Although you may not know it, we earmark 1% of the funds we raise for assessing the impact of the projects we support. In our view, it is essential that the projects we fund meet the needs of people in distress. Evaluating projects enables us and the organisations we support to measure the effectiveness of the aid we deliver and to improve our actions as a result. Since 2015, we’ve been helping young people in difficulty in Switzerland—specifically those aged 15 to 25—to reintegrate into society and the job market. To find out more about the sustainability and effectiveness of these projects, we asked three universities—HETS in Geneva, ZHAW in Zurich and SUPSI in Ticino—to conduct an evaluation of the support these young people receive.
Every penny donated counts
Making prudent and effective use of your donations is a priority for us. We achieve this through the rigorous selection processes we’ve developed. Similarly, monitoring and analysing the outcomes of the work that the organisations we support carry out is fundamental to ensuring that the aid delivered is sustainable and meets the needs of those in distress.
To carry out a high-quality analysis of the work of the organisations we support, 1% of the funds we raise is earmarked for evaluating project impacts. This benefits not only us, but also the organisations we support, as they receive a detailed report on their work, strengths and weaknesses. The report is a valuable source of information and a driver of improvements—two things these organisations often lack the resources and time to generate themselves.
Young people in difficulty
Since 2015, we’ve supported the socio-professional integration of young people in difficulty. In Switzerland, young people encounter multiple difficulties in integrating socially and professionally. They depend both on the social and economic conditions of the cantons and on the types and degrees of training available to young people. Similarly, the nature of the public and private institutional responses aimed at supporting young school drop-outs varies greatly from one canton to another. Given this situation, Swiss Solidarity chose to support projects that promote the education and social integration ofthe most vulnerable youth.
Assistance works, says study
As part of a study carried out by the Swiss universities’ schools of social work, nine projects were selected for an assessment of their effectiveness, of whether they met young people’s needs and expectations, and of how they influenced young people’s pathways and trajectories.
The evaluation showed that projects:
- Reach their target audienceSupport and guide youth while respecting each young person’s unique journeyEnable young people to acquire new professional and social skills
The young people’s experiences, combined with the data that was gathered, show that the projects enable the beneficiaries to achieve specific objectives in three respects:
- Continuation of their socio-professional development with greater requirementsEntry into vocational trainingObtaining of a vocational training certificate
Lastly, the study showed that the help young people received enabled them to develop better self‑esteem, act more responsibly and independently, and regain motivation in the face of the adversity of their situation.