SoftServe, a leading digital authority and consulting company, voluntarily developed a new Youth Well-Being Index platform. It is designed for conduction of sociological surveys aimed to improve the state of youth well-being. The project was implemented by the company's volunteers within OpenTech platform upon UNFPA request.
Youth Well-Being Index is an instrument developed by UNFPA and the M.V. Ptukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. It allows to easily assess the state of youth well-being and, based on results, improve municipal youth policies. The survey covers the main areas of life: education, health, economic opportunities, participation in political and public life, information and communication technologies, security and safety.
Last year, the survey highlighted a problem with security in Kremenchuk — the youth didn't feel safe there. Due to YWBI, local authorities defined the problem and launched a social initiative "Safe Town". It was financed by the state in the amount of 13 billion UAH. For that money, the administration bought CCTV cameras, set up a monitoring center, and upgraded street lighting.
"It is a unique opportunity for young people to have a direct dialogue with local authorities and give feedback which can be used to improve the policies following their needs. The new platform with improved functionality motivated more cities to step in. We received 33 applications from new cities in the middle of the year. They include Chernivtsi, Khmelnytskyi, Kovel, Fastiv, Smila and others. If earlier the platform was available only for the cities with a population of more than 250,000, now it can be used by smaller municipalities", says Liudmyla Shevtsova, Programme Analyst, Youth/HIV UNFPA Ukraine.
Volunteers developed the platform from scratch. New cities can easily connect to the platform and conduct additional surveys. Now it also has a section "Bank of Ideas" where people can take a free course and apply for a grant after the final test.
"Our task was to develop a new platform where young people can comfortably and quickly complete a survey. During 6 months, the team of volunteers was working to significantly improve functionality for new cities and add new features. We hope it will motivate communities to connect to the platform, conduct surveys and develop a friendly youth-oriented policy", says Igor Kasyanchuk, Cluster Lead at CoE Solutions SoftServe.
In 2020, around 11 cities were connected to the platform, in particular, Kremenchuk, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, Melitopol, Odesa and others.
About SoftServe
SoftServe is a digital authority that advises and provides at the cutting-edge of technology. We reveal, transform, accelerate, and optimize the way enterprises and software companies do business. With expertise across healthcare, retail, energy, financial services, software, and more, we implement end-to-end solutions to deliver the innovation, quality, and speed that our clients’ users expect. SoftServe delivers open innovation—from generating compelling new ideas, to developing and implementing transformational products and services. Our work and client experience are built on a foundation of empathetic, human-focused experience design that ensures continuity from concept to release. We empower enterprises and software companies to (re)identify differentiation, accelerate solution development, and vigorously compete in today’s digital economy. No matter where you are in your journey.
