An assessment was conducted (June 2019 to July 2020) to examine the adoption, successes and challenges of implementing with Positive Youth Development (PYD) programming in international development, with emphasis on the experience of USAID’s YouthPower Project. 

The role of YouthPower in advancing PYD was analyzed, especially its knowledge products and their dissemination. The extent to which the PYD approach is understood and utilized by youth development partners in the field was explored with deeper investigations of youth engagement, cross-sectoral programming, and youth systems. Recommendations were offered towards advancing PYD globally. Mixed methods were used including a global survey, document review, and key informant interviews.

The assessment found that uptake of PYD was perceived to be increasing among stakeholders overall, yet more effort is needed for more comprehensive understanding, commitment and implementation. Among key factors that influence PYD uptake are challenges around cross-sectoral interventions due to sectoral organizational and financial silos among donors and country level governments.  Youth engagement, including through YouthPower activities is perceived to be increasing but more remains to be done, especially in helping national governments implement meaningful youth participation. A review of youth systems work, especially in USAID’s YouthPower solicitations, revealed that strengthening of sustainable youth systems is still an emergent area with less developed lexicon, weak donor coordination, little policy reform work, and changing roles for implementing partners.  Mindset shift was an area of relative strength.  Recommendations for better uptake of PYD focused on increased understanding and use of concepts, evidence, and practical guides/tools and increased strategic monitoring, evaluation and research; supporting a deeper understanding of youth as change agents/youth engagement; developing more effective holistic and cross-sectoral youth programming; and increasing youth systems work for sustainable youth development.