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6.1 Introduction

The evaluation examined, in the context of the Youth Employment Strategy, various interdepartmental issues. Evaluation findings have been grouped and presented along the following broad themes: Implementation; Roles and Responsibilities; Interdepartmental Coordination; Value-added and Effectiveness; and Sustainability.

6.2 Implementation

Initially, the launch of YES faced a number of issues. First, due to delays in launching YES, the time frame in which funding was received left little time to implement YES programs in departments other than HRDC. As well, YES programming criteria was not finalized until after departments had implemented their programs and signed third-party delivery agreements. In some instances, this resulted in having to change the basis for these agreements after the fact. The process created a circumstance in which both federal departments and sponsors lost credibility with employers. However, although the implementation of YES was initially problematic, the departments were nevertheless able to forge ahead with the strategy.

Second, a number of issues regarding competing departmental interests arose. However, due in part to YES providing a focus on youth in all departments, and with the coordinating assistance of HRDC, these issues were eventually resolved.

6.3 Roles and Responsibilities

No formal and explicit comprehensive mandate has been put in place with which to guide YES. However, HRDC did have a mandate to chair the initial interdepartmental committee meetings for Science and Technology and Youth International programs. As well, it was mandated to chair a meeting in September 1997 to reallocate YES monies across departments. In order to facilitate the strategy’s implementation, HRDC received the communication and coordination mandate, essentially continuing its initial short-term mandate. Largely due to this HRDC initiative and the cooperation of all departments involved, a common focus on youth in all departments has prevailed and provided a sense of direction for YES programming in other departments. As such, it appears that HRDC has functioned as effectively as it possibly could under these circumstances.

However, although improvements have been made since the initial implementation of YES, questions remain regarding interdepartmental accountability. For instance, the issue of which department should have the mandate for all international programs remains unresolved. In some cases, within the International component of YES, multiple departments are "pursuing" the same employers and sponsors, and in some instances the same participants.

Several departments also commented that from the perspective of participants and employers, the multiplicity of programs and the proliferation of similar programs across departments created confusion for employers and participants. It was felt that this created the perception that a great deal of duplication of programs exists among departments.

6.4 Interdepartmental Coordination

The mechanism that was put in place to ensure interdepartmental coordination of YES were four interdepartmental committees: the Communications Interdepartmental Committee; Science and Technology Interdepartmental Committee; International Interdepartmental Committee; and the Interdepartmental Evaluation Committee. As well, most departments have internal committees to guide the implementation of their YES components.

Two issues were found to exist regarding interdepartmental coordination. First, the lack of continuity over time for personnel participating on some of the interdepartmental committees seems to have adversely affected the committees’ effectiveness and efficiency of some committees. Second, as aboriginal youth are the clientele of many departments, there appears to be a need for a better mechanism to share information specifically related to this group.

Despite the significant questions and issues that still exist, departments have managed to implement the strategy. This appears to have been due to the fact that YES has provided all departments with a common focus: youth. As well, while key informants recognized that HRDC faced a very difficult task in coordinating all departments, the majority praised the department for its efforts and the results attained.

6.5 Value-added

From the perspective of those interviewed from HRDC and the other departments, there is value-added in having a national interdepartmental strategy for youth employment. In part this is due to the fact that, as youth employment is a horizontal issue, YES has provided departments with an increased focus on youth. As such, departmental objectives have been tailored to encompass youth issues. The impact of this focus on youth is exemplary in the fact that departments were able to implement the strategy despite numerous initial problematic issues, including significant delays in the start-up of the initiative.

6.6 Sustainability

The interviews revealed that without YES funding, most departments do not have monies available to continue the programs. In many cases, departments also indicated that YES funds did not adequately cover the cost of administering the programs within their departments. Several departmental representatives expressed the concern that should a gap in funding occur, the delivery of YES programs would be very difficult to restart.

Should YES programming be extended beyond the existing three-year commitment, several interviewees suggested that participating departments be notified of this fact (including any changes to the terms and conditions) well in advance of the current program termination date.

(Note: On December 7, 1998, the Prime Minister announced the renewal of the Youth Employment Strategy. The strategy set to end on March 31, 1999 has been made permanent at $155 million a year)