AYCH INDEPENDENT EVALUATION

Atlantic Youth Creative Hub Independent Project Evaluation

Final report 31 March 2021

Introduction and Context

Evaluation objectives Assess the impact of AYCH on • Project participants (especially young people) • AYCH hubs and the communities around them (local ecosystems) • Wider stakeholders across the Atlantic Area (AA) regions Establish evidence of • Intended project benefits (positive ‘outcomes’ and ‘impacts’) • The extent to which these have changed since project inception • The extent to which these have been achieved • Other project benefits (unintended outcomes) • Examples of good practice, within or outside project scope • Lessons learned to inform future interventions

Evaluation methods Desk-based review and research • Project background, context, plans, media • Project monitoring and reporting systems and data • Participant surveys, feedback, stories, case studies Direct observation • Project steering committee (Angoulême, Oct 19) • Hubs, events, workshops (various, Nov 19 – Feb 21) • Transnational Creative Jam (Santo Tirso - virtual, Dec 20) Interviews and surveys • Project partner interviews (Nov 19 – Jan 20) • Project partner and stakeholder surveys (Dec 20 – Jan 21)

cooperation in the Atlantic Area.

It is structured around 4 priority axes and 7 specific objectives as illustrated in the diagram below:

Programme context

€3.17m ERDF

€1.06m Match The programme maximises opportunities and addresses issues which require a joint response €4.23m Total budget by partners from a minimum of 3 countries within the programme area. The Atlantic Area has

Market context Strategic market context for the project, as described within the Project Approved Form: The Atlantic Area faces high youth unemployment rates, ranging from 6.1% in UK to 24.5% in Spain. The project will draw on Smart Specialisation capabilities in the creative and cultural industries across this area to boost entrepreneurship and aspirations for enterprise and education in creative, digital and technological fields recognised growth areas, in the Atlantic Area.

Member States face heightened pressure to find new models of commissioning public services, making them more viable and reliant on more diverse revenue streams. AYCH represents the opportunity to provide a model that is both scalable and transferrable to cities in the Atlantic Area, based on financial and skill support from a wide range of stakeholders and income opportunities from incubation and social enterprise activities that will ensure a sustainable operational model is achieved before the end of the funding period.

SME growth features predominantly in the integrated Atlantic Action Plan and Europe 2020, using key enabling technologies, creativity and knowledge-led growth the project aims to create new business starts, as well as jobs in the creative sector.

Collaboration between universities, NGOs, public and private bodies remains an underexploited opportunity for the Atlantic Area. AYCH will respond to this, connecting territories & sectors fostering innovation in young people, linking SMEs to new talent and knowledge, as well as technology transfer from HEIs to SMEs and young people.

Delivery context Operational challenges

Mitigations / positive outcomes

• Different cultures and languages

• Collaborative problem-solving

• Different priorities and approaches

• Agreed communication and working practices

• Programme-level reporting systems (SIGI)

• Clarification of project logic (see next slide)

• Finance (ERDF claims / cashflow)

• New project-level monitoring systems

• Resource constraints (time, capacity)

• Post-Brexit contingency plans and commitments

• Engagement and retention (of young participants)

• Service innovation (digital/virtual/remote)

Strategic challenges

Impacts / negative outcomes

• (Initial) focus on short-term activities and outputs over longer-term outcomes and impacts

• Departure of staff and partners

• (Initial) lack of shared framework for benefits capture and evaluation

• Delays to delivery of some benefits

• External factors (Brexit, COVID, economic downturn) • Project ongoing at time of evaluation – some outputs/outcomes yet to occur

• Additional pressures on individuals/teams • Current policy and economic conditions constrain some benefits

AYCH ‘Theory of Change’ - Project Intervention Logic Project Inputs

Project Activities Ideas Development

… From Participants Time & Energy Talent & Skills Ideas & Innovation

Engagement Collaboration Design-Thinking Idea Generation Prototyping Pitching

… From Partners Time & Energy Knowledge & Experience Skills & Expertise Networks Space & Facilities Match Funding Best Practice

Assessment Validation

Networks Smart Specialisation Capabilities

40 New Products created 40 New Product prototypes created

Economic and social potential is unlocked.

