Results of the think tanks at the specialist event "Participate with quality"

Below is an overview of the key findings from the four think tanks. The results were visualised in a graphic recording: Download

1. coordination centres & projects with young people organised by youth associations

In this think tank, the value of transparent framework conditions, full-time coordination and structural support for successful participation was particularly emphasised. A project structure with clear objectives and continuous communication flows as well as a structured transfer of knowledge are crucial for the long-term success of participation projects.

Challenges include limited project durations and a shortage of resources, which can impair the quality of participation processes. A clear strength of participation formats for young people organised by associations is the structured exchange that takes place between youth associations. This allows activities to be bundled and synergies to be promoted. Participation via youth organisations allows democratically legitimised positions to be introduced into politics, which strengthens trust and sustainability. One successful example is the Coordination centre for youth participation in climate issues.

2. youth delegate formats

This think tank focussed on the further development of youth delegate formats. They offer great potential for effective participation, but are subject to high structural and personal (stress) pressure. Clear objectives, better framework conditions as well as protection and recognition are key factors for their further development.

It was emphasised that a clear clarification of roles is necessary for the success of a youth delegate programme. This includes binding onboarding and offboarding, good knowledge management and the possibility of feedback and evaluation structures. The organisers are responsible for ensuring the quality and impact of these formats in the long term. Uniform standards between different youth delegate programmes and better funding are still needed to make the programme more attractive - also to reduce social barriers to involvement.

3. ad hoc participation formats with limited resources

This think tank focussed on short-term and low-resource participation formats. While flexible and ad hoc, low-threshold participation may suit the realities of young people's lives, it still requires structured professional support and guidance. A lack of planning, a lack of transparency and unclear objectives can jeopardise the quality and sustainability of such ad hoc formats. Interlocking with long-term participation processes, as well as critical reflection on when and whether such a format makes sense, are fundamental to effective youth participation.

It is also important that participation takes place in dialogue formats on topics that young people also want to participate in and not just because the topic is currently topical and needs to be addressed. Protection structures need to be further developed in these contexts, especially for minors.

4 Worth knowing for employees from federal ministries

In the last think tank, the perspective of employees from the federal ministries who are involved in the development and implementation of youth participation processes was discussed. In particular, it was emphasised that there is not a problem of knowledge, but a problem of implementation when it comes to youth participation. The participants encouraged each other to start with low-threshold formats and to increasingly exchange experiences with each other.

Typical challenges in federal ministries are temporary project logics, which make sustainable participation difficult, as well as the lack of funding opportunities outside of project-based participation formats. The attitude and openness of employees towards youth participation (added value instead of an additional task) is also fundamental, which goes hand in hand with a willingness to relinquish decision-making power and room for manoeuvre.

What is missing in the federal ministries to anchor youth participation sustainably and effectively are cross-departmental structures and systematic evaluations.

The results in the graphic recording for download

Each think tank identified core elements and specific challenges for the further development of youth participation at federal level. Great emphasis was placed on the quality of the processes, which are significantly influenced by resources and transparent framework conditions. The diverse perspectives of the participants from youth organisations, ministries and professional practice enriched the discussions and contributed significantly to the further development of the quality standards. The finalised written application qualification will be published on the quality standards website(www.standards.jugendbeteiligung.de) in the near future.