A.

GENERAL INFORMATION

1. Activity Name
Tunisian Youth in Public Life: Towards open and inclusive youth engagement

2. Requestor Information
Name: Kalthoum Hamzaoui
Title: Director General of International Cooperation

Organization and Address: Ministry of Development and International Cooperation, 98 Avenue

Mohamed V (Place Pasteur), Tunis-Belvédère, Tunisia
Telephone: (+216) 71 892 653 Email: k.hamzaoui@mdci.gov.tn

3. Recipient Entity
Name: Hedi Mekni Title: Secretary General of the Government

Organization and Address: Presidency of the Government, La Kasbah, Tunis, Tunisia

Telephone: (+216) 71 565 400 Email: Hedi.Mekni@pm.gov.tn

4. ISA SC Representative

Name: : Nicolas Pinaud Title: Head of the Sherpa Office and Global
Governance Unit
Organization and Address: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2 RUE ANDRE
PASCAL, PARIS, FRANCE
Telephone: (+33) 01 45 24 95 76 Email: nicolas.pinaud@oecd.org

5. Type of Execution (check the applicable box)

Type Endorsements
Country-Execution Attach written endorsement
from designated ISA
Joint Country/ISA- Attach written endorsement
Execution from designated ISA
√ ISA-Execution for Attach written endorsement
Country from designated ISA
Justification
This submission is part of a regional
project for which ISA-execution of
activities is recommended by the
Operations Manual of the Transition
Fund.
The project “Tunisian Youth in Public
Life: Towards open and inclusive youth
engagement (“the “Project”) will be
implemented by the Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development
(OECD) in consultation with the Tunisian
government.

The OECD’s strategic advantage in the

international environment lies in its
robust and long-term knowledge and
policy dialogue to support reform
agendas in member and non-member
countries. This multidisciplinary
knowledge-building approach is of
increasing interest to non-members
seeking advice and dialogue on good
practices. The project time-frame is 4
years.

The OECD will be the ISA responsible for

the direct implementation support that
will strengthen the work carried out by
the recipients by: (i) Supporting the
inclusive formulation and
implementation of the National
Integrated Youth Strategy 2030; (ii)
Scaling up the institutional and legal
framework for youth engagement in
public life; and (iii) Promoting new forms
of youth engagement to mainstream their
considerations in public policies and
governance.

This project is part of a regional project

benefiting Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan.
All three components outlined above will
be completed by a regional dialogue with
policy practitioners from the beneficiary,
MENA and OECD member countries to
share international practices and support
peer-to-peer learning.

The OECD methodology involves an

interactive peer-review process that draws
on the work of the MENA-OECD Initiative.
Tunisia is a founding member of that
Initiative and the current chair of the MENA-
OECD Governance Programme. Through this
Programme, the OECD has published in 2016
the report “Youth in the MENA region: How
to bring them in?” which outlines pathways
for governments to promote the participation
of young men and women in decision-making
and mainstream youth considerations in
public policies and strategies and in 2018 the
OECD Youth Stocktaking report which
presents good practices to engage and
empower youth from a holistic governance
perspective.
Through the MENA-OECD Governance
Programme, the OECD has been engaged
with the Government of Tunisia for over
a decade to analyse and implement
public governance reform for socio-
economic development and inclusive
growth. Key areas of collaboration and
deliverables include analytical and
implementation support in regarding: (a)
implementation of open government
policies at the central and local level (e.g.
OECD Open Government Review of
Tunisia, 2014); (b) strengthening public
sector integrity (e.g. OECD reports “OECD
Integrity Review of Tunisia”, “Renforcer
l’intégrité en Tunisie: L’élaboration de
norms pour les agents publics et le
renforcement du système de declaration
du patrimoine; Examen de l´OCDE du
système de contrô le et d´audit en
Tunisie) (c) strengthening public
financial management and PPPs (e.g.
OECD review on Bugdet Transparency
and the MENA Transition Fund on PPPs
implemented in cooperation with the
AfDB); (d) strengthening local
governance (e.g. OECD policy paper on
decentralization and regional
development).

Through these strategic collaborations to

support the country’s national
development priorities, Tunisia has
experience in accessing OECD research
and tools and demonstrated capacity to
absorb OECD expertise. The proposed
project will build on the results of this
partnership.

The project will draw on the accumulated

expertise of the 36 OECD member
 countries and offer direct access to OECD
and MENA networks. It will mobilize
peers from OECD and MENA countries to
foster the exchange of knowledge and
good practices among policy
practitioners in the area of active and
inclusive youth engagement in public life.
The results of the project will be
presented in the OECD Public
Governance Committee (PGC).
ISA-Execution for Attach written endorsements
Parliaments from designated Ministry
and ISA

6. Geographic Focus
Individual country (name of country):
X Regional or multiple countries (list countries): Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan,

7. Amount Requested (USD)

Amount Requested for direct Project Activities: 1,362,612(Original: 1,208,730;
(of which Amount Requested for direct ISA-Executed Project Activities): AF: 153,882)
Amount Requested for ISA Indirect Costs:1 93,388
(Original: 81,270
AF: 12,118)
Total Amount Requested: 1,456,000
(Original: 1,290,000;
AF: 166,000)

8. Expected Project Start, Closing and Final Disbursement Dates

Start 1 September Closing 30 November End 30 January 2021
Date: 2016 Date: 2020 Disbursement
Date:

9. Pillar(s) to which Activity Responds

Pillar Primary Secondary Pillar Prim Secondary
(One only) (All that
apply) ary (All that
(One apply)
only)
Investing in Sustainable Growth. √ Enhancing Economic Governance. This √
This could include such topics as could include areas such as transparency,
innovation and technology policy, anti-corruption and accountability policies,
enhancing the business environment asset recovery, public financial management
(including for small and medium- and oversight, public sector audit and
sized enterprises as well as for local evaluation, integrity, procurement reform,
and foreign investment promotion), regulatory quality and administrative

1
ISA indirect costs are for grant preparation, administration, management (implementation support/supervision) including
staff time, travel, consultant costs, etc.
competition policy, private sector
development strategies, access to
finance, addressing urban congestion
and energy intensity.
Inclusive Development and Job
Creation. This could include
support of policies for integrating
lagging regions, skills and labor
market policies, increasing youth
employability, enhancing female
labor force participation, integrating
people with disabilities, vocational
training, pension reform, improving
job conditions and regulations,
financial inclusion, promoting
equitable fiscal policies and social
safety net reform.
simplification, investor and consumer
protection, access to economic data and
information, management of environmental
and social impacts, capacity building for
local government and decentralization,
support for the Open Government
Partnership, creation of new and innovative
government agencies related to new
transitional reforms, reform of public
service delivery in the social and
infrastructure sectors, and sound banking
systems.
√ Competitiveness and Integration. This √
could include such topics as logistics,
behind-the-border regulatory convergence,
trade strategy and negotiations, planning
and facilitation of cross-border
infrastructure, and promoting and
facilitating infrastructure projects,
particularly in the areas of urban
infrastructure, transport, trade facilitation
and private sector development.
 B. STRATEGIC CONTEXT

10. Country and Sector Issues

Youth in Tunisia was at the forefront of the civil uprisings that led to the toppling of the dictatorship and the
transition towards more democratic governance. However, as the recent demonstrations of January 2016 in several
municipalities showed remaining discontent, young Tunisians feel that major progress is still need to be made and
that economic, social and political inclusion and engagement in public life of youth continue to be low 2. In
2015, unemployment rate reached 15.2% and 19.9% among young graduates 3. In 2014, the NEET rate (share of
young people not in employment, education or training) for young men in urban areas was 20.3% and 32.4% for
young women4. In 2016, the government organised a national congress on youth employment and conducted a
dialogue to address this key challenge. Moreover, despite the growing number of civil society organisations (CSOs),
youth activity within these associations has been on the decline after a very prominent role during and immediately
after the revolution5. The low representation of Tunisian youth has a direct impact both on addressing the needs of
young women and men and on their access to employment and public services (e.g. health, education). This has also
led to low levels of public trust in government (only 8.8% of rural youth and 31.3% of urban youth trust the
political system6). This pattern has led to frustration, little faith in political institutions, and, in some cases, risky
behaviour or a move towards radicalisation and extremism. The phenomenon of youth being recruited by extremist
groups is particularly prevalent in Tunisia. Therefore, Tunisian youth faces several challenges following the 2011
uprising and needs to be better engaged in the current transition process; to have their ideas and opinions taken in
consideration as they are an asset in this process.