50 New Businesses started

Access to career and education opportunities is improved.

Connected Spaces (Hubs) 3 Creative Jams / Hackathons

1 Youth Ambassador Scheme … From AA Programme

100 SMEs participating in interregional research projects

200 internships supported

Internships

Policy Frameworks

Capitalisation

Networks ERDF Funding

Partnership Working Policy Development Marketing & Dissemination

… For Participants

Creative, technical and enterprise skills are developed.

Support Delivery

20 Business Challenges 10 Incubation Programmes Flexible Residencies

Project Outcomes

40 SMEs supported to introduce new to firm products

160 SMEs receiving support

40 KET / Enterprise Workshops

Project Results

1 AYCH Social Innovation Model / Policy Framework created and transferred

40 SMEs supported to introduce new to market products

Execution

40 Transnational Seminars … From AA Regions Policy Frameworks

Project Outputs

3 Policy Instruments produced 4 Project Reports 12 Project Newsletters / Information Documents 17 Case Studies and Pilot Actions implemented 157 Dissemination and Capitalisation Actions 207 Internal Project Meetings and Events 5800 Participants in Dissemination and Capitalisation Actions

Enterprise & education awareness and aspiration is raised.

200 Internships supported

… For Partners & Ecosystems

200 New Jobs created

Approaches to Youth Services are improved.

400 Young People in Education or Training 800 SMEs engaged 1600 Young People engaged

Monitoring – Management - Evaluation

Connections between talent and employers are improved.

Collaboration between HEIs, NGOs, public and private bodies are improved.

Long-Term Impacts

… For Atlantic Areas More young people able to pursue careers or education pathways in the Creative Sector, regardless of gender, sexuality, race or background.

Lower youth unemployment rates.

More cohesive, sustainable and balanced local economies.

More jobs and businesses within the Creative Sector.

AYCH Evidence Library Key Findings

What is it?

A partner-led response to recommendations from an interim evaluation in Spring 2020: • Focused on outcomes and impacts (in contrast to other output-focused monitoring systems) • Independently verifiable evidence - interviews, case studies, videos, online articles, podcasts, stories, testimonials, participant feedback • Shared benefit indicators - enabling segmentation and quantitative analysis by partner, region, theme, outcome type (core and additional) • Appropriate sample size - 100+ from total ‘population’ of approx. 1600 young participants • Proportionate - in levels of resource expended and detail provided • Supports attribution – causal link between activity and outcome, as theorized in project logic model

What does it show?

Number of entries evidencing achievement by AYCH of intended outcomes for young participants:

NB. Evidence of new products, ideas and services was provided separately through the Deliverables Tracker.

What does it show?

Number of entries evidencing achievement by AYCH of intended outcomes for local partner and their ecosystems.

What does it show?

Number of entries illustrating a contribution by AYCH to longer-term impacts at a regional / national level:

What did they say?

This ‘Wordcloud’ was generated from over 100 participant stories, as documented in the Evidence Library.

The size of each word in the image correlates with the frequency of its use in those stories and is intended to convey key themes.

See https://www.aych.eu/ and project publication “Learning Through Entrepreneurship – a creative approach” for examples of individual stories and case studies.

What did they say?

“I now have a better understanding of social enterprises and that really helped for starting our Community Interest Company”

Some selected quotes from young participants…

“Thanks to Atlantic Cities, I got my first job – I am now part of the staff there!”

“I have lots of ideas on how to combat societal issues, raise awareness for climate change etc but sometimes it is difficult to find the connections to start. AYCH (gave me) that opportunity and confidence in my management and leadership skills. I have since been asked to head a jury in France – which wouldn’t have happened without partaking in (the Gijon Creative Jam)”

”During the AYCH incubation program, I learned to clarify my business idea so I can pitch to investors, supporters, potential partners, and collaborators. I now feel confident talking about my business and explaining my ideas now that I have a clear message and business strategy”

“AYCH made me a more dedicated and flexible professional when it comes to work group and cooperation dynamics”

“AYCH has changed my view on future job potential – becoming self-employed with permanent contracts really has great advantages” “(As an AYCH intern) I have already been given a lot of different tasks, never doing the same thing made it more exciting. I get to learn new skills: creating social media content, exchanging with partners. So far it has been really rewarding ... I can already say that this internship will have a positive impact”

“I thought I knew everything ... AYCH forced me to evaluate my technical skills and social behaviour”

What did they say?

