

IJB Events Guide
An Adaptation of IJB Clipboard
Acronyms
Chapter: The cities in the NA
GoBo: Governing Board
IJB: International Junior Branch
IJB Team: International Junior Branch Team
IJRs: International Junior Representatives
IO: CISV’s International Office
IRF: Incident Report Form
JB: Junior Branch
NAR: National Association Representative
NA: National Association
NJRs: National Junior Representatives
PA: Promotional Association
RM: Risk Management/Risk Manager
TIF: Travel Information Form
ASK: Attitudes, Skills, and Knowledge
This guide should be read in relation with:
J-01: Junior Branch Statement of Purpose Essentials and Goals
J-02: Junior Branch Events Definition and Approval
C-03: Programme Basic Rules
Safeguarding Policy
R-07: Positive Behaviour Policy
(NEW!) IJB Event Goals
Introduction
GetreadytotakeyourIJBEventstothenextlevelwithouressentialguide!
Thiscomprehensiveresourceisyourroadmaptosuccess,outliningeverystepneededtoplanandexecutean officialIJBevent
Inside,you'lldiscoveradetailedtimelinecoveringeverythingfrombrainstormingyourinitialideatoevaluatingthe eventafterwards.We'lldiveintoessentialtopicslikeplanningrecommendations,CISVInternational procedures,logistics,draftingInfopacks/Proposals,andRiskManagementatIJBEvents.
Ourgoalistoequipyouwithallthetoolsandknowledgeyouneedforasmoothevent. Butifyouhaveanyquestionsorneedfurtherassistance,don'thesitatetoreachouttoourdedicatedIJBTeamat ijbteam@ijb.cisv.org.
Let'sworktogethertomakeyourIJBeventanabsolutesuccess!
What does an IJB Event look like?
Wellthatmainlydependsonyou!IJBeventsreallyvarydependingonthetargetaudienceoftheevent,itchangesa lotwhetheryouarelookingfornewJBerstoparticipateormoreexperiencedones Itisyouasan organiser/Person-in-Chargethatshoulddecidetheidentityoftheevent.However,therearecertainthingsthat shouldbecommontoallevents:
Homestaff Content Staff Organizer
Homestaff
TheyaretheonesinchargeofthelogisticsofanIJBEvent!Theyassumethelegalresponsibilityfortheeventand astheyareinpositionsoftrustandresponsibilitytheyarerolemodelsduringtheevent.Thenumberofhomestaff andageissetwithinthesectionofC-03forIJB.Homestaffareintendedtobechosenbytheorganisingchapter. PleaseconsultyourRegionalJBTeamortheIJBTeamincaseyouarestrugglingtomeetthehomestaff requirements.
Homestaffrolesandresponsibilitiesinclude,butarenotlimitedto:
Infopackdrafting
Advancedsafeguardingtraining
Precampcommunicationwithparticipants
Formsrevisionofparticipants
Firstaid/medicalneeds
Riskpreventionandon-siteriskmanagement
Paymentmanagement
Registration
Providingmaterials
Financeandbudget
Campsiteliaison
Arrivals&Departurelogistics
Invitationletters(ifneededfor visas
Content Staff
Theyaretheonesinchargeofthepreparationanddeliveryoftheactivities/sessionsoftheIJBevent.Theyarenot legallyresponsiblefortheevent,however,theyarearolemodelduringtheeventandinapositionoftrustand responsibility.ThecontentstaffteamisdecidedthroughanapplicationprocessfacilitatedbythePerson-in-Charge oftheevent.Thepeoplechosenshouldhavethecapacitytofacilitatesessionsfortheevent,andtheirASKsshould behighlightedintheapplicationform
Theorganiser/Person-in-ChargeoftheIJBeventwillleadtheplanningandmeetings forthecontentoftheworkshop/event.Itisuptothecontentteamtodecidewhatkind ofcontentwillbedeliveredduringtheworkshop,havinginmindtheneedsofthe audiencethattheyarepreparingfor.WesuggestusingtheJBgoalsasinspiration.Itis importantthatthecontentispreparedinadvancefortheeventsothatthehomestaff canadjusttothematerialneedsofthesessionsandadapttothem.
