Adress of Secretary General of WOSM

Attention: open in a new window. PDFPrintE-mail
Dear Sister and Brother Scouts,

Introduction

It is a pleasure, a privilege and a moving moment for me to be with you today, the Leaders of Scouting in the Europe Scout Region, attending this European Scout Symposium in Budapest. A pleasure because it is an opportunity for me to meet again with many Scout friends, some of them very long lasting ones. A privilege because it is the first time that I am addressing an European Scout audience, not only in my professional Scout career, but also in my “still new” capacity as Secretary General of the World Organization of the Scout Movement so appointed by the World Scout Committee a little less than a year ago.

A moving moment because Budapest is the birth-place of one of our former Secretary General, Dr Laszlo Nagy who passed away on the eve of Christmas 2009. Dr Nagy appointed me as a professional in Scouting many years ago and has been one of my mentor in Scouting.

Let me therefore first thank the Europe Regional Scout Committee and its Chairman Craig Turpie for their invitation to attend, the Hungarian Scout Association and its Host Committee as well as the Europe Scout Office and its Director David McKee for their hard work in organizing this Symposium in such a beautiful place and, last but not least, for the warm welcome we were extended since our arrival. Truly Hungarian hospitality is not a legend!

I would like to use the opportunity of being with you today to tell you a bit more on the objectives I developed since I was given the responsibility of driving the World Scout Bureau, to share with you what we have done so far to respond to these objectives and to elaborate on the role that the European Region can play on the scene of World Scouting.

You will not be surprised to learn that, having hoped to be in the position which I am occupying today, and to “be prepared” with my own objectives, I had also spent some time analyzing the institutional evolution of the World Scout Bureau over a number of years, in fact since 1988 when at the Melbourne Conference came to birth in an embryonic form the concept of a Strategy for Scouting, which has ever since been the “red thread” within our World Organization until the Korea Conference.

At this stage I am pleased to report that our World Organization today counts over 30 million members - 31.7 million members to be precise - a sign of good health when we have been staying for so many years with the figure of 28 million!

I believe that the World Scout Bureau has demonstrated over all these years a rather high capacity to think strategically, to generate global goodwill, to contribute to the conception and delivery of policies and methodologies, to produce quality materials and tools and to develop competence at all levels.

At the same time, and with all due respect to my predecessors, I could also only acknowledge that the Bureau has slipped into some internal dysfunctions such as a top- bottom approach, not listening NSOs/NSAs, global responses to specific problems, etc... This has undoubtedly brought confusion and discrepancies in systems and a loss of strength in multiple decisions.
To these must be added external dysfunctions inherent to large organisations like ours such as inertia, complexity, slowness in information distribution and penetration, inadequacy of responses    on    a    time    scale    and inappropriateness of structures.

It is now acknowledged that it is the customers who are driving organisational change. And who are WOSM customers? our NSOs/NSAs and their constituency, i.e. our young people and our leaders ... which want quicker responses, more flexibility, better communication, less bureaucracy, customization and someone to know and care about their changing needs.In the light of this reflexion, I believe that WOSM must transform itself accordingly and create the conditions for change to better support NSOs/NSAs with one objective: be able to respond to NSOs/NSAs requests at the nearest level with the best expertise available.

This is why I believe that we must redefine the levels of competence within the World Organization. The world level needs to identify needs from the regions/ NSOs/NSAs and push support as requested down to NSOs/NSAs with a competence of co-ordination, think tank and clearing-house. The regional level needs to develop a competence of consultancy and support. And the national level needs to assume its responsibility in the delivery and implementation.

It is on this basis and with the World Scout Committee three drivers of change in mind – the Regions, Young people and Telling the Story - that I have developed, and shared with the World Scout Committee, my own objectives for the Bureau, which for those of you who were in Korea and heard my address will not come as a surprise since these are a continuation of what I expressed then.

1. What are these objectives?

Briefly my objectives until Brazil and certainly beyond revolve around :
  • developing a customer focused mentality in the WSB staff to better serve our National Scout Organizations through a reinforcement of, and better collaboration with, our volunteer and professional regional structures, including inter-regional cooperation,
  • assisting our NSOs/NSAs to identify their needs and mobilise appropriate human knowledge, expertise and competence as well as material and financial resources within and outside WOSM to respond to these needs,
  • encouraging, facilitating and motivating quality and quantity membership growth in our NSOs/NSAs to fulfil our constitutional purpose to foster the Scout Movement throughout the world,
  • better communicating our success stories inside and outside the Movement to further build the visibility and credibility of Scouting as being relevant to the issues facing young people in today's world and a reliable partner to attract further support.
  • further strengthen relationships with the World Scout Foundation and look for synergies.
These objectives are my red thread in relation to the Triennial Plan 2008-2011 which was developed by the Central Office in co- ordination with all Regional Offices, adopted by the World Scout Committee at its November 2008 meeting and circulated to all National Scout Organizations in January 2009.