“A young Columbian came to Spain with few resources and, through AYCH, developed an app to help immigrants in administrative and governmental matters.”

“[X] participated in different AYCH events during her training as a designer. As part of multidisciplinary and multicultural teams. She contributed to the creation of AYCH Quest and facilitated different creativity workshops using Design Thinking tools at Creative Jams. These experiences played an important role in [her] professional choices.

Nowadays she works as junior designer in an innovation consultancy firm.”

“A young designer, after completing her internship, ended up working as a designer at IKEA Mexico.”

“A young musician developed a van-museum to boost culture among rural areas in Galicia.”

DELIVERY PARTNER, FRANCE

DELIVERY PARTNER, SPAIN

Some selected stories from AYCH delivery partners…

“AYCH and its links with Fabrica de Santo Tirso were crucial for [X] in developing her prototype. She identified support from the experts and the international experience as highlights, which allowed her to understand how to progress her idea and boosted her motivation in helping people with visual impairments - which represents a significant social impact.”

DELIVERY PARTNER, PORTUGAL

“[X] suffers with anxiety and autism. With our help she set up the company, promoted her idea and got the support of the council, she presented her idea to a panel and was successful in getting £500 to help with her company. We were able to provide her with an office space. She has now been offered a place at university for Business Studies.”

DELIVERY PARTNER, UK

Partner Survey Dec 2020 - Feb 2021 Key findings

Summary of responses General impacts of COVID-19 (negative and positive) 1.

Travel restrictions - impact on international events, internships, residencies

2.

Face-to-face delivery moved online - new digital/virtual models developed.

Partner-specific impacts of COVID-19 (negative and positive)

NB. Not all partners were involved in direct delivery, hence why some responses to questions 5 to 7 were given as ‘not applicable’.

1.

Loss of earned income (from events / workspace hire) = loss of matchfunding, leading to loss of AYCH funding, exacerbated by ongoing grant payment delays. Result = scale-back of activities, loss of staff, hub closure.

2.

Change in local attitudes towards entrepreneurs (in some areas). Result = prioritization of support for vulnerable people and entrepreneurship.

“Because of the restriction of the COVID pandemic we haven’t been able to achieve what we wanted” (2 out of 5) “I think we lacked clear indicators and monitoring tools within our organisation to measure certain objectives” (3 out of 5) “(We have) achieved and even overachieved the majority of (our) deliverables.”

(4 out of 5) “AYCH is a wonderful project to empower young people to face, improve and decide on their future. Our organization has just provided the space and tools to bring them together and show them what their challenges are, and that they are the ones who can tackle these challenges. Also, a great opportunity to work with young people of other countries and settings, sharing experiences and knowledge, which is so necessary and enriching.”

(4 out of 5) “Most of all, connections have been made between different stakeholders at the local level and it's a huge progress because they didn't know each other before.”

(4 out of 5) “Despite the (impacts of COVID) AYCH has innovated and stretched resources to ensure young people have not been left high-and-dry. Some partners have been more disadvantaged than others but on the whole the positive impacts across all objectives have continued. In the context of youth unemployment we see positive impacts for AYCH young people in being able to evidence their skills and involvement … we know our impact may be small but certainly not insignificant to those young people we have worked with.”

(4 out of 5) “The evidence is the deliverables of our participation in AYCH.” (5 out of 5) “We have collaborated in new design theory very well, with partners sharing expertise and learning freely. Looking back there has been some amazing products launched and individuals have benefited hugely from the opportunity.”

