A rough guide to the MSD approach for youth employment in sub-Saharan Africa

This Rough Guide has been written to highlight special considerations for the funders and implementers of youth employment-focused programmes that use the MSD approach in sub-Saharan Africa. 

It builds on core MSD guidance, existing literature and practitioner experience.

It aims to contribute by helping funders and implementers think systemically about the youth employment challenge and support sustainable, inclusive, and scalable solutions:

• Rather than prescribing a single ‘best practice’ youth employment solution, it provides a framework for building a strategy tailored to the local context.
• It is an inherently inclusive approach that positions young people at the centre of analysis and strategy. This includes building a deep understanding of their challenges, aspirations and opportunities.
• It aims to address multiple constraints across the youth labour market in an integrated way, working through system actors to drive lasting change. 
• It relies on an iterative, ‘learning by doing’ approach to delivery.

The Rough Guide was commissioned by the Market Systems Development working group of the Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED).

• Watch the animation that gives an overview of the issues covered by A rough guide to the MSD approach for youth employment in sub-Saharan Africa
• Watch the webinar Designing & delivering MSD youth employment programming in sub-Saharan Africa that took place in November 2022, exploring the findings of the Rough Guide.

This guide is also available in French: Guide sommaire sur l’approche de Développement des Systèmes de Marché (DSM) pour l’emploi des jeunes en Afrique subsaharienne