The quality assessment consisted of two stages. First, the practitioners assessed their work and its effectiveness, and then an independent external expert group gave their evaluation. The quality assessment of youth work used output and outcome indicators, where on one hand it was examined whether opportunities for youth work have been created (output indicators), and on the other hand, the results of these activities were taken into account (outcome indicators). Outcome indicators show the results related to youth work activities, such as youth participation, their awareness, and involvement. Output indicators can be both organizational (for example, functioning open youth centers, providing opportunities for voluntary work) and describe the substantive activities of youth work and their expected impact (e.g. youth workers constantly improving their skills, website regularly updated).

The quality assessment was divided into four parts:

• a necessary environment has been created for quality youth work and hobby education;
• young people have more choices to unlock their creative and developmental potential;
• support for youth participation in decision-making;
• conditions have been created for young people to access youth information and prevention activities.

Regarding the first point, external assessors highlighted that in Võru Municipality, youth work has been well integrated into both development plans and daily work. Youth involvement is considered important, they are heard in youth centers as well as in the development of plans, organizing separate discussions when necessary. The competence of youth workers is supported through training and team building. Youth centers and youth rooms are located in every region of the municipality. Service planning is based on youth feedback. Improvement needs in youth work in this area include the need for more systematic data collection to achieve given goals and set new targets. It is important to create a structural form of youth involvement, for example, through regional participation councils. It was also noted that attention needs to be paid to the salary arrangements of youth workers and the development of competencies, including involving those working in hobby education and sports activities in the field. It was also pointed out that suitable forms of youth work should be offered to 13-19 year olds and a safe operating environment should be provided.

As strengths in unlocking young people's creative and developmental potential, diverse opportunities were highlighted for participating in hobby education, hobby activities, and implementing initiatives. The unified county youth camp offers young people work and cooperation experiences. The value of youth work is also demonstrated by the recognition system which highlights the contribution of young people and the community. Although young people may not always participate in youth center activities, it shows that there are plenty of suitable and interesting activities available for them in the area. As improvement needs, the offering of activities to 15+ year olds was also mentioned. A system should be created that lays the foundation for integrating non-formal and formal education and cooperating with entrepreneurs, for example, offering job opportunities within the framework of the camp.

Regarding youth participation, strengths included the operation of a youth initiative fund in the municipality, where young people are also involved in the evaluation. As improvement possibilities, greater independence of student councils, including the drafting of their budgets and activity plans, to strengthen young leadership skills was suggested. It is also recommended to encourage cooperation meetings between school student councils and county events, providing more opportunities for young people to speak up and represent their interests.

Regarding the accessibility of youth information and prevention activities, the strengths included activity arrangements where weekly schedules provide young people with consistent and understandable information about available activities. It also highlighted positively participation in the county youth work network and various cooperation projects, such as participating in the LEEN project. As an improvement need, more systematic development of youth information and improving accessibility in physical spaces and digital channels, especially in terms of content targeted at young people, was mentioned. One option could be to utilize training provided by the Education and Youth Agency to enhance the competence of youth information workers.

In conclusion, according to external assessors, youth work in Võru Municipality is well integrated into the fields of education and culture and supported by a comprehensive management model where youth work and cultural activities are under unified management. This structure has encouraged and improved the working conditions of youth workers, supported teamwork, and facilitated professional development. The competence of workers is enhanced through guidance towards vocational certification and participation in training and basic courses. Youth involvement is consistent, especially in the process of drafting hobby education and hobby activity plans, where the needs and feedback of young people are taken into account. Attention has been paid to the regional characteristics in service planning, for example, improving access for young people in areas with limited public transport. Supportive and inclusive solutions have been created for the participation of young people with special needs, for example, selecting a suitable environment in the camp or arranging transportation for hobby activities.

The main improvement need highlighted is the working environment of youth workers, where they are solely responsible for the young people in the center, and the opening hours of the youth room or house depend

solely on them. This does not ensure the safety of either the young people or the youth workers, such as the ability to react immediately to emerging situations. Suitable forms for youth participation in decision-making processes must be found, including utilizing the resources of school student councils and supporting young initiatives, not only in conducting activities but also in participating in decision-making. Thirdly, clarification is needed in youth information work as a youth work service, in addition to sharing information about events, increasing the accessibility of other parts of youth information for young people, such as international youth work (besides schools, also for older youth within the youth work framework), prevention activities (regional inter-sectoral network), career information. Support should be provided to broaden young people's interest in consuming youth information.

Lastly, it can be said that Võru Municipality treats youth work as an equal and integrated part among other areas targeted at citizens (education, culture, social). The integrated approach has created advantages for treating youth work services as a natural part in communities. On the other hand, the need for regional inter-agency networks and empowering young people to participate in decision-making at the municipal level has been somewhat neglected. Võru Municipality values the youth, as evidenced by the supportive environment created for youth work, including offering suitable spaces for youth work, creating favorable conditions for staff for professional development. Reflecting more clearly on data and describing youth work services would further highlight the work done from a youth-oriented perspective.

Sirle Muiste-Männik

Cultural and Youth Work Specialist of Võru Municipality