Organizer
AsanorganiserorPerson-in-Charge,yourroleistooverviewandcoordinate thedifferentpartsofthestaffteam:Contentstaff,Homestaffand,incaseof anotherevent,anyotherrelevantparts.Youwillbethemainpersonleading thepreparationoftheworkshop.Youwillneedtodraftatimelineaccordingto thisdocumentsothateverythingchecksoutforwhenyouareplanningthe event.ThisroleisusuallyperformedbyaRegionalJBTeamMemberfora NeighbourhoodWorkshop.
Workshop Proposal
A workshop proposal is a document that provides a brief introduction to what the IJB Event will be like. The goal of this document is that the Person-in-Charge of the event knows the characteristics of the workshop venue and the rationale behind choosing it, so that they can better coordinate. It is a nice practice in order to make the arrangements to show interest in hosting a specific event. Proposals are done by the people that are leading the organisation of an IJB Event in their home NA.
A workshop proposal should include:
Name of the workshop
Proposed dates of the workshop
Small introduction of the workshop/goal & city/ country
Campsite
Arrival (how to get there, closest airport etc)
Capacity of the campsite (how many people can stay there at once)
Exclusivity of the campsite (if available)
Inclusivity, accessibility for people with disabilities
Photos
Budget (Divide the expenses by campsite, expenses for staff, material, insurance, extras)
Participation fee
Insurance
Decide if there is going to be a cancellation fee
Contact details for at least one person from the proposed home staff team, for questions or concerns.
Optional info:
Homestaff
Section about visa requirements (not for individual countries, but a more general overview of the situation)
Here are some examples of proposals from previous events:
Mednights 2024
Wild West Weekend 2024
Infopacks
An Infopack is how the Homestaff communicates prior to the participants to give them all the logistical details they need to know prior to the workshop. There several Infopacks according to what phase the workshop is at.
Infopack 1
(Sent with participation forms):
What the workshop is Where the workshop is When it is
Arrival & Departure times
(Book your flights before xx and after yy)
How much it is + cost breakdown
Who is invited
Registration link
Explain registration rounds
Contacts
Infopack 2
(Sent ONLY to official participants - Published on MyCISV): Content & Goals
What to Bring
Meeting Point
Introductions (Homestaffs, facilitators..)
Contacts
Basic costs in the country + Accommodation
Preferred/required method of payment for the camp fee and campshop at the event.
Schedule (optional) Reminders
Payment & Forms
Infopack 3
(Sent ONLY to official participants - Published on MyCISV):
Last announcements from homestaff
Reminders of previous information
Timeline
This section is for the homestaff and Person-in-Charge to use in order to set deadlines that need to be complied before the workshop. The times suggested in this section should be used as a guideline, they can be adapted to the needs of the workshop.
5 (or more) Months in Advance
Search for a campsite and prepare a proposal
Send a proposal for the workshop and vote whether it goes ahead or not
Get the Chapter RM involved in the planning and proposal for the campsite
4 Months in Advance
Send IJB events form → Organizer (either coordinator or camp director).
This is a fixed deadline that cannot be adjusted.
For “Junior Branches, participating”, indicate all NAs that could potentially send participants.
Contact the NA to know which person in the board will take responsibility of the Event
Get the confirmation of the form
The person responsible from the NA/Chapter needs to reply to an email confirming responsibility. It is encouraged that the Chapter RM cosigns the responsibility of the chapter
IJRs and Governing Board approve the event
Get your MyCISV event code
Having the applications ready (Mind that they need to be e-safe) for:
Facilitators
Participants
Infopack 1 must be sent with the applications form
Having at least one homestaff → Usually camp director
Having decided how and where to collect the money → Currency and method of payment (cash/card/bank transfer).
2 Months in Advance
Confirmed participants are connected on MyCISV and can start filling out forms
Content staff is assembled and starts planning the sessions of the event.
Facilitators announced on social media platforms
Infopack 2 is published
Round 2 of participant applications go up.
Risk Management check of the campsite has been conducted by a certified risk manager, following the RTF and JB Event Risk Management Checklist.
1 Month in Advance
Revision of the forms by the homestaff starts and they engage for the forms to be submitted so that they can prepare for individual risk assessments
Transportation to and from the campsite is settled and a dialogue has begun with the campsite about the menu for the event, detailing the dietary restrictions of the participants who have, at this point, submitted their forms.
Content staff team has the topic areas of all sessions decided, and a general outline of each activity individually.
