THE 2010-2014 Youth Development Strategic Plan has suggested that the Ministry of Sport, Youth and Child Development's name should be changed so that emphasis is on youth and child development than sport.

The strategic plan that was launched earlier in the week said that the current name had put emphasis on sport at the expense of youth and child development.

It said that because of the name some co-operating partners perceived the ministry to be more focused on sport rather than child and youth development programmes.

"It is therefore critical that the name is realigned to read 'Ministry of Child, Youth and Sports Development'," it said.

The change in name would attract the attention of co-operating partners who were willing to provide assistance to child and youth development programmes.

The plan also observed that there had been a high leadership turnover at the ministry and as a result continuity and implementation of programmes was affected.

It said that it was critical that once there was change in leadership, management at the ministry should provide appropriate and up to date documentation such as strategic plans and departmental work plans to new appointees.

This would facilitate continuity in programme implementation with minimum adjustments so that youth development programmes could succeed.

The plan also noted that the enactment of the Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Act had not addressed the ministry's concerns on the coordination and regulation of child programmes.

It said that it was important that an appropriate legislation to address co-ordination and regulation of child development programmes was enacted.

The ministry has also observed the administration of child development programmes had not been effective in the area of coordination and regulation because of fragmentation and inadequacy in the law.

It was therefore imperative that an appropriate law to address effective regulation be put in place while the Zambia Council for the Child should also be established.