source of funding /Relation with other programs and policies: GIZ

Stages and implementation timeline: Open for applications to select 12 municipalities to implement the commitment. End August 2021; Presenting the project by organizing open days and workshops in the concerned municipalities. End September 2022 - End November 2022; Development of youth work teams (in each team 4 representatives of the administration and 4 representatives of civil society). End September 2022 - End November 2022; Implementation of the program related to capacity bulding (principles of open government, the method of formulating an action plan for youth, the legal framework for public participation...). December 2022 - March 2023; Implementation of the project related to the implementation of action plans for youth June 2022 - March 2023

Action Plan Review

10. Enhancing the role of youth in designing and monitoring public projects at the local level

Commitment 10: Enhancing the role of youth in designing and monitoring public projects at the local level [Municipalities cooperating with the National Federation of Tunisian Municipalities and the E-Government Unit at the Presidency of Government]

For a complete description of the commitment, see Commitment 10 in: https://www.opengovpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Tunisia_Action-Plan_2021-2023_EN.pdf

Context and objectives:

This commitment is the first from Tunisia, and among OGP member countries, to implement youth action plans at the municipal level. However, this reform builds on previous Tunisian OGP commitments to engage youth in policymaking and increase open government at the municipal level. In Commitment 10 of Tunisia’s previous action plan, the government sought to establish local councils and an online platform to increase youth participation in local government with limited success. [41] Commitment 11 in the previous plan resulted in the development of 8 municipal open government action plans that are currently being implemented. [42]

Beyond OGP, this initiative is part of a larger long-term package of municipal reforms implemented in partnership with GIZ from 2015-2023. Up until now, 29 municipalities have started implementing youth action plans developed in collaboration with youth and CSOs. [43] Municipalities and local stakeholders are currently implementing activities such as youth internet radio stations, citizen labs, and digital applications. [44] Under this commitment, the government commits to selecting, training, and supporting 12 additional municipalities to develop and implement youth action plans. The action plans will be oriented towards open government reform, but the content will ultimately be determined by projects proposed by youth participants. [45]

Potential for results: Modest

The exclusion of youth from the policymaking process is an ongoing issue in Tunisia. An absence of opportunities to participate on the part of the government and disillusionment among the youth both contribute to the problem. As of 2021, the youth make up nearly a quarter of Tunisia’s population, with 20.8% between the ages of 10 and 24 years old. [46] However, a 2018 UNDP survey found low levels of youth participation in elections, with only 6.11% of the 18-25-year-old age group participating in the second round of presidential elections. [47]

Youth dominated protests from 2011 until now underscore an ongoing sense of economic and political exclusion and low trust in government. [48] Tunisian youth were a dominant force in the 2011 revolution and remain engaged in civil society, particularly online. [49] However, this engagement outside the state has not translated into youth representation in government or participation in formal decision-making processes. Moreover, young Tunisians without formal education and employment face particular barriers to participation. [50]

Prior to this commitment, GIZ supported 29 municipalities to develop youth action plans, of which 17 have been implemented. The focus has been on developing a framework, culture, and environment conducive to youth participation in governance. Some pilot projects from youth action plans have been realized. The Commune of Manzil Assalem maintains an internet youth radio station. The Municipality of Agareb has continued to work with non-government partners beyond the action plan on additional projects, such as public lighting. [51]

To expand these efforts under this commitment, the government published a call for new municipalities to apply to participate in the development of youth action plans in August 2021. A selection committee of government and GIZ representatives chose 12 municipalities out of the 25 applicants based on predetermined selection criteria. [52] Six of the municipalities are also a part of Commitment 11 in the previous action plan, where they committed to co-create a municipal Open Government Action Plan. [53]

The commitment will be undertaken in several phases. In the first phase, GIZ will facilitate an “Open Day” in each municipality with discussions to identify obstacles to youth participation, current opportunities and communication oriented towards youth, and the importance of youth engagement in local decision-making. Building upon the Open Day, GIZ will encourage municipalities to publish a call for participation in a working group to design the youth action plan. A working group of eight members will be established in each participating municipality. Members will include representatives from the Youth House (la maison des jeunes), Cultural House, and youth associations.

