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1. Structure of Decision-making

2. Main Themes

3. The National Agency for Youth

4. Policy monitoring and evaluation

Structure of Decision-making

Youth policy in Slovakia is developed through a multi-level governance system, involving national, regional, and local actors:

• Central level: The Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic is the top-level authority responsible for youth policy. It oversees strategic planning, legislative development, and coordination of youth-related programmes and funding.
• Regional level: Self-governing regions are responsible for developing and implementing regional youth work concepts. These are aligned with national strategies but tailored to local needs. The 2020 amendment to the Youth Work Support Act (No. 282/2008 Coll.) strengthened the role of regional youth coordinators.
• Local level: Municipalities, especially those with city status, are required to create and evaluate strategic documents for youth work. They may also establish youth parliaments, which serve as participatory platforms for young people.

Other actors include:

• The Interministerial Working Group for Youth Policy, which ensures cross-sectoral coordination.
• The Slovak Youth Council (Rada mládeže Slovenska), the primary umbrella youth representation organization, comprising 26 member organizations with a 60,000-strong membership. It participates as an advisory body invited to committees and expert groups, proposing changes and providing opinions on youth-related legislation and measures. 

Main Themes

Slovakia’s youth policy is guided by the Strategy for Youth 2021–2028 (1.3), which aligns with the eight areas of the EU Youth Strategy. The strategy emphasizes:

• Evidence-based policy-making, informed by research and consultations with over 300 stakeholders.
• Inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities, with targeted measures to improve access to education, employment, and civic participation.
• Youth participation, both in policy design and implementation, through structured dialogue and youth parliaments.

The National Agency for Youth

In Slovakia, the National Institute for Education and Youth (NIVAM) was established in July 2022 as a central public institution. It emerged from the merger of five organizations, including IUVENTA – Slovenský inštitút mládeže, which had served the youth sector since 1988 and was dissolved on 30 June 2022. This restructuring aimed to enhance efficiency, coordination, and strategic alignment between education and youth policies.

NIVAM operates across two main sectors:

• Youth Sector:
  • Implementation of national and European youth programmes (e.g. Erasmus+ Youth and Sports, European Solidarity Corps)
  • Support for youth organizations
  • Promotion of non-formal education, volunteering, and youth participation
  • Dissemination of information on youth rights, opportunities, and services
• Formal Education Sector:
  • Development and support of formal education policies
  • Coordination of assessment and testing activities
  • Library and information services, including support for academic and school libraries
  • Provision of expert input and research for educational policy development

This dual-sector structure positions NIVAM as a strategic bridge between youth work and formal education within Slovakia’s public administration.

The Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth leads at the national level, handling strategic planning, legislation, funding, and oversight of the Strategy for Youth 2021–2028. Regional self-governing regions develop tailored youth work concepts, supported by coordinators since the 2020 Youth Work Support Act amendment. Municipalities create local strategies, often establishing youth parliaments for participatory input. 
 

Cross-sector coordination occurs via the Interministerial Working Group for Youth Policy and the Slovak Youth Council (Rada mládeže Slovenska), an umbrella organization representing 26 groups and 60,000 members that advises on legislation. The National Institute for Education and Youth (NIVAM) supports youth policy development on national and regional level.  

Policy monitoring and evaluation

In Slovakia, the monitoring and evaluation of youth policy measures and programmes are coordinated primarily by the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth, in cooperation with NIVAM and other relevant stakeholders. The approach is grounded in both expert analysis and stakeholder engagement, with mechanisms in place to assess the effectiveness of policies against their intended objectives.

Mechanisms

• Expert evaluations and commissioned research are used to assess the impact of youth policy measures. These are often conducted by academic institutions, research bodies, or internal evaluation teams within NIVAM.
• Consultations with young people and youth organisations are carried out, particularly during the development and revision of strategic documents such as the Strategy for Youth 2021–2028.
• Programme-level monitoring is embedded in the implementation of national and EU-funded initiatives, with reporting obligations and performance indicators.

Periodicity

• Monitoring and evaluation are conducted on both a systematic and ad hoc basis:
  • Strategic documents (e.g. national youth strategy) are evaluated at mid-term and at the end of their implementation period.
  • Programme evaluations occur annually or at the end of funding cycles, depending on the funding source and scope.
  • Ad hoc evaluations may be initiated in response to emerging challenges or policy shifts.

Outcomes

• Evaluation results are used to inform policy revisions, adjust programme design, and restructure funding mechanisms where necessary.
• Findings from evaluations contribute to evidence-based decision-making and are used to improve the targeting and effectiveness of youth interventions.
• In some cases, evaluations have led to the introduction of new tools, such as the “Modern Youth Centre” quality label, or the simplification of grant procedures.

Where monitoring practices differ across policy fields (e.g. youth work vs. formal education), they are adapted to the specific objectives and operational frameworks of each domain.