21esc document 9a - partnership fund future

7/27/2019 21ESC Document 9a - Partnership Fund Future

1/12


2/12

2 21st European Scout Conference Document 9a


3/12


4/12


Background

The Centenary Fund was in operation since the 16th European Scout Conference

in Luxemburg (1998). It was replaced by the Partnerships Fund for

Development and Growth in 2007 and is now termed the Partnership Fund,

investing in projects conceived in partnership between the NSOs/NSAs and the

Region to support the development and growth of Scouting.

The initial proposal was presented at the 16th European Scout Conference for

establishing the Centenary Fund. Conference Document 7a of the 19 th European

Scout Conference (Slovenia, 2007), as appears on the evaluation of the 1990-

2007 Centenary Fund, states the following (points highlighted are considered to

be most important for evaluation purposes):

The initial proposal for the Centenary Fund, as presented in the European Scout

Plan 1999-2007, at the 16th European Scout Conference, Luxembourg, 1998,

was formulated as follows:

With the support of the Fund for European Scouting (McIntosh Bequest)

and the European Scout Foundation, a special fund of two million dollars

will be created to support innovative projects relating to the

implementation of the world strategy presented by national

associations. This fund, aimed at stimulating the development of

Scouting in Europe, will be called the European Scout Centenary Fund.

Projects supported by this fund will be presented in the Global

Development Village or the World Scout Centre of the 2007 World Scout

Jamboree.

The proposal was warmly welcomed by the 16th European Scout Conference

and the first applications were invited in 1998 for projects beginning in 1999.

Continuing proposal 2007

A similar Conference Document (7a, 19th European Scout Conference, Slovenia,

2007) stated that:

During the last triennium (2004-2007), a task force was created to carry out an

overall evaluation of the impact of the Centenary Fund on the development ofthe NSOs/NSAs. This task force, composed of one committee member, two

representatives of NSAs and two staff members, met in May 2005 and made the

following recommendation to the European Scout Committee:

An adjustment to the time schedule for applying and reporting for eachproject supported by the Fund: the project applications should bereceived well in advance, by 15 September each year instead of 31

December. The final report would be required a month later thanpreviously required, i.e. by 31 January of the following year instead of

31 December. By making these simple changes the project

implementation time was extended to a full calendar year, giving theopportunity to NSOs/NSAs to run longer-term projects with the potential

for a more significant impact in their development.


5/12


The NSOs/NSAs, the ESC contact members and the office staff shouldwork more closely when projects are being developed. The needs of the NSOs/NSAs should be better assessed in order to

make sure the project meets the priorities of the NSOs/NSAs.

The areas covered could be broadened but should remain within theframework of the strategic priorities.

The Centenary of Scouting was noted and a recommendation thatconsideration should be given to centenary activities and Gifts for Peace

projects.

The output of the World Scout Conference in Tunisia regarding thestrategy should be taken into consideration.

The structure of the application form was reviewed and improved.

The recommendations were adopted by the European Scout Committee and

implemented for the last two years in the operation of the Centenary Fund. The

task force also recognised that, if all the projects did not contribute to a growth

in membership they, at least, would enