Evaluation of the projects “M’Interesso di Te” that tackle unaccompanied foreign minors’ integration

Title M’Interesso di te (I Care About You)

Location Napoli, Torino, Catania, Roma (Italy)

Duration 28 months

Project leader Salesiani per il Sociale

Partners Comitato SCS/CNOS Piemonte e Valle d’Aosta, Istituto Salesiano E. Menichini, Associazione Metacometa, Associazione Rimettere le ali

Funding Fondo Beneficienza Intesa San Paolo

 

 

Context

The number of unaccompanied foreign minors (MSNA) in Italy has increased from 1,754 in 2012 to 6,561 at the end of 2016, in addition to those who are intercepted at the border or at landing sites. Unaccompanied foreign minors, along with newly arrived foreign minors, are often in a situation of social exclusion or at risk of marginalization as they are invisible since they are untraceable or cannot be retraced by reception facilities.

The “I’m interested in you” projects, implemented in 3 successive editions between 2018 and 2021, are designed to counter the phenomenon of social exclusion of MSNAs and newly arrived foreign teenagers, who find themselves unsupported and outside the reception circuits, with difficulties in starting an autonomous path through hooking interventions, taking charge and social and job placements.

In particular, to contrast social exclusion, the projects began by understanding the peculiarities of the territory and mapping the places frequented by beneficiaries, then proceed towards other activities such as street education and the implementation of informal interventions, teaching, low-threshold reception activities, housing assistance, job placement and orientation to proximity services.

In addition, the project also gives a specific attention to young adults, in the 18-25 age group, who are in a delicate phase of transition to adulthood. To them, Mi Interesso di Te has dedicated activities aimed at strengthening skills and competencies but above all to support them on the path to autonomy.

 

General Objective

The Final Evaluation of the 2nd and 3rd edition of the project “M’Interesso di Te” aims to understand the main results achieved by the project at the end of its implementation.

 

Our contribution

In order to understand the changes triggered in the beneficiaries, in the main stakeholders and in the project areas, the M&E and Impact Assessment Unit favoured the application of a participatory and qualitative methodology that allowed to directly include the perceptions of beneficiaries, partners and operators. These activities were combined with desk analysis of project documents, assessment of OECD-DAC criteria and assessment of indicators.

During the field visits, the participatory methodology allowed to include the same beneficiaries, partners and operators in the evaluation activities and to get the evaluation as an important moment to increase the understanding and learning on the project.

 

 

Read more on the M&E and Impact Evaluation Unit