The 2014 Constitution’s provisions on youth reflect a commitment by Tunisia to foster young people’s active and
inclusive engagement in public life. Article 8 stresses that youth should be an active force in the nation building and
stipulates that the State should create the necessary conditions to develop and implement youth’s capacities for
young people to be able to contribute to social, economic, cultural and political development. Furthermore, article
133 stipulates that the electoral law guarantees youth representation in local councils 7. Additionally, the new
electoral law of 20178 allows for an important representation of youth on electoral lists (at least one of the first
three candidates on each list must be aged 35 or below, and every section of six candidates must contain one
candidate aged 35 or below) which resulted in 52% of candidates to the local elections of May 2018 being under 35.
Yet, challenges remain, as seen during the local elections in May 2018, in which only 32.6% of young people voted. 9

The Ministry of Youth and Sports is responsible for the implementation of youth policies. For instance, the
Ministry elaborated the Youth Strategy 2009-2014. However, as youth presents a cross-cutting policy field, various
ministries and departments are typically involved in the formulation and delivery of youth-related policies and
services. Services to young people are delivered through centralized administrative units and a network of youth
centres10. The National Youth Observatory is part of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and is in charge of
promoting communication and dialogue among youth, conducting surveys in order to identify young people’s
needs, and organizing youth consultation. However, the Ministry of Youth does not play a major role in the current
process of formulating an Integrated National Youth Strategy due to the lack of sufficient steering and coordination
capacity.

The coordination between the main stakeholders represents a challenge as it impacts negatively on the
coherence of policy interventions in favor of youth. The need for a joint vision along with efficient monitoring and
2
http://www.youthpolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/library/2013_Tunisia_youth-perceptions-egypt-libya_ENG.pdf
3
http://www.worldbank.org/en/country/tunisia/overview
4
http://www.banquemondiale.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/MNA/tunisia/
breaking_the_barriers_to_youth_inclusion_fre.pdf
5
Idem
6
Idem
7
http://www.legislation.tn/sites/default/files/news/constitution-b-a-t.pdf
8
Organic Law n° 2017-7 ( 14 February 2017), modifying and completing Organic Law n° 2014-16 ( 26 May 2014)
9
http://www.isie.tn/statistiques/
10
http://www.youthpolicy.org/factsheets/country/tunisia/
 evaluation techniques is repeatedly highlighted. Moreover, in order to fully take in consideration Tunisian youth’s
needs and implement comprehensive policies, youth organisations and associations must be included. This would
also give more legitimacy to the new framework. In this perspective, the President of the Tunisian Republic, Mr.
Béji Caïd Essebsi, announced the National Congress on Youth which was held on 14 May 2016 to expose the
issues faced by young people and identify the sectors that could be improved 11. The National Congress officially
launched the consultation process with youth representatives which was used to feed into the formulation of the
Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030. Reportedly, efforts have been undertaken to consult with specific
segments of youth and to identify the thematic areas that the Strategy may reflect. A series of youth consultations at
the regional and local level took place between mid-May and September 2016. Civil society has also been
supporting new initiatives such as the creation of a “Superior Youth Council” that would be in charge of establishing
new policies for youth in close collaboration with all relevant stakeholders including civil society and experts 12.
While awaiting the development of the Youth strategy 2030, the Ministry of Youth has prepared a Youth vision
2018-2020, composed of several multi-departmental projects that aim at empowering youth to become active
citizens, and harness their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. Among others, the projects focus on the
modernization of youth centers and the development of new management approaches based on youth participation
in decision making.

Several governance-related initiatives taken by the Government can also have a significant impact on youth-
inclusive strategy both at national and local level. The decentralisation reform, started in 2015, is determined by
article 137 of the 2014 Constitution, which stipulates that local communities will adopt participatory democracy
mechanisms and open government principles in order to include larger parts of citizens and civil society in the
elaboration of development projects and territorial planning and in their execution 13. For instance, the
implementation of participatory budget system in some municipalities could enhance youth participation in
decision-making at local level14. The reform also includes the creation and implementation of local “dialogue spots”
between the State, local authorities and citizens in five pilot municipalities 15.

11. Alignment with Transition Fund Objective

The objective of the MENA Transition Fund is to improve the lives of citizens in transition countries, and to support
the transformation currently underway. As one of the main pillars, the Transition Fund identifies economic
governance as core priority to support the transition. The Project is contributing to this objective. Including youth
in the policy-making cycle is critical for Tunisia given the demographic make-up with over 24% of the population
being between 18-30 years. For young men and women to become a driving force and beneficiary of a more
inclusive growth, government frameworks in Tunisia need to adjust and become responsive to the needs of the
youth.

Giving youth a voice in the policy-making process can help to mainstream youth considerations across policies and
levels of governments. It can create the needed accountability mechanism, oversight and improvements of major
public services. Finally, including youth is a natural necessity to implement open government principles in practice
– a core priority of the Deauville Partnership and its recently endorsed Compact of Economic Governance.

Yet, despite the fact that the youth was among the driving force of the civil uprisings in the Arab Countries in
Transition (ACT), calling for more transparent, inclusive and accountable governments, opportunities for youth’s
association and youth people to influence policy outcomes remain fairly limited in Tunisia. The main reasons are
related to the absence of youth considerations in public sector strategies, institutions and processes that impede
11
http://www.radioexpressfm.com/lire/rabiaa-nejlaoui-le-congres-national-sur-la-jeunesse-doit-repondre-aux-attentes-des-
jeunes-tunisiens-4110
12
http://www.lapresse.tn/01012016/107787/plaidoyer-pour-un-conseil-superieur-de-la-jeunesse.html
13
http://www.legislation.tn/sites/default/files/news/constitution-b-a-t.pdf
14
http://www.leaders.com.tn/article/18292-le-budget-participatif-un-pas-vers-la-democratie-locale-en-tunisie-l-experience-de-
la-commune-de-sfax
15
http://www.ambassadefrance-tn.org/C-est-parti-pour-le-projet-d-appui
 pro-youth outcomes.

OECD evidence suggests that better policies rest upon stakeholder engagement, including the youth. Involving
young people in policy making and giving them a voice will also help to reduce political alienation, bringing them
back in to society and reduce the risks of radicalization. The project will support the Presidency of the Government
in close coordination with the Presidency of the Republic, , the Ministry of Youth and Sports (including the National
Observatory of Youth), and with other ministries that have a stake in youth. Thereby, the project will contribute to
increasing public trust in the government’s capacities to set and steer the economy and consolidating pillars of
building democratic systems and active citizenship.

The project is thus fully aligned with the Transition Fund’s objective to improve transparency, accountability and
public service delivery in Tunisia and create catalysis for change in the high impact area of youth engagement to
enhance economic governance and inclusive growth (pillar 1 and 2).

12. Alignment with Country’s National Strategy

The project is in line with the priorities of the Tunisian government in terms of focusing on necessary measures
that will enhance youth’s role in Tunisian society. During the closing of the National Employment Dialogue on
29 March 2016, Mr. Habib Essid, Tunisia’s former Prime Minister, stressed the need to offer more possibilities to
young people and highlighted youth’s great potential. The objective is to make them the backbone of the country’s
growth16.

The project is fully aligned with Tunisia’s strategy to formulate and implement youth-inclusive policies. It aims at
ensuring the efficient implementation of the youth-related provisions in the 2014 Constitution by strengthening
the institutional framework for youth participation in the country´s development and ensuring their representation
at the local level. In addition, on the occasion of the anniversary of the Revolution in January 2018, the President of
the Tunisian Republic, Mr. Béji Caïd Essebsi officially declared the year 2018 “the year of youth”.

The project supports the current economic and social development programmes of the Tunisian Government. For
instance, it will contribute to the objective of the decentralisation program to involve citizens, including young
men and women, in decision-making at the local level (e.g. participatory budget initiatives in municipalities; youth
participation in local elections and regional development plans). It also responds to the Strategic Orientation
Note for the National Development Plan 2016-2020 which highlights inclusion as the basis of social justice,
notably through the inclusion of all the vital forces (youth and women) in the development process 17.

