The Ethics of Youth-Centered Innovation

By Rena Greifinger, Senior Project Lead, MaverickNext, Esther Nantambi, Radio Presenter and Communications Assistant, Youth Equality Center, and Amy Uccello, Senior AYSRH Technical Advisor, PSI

Human-Centered Design (HCD) allows us to step into the lives of the young people we serve, and work together to better create solutions. If done correctly, HCD can spark innovative thinking to ignite breakthrough design. But without the proper systems and guidelines in place, the process can potentially be harmful to young people. Esther Nantambi asks Rena Greifinger, the senior lead for PSI’s MaverickNext program, and Amy Uccello, PSI’s senior adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health technical advisor why the time is now to refocus our attention on young people’s safety and integrity, particularly at the nexus of where research and program implementation meet. They discuss why PSI, in partnership with the HCD Exchange and dozens of signatories, is launching the Commitment to Ethics in Youth-Powered Program Design.

Esther Nantambi: Before diving into guidelines, let’s start at the beginning. What is HCD?

Rena Greifinger: HCD is a creative problem-solving process that brings health consumers in as equal project partners.

Amy Uccello: HCD allows us to apply a human-centric lens to program design and infuse empathy and insights into the body of evidence we’re working with. In doing so, the process incites a unique programmatic response in a way that numbers alone often can’t.

EN: What prompted the development of the Commitment to Ethics in Youth-Powered Program Design?

AU: We’ve long-held to high-quality protection measures, such as Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals. However, HCD is still new in global health and may not require IRB approvals. A mutually agreed upon Commitment among donors, implementers, evaluators, design firms and young people offers an additional safety net to ensure HCD remains a trusted and safe space for all young people involved.

RG: The Commitment complements rather than replaces existing validated guidelines and protocols for ethical research. The Commitment is a shared intention to continually improve, as well as an invitation to our community to openly discuss the complexity and nuances of this work.

EN: What core principles does the Commitment outline?

RG: There are 21 principles organized into three categories: Respect, Justice and Beneficence (Do No Harm). Respect means valuing young people and the lives they live. Justice refers to the inherent power imbalance between young people and adults, including those from within and outside the program country. We ensure justice by bringing young people into the HCD process as equals in program design and delivery. Beneficence means maintaining the well-being of young people when conducting HCD.

EN: What is at risk if we don’t uphold these principles?

RG: We risk making a vulnerable group even more vulnerable to stigma and negative consequences, while also losing their respect and partnership. Hopefully, everyone is already keeping ethics at the center of their work; it’s just a friendly nudge to our community to continue to walk our talk of meaningfully and safely working in partnership with young people.

AU: Global commitments help to keep each of us accountable, drive advocacy efforts among those who have not yet committed and instill clear and agreed upon parameters for all those who commit.

Banner image: © Ideo.org

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With overarching commitments to flexibility in our work, and greater wellbeing for our employees, we want to ensure PSI is positioned for success with a global and holistic view of talent. Under our new “work from (almost) anywhere,” or “WFAA” philosophy, we are making the necessary investments to be an employer of record in more than half of U.S. states, and consider the U.S. as one single labor market for salary purposes. Globally, we recognize the need to compete for talent everywhere; we maintain a talent center in Nairobi and a mini-hub in Abidjan. PSI also already works with our Dutch-based European partner, PSI Europe, and we’re creating a virtual talent center in the UK.

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Meaningful Youth Engagement

PSI is firmly committed to the meaningful engagement of young people in our work. As signatories of the Global Consensus Statement on Meaningful Adolescent & Youth Engagement, PSI affirms that young people have a fundamental right to actively and meaningfully engage in all matters that affect their lives. PSI’s commitments aim to serve and partner with diverse young people from 10-24 years, and we have prioritized ethics and integrity in our approach. Read more about our commitments to the three core principles of respect, justice and Do No Harm in the Commitment to Ethics in Youth-Powered Design. And read more about how we are bringing our words to action in our ICPD+25 commitment, Elevating Youth Voices, Building Youth Skills for Health Design.

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Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity

PSI does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Read our full affirmative action and equal employment opportunity policy here.

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Zero Tolerance for Discrimination and Harassment

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PSI is committed to serving all health consumers with respect, and strives for the highest standards of ethical behavior. PSI is dedicated to complying with the letter and spirit of all laws, regulations and contractual obligations to which it is subject, and to ensuring that all funds with which it is entrusted are used to achieve maximum impact on its programs. PSI provides exceptionally strong financial, operational and program management systems to ensure rigorous internal controls are in place to prevent and detect fraud, waste and abuse and ensure compliance with the highest standards. Essential to this commitment is protecting the safety and well-being of our program consumers, including the most vulnerable, such as women and children. PSI maintains zero tolerance for child abuse, sexual abuse, or exploitative acts or threats by our employees, consultants, volunteers or anyone associated with the delivery of our programs and services, and takes seriously all complaints of misconduct brought to our attention.

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PSI affirms its commitment to diversity and believes that when people feel respected and included they can be more honest, collaborative and successful. We believe that everyone deserves respect and equal treatment regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, cultural background or religious beliefs. Read our commitment to diversity and inclusion here. Plus, we’ve signed the CREED Pledge for Racial and Ethnic Equity. Learn more.

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PSI affirms gender equality is a universal human right and the achievement of it is essential to PSI’s mission. Read about our commitment to gender equality here.

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