2-152 - Promoting Thriving Among Majority-World Youth: Issues of Theory, Design, and Measurement in Program Evaluation

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Integrative Statement

Throughout the majority world, youth development programs are regarded as important resources for lifting young people out of poverty, enhancing their health, education, and vocational opportunities, and providing an impetus for their contributions to civil society. National and international governmental bodies (e.g., USAID, World Bank, UNICEF) and non-governmental organizations (including child-sponsorship organizations and private foundations) are joined by a common aspiration for enhancing the positive development of youth through designing and delivering effective programs. However, issues of theory, research design, and measurement limit the quality of the evaluation of youth development programs for majority world youth and constrain international comparisons that might afford general principles of program effectiveness. This roundtable brings together leaders from governmental and non-governmental organizations seeking to promote positive development among diverse majority-world youth. Representatives are from UNICEF (Prerna Banati), USAID (Michael McCabe), Compassion International, a major youth-sponsorship organization (Alistair Sim), and Templeton World Charity Foundation, a private foundation funding programs and program evaluation within the majority world, (Andrew Briggs). After briefly describing the vision and mission of their respective organizations, panelists will address issues raised by the moderator of the session (Elizabeth Dowling, Tufts University). Dr. Dowling will ask questions pertinent to developmental theory, the design of program evaluations, measurement, and the presence of specificity in appraising the effectiveness of programs on individual participants. After addressing these questions, each panelist will have the opportunity to make summary statements, which will provide a bridge to engage audience members in Q & A.

Sub Unit

• Methods, History, Theory

Moderator

• Elizabeth Dowling, Tufts University

Panelists

• Michael McCabe, USAID

• Prerna Banati, UNICEF

• Ellen Morgan, Templeton World Charity Foundation

• Alistair Sim, Compassion International