Tunisia is one of the 5 pilot countries that joined an initiative to implement Sustainable Development Goal Number
16 ahead of time and integrate the goal into activities to promote a vigilant cohesive and participatory society.

C. PROJECT DESCRIPTION

13. Project Objective

The project will contribute to advance Tunisia’s reform process towards the active and inclusive engagement of
young men and women in public life by: (i) Supporting the inclusive formulation and implementation of the
Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030 (the “Strategy”); (ii) Scaling up the legal and institutional framework to
foster youth engagement; and (iii) Promoting new forms of youth engagement to mainstream youth considerations
in public policies and governance.

The first objective is to promote an inclusive approach to the formulation and implementation of the Integrated
National Youth Strategy 2030 and youth policy more generally, included the Integrated Youth vision. To guarantee
its success, the project will support Tunisia in defining the mandate of all key stakeholders involved, strengthen
16
http://www.businessnews.com.tn/habib-essid--les-jeunes-seront-le-pivot-essentiel-de-lessor-de-la-tunisie,520,63469,3
17
http://www.leaders.com.tn/uploads/FCK_files/Presentation_Note_Orientation_%20FR_VF.pdf
 monitoring and evaluation as well as mechanisms for horizontal and vertical coordination to increase coherence of
government interventions in favour of youth. Based on OECD findings, capacity building and training activities will
support staff from the Ministry of Youth to effectively deliver on the commitments made in the Youth Strategy.

The second objective is to reinforce the legal and institutional framework to foster youth engagement in public life.
With regard to the existing governance framework, OECD support will focus on supporting legal and institutional
reform to increase youth participation in decision-making (e.g. via a National Youth Council) and institutionalize
the interplay between local authorities and youth.

The third objective is to promote new forms of youth engagement to mainstream youth considerations in public
policies and governance. OECD assistance will explore new forms for a more inclusive youth-government dialogue
(e.g. via digital technologies), innovative partnerships in the formulation and delivery of public policies and
services (e.g. engagement in governance processes such as public budgeting or strengthening integrity
frameworks) and build leadership skills through regional peer-to-peer learning activities and a high-level dialogue
programme..

14. Project Components

The project with Tunisia is part of a regional project with Tunisia, , Morocco and Jordan to strengthen youth
engagement in public life and mainstream youth considerations in public policies and governance. It is based on
three components, with additional sub-components.

Component 1: Supporting the inclusive formulation and implementation of the National Integrated Youth Strategy
2030;

Component 2: Scaling up the institutional and legal framework for youth engagement in public life;

Component 3: Promoting new forms of youth engagement to mainstream their considerations in public policies
and governance.

All three components will include activities aimed at increasing the participation of Tunisian public officials, and
representatives from youth associations and civil society in the international and regional dialogue on good
governance, open government policies and citizen participation and youth engagement.

Component 1: Supporting the inclusive formulation and implementation of the National Integrated
Youth Strategy 2030 (US$718,973)

Since the revolution in 2011, Tunisia has made considerable efforts to provide young men and women with better
opportunities to become a driving force for the socio-economic development of their country. The 2014
Constitution stipulates that the youth is a driving force for the construction of the Nation and that the State is
responsible for “providing the conditions which allow youth to develop their capabilities, unfold their energy, assume
their responsibilities and broaden their participation in social, economic, cultural and political development” (Article
8). In line with the commitment to foster a more active role for young men and women, the Constitution requests
that the Electoral Law must guarantee the representation of young people in local government councils (Article
133) (Conseils des collectivités locales).

Tunisia is also a signatory of the African Youth Charter (2011) which identifies key principles for the formulation
and implementation of a national youth policy. With the elaboration of a National Youth Policy, Tunisia joins an
increasing number of MENA countries and governments worldwide in the intention to improve the horizontal and
vertical coordination and coherence of pro-youth policies and services over a multi-year horizon. As a cross-cutting
policy field, youth policy covers a variety of thematic areas (e.g. education, health, employment, mobility, security,
housing). It requires a holistic/whole-of-government approach in which policy sectors, ministries and other
relevant entities work jointly towards a set of strategic and actionable objectives. An integrated strategic
framework, such as a National Youth Strategy, can help in guiding legislation, programmes and initiatives and
measure progress against benchmarks as indicated by the Baku Commitment to Youth Policies (2014). Moreover,
given that the local level is the place where government and citizens interact directly, sub-national institutions play
a critical role in providing evidence and, in turn, implementing the Strategy. In the current context of
decentralization reform in Tunisia, local authorities and institutions are expected to benefit from greater autonomy
in the elaboration of programmes and will therefore be a critical agent in formulating and implementing the
Strategy.

The elaboration of the Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030 is the most comprehensive and systematic effort
undertaken by the Tunisian government to create a coherent framework for youth policy and promote their
engagement in public life. At the sub-national level, experiments to involve youth have been initiated at municipal
level (e.g. participation of youth in participatory budgeting processes in La Marsa, Menzel Bourguiba, Tozeur and
Gabes) and civil society (e.g. organisation of public consultations between local authorities and youth and activities
to mobilise young people to register to vote in the parliamentary and presidential elections by IWatch; organisation
of youth parliaments by Tun’Act). Moreover, youth-led civil society organisations in Tunisia have played a major
role in holding government to account in the transition process towards democracy (e.g. monitoring of public
budgets through the Marsad Budget project by Al Bawsala). These initiatives attest to the intention of the
government to involve youth at the different levels of government in the elaboration of public policies and
strategies. However, the legal and institutional mechanisms to involve youth and other more vulnerable groups
more systematically are only emerging. Government-driven initiatives such as the "Agora - Débat de la ville" project
run by the National Observatory of Youth to create public spaces for youth to shape the future of their
neighbourhoods are not embedded in a more systematic effort to involve them into political decision-making
processes. For instance, while 27 of 36 OECD member countries have a National Youth Council to represent youth
expectations vis-à -vis the government, a similar institutional arrangement has not yet been created in Tunisia.
While Tunisia has made significant achievements in promoting stakeholder consultation over the last years, for
instance in the framework of its membership to the Open Government Partnership, specific requirements to
involve youth and tools to facilitate their engagement are largely absent.

Through Component 1, the project will support Tunisia in strengthening public governance systems to support the
inclusive formulation and implementation of the Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030, as well as the
implementation of the Youth vision 2018-2020 across the different levels of government.

This component will consist of 4 sub-components:

 Sub-component 1a: Strategic mapping of Tunisia’s public governance framework to prepare and implement
the Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030;

 Sub-component 1b: Capacity building for an integrated approach to the delivery of youth policy;

 Sub-component 1c: Regional conference for MENA countries (in particular MOR, TUN, JOR) on the
formulation and implementation of national youth strategies [Regional component].

 Sub-component 1d: Harness your talents, build partnerships!

Sub-component 1a): Strategic mapping of Tunisia’s public governance framework to prepare and
implement the Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030

This sub-component will lay the ground for an upgrade of collaboration mechanisms both horizontally and
vertically to ensure the successful formulation and implementation of the Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030.
The OECD will assess the capacities and coordination mechanisms of the existing institutions in charge of youth
affairs to steer youth policy across the public administration and for effective stakeholder consultation. The
mapping will analyse the legislative and institutional mechanisms in place as well as policies and actual practices to
identify potential bottlenecks. It will analyse whether the key entities involved in formulating youth-related
policies and services at the central level (e.g. Ministry of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher
Education and Scientific Research, Ministry of Professional Training and Employment, Ministry of Health, Ministry
of Social Affairs) are successful in coordinating their strategic plans and programmes for a coherent approach and
where improvements are necessary. It will further analyse the interplay between the central and the sub-national
level in collecting evidence and translating youth demands into programmes and initiatives. The focus on the multi-
level governance framework for youth policy recognises that restricted access to public services or low quality
thereof is the result of poor vertical coordination. As local authorities in Tunisia are expected to assume greater
responsibilities in the context of the decentralisation reform, their capacities to contribute to the formulation and
delivery of national youth policy are critical to ensure its success.