Round 3 of participant applications are sent out.
2 weeks in Advance
All forms have been submitted and the homestaff can share dietary information and allergies with the kitchen staff.
This is for the home staff to be able to accommodate any dietary restrictions or allergies that a participant may have.
If participants don’t comply with this, it’s not the responsibility of the homestaff to make the venue accommodate their special needs and their participation may be cancelled.
Content staff team has planned all of the sessions for the event.
Content staff has also submitted a list of the materials needed for the sessions of the event to the homestaff, so the staff are able to provide these.
Create evaluation and feedback forms for the content sessions and the event as a whole.
Different JB events may require different planning steps however the core steps remain the same, make this process your own, make your timeline make sense to you as you ensure all these steps and more are completed on time and efficiently
Risk Management
Risk Management (RM) is a fundamental piece for ensuring the safety and wellbeing for all CISV events and IJB is no exception to this. IJB events must follow CISV International policies and procedures outlined in the Safeguarding Policy and the Positive Behaviour Policy. Risk Management at IJB events is mainly composed of 2 modules: Risk Prevention/Assessment and Incident Management
As Person-in-Charge of events or homestaff, it is important to get the Chapter or National Risk Manager involved in the planning and preparation of the event, so that they are aware of it happening and the risks that it implies. Risk Managers are a key asset for the successful and safe completion of workshops.
Risk Prevention/Assessment
A big part of the risks that may happen at IJB events can be prevented. It is important that the homestaff prepare in advance to prevent these risks. For this reason, homestaff should have a meeting foreseeing risks and what practices they can do to prevent them.
A good guideline to do this is the IJB Events RM Checklist, which sets expectations for the site and certain indicators to be met during the workshop. With the revision of this checklist, it is important that the homestaff identifies potential risks that come from the venue, audience or conditions of the event so that they can assess those risks and prepare for them.
Some examples of risk assessments for prevention in an IJB Event could be:
A risk at an IJB Event is the mingling of adults and children in the same participation level during an event. The homestaff put together a plan to ensure child protection, such as using the campsite facilities in order to encourage separate spaces in private areas and giving different colour bracelets to adults so that children can be easily identified.
A risk at an IJB Event is the accommodation of special medical needs. For example, if a participant has a strong allergy, it is important that the homestaff have a plan to ensure their wellbeing. A good method would be to reach out to this person (or their guardian for children) prior to the start of the event, to best identify their needs and adjust accordingly.
A risk at an IJB Event is a participant's religious necessities not being met. In case that there is a participant with special needs, such as fasting during Ramadan, homestaff and content staff should be prepared to accommodate for this person by helping them with breaking fast and meeting their meal expectations.
A risk at an IJB Event is the misuse and abuse of alcohol. The homestaff drafts a plan that includes the limitation of the consumption of alcohol (e.g: putting a cap on the number of drinks consumed per day) so that a moderate consumption of alcohol is ensured to not affect the event.
Incident Management
Some risks can not be prevented, and as such they need to be managed during the workshop. It is important that when something happens that involves risks, the homestaff team is prepared to tackle it. The homestaff has to thoroughly read the documents mentioned above in order to have tools on how to proceed, and we encourage them to reach out to their Risk Manager if they have any questions.
When managing a risk it is important to observe and understand what is happening. As a homestaff team, with consultation to the Risk Manager, you should take action to manage the risk and prevent future occurrence. Some risks can not be completely eliminated, but they can be reduced.
Some examples of incident managements could be:
There is a nail within the floor of the activity room that you hadn’t seen and someone pointed out that it could be dangerous. The staff team made an announcement for people to be careful as they find a solution. They tried to remove the nail but it didn't work. They bought some foam to cover it, in order to make sure that it doesn’t hurt anyone.
A participant tripped, hit a metal sheet and now has a deep cut in their knee that is bleeding The homestaff in charge of medical aid should try to first clean and disinfect the wound. If the cut is too deep or doesn’t heal, the homestaff should take the participant to the closest health care where they can be treated.
A random person from outside entered the campsite and some participants were confused about their presence. The homestaff should strategise to reach out to this person, and ask them to leave. If they don’t want to leave, you should contact your Risk Manager to check what to do, as you may have to get the campsite administration or the police involved.
