10.2 Administration and governance of youth work
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Governance
The main actors involved in policy-making on youth work at the national level include the Commission for Youth and Sport Affairs of the Seimas (the Parliament) which controls youth policy implementing institutions. This institution is responsible for the formulation of the national youth policy, promotion of youth rights and exercising parliamentary control of institutions that implement youth policy, listens to the announcements of ministries and other state institutions (Agency of Youth Affairs) and evaluates the information.
The coordination and implementation of policy measures on youth work is delegated to the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. It supervises the implementation of the Youth Policy Framework Law (with amendments in 2021, valid from 1 January 2026 - here) which has provisions on youth work as well as implementation of youth policy measures adopted by the European Commission. The Agency of Youth Affairs implements the objectives of the state youth policy, supervises the implementation of the Law on Youth Policy Framework. It acts as a state institution that works out and implements the national youth policy programs and measures, coordinates the activities of the state and municipal institutions in the of youth work, performs other activities relevant to youth, youth organizations, and organizations working with youth. The Agency of Youth Affairs implements the objectives of the state youth policy through application of measures to encourage youth to acquire education, get work, and engage in active social life; takes part in solution of youth related problems; develops non-formal education.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Sport is the main coordinating authority concerning to implementation of non-formal education policy and other Ministries (the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Economy and Inovations and the Ministry of Agriculture) have their particular measures related to youth work due to horizontal priority of youth policy and cross-governmental responsibility in its implementation in Lithuania. The Council of Youth Affairs is a collegial advisory institution, functioning under the Agency of Youth Affairs on social grounds, constituted on the basis of equal partnership from the representatives, delegated by the state institutions and the Lithuanian Youth Council (LiJOT). The task of the Council of Youth Affairs is to deal with the fundamental youth policy problems and give suggestions to the Agency of Youth Affairs on the implementation of youth policy that meets the needs of youth and youth organizations. The Lithuanian Youth Council (LiJOT) provides suggestions to governmental institutions which work with youth problems and youth organizations. LiJOT is the biggest non-governmental, non-profit umbrella structure for Lithuanian national youth organizations and regional unions of youth organizations. LiJOT has 72 members (non-governmental youth organizations) and represents more than 200 000 young people in Lithuania. LiJOT is a full member of the European Youth Forum and coordinates EURODESK Lithuania.
Cross-sectoral cooperation
In 2019, a order was adopted "On the approval of the description of the procedure for working with youth on the street, the description of the procedure for mobile work with youth, the description of the procedure for open work with youth, the description of the procedure for informing and counseling youth and the description of the procedure for the development of practical skills for youth", which defines intersectoral cooperation on work with the youth.
Intersectoral cooperation – joint activities of state and municipal institutions, society, non-governmental organizations, business and media sectors aimed at helping to achieve common goals;
Municipal youth affairs coordinators prepare and implement youth policy programs and measures implemented in the municipality, analyze the situation of youth, youth organizations and organizations working with youth in the municipality, develop cooperation between municipal institutions and institutions working in the field of youth policy, maintain relations with foreign Lithuanian youth organizations.
The Ministry of Social Security and Labour is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the youth policy measures related to youth work.
The Methodology of Quality Improvement of Youth Organisations Performance has been developed to strengthen youth cross-sectorial cooperation and performance of youth organisations and provide a tool that would enable youth organisations to apply systematic evaluation of their efficiency and consistently seek for the improvement of quality. According to this methodology, the level of performance quality and problematic areas are being identified. Based on it, long-term and short-term recommendations for performance quality improvement and annual action plans are being submitted.