Tunisia is in the early stages of formulating its Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030. For the Strategy to become
a reference document for youth-related policies and programmes over the next 15 years, it must be based on sound
evidence and the active contribution of its target group. Involving youth in public consultations, including
additional efforts to reach out to those which are at a greater risk of marginalisation (e.g. the unemployed, less
educated, rural areas, women), will ultimately determine its legitimacy and ownership. Promoting an inclusive
approach raises important questions as to the availability of capacities, tools and mechanisms to ensure young
people’s active involvement in the formulating of the National Strategy across the levels of government.

The mapping will point to the specific challenges for effective vertical, horizontal and cross-sectorial co-ordination
and will provide ad hoc and actionable recommendations to improve the situation in line with OECD principles,
standards, instruments and good practices.

The evidence for the mapping will be collected through fact-finding missions, surveys and roundtables with senior
public officials from all levels of government, youth associations/civil society, the private sector as well as peers
from MENA and OECD countries. The peer review-driven approach will allow for the systematic exchange of
information and lead to actionable policy recommendations based on the experience of policy practitioners in the
field (e.g. representatives from inter-ministerial bodies in charge of the implementation and monitoring of a
national strategy for youth). A first draft of the mapping will be broadly circulated for review to validate the
findings followed by an official launching conference.

The output of this sub-component will be an OECD Review of Tunisia’s Public Governance Framework to
formulate and implement the Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030 and achieve its objectives across the
different levels of government. The comprehensive analysis of the mapping work / review will include actionable
policy recommendations based on good practices in OECD and MENA countries. A “Key priorities for policy action”
brief (max. 5-10 pages) will be delivered with suggestions to prioritize government interventions in favour of
fostering youth engagement in public life in the short-, medium- and long-term.

The policy recommendations will be disseminated through a high-level national conference and a series of capacity
building seminars with government officials, youth associations and other key entities from the different levels of
government.

The outcome of this sub-component will be a better understanding among key entities for how to foster inclusive
and effective youth consultation and the active engagement of youth (associations) throughout the elaboration of
the National Strategy. Based on the mapping of public governance frameworks in place, it will contribute to clarify
responsibilities and possible bottlenecks in the formulation and delivery of the Strategy and contribute to a more
coordinated approach across administrative departments at the central level and the different levels of
government.

Sub Component 1b): Capacity building for an integrated approach to the delivery of youth policy

The cross-cutting nature of youth policy and the forthcoming Integrated National Youth Policy 2030 require a joint-
up and collaborative effort by the various actors involved. The alignment of the various actors in working towards a
joint vision and objectives can be ensured if the right set of tools, capacities and mechanisms (e.g. strategic
planning, communication, monitoring and evaluation, stakeholder engagement) as well as a sound institutional
framework (e.g. inter-ministerial coordination bodies, mechanisms for systematic public consultation) are put in
place. This is a key challenge both to ensure the horizontal coordination at the central level and the vertical
coordination between the different levels of government.

Based on the findings and recommendations of the strategic mapping, the OECD will organise a series of capacity
building seminars. The activities will feature the participation of high-level public officials from ministries and
departments with a significant youth portfolio, youth associations/civil society and local authorities to discuss:

 Capacity building activity 1: A practical approach to the elaboration and implementation of the
Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030. Based on the strategic mapping, this seminar will share its
results and actionable policy recommendations to foster the systematic consultation and engagement of
young men and women in the elaboration of the Strategy. Peers from MENA and OECD countries will
present good practices and lessons learned in bridging the gap between young men and women and public
officials for a partnership approach in defining a joint vision for youth.

 Capacity building activity 2: Ensuring effective horizontal and vertical coordination in implementing
the Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030. This seminar will focus on the distribution of mandates
and responsibilities between the key entities involved in the implementation of the Strategy. With a view
to strengthening steering, (horizontal and vertical) coordination and monitoring capacities, it will feature
the participation of government and non-government representatives from the different levels of
government and international experts.

The output of this sub-component are two capacity building seminars at the central and sub-national level to
support Tunisia in promoting an inclusive approach to the formulation of the Integrated National Youth Strategy
2030 and foster effective coordination in its delivery. Based on the identified challenges, practical training material
will be elaborated and disseminated widely among the participants.

More specifically, a “Lessons learned” brief will be shared among the participants of each capacity building activity
to summarise the key findings, good practices and recommendations provided by the OECD and MENA peers and
experts in these events. The brief will provide an essential element to advance the reform discussions in the
beneficiary countries.

The outcome of this sub-component is a better understanding of mechanisms to engage youth systematically in
the formulation of the Strategy. This will allow young people to actively contribute to the design of the Strategy and
ensure that their needs and expectations are indeed reflected which will increase legitimacy and ownership. The
capacity building seminars will further strengthen the efficient translation of the Strategy into concrete activities
and services for youth based on a shared understanding of the mandate by each actor involved (e.g.
governmental/non-governmental; central/sub-national level).

Sub-component 1c): Regional conference for MENA countries (in particular MOR, TUN, JOR,) on the
formulation and implementation of national youth strategies [Regional component]
 The project with Tunisia is part of a regional project which will benefit Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan. All three
countries have undertaken significant efforts to elaborate or implement comprehensive youth strategies and
engage young men and women more systematically across the policy cycle. The different level of advancement in
the implementation of legal and institutional reform as well as the specific approach undertaken by each country in
designing a national youth policy provide for rich opportunities to exchange learning experiences and good
practices.

The output of this sub-component will be 1 regional conference with high-level youth stakeholders from the
MENA region (in particular from Tunisia, Morocco and Jordan) to exchange on the progress made in formulating
and implementing their respective national strategies and foster mutual learning experiences. The thematic
orientation and the hosting country of the conference will be determined in consultation with all three countries.
Upon the demand of the beneficiary institutions, the regional conference could be organised either as a high-level
event with the aim of securing political commitments or a workshop at technical level to exchange in greater detail
about the technical aspects of policy implementation.

A “Lessons learned” brief will be shared among the participants of the regional dialogue to summarise the key
findings, good practices and recommendations provided by the OECD and MENA peers and experts in these events.
The brief will provide an essential element to advance the reform discussions in the beneficiary countries.

The outcome of this sub-component will be a good understanding of the factors for the success and/or failure of
delivering pro-youth policies and services. Despite distinct context factors in each country, the exchange of “what
works” and “what does not work” with peers and experienced practitioners in MENA and OECD countries will
stimulate debate and new approaches to overcome similar challenges faced by all countries.

Sub-component 1d): Harness your talents, build partnerships!

Public officials from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and other key public institutions working on youth-
related topics need to upgrade their skills to fully meet the demands from young Tunisians. These skills include the
ability to partner with youth in decision-making and service-delivery. With young people below 25 years old
representing 39% of the population in 2017 18, enhancing the participation of young Tunisian men and women in
the policy cycle is indeed crucial. Their active involvement within existing decision-making structures and
processes increases government accountability and strengthens their empowerment. Evidence also shows that
providing public services that respond to the demands and needs of young people leads to increased chances for
integration of young citizens into the job market.

Furthermore, effective monitoring and evaluation frameworks are instrumental to track progress over time,
achieve results and ensure accountability. Including young Tunisians in these processes would be determinant in
providing more legitimacy to the Government’s use of public resources in this field. In addition, effective and
inclusive outreach and communication through social media can be a tool to counter hate speech.

Building on the mapping developed as part of sub-component 1a), the OECD will organise training programmes for
public officials from Tunisia designated to implement youth policies, programmes and services. Possible focus area
could include:

‒ Youth engagement and active citizenship

‒ Monitoring and evaluation mechanisms
‒ Social media and hate speech

The output of this sub-component is one capacity-building programme for public officials from the Ministry in
charge of Youth, ministries and departments with a significant youth portfolio, and local authorities. In addition, a
training manual will be developed and revised based on feedback received during the capacity-building
programme. This allows the government to conduct trainings benefiting a greater number of public officials
working with youth or involved in the development of youth policies and programmes and provide them with the
18
Index Mundi. (2017). https://www.indexmundi.com/tunisia/age_structure.html
needed skills to continue tailoring youth policy-making and service-delivery to youth needs.

The outcome: Public officials will acquire skills to partner with youth in the implementation of youth policies,
programmes and services. The training manual will allow the partner countries to replicate the trainings and hence
ensure their sustainability and impact.

