Pandemic Response

The context in which the Scout Movement operates has significantly changed due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As such, this Triennial Plan brings together two important elements - the longterm core areas connected to reaching Vision 2023 and supporting NSOs to recover from the effects of the global pandemic. The objective related to pandemic response has been identified as a transversal area connected to the work of all Workstreams and a core focus for the delivery of WOSM Services during the triennium.

© WSB Inc. / CH_Nyon

Objectives

Support NSOs in their post-pandemic recovery efforts by creating targeted NSO recovery plans with key focus on: • Membership retention, recruitment and growth. • Adapting the Youth Programme to post-pandemic realities, including innovative design to ensure Scouting’s relevance and ability to respond to the key needs of young people today by: ◦ Building competencies for the future; ◦ Focusing on aspects such as mental health, well-being and resilience; • Increasing financial resilience and fundraising capacity. • Emergency response to local communities.

What this means for NSOs

Assessing the realities of NSOs is an important first step to establishing a recovery plan due to the diverse ways in which organisations have been impacted. NSOs are given an opportunity to innovate their offerings in order to adapt to the current realities of young people and communities.

NSOs can access resources and request targeted support in post-pandemic response and recovery through the WOSM Services.

“The pandemic presented us with the challenge of maintaining our unity as a Movement and ensuring the relevance of Scouting for young people. We, as a Movement, proved our resilience in adapting to the changing circumstances through innovating our approach to deliver Scouting via hybrid and virtual means and maintaining the safety and well-being of Scouts, all while keeping our shared values at the core of our activities. The pandemic might have created a setback for everyone in relation to their goals, however, as Scouts, we transform our difficulties into positive experiences. The challenges resulting from the pandemic provide us with an opportunity for growth, both in quality and quantity. In this recovery period, we aim together to retain and increase our membership, diversify our funding sources, respond actively to humanitarian needs and look critically at our educational proposal. This work will benefit from WOSM Services and using resources such as the GPS and Scoutship. In order to provide quality Scouting in a safe environment and be the leading educational youth movement, we need to reinforce the capacities of NSOs in education, governance, communication and Scout events.”

Sarah Rita Kattan

Vice-Chairperson of the World Scout Committee Pandemic Response