Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have information on the situation, position, problems and needs of young people. At the state level, we do not have a single strategic document that deals with youth issues. The existing official bodies dealing with youth issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) at the state level are not fully functional. In 2019, the Institute for Youth Development KULT began preparing and conducting research on the position and needs of young people throughout BiH. Since then, a methodology has been prepared and several meetings have been held with the BiH Ministry of Civil Affairs to familiarize them with the idea and research process.
At the same time, the Institute is preparing a desk research on youth issues in the Federation of BiH, the Republika Srpska and the Brčko District of BiH. Although the COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on field research, the Institute is working intensively in the field in all parts of BiH in cooperation with civil society organizations. The interviewers talk to young people aged 15 to 30 and gather information and their thoughts in the fields of health, education, social welfare, employment, youth participation, sports, culture, leisure and youth safety. All surveys are conducted through a direct questionnaire through which young people have the opportunity to answer about 200 questions. The research will have a special aspect related to COVID-19, and the results will cover the period during 2019 and 2020.
The survey included more than 30 interviewers from all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and so far, more than 1,100 responses have been collected. Before analyzing the research, it is planned to collect about 3,500 responses from young people. In this way, we will get a comprehensive picture of how young people live and work in BiH, which is of great importance to us so that we can create adequate programs in accordance with the needs and expectations of young people. The research will be available to all stakeholders in order to meet the expectations of young people and improve their living standards in BiH.
The research is conducted in accordance with all epidemiological measures. The research is supported by the Embassy of Sweden in BiH.