Component 2: Scaling up the institutional and legal framework for youth engagement in public life
(US$ 180,298)

With the preparation of the Integrated National Youth Strategy 2030, Tunisia has made a first but significant step to
deliver on the constitutional provision to provide the conditions for enlarged youth participation in social,
economic, cultural and political development (Article 8). In recent years, as part of the country´s transition process
towards more democratic governance, Tunisia has started to use mechanisms for citizen participation (e.g. Open
Government Joint Consultative Committee; National Employment Dialogue; participatory budgeting at the local
level; formulation of the development plan]. However, these mechanisms are still at an early stage of development
and remain insufficient to represent the specific needs and expectations young people formulate vis-à -vis the
government. If opportunities to engage with public officials exist, they are the result of specific short-term (and
often donor-driven) initiatives rather than the outcome of a systematic approach to engage youth on a regular
basis. The reform of the Electoral Law foreseen by Article 133 of the Constitution addresses the important aspect
that youth are largely underrepresented in government bodies. While the reform of the Electoral Law could lead to
a more solid representation of youth in politics, they do not provide new opportunities for the direct engagement of
the many with the aspiration to influence the decision-making process and embrace active citizenship. Initiatives
driven by civil society to create participatory bodies for the younger generation (e.g. youth parliaments) lack
sustainability due to precarious funding schemes.

In MENA countries and elsewhere, governments increasingly acknowledge the need to engage youth more
systematically in the design and delivery of relevant public policies and services. With a stake in the process of
formulating and monitoring public policies, young men and women can inform the process with their views and
contribute to better tailored policy outcomes. This can eventually contribute to reinforcing the legitimacy of
political institutions, fostering active citizenship and strengthening trust in government. As youth are heavy users
of public services, such as basic infrastructure services, social services and quality-of-life services (e.g. public safety,
urban planning, culture and entertainment, sport, public space), their absence in the formulation and delivery may
also render them less accessible or poorly tailored. To upgrade youth engagement in public life, institutional reform
must be complemented by a solid legal framework. This will increase both the sustainability and predictability of
the youth-government interaction and manage expectations based on a clear process.

National youth councils and similar institutional arrangements provide a more sustainable basis to raise their voice
and engage in processes of consultation or, in some cases as for the Lithuania Youth Council, “co-management“ and
“co-decision making“. In Morocco, for instance, the government is expected to finalise soon the creation of an
Advisory Council for Youth and Associative Action (Conseil Consultative de la Jeunesse et de l´Action Associative) with
the mandate to make proposals on any topic of economic, social and cultural interest to youth. It also envisages the
creation of sub-national youth councils.

Through Component 2, the project will support Tunisia in scaling up mechanisms for young people´s civic
engagement and political participation at the central and sub-national level. The support will build on the existing
structures and exchange good international practices through a series of capacity building with policy practitioners
and experts from MENA and OECD countries.
This component will consist of 2 sub-components:

 Sub-component 2a: Capacity building to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for youth
engagement in public life at the central and sub-national level;

 Sub-component 2b: Regional conference for MENA countries (in particular for MOR, TUN, JOR) on the
institutional and legal framework for inclusive youth engagement in public life [Regional component].

Sub-component 2a): Capacity building to strengthen the legal and institutional framework for youth
engagement in public life at the central and sub-national level

In line with the priority of the Tunisian government to raise young people´s voice in policy-making, the sub-
component will organise a series of capacity building seminars to discuss an approach that would build on the
existing legal and institutional framework. It will introduce mechanisms and tools to reach out to youth and share
good practice cases from MENA and OECD countries with a track record in engaging the younger generation in civic
and political affairs. The seminars will include a strong focus on the sub-national level to support a more regular
dialogue and partnership between youth, associations and local authorities. This will contribute to an exchange of
knowledge and experiences among Tunisian local authorities from different regions with the aim of raising
awareness for the importance of creating representative youth bodies/mechanisms for systematic youth
engagement across the territory.

 Capacity building activity 1: Scaling up institutional and legal arrangements at the central level to
foster inclusive and effective youth engagement. The seminar will discuss opportunities to scale up the
institutional and legal framework at the central level for youth engagement in public life based on the
mechanisms in place and good practice examples from MENA and OECD countries. The seminars will
feature government officials and representatives from a National Youth Council to introduce the concept in
Tunisia.

 Capacity building activity 2: Scaling up institutional and legal arrangements at the sub-national
level to foster inclusive and effective youth engagement. The decentralisation process in Tunisia is
expected to offer new opportunities for citizens to engage with local authorities and become a driving force
in the socio-economic development of their region. Given the fragmented nature of civil society and youth
associations in Tunisia, local youth councils or similar arrangements can provide a forum to institutionalise
the interplay between local authorities, youth associations and activists. The seminar will share
experiences of local authorities and youth representatives in MENA and OECD countries in working jointly
towards identifying policy solutions to the social, economic and political challenges at the sub-national
level.

The output of this sub-component is two capacity building seminars. Based on the identified challenges,
practical training material will be elaborated and disseminated widely among the participants. The first seminar
will be delivered in Tunis while the second seminar will be organised at the sub-national level.

More specifically, a “Lessons learned” brief will be shared among the participants of each capacity building activity
to summarise the key findings, good practices and recommendations provided by the OECD and MENA peers and
experts in these events. The brief will provide an essential element to advance the reform discussions in the
beneficiary countries.

The outcome of this sub-component is a better understanding among public officials and youth stakeholders at the
different levels of government for the success/failure factors of institutionalised forms of youth representation and
engagement. The activities will raise awareness for the constructive role youth can play in the development of their
communities if the right mechanisms, tools and processes are put in place.
Sub-component 2b): Regional conference for MENA countries (in particular for MOR, TUN, JOR) on the
institutional and legal framework for inclusive youth engagement in public life [Regional component]

This project with Tunisia is part of a regional project which will benefit stakeholders in Tunisia, Morocco and
Jordan. All three countries are engaged in a process of creating or strengthening institutional frameworks to
interact with youth on a more systematic basis. The different level of advancement in the creation and
operationalisation of representative youth bodies offers an opportune momentum to exchange learning
experiences and good practices. This sub-component will feed into ongoing discussions in all four beneficiary
countries as to how citizen participation at the local level can be stimulated in the context of the ongoing
decentralisation reform.

The output of this sub-component will be 1 regional conference with high-level youth stakeholders in Tunisia,
Morocco and Jordan.to discuss the experiences made in setting up representative youth bodies and/or youth
engagement mechanisms with a focus on the sub-national level. Upon the demand of the beneficiary
institutions, the regional conference could be organised either as a high-level event with the aim of securing
political commitments or an extensive workshop at technical level to delve into the technical aspects of policy
implementation.

A “Lessons learned” brief will be shared among the participants of the regional dialogue to summarise the key
findings, good practices and recommendations provided by the OECD and MENA peers and experts in these events.
The brief will provide an essential element to advance the reform discussions in the beneficiary countries.

The outcome of this sub-component will be a good understanding of the factors for the success and/or failure of
setting up youth representative bodies and/or engagement mechanisms and their interplay with central and in
particular local public authorities. Policy practitioners will inform the discussions with presentations on similar
reform efforts and case studies in OECD member countries.

Component 3: Promoting new forms of youth engagement to mainstream their considerations in

public policies and governance (US$463,341)

Low levels of traditional or conventional forms of participation (e.g. membership in political parties, voting) in
Tunisia and elsewhere point to an increasing disappointment among youth with existing mechanisms to drive
change. Indeed, the prominent role of young men and women in the civil uprisings known as the “Arab Spring” did
not result in a greater involvement in forms of conventional participation – partly due to a lack of systematic efforts
by governments to make them more accessible and appealing to the younger generation as argued by the OECD
regional report “Youth in the MENA region: How to bring them in”. Furthermore, the conditions for youth to use
these channels vary greatly depending upon their socio-economic and cultural background, sex, territory, and other
factors. While youth as a social group tend to be marginalised from the political process, young women, youth from
rural areas and those from less fortunate socio-economic backgrounds face additional obstacles to make their
voices heard.

