The World Health Organization underscores the importance of repeating this process at various times once the program is underway. 7 Youth Involvement . Common sense dictates that the target group can best identify its own needs, and it may feel more a part of an effort if it has the opportunity to be substantively involved. Experts recommend that young people be involved in many, if not all, stages of their programs. They regard this concept as an important guiding principles in work with youth.
Trends support the growing strategic emphasis on youth involvement.
A study of 103 adolescent reproductive health projects, conducted by the Center for Population Options, reported that more than half of the projects involve youth in a significant way. 8 Community Involvement . There is wide agreement that community involvement plays a role in program success. Depending on a program's objectives and sensitivities, specific groups should be identified for targeted activities, including policymakers, health professionals and religious and other community leaders. At the same time, the community as a whole needs to be engaged to come up with solutions to harmful gender-related practices, such as forced sex and female genital mutilation, that serve as barriers to improving adolescent reproductive health.