Sustainability from instant benefits to long-term impact – sustainability in Scouting 6th European Scout forum, Obidos, Portugal, March 2009

ABBA and sustainability?

How do we understand Sustainability?

Sustainability could mean... the capacity to maintain a certain process or state indefinitely. meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The Elements of Sustainability Identity Managerial abilities and strategic thinking Democracy and decision making process Organisational change abilities Public policy and advocacy abilities Creativity Importance (relevance) Transparency and responsibility Good relations with environment

Why Sustainability? We want Scouting to continue to exist! Scouting is a movement – movement implies change – change must be sustainable Our “customers” needs change, the marketplace changes, the world changes, society changes… how do we maintain our momentum? Does sustainability require growth? Does growth require sustainability?

“Killing” a Scout organisation You are a team tasked to ‘kill’ the National Scout Organisation over a number of years. You may use your influence to change the practices of the Organisation so that it will die off (from a Sustainability perspective) What changes will you make to achieve your task? How long will the Organisation take to die ? What can you do to slow down or speed up the process ?

Killing a Scout organisation - the lessons learned What are the weak points? Which are the factors that speed up or slow down the process? What are the early warning signs of un- sustainability? How does this affect us from a strategy perspective?

What is important for Scout organisation to be sustainable?

Sustainable Scout organisation should care for: Programme development & implementation Core elements of Scouting (values, law and promise, method) Involvement & empowerment of young people – accessibility, inclusion into decision making process Resources development & providing permanent support (training, counseling, growth) Efficient management (information & communication, transparency, rules & procedures...) Constant review and renewal process Public relations, selling the movement and achievements

References The 21 st Century NGO – In the Market for Change – Sustainability, The Global Compact, United Nations Environment Programme. Living Guiding and Scouting – Developing National Associations, European Guide and Scout Office. Laws and other Mechanisms for promoting NGO Financial Sustainability, David Moore, International Center for Not- for-Profit Law Balkan youth project – CARE international