The case study below is a made-up example, designed to show what the full YMI cycle from baseline to endline could look like in practice: how an organisation might use the YMI to identify gaps, design a response, and measure what changed.
ILLUSTRATED EXAMPLETurning YMI Data into Action: The Story of Amal
Amal Youth Centre has been running after-school activities for young people in their neighbourhood for six years. Staff felt something was missing: attendance was decent, but young people seemed disengaged. Activities felt routine. Staff could not pinpoint the problem, and they did not have data to back up their instinct that something needed to change.
A partner organisation introduced them to the YMI. Within a few months, Amal had moved from a vague sense of concern to a clear picture of what was happening, and a targeted plan to respond.
Running the Survey
Amal administered the YMI to 74 young people aged 13-17 attending the centre regularly. The survey was completed in Arabic during a regular session, with three YMI staff members available to clarify questions. It took around 30 minutes.
The YMI team provided a simple guidance document and a short briefing call. No specialist research skills were required. Results were shared back with Amal within two weeks, broken down by driver and by gender.
What the data showed:
- Overall meaningfulness scores were in the mid-range.
- Purpose was the highest-scoring driver (7.6), with young people reporting clear aspirations for their futures.
- Social Connectedness was moderate (7.2), sustained mainly by close friendships rather than a deeper sense of community.
Where the gaps were:
- Self-Care scored 6.1: the weakest driver by a significant margin. Rest, relaxation, and mental health statements all fell below 6.0.
- Physical & Cognitive Engagement scored 6.4: Creative activities and physical participation had dropped sharply among older adolescents aged 15-17.
Girls scored notably lower than boys on both drivers.
Making Sense of the Data with Young People
Amal and YMI staff presented findings to three groups of young people in separate sessions, organised by age. Rather than explaining the results, they asked open questions: Does this feel true to you? What is missing in your week? When did you last do something that felt genuinely energising?
“I come here because it is better than being at home alone. But I do not really feel like anything here is for me anymore.”
— Girl, 16, Amal Youth CentreThe conversations were striking. Young people were not surprised by the self-care gap. They described being constantly busy, under pressure from school, with little time that felt truly their own. Several girls said they could not remember the last time they had done something just for themselves. The engagement findings resonated too: older adolescents said the activities on offer felt designed for younger children, and they had quietly stopped attending.
Designing a Response
In response to the findings and discussions, Amal did not fully redesign their entire programme. Instead, they made two focused, low-cost changes that addressed the two lowest-scoring drivers directly.
A weekly rest and reflection space
Every Wednesday, a quiet room at the centre was set aside for one hour, with no structured activity, no phones, no pressure. Young people could rest, journal, draw, or simply sit. A staff member was present but did not lead. Within a month it was one of the most consistently attended sessions at the centre, particularly among girls aged 15 and over.
A youth-led activities programme
Older adolescents were invited to propose and lead one activity per month. The first month produced a photography walk and a debate on local issues. Staff stepped back. Young people stepped forward. The activity budget was small; the shift in ownership was significant.
Measuring What Changed
Eight months after the baseline, Amal ran the YMI again with the same group. Results showed consistent improvement across the two target drivers, with the largest shifts in the specific statements that had flagged most clearly at baseline.
| Statement / Driver | Baseline | 8 Months Later | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-Care (driver overall) | 6.1 | 6.9 ↑ | +0.8 |
| I take enough time to rest and relax | 5.7 | 6.8 ↑ | +1.1 |
| I dedicate time for my own mental health | 5.9 | 6.7 ↑ | +0.8 |
| Physical & Cognitive Engagement (driver overall) | 6.4 | 7.1 ↑ | +0.7 |
| I often do creative activities | 6.1 | 7.3 ↑ | +1.2 |
| I choose physical activities regularly | 6.6 | 7 ↑ | +0.4 |
| Purpose (driver overall - no intervention) | 7.6 | 7.7 → | — |
| Social Connectedness (driver overall - no intervention) | 7.2 | 7.4 → | — |
What Amal Took Away:
Staff had sensed disengagement for months but could not locate it. YMI gave them a specific, structured picture: what was wrong, for whom, and in which part of youth experience.
The data opened the door. The conversations with youth walked through it. Both were necessary. YMI works best to produce better questions, and the conditions for young people to answer them.
Amal did not redesign their programme. They added a quiet room and gave older adolescents ownership of one session. Those two small, targeted changes moved the needle significantly.
Having a baseline and endline meant Amal could make the case internally for continuing and expanding both interventions, backed by empirical evidence.