What the Methodology Is
Understanding the foundation and purpose of this approach
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The Adolescent Programming Toolkit is a guidance and tools package for adolescent-responsive programming in emergencies and protracted crisis. It was developed to support humanitarian practitioners to design and implement programmes with and for adolescents, with a strong focus on girls’ empowerment, inclusion, protection and leadership.
Its core purpose is to ensure that adolescents are not overlooked in crisis settings and that programming intentionally responds to their age, gender, and context-specific needs, priorities, risks and capacities. The toolkit recognizes adolescents as active agents of change and not only as recipients of aid.
The methodology helps to solve a common gap in humanitarian action: adolescents often fall between child-focused and adult-focused services, while adolescent girls and other marginalized groups face additional barriers due to discrimination, violence, restricted mobility, exclusion from school and lack of access to information and services.
How It Can Be Used
Practical applications and implementation guidance
This methodology can be applied in a wide range of humanitarian programming, including needs assessments, consultations, workshops, programme design, monitoring, and adolescent participation processes, helping teams understand adolescents’ needs, priorities, risks and capacities. It also supports teams in designing age and gender responsive interventions and meaningfully engaging adolescents in decisions that affect them.
It is particularly useful when teams are working in humanitarian, displacement or crisis settings and need to ensure that adolescents (especially girls and other at risk groups) are intentionally included in programming. It offers structured guidance for key stages, including assessment, consultation, planning, safeguarding, implementation and learning.
Focus on Inclusion
The methodology places a strong emphasis on inclusion, encouraging the meaningful participation of adolescents from different ages, genders, abilities, and backgrounds, especially those who are most at risk of exclusion in crisis settings.
It promotes accessible and adaptable approaches by encouraging age appropriate communication, gender responsive facilitation, and attention to disability, language, cultural context, and other barriers that may affect participation.
By grounding participation in child friendly information, voluntary involvement, safeguarding, confidentiality, and respect for adolescents’ lived experiences, it helps create safe, respectful and empowering spaces where adolescents feel heard, valued and able to influence decisions.
Contributors
Organizations and individuals who developed this methodology
Plan International
This methodology was developed by Plan International, drawing on program evidence, technical expertise, frontline practitioner experience, and contributions from adolescents involved in humanitarian and crisis settings.
The toolkit also aligns with wider humanitarian guidance, including inter agency standards on working with adolescents and young people in crisis contexts.