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Quality assurance

There is no (clear) national quality assurance framework for youth work in Flanders. However, the Youth Decree on youth and children’s rights policy and the support of youth work (23 November 2023) ensures the following recognitions, based on quality criteria:

• the recognition of training programmes and the certification of animators, head animators and instructors;
• the recognition and subsidisation of nationally organised youth associations, information and participation organisations, and cultural-educational associations;
• the recognition and subsidisation of supra-local youth work targeting specific groups, namely professionalised youth associations working with children and young people with disabilities and professionalised youth associations working with children and young people in socially vulnerable situations;
• the recognition of political youth movements.

As already mentioned previously (see 10.3 Support to youth work, ‘financial accountability’), youth organisations receiving an operational grant under the Youth Decree of 23 November 2023 are required to submit an annual financial report and an auditor’s report to the Flemish administration. The auditor must be a member of the Institute of Auditors. The deadlines and formal requirements for these reports are determined by the Flemish Government.

In addittion, again, the five main instruments of the Youth Decree of 23 November 2023 are: 
1/ a Flemish Youth and Children’s rights policy Plan (cf. Article 4); 
2/ a Horizontal and vertical consultation on youth and children’s rights policy (cf. Article 5); 
3/ a network of the Points of contact for youth and children’s rights policy in all departments and agencies of the Flemish Authorities (cf. Article 6); 
4/ an impact assessment of new legislation on children and youth (JoKER) (cf. Article 7); and 
5/ a ‘State of the youth’ progress report to monitor the situation of youth (cf. Article 8). 

The Youth Decree also provisions the Flemish Youth Council and subsidises four intermediary organisations (De Ambrassade, STEKR, Bataljong, JINT) (cf. Youth Decree of 23 November 2023, Article 9-13).

Finally, related to quality and innovation, ‘research’ and ‘evaluation’ run through the Policy Note on Youth 2024-2029 like a red wire and both instruments are also explicitly mentioned as essential building stones for a powerful and efficient policy (OD A.1.1). Youth research and children’s rights research are considered as policy instruments with the aim of developing evidence-based (youth work) policy (see next section ‘research and evidence supporting youth work).

Research and evidence supporting Youth Work

With regard to research and evidence to support youth work, it is important to mention that the Flemish youth policy has five main instruments at its disposal, regulated by the Youth Decree of 23 November 2023. 

1/ From those five instruments, the progress and impact of the implementation of the Youth and Children’s rights policy plan (JKP) is monitored through annual reporting of actions within the framework of the policy and budget explanatory notes of each specialised minister concerned. This evaluation also includes indicators for each of the JKP priorities. The JKP can include research on, and monitoring and evaluation of, youth work. 

2/ Next to the JKP, there is the ‘State of the youth’ progress report to monitor the situation of youth. The State of the youth is understood as a scientifically substantiated report on the living conditions of young people, which also highlights longitudinal developments. Partly, the State of Youth also provides research and evidence on youth work (e.g., voluntary engagement in youth work or leisure time in youth work. This State of the youth is conducted by the Youth Research Platform (Jeugdonderzoeksplatform, or JOP). In short, JOP functions as Flanders’ central scientific hub for youth research, combining data collection, analysis, knowledge dissemination, and policy support. Amongst others, the JOP collects and unlocks youth research knowledge. Through the Youth Research Database, JOP gathers, organizes, and disseminates existing youth research conducted in Flanders. The JOP also has a role in providing the necessary data for the Children’s Rights Monitor to measure and adjust youth and children’s rights policy and leisure time and youth work policy.

3/ In addition, monitoring and evaluation is of course always (informally) ‘present’ within the other instrument stemming from the Youth Decree. In that sense, research and evidence is also being provided through the Flemish Youth Council. As the official advisory council to the Flemish government, the Flemish Youth Council is deeply concerned about the issues facing children, young people, and youth work (e.g., writing policy advice on matters concerning youth work). Furthermore, the Youth Decree provides for four intermediary organisations De Ambrassade, STEKR, Bataljong and JINT and several commissions they are assigned to organise. Next to a variety of youth themes, they are also providing knowledge, research and evidence on youth work matters.

