Effective Service Team Evaluations

Introduction

It is the policy of Scouts Canada to appoint commissioners/service Scouters who function as area/district/regional service teams, and are charged with the primary responsibility of providing program advisory and support services to section leaders. The role of the service Scouter is to help section leadership teams operate effectively (e.g. program planning, implementation, and evaluation) and ensure they deliver quality programming for their youth members. A service team member must not only identify program delivery strengths, but must also be able to recognize opportunities for improvement and be willing to initiate corrective action.

The service Scouter must have a clear understanding of teamwork, be prepared to work as a team member, and function cooperatively within the corporate management structure in support of local, provincial, and national objectives. A practical knowledge and strong personal commitment to the Scouts Canada mission, principles, practices and methods and section(s) program objectives/goals/elements are essential. Service Scouters must also be prepared to support and carry out decisions by their councils and commissioners.

• To promote and support youth (within and between sections) and adult volunteer retention activities (i.e. section linking activities).
• To identify membership growth needs and opportunities, assist with volunteer recruitment and other organizational requirements (i.e. new sections, new groups, restarts).
• To identify leadership development needs and promote participation in training events.
• To promote full participation in local, provincial, and national special program events and fund raising activities.
• To support communication networks and provide related clarification and confirmation.
• To establish and maintain liaisons with group committees/sponsors with respect to effectiveness of their section leadership teams, quality of programs received by youth and program/administrative support requirements.
• To ensure groups/sections are in compliance with the governing policies and procedures of scouts Canada.
• To assist with marketing and information initiatives with respect to the growth and public image/support of Scouting.
• To promote and support youth member involvement in program planning and evaluation processes.
• To promote and support opportunities for youth members to serve on section leadership teams with meaningful roles and responsibilities, i.e. Kim, Keeo, SIT.
• To promote adult volunteer recognition by Scouts Canada.

Methods:

Service Scouters/teams will normally achieve their individual/collective roles and responsibilities through a variety of inter-related and coordinated management activities, including:

1. Visits to each section two times a year (more when required) for purposes of assessing and supporting:
   • program quality
   • leadership team effectiveness/development needs
   • youth and adult member retention
   • organizational growth needs
   • participation in special program events and fund raising activities
   • policy and procedures compliance
   • adequacy of program/administrative supports
2. Section leadership teams and group committee/sponsors should be provided an opportunity to identify items they wish to be evaluated. The section leadership team should be debriefed at the end of the visit or as soon as possible thereafter. A formal report will subsequently be submitted to the commissioner with copies to the section leadership team and the group committee/sponsor. The report should be received not later than 30 days after the visit. It should contain an executive summary of observed strengths and opportunities for improvement with specific recommendations. Implementation monitoring and support services are integral parts of the management improvement cycle. A regular visitation form should be used for normal visits. There should also be a yearly form to be completed at the end of the Scouting year and submitted as mentioned above.
3. Service Scouter annual work plans developed in consultation with the commissioner, which are based on prioritized needs analysis and contain goals that are attainable and measurable. Individual's goals must compliment and contribute to the achievement of the local council/service team, the Provincial Council, and the National objectives and initiatives. There should be provision for regular progress reviews, required revisions and formal year-end achievement reporting.
4. Keeping abreast of changes to Scouts Canada organizational structure (roles, responsibilities and relationships), programs and policy/procedures. Ensuring information is received by groups/sections and councils in a timely manner and changes have been interpreted and applied accurately.
5. Holding regular service team meetings to coordinate and integrate individual portfolios and team responsibilities. Also ensuring the service team is regularly represented and actively participates in local council and provincial meetings (i.e. Scouters' Conference, Key Members’ Conference, annual meeting).
6. Maintaining frequent contacts with section leaders to assure them they are not alone (i.e. regular phone calls, newsletters, attending Scouters' Clubs, etc.).
7. Maintaining statistical information (i.e. youth and adult member retention, leadership development training, volunteer recognition, etc.) and conducting needs analysis to facilitate long term planning and focus advisory/support services. A good resource for this information collection is the Provincial Service Guide.

Program:

Good programs have always been thought to attract and retain youth members. The question has always been, what constitutes a good program?

It is realistic to believed that a good program is one that contains all the program elements of the section, offered in a clean fashion, with some youth involvement in the program planing. This good program contains challenges, opportunities for real achievement and lots of fun activities that don’t appear to be like school.

