The project is for youth and run by youth. The Youth for Youth Project planned each country's program by convening 4-5 day workshops at which youth identified the reproductive health needs of young people in their countries and helped identify project plans to meet these needs. 26 Profamilia in the Dominican Republic also uses this strategy. Although youth involvement in evaluation is lagging behind other project components, the WAYI project has successfully engaged its peer educators in the management information system services, and in using monitoring and information services and quarterly reporting mechanisms. The Youth Committees of projects participating in Youth for Youth helped to refine the evaluation methodology and also provided information to develop evaluation indicators.
Preliminary results suggest overall staff support for involving young people.
Nevertheless, projects often need help to involve youth in all facets of programs. For example, some project staff have not allowed youth a role in financial management citing their lack of trust in youth concerning money. Adult professionals have traditionally planned and conducted programs for youth and are often resistant to change. Working with young people as partners runs counter to cultural patterns in many countries. Other than peer education approaches, there have been few other model strategies that actively involve youth in program planning, implementation, and evaluation.