Youth as a resource for regional development

Strategic approach

The Regional Council of Kalmar County has included this approach both in its policy-making at strategic level and in its practical work together with the municipalities in the region. In the current Regional Development Strategy of Kalmar County, the youth policy priority areas include engagement and participation, employment and safety.

Engaging municipalities in dialogue

The Regional Council has a coordinating role at the county level and it has been successful in engaging most of the municipalities in working with youth as a resource for regional development. This has been done by establishing dialogue with the municipalities and supporting local policy making. The strategic work and implementation of youth policy at regional level in Kalmar County can be considered as an example showing how municipalities can be engaged in working towards policy goals set up at the regional level.

Analysis as a basis for policy-making

Conducting joint projects with municipalities concerning e.g. following up and analysing the situation and opinions of youth in the region has provided the municipalities with knowledge as a basis for local policy-making as well as further facilitated an exchange of experiences between the municipalities. The priorities in the Regional Strategy are based on the survey study conducted in municipalities and analysed at county level.

According to an external evaluation of the process of collecting and analysing the position of youth in Kalmar County, the municipalities find the coordinating work of the Regional Council to be useful in supporting their local policy making concerning youth as a resource for the development of the County.

Key lessons learnt:

• Long-term prioritisation of a policy area as well as inclusion of municipalities in projects and providing support in policy-making can function as a good way to anchor county-level goals to local level policy.
• Regular surveys and analyses can function as basis for policy-making in a coordinated manner both at local and regional level if properly anchored with authorities and stakeholders

More information: The Regional Council of Kalmar (in Swedish)