This good quality program needs to be delivered by Scouters committed to the mission statement, comfortable with the age level, content to work for the success of the youth, ready to have fun and have some personal growth and fulfillment. The leader must be focused on the youth, free from prejudices and politics (Scouting), ready to work as a team player, and be an effective communicator. Lastly, you need to have the majority of your youth who are interested in the program, not burdened with too many other activities, wishing to have fun but also ready to learn and to actively participate.

In addition to the consistent use of a full range of the section program elements, it is the specific content of element activities which largely determines program quality. Does the content of element activities provide stimulating and comprehensive development opportunities for youth in keeping with the mission, principles, and program objectives/goals? The elements are the delivery vehicle.

These are the things you look for in section visits and servicing. They are the things you need to encourage, provide resources towards, help develop in leadership teams and be ready to correct if they are not evident in your section visits. Lastly, remember the program elements, those activities you are looking to see evident in each and every visit.

Program Elements:

• Learning to Play Together
• Creative Expression
• Nature
• Spiritual Fellowship

• Games
• Music
• Play Acting
• Crafts
• Storytelling
• Outdoors
• Spiritual Fellowship

• Acting
• Activities
• Adventure
• Campcraft
• Competence
• Conservation
• Exploration
• Field Trips
• Fitness
• Games
• Handicrafts
• Hobbies
• Nature Craft
• Observation
• Sports
• Vocation

• Leadership
• Company Organization
• Lifestyle/Spiritual
• Activity/Exploration
• Personal Fitness/Interest
• Service
• Vocational
• Social/Cultural

Service Team Performance Review:

Yearly Goals:

• review of past year's goals, objectives
• team meeting(s) with commissioner
• plan: personal, area
• job description review/revision
• initial visitation report - written
• secondary visitation report - written
• yearly visitation report - written
• Scouters Club visitations ______ (number)
• council visits ______ (number)
• annual meeting
• service team meeting ______ (number)
• contact list of Scouters (council/program)
• contact with field executive ______ (number of times)
• call to commissioner ______ (number of times)
• program meeting (date)
• membership meeting (date)
• event visit ______ (number of times)
• other activities ______ (number of times)

Sectional Review

• DATE:
• GROUP:
• SECTION:
• MEMBERSHIP: Participating Registered Uniformed WB I WB II (Youth/Adults)

1. Have all adults working regularly with the section been fully screened?
2. Have all adults working regularly with the section completed probation?
3. Have probationary leaders been regularly assessed? By whom?
4. Have new Scouters who have successfully completed probation been formally invested?
5. When (date) If not yet, when?

1. Did you see actual program plans?(Short Term/Medium Term/Long Term)
2. How often does the section leadership team meet for program planning purposes?
3. Are youth meaningfully involved in program planning/evaluation activities by the section leadership team?
4. Are parents regularly consulted to determine satisfaction with program products and their youths’ progress?
5. Are all section program elements being used? Which elements were observed on this visit?
6. Is the workload in the section regularly shared by all members of the leadership team?
7. Is there a plan in place for linkages with other sections?
   When does it occur?
   How does it occur?

• openings
• closings
• other ceremonies
• program planning/evaluation
• spiritual emphasis
• use of Kim/Keeo/SIT/activity leader
• outdoor activities
• youth recognition
• linking
• formal training
• leadership continuity
• youth involvement in program planning

At the end of each year, a Year End Service Team Visitation Report should be filled out for each Section. In addition to the items covered above, it should also including an evaluation on the following.

1. Has the section participated in the following special program activities:
   
   Local
   Beaver Cub/Event
   Apple Day
   Scoutrees
   
   National
   Jamboree
   JOTA
   
   
2. Were the youth/parents informed well in advance of the personal development and specific special event opportunities of the next senior section?
3. Did the section leadership team participate in the following elements?
   
   Chief Scout’s/Queen’s Venturer Awards
   Kim (Scout in pack)
   Keeo (Cub in colony)
   Activity Leader (14-16 year old)
   SIT's (16-18 year old)
   Amory Award Program (Venturer/Rover)
   Duke of Edinburgh Award (Scout/Venturer)
   
   
4. Did the section leadership team participate in group committee/sponsor meetings on a regular basis? How many times in attendance?
5. Did the section leadership team provide an annual financial statement to the group committee/sponsor? Was the statement reviewed by the group committee to ensure compliance with Scouts Canada’s policies and procedures?
6. Is the section participating fully in local and provincial fund raising?
   
   Local (specify)
   
   Provincial: Number of Youth Participants:
   Calendars
   Popcorn
   Apple Day
   Scoutrees
   
   Group is not participating. Reason: