Welcome to the MEL Specialist Track

This week will convene MEL Specialists across the YBI network to

“Initiate a global community of practice and learning that enables YBI

members to maximise the effectiveness of their youth

entrepreneurship activities”

Objectives of the MEL Specialist Track

1. Build a community of MEL Specialists from across the network; 2. Act as a forum for members to share their knowledge, experience and challenges on MEL; 3. Provide participants with exposure to a range of approaches, methods and tools to build

up their MEL ‘toolkits’and capacity; and 4. Develop a collaborative roadmap for ongoing development of YBI’s MEL Offering and MEL

Community.

The sessions have been designed to meet member MEL needs as defined through prior consultation with all participants regarding both content and format. As such, the Track is designed to be as interactive as possible, taking a ‘learning by doing’ approach, and focuses on key learning questions that have emerged across the network.

MEL Specialists attending the track:

o Maria Eugenia Clouet, Fundación Impulsar, Argentina

o Alexandra Esperança Meira, Aliança Empreendedora, Brasil

o Beth Dea, Canadian Youth Business Foundation, Canada

o Jerome Bouillaut, Entreprende en Banlieue, France

o Sachin Adsare, Bharatiya Yuva Shakti Trust, India

o Luidmila Romanova, Youth Business Russia, Russia

o Fatma Triki, Enda Inter-Arabe, Tunisia

o Rosemary Mutyabule, Enterprise Uganda, Uganda

MEL Specialists attending the track on a ‘part time’ basis:

o Madeleine Gabriel, UnLtd., UK

o Charlotte Fielder, Prince’s Trust, UK

o Lucy Gleaver, Prince’s Trust, UK

o Jeannie Radbill, Prince’s Trust, UK

MEL Specialist Track

Third party speakers at the MEL Track:

Insightshare Specialists in participatory video approaches to MEL (www.insightshare.org)

Intermedia – Research and evaluation consultants specialised in working with young

people (http://www.intermedia.org/)

Overseas Development Institute – UK's leading independent think tank on international

development and humanitarian issues (www.odi.org.uk)

Professor David Clutterbuck – global expert on mentoring

(http://www.davidclutterbuckpartnership.com/)

Restless Development – Youth-led development agency

(http://www.restlessdevelopment.org/)

War Child – International NGO working with young people in conflict-affected

environments (http://www.warchild.org.uk/)

VENUE (unless otherwise stated): 24 Greencoat Place, Victoria, SW1P 1RD

Monday 9th September

08:15 Departure from The Strand Palace Hotel

09:00 – 10:00 Welcome and introduction to the week

Leads: Andrew Devenport, CEO

Maarten Rooney, COO

10:00 – 10:45 Icebreaker!

‘Getting to know each other’ themed icebreaker

Leads: Laura Gisby, MEL Manager

Annie Barber, Network MEL Manager

10:45 – 11:00 BREAK: Refreshments provided

11:00 – 11:30 Welcome and Overview of the week ahead

Outlining the agenda and setting expectations for the MEL

Specialist Track

Leads: Laura & Annie

11.30 – 12:30 YBI’s MEL Offering – the Story so far

Overview of how the MEL Offering ‘came to birth’ and what it aims to

achieve, sharing experiences of ‘live’ member MEL projects

Leads: Laura & Annie

Presenting: Jerome Bouillaut, MEL Specialist, France

Objectives: Get to know your fellow MEL

Specialists!

On Monday, please remember: Dress Code: business smart

(suit and tie for men)

Bring 2 pieces of ID and reception invitation card

Bring USB stick with my presentation materials

Bring a tasty snack from my country as a contribution to the ‘international snack bar’

Objectives: Enhanced understanding of the

MEL Offering and work that has been undertaken so far/is planned under member MEL projects

Objectives: Understand how the week will

unfold and what is expected of you

Feedback your expectations to MEL Specialist Track leads

Monday to do list: Dress Code: business smart

(business suit for men) Bring my ID (e.g. passport,

driver’s licence) Bring USB stick with my

presentation materials Bring a tasty snack from my

country as a contribution to the ‘international snack bar’

12:30 – 13:00 Evaluation of the Bidaya programme pilot

Overview of the approach taken to and findings from evaluating

the Bidaya programme (Enda Inter-Arabe’s ‘YBI’ programme)

Presenting: Fatma Triki, MEL Specialist, Tunisia

13:00 – 14:00 LUNCH: Buffet meal provided

14:00 – 15:45 Key Learning Question: How do we measure the less tangible

outcomes and impacts of our work?

Facilitated discussion including a presentation from YBI’s member in

Brasil of their Entrepreneurial Inclusion Index

Leads: Laura & Annie

Presenting: Alexandra Esperança Meira, MEL Specialist, Brasil

15.45 – 16:00 BREAK: International snack bar

16:00 – 17:15 Key Learning Question: How do we track longer-term outcomes/

Impacts of our work on both ‘dropouts’ and ‘graduates’

Facilitated discussion

Leads: Laura Gisby, MEL Manager

17:15 Departure by foot to St James’ Palace

18:00 – 20:00 Drinks Reception, St James’ Palace

Transport will be organised for all Specialists.

