RAY LEARN » Research project on organisational development and learning organisations in the European youth sector

In many European countries, some aspects of the youth field are moving at a considerably faster pace than they do in other civil society domains. Programmes and projects tend to be shorter, the turnover of volunteers and staff happens more quickly, and a youthful resistance against rules and procedures is quite common. In combination, this mix presents unique challenges for youth sector organisations, networks as well as institutions in relation to organisational learning and development, a question that is frequently emphasised, but rarely explored.

Aims & Objectives

The aim of this research project is to explore strategies and practices for organisational learning and development of youth sector organisations and networks in the context of the European youth programmes.

The key objectives of this research project are to explore

  • explicit strategies of youth sector organisationsnetworks and institutions to foster organisational learning and strengthen organisational development in the context of the European youth programmes;
  • implicit practices of youth sector organisations, networks and institutions to foster organisational learning and strengthen organisational development in the context of the European youth programmes;
  • explicit strategies of the European youth programmes to support organisational learning and development and their impact and relevance;
  • implicit effects of European youth programmes in support of the organisational learning and development of youth sector organisations, networks and institutions;
  • improvements to the strategies that foster organisational learning and strengthen organisational development, at organisational as well as at programmatic level.

Research Questions

The key research questions are:

  • Which explicit strategies are pursued by youth sector organisations, networks and institutions to foster their organisational learning and strengthen their organisational development?
  • Which implicit practices foster the organisational learning and strengthen the organisational development of youth sector organisations, networks and institutions?
  • How do organisational learning and development strategies and practices of certain types of youth sector organisations, networks and institutions differ?
  • Which conditions, both systemic and organisational, favour or hinder organisational learning and development processes of youth sector organisations, networks and institutions?
  • Which explicit strategies are employed by European youth programmes to foster organisational learning and strengthen organisational development?
  • Which implicit effects, if any, of European youth programmes foster organisational learning and strengthen organisational development, and how?
  • How could youth sector organisations, networks and institutions be further strengthened through improving their organisational learning and organisational development?
  • How could the strategies and effects of European youth programmes be reinforced to further foster organisational learning and strengthen organisational development?

Further Information

Research design and instruments

The study will draw on existing quantitative data on effects of Erasmus+ Youth in Action on youth workers/leaders and their organisations obtained through RAY-MON as well as qualitative data available through RAY-CAP. Building on the available data, the project will have two subsequent modules, combining quantitative and qualitative social research methods. The first module focuses on explorative qualitative interviews with a diversity of organisations, networks and institutions at national and transnational level. The second module focuses on a quantitative survey, which will be developed on the basis of the outcomes of the interviews conducted as part of the first module.

 

In combination, both modules will explore:

  • the conceptual understandings of organisational learning and organisational development that exist and/or are prevalent in organisations, networks and institutions in the youth sector, starting with those involved in Erasmus+ Youth in Action (E+/YiA);
  • the existence, diversity and distribution of strategies and practices fostering organisational learning and development in the youth sector, starting with organisations, networks and institutions involved in Erasmus+ Youth in Action (E+/YiA);
  • the rationales of organisational leadership and management structures in choosing and implementing such strategies and practices;
  • the approaches of organisations, networks and institutions to welcome and integrate new youth workers, youth leaders and youth experts, with what these new members have learned during the onboarding process;
  • the approaches of organisations, networks and institutions to learn from outgoing youth workers, youth leaders and youth experts with what these outgoing members sought to contribute to the learning and development of their organisations;
  • the approaches of organisations, networks and institutions to learn from projects and programmes they are involved in, starting with projects in the context of Erasmus+ Youth in Action (E+/YiA).
Back To Top