A participant reaches out to the homestaff as they feel harassed by another participant. It is important that the homestaff has a protection plan to ensure the safety and well-being of the participant in a vulnerable position. The homestaff should be able to separate one of the parts within the venue and could divide themselves to check-up on the safety of this person. If needed, the protocol of the R-15 for sending someone home could be activated.
It is very important that once an incident occurs it is reported via an Incident Report Form (IRF). Some incidents require a faster reporting (eg. serious safeguarding incidents). Please follow timelines found in the policy. IRFs are the tool that helps CISV track risks during their programmes and events. It is very important that incidents that occur at workshops in Junior Branch are reported properly, in order to establish a culture of safety. In addition, serious incidents can trigger support from the International Office Risk Management and Safeguarding team.
Digital Safety
Digital Safety is essentially being safe on the internet and as a broader concept, using technology safely. CISV is an organization that works with children and youth. Therefore, we must ensure not only our own digital safety, but the safety of participants. The CISV Data Protection rules guidance is based on the GDPR. Here are some safe digital policies that you should be applying during your workshops:
All communications for the event should be done through official means (email) and the forms and information should all be registered via MyCISV. Adults should not engage in 1:1 private online communication with an individual or group of CISV Children. However, exceptions can be made in specific situation including where the communication is from an adult in a position of trust and responsibility to a member of Junior branch about their role/responsibilities and the nature of the communication is official and instructional.
If pictures of the IJB Event want to be posted during the event in official platforms, there should be an announcement made at the beginning of the workshop by a person responsible for social media, for people to refer to them in case they don’t feel comfortable with their faces being in CISV social media. The privacy of people who do not want to appear must be respected. When taking pictures of the event, Focus on group contexts and activities with multiple people, especially if the photographs include children, it is best to find frames where the face of the participants doesn’t appear directly or is not recognisable.
IJB RM FAQs
Who is responsible for following up on individual risk assessments for participants?
The Risk Manager in collaboration with the Home Staff should review the Health and Behaviour Forms to identify any issues requiring an individual risk assessment. The Risk Assessment will determine if the event is able to meet the requirements to ensure a safe and positive experience for the participant.
When should I reach out to my Risk Manager?
You should reach out to your RM before the planning of the event and make a plan for their involvement and support throughout the planning and duration of the workshop. During the workshop, if an incident arises and you need their consultation on how to tackle it, you should reach out as well. In case the incident needs an immediate response, you should divide as a homestaff team, some reaching for consultation and some acting. If the incident can be directly managed by the homestaff team, the RM should still be contacted to ensure they are aware of the IRF they’ll be receiving.
What should alcohol and tobacco use look like in my event?
In JB events that are not children present, the consumption of alcohol and tobacco is permitted In case there are children, the Risk Manager of the event has to use the Alcohol Assessment Tool and do a risk assessment to identify whether it is safe for the children present if there is adult alcohol consumption. If the conclusion is positive, the event allows alcohol consumption exclusively for adults, if not, the event will have to be alcohol free. JB is a space for sharing among the Juniors of CISV, so the consumption of both should be discouraged when explaining the rules as it does not foster the educational purpose of CISV and its abuse could negatively impact the event.
For tobacco consumption, we want to ensure that there is not a social space created out of smoking, but that people that need to satisfy their addiction have the space to do so. Thus, we suggest that smoking is only allowed on breaks and people that want to smoke are forced to go have a walk by couples during the time they need to finish their cigarettes. Cigarette butts should be thrown in the same ashtray or trash in order to keep the campsite clean.
In case there is alcohol consumption, we encourage a clear distinction between adults and children. In order to do this, we suggest the use of bracelets for adults, so that the homestaff can identify them easily. We suggest the limitation of alcohol in order to ensure moderate consumption.
Content at IJB Events
Content Staff
To recruit the Content Staff, an application form needs to be sent out to JBers. This form should contain some background questions, the individuals’ vision or training needs for the workshop. This will give everyone an equal chance to apply. When selecting the group, special attention needs to be given to their experience and ideas for the workshop or training. It is advantageous to have Content Staff composed of individuals with diverse experiences and backgrounds.
Planning
An important part of the IJB Event is the high-quality educational content sessions that will be delivered. The Content Staff is responsible to ensure that the sessions delivered allow participants to develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge in order to reach the JB goals. When planning activities, it is encouraged that the content staff takes into consideration the JB goals and how they can be applied for the workshop. It is also recommended to reach out to NJRs or regional coordinators whether they have any suggestions about what kind of content would be useful for the participants attending.