On the other side, tech-savvy youth in Tunisia have made unprecedented use of social media, blogs and other more
informal channels to raise their political voice, especially since 2011. It reflects the fact that youth are a highly
heterogeneous group with different preferences and means to engage with government. In turn, in the wake of the
popular movements, the government adopted the decree 2011-88 on the formation and funding of associations
which has resulted in a mushrooming of new and often youth-led civil society organisations and youth associations.
In the framework of Tunisia´s adherence to the Open Government Partnership, civil society organisations joined
online networks such as opengov.tn and tnOGP to advocate for transparency and good governance in the
consultation process for Tunisia´s OGP Action Plan. Both civil society and public authorities increasingly recognise
the value of a partnership approach in areas that have traditionally been at the exclusive discretion of the
government. In 2014, youth were invited to participate in allocating 2% of the municipal budgets of La Marsa,
Menzel Bourguiba, Tozeur and Gabes. Moreover, a citizen budget was designed to facilitate the understanding of
the allocation of public funds and increase accountability.

Through an exchange between public officials and youth representatives, this component will foster a joint
understanding among both sides for ways to exploit innovative forms of engagement. This component is
complementary to the efforts aiming at strengthening conventional forms of engagement.

This component will consist of 4 sub-components:

 Sub-component 3a: Capacity building to disseminate innovative tools, mechanisms and channels for youth
engagement;

 Sub-component 3b: Good practice guide to engage youth through innovative forms of participation in
policy-making and public governance;

 Sub-component 3c: Regional dialogue on innovative forms of youth engagement in policy-making and
public governance [Regional component].

 Sub-component 3d: Speak up, share it! [Regional component]

Sub-component 3a): Capacity building to disseminate innovative tools, mechanisms and channels for youth
engagement

The sub-component will highlight how non-conventional forms of youth engagement can effectively complement
more traditional forms of engagement, in particular by appealing to youth who would otherwise be reluctant to
voice their opinion vis-à -vis public authorities.

Through a series of capacity building seminars, the sub-component will share practical cases to strengthen the use
of digital technologies to expand youth consultation (e.g. user surveys, opinion research) and new forms of
interaction and public service delivery via social media or app-based solutions. The activities will highlight the need
for further investments into the skills and capacities of public officials to exploit these new pathways (e.g. how to
deliver messages that are appealing to youth) and institutional arrangements to ensure sustainability (e.g. modules
in the annual training plans for public officials). Good practice cases from MENA and OECD countries will highlight
public services areas of particular interest to youth that could be made available within limited technical, human
and financial resources (e.g. free legal counsel).

The activities will feature the participation of civil society and youth associations which, in turn, will benefit from a
better understanding of how to approach public officials through non-conventional forms and increase
coordination among them.

 Capacity building activity 1: Digital technologies and social media as a “game changer” to foster
youth engagement? As Tunisian youth are increasingly growing up as “digital natives” this seminar will
discuss pathways for innovative youth engagement through social media and other forms of harnessing
digital technologies (dedicated platform, networks…). This could include presentations aiming at fostering
exchange of ideas and enhancing collaboration between youth-related organisations and associations in
better using Information and Communication Technology for youth public engagement.
  Capacity building activity 2: Mainstream youth considerations in public policies and governance
(e.g. access to information, integrity, participatory budgeting, social responsibility, accountability).
In line with the argument put forward by the OECD regional report “Youth in the MENA region: How to
bring them in”, the seminar will explore opportunities to engage youth in governance processes to
mainstream their considerations in public policies and strategies. This could include the presentation by
relevant stakeholders (youth-related associations and organisations) of already existing mechanisms and
the identification of what works and what does not in order to mainstream youth interests in public life.

The output of this sub-component is two capacity building seminars as outlined above. The first seminar will be
delivered in Tunis while the second seminar will be organised at the sub-national level.

More specifically, a “Lessons learned” brief will be shared among the participants of each capacity building activity
to summarise the key findings, good practices and recommendations provided by the OECD and MENA peers and
experts in these events. The brief will provide an essential element to advance the reform discussions in the
beneficiary countries.

The outcome of this sub-component is a better understanding among public officials and youth stakeholders of
how to use and exploit non-conventional forms of interaction and dialogue. While the first seminar will highlight
the critical role of digital technologies in promoting new partnerships between the government and youth, the
second seminar will offer new pathways for local governments to engage youth and mainstream their concerns.

Sub-component 3b: Good practice guide to engage youth through innovative forms of participation in
policy-making and public governance

Good practice cases from government-driven initiatives, civil society and youth associations for innovative forms of
youth engagement will feed into a good practice guide including relevant information as to the costs and outcomes
(e.g. timeline, budget, impact) to encourage implementation in other contexts or countries. This document will be
disseminated widely among the participants of the project activities.

The output of this sub-component is a Good Practice Guide to engage youth in new forms of participation in
policy-making, public service delivery and public governance. The input to the guide will be collected in the
related capacity building activities and fact-finding missions in all four beneficiary countries.

The outcome of this sub-component is an increasing awareness among all youth stakeholders as to the ongoing
initiatives of government bodies, civil society and youth associations in each beneficiary country as well as of good
practice cases from other MENA and OECD countries to engage youth through innovative forms.

Sub-component 3c: Regional dialogue on innovative forms of youth engagement in policy-making and
public governance [Regional component]

The project with Tunisia is part of a regional project which will benefit stakeholders in Tunisia, Morocco and
Jordan. The project will benefit from OECD expertise in promoting effective stakeholder engagement and more than
10 years of support to promote inclusive policy-making in MENA economies through the MENA-OECD Governance
 Programme. Through its institutional structure of thematic working groups and networks, the MENA-OECD
Governance Programme brings together government officials, independent institutions, parliament, civil society,
and academia to advance comparative analysis, dialogue and the exchange of good practices on open and inclusive
policy-making and public service delivery (e.g. MENA-OECD Working Group on Open and Innovative Government,
Women in Government Platform, CSOs Advisory Council). The progress made in the project will be discussed in the
OECD Public Governance Committee and, in turn, benefit from cutting-edge discussions in this format.

The output of this sub-component is a) 1 regional conference with youth stakeholders from the MENA region (in
particular MOR, TUN, JOR) to discuss innovative forms of youth engagement in policy-making and public
governance. Moreover, this sub-component will b) feature the regular participation of 6 representatives from the
government/civil society to the annual meetings of the relevant working groups of the MENA-OECD
Governance Programme, OECD conferences and activities.

The outcome of this sub-component is the exposure of decision-makers and civil society representatives to
innovative forms of engaging youth in policy-making and public governance through an exchange with OECD and
MENA peers. The regional/international format of the conferences and working groups further provide a space to
report on the progress of commitments made and thus increase accountability.

Sub-component 3d: Speak up, share it! [Regional component]

Governmental and non-governmental institutions generally consider essential to strengthen the participation
culture in policy-making and implementation. The establishment of tailored governmental structures in Tunisia
would allow the development of mechanisms and initiatives that would enhance the participation of young men
and women in public life.

Under this sub-component, the OECD will organise the “Young Policy Shapers Programme”. In this framework, a
group of young people from Tunisia, Jordan and Morocco will participate jointly in three induction programmes in
these three countries to build leadership skills through peer-to-peer learning activities and a high-level dialogue
programme. This induction programme will include workshops, visits of public institutions that use innovative
tools and mechanisms for youth participation, as well as dialogue sessions with public officials.

Building on the regional focus of this project, this approach will allow the young participants from Tunisia, Morocco
and Jordan to engage in a sustainable regional dialogue, foster networking opportunities and the exchange of good
practices and lessons learned, thus enabling the creation of a regional network. Participants will be chosen based
on a competitive application process via the websites of the Ministries of Youth in each country and the website of
the MENA-OECD Governance Programme.

The output of this sub-component is a Young Policy Shapers Programme for representatives of youth
associations, youth-led CSOs and young journalists from Tunisia, Jordan and Morocco which is expected to
encourage the creation of a regional network among its participants to ensure the sustainability of the
achievements realised.

The outcome of this sub-component is to support young people in building up leadership skills and to encourage
their participation in the design and implementation of youth policies, programmes and services through the Young
Policy Shapers Programme and peer-to-peer initiatives.