(5 out of 5)

“In view of the situation, we know that AYCH has promoted the employability of young people, but it is difficult to measure it” (3 out of 5) “I think it's still difficult to say today that young people can live from their creative activity.”

(3 out of 5) “Without the impact of Covid I would have felt more confident about this. The acceleration and critical mass of the impact towards the end of the project would have been more obvious. Nevertheless, on a recent round-up of activity I have been amazed at the creativity and determination of partners who clearly feel a duty not just to deliver a contract but who feel a sincere connection to young people.”

(3 out of 5) “The big problem is that the unemployment rate has grown. But I think that we helped people to find new jobs in new sectors. For the school and especially or the students, AYCH unlocked the possibilities of jobs in the design area” (3 out of 5) “We believe an interconnection has been achieved between the young people of the AA and all have said that it is important to maintain this type of educational collaboration for the search for youth employment. Yes, it is true, that in three years a lot has been done, but now is the time to start - since the project is established, more is needed.”

(4 out of 5) “Overall, all partners worked closely together to achieve intended outcomes - more jobs across the AA, more new enterprises, products and services, more innovative solutions to social and economic issues.”

(4 out of 5) “Working with other hubs in the AA allows (us) to share knowledge, experiences, tools, methods when working with young people. Young people find alternatives to the traditional education and training process, which results in a broadening of future opportunities.”

(4 out of 5)

Shared understanding and clear expectations

Communication and cooperation

“Have a universal understanding of project objectives, values and tools. Do not be prescriptive about how partners or individuals reach them. Create a shared vision but encourage innovation and try something new when consideration has been thorough. Think about gathering evidence of the expected and unexpected impacts, outputs and outcomes.”

“Good communication with young people is essential: be active, synergistic, creative ...”

“Cooperation and good communication between all partners is essential.”

“Ask partners at different stages of the project how they perceive the project, its progress and how we could improve it.”

“Understand each other better from the start. Take time to know who partners are, how they work, what their resources, experiences and visions are in order to be inspired by them but also to understand who is who.”

“We should not increase the number of internal communication tools - to make it more readable and less cumbersome.”

“Spend more time at the beginning clarifying things: methods, translation, evaluation expectations. It felt like we were such a strange [i.e. diverse] group of partners that we needed more time to get to know each others’ settings and challenges.”

Flexibility and resilience

“The project framework should be much more explicit and understandable (digestible) in terms of achievements, implementation schedule, and indicators.”

“AYCH has been a kind of laboratory, experimenting with different methodology and approach. It was very rich. However, it also made the project very dense, sometimes blurry. The framework has been shifting throughout, particularly in the operational implementation of activities. It could be clearer from the start and simpler in terms of implementation, particularly for local partners.”

“More simplicity. When information required for evaluation is too exhaustive, it is difficult to understand and deliver, and to keep it right.”

“An external consultant could support such a project from the start, in order to simplify and facilitate exchanges between partners, the setting-up of meetings and recall the framework for action.”

Coordination and leadership “AYCH integrates partners with different experiences and from different fields of intervention. This is exactly what makes the project very different and enriching, because it involves intensive periods of cooperation (hence) the need to have a very strong coordination and leadership position, for mobilization and accountability of the other partners in the implementation of the project.”

“Active involvement of partners is necessary - passive partners are not good.”

“Be flexible to be as innovative as possible.”

“Be resilient and adaptive. Changing circumstances are not the end but a chance to deliver and engage with each other in a different, more creative and innovative way.”

Working effectively with young people “Dynamics of society and way of life demand a lot from us: capacity for innovation, adaptation to change and entrepreneurial spirit. This is increased for young people. We must support and prepare them to work in competitive environments, to face new and constant challenges. Motivate and stimulate youth, make them responsible for the execution of new projects and tasks.”

“We do not miss the need for the technical component of training and qualification actions, but much more important is to transmit values and attitudes - working on soft skills is increasingly important. So young people should be more actively involved in the evaluation process.”

“Involve local networks, give them more visibility.”