Communication
Create a line of communication between the Home Staff and the Content Staff in order to guarantee clarity regarding each other’s areas of responsibility (e.g. Content Staff needs to provide the list of materials in advance to the Home Staff; Home Staff should provide the number of confirmed participants and available rooms so the Content Staff can plan the sessions according to the available space).
Schedule
The Content Staff should come up with the schedule based on the number of sessions and times of meals. It is important that the Home Staff is included in the creation of the schedule as they are in contact with the campsite (e.g. the campsite might have restrictions regarding meal times and the Content Staff should adjust accordingly).
When discussing the amount of sessions at the event, the Content Staff should consider the event objectives and participants. It is important to consider the wellbeing of all attendees and include breaks in between activities as well as some free time for relaxing and socialising. These are usually much appreciated and also very productive.
Please see below examples for different schedules:
Light schedule:
Eg. Most of the participants are** JBrs or LJRs and the purpose of the event is getting to know JBrs from other countries and socialising, therefore there is a significant amount of free time included in the event.

Medium:
Eg. The audience consists of JBrs with mixed experience and only some participants hold different positions in JB, then the schedule should take into account needs of both groups. The Content Staff could consider doing some sessions optional.

Intense:
Eg. The majority of the participants hold a position in JB, so they might benefit from having an intense schedule and gaining a lot of CISV JB knowledge.

Sessions
Besides regular sessions, the Content Staff might also consider planning parallel sessions. A parallel session is when two (or more) different activities are run simultaneously. This allows the participants to choose what interests them the most and what is best suited considering their previous JB experience. It is crucial to take into account how many Content Staff members and how many participants are attending the event.
Depending on a nature of the meeting, representatives of different bodies within CISV JB (eg. Regional JB Teams, IJB Team, Strategic Project Teams) might want to run a session. There should be a clear understanding between the Content Staff and the third parties about what opportunities are available as well as the timeline to declare the interest. A deadline for these third parties should be set by the Person-inCharge so that the schedule and the content can be accommodated adequately.
Event Evaluationion
Staff members must use the Self Evaluation Tools (SET) to comprehensively evaluate key aspects of the event. These aspects include but are not limited to: Logistics and Accommodation Communication Prior to the Event Staff Group Coordination Content Delivery Group Feeling.
It is worth mentioning that although the evaluation must be carried out after the event concludes, it is still important to have a look at this tool prior to the event in order to have an idea of what to look out for to achieve a successful event. By adhering to the procedures outlined in the IJB Events Evaluation Guide, valuable data about the organization of the event can be extracted, ensuring all critical areas are reviewed for continuous improvements.
Activity Evaluation
While no formal tools are defined for evaluating individual activities, it is highly encouraged for organizers to develop a system that suits their specific needs. Platforms such as Google Forms allow for quick and straightforward feedback collection at the end of each session, as participants can easily scan a QR code to submit their responses For more detailed insights, staff members might also consider conducting focused group debriefs or individual interviews post-event. These approaches can provide a deeper understanding of participants' experiences and pinpoint specific areas for future enhancements.
Carbon friendly Events
Please see below a few aspects of the event to consider from the environmentally friendly perspective. These practices could be included in the event Infopacks to allow the participants to prepare prior to the event and ensure the meeting is as sustainable as possible.
Transportation - Encouraging participants to choose a mode of transport which produces less carbon footprint. This could be trains or buses for short distance travel, and direct flights for long distances.
Food - Using catering services/products from local suppliers if possible.
Offsetting Emissions - Encouraging participants to offset their travel emissions by supporting reputable carbon offset projects. This is usually possible through the transportation companies’ websites.
Digitalising - Replacing traditional methods with digital tools to reduce the amount of materials used. Eg. collecting replies from online forms instead of paper questionnaires.
Reusable Items - Encouraging participants to bring a reusable water bottle/cup with them to the event to minimise waste. Considering adding such items to the event/camp shop.
Recycling - Making sure participants are following the local recycling and garbage disposal policies.
This Document was put together by Risk Management and Safeguarding in JB Strategic Project Team and the IJB Events Specialists in 2024