Cross-Cutting Initiatives

This draft plan presents an initial step in identifying strategies for federal collaboration and provides a basis for future actions related to positive outcomes for youth. As the Working Group pursues the goals and objectives outlined in this draft plan, it will be able to set targets for collaborative results and identify areas for strategic recommendations and initiatives to address common goals for youth.  To begin addressing the goals, objectives, and strategies in this draft plan, the Working Group identified four areas of work that will begin in the next year. These four cross-cutting initiatives are described below. Given that the Working Group has no dedicated funding, the scope of work that the Working Group will be able to undertake will depend on the funds and other resources agencies are able to provide as leaders or partners in these efforts.

1. Develop shared language on cross-cutting youth topics for federal grant applications and other federal documents and publications. 

The Working Group will identify realistic and reasonable opportunities to develop shared language that can be incorporated into federal documents, including grant applications and technical assistance resources. Examples include common terminology (e.g., positive youth development, youth engagement strategies, evidence-based), options for performance indicators and metrics, opportunities for administrative flexibility or cost savings, and guidance on collaboration (e.g., suggested partners and planning coordination efforts).

2. Assess and disseminate models of collaboration that provide a pathway to opportunity for youth and yield positive results. 

The Working Group will conduct a scan of successful coordination efforts within and among the federal, state, local, and tribal levels and disseminate information about models. This work will focus on assessing the best of what we know about strengthening services and improving outcomes for youth who are disconnected or at risk of disconnection from school, work, or home. It will seek to identify and disseminate information on effective strategies for coordinating multiple systems, adopting evidence-based interventions in comprehensive strategies, adding innovations, and using data for evaluation and continuous improvement.

3. Centralize and disseminate information on promising and evidence-based strategies for youth, including promising youth engagement and partnership strategies. 

The Working Group will develop a central comprehensive federal resource for information on evidence-based practices and innovation that draws from multiple sources already in existence, to provide the public with better information about federal efforts, reduce duplication, and promote better collaboration among federal departments and agencies. As part of this effort, the Working Group will identify and disseminate promising and evidence-based youth engagement strategies to assist federal, state, local, and tribal groups in devising strategies to develop and maximize the strengths of youth, and to strengthen youth programs. 

4. Promote data collection and long-term evaluation of policies and programs that impact youth. 

The Working Group will facilitate cross-system data collection and sharing, while protecting privacy, to help programs answer critical questions to develop responsive solutions and determine evidence-based practices for youth programs. The Working Group will assess criteria currently in use by federal departments and agencies, including data systems. The Working Group will also consider opportunities to examine best practices and disseminate those to the public.

Download and read the complete Pathways for Youth: Draft Strategic Plan for Federal Collaboration (PDF, 50 pages) and provide your thoughts below.