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1. Quality assurance

2. Research and evidence supporting Youth Work

3. Participate Youth Work

4. Smart youth work: youth work in the digital world

 

Quality assurance

 

 The organisation of “youth work”  activities especially within Community Centres for Minors (accueils collectifs des mineurs)  is based on a framework of rules, the purpose of which — apart from guaranteeing the safety and protection of minors and compliance with staff/child ratios — is to ensure that the activities these centres offer are of a high educational and quality standard and that the youth workers have the required competences.

 

Evaluation of youth work activities

High educational standards are achieved through educational projects (projets éducatifs) and pedagogic projects (projets pédagogiques); these are central to the provision of activities, and are covered by the CASF - Social Action and Family Code (Code de l’action sociale et des familles)

 According to the guide to educational projects (Projets éducatifs et pédagogiques), produced by the Ministry of Youth: “an educational project (projet éducatif) reflects an organiser’s commitment, his/her priorities and his/her principles”.

Such projects define the meanings behind initiatives and set out guidelines and details of the resources that can be used to introduce them. They are usually multi-annual and formalised by a document. They are aimed at the teams providing the activities and also at families; such projects help them to understand the goals of the organisers who look after their children.

They allow:

 “Educational teams to become familiar with an organiser’s priorities and with the resources he/she provides in order to achieve them”

“Officials under the authority of the Ministers of Youth and Sports:

• to identify the educational aims being developed within each centre,
• to monitor possible deficiencies and inconsistencies between the running of the centre and its stated objectives,
• to create links with other schemes (Local Educational Contracts (contrats éducatifs locaux), Leisure Contracts (contrats temps libre), Jobs for Young People (emplois jeunes), etc.)”.

The educational project is generally developed by the organising body. It defines the strategic orientations of the socio-educational (or socio-cultural) policy of the local authority and/or the association or independent organisation. It serves as a working document for the development of the pedagogical project, which constitutes the practical implementation of the educational project.

The educational project is shared across all activities organised by the same legal or natural person. Its development may take into account input from other stakeholders, in particular the legal representatives of minors, elected officials and members of associations, as well as youth workers. Some educational projects are indeed developed through participatory approaches.

 

The assessment of educational projects (projets éducatifs)

The educational project also specifies the evaluation arrangements for collective childcare provision (Articles R227-23 to R227-26 of the Code of Social Action and Families). It must include an evaluation framework designed to assess, over a three-year period, the achievement of the objectives set. This forms part of a broader quality development approach.

The quality of activities is one of the key aspects assessed, including their compliance with regulatory requirements and their suitability to the needs of all children, young people, and families within the local area.

These evaluations may be conducted by youth and popular education organisations in partnership with local authorities and social service bodies, as part of a participatory and multi-stakeholder approach involving the relevant actors (local authority departments, youth workers, associations, etc.). Evaluation methodologies may include semi-structured interviews (with parents, teachers, municipal staff, etc.), field observations, and the collection of statistical data.

 

Pedagogic projects (projets pédagogiques)

Directors of Community Centres for Minors (accueils collectifs de mineurs) and their teams implement educational projects (projets éducatifs) by means of pedagogic projects (projets pédagogiques).These documents are specific to the characteristics of each centre and are the result of a team effort. Pedagogic projects (projets pédagogiques) are not programmes of activities; they describe the educational goals of the proposed activities. However, they do specify the type of activities proposed, according to the type of facilities provided and, when physical or sports activities are involved, the conditions under which they are to take place.

The educational project: "is designed as a contract of trust between the educational team, the facilitators, the parents and the minors on the operating conditions. It serves as a reference throughout the programme. It helps to give meaning to the activities on offer and to everyday activities. It helps to develop the educational approach. It identifies the organiser's concerns".

According to the article R227-25 of the Family and social action cide, directors of Centres for Minors (accueils de mineurs) develop their pedagogic projects (projets pédagogiques), in consultation with their management teams (facilitators). Minors who attend these centres may be involved in the development of these projects in ways that are appropriate to their ages.

 A pedagogic project (projet pédagogique) contains a number of different elements:

• Initial diagnosis: children using the centre, environment, resources, etc.
• Summary of the organiser’s educational goals
• Pedagogic goals
• Concrete ways to achieve these pedagogic goals and also to guarantee the safety of minors
• The type of activities proposed, according to the type of facilities provided and, when physical or sports activities are involved, the conditions under which they are to take place
• A description of the building and the spaces used
• The activity time/rest time ratio
• The ways in which minors can participate
• Where necessary, plans for minors with health problems or disabilities
• How the team — the director, facilitators and the other staff at the Centre for Minors (accueil des mineurs) — will operate
• The arrangements for assessing the centre

 

Community Centres for Minors' Quality Charters (Charte de qualité en accueil collectif de mineurs)

Other tools — modelled on charters — for developing the quality of youth work, such as “quality charter” labels, may be introduced by State services (the decentralised departments of the Ministry for Youth), in partnership with local or regional authorities, the Family Allowances Fund (Caisse d’allocations familialiales), and associations.

