Ireland’s Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 Implementation Research

The implementation of Ireland’s Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 study assesses its impact and degree of implementation in four local areas. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, including generative AI and human examination of the content of the strategy document, the study gathers insights from surveys, interviews, and focus groups with senior policymakers, frontline professionals and young people. A comprehensive examination of the Strategy’s degree of implementation at various levels, national to local is being conducted to identify key themes and patterns. This proof-of-concept study intends to test the methodology for gauging implementation and inform the composition of future strategic reports.

Ireland’s Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 Implementation Research
Implementation strategies are crucial for enhancing well-being, advancing social justice, and ensuring access to essential resources. This study examines the implementation of Ireland’s Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 among senior national stakeholders, frontline professionals, and young people in four selected geographical locations. The goal is to generate insights for creating a strategy document that effectively guides implementation, balancing clarity and flexibility to avoid issues caused by excessive vagueness or prescription.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study leverages generative AI and human examination of content to extract key messages and the most significant projects from the Strategy. Surveys with senior youth justice oversight groups, semi-structured interviews with young people and frontline professionals, and focus groups with young people are conducted to assess how the Strategy has been received and is being implemented at the local level.
Data has been imported into NVivo for comprehensive coding and analysis, which is currently underway. This detailed examination will identify key themes and patterns, informing the publication and dissemination of the study’s findings.