Formulating and implementing national youth policy : lessons from Bolivia and the Dominican Republic

Both countries have approved comprehensive national policies that incorporate strong adolescent health components, including reproductive health. Program implementation, however, has so far not kept pace with progress in the policy arena. Bolivia approved a national youth policy in October 1998, and its president issued a decree on youth in February 1999. The health sector is taking the lead in implementing the policy, but tight budgets and changes in leadership have limited the government"s ability to mount a nationwide effort. Key elements in the success of youth policy efforts include influential support from top political leaders, a strong coalition of youth advocates from private groups, and consistent support from international agencies. The Dominican Republic formally approved a national youth policy in January 1998 and enacted a youth law in August 2000. The government is pilot- testing an intensive implementation strategy in three municipalities with encouraging yet uneven results to date. Key factors contributing to the success of youth policy efforts in the Dominican Republic include a broad-based and consultative process that drew on the experience of NGOs, effective leadership from the National Youth Office, and steady technical and financial support from international partners. In both countries, strong national leadership was key to moving the policy process forward. Influential individuals -- the former first lady and a vice-minister in the new government -- championed youth policy in Bolivia. In the Dominican Republic, continuity of leadership and the institutional strength of the National Youth Office, as well as the backing of the vice-president, were critical. The national- level intersectoral commissions that played a vital role at the policy-making stage are grappling with redefining their role and maintaining their relevancy as each country moves from policy making to program implementation. In both countries, adequate funding for implementation has been a problem, with the constraint greater in Bolivia. Putting the mechanisms in place for local-level implementation of policy has proved both time- consuming and expensive. Youth proponents in Bolivia -- supported by a coalition of influential private groups, advocacy by young people, and an influential ally within the new government -- successfully maintained policy and program momentum when a new, more conservative government took over in 1997. With a new president taking office in the Dominican Republic in August 2000, proponents there are taking measures to assure that the policy process moves forward under a new government. Although still falling short in their efforts to establish nationwide services for young people, youth advocates in both countries are optimistic about eventually achieving this goal.