15. Key Indicators Linked to Objectives

Results indicators for the project are:
  Number of studies, assessments, reports, action plans, roadmaps, models of good practices or frameworks
endorsed
 Number of CSOs, women or youth groups engaged and empowered by the local government
 Number of national institutions, regions, municipalities and youth associations mobilized in youth
engagement in public life.
 Public sector staff trained in engaging youth in public life
 Improved enabling environment and government capacity to implement the Integrated National Youth
Strategy
 Specific/special stakeholder groups engaged in the elaboration, implementation and monitoring of youth
policies

D. IMPLEMENTATION

16. Partnership Arrangements (if applicable)

The project will be implemented by the OECD as ISA in close coordination with the main recipient – the Presidency
of the government.

In the delivery of the project components and outputs, the OECD will closely coordinate with the Presidency of the
Republic, the Ministry of Youth and Sports (including the National Observatory of Youth) and the Steering
Committee in charge of the preparation of the consultation process for the elaboration of the Integrated National
Youth Strategy 2030.
Throughout its activities, the project will feature the participation of youth in the form of youth associations, civil
society, university students and activists. A Project Implementation Team composed of staff from the OECD
Secretariat assisted by a local project consultant in Tunisia will carry out the project.

The activities of the project will be implemented in close collaboration with the MENA-OECD Governance
Programme. Through the Working Group on Open and Innovative Government (WG II) and the Civil Society
Advisory Board, the Programme provides a sustainable institutional structure to exchange international good
practices and experiences in fostering inclusive policy-making, citizen participation and systematic consultation
throughout the policy cycle. Through these networks, the MENA-OECD Governance Programme regularly invites
donors, international organisations and civil society representatives providing a space to coordinate activities,
react to emerging priorities and benefit from possible synergies with multilateral or country-specific initiatives. As
a multilateral partner organisation of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), supporting Tunisia in the
implementation of open government policies, the OECD will also explore opportunities to establish synergies in the
areas of inclusive policy making.

17. Coordination with Country-led Mechanism/Donor Implemented Activities

The OECD will consult closely with country-led mechanisms as well as other international organisations and
donors that support Tunisia in implementing an inclusive approach for youth in public life. The project has been
designed with a view to exploiting synergies with existing and forthcoming initiatives.

The Project Implementation Team attended the Euro-Arab and Mediterranean Youth Cooperation Stakeholders
Meeting, held on 3 July 2017 in Hammamet, Tunisia, upon the invitation of the North-South Centre of the Council
of Europe with representatives from the North-South Centre, the European Youth Forum, the European External
Action Service and various representatives from national youth councils. In the framework of the 6th edition of the
Mediterranean University on youth and citizenship, which took place in Tunis from 7-13 May, and was co-
organised by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe and the Tunisian observatory of Youth, the OECD
 organised a 3-day workshop on fostering youth engagement at the local level. The workshop gathered 20 young
participants from Tunisia, Morocco, Jordan, Portugal, Spain and Slovenia, and a peer from UK.

In particular, the OECD will closely work with the International Republican Institute (IRI) which is providing
support to the Tunisian government in organizing the current consultation process to identify the major areas that
will be covered by the Strategy.

UNESCO’s Networks of Mediterranean (NET-MED) Youth Project in Tunisia held a three-day brainstorming
workshop in March 2016. This workshop, held by Tunisian youth organisations’ representatives, provided support
to the project of setting up a Youth National Council in Tunisia. The experts shared their methodologies,
observations and recommendations in order to identify the key concepts, a legal framework and a communication
plan for the creation and implementation of this Council. The participants redacted a consensus document with all
the relevant points agreed on during the workshop 19. The project will work in cooperation with NET-MED Youth
Project in Tunisia in order to facilitate the potential creation of this Council.

In its “Breaking the Barriers to Youth Inclusion” report of 201420, the World Bank emphasises the necessity to
promote youth inclusive participation in public life by strengthening the efforts to provide subsidies to youth NGOs
in rural and disadvantages areas, enhance community development initiatives by youth NGOs, and building youth-
led institutions in order to enforce their voice in policy-making. The project’s component on fostering young people
´s active and inclusive engagement in public life, policies and strategies will be partly based on this report’s
findings.

United Nations Development Program’s (UNDP) survey on Youth’s Expectations regarding the Constitutional
Process and Democratic Transition in Tunisia (2013) was conducted in order to collect information on
Tunisian youth’s political engagement through political parties and civil society at national and sub-national level 21.
Moreover, UNDP launched in 2014 its Youth Strategy 2014-2017 22. The project will be notably based on the
information and data collected by UNDP’s survey in order to better identify youth’s needs regarding Tunisia’s legal
and institutional framework. Additionally, this could also be based on the findings of British Council’s and Gerhart
Center for Philanthropy and Civic Engagement’s study The Revolutionary Promise: Youth Perceptions in Egypt,
Libya and Tunisia (2013)23.

Euro-Med Youth Unit IV (EMYU) for Tunisia organised in December 2015 a Youth Forum on “Youth and
Participatory Democracy and Active Citizenship”24.

The Institut Français de Tunisie (IFT) has developed with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
cooperation projects that notably aim to develop an exchange program of young volunteers for civic service in
order to strengthen Tunisian associations’ capacities and young Tunisians’ expertise in the association field 25.
Moreover, the 5th Youth Forum was held in May 2015 and brought together over 300 young people from Tunisia

19
http://www.unesco.org/new/fr/social-and-human-sciences/themes/youth/sv13/news/
shaping_a_national_youth_council_in_tunisia/#.VwKITbcrKUk
20
http://www.banquemondiale.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/MNA/tunisia/
breaking_the_barriers_to_youth_inclusion_fre.pdf
21
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/tunisia/docs/Projets/Gouvernance%20D%C3%A9mocratique/Publications/
UNDP_TN_Rapport%20Gouvernance.pdf
22
http://www.arabstates.undp.org/content/rbas/en/home/presscenter/events/2014/March/Youth_Knowledge_Forum/
23
https://www.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/revolutionary-promise-summary_0.pdf
24
http://www.tunisie.euromedyouth.net/+Forum-de-Jeunes-les-jeunes-et-la-democratie-participative-et-la-citoyennete-
active+.html
25
http://www.afd.fr/home/pays/mediterranee-et-moyen-orient/geo/tunisie/projets-tunisie/projet-ong
 and the Mediterranean region to debate and build projects together for the Tunisia of the future. They are
supported by experts, representatives of international associations and of technical and financial partners 26. The
project could collaborate and exchange methodologies and civil society Tunisian experts’ networks with IFT and
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In 2013, USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI), in partnership with the Association of Young Leaders
Entrepreneurs (YLE), a youth mentorship association, developed a two-phase activity aimed at increasing
participation of young Tunisians in the voting process entitled Countdown: Build Tunisia in 20 Hours 27. The
project will aim at working closely with the workshops’ methods aimed at enhancing Tunisian youth participation
in public life.

OECD’s report “Investing in Youth: Tunisia – Strengthening the Employability of Youth during the Transition
to a Green Economy” (2015)28 provides a detailed diagnosis of the youth labour market in Tunisia, including a
focus on vocational education and training and entrepreneurship, and within the context of Tunisia's transition to a
green economy. The project will benefit from the findings of the study.

The MENA-OECD Initiative on Governance and Competitiveness for Development is a strategic partnership
between MENA and OECD countries to share knowledge and expertise, with a view of disseminating standards and
principles of good governance that support the ongoing process of reform in the MENA region. This Initiative will
be used as a platform for the project in order to disseminate results and coordinate with donors. Moreover, regular
meetings with the other donors and international stakeholders (e.g. UNESCO, EU, UNDP, World Bank) will be
organized to coordinate activities, exchange findings and ensure a coherent approach and the alignment of
recommendations to Tunisians stakeholders.

Regular meetings with the other donors will be organized to coordinate activities, exchange findings and ensure a
coherent approach and the alignment of recommendations to Tunisians stakeholders.

18. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements

The Project will be ISA-executed with in coordination with the lead partner institution, the Presidency of the
Government.

A project Working Group, consisting of the major stakeholders, shall be created. The role of the Working Group is to
provide guidance/ recommendations on reforms, work programs and ensure adequate coordination among the key
stakeholders for the project. The Working Group will report on a quarterly basis to the OECD to ensure that the
project is on track in the delivery of activities and outputs as outlined above. In addition, the Working Group will
coordinate closely with major donors in youth in Tunisia and the region and create synergies with other ongoing
projects.

