Quality Handbook for International Youth Work Projects

How can international youth work meet today’s social and professional demands? The Quality Handbook for Projects in International Youth Work offers comprehensive guidance for professionals, organizations, and project leaders who want to further develop their exchange activities and make them fit for the future.

The handbook focuses on key issues such as inclusion and participation, sustainability and resource-conscious practices, protection and safety, as well as the impact and effectiveness of international projects. It also reflects the digital dimension of international youth work: Building on the recommendations of the scientific evaluation of the IJAB project IJA.digital (2021–2022), it presents new methodological approaches and innovative opportunities for digital collaboration in an international context.

This publication is a fundamental revision of the Quality Criteria and Indicators for International Youth Work from 2004, originally developed by a working group of youth organizations under the coordination of IJAB. It builds on these foundations and brings them up to date—both in content and in methodology.

Who is this handbook for?
The handbook is aimed at professionals and organizations in child and youth services in Germany and their international partners who already have some experience with formats of international youth work. It also offers valuable input for programmes with a vocational exchange focus or for related fields interested in enhancing the quality of their international activities.

Legal framework
International youth work is part of Germany’s child and youth services system and is anchored in Book VIII of the German Social Code (SGB VIII). As an independent field of practice, it adheres to the principles of youth services and addresses both young people and professionals. The Quality Handbook reinforces the professional foundation of this field and contributes to its structural development.