In the second phase, hired consultants will facilitate two capacity-building sessions for the working groups on i. crisis and leadership communication management; and ii. local governance, participation, and the legal context. In the third phase, the working groups will gather in four regions of Tunisia to develop the action plans over a three-day workshop. GIZ will provide working groups with an action plan template and select 7 or 8 municipalities with “the best” action plans to receive implementation funding. Municipalities not selected to receive funding will be expected to find alternative sources, as done in previous iterations of this reform. Implementation of selected action plans is expected to begin in July or August 2022. [54]

This commitment is evaluated to have a modest potential to increase youth participation in government. While important, the reform falls short of substantial potential for results because it is an expansion of an existing project to a limited number of municipalities. Evidence of notable early results would include evidence that a greater number of youths participated in policymaking, and that their participation resulted in reforms important to young Tunisians. Soussan from the E-Government Unit expects this commitment to create spaces and a culture enabling youth participation in municipalities, particularly in disadvantaged regions. [55]

The Municipality of Carthage, one of the participating municipalities, anticipates three benefits from developing and implementing a youth action plan. First, the municipality hopes to increase youth participation in elections. Second, they aim to increase interest among youth in entrepreneurship, volunteerism, and political participation. Third, the municipality intends to strengthen their programming to bring together different social classes through sports, by using the action plan process to identify youth ambassadors and bring together various associations working on this issue. [56]

Opportunities, challenges and recommendations during implementation

As demonstrated by Commitment 10 in the previous action plan, the sustainability of this reform poses a potential challenge. In the short term, implementors will need to consider how to keep the youth engaged throughout the implementation of the action plan. In the longer term, implementors will need to consider how the reform will continue when GIZ’s support ends in 2023. One potential solution is to seek opportunities to align activities with other OGP commitments at the municipal level. For example, youth outreach about the action plans could be incorporated into the communication plans of relevant municipalities under development per Commitment 11.

Tunisia is the first OGP member to commit to youth action plans at the municipal level. However, Uruguay committed to enable rural youth and women to design a policy agenda with progress tracked on a public website. [57] At the national level, Germany committed to convening youth to develop a national youth strategy and engage the youth in drafting the national OGP Action Plan. [58] Throughout the development and implementation of youth action plans, the IRM recommends that the following be considered to facilitate youth participation:

• Working groups should be designed so that they enable a multi-stakeholder space for ongoing dialogue among representatives of different segments of society.
• Working groups should be transparent about their composition, meetings, decisions, and action plans so that the wider public can follow, and participate when appropriate, in the design and implementation process.
• Working groups should raise awareness and gather input on the draft youth action plan from youth and civil society outside of the working group.
• Working groups should continue to meet during implementation to monitor progress and collaborate in addressing obstacles.

Results Report

Commitment 10. Giving effect to the role of the youth in designing and monitoring public projects and at the local level

[Municipalities cooperating with the National Federation of Tunisian Municipalities and the E-Government Unit of the Presidency of the Government.]

Context and Objectives

Commitment 10 aimed to empower youth in designing and monitoring public projects at the local level. Tunisia faces a pressing need to address youth unemployment, social and geographical disparities, and illegal migration. By involving young people in decision making processes, especially in the formulation of national reforms and local projects, the commitment aimed to harness the potential and capability of the youth to contribute positively to comprehensive reform and community development. It sought to expand mechanisms for youth participation in public life, addressing the limited frameworks and reluctance of youth to engage in public affairs. Built on an ongoing partnership between the Government of Tunisia and GIZ, under which 29 municipalities had undertaken youth action plans, ^[39] this commitment strengthened the relationships of trust and responsibility between youth and local authorities. As a result, it was expected to enhance the effectiveness of decision-making processes and promote a culture of partnership and accountability at the local level. ^[40]

This reform was built on commitments in previous action plans to strengthen open governance at the local level. Commitment 11 in Tunisia’s 2018–2020 action plan led to eight municipalities co-creating action plans with civil society. Under Commitment 10, the Ministry of Youth and Sports piloted 5 municipal youth councils. However, most youth councils stopped activities after support from the ministry ended. ^[41] It was therefore implemented in the context of local open government reforms being carried out through past national action plans and membership of Tunisian municipalities in the international OGP Local Program. ^[42]

Early Results: Moderate

This commitment achieved moderate results towards enhancing youth participation in local governance. All milestones were completed, resulting in the formation of 12 multistakeholder municipal working groups and youth action plans. Of these, nine municipalities were selected to receive financial support to implement their plans. Workshops and training on participatory process and open governance aided the municipalities in integrating greater transparency and youth participation into their governance processes.

The E-Government Unit, the National Federation for Tunisian Cities, and the German International Development Agency (GIZ) launched a call for applications in August 2021 to select 12 municipalities to participate in the “Youth Action Plan” project (Milestone 1). A selection committee comprised of representatives of these institutions reviewed applications from 25 municipalities and selected 12 municipalities based on a scoring system that prioritized municipalities with no prior youth action plans, municipalities from the interior region, and municipalities that had developed prior open government action plans or other participatory projects. These included Hammam Chott, Gabès, Dar Chaabane, Zriba, Zaouiet Sousse, Carthage, Métlaoui, Sidi Bou Rouis, Téboursouk, Ghezala, Enfidha, and Bechri Fatnassa Nagga. ^[43]

Numerous open days and workshops were organized across these selected municipalities (Milestone 2). Facilitated by experts, these sessions focused on communications and governance themes targeting mayors, municipal executives, advisors and civil society. They provided an interactive platform for sharing experiences and discussing the project’s objectives and methodologies. The detailed schedule and diverse locations of these sessions underscored a commitment to comprehensive capacity building at the local level.

