Limitations
There are few attempts to systematically evaluate youth participation. The use of theoretical frameworks related to youth participation as well as systematic methodologies to monitor and evaluate youth participation is scarce. Only a few interventions have provided research data able to demonstrate that youth participation leads to better SRH outcomes or improved program impact. Those that have been able to demonstrate some impact are mostly applying CBPR methods.
Interventions and programs implemented globally need to be documented and made available to global audiences, as a way to keep exchanging best practices and growth opportunities. Civil society organizations should, to a larger degree, try to bring their work to the academic publications. Donors of SRHR initiatives could also support an electronic library where civil society organizations could present their work and publish their reports to make them more accessible for researchers as well as the general public and policy makers.
Cook [2] observed that there is little consensus on the effectiveness of adolescent participation in health programs. Nevertheless, participation is a right and should not only be evaluated in terms of effectiveness and impact. There is a need to keep pursuing meaningful youth participation. For this, strong evaluations and methodologies are needed to assess both processes and outcomes of where programs stand and where changes need to be made. In relation to outcomes and effects, it may be important to conduct measurements in such a way as to be able to (partially) assess whether the success of the program can be attributed to its participatory nature.
Last, understanding youth participation is a dynamic right that touches areas of civil, political, cultural, and social rights and could potentially lead to the building of solid youth leadership in relation to not only youth issues but also the broader development agenda beyond 2014.