“More than ever, non-formal education has to be at the service of young people - they need it right now” “Integrate academic training and non-regulated education for the future of youth: young people who have not had the possibility of education have the right to the same opportunities.”

Stakeholder Survey Dec 2020 - Feb 2021 Key findings

Organisation

Location

Nation

Organisation type

Project role

ACA Amstratgraph - CAE29 Chrysalide Atlantic Cities Atlantic Cities Canopy SW

Rennes Brest Rennes Rennes Devon & Cornwall Exeter Matosinhos Porto France

France France France France UK UK Portugal Portugal France

Strategic partner Local Expert Participant Strategic partner Strategic partner Local Expert Strategic partner Strategic partner Participant

Spain Spain UK UK UK Spain Portugal

Public authority Medium enterprise (50-249 employees) Not an organisation (i.e. just you as an individual) Not an organisation (i.e. just you as an individual) Entrepreneurial Network Micro-business (1-9 employees) Education provider (school, college, university) Education provider (school, college, university) Small enterprise (10-49 employees); Education provider (school, college, university) Local / regional government body Business support / professional training provider Education provider (school, college, university) Not an organisation (i.e. just you as an individual) Micro-business (1-9 employees) Education provider (school, college, university) Business support / professional training provider

Portugal

Micro-business (1-9 employees)

Other - participant coaching Strategic partner Strategic partner Local Expert

Collaborative Capacities ESAD - Escola Superior de Artes e Design Escola de Moda do Porto Europe Etudes

Asturias Gijón, Region of Asturias Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool Local Expert Plymouth Mark Cotton Consultancy South West MediaLab de la Universidad Gijón Modatex, Centro de Formação Profissional Porto (HQ); Santo Tirso, Barcelos, da Indústria Têxtil, Confeção e Lanifícios Lisboa e Covilhã (Delegations) Motivos e Memórias Unipessoal Lda Ribeira de Pena Gijon ICT Cluster

Plymouth City Council Porto Global Hub - Politécnico do Porto Smart Value Consulting

Plymouth Porto Porto

UK Portugal Portugal

TAIKAI UBO Open Factory University of Minho - Textile Engeneering Department Vida Lactea Wordscape

Porto Brest Guimarães

Portugal France Portugal

Local / regional government body Education provider (school, college, university) Micro-business (1-9 employees); Business support / professional training provider Micro-business (1-9 employees) Education provider (school, college, university) Education provider (school, college, university)

Lugo, Galicia Liverpool

Spain UK

Small enterprise (10-49 employees) Micro-business (1-9 employees)

Employer Strategic partner Strategic partner Local Expert Local Expert Participant Strategic partner

Strategic partner Local Expert Local Expert Strategic partner Strategic partner

“I believe Intercultural creative jams have had a great impact on the participants in many ways and helped in achieving these goals. Somewhat the highlight of AYCH and gives a picture of the projects' ambitions and results.”

“Innovative methodologies were tested.”

“I feel that there is a need of greater assistance to the young entrepreneurs to assist them to find funding in order to fully develop and implement their projects.”

“I think this is a great project, I would be keen to support its ongoing aims.”

“The deliverables from AYCH seemed too varied among the region and therefore outcomes seem to be not consistent. A stronger unified vision and distribution of resources would have provided more opportunities across a broader range of young people.”

“The number and degree of involvement of young entrepreneurs throughout the process has been very rewarding.”

“More core competences.”

“The project's intervention was mainly focused in the first stages of enterprise creation, so it's too soon to have a clear idea regarding the sustainability of project outcomes, mainly in what concerns its real systemic impacts in the local context.”

“This initiative is a great first step in achieving its purpose within the Youth Community. There should be more initiatives like this, with different levels of seniority of the program (e.g. 1st step: Creative Jam; 2nd step: Acceleration/Innovation Program; 3rd step: Implementation & Investment) to make it possible to not only educate and give tools for the Youth Community to be able to develop their skills, but also to incentivize them to keep on developing their projects as entrepreneurs and new businesses.”

“Through working as part of AYCH new avenues of partnership work and potential new avenues for creative young people were identified, a key example of which was Igneous Interactive - which is a legacy project of the AYCH partnership.”

“AYCH has provided ongoing support, materials and communication opportunities for young people to develop and express their ideas, whilst gaining more confidence.

Having followed the work of ambassadors and participants, I have clearly seen results and the positive impact since the project was launched.”

“Private, public and educational cooperation.”

“There was a clear improvement in the relations between my institution and the local government institution, and therefor with the region.”

“It has been such a difficult year - it is hard to judge!”

“Same as previous answer, the outcomes were too varied across the region. The efforts would have benefited from a clearer and more strategic sharing of resources across the region.”

“Connections between talent and employers.”

“The relationship that the new entrepreneurs have developed with the ESAD trainers has allowed the creation of an interesting network in both directions.”

“More organizations connected.”

“Although the local entrepreneurial ecosystem was involved on some of the activities, it wasn't mobilised in an extended and structured way.”

“As I said in the previous question, the seed has been planted. We just need to keep on further developing the initiative to keep on "watering it" to see it grow. :)” “New avenues for the Youth Service were opened - revealing new and different opportunities to improve the contemporary offer of youth services - specifically in a transforming economic environment which has seen a significant reduction in the National availability of Youth Services for Young People.”

“Regardless of the hinderance in physical meet-ups and digital communication issues that can arise from time to time due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, AYCH has worked hard to develop a strong online community between relevant organisations and businesses. The AYCH organisations did not see the transition into 100% digital communication as a hinderance but rather an opportunity to expand further.”

“Reinforced networking between a business development cooperative, digital/maker ecosystem and art school.”

““It's just the beginning in some way although the project is coming to an end. It shows a lot of potential for the future and the legacy is there. AYCH capitalisation shows it will be a great role model for new upcoming EU projects.”

“Motivating and upskilling young people.”

“By opening up the possibility of supporting young people in creating creative and differentiating projects in the region, it is potentially contributing to a decrease in youth unemployment rates. Given the nature of the projects, there will certainly be a positive impact on sustainability and social responsibility with the creation of new businesses in the creative sector.”

“There are some impressive success stories for the creative industries as a result of the project, but not as many as might have been possible. As an observer it looks as if many of the young people involved in the project were allowed to dream for a bit, but their mentors/leaders were not given the tangible resources they needed to see these dreams through.”

“More responsible and sustainable enterprises. More creative businesses” “The north of Portugal, being a particularly industrial area, will always benefit from innovative and creative projects.”

“The project was able to generate greater attention by young people to the opportunities that exist on the region's creative sector, both as a source of new career pathways as well as civic and social interventions that generated greater levels of personal agency.”

“This initiative certainly has created a very interesting impact on the local community. I believe that by bringing more partners and hubs, it could potentially reach a much broader community, with a greater impact.”

“AYCH opened up creative avenues, revealed previously unseen partners and opportunities and highlighted significant deficits in the youth offer and its disconnect from an ever evolving and changing employment market, specifically within the Creative Sector...a shake-up of neo-liberalism enforced cultural lenses...it facilitated a realisation of the potential of creating creative opportunities rather than striving to fit a 'square peg in a round hole'...it revealed a different style of social change.”

“AYCH offers additional services and opportunities within the Plymouth, UK area that I have not seen advertised by any other organisation. The project is a great asset and works in harmony with local resources and teams.”

Collaborative design and planning

Working effectively with young people

“Design for the long game and deliver with better practice of collaborative leadership and an equitably distributed set of resources for the region. Include schools in design so they are more invested in sending students. Partner with private schools who may have resources to share. Include FE and HE from the beginning in all projects to increase likelihood of cross pollination of ideas and actions. Make career planning an integral part of the design. Bring in experts to help design the events and ensure there are parallel events across the region.”

“Holistic and tailor-made programmes are key in education.”

“The involvement of the local ecosystem, from the beginning (project design) seems critical to deliver better outputs and produce more sustainable outcomes. From other experiences related to entrepreneurship promotion in the creative industries, the support provided should have been more customised and cover more stages of the entrepreneurial process development. Finally, as an international project, that obviously must have a common structure and core common activities. It should have incorporated a larger margin for local adjustments, according to particular contexts.”

“Communication and decision process is key. Although we have all high-tech tools it was sometimes challenging with so many partners. But we made it. So maybe for next time, now that we have the experience, we will have an even better organisation and effective plan right at its start. A welcoming guidebook could be interesting in this manner.”

Physical or virtual?

“When possible, have physical meet-ups alongside working digitally. I have witnessed how travel and meeting face-to-face ignites a certain energy that digital experiences can lack. However, this has been a great lesson in how to develop practical, user-friendly online experiences that take the place of physical meet-ups. I would recommend opening projects to a variety of sectors as the mix in interests, knowledge and ideas is what helps to create super inspiring atmospheres.”

“Delivery of workshops and developmental content and maintaining contact and building ongoing relationships with participants using online platforms during the Covid pandemic has been challenging. There is a significant amount of valuable learning that I would be happy to share with others.”

“Encourage more co-participative and co-creative work dynamics between young entrepreneurs and other players to contribute to a greater maturity of the projects and motivation of the young people involved.”

“Make connections between young people and emerging businesses that can benefit from their skills and fresh perspectives. The young people can develop their skills and learn new ones, gain experience and start to create a valuable professional network.”

“The important thing is to be an entrepreneur and make a difference. These projects help since there is an exchange of experiences at an international level.”

“The learning process needs to be longer and more solid. In this sense, I believe that a more accompanied training could be even more useful for all participants.”

“Key questions: where are the young people at? what is the best starting point and style of engagement? AYCH revealed that in some areas a sound foundation for growth and development already existed whereas, for others, they were still planning and navigating methods and permissions to begin excavating a space for foundations to be laid. Different starting points required different interpretations of shared goals and value bases. Be thoughtful of where others are at: some may require assistance with their infrastructure, whilst others can build and enhance theirs. The starting point may need to be adjusted to facilitate varying degrees of progression towards a shared goal. Be aware of your blinkers and spend time reviewing the situation through the lenses of others before you set milestones.”

“The main question raised during the preparatory works between the local experts is still not really answered: are projects such as AYCH rather bound to nurture local creative youth's innovative projects, or rather encourage local youth's creative projects through innovative methods, approaches and networks. Probably both :)” “it seems the Hubs have managed to join forces and create something that is very hard to do: an impactful community of young people that leave the program better prepared for their future. By having more entities involved, this would be something that could potentially change an entire EU youth population.”

“Congratulations to all parties involved. AYCH has beautiful global goals in tune with today's challenges (even in times of covid crisis) and thanks to all, we made the world a better place for and with youth creatives by taking a big step towards achieving these. The legacy on this EU Project is very fruitful & capitalisation has strengthened new long-lasting networks between people. I truly believe AYCH is now a "role model" approach at EU level.”

“Very interesting project” “As a final note I would just like to point out that, in my opinion, these types of projects are essential to encourage young people in the creation and implementation of new business models.”

“You have a fantastic set of people delivering the project, they could achieve more with better system of follow up, support and collaborative practice between the different providers.”

“I would like to safeguard the importance of these projects, which involve several partners, where there is an exchange of experiences and from which good practices almost always result.”

“Keep up the good work and exciting challenges.”

“I was very glad to be a part of the program and I hope to be able to contribute in future initiatives, as I know that this really creates a positive impact both on local regions and Europe as a whole.”

“Throughout, the AYCH project has revealed new innovative methods and opportunities. From my perspective this will be the legacy of AYCH: the realisation that in isolation, we miss opportunities; in collaborative working, we see new ideas. These may not be directly duplicated, but elementally they enhance and enrich perspectives for creative exploration and a desire to know and explore more and tailor these to your specific socio-cultural environment...oh and don't be the Hare trying to catch up, sometimes the spirit of the Tortoise is the best approach…”

“It was really interesting and I'm very happy to have had the chance to participate to the AYCH project”

Survey Data Dec 2020 - Feb 2021 Summary

Priorities: what was the relative importance attributed to different outcomes and impacts, and how did this differ between delivery partners and other stakeholders surveyed?