2. What have we done so far to respond to these objectives?
Responding to these objectives is a permanent task of the daily work in all Offices of the Bureau, each operating within its own environment.
With more time, I would have demonstrated to you through examples how we are trying to respond to each of these objectives. We may have an opportunity to do so in working sessions and I invite you to come to ask me questions at any time during this Symposium.
I can however not resist mentioning three – and possibly four if I am given the time - of these examples because I am convinced that they perfectly illustrate that we are going in the direction expected.

2.2 With regard to a better collaboration with our volunteer regional structures:

2.2.1 Recruitment of new Regional Directors for the Africa, Eurasia and Interamerica Regional Offices of the WSB.
On the occasion of the recruitment of three Regional Directors for the Africa, Eurasia and Interamerican Regional Offices of the WSB, I developed a procedure which fully associated the Regional Committees throughout the process through:
  • agreement of the respective Regional Chairman on the job description and the call for candidature before it was launched,
  • agreement of the respective Regional Chairman on the list of shortlisted candidates,
  • participation of the respective Regional Chairman and of a member of the World Scout Committee in a panel to interview the shortlisted candidates.
Our collaboration throughout this new approach of a fully open and transparent process has been exemplary from the beginning to the end.
With regard to a reinforcement of our regional structures:

2.3.4 More financial and human resources for the Regions
In terms of supporting the Regions, an unprecedented effort has been made for the 2009-2010 budget developed and approved by the World Scout Committee around the following principles:
  • pushing human and financial resources to the Regions
  • streamlining and strengthening the staff structure in the Central Office in Geneva
  • reducing staff costs and the global budget of the Geneva Central Office.
Pushing financial resources to the Regions has been achieved through an increase of Regional Allocations (paid from the Central Office budget) in all Regional Office but the Europe one - i.e. 5 out of the 6 Regional Offices - of 16% in US dollars, which is the Regions' operational currency. Over two budget years (2008-2009 and 2009-2010), Regional Allocations in US dollars will have increased by some 32%! These two consecutive yearly increases in Regional Allocations are the highest that I have ever seen in my many years with this Office.

Through the various measures taken to transfer human resources to the Regions, to streamline and strengthen the staff structure in the Central Office in Geneva, the 2009-2010 budget of the Geneva Office comes CHF 202,000 or (4.1%) lower than that of the previous year.

I have to acknowledge here that Europe is the exception regarding additional financial resources. In fact, the self-financing of the European Scout Region helps to enable the Central Office to focus additional resources on the other Regions.

2.4 With regard to assisting our NSOs/NSAs to identify their needs:

2.4.1 Assessing needs in NSOs/NSAs
Assisting NSOs/NSAs to mobilise resources to respond to their needs pre-supposes that what we refer to as needs of NSOs/NSAs have been well and systematically identified in each and every NSO/NSA.

This can only be done:
  • with the involvement of the NSOs/NSAs themselves through a process of self- assessment,
  • through a systematic, methodical and rigorous large-scale consultation at the level of each Region to put strengths in common and overcome weaknesses together .
In this respect I am pleased to report that, thanks to grants obtained from the World Scout Foundation, we heavily and actively supported the Africa Regional Committee to implement such process with the organisation of the 2nd Africa Scout Summit in mid-April 2009 specifically dedicated to a needs analysis and search for best ways to respond to these, including through large-scale partnerships.

The interesting aspect lies in the new methodology using the adapted NSO checklist to help NSOs/NSAs assess their own situation, strengths, weaknesses and needs, a real bottom-up method. For the first time we have a precise mapping of the needs of NSOs/NSAs at the level of a whole Region, as well as at the level of each individual NSO which is a pre- requisite to develop tailor-made support targeted to each NSO to respond to their needs.

A similar process of needs identification is presently being carried out in the Asia-Pacific Region. It will also be carried out with the Arab Region and we may obtain funding to organize a Summit in the Eurasia Region soon. The Interamerican Region has done it its own way through a method called “Road to excellence”.

