BACKSLASH, a youth organisation based in Valencia (Spain) and a member of I-STEP Network, has presented its Strategic Plan 2026–2030: the framework that will guide its work over the next five years.
The plan was drawn up through a participatory process that combined the team’s own reflection, a review of the organisation’s track record since 2014, and the voices of young people and youth professionals gathered in consultations, focus groups and seminars. It sets out BACKSLASH’s vision, mission and values, and organises its work around four strategic areas: inclusion and equal opportunities; learning and methodological innovation for youth participation; local, national, European and cross-sectoral collaboration; and evidence, validation and impact of youth learning.
For BACKSLASH, the plan is also a way of getting ready for the next European funding period. It provides a common framework to select projects, build partnerships and allocate resources, and an indicator framework with concrete targets, reviewed every year and with a mid-term evaluation in 2028, to show what changes its work brings about. The underlying idea is simple: impact does not depend only on the number of activities, but on reaching diverse people, adapting methodologies to real contexts, sustaining learning over time and connecting local work with national, European and global arenas.
Many members of I-STEP Network will recognise their own concerns in these areas, from inclusion and skills to participation and the evidence of what works. BACKSLASH is open to dialogue and to new collaborations, and the plan is available to read and download in English and Spanish.