{"id":96979,"date":"2026-07-31T10:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/epeka.si\/y-act-toolkit-from-identifying-a-problem-to-informed-action\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T10:08:41","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T10:08:41","slug":"y-act-toolkit-from-identifying-a-problem-to-informed-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/epeka.si\/en\/y-act-toolkit-from-identifying-a-problem-to-informed-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Y-ACT Toolkit: From Identifying a Problem to Informed Action"},"content":{"rendered":"

Corruption is often presented as a distant issue associated with major political or financial scandals. However, its consequences can also affect everyday life,\u00a0 including employment, housing opportunities, public transport, youth programmes, public spending, spatial planning and environmental protection.<\/span><\/p>\n

How can young people find out who is responsible for a particular decision? Where can they access a municipal budget, public call, contract or meeting minutes? How can they distinguish between corruption, a conflict of interest, poor governance, an administrative error and a decision they simply disagree with? How can they raise questions with an institution without making unfounded accusations?<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Y-ACT Toolkit \u2013 Youth Against Corruption: Tools for Transparency<\/b> addresses these questions. It is a practical guide for strengthening local integrity, transparent governance and youth participation.<\/span><\/p>\n

A practical guide for more transparent communities<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Y-ACT Toolkit was developed within the project <\/span>Youth Against Corruption: Tools for Transparency \u2013 Y-ACT<\/b>, implemented by the Association EPEKA, Social Enterprise. The project combined non-formal education on corruption and public integrity, practical learning about local decision-making, and dialogue between young people, civil society and public institutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The toolkit is based on the understanding that young people are not merely users of public services or passive recipients of public policies. They have the right to understand how decisions are made, how public money is spent and how they can participate in shaping the communities in which they live.<\/span><\/p>\n

Particular attention is given to smaller towns, regional centres and rural areas, where close relationships between residents, institutions, political actors and local organisations can sometimes make it more difficult to raise concerns. The toolkit therefore does not encourage public accusations. Instead, it promotes fact-checking, a clear distinction between evidence and assumptions, and safe, well-informed dialogue.<\/span><\/p>\n

From understanding to practical action<\/b><\/h2>\n

The toolkit gradually guides users from basic concepts to the preparation of a practical youth initiative.<\/span><\/p>\n

It explains the meaning of corruption, public integrity, accountability, transparency and conflicts of interest. Particular emphasis is placed on distinguishing between a confirmed fact, a reasonable interpretation, an open question and an unverified rumour. Not every unclear, unfair or unpopular decision is necessarily an example of corruption.<\/span><\/p>\n

The toolkit also examines how local power relations, limited access to information, dependence on public funding and overlapping roles can influence youth participation. It addresses areas such as public transport, employment, housing, youth spaces, cultural programmes, public areas and local development.<\/span><\/p>\n

A dedicated chapter focuses on <\/span>green integrity<\/b>, linking environmental protection with transparent procedures, responsible use of public funds and the fair distribution of benefits and burdens. It provides guidance for monitoring spatial plans, infrastructure projects, forest and water management, waste management and funding for the green transition.<\/span><\/p>\n

How can public decisions and spending be monitored?<\/b><\/h2>\n

One of the toolkit\u2019s main purposes is to make public procedures more understandable and accessible. It presents the basic path of a public decision:<\/span><\/p>\n

proposal \u2192 decision \u2192 budget \u2192 procurement or public call \u2192 implementation \u2192 monitoring<\/b><\/p>\n

Users learn how to identify the responsible institution and examine the beneficiary, selection criteria, contract, timeline and expected results. They are introduced to documents available on the websites of municipalities and other public institutions, as well as to the process of submitting a request for access to public information.<\/span><\/p>\n

The toolkit also highlights the importance of monitoring implementation: whether a project was completed, whether its budget or timeline changed, and whether the promised results were achieved.<\/span><\/p>\n

Safe documentation and responsible reporting<\/b><\/h2>\n

Careless action when dealing with suspected wrongdoing can cause further harm. The Y-ACT Toolkit therefore places strong emphasis on safety, privacy and responsible documentation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Users are encouraged to record dates, sources, public statements, documents and decisions, while clearly distinguishing between confirmed information and unresolved questions. They are advised not to obtain information illegally, publish personal data or present a suspicion as a proven fact.<\/span><\/p>\n

The toolkit presents several possible responses, including requesting an explanation, submitting a public-information request, proposing improvements to a procedure, meeting with the responsible institution, working with a civil society organisation or using an official reporting channel.<\/span><\/p>\n

Young people are not expected to act as investigators. Their role can be much more practical: identifying a concern, asking a well-prepared question, requesting a clear explanation, proposing an improvement and following the institution\u2019s response.<\/span><\/p>\n

From findings to a youth initiative<\/b><\/h2>\n

The final part of the toolkit helps users select a manageable local issue and turn it into a clear and realistic initiative.<\/span><\/p>\n

A youth group might, for example, examine the accessibility of public transport, the allocation of youth spaces, the criteria used in a municipal public call, the future of an unused public building, a planned intervention in a green area or the accessibility of budget information.<\/span><\/p>\n

The toolkit helps users define the desired change, identify responsible institutions and other stakeholders, prepare recommendations and plan a meeting with a municipality or another public authority. A strong recommendation does more than criticise: it clearly describes the problem, presents the available information and proposes a realistic solution.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Y-ACT approach can be summarised in six steps:<\/span><\/p>\n

Learn. Observe. Ask. Discuss. Act. Follow up.<\/b><\/p>\n

Practical tools for direct use<\/b><\/h2>\n

The Y-ACT Toolkit is not intended only for reading. It includes activities, checklists, worksheets and templates that can be used in workshops, classroom activities, youth exchanges, training courses and meetings of local initiatives.<\/span><\/p>\n

The resources include a local power and responsibility map, a green-integrity checklist, a public-spending monitoring worksheet, a public-information request template, a source and evidence log, a safety checklist, a stakeholder map and a youth advocacy action plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

The toolkit is intended for young people, youth workers, teachers, trainers, youth centres, civil society organisations, environmental and rural initiatives, and other groups interested in participating more effectively in local decision-making. No prior legal or specialist knowledge is required.<\/span><\/p>\n

Download the Y-ACT Toolkit<\/b><\/h2>\n

Transparency begins with accessible information, clear criteria, properly explained decisions and opportunities for residents to ask questions at the right time.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Y-ACT Toolkit provides young people and organisations with practical tools for addressing local integrity, public spending, environmental issues and participation in a safe, responsible and constructive way.<\/span><\/p>\n

The toolkit is available free of charge in English.<\/b><\/p>\n

DOWNLOAD THE Y-ACT TOOLKIT<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

The project <\/span>Y-ACT \u2013 Youth Against Corruption: Tools for Transparency<\/b> was implemented by the <\/span>Association EPEKA, Social Enterprise<\/b>. The project was funded through the <\/span>PROTEUS programme<\/b>, part of the European Union\u2019s <\/span>Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme \u2013 CERV<\/b>. Its main funders were the European Union and the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The project was also co-funded by the Municipality of Maribor and the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Youth.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Corruption is often presented as a distant issue associated with major political or financial scandals. However, its consequences can also affect everyday life,\u00a0 including employment, housing opportunities, public transport, youth …
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