For example, the Community Centre for Minors (accueil collectif de mineurs) Quality Charter is a voluntary partnership arrangement; it aims to guarantee and improve the standard of the activities offered at the centres. 

 

 Socio-educational animation/youth work in a context of developement of voluntary organisations

See chapter 2 « Volunteering. 2.6. Quality assurance system ».

 

 Research and evidence supporting Youth Work

 

Extensive research and analysis is being carried out on the impact of Youth Work and the socio-cultural activity professions; this is being led by the various stakeholders who are involved in Youth Work: the Ministries’ assessment services, academic (higher education) laboratories, social action agencies and non-formal education associations, some of which have their own resource centres.

General list of organisations carrying out research on Youth Work

Youth Work Steering Committee (Comité de filière animation)

The Youth Work Steering Committee, established in 2022 following the Plan for the Renewal of Youth Work in collective childcare settings (see Intersectoral Cooperation), includes several working groups dedicated to analysis and data production, notably an Observatory of the youth work sector.

This observatory aims to address the lack of data identified since the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the types of contracts and profiles involved in socio-educational and socio-cultural youth work activities.

 

The National Institute for Youth and Non-Formal Education (INJEP - Institut National de la Jeunesse et de l’Education populaire)

The activity sector is one of the subjects being studied at the National Institute for Youth and non-Formal Education (institut national de la jeunesse et de l’éducation populaire), which organises seminars and lectures on the subject and regularly carries out research on the impact of Youth Work on young people and on the coordinators themselves, as well as on developments in the activities being provided.

 A number of the Institute’s publications focus on the facilitators’ training and professional careers as well as on descriptions of the ACMs – Community Centres for Minors (accueils collectifs de mineurs) where the activities take place. The Institute is, in fact, responsible for producing annual statistics on Community Centres for Minors (accueils collectifs de mineurs). These statistics provide details of the centres’ activities: how many there are, the numbers of children enrolled, their purpose, and the type and length of stays in centres where accommodation is provided.

As part of its “2025 Work Programme”, the National Institute for Youth and Non-Formal Education plans to produce studies on key public policies in the youth sector (such as the “1 Youth, 1 Mentor” plan, Educational Cities, the Civic Service, and the Pass’colo scheme), as well as in the fields of associative life (Guid’Asso) and sport (including the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Pass’Sport scheme).

 

The National Family Allowances Fund (CNAF - Caisse nationale des allocations familiales)

The National Family Allowance Fund pursues a research policy reflected in the publication of numerous resources, including a newsletter (“l’e-essentiel”) presenting summaries of studies and recent data, research papers focusing on specific themes (such as births in stepfamilies or adolescent culture), and the academic journal Politiques sociales et familiales [Social and Family Policy], which features research by scholars.

 

Youth Policy observation bodies

Various public and non-profit observatories focusing on out-of-school time policies contribute to analysing the effects of youth work both on young people and on local development at the municipal level. Examples include the Observatory of Local Education Policies and Educational Success (PoLoc - Observatoire des politiques locales d’éducation et de la réussite éducative) and the Observatory of Children’s and Young People’s Holidays and Leisure (Ovlej - Observatoire des Vacances et des Loisirs des Enfants et des Jeunes).

The PoLoc - Observatory of Local Education Policies ans Educational Success

The PoLoc Observatory, which focuses on territorialised education policies, is a mechanism implemented by the French Institute of Education (Institut français de l’éducation) and the Triangle Joint Research Unit (UMR Triangle). It operates through partnerships involving local authorities and their associations, popular education federations, and professional organisations.

It is supported by a framework agreement involving the Ministry of National Education (Directorate-General for School Education, DGESCO) and the General Commission for Territorial Equality (Commissariat général à l’égalité des territoires, CGET), under the Ministry in charge of Youth and Sports.

The OVLEJ – Observatory of Children’s and Young People’s Holidays and Leisure (Observatoire des Vacances et des Loisirs des enfants et des jeunes)

The OVLEJ is an association created by the main voluntary sector organisations involved in the field of holidays and group leisure activities. It currently includes the JPA – Youth Outdoors (Jeunesse au Plein Air) and the UNAT - National Union of Outdoor Tourism (Union Nationale des Associations de Tourisme plein air). Every other year, the OVLEJ produces a national study and a barometer of “public expectations regarding leisure centres and summer camps (colonies de vacances)”.

The OVLEJ is tasked with carrying out qualitative and quantitative studies on topics which include children and young people’s leisure time practices and issues, as well as the impact of public policy.

It is difficult to measure how much this research into activities actually influences the development of youth policy, particularly at a national level. At a local level (municipalities (communes)), assessments of educational projects (projets éducatifs) and pedagogical projects (projets pédagogiques) (see Quality Assurance) aim to measure the difference between setting targets (pedagogic) and taking action, and should help to improve youth policies introduced by local and regional authorities.

