Communication self-assessment tool- ScoutIAR

COMMUNICATIONS

COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL A self-assessment tool to strengthen the capacity of your National Scout Organization

INTERAMERICAN REGION

Š World Scout Bureau Inc. Communications September 2019 World Scout Bureau, Interamerica Support Centre Building 172, City of Knowledge Panama City, Republic of Panama Tel.: (+507) 317-1158 interamerica@scout.org scout.org

Reproduction is authorized to National Scout Organizations and Associations which are members of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. Credit for the source must be given.

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COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL A self-assessment tool to strengthen the capacity of your National Scout Organization

INTERAMERICA REGION

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Scouting does not exist in isolation; It is deeply rooted in local communities around the world. An effective communications strategy, covering internal and external audiences, will help ensure Scouting is understood and appreciated.

To ensure that Scouting increases its profile and brand positioning, improves its relations with the media, internal communications and stakeholder engagement, critically looking at the Communications area of your NSO through the self-assessment lens allows the definition of strategies aimed at improving their development.

The Strategy for Communications and Strategic Engagements of WOSM as well as the Communications Strategy of the Interamerican Region are a framework that provide a guide for the continuous development of Communications in NSOs and forms the basis of the criteria of this tool.

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COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL

Where does your National Scout Organization stand on Communications?

Capacity Strengthening Through Selfassessment The capacity strengthening of NSOs is an integral aspect of achieving Vision 2023. The Capacity Strengthening Cycle is built on the principles of continuous improvement, where NSOs can assess their capacity, prioritise their actions, receive support, and monitor their progress..

The Communications Self-Assessment Tool helps your NSO to assess the level of alignment and consistency of their Communications with the World Scout Strategy for Communications and Strategic Engagements.

By answering the following questions, you will be able to identify areas of implementation that meet the expected minimum level of performance as defined in the World Scout Strategy for Communications and Strategic Engagements and reflected in the Quality Standard of the World Organization of the Scout Movement (WOSM) – the Global Support Assessment Tool (GSAT).

The results will benefit your NSO and assist in identifying areas for improvement in your Communication`s area, so it can support in a better way the struture.

What is GSAT? GSAT is a Quality Standard owned

by WOSM that assesses the compliance of an NSO towards international best practices in Good Governance and Quality Scouting.

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GSAT Criteria

Description

503

The NSO has defined and implemented a document control system which allows unequivocal identification, integrity and availability of all types of official documents (hard & soft copies).

504

The NSO has a current Communications and External Relations strategy. It is supported by up-to-date promotional materials and reflects the identity and declared principles of the organisation.

505

The NSO has established regular communication channels with its internal stakeholders (e.g. scout magazine for leaders, newsletter for national volunteers, website, social media).

506

The NSO has links and/or partnerships with other civil society organisations and community groups impacting Scouting..

507

The NSO is active in the National Youth Council or its equivalent body (if such exists).

508

The NSO regularly engages in a dialogue with key policy makers in its country.

509

The NSO has a defined and implemented system to identify, nominate and prepare young people to externally represent Scouting at a national level.

105

The NSO has made provisions to ensure that Scouting logos and brand (national and world) are legally protected under copyright or trade laws in accordance with the existing legal framework in its country/territory.

106

Any commercial use of the World Scout Brand is properly licensed with the World Scout Bureau or its agent.

301

The NSO’s Vision/Mission’s statement defines clearly the organisation’s ambitions, principles, and beliefs. It has been approved by the “General Assembly” and is disseminated to all levels of the organisation. *This criterion is a Mayor Non-Conformity in the GSAT.

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COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL

LIST OF GSAT CRITERIA RELATED TO COMMUNICATIONS

HOW TO USE THIS TOOL To achieve a greater awareness and consistent understanding, you should involve relevant stakeholders such as National Board and executive team representatives, Communications Commissioners and other relevant committees or departments in this self-assessment process.

