The context in which we are developing the next Regional Scout Plan, due to be approved at the 20th European Scout Conference in Belgium, July 2010, follows the implementation of the 10 Year Plan that ran from 1998 to 2007.

The 10 Year Plan concluded with the Centenary of Scouting in 2007 and the subsequent 3 Year Plan which was approved at the 19th European Scout Conference in Slovenia, May 2007, allowed for any significant changes proposed by the 38th World Scout Conference in Korea, July 2008, to be taken into consideration.

The successes and challenges of the current Regional Scout Plan will be elaborated in the Triennial Report to be presented at the 20th European Scout Conference.

However, the Annual Reviews published in July 2008 and July 2009 provide an indication that the rationalisation of numerous regional events into more focussed tailored support and the introduction of the Scout Academy concept in 2008 and 2009 have led to a more streamlined approach.

Major regional events have maintained their momentum such as the Forum on Youth Programme and Adult Resources and the jointly organised International Commissioners’ Forum but participation usually requires significant follow-up to the initial invitations.

However, the challenge of effectively measuring the impact of seminars and events on the development and growth of Scouting remains a challenge. In addition, the ability to deliver impact is often made significantly more difficult due to issues of capacity and resource availability (human and financial) in many associations.

The 7 Strategic Priorities adopted by the 36th World Scout Conference in Greece, July 2002, have provided a framework for our work at World, Regional and National level.

It could be argued that the Strategy for Scouting has not had the full support of many associations in Europe as the priorities have been seen as too broad. Furthermore, the means to effectively implement the Strategy have not always been available at World, Regional and National levels.

Having strategic priorities adopted at a World Scout Conference and then setting the priorities for the European Scout Region also creates confusion. Recently, the introduction of the 3 ‘Drivers for Change’ to support the 7 Strategic Priorities in the Strategy for Scouting may not have been fully understood.

The European Scout Committee believes that the next Regional Scout Plan should try to reduce the potential for confusion.

The above points all contribute to the absolute necessity for all National Scout Organisations and National Scout Associations to be involved in the development, agreement, adoption and importantly, the implementation of the next Regional Scout Plan.

Associations responded very positively to, and evaluated highly, the opportunity to assist in the building of the Regional Scout Plan 2007-2010, particularly through the discussions at the last European Scout Symposium in Cyprus, 2006.

It is the European Scout Committee’s intention to ensure that this opportunity for collaboration exists in the run up to the 20th European Scout Conference and, importantly, at the next European Scout Symposium.

It is hoped that this discussion document will encourage associations to reflect on their own needs, and to then participate at the European Scout Symposium and 20th European Scout Conference from a carefully considered position.

The Regional Scout Plan, therefore, should be seen as an important document that adjusts the direction and actions of the European Scout Region rather than attempting to redefine the European Scout Region from a completely new starting point.

We believe that this approach will ensure that the effects of the ‘stop–start’ phenomenon which can occur at the pivotal changeover from one triennium to the next are minimised.

A useful way to analyse various aspects of the work of the Region could be to look at the impact that each action has on associations, Scouts and young people across Europe.

THOUGHTS FROM THE EUROPEAN SCOUT COMMITTEE

• What chain of events is there from an output by the Region (publication, event, training, network meeting, etc.) to impact on the development, growth and quality of Scouting on offer?
• To what extent are the outputs of the Region actually used by associations?
• Are the European Scout Region’s various Groups and Units meeting but not delivering anything of practical value to associations?
• Are the European Scout Region’s various Groups and Units meeting and delivering support that is of practical value, but are difficult for associations to use?
• To what extent is the Region capable of meeting the specific and common needs of associations?
• How can we better tailor the Regional Scout Plan’s scope, according to the different developmental levels of associations in order to respond to everyone’s needs and expectations?
• What other implications can we list as a consequence of the Region’s activity and in terms of the impact to new partnerships and synergies inside the organizations and among them?
• How does what we do positively impact on other Regions, as well as the world level of WOSM?
• How does what we do positively contribute to our Joint Work with the Europe Region WAGGGS?

Typically, those associations present at the Regional Scout Conference express the needs of their own association but do not always subsequently use the support offered to meet those needs. There are several thoughts to consider.

THOUGHTS FROM THE EUROPEAN SCOUT COMMITTEE

• Do we have enough experience and expertise in proper needs assessment?
• Are the consultations we conduct prior to the adoption of the Regional Scout Plan genuinely inclusive enough to reflect on what is really going on in associations?
• How do we continue to promote the unity of the European Scout Region while recognising and respecting the diversity of need?
• How do we encourage associations to use the support services that are made available?

For example, themes such as gender and diversity need careful consideration on how to include them effectively if it is the political will of the next Regional Scout Conference. Recent past attempts have not been successful while the specialist networks continue to provide a venue for some exchange, debate and, sometimes, action.

THOUGHTS FROM THE EUROPEAN SCOUT COMMITTEE

Is there a problem with the type of services on offer or the events that are organised for associations?

Is it a possibility that there is a discrepancy between the political will expressed at the Regional Scout Conference and the genuine needs of associations?