Dress code: Business Smart (suits and tie for men)

Tuesday 10th September

08:15 Departure from The Strand Palace Hotel

09:00 – 10:45 Introduction to Participatory Video

Interactive workshop introducing the use of participatory video as

a MEL tool

Lead: Soledad Muniz, Insightshare

10:45 – 11:00 BREAK: Refreshments provided

11:00 – 13:00 Introduction to Participatory Video

Session continues

Objectives: Share challenges and best

practice around key MEL issues

Build consensus around how we can work together to create best practice tools and processes

Objectives: Gain exposure to an exciting

approach that involves placing young people themselves at the core of MEL activities

Objectives: Understand existing member

MEL approaches

13:00 – 14:00 LUNCH: Buffet meal provided

14:00 – 15:00 Best practices in qualitative youth led research

Presentation and Q&A

Leads: Joe Bonnell and Klara Debeljak, Intermedia

15:00 – 16:00 Key Learning Question: How do we measure ‘Value for Money’?

Facilitated discussion including presentations of YBI’s emerging

Approach to measuring ‘Value for Money’ and a presentation from

our member in Canada on their experience with ‘Social Return on

Investment’

Leads: Annie Barber, Network MEL Manager

Presenting: Beth Dea, MEL Specialist, Canada

16:00 – 16:15 BREAK: Refreshments provided

16:15 – 17:30 Introduction to Theory of Change

Interactive workshop taking a ‘learning by doing’ approach, using YBI’s

member in Argentina as a case study

Leads: Laura & Annie

Wednesday 11th September

08:15 Departure from The Strand Palace Hotel

09:00 – 10:30 Introduction to the Contexts Framework

Presentation of a global research project YBI is undertaking

With our partners in a DFID-funded Consortium

Leads: YBI, Restless Development, War Child & ODI

10:30 – 10:45 BREAK: Refreshments provided

Objectives: Gain exposure to a range of

exciting qualitative methodologies to enhance your MEL toolkit

Objectives: Gain exposure to a simple

approach for building a set of metrics and a MEL system to capture them

Objectives: Gain exposure to a framework

to support comprehension of what youth entrepreneurship initiatives work best in different contexts

Understand how you can get involved in ‘testing’ the framework through applying it to your own work

Objectives: Share challenges and best

practice around a key MEL issue

Build consensus around how we can work together to create best practice tools and processes

11:00 – 12:00 Best practice in mentoring MEL

Joint session with Mentoring Specialists

Lead: Professor David Clutterbuck

12:30 – 13:00 Key Learning Question: How can we use evidence generated

from our MEL activities to influence policy?

Facilitated discussion including presentation of the approach taken

by ODI’s Research and Policy in Development (RAPID) group, and

sharing of experiences and challenges from YBI’s member in Argentina

Leads: Laura & Annie

Presenting: Maria Eugenia Clouet, MEL Specialist, Argentina

13:00 – 13:30 LUNCH: Sandwiches provided

13:30 Departure for Victory Services Club

14:00 – 15:00 Building a Knowledge Community: Learning from what we do

See the Summit agenda for full details

15:00 – 17:30 Networking for Knowledge

See the Summit agenda for full details.

Thursday 12th September Departure from The Strand Palace Hotel

09:00 – 10:30 Mapping a YBI Theory of Change

Interactive workshop allowing you to draw on your new working

knowledgeof the Theory of Change approach in contributing to an

important area of YBI’s new global strategy, through helping us think

through YBI’s overall Theory of Change

Leads: Annie & Laura

10:45 – 11:00 BREAK: Refreshments provided

You will be fully briefed on the format

of the afternoon sessions and your

involvement before lunch!

Objectives: Put knowledge gained through

the week into practice to support YBI in development of our new global strategy!

Objectives: Gain exposure to global best

practice in mentoring MEL

Objectives: Enhance your understanding of

how to use evidence to influence policy through exposure to a best practice approach and a real life case study

11:00 – 12:00 Building a MEL Community

Brainstorming session to think through how we can build on this

week’s activities to strengthen the MEL community across the YBI

network, among MEL Specialist Track attendees and beyond

Leads: Annie & Laura

12:00 – 13:00 YBI’s MEL Offering – Where we’re at and where we’re headed

Wrap-up session, followed by group photo and feedback forms

13:00 – 14:30 LUNCH: Full meal provided for all specialists off-site

Afternoon FREE TIME to explore London! YBI Specialist Track leads will lead organised shopping/sightseeing trips if you would like to join these

17:25 Meet in Foyer of Strand Palace Hotel

17:40 Bus departs Strand Palace Hotel

18:10 Arrival, Honourable Artillery Company, Young Entrepreneur Awards

DRESS CODE: Black Tie/ Cocktail Dress (long or

short)/National Costume

Later: AFTER PARTY for all delegates at The Electricity Showrooms, Hoxton Square, Shoreditch,

London N1 6NN

Objectives: A roadmap to developing the

MEL Community at YBI will developed through a participatory process

Objectives: Contribute to the ongoing

development of the MEL Offering and provide feedback on the week’s activities