From YAPRap June 2008
By Reynato Reodica, YAPA Executive Officer
In June last year, Premier Iemma directed all Ministers and NSW Government departments to observe the Best Practice Principles for Youth Participation.
The eight principles aim to assist agencies to directly engage with young people in the community. According to the Principles, Government agencies should:
- recognise young people's rights to participate in developing Government policy, programs and services that impact upon them
- promote respect by listening to young people's views and taking them seriously
- build and maintain strong relationships with the young people we consult with
- provide young people with appropriate and timely information on Government processes
- build on young people's knowledge and skills
- recognise young people's different situations and backgrounds, particularly those:
- from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island backgrounds
- from culturally diverse backgrounds
- with disabilities
- in out-of-home care
- from vulnerable or marginalised groups - organise participation processes that take into account the needs of young people, such as training and transport
- encourage young people to provide feedback on the effectiveness of participation processes.
Premier Iemma says in his memorandum, the Government's commitments under the State Plan “requires agencies to directly engage with the community, [including] engaging with young people.”
In keeping with this commitment, the Best Practice Principles for Youth Participation provide useful guidance to Government agencies who lack the knowledge and understanding of what makes effective, appropriate and meaningful participation of young people in decision-making processes.
If properly embraced, they require agencies go beyond the hollow rhetoric of consultation and avoid tokenism, but allow for real participation and input by young people into government policy.
YAPA believes that following these Principles is vital for to ensuring that the Government's State Plan commitments to directly engage with young people, is met in a positive and meaningful way.
However, almost a year later, it's hard to see any positive change in youth participation, as agencies have been slow to pick up the Principles and put them into practice.
YAPA recognises several areas where it is both relevant and appropriate for particular agencies to implement the Best Practice Principles, and we encourage all Departments to do so, including the:
- Department of Education and Training – involving the NSW Student Representative Council and other participation mechanisms in all levels of decision-making.
- Department of Community Services – ensuring that young people participate in the proper allocation of resources in relevant funding programs for young people, particularly in Better Futures.
- Department of Juvenile Justice – consulting with young people engaged with, or at risk of engaging with, the justice system on changes to the implementation of the Young Offenders Act, as well as the operation of NSW juvenile detention facilities.
These are just some examples of where the Best Practice Principles for Youth Participation should be followed immediately.
Young people and youth services who have direct dealings with agencies, or are impacted by their decisions, should also be aware of the Principles – let government departments and YAPA know whether or not they're being followed.
The Premier's Memorandum, including the Best Practice Principles for Youth Participation (PDF 180KB) is available at www.youth.nsw.gov.au.
To provide feedback to YAPA on this topic, feel free to email me at info@yapa.org.au.