 

Participative youth work

At a national level, young people are not automatically involved in policy-making relating to “Youth Work”.

Taking part in discussions on Youth Policy

In February 2022, France launched an action plan to tackle the difficulties encountered in the youth work sector: recruitment difficulties for local authorities, a significant drop in the number of applicants for diplomas allowing non-professionals to work in youth work on an occasional basis, cancellation of holidays/camps due to a shortage of youth workers, etc.

The result of consultations with all the players in the sector (associations of elected representatives, popular education associations, the Youth and Non-formal Education Cooperation Fund -Fonds de coopération de la jeunesse et de l'éducation populaire, professionals, etc.) is this plan for a renewed approach to youth work in collective childcare centres. It comprises 25 measures, the financing of which represents an effort of 64 million euros for the State.  The aim is to improve the conditions under which youth work is carried out for those who benefit from it - children and families - and for those who make it their profession or work in it on an occasional basis - the youth workers. It includes:

• 53 million euros for local authorities to improve access to extracurricular activities (Plan mercredi);
• 5 million to train 30,000 young people in BAFA, including 10,000 civic service volunteers. This diploma enables holders to provide occasional supervision at camps;
• 4 million euros to train 2,500 unqualified professional activity leaders.

The implementation of these measures is steered by a dedicated body, known as the industry committee, which involves all the stakeholders and which issued its first report in February 2023 -  See Cross-sector cooperation.

In addition, France has initiated work on professions within the “youth, popular education and voluntary sector” (JEPVA) in the public service. In this context, the “JEPVA Professions Lab” (Lab métier JEPVA), a public innovation laboratory, was established. Its objectives are to:

• identify, observe and promote professional practices (technical, pedagogical and administrative);
• connect public officials within the JEPVA field around professional practices, with a view to building a network of skills and expertise at both national and local levels;
• support professional practices in light of the sector’s challenges (pedagogical, policy-related, technical, organisational and structural).

Its activities are structured around three main areas:

• networking technical and pedagogical expertise to support local practices;
• designing lifelong training pathways for public officials in the JEPVA field, based on their professional experience;
• strengthening national and territorial policy and programme development capacity.

 

Organisations that involve young people

Youth participation initiatives at a local level usually bring to work on subjects affecting this public, including youth work.

The national network for children and youth participation (Réseau National de la Participation Enfance Jeunesse - ANACEJ network)

The Anacej network, which brings together 19 youth and popular education federations and associations, supports local authorities and non-formal education associations in setting up initiatives to involve young people in civic life.

In addition, children and young people from the local area may take part in the development (by local and regional authorities and/or associations) of educational projects (projets éducatifs) for Community Centres for Minors (accueils collectifs de mineurs); this decision is left to the organisers of individual Community Centres for Minors (accueils collectifs de mineurs).

Local and regional authorities (municipalities) may set up “Youth Spaces” consisting of facilities and “outreach” centres where educational leisure time, workshops, educational support sessions, and artistic and cultural activities are provided and coordinated by youth workers. The activities on offer may also be chosen by the young people who use these spaces. Youth spaces may also be used as youth information's centres, forming part of the youth information network introduced by the Ministry for Youth.

 

Smart youth work: youth work in the digital world

 

The use of new digital technologies leads to many discussions and a revival in the use of socio-educational facilitation by associations and institutions involved in youth work. Their interest in digital “youth work” is reflected in their creation of digital tools for young people and professionals, their creation of centres and facilities, and their production of a number of resources (booklets, articles, information sheets, etc.) on the use of digital technology in facilitation. It is difficult to identify all the initiatives submitted by associations and non-formal education movements and by local and regional authorities.

 

For further information, see 6.8 Media education and the correct use of new media.

 

At a national level, the State has led various initiatives. (non-exhaustive list)

The BAFA/ BAFD app

The Ministry of Youth has created an internet portal linked to a mobile app to make it easier to sign up for the BAFA/ BAFD training and non-professional qualifications for facilitators.

The BAFA-BAFD app is part of a move to simplify administrative procedures. It allows people to manage all the procedures relating to these qualifications including:

• Enrolling and tracking their progress on the BAFA and/or BAFD training course online;
• For students who have passed the BAFA qualification, enrolling for additional qualifications (sailing, canoeing/kayaking, leisure activities, etc.);
• For students who have passed the BAFD qualification, renewing their licence;
• Renewing their BAFA “Lifeguard” qualification (every 5 years).

Reinforcing the use of digital tools as part of the Plan for a Renewed Approach to Youth Work in Collective Childcare Centres

As part of the Plan for a Renewed Approach to Youth Work presented in February 2022, an initiative has been launched to modernise training for youth workers. This will involve promoting the digital platform and the BAFA-BAFD application, a digital communication campaign and a review of the use of digital technology in the sector.