Value for Money and Policy Review of Youth Programmes

This Value for Money and Policy Review examines three DCEDIY youth programme funding streams: Special Projects for Youth (SPY), Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (YPFSF), and the Local Drugs Task Force project (LDTF). The three programmes, while different in origin, share significant cross-over in terms of objectives and targeted groups. Namely, the programmes target young people or neighbourhoods where there is disadvantage, in particular but not exclusively, relating to preventing the onset of or reducing drug-taking.

The mixed methods approach chosen by the authors is described involving data analysis, surveys, and literature reviews. The rationale and intended outcomes behind each programme is examined, as well as the use of “efficiency” as a principle object of interest and measurement. How “effectiveness” is defined and measured for these programmes is discussed, falling into three main categories: focus, design, and intervention. The conclusion of the Review includes a discussion of the limitations of the analysis and a summary of the results. The authors makes twelve recommendations for future improvement in the evaluation and running of the targeted programmes.