Responses to the criteria should be, to the best of your ability, based on evidence which can be provided towards each criterion and completed by drawing on your team’s knowledge.

The following self-assessment criteria encompass international best practices and an indepth look at the recommended standards of WOSM. However, note that not all criteria are applicable to an NSO considering the local cultural and legal contexts..

To use this tool, please go through each of the self-assessment criteria and identify your NSO’s capacity by giving a response of either RED, YELLOW, LIGHT GREEN, or DARK GREEN based on the explanations below..

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EXPLANATION

IN OTHER WORDS…

NON COMPLIANT

No evidence at all exists that the NSO has done anything around this criterion.

My NSO hasn’t done anything around this criterion. It may be time to start!

IN ACCORDANCE WITH FEW ITEMS

Evidence exists that the NSO has done some things (but not all) around this criterion.

My NSO has done a bit of work on this criterion, but there are so many other things we can still explore.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH MOST ITEMS

Evidence exists that the NSO has most things around this criterion. It is up-to-date and implemented.

My NSO is working on many of the items here, but there are some missing parts that we can look into to make them even better.

FULL COMPLIANCE

Evidence exists that the NSO has everything around this criterion.

It is up-to- date, implemented, regularly evaluated and refreshed.

My NSO has fulfilled this criterion. We will keep up the good work and review it along the way. We could even share it as a best practice.

NOT APPLICABLE

Not applicable due to the local circumstances or in relation to another non compliant criterion.

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COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL

STATUS

LIST OF CRITERIA Related GSAT Criteria

Communications Policy

1.1

504

The NSO has a communications strategy aligned with the Global Communications and Strategic Engagements and the Regional Strategy.

1.2

306

The National Scout Organization’s Strategic Plan includes a communications area and is aligned with Vision 2023.

1.3

504

The existing national policies of your NSO are published and duly socialized within the NSOs membership.

401

1.4

601 801

1.5

1.6

The existing Policies of WOSM (Youth Programme, Adults in Scouting, Institutional Development, Young people, Diversity and Inclusion, and Safe from Danger) are published in your internal communication channels and are properly socialized within the membership of the NSO.

105

The NSO has a guide of the proper use of its National brand and is published and socialized among within your membership.

305

The NSO has a stakeholder mapping to establish the relationship according to the interests of the NSO; in order to generate strategic alliances and structure the official communication channels of the NSO.

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Score

National Team

Score

2.1

608

The NSO has a national communications team composed of members with considerable experience. They are committed, gender balance and include persons under the age of 30.

2.2

504

The national communications team has an operational Plan and meets periodically to update its progress.

2.3

504

The national communications team is reflected in the regional and/or provincial substructures of the NSO.

609

The National communications team participates constantly in the trainings offered by the global and regional levels of WOSM.

2.4

2.5

504

Related GSAT Criteria

2.6

509

The national team has established processes for the design, publication and approval of content within their NSOs official media. And they are widely disseminated in the national team for the support of strategic areas.

Support Structures for Communications

2.7

505

The NSO has support materials and training in Communications Management for the substructures (regions and provinces) and Scout groups.

2.8

505

The NSO has guidelines for official and protocolary acts.

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Score

COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL

Related GSAT Criteria

Related GSAT Criteria

Implementation

3.1

105

The NSO has a consistent presence, with a graphic line according with the official WOSM logos. And is suitable for their main target audience.

3.2

105

The NSO makes good use of the World Scout brand in its publications, media and products.

806

The NSO has a current and attractive image for a young audience. Where at least 30% of publications are directed to young people.

3.3

3.4

N/A

The NSO has an active inventory of communications equipment and resources.

806

The NSO covers the most relevant Youth Programme events and tells their stories regularly in their media.

504

The NSO has the communication channels directed according to its target audience (intranet, website, magazines, social networks).

