Client/Partner: William H. Gates Institute for Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins University

Timeframe: June 2021-August 2023

Project Overview

The NextGen initiative at the William H. Gates Institute focuses on empowering emerging leaders in global health and population dynamics. As a Program Officer, our strategic leadership and planning support aimed to strengthen the initiative's long-term impact, refining strategies to foster sustainable youth engagement and leadership development across diverse global contexts.

Key Objectives

**NextGen Strategy**

Read the Gates Institute Strategy for NextGen Leadership Here

Develop a strategic framework to guide NextGen’s global engagement and leadership development programs.
Enhance organizational capacity for strategic decision-making and resource allocation.
Identify key partnerships and growth opportunities to expand the reach and impact of NextGen.
Align strategies with the evolving needs of young leaders in global health and population dynamics.

Approach & Methodology

Stakeholder Engagement: Conducted consultations with youth leaders, program staff, and global partners to understand challenges, needs, and opportunities.
Strategic Framework Development: Designed a strategic roadmap that outlined clear objectives, actionable steps, and measurable outcomes.
Data-Informed Planning: Integrated insights from global youth engagement data to ensure strategies were relevant and sustainable.
Technical Assistance: Provided advisory support for the implementation of programs, ensuring strategies were contextually relevant and data-informed.

Skills & Expertise Applied

Strategic Planning & Facilitation: Expertise in developing participatory strategies aligned with organizational goals.
Capacity Building: Strengthened organizational frameworks for decision-making and long-term planning.
Data Analysis & Synthesis: Leveraged data-driven insights to inform strategy design and resource planning.
Stakeholder Coordination: Cultivated relationships with global partners, ensuring diverse youth voices were included in strategic planning and decision-making.
Monitoring & Evaluation: Supported the development of MEL frameworks to assess progress and inform strategic adaptations.

Key Deliverables & Outputs

Development of an action plan to guide NextGen’s global engagement strategies.
Recommendations for partnership opportunities and resource optimization.
Contributed to the development and technical refinement of the Global Roadmap for Action for Adolescent and Youth SRHR.
Supported the design and facilitation of youth leadership training programs, enhancing global capacity for youth advocacy.
Produced strategic briefs and provided technical input for global convenings and partner engagements.
Developed tools and resources to support youth-led organizations in advancing SRHR advocacy.
Supported MEL activities, including progress tracking and recommendations for program improvement.

Impact & Results

Strengthened NextGen’s capacity to foster sustainable youth leadership in global health.
Shaped Global Strategy: Provided leadership that defined NextGen's strategic approach, driving sustainable engagement and advocacy outcomes.
Strengthened Global Leadership: Built the capacity of youth leaders to engage in global SRHR advocacy and influence policy discussions.
Fostered Strategic Partnerships: Facilitated collaborations that strengthened global alignment and amplified youth-driven initiatives.
Enhanced Program Effectiveness: Ensured strategic decisions were informed by data and best practices, driving measurable and scalable outcomes.
Positioned Gates Institutes’ NextGen programming as a dynamic and adaptive leader in global youth engagement and leadership development.