The OECD will submit twice per year the progress reports to the Coordination Unit of the Transition Fund.

In the event that the Project involves missions to be carried out in high risk destinations, and if the OECD deems
there to be an unacceptable risk to the security of OECD personnel and experts, the OECD can cancel some or all of
the scheduled activities. The OECD will discuss the possibility of resuming the work at a later date or carrying out

26
http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/the-ministry-of-foreign-affairs/the-cooperation-and-cultural-action-network/our-
innovative-network-projects-around-the-world/article/tunisia-bringing-together-young
27
https://www.usaid.gov/results-data/success-stories/young-leaders-work-non-stop-new-generation
28
http://www.oecd.org/els/investing-in-youth-tunisia-9789264226470-en.htm
 the activities in a different location.

19. Monitoring and Evaluation of Results

The monitoring and evaluation of the Project and its expected results will be coordinated by the Working Group
(see 18.), which shall regularly report against the targets indicated in the results framework of the project. The
Working Group will prepare quarterly monitoring and progress reports which will be submitted to the OECD. The
local consultant in Tunisia will ensure close monitoring and provide timely support to the executing agency as
required.

A mid-term review will be carried out to assess and draw lessons from the project and provide an opportunity to
readjust any activities to ensure that the project meets its objectives. A final report will be prepared at the end of
the Project.

E. PROJECT BUDGETING AND FINANCING

20. Project Financing (including ISA Direct Costs29), Estimated budget

Cost by Component Transition Fund (USD) Total
Original Additional (USD)
amount Financing
amount
Component 1: 649,182 69,791 718,973

Original activities:

(a) Sub-component 1.1 327,581 -

(OECD-executed):
(b) Sub-component 1.2 180,298 -
(OECD-executed):
(c) Sub-component 1.3 141,303 -
(OECD-executed):

Additional activities:
- 69,791
(d) Sub-component 1.4
(OECD-executed)

Component 2: 180,298 - 180,298

(a) Sub-component 2.1 180,298 -

(OECD-executed):
Covered by MOR -
(b) Sub-component 2.2
(OECD-executed): budget

29
ISA direct costs are those costs related to the ISA’s direct provision of technical assistance within the project.
 Component 3: 379,250 84,091 463,341

Original activities:

(c) Sub-component 3.1 180,298

(OECD-executed): -
(d) Sub-component 3.2 114,548
-
(OECD-executed):
(e) Sub-component 3.3 84,404
-
(OECD-executed):

Additional activities:

(f) Sub-component 3.4 84,091

(OECD-executed):

Total Project Cost 1,208,730 153,882 1,362,612

21. Budget Breakdown of Indirect Costs Requested (USD)

Description Amount (USD)
For grant preparation and administration support:
OECD indirect costs* (original) 81,270
Staff time and travel (AF) 12,118
Total Indirect Costs 93,388

* Since 1 March 2005, the Organisation applies an indirect VC administration charge to all voluntary contributions
accepted. A new cost recovery policy was adopted by Council in November 2009.  The current base rate is 6.3% of the
total amount of the contribution to which adjustments may apply.
 F. Results Framework and Monitoring

PDO: Contribute to advance Tunisia’s reform process towards the active and inclusive engagement of young men and women in public life
Cumulative Target Values Data Source/ Data Collection
Frequency Description
Methodology Responsibility
Unit of YR1 YR2 YR3 YR4 YR5
PDO Indicators Measure
Baseline
(09/2016 (09/2017 (09/2018 (09/2019- (09/2020-
Target
– 08- – 08- - 08/2020) 11/2020)
2017) 2018)30 08/2019)
Number of Studies, assessments,
Project This will include, one
reports, action plans, roadmaps,
Nr. of reports 0 0 1 2 3 Annually Progress Report Implementation Review, one good pra
models of good practices or 3 3
Team (PIT) guide, and one trainin
frameworks endorsed;
Number of youth asso
youth-led CSOs and y
Number of CSOs, women or youth Project
journalists engaged i
groups engaged and empowered by Quantitative 0 0 4 4 9 9 Annually Progress Report Implementation
9 processes of public
the local government Team (PIT)
consultation / decisio
at the local level
Number of national institutions,
Project National and local ins
regions, municipalities and youth
Quantitative 0 0 5 15 15 15 Annually Progress Report Implementation encouraging youth
associations mobilized in youth 15
Team (PIT) engagement in public
engagement in public life.
Number of public offi
Project the central and local l
Public sector staff trained in engaging
Quantitative 0 40 80 100 140 140 140 Annually Progress Report Implementation participating in the ca
youth in public life
Team (PIT) building seminars and
programmes
Number of initiatives
undertaken by the
Improved enabling environment and
Project government such as l
government capacity to implement
Quantitative 0 0 3 5 5 5 5 Annually Progress Report Implementation institutional, policy or
the Integrated National Youth
Team (PIT) procedural reform an
Strategy
activities to implemen
Strategy.
Number of initiatives
Specific/special stakeholder groups
Project undertaken by centra
engaged in the elaboration,
Quantitative 0 0 2 3 3 3 3 Annually Progress Report Implementation local authorities to fo
implementation and monitoring of
Team (PIT) youth representative
youth policies
the central and local l
Intermediate Results Indicators
Component 1 Supporting the implementation of the National Youth Strategy 2015-30 across the different levels of government

30
Updated in line with the narrative report from June 2018.
 OECD Review of Tunis
Public Governance Fr
Number of review produced and
Quantitative 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 Annually Progress Report Project to formulate and imp
endorsed
Implementation the Integrated Nation
Team (PIT) Strategy 2030
Project A training manual res
Number of training manuals Quantitative 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 Annually Progress Report Implementation from the training pro
Team (PIT) for public officials
Two capacity building
seminars to promote
Number of capacity-building
Quantitative 0 1 1 2 2 2 2 Annually Progress Report Project inclusive approach to
seminars
Implementation formulation of the Int
Team (PIT) National Youth Strate
One training program
Project public officials from T
Number of training programmes Quantitative 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 Annually Progress Report Implementation designated to implem
Team (PIT) youth policies, progra
and services
1 regional conference
Project high-level youth stake
Implementation from Morocco, Tunisi
Nr. of Team (PIT) Jordan and the MENA
Number of regional conferences 0 1 1 1 1 1 Annually Progress Report
conferences 1 to exchange on the p
made in formulating a
implementing their re
national strategies
Component 2 – Scaling up the institutional and legal framework for youth engagement in public life

Quantitati Two capacit

Number of capacity-building seminars 0 1 2 2 2 2 2 Annually Progress Report Project
ve seminars
Implementation
Team (PIT)
1 regional conference
high-level youth stake
from Morocco, Tunisi
Nr. of Project Jordan and the MENA
Number of regional conferences conferenc 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 Annually Progress Report Implementation
es to exchange on the
Team (PIT) institutional and lega
framework for inclusi
engagement in public

Specific/special stakeholder groups

Nr of local Number of initiatives
engaged in the elaboration, 3
youth 0 0 1 3 3 3 Annually Progress Report youth representative
implementation and monitoring of Project
councils the central and local l
youth policies Implementation
Team (PIT)
 Component 3 – Promoting new forms of youth engagement to mainstream their considerations in public policies and governance

Number of capacity-building Project Two capacity-building

Quantitative 0 0 1 2 2 2 Annually Progress Report
seminars 2 Implementation seminars
Team (PIT)
One Young Policy Sh
Programme with
Number of young representatives Project representatives of yo
Quantitative 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 Annually Progress Report Implementation
from Tunisian civil society involved associations, youth-le
Team (PIT) and young journalists
Jordan, Morocco and
Good Practice Guide
good practice exampl
Project engage youth in non-
Number of guides produced and
Nr of guide 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 Annually Progress Report Implementation traditional forms of
endorsed
Team (PIT) participation in policy
public service delivery
public governance
1 regional conference
youth stakeholders fr
Project MENA region (in parti
Regional dialogue on innovative
Nr of events 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 Annually Progress Report Implementation MOR, TUN, JOR, EG) t
forms of youth engagement
Team (PIT) innovative forms of y
engagement in policy
and public governanc