3.7

504

The NSO has a media plan where the communications channels are targeted to their internal membership, external public and strategic alliances. Published periodically and socialized among the membership.

3.8

105

Image of the organization is according to WOSM’s image.

3.5

3.6

12

Score

Mesuarement and Improvement of Quality in Communications

4.1

505

The NSO carries out internal membership satisfaction surveys in their use of its communications channels. Based on the results, you execute an improvement plan and deliver their actions.

4.2

503

The OSN has a Management Crisis Communication Plan and is widely disseminated among the membership.

503

The NSO has a space for continuous improvement (mailbox/suggestion Mail) that is socialized within their membership.

Draws up an action plan and takes action.

4.3

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Score

COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL

Related GSAT Criteria

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COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL

FOLLOW UP

It is important to note that this tool is not intended to be a “scoring” exercise, but to be used as a capacity strengthening resource by your NSO to identify strategies for improvement.

Now that you have gone through the criteria and thought about how your NSO places itself on those points, it is time to think about what those results mean.

Documents have been made available at the WOSM Services Platform, to support you and your NSO in the next steps. You will find them here: https://services.scout.org/service/11 The Communications Service Area offers many tools to follow up on this assessment concerning Communications: •

Help to develop, review, adopt and implement a national communications strategy, in line with the World Scout Strategy for Communications and Strategic Engagements.

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Practical support, through access to key resources in areas such as the implementation of the Scout Brand, the visual identity and the central messages of Scouting.

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Get all the help you need to stand out on social media and better represent your members online.

•

Helps to develop an effective communications plan, from the necessary protocols to media management and the handling of unexpected situations at global and regional events.

•

WOSM’s support in media and public relations services helps NSOs develop a media experience and raise the external profile of Scouting.

•

The guidelines provide simple advice on how to write press releases, organize media conferences, deal with journalists and tell your Scout story (in text, video and photography) in traditional media or on fast-moving social media platforms.

•

Communication induction training that includes presentations and session plans.

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NEXT STEPS Results After the assessment, share the results with the relevant persons in your NSO Subsequently, present and discuss it with the National Board after a reflection period. The results should help with discussions to clarify your NSO’s situation, raise awareness of human resource and other needs, and find a way forward in building the capacity of your NSO.

Follow-up Schedule a meeting for action planning. This meeting can consist of a brainstorming session. Don’t forget to involve the National Board members to ensure strategic overview.

Prioritise After reviewing your results, prioritise key actions to take. Link it with your strategic planning to prioritise your actions. If you don’t have a strategic plan, examine criteria that would potentially prevent the growth of your organisation.

Coordinate Appoint a leader who will be in charge of the follow-up of the overall process.

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COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL Support Consider reaching out to the WSB Regional Support Centre for support and advice. Having completed this self-assessment should help to provide a clear request for service. You can submit a Service Request through the WOSM Service Platform at services.scout.org.

Resources At the WOSM Service Platform, you can access all key resources for the 12 WOSM Services. Each of these services includes a wide range of resources. From policies, toolkits, and guidelines to e-learning courses, in-person support (both online and inperson), workshops, and training courses. These include not only resources produced and provided by Scouting at World and Regional levels, but also NSO best practices and relevant external resources.

Continuous assessment Continuous improvement is important for all organisations. This is achieved through evaluating and monitoring your progress, as well as re-assessing your capacity. Decide if you would like to complete other self-assessment tools or go through the overall GSAT process. You can learn more about GSAT at services.scout.org/service/9.

ยกGet started on improving the Communicationes in your NSO today!

If you have any comment or question related to this tool, contact with the World Scout Bureau, Interamerica Support Centre.

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NOTES

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COMMUNICATIONS SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL

Š World Scout Bureau Inc. Communications September 2019 World Scout Bureau, Interamerica Support Centre Building 172, City of Knowledge Panama City, Republic of Panama Tel.: (+507) 317-1158 interamerica@scout.org scout.org