Young people in Italy face considerable challenges entering the labour market, with high rates of youth unemployment and young people who are not in employment, education, or training (NEETs) compared with other OECD countries. While both rates have declined considerably over the past decade, Italy’s unemployment rate for 15‑24 year‑olds, at 21.4% in the first quarter of 2024, remains double the OECD average (10.7%). With a NEET rate of 20.3% among 15‑29 year‑olds, Italy also ranks fourth highest among OECD countries.
As part of a broader effort to create better opportunities for young people, Italy’s Universal Civil Service (UCS) aims to promote the individual and professional development of young people and their acquisition of skills through non-formal learning experiences. The UCS offers volunteering opportunities for young people aged between 18 and 28, both in Italy and abroad and across many areas: from civil protection to cultural heritage and the promotion of peace. In 2022, nearly 51 000 young people started an UCS volunteering activity, representing around 0.8% of 18‑28 year‑olds in the country.
In the aftermath of the COVID‑19 crisis, Italy included a specific action on youth employment and employability in its Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), in the framework of the economic recovery plan of European Union (EU). More specifically, the RRP aims to increase by 120 000 the number of young people undertaking a non-formal learning pathway by 2026. To support the design and implementation of the UCS element in the RRP, the OECD and the European Commission’s Directorate‑General for Structural Reform Support (DG REFORM) are providing technical support to Italy’s Department for Youth Policies and the Universal Civil Service (DGSCU), focusing on: (i) reducing procedural, regulatory, institutional and governance barriers for UCS effectiveness and its impact for youth outcomes; (ii) improving the implementation of UCS-supported initiatives, and improved conditions for current and future UCS participants; and (iii) improving the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework for the UCS.
This report focuses on the last element and provides an assessment of the M&E elements currently in use for the UCS, as well as suggestions for the establishment of a robust and comprehensive results-based M&E system for the UCS. Results-based M&E systems can help policy makers track progress and demonstrate the impact generated by a specific intervention. They can also assist in setting and co‑ordinating policy goals, identifying promising practices, detecting weaknesses, and designing corrective actions, as well as promoting transparency and accountability of policy making.
Overall, the DGSCU and UCS entities are making significant efforts to monitor the implementation of the UCS and its programmes/projects. However, while regulatory and programmatic documents inform on key elements of the UCS’s Theory of Change, the policy logic and results chain have not been fully developed. Evidence on UCS outcomes and impacts is increasing but scattered and not produced in a systematic way, and monitoring is seen as a formality by some stakeholders. The reporting and dissemination of M&E findings are also limited.
Various actions could be implemented to build a comprehensive and robust M&E system for the UCS. In particular, the OECD recommends Italy to:
Ensure a clear and shared understanding of the UCS’ Theory of Change;
Identify and define SMART (i.e. Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time bound) indicators for all levels of the results chain;
Systematically structure monitoring activities and define a forward-looking evaluation plan, allowing for evaluations throughout the programme cycle;
Strengthen M&E communication efforts through existing and new channels, and strategically invest in institutional capacity and policy learning.
