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Independent Development Evaluation (IDEV) at the African Development Bank Group (AfDB or “the Bank”) conducted a mid-term evaluation (MTE) of the Bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa (JfYA) Strategy 2016–2025. The JfYA Strategy aims to create 25 million jobs and positively impact 50 million youth (15–35 years of age) by 2025.
The MTE covered the Strategy’s implementation from June 2016 to December 2021, focusing on projects that directly promote youth employment. The report assessed the relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the JfYA Strategy, focusing on flagship programs, and the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi Donor Trust Fund, to inform and improve the remaining implementation period of the Strategy.
Overall, the evaluation found that the JfYA Strategy was relevant for addressing youth employment across the African continent. The Strategy and its country projects/programs are aligned with the development strategies of the regional member countries and other development partners, plus the Bank’s corporate strategies. However, shortcomings were noted within the Strategy’s Theory of Change and implementation of the risk mitigation measures. The Strategy has provided quantifiable youth employment targets that have aided dialogue, resource mobilization, and communication/visibility. While the Bank’s interventions were creating jobs and equipping youth for employment, monitoring and reporting gaps hindered the assessment of progress towards the Strategy’s outcomes. The evaluation noted a need to improve the implementation progress, and provide adequate funding, human resources and management systems. The Strategy’s focus on building institutional capacity and strategic partnerships for addressing youth employment concerns is commendable, but risks related to implementation gaps and exogenous factors affecting the overall macroeconomic stability were noted.
The evaluation recommended that the Bank should update the Strategy and its implementation plan; strengthen results measurement and learning; mobilize resources for impactful projects; and strengthen leadership and coordination of youth employment across Bank departments.
Task Managers:
Girma Earo Kumbi – Chief Evaluation Officer; May Mwaka – Principal Evaluation Officer