CALL FOR APPLICATIONS TO YOUTH BETWEEN THE AGE OF 18-30 YEARS TO BE A MEMBER OF THE TEAM EUROPE YOUTH SOUNDING BOARD (YSB) FOR ZIMBABWE

Download the Application Form here /media/86086

Context and Background

The European Union has been working towards improving engagement with youth through purposively looking at challenges and opportunities for youth with the aim of achieving youth-specific development gains for its current development cooperation programme (Multi-Annual Financial Framework 2021-2027). In 2022, the EU launched a Youth Action Plan, which is a global operational roadmap and strategy for engaging young people in EU External Action. The main priority is to shape external action in partnership with young people to ensure their ownership and hence accelerate progress towards the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and other international commitments.

In Africa, three quarters of the population is below 35 whilst in Zimbabwe about 68% of the population are under 35. Youth face multiple economic, political, cultural and social challenges affecting them from realising their full potential. To address challenges facing youth, the government of Zimbabwe is working on implementing Section 20 of the Constitution, which promotes youth empowerment and inclusion in all spheres of life. The National Development Strategy 1 for 2021-2025 also prioritises mainstreaming women and youth. The EU’s Multi-Annual Indicative Programme for Zimbabwe (2021-2027) prioritises youth. The EU intends to improve youth inclusion, through amongst other things developing a systematic approach to engaging youth as a way of ensuring that young people are not just beneficiaries of development outcomes but are part of the drivers of the implementation of EU cooperation in Zimbabwe. The EU Delegation to Zimbabwe (EUD) established the Team Europe Youth Sounding Board in April 2021. The aim of the YSB is to ensure that when shaping and implementing EU programmes and policies in Zimbabwe, the voices of young people are heard and taken into account.

What is Team Europe Youth Sounding Board (YSB) for Zimbabwe?

The YSB is a Board of 25 motivated young people between the ages of 18-30 years who are interested in contributing to improving the EU programmes and volunteer to serve for a period of 24 months. The YSB provides the youth with a forum to engage the EUD directly on youth inclusion in its plans and projects thereby making EU action more participatory, relevant and effective for young people in Zimbabwe.

Functions of the Youth Sounding Board

Advising: The YSB will play a role in advising the EUD in designing, implementing and monitoring programmes and strategies.

Monitoring: The YSB will attend selected events, monitor EU programmes’ impact on youth, investigate how the EUD engages with youth, extent of inclusion of youth priorities and will point to areas that need to change to improve support to young people.

Informing:  The YSB will serve as a knowledge hub for both the EU and the YSB Members to exchange information and share ideas. The YSB will keep the EUD informed of the most important issues for young people, emerging trends, concerns, opportunities and constraints. The EU will inform the YSB of their actions in Zimbabwe and engagement or support.

How will the Team Europe Youth Sounding Board work?

YSB members will serve an unpaid mandate of two years of which the estimated number of days volunteered to the YSB per year is 60 days and will depend on the work plan developed by the Board. Reimbursable costs envisaged are accommodation, transport, meals, voice call credit and data. The YSB members will, among others:

• Hold at least 10 in person and online meetings per year
• Hold at least two field activities in Zimbabwe per year and
• May represent the YSB at regional or international meetings.

How can I become a member of the Team Europe Youth Sounding Board for Zimbabwe?

The Team Europe Youth Sounding Board aims to bring together youth from all provinces of Zimbabwe, female and male, people with  disabilities, youth from both urban and rural areas and youth with a passion  for the socio-economic development of Zimbabwe particularly the empowerment of youth. Young women, youth with disabilities and youth living in rural areas are especially encouraged to apply. All candidates must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• be between the age of 18-30 at the end of the application period (31 May 2023)
• not holders of any leadership position in any political party
• applicants should be Zimbabwe nationals or permanent residents
• must be competent in English

Where to find application forms

Application forms can be accessed via the following ways;

• WhatsApp Tafadzwa/ Sibu on +263 786 119 041/ +263 776 138 341
• EU Delegation to Zimbabwe website /media/86086 / YETT website
• Email request (youthsoundingboard@yetzw.net)
• Handpick at partner offices listed at the bottom of this document.

How do I submit my application?

• Online application form:https://yett.org/youth-sounding-board/.
• WhatsApp Tafadzwa/ Sibu on +263 786 119 041/ +263 776 138 341
• Post office (7 Capri Road, Highlands, Harare)
• Hand delivery (7 Capri Road, Highlands, Harare or at partners listed at the bottom of this document).
• E-mail (youthsoundingboard@yetzw.net )

Selection Criteria

Candidates will be selected based on: -

• Their interest knowledge and experience in one of the EU’s  three Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (2021-2027) areas and or one of the Two Team Europe Initiatives which are:
• Multi-Annual Indicative Priority Areas:

• Good Governance and Citizens’ Rights (GGCR) covering the sectors of transparency and accountability, and democratisation;
• Green Economic Growth (GEG) covering the sectors of climate smart agriculture, natural resources management and renewable energy; and
• Social Recovery and Human Development (SRHD) covering the sectors of health, education and vocational training, youth social empowerment and addressing vulnerability.

• Team Europe Initiatives:

• Gender equality through women’s empowerment; and
• Climate smart agriculture-based resilience building.  

• Experience in youth participation and/or youth empowerment activities;

What is the timeline?

Shortlisted applicants will be notified by email, text message or WhatsApp, 4 weeks after the deadline for applications. Due to the high number of applications, we will not be able to respond to all applicants, those who do not receive a response within six weeks from the application deadline should consider their applications unsuccessful.

The selection process will be conducted in stages:

1. First stage: Eligible (Shortlisted) candidates will be informed of their respective interview dates before 30 June 2023.
2. Second stage: shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews between (18 June and 7 July 2023)
3. Final results: all successful and unsuccessful shortlisted candidates will be informed of the final results by (21 July 2023).

What else do I need to know?

Please note that the YSB role does not hold any EU remunerated, contractual nor representational function. Please also note that the YSB might be involved in EU Public Diplomacy activities.

The Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT) has been contracted by the European Union Delegation to Zimbabwe to provide technical assistance to the Team Europe Youth Sounding Board for Zimbabwe. In light of this mandate YETT is assisting the EU Delegation in setting up the 2nd Team Europe Youth Sounding Board.

In case of any question or enquiry at pre-application stage please contact:

Tafadzwa on email youthsoundingboard@yetzw.net  or via phone (WhatsApp, Calls, SMS) on +263 786 119 041.

Sibu on email  Sibuselaphi.SIBANDA@eeas.europa.eu or via phone (WhatsApp, Calls, SMS) on +263 776 138 341.

Please note that applicants might be asked for further documentation and proof of information provided in the application form during the selection process.