The E-Government Unit and GIZ initiated the process with an online introductory meeting for municipal representatives on 27 January 2022. ^[44] This was followed by a series of online working meetings from 8–16 February 2022 focused on the project and its implementation process. ^[45] Subsequently, in-person workshops were held in the municipalities on 21–30 March 2022. These sessions established contact with local working groups and discussed the youth action plans’ objectives, methodologies, and ethical guidelines. The composition of each municipal working group, which included municipal representatives and local civil society, was published online. ^[46] A seminar to launch the youth action plan project was organized on 6–8 May 2022 in Hammamet, bringing together representatives of the municipal working groups to share experiences and plan future actions. ^[47]

The E-Government Unit and GIZ held four workshops, each attended by working groups from 3 municipalities, on 17–19 June 2022. These workshops trained working groups in the design of the youth action plans, covering critical aspects such as project analysis, stakeholder identification, and budgeting. These comprehensive activities ensured the engagement of various stakeholders and set a solid foundation for the successful implementation of the Youth Action Plans across the selected municipalities. ^[48]

Working groups were successfully established in all 12 municipalities (Milestone 3) with varying compositions, often including municipal representatives, cultural center directors, civil society activists, and youth center representatives. Diverse representation ensured that various perspectives were incorporated into the project. The meetings focused on discussing and debating the next steps for the project and required work, indicating an ongoing engagement throughout the implementation period. ^[49]

A series of training sessions in May 2022 covering communications and governance (Milestone 4) were held in different municipalities. These were part of an overarching strategy to strengthen local capacities. Attendance details and content specifics indicated a tailored approach to address the unique needs and challenges of each municipality. ^[50]

In August 2022, the 12 municipal working groups presented their youth action plans to a jury ^[51] comprised of representatives from the E-Government Unit, GIZ, the National Federation of Tunisian Cities, and the Tunisian Association of Local Governance. The committee selected 9 municipalities to receive support from GIZ for implementation (Milestone 5), which included Ghezala, Bechri Fatnassa Naga, Enfidha, Métlaoui, Zriba, Téboursouk, Carthage, Dar Chaabane El Fehri, and Sidi Bou Rouis. ^[52] These plans represented the collective effort of various stakeholders to engage youth in public project design and monitoring at the local level. A representative from GIZ highlighted Carthage and Métlaoui’s “Memory of the Mines” festival as projects that resulted from implementation. ^[53] A representative from Carthage noted that the youth ambassadors program developed through this commitment was later included in their OGP Local Action Plan. ^[54]

Commitment 10 was implemented during an unexpected transition in local governance structures. It was designed following the 2018 municipal elections and based on the 2018 Code of Local Authorities. However, the President of Tunisia dissolved municipal councils in March 2023 and created local councils, with a lack of clarity around the mandate of the new local government structures. ^[55] Despite the dissolution of municipal councils and the introduction of new decentralized structures, there has been formal and informal institutionalization of open government changes. For instance, Carthage continued this reform informally in an associative framework, demonstrating municipal reformers’ commitment despite a lack of formal structures. ^[56]

This commitment has shown moderate early results, marked by a discernible improvement in practices and policies governing youth participation in governance. Importantly, this commitment continues to develop a process for youth engagement in governance processes in a context with limited frameworks and reluctance of youth participation. The structured approach in forming youth working groups and implementing capacity building programs had been crucial. However, the extent of youth influence on local decision-making processes and the tangible impact of their contributions remains to be seen.

The commitment successfully navigated several enabling factors, such as the proactive involvement of municipalities and the systematic approach to training and capacity building. However, challenges remain in ensuring the sustainability of youth participation and continuous support from local authorities. The commitment opened up opportunities for improving governance through youth participation, but there are potential roadblocks, particularly in maintaining the momentum of youth engagement and ensuring that their inputs have a lasting impact on local policies and projects. ^[57] Going forward, the ongoing challenge will be to sustain these initiatives, ensure the depth of youth impact in governance, and continue to integrate open government principles into local governance practices effectively.

Looking Ahead

Tunisia’s ongoing pursuit of open government reforms across national action plans began to show dividends. Two municipalities engaged in this commitment, Zriba and Dar Chaabane El Fehri, were accepted to the 2024 international OGP Local cohort, joining Carthage, El Kef, and Regueb. ^[58] Their membership indicates continued appetite and opportunity for open government reforms at the municipal level despite a challenging national context. The E-Government Unit and partners are continuing similar reforms under Tunisia’s 2023–2025 action plan. Commitment 8 in the fifth action plan will select 10 new municipalities to develop and implement open government action plans. Commitment 9 will repeat a similar process to select and support municipalities to engage women and youth in designing and implementing development projects. ^[59] In addition, the IRM offers the following reflections: