Qualitative survey on the Youth-Check Thuringia reveals positive perceptions of the tool

The youth-check Thuringia is viewed positively overall within the Thuringian administration and integrates well into the administrative processes: This is shown in the recently published report on the qualitative survey of the youth-check Thuringia, which was conducted by the National Institute for Public Administration Germany (NIPAG). The report recommends continuing the youth-check Thuringia.

Funded by the Thuringian Ministry of Social Welfare, Health, Labour and Family Affairs (TMSGAF), the National Institute for Public Administration Germany (NIPAG) conducted a qualitative survey on the youth-check Thuringia. The initial findings have now been published in an interim report and submitted to the relevant department at the TMSGAF. In addition, the findings were presented to the Thuringian state child and youth service committee on 29 June 2026.

The report is available for download.

Recommendation: Continuation of the youth-check Thuringia 

The interim report recommends continuing the youth-check Thuringia in its current form and embedding it more firmly. This recommendation is based firstly on the positive perception of the youth-check and its role in raising awareness within the administration, as identified in the survey. Secondly, it takes into account the aim of achieving long-term effects of the youth-check on the consideration of young people’s needs as legislative proposals from all policy areas affect young people.

Acceptance and an overall positive perception of Thuringia’s Youth Check within the state administration

The state administration staff surveyed view the youth-check predominantly positively and expressed their acceptance of the tool. It also became clear that the youth-check integrates well into existing administrative processes, does not cause delays in the legislative process and results in hardly any increase in the workload for the staff members in Cabinet units and the departments. An increased workload arose in particular in cases where young people were actively involved. However, the participating administrative staff viewed the implementation of these initiatives positively.

Overall, the staff members rated the quality of the content and the scientific objectivity of the youth-checks positively. Many described them as confirmation of impacts on young people that had already been taken into account. In this regard, they saw the added value of the youth-check as providing reassurance and serving as a basis for argumentation in the parliamentary process.

In this context, the youth-check Thuringia serves as a tool for reflection. Overall, through its analysis, it can highlight the impact of proposed legislation on the everyday lives of young people. In this way, the youth-check can help to raise awareness amongst administrative staff for young people’s needs. This applies in particular to cases where young people have not previously been considered as a potential group affected by the legislation.

Aims and methodology of the study

The aim of the survey was to examine perceptions of the youth-check within the ministerial administration. Furthermore, the study focused on how the ministerial administration deals with the youth-check in practice and on its integration into administrative processes. The NIPAG also assessed how stakeholders within the ministerial administration evaluate the youth-check. To this end focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The survey primarily involved staff from departments across various ministries of the Thuringian state government.

The youth-check Thuringia

The youth-check Thuringia is a tool for scientific regulatory impact assessment, which was developed from 2020 onwards and has been in use since 2022. Since then, draft legislation from the Thuringian state government has been assessed for its potential impact on young people. The youth-check is carried out by the youth-check Thuringia project bureau at the National Institute for Public Administration Germany, with funding from the Thuringian Ministry of Social Welfare, Health, Labour and Family Affairs.