YEP Model Framework and Final Evaluation Report

This independent final evaluation of the Niger Delta Youth Employment Pathways (YEP) project was conducted during the period November 2020-January 2021, following three years of project implementation. YEP was a collaboration between Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and Ford Foundation which was implemented two phases, with Phase 1 from January 2018 to June 2019; Phase 2 from July 2019 to December 2020, and with a close-out period from January to March 2021.

The overall aim of YEP has been to contribute to addressing the critical issue of youth unemployment in the Niger Delta by developing models of quality training that equips young people with market relevant skills and supports them into sustainable jobs or enterprise. This final evaluation had the dual purpose of providing accountability and learning, aiming to provide robust evidence on the extent to which the YEP project achieved its expected results and to document key learning in order to support youth employment initiatives going forward. Specifically it aimed to assess the project’s results at outcome and impact level; assess the enabling factors and barriers towards achieving these; document key factors and recommendations enabling future good practice; and to document and assess YEP’s response to shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Evaluation findings, conclusions and recommendations set out here are intended to be relevant to PIND, Ford Foundation and other development partners to inform future programming for preparing young people for the workforce; to government stakeholders to support advocacy for large scale public-private partnerships and investment in youth employment; to private sector stakeholders to inform shared value strategies; and to other stakeholders more generally engaged with social equity and inclusion.

YEP aimed to address youth job readiness, workforce development and job creation in three priority states of Abia, Akwa Ibom, and Rivers which have reported particularly high unemployment rates in a context of generally high unemployment in Nigeria, and especially high youth unemployment. It planned to do this by developing models that offer youth in the Niger Delta the opportunity to secure sustainable jobs through quality training that equips them with market relevant skills. It set out to demonstrate a demand-driven and evidence based approach to addressing youth unemployment, beginning with research to identify strategic sector entry points for skills development; and continuing with careful documentation of the process. It proceeded with skills development training aiming to reach 4000 young people in three identified sectors of aquaculture, ICT/solar energy, and construction, and adding the finished leather sector in Phase 2.

Further, it aimed to demonstrate pathways for these trainees into sustainable employment or self-employment and enterprise. The total budget over the two phases was US$ 2,165,895, the majority of which was allocated in sub-grants to implementing partners.

The evaluation took a mixed methods, theory based approach, focusing enquiry on the five core features of the YEP model, and structuring enquiry on the OECD/DAC criteria of Relevance, Coherence, Effectiveness, Efficiency, Impact and Sustainability, with the additional dimensions of Equity and Gender Equality, and Resilience. Data collection included a literature review; key informant interviews (28) and focus group discussions (20) with a broad group of stakeholders including implementing partners, trainees, self-employed alumni, interns, employers, government stakeholders, and PIND staff. It also included participant observation at two sites identified for the development of a case study on the Finished Leather sector, and an online survey among trainees which attracted 518 responses. Primary data collection mixed online/remote and face to face methods, given the ongoing travel restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic; a Nigeria based team undertook 10 days of live fieldwork across all three focus states.

The study articulated the following key findings:

SOME KEY FINDINGS

Adapting to maximise relevance: During Phase 2, YEP has adapted to learning from Phase 1 to fine tune its relevance to young people, implementing partner institutions, and the situation of youth unemployment facing state governments. It has also successfully adapted to the dramatic changes to the global economy triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic during 2020, but the outcomes of this on the local labour market are not yet fully clear.
Sector relevance: The Finished Leather sector, even though progress in this was delayed by Covid-19 responses, has been a valuable addition to the portfolio, offering trainees good prospects for earning at least some income quite rapidly after training. All sectors also present some challenges for new entrants.
Relevance to employers: Employers have a mostly very positive but somewhat mixed impression of YEP trainees; reservations are commonly because the training is considered by some to be short and trainees have much more to learn post-training.
Responding to evidence: YEP succeeded in adapting to evidence about what was required to help young people succeed – both through adaptations to the target group and approach, and through additional training components to link them to finance for start-ups.
Coherence within PIND, with implementing partners, and with government: YEP has continued to seek out and establish coherence with other actors in the enabling environment during Phase 2, with a focus in this Phase mainly on identifying and linking with promising government initiatives and departments. This focus has led to some important collaborations and looks set to eventually deliver more in terms of scale and uptake.