In the current triennium the key characteristic of the Regional Scout Plan has been growth. The European Scout Committee believes that growth should continue as a theme of the next Regional Scout Plan, as well as in our joint work with the Europe Region WAGGGS. This is also in line with the sentiment expressed by the 38th World Scout Conference. With this in mind, there are several issues to consider.

THOUGHTS FROM THE EUROPEAN SCOUT COMMITTEE

• What is the right way to continue supporting the growth of Scouting in Europe?
• How do associations evaluate the current methods used to focus on growth?
• Is the Growth Network in need of revision?
• How have the Partnerships for Development and Growth Fund (PDGF) and the services of the Tailored Support Unit affected the development and growth of Scouting in Europe?

The basic philosophy of tailored support based on the ‘Committee Contact System’ should, we believe, be reconfirmed in the next Regional Scout Plan. Based on the experiences of the current triennium, the next European Scout Committee may seek to modify and simplify the processes associated with the delivery of this service.

For example, the tailored support approach is generally more labour-intensive than organising events for a large number of associations. However, at the same time it is more cost-effective as travel costs are no longer the main component of support from the Region. Therefore the tailored support approach should imply a shift of resources from pure finance to staff and volunteer time.

Tailored support possibilities available could be spelled out more specifically, by announcing the fields in which the Region is able to offer support (or to purchase externally).

So far the Partnerships for Development and Growth Fund has been used as an alternative tool in situations when only financial support is required, while Tailored Support is used when other forms of support than financial are also needed.

As regards seminars and events, the synergies offered by the Academy concept should, we believe, be maintained and further developed together with the Europe Region WAGGGS. Planning has already commenced for the 2010 event, and it is envisaged that it will remain multi-disciplinary, but that the sessions could have an annual special focus to highlight current themes in our work.

The number of seminars and events would probably need to be further reduced, based on the fact that in the current triennium significant work has been necessary in order to mobilise sufficient participation in the events, and a small number have been cancelled due to lack of participants.

Internally, we believe that the structuring of the work should be examined and improved. It may be necessary to move to a more cross-cutting, themed approach, rather than by discipline. For example, if Growth is a theme, it could involve volunteers and staff from different disciplines.

Together with the Europe Committee WAGGGS, the European Scout Committee has already exchanged ideas on how to carry forward the process of developing the Joint Work for 2010-2013.

We have approached the development of our Joint Work by considering two simple questions ‘what’ will we be included in the Joint Work in the next triennium? And ‘How’ will the Joint Work be delivered in the next triennium?

Both Committees have considered what they key themes may be for the Joint Work in the next triennium and these were greeted enthusiastically at the International Commissioners’ Forum in Malta, November 2009.

The three themes for the Joint Work have been suggested as:

• Volunteering
• Growth through Quality
• Embracing Change

It is important that agreement is reached on possible joint themes, as this will assist us in development of our separate Regional Plans.

The current inclusive working methods of the Region, we believe, should be maintained. These include:

• Wide involvement of volunteers nominated by National Scout Organisations to assist with the implementation of the Regional Scout Plan
• Increasing transparency and improved communication
• The accessibility of Committee and Staff through visits and meetings

THOUGHTS FROM THE EUROPEAN SCOUT COMMITTEE

• What should be the role of the National Scout Organisation or National Scout Association versus the Region in taking initiatives and organising meetings or networking opportunities?

The European Scout Committee welcomes and encourages association led initiatives. We believe that their impact can be maximised if the initiatives are synchronised with the work of the Region.

In order to liberate resources for supporting associations directly, focus should be shifted from a constant production of new materials, toolkits and publications, and focus more on implementation of the existing excellent products that are already there. This could be described as moving from a ‘factory’ of new items into a ‘consultancy’ of helping associations to use all the tools at their disposal.

The 39th World Scout Conference in Brazil, January 2011, will discuss the future strategy of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Changes in world level priorities may, therefore, have an impact on the implementation of the Regional Scout Plan during the triennium.

THOUGHTS FROM THE EUROPEAN SCOUT COMMITTEE

• Should the Region propose a longer term vision for the Regional Scout Plan e.g. six years, nine years, and in the context of this vision, propose some of the steps to be taken in the next triennium, bearing in mind the discussions that will take place at the 39th World Scout Conference?

The current economic difficulties will have an obvious impact at all levels. At European Level, the high dependency on the Fund for European Scouting (up to 75% of the Regional income currently comes from this fund) means that as the income from the fund is calculated on a rolling average on the previous 36 months, the impact of the downturn will begin to have a real impact in 2010 – 2011 with a reduction of USD 200,000.

The European Scout Committee has taken steps during this triennium to further diversify sources of income, but those sources will not be mature enough to make a fully effective contribution for some time.

The economic situation will also impact on the national and local associations if job losses and other factors reflect on the ability of individual members and consequently associations to pay fees and participation costs.

On a positive note, in the next triennium the European Year of the Volunteer will occur, as will the International Year of the Volunteer +10. These events will provide a focus for wider civil society engagement, recognition and promotion of volunteering and the potential growth in the numbers and range of volunteers required to deliver a growing interest in Scouting.

Furthermore, the European Scout Committee does not propose to increase the Regional Fee in the coming triennium and this has been communicated through the Committee Update, Circular 37/07.09