I also have to acknowledge the needs analysis work that has been done and continues to be done in the European Scout Region. For example, as a preparation for this European Scout Symposium you have all received a discussion document entitled ‘Preparing for the Future’ to help associations look at their own needs.
Hopefully by the time of the Brazil Conference we will have a worldwide mapping of needs, which will be of critical assistance to develop tailor-made support.

2.5 With regard to better communicating our success stories inside and outside the Movement to further build the visibility and credibility of Scouting as being relevant to the issues facing young people in today's world and a reliable partner to attract further support:

2.5.1 Communication strategies and policies
In this area a wealth of supporting and training material has been disseminated to NSOs/NSAs to help them develop their own communication strategies and policies. Special tailor-made support has been extended to several NSOs/NSAs who called on WOSM expertise in that field. Throughout 2009-2010 there will be 6 Communications Forums and the European one will be delivered through the Academy. In the same vein, a very successful international seminar on Intellectual Property and Brand Management was held a few months ago in the Asia-Pacific Region.

2.5.2 Branding
As of today about 25 NSOs/NSAs, including some NSOs/NSAs in this Region, have subscribed to the package enabling a full use of the WOSM brand. Altogether we counted about 50 NSOs/NSAs which are using the Brand partially or totally but have not yet signed the Agreement.

2.5.3 Library section on www.scout.org
As part of the communication efforts and also as service to NSOs/NSAs, and thanks to the formative role played by the European Scout Region, I would like to mention here the newly developed online library section of www.scout.org which enables the Bureau to make available all of its documentation and publications directly from the website. The library is fully searchable and easily accessible. So far only a limited number of documents are available in the library but we expect its size to grow as the uploading process continues and is extended to the Regions and NSOs/NSAs, which are to nourish the content of the library.

2.5.4 Social networking sites
To be up to date with new technologies and as social networking sites and communities continue to grow, WOSM also acknowledges the opportunities that social networking has to offer.    In    that    respect    WOSM    through www.scout.org offers now the possibility of connecting with others on 6 main social networking platforms.

3. How can the Europe Region contribute to this global perspective?Without being over flattering, I believe that the Europe Region has developed a number of excellent practices which I would like to see permeating in other Regions, hopefully with this Region’s assistance.Amongst these, I would particularly retain:
  • the concept of Tailor Made Support to NSOs/NSAs which is perfectly in line with my objective of developing a customer focused mentality and assisting our NSOs/NSAs to identify their needs,
  • the Europe Growth Network also in line with my objective and that of the World Scout Committee to encourage, facilitate and motivate quality and quantity membership growth in our NSOs/NSAs,
  • the Academy which certainly brings a better efficiency and a new approach to training and knowledge sharing,
  • and the flexibility, diversity and variety in the themes of numerous of your workshops or seminar.
I have to recognize here the efforts made by Europe to collaborate with Africa, Eurasia and Arab Regions.

But I also believe that European NSOs/NSAs can contribute to this global perspective by:
  • continuing to be constructively critical of what happens at World and Regional level,
  • continuing to share and co-operate with other NSOs/NSAs and to spread the learning across Europe and beyond,
  • getting involved in the discussion on needs, priorities and strategy at this Symposium since it will also be a good preparation for those NSOs/NSAs which will attend the World Scout Conference too.
I think it is also my duty to remind European NSOs/NSAs that they are part of the World Organization of the Scout Movement and that Europe is not an island... it doesn’t and cannot exist in isolation. Rather, European NSOs/NSAs need to understand and respect the needs across the entire Movement.

Conclusion

To conclude let me inform you very soon, and as requested by Conference Resolution 10/08, you will all receive a progress report and mid- term evaluation of the implementation of the Triennial Plan already previously circulated.

I am convinced that if we want to succeed, we will definitively have to invent new operational ways of working – thinking out of the box, learning from the past to keep the best and improve on the weaknesses. And this is the responsibility of each and every one and at every level of the organization, including in the NSOs/NSAs themselves.

My ambition is that every actor in Scouting at every level – NSOs/NSAs, Committees, volunteers, professionals, individuals or groups – becomes a giver and receiver, a contributor and a beneficiary: giving and contributing their expertise and knowledge, receiving and benefiting from the knowledge of others. The mechanism of such system must still be worked out but the concept is there. No heavy worldwide hierarchy but rather a large spider- web, where each and every one at every level has his/her own ownership in the progress and development of the Organization and of the Movement.

While we struggle with these difficult and important issues let us take pride that in 160 countries worldwide millions of young people continue to experience the excitement and fun of Scouting and through those experiences develop values which will serve them throughout their lives.

Thank you for your attention.

Luc Panissod Budapest, Hungary, March 2010