Awareness & aspirations raised (YP) Skills developed (YP) New products, services, ideas created (YP)

Intended outcome / impact

Socio-economic potential unlocked (YP) Career & education opportunities improved (YP) Delivery approaches i mproved (local) Connections improved - talent & employers (local) Collaboration improved - HEI/NGO/public/private (local) More YP able to pursue creative sector opportunities (region) Lower youth unemployment rates (region) More sustainable enterprises & economies (regi on) More creative sector jobs and businesses (region) 0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

Level of importance (average score from 0 to 5) Stak eholders

Delivery Partners

3.5

4.0

4.5

Success: to what extent do project stakeholders believe intended outcomes & impacts were achieved

by AYCH - for young participants, their own organisation and local ecosystem, and their wider region?

intended beneficiary group

Outcomes for young participants

Outcomes for local stakeholders and ecosystems

Wider regional and national impacts

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Perceived level of success (average score from 0 to 5)

3.5

4

4.5

5

Success: to what extent do delivery partners believe intended outcomes & impacts were achieved by AYCH - for young participants, their own organisation and local ecosystem, and their wider region?

Awareness & aspirations raised (YP) Skills developed (YP) New products, services, ideas created (YP)

Intended outcome / impact

Socio-economic potential unlocked (YP) Career & education opportunities improved (YP) Delivery approaches i mproved (local) Connections improved - talent & employers (local) Collaboration improved - HEI/NGO/public/private (local) More YP able to pursue creative sector opportunities (region) Lower youth unemployment rates (region) More sustainable enterprises & economies (regi on) More creative sector jobs and businesses (region) 0

2

4

6

8

Perceived level of success (number of responses, total = 10) Don't know / prefer not to say

* Excludes those responding, ‘not applicable’.

No, not at all

Yes, to some degree

Yes, to the level intended

10

*

Yes, even more than intended

12

Conclusions

Intended impact • Rationale: as an early output of this evaluation, it was possible to infer a coherent project intervention logic or ‘theory of change’ – a set of objectives and benefits (stakeholder outcomes and wider societal impacts), which were causally-linked (at least in theory) to planned activities and outputs. This, combined with the shared set of delivery models, provided a ‘golden thread’ through the project.

• Priorities: while all project partners broadly subscribed to this logic, it was also clear from early observation of group discussions and from interviews with individual stakeholders that the relative importance of these outcomes and impacts varied - as did the perceived suitability or effectiveness of different delivery methods - depending upon local and institutional priorities and context. This is also clearly illustrated in the survey responses collected towards the end of the project.

Rather than undermine the rationale or impact of the project, these differences arguably add to its richness, diversity and legacy - in terms of understanding what methods work (or don’t work) well with different age groups and in different contexts.

• Alignment: overall, survey findings indicate that priorities were well aligned between AYCH delivery partners and their wider stakeholders, albeit with some minor differences.

Impacts achieved • Participant outcomes: strong evidence was found that positive outcomes had already been achieved for many young participants as a result of AYCH. In particular, the evidence library and stakeholder surveys both indicate that the project successfully raised awareness and aspiration and contributed to skills development - at least to the level originally intended, and in some cases more so. A number of participants have progressed into jobs, training or education.

• Other outcomes and impacts: while perceived achievement of wider impacts (e.g. reduced youth unemployment, creative sector growth) was lower, this may in large part be attributable to factors beyond partners’ control (e.g. Brexit, COVID-19, economic conditions) as well as inherent difficulties in measuring such broader impacts reliably and in the short-term. Partners and stakeholders identified new connections, collaborations, networks and knowledge-sharing as positive outcomes from AYCH. • Legacy: there is reason to believe that AYCH has to some extent helped to mitigate the negative impacts of COVID-19, at least for many of the young participants; and that its legacy, in terms of lessons learned and good practice shared, has a role to play in supporting social and economic recovery and future growth within the Atlantic Area and wider European Union.

Thank you