4/ The Youth Decree also contains provisions on the processing of data by, among others, the department and recognized and/or subsidized youth organizations.

5/ Finally, the Department of Culture, Youth and Media also commissions in-depth studies (and investigative projects) on specific topics that are less measurable or specific target groups that remain invisible in surveys or registrations. These studies have for example focused on youth work with children and young people in socially vulnerable situations, young people in residential care, youth work for young people with disabilities, and leisure for young people with a migration background. Also, other publications on youth are brought together on the website of the Flemish Government. During the past years, the Department of Culture, Youth and Media has commissioned several research projects in relation to youth work for targeted groups, such as young people in residential care, young people with disabilities, young people with a migration background and LGTBQ+. The reports of these reports can be found here. Next to target groups, the Department has also commissioned research projects focusing on specific forms of youth work (such as youth movements, open youth work, digital youth work) or specific topics in relation to youth work (such as diversity, the value of youth work, social integration). These research reports can be found here.

Participative Youth Work

From a historical perspective, youth work in Flanders has consistently been conceived as an instrument of emancipation and empowerment rather than primarily as a tool for prevention or social control. As such, it contributes to more democratic forms of participation and offers opportunities for inclusive and participatory governance in the implementation of youth policy.

The Flemish Government established assessment committees on youth composed of experts in youth, youth work and children’s rights to advise it on the allocation of variable operating subsidies to associations and on the granting of project subsidies. This is stipulated in Article 26 of the Youth Decree of 23 November 2023. The following committees advise youth policy on youth work:

• Assessment committees for nationally organised youth work;
• Assessment committee for experimental youth work;
• Assessment committee for professionalised youth work with children and young people with disabilities;
• Assessment committee for professionalised youth work with children and young people in socially vulnerable situations.

Furthermore, the Flemish Youth Decree of 23 November 2023 regulates the instruments for implementing a Flemish youth and children’s rights policy and for supporting Flemish and supra-local youth work. The Youth Decree regulates the instruments for implementing a Flemish youth and children’s rights policy and for supporting Flemish and supra-local youth work. From the five main instruments of the Youth Decree three instruments has ‘participatory’ mechanisms:

• A Flemish Youth and Children’s rights policy Plan (JKP) (cf. Article 4);
• Horizontal and vertical consultation on youth and children’s rights policy (cf. Article 5);
• Impact assessment of new legislation on children and youth (JoKER) (cf. Article 7);

Especially, the JKP – which also included youth work actions - tries to serve as an example of participatory policy with great involvement from children, young people, their organisations and experts. This JKP policy plan formation process serves as a good practice and provides inspiration for future policy processes. By systematically following the steps of the Participation circle of KeKi (now STEKR), the Department of Culture, Youth and Media was able to develop a widely supported and impactful policy plan. The website www.ookeenstem.be offers numerous tips and tools for organizing policy participation. Policy participation and feeding back to all stakeholders will remain an important focus throughout the further implementation of the JKP. The process towards the current JKP 2025-2029 will be outlined in five steps:

• Step 1: the environmental analysis and recommendations in preparation of the JKP
• Step 2: the JKP participation process, for and by young people
• Step 3: the selection of four final priorities for the JKP
• Step 4: concretising the objectives and actions of the JKP (cf. four priorities)
• Step 5: feeding back to stakeholders about the JKP process and final JKP

In addition, the Youth Decree of 23 November 2023 defines that the Flemish Government establishes a Flemish Youth Council and subsidises four intermediary organisations. These organisations form an important link between children and young people, the youth work sector and the government and other policymakers. On local level, Bataljong supports children’s and youth participation in local youth policy, assists local youth officers and aldermen, and promotes knowledge, quality, and innovation in the field.

Finally, the Youth Decree on youth and children’s rights policy and the support of youth work (23 November 2023) ensures provisions for the recognition and subsidisation of nationally organised youth associations, information and participation organisations, and cultural-educational associations.

For more information see chapter 5, section 5.4.

Smart youth work: youth work in the digital world

To date, the term ‘digital youth work’ has not yet been (explicitly) included in the decrees of the Flemish government regarding youth work and therefore the current regulations on youth work are still geared to physical activities. However, in her Policy note 2024-2029 on Youth, the Minister of Youth Melissa Depraetere does mention digital youth work (p.33): ‘The Youth Decree of 23 November 2023 provides that digital youth work can be subsidised in physical or hybrid forms. Youth organisations differ in their levels of digital maturity. This is an important consideration in addressing regulatory overload and in reducing the administrative burden on the youth sector, particularly with regard to administrative processes’.

The Department of Culture, Youth and Media does also recognise the importance of digital youth work. To get more insight into the multitude and diversity of initiatives in this area, the Department outsourced a 2022 study on digital youth work in Flanders. The report of this study confirms that Flemish youth work organisations have already rolled out many interesting and innovative digital youth work initiatives, yet several barriers could stand in the way of further growth. The research formulates recommendations to tackle these barriers and to further stimulate digital youth work.

During 2021-2022 the Department of Culture, Youth and Media, De Ambrassade, Knowledge centre Mediawijs (Media Wise) and JINT brought together a learning network to exchange knowledge and experiences on themes relating to digital youth work. The network was aimed to detect the challenges and needs of youth workers and young people.

Policy support for digital youth work is also provided through international and European cooperation, study visits, exchange of good practices, creating the right environment and opportunities for the development and promotion of smart youth work and stimulating transversal partnerships. For instance, a new cooperation agreement 2019-2022 was concluded between Flanders and the Baltic States on smart youth work. On the agenda are study visits, development and dissemination of the concept of smart youth work, international conferences, exchange of good practices, web seminars etc., …The cooperation programme between Flanders and Luxembourg 2018-2019 also paid attention to the development of a maker culture. These international and European practices offer inspiration to support and inspire Flemish youth work.

Trainings on digital youth work

There is an increasing attention for digital youth work in Flanders, which has had an extra stimulus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. De Ambrassade has taken the initiative to support youth work organisations in their search for digital possibilities. Together with Mediawijs, JEF, Publiq, FARO and De Vlaamse Vereniging voor Bibliotheek, Archief & Documentatie (VVBAD), De Ambrassade has been organising ‘Dig It Up!’. This is an inspiration festival that explores the horizons of digital and online tools for art and culture experiences every year. However, youth work organizations also feel the need to focus on digital youth work. Since the online world is no longer separated from the world in which young people spend their time, youth work must also be given a place in the digital world of children and young people. 

There is consensus in youth work on the fact that, considering the digital innovations, a kind of catch-up is needed that enables youth work to organise itself differently, to cooperate more with other organisations that are already more educated. De Ambrassade offers organisations a step-by-step plan:

1. Investigate what digital youth work means and what possibilities it offers for their own organisation;
2. Get inspired by examples of digital youth work at different levels;
3. Set up cooperation across sectors. The initiative comes from the youth sector itself. The Ambrassade explicitly calls for experts to be on hand, to set up collaborations, to experiment and to learn, so to get inspired at Dig It Up, the inspiration day for digital innovation.

Organisations on digital youth work

Next to the previously mentioned organisations engaged in the Dig It Up! Project, there is Mediaraven vzw. Mediaraven vzw aims to be a platform for youth work and youth information in the digital environment. The organisation supports youth work and youth-focused initiatives in the field of information and communication technologies by actively harnessing the opportunities of digital media. Mediaraven creates experimental spaces in which children, young people and youth workers can develop media competences and media literacy, share online information for and about youth and youth work, and strengthen youth work practices through the use of digital tools. A key focus lies on supporting youth organisations in integrating digital media into their everyday functioning, working collaboratively to ensure that digitalisation enhances rather than replaces the core values of youth work.