Social Network Analysis (SNA) Report on Outputs and Findings

The Up to Youth project, a USAID-funded initiative, employed SNA to identify key stakeholders and resilience partners who can support the program's activities in Kosovo. The project team conducted two workshops on SNA, one for the Up to Youth project staff and another for the Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and volunteers. The main goal of these workshops was to familiarize the participants with SNA tools and equip them with the skills to support youth through the SNA process. The objectives of the workshops included training the team to understand key systems-thinking concepts, analyzing social systems that focus on the relationships of actors in a system, using and interpreting key network metrics, and identifying formal and informal actors who can be engaged as resilience actors to support positive youth development. During the workshops, the participants engaged in participatory discussions focusing on obtaining their input into the six-step SNA design and implementation process. The youth participants proved to be very capable, engaged, and enthusiastic, eagerly participating in group discussions, presentations, and workshop activities. They provided valuable contributions to the survey form, questions, and actors, which were agreed upon and incorporated into the final survey form. The initial stakeholder roster identified 65 actors, but the youth input significantly improved this list by adding 104 youth-oriented actors, most of which were specific names of organizations and clubs. The youth also initiated and led probing discussions on how organizations mobilize and use volunteers and support volunteerism. The project team completed all stated objectives, including finalizing the SNA survey form, conducting pilot surveys with actual stakeholders, and developing a plan for completing the surveys for the remainder of the stakeholders. The pilot surveys, conducted by 32 YAB members and PEN volunteers, resulted in 127 surveys. The feedback from the participants was positive, particularly with respect to the youth and their participation. The Up to Youth project's use of SNA has provided valuable insights into the relationships and interactions among youth development stakeholders in Kosovo. The project's ability to engage youth in the SNA process has resulted in a more comprehensive understanding of the youth development ecosystem and has identified key stakeholders and resilience partners who can support the program's activities.