What impact does being part of the Mediterranean New Chance network have?

An evaluation of the impact of the Mediterranean New Chance network carried out by Koreis, an independent consultancy cabinet

le 23 March 2023

In a will of constant progress and five years after its transfer to the European Institute for Cooperation and Development, the Mediterranean New Chance network wished to call upon an external expert to measure and analyse its action towards its members.

Download results of MedNC impact assessement!

This study highlights the successes and achievements of the members enabled by the network and provides recommendations for its continuation, within 4 major effects:

1. The MedNC network promotes interconnection and exchange

The first effect of the network is to increase the links between the actors of the Mediterranean youth training and professional integration ecosystem.
In this regard, 100% of the members affirm that MedNC has allowed them to discover other actors in the field of vocational training and integration and to make useful contacts for the future of their activity.
This linkage allows for several achievements, from simple networking to the establishment of partnerships and even consortiums in order to respond to common calls for projects between network members. This interconnection promotes the sharing of experience and inspiration, increases the visibility of its members and thus their access to funding opportunities.

This is the example of our Moroccan member Al Jirs and the Ecole de la 2ème de Chance de Rafiq in Tunisia, who were able to win the J-MED call for projects "Supporting Mediterranean Youth".

« We thought at first about networking, then about partnerships, finding other partners and submitting proposals together.»

Quote from a member surveyed during the MedNC network impact study

MedNC VIS, AE2O and Jordanian Sela members work together during the advocacy workshop.

2. Sharing experiences and providing inspiration

This study also revealed the potential of the Mediterranean New Chance network to inspire its members.
The sharing of experience has allowed some members to discover good practices to be replicated within their system but also to strengthen their knowledge in order to improve their support to young beneficiaries. The innovative nature of the schemes and practices of their peers thus has positive effects, although still diffuse according to the members surveyed, on the evolution of practices or the replication of schemes in the long term.

In concrete terms, the support to the creation of national networks of Second Chance Schools is a good methodological practice spread by the Mediterranean network. Based on its experience, the Spanish and French national networks have been able to inspire the Moroccan E2Cs to form a national network, in order to multiply their impact and have a greater influence on the direction of public policies for youth in their country.

Annual conference of the MedNC network in Rabat, 2021

Thus, 100% of the members believe that the network has enabled them to identify good practices or educational resources that can be mobilised.
88% said that the network was a way of increasing their knowledge of existing schemes and innovations.

« How they did it, how they overcame these challenges [...] it's very interesting to get inspiration, to hear about other people's experiences, to get inspiration for our programmes, either to duplicate something that has worked well, or even not to fall into the same steps, the same problems to overcome these challenges. »

Quote from a member surveyed during the MedNC network impact study

3. Better visibility and recognition for our members

The strength of the network, and in particular of its international scale, is to increase the visibility and recognition of its members, not only among their peers, but above all among the political authorities of their countries and international organisations. Nevertheless, this last effect is still in its infancy and has significant room for improvement.

The study also highlights the potential advocacy power of the network among its members. The contacts made with decision-makers and international organisations through the steering of the European Institute for Cooperation and Development give MedNC and its members a fertile field of action to deploy an effective advocacy strategy.

Thus, 44% of the members believe that the network has enabled them to be more visible to public actors and funders.
And 75% believe that the network's productions have an effect on their visibility with public decision-makers.

The network allows its members to participate in high visibility events in front of high authorities in their country and to bring the voice of young people to national and international policy makers. The strength of the 55,000 young people represented by the network adds credibility to the members during negotiations or public speaking engagements.

Chéma Gargouri, president of the TAMSS association, speaking about multisectoral approaches to the integration of NEETs to representatives of the Tunisian Ministry of Employment and Vocational Training.

4. Easier access to funding and new partnerships

Finally, the networking enabled by MedNC facilitates access to funding opportunities and thus the sustainability of our members. The study reveals that members tend to rely on the network to make contacts with potential donors and to identify calls for projects and new sources of funding. Some members also relied on the credibility that membership of the network gave them to obtain funding.

In summary, the network's actions, in terms of putting them in contact with donors, particularly thanks to its reputation, support for project identification, increased skills in terms of fundraising and joint responses to calls for projects, lead to easier access to partnership or funding opportunities for members.

Thanks to the network, members have also been able to benefit from European Union funding (Erasmus+), which supports regional capitalisation activities through conferences, steering committees and good practice guides (see here the Good Practice Guide on Gender Mainstreaming in Mediterranean Integration Schemes, available in French, English and Arabic).

Thus, 63% of the respondents believe that the network has enabled them to identify funding and project opportunities.

New paths and perspectives for the future of the network

The purpose of this impact study for the Mediterranean New Chance Network was also to highlight and identify ways for reflection and improvement for the future of the network in order to continue to offer quality support to its members.
Due to its strong attractiveness and rapid growth, the Mediterranean New Chance network is facing new challenges and is deploying an expansion strategy through the evolution of its governance and a diversification of its partners, in order to better meet the expectations of its members and the young people they support.

The objective is now to scale up and become a force of conviction, proposal and innovative solutions to public institutions, to continue to act in favour of marginalised youth in the Mediterranean.

We would like to thank Koreis for its high quality work and our partners who enabled us to carry out this impact study.

We are grateful to Fondation Drosos, Gouvernement Princier de Monaco and l'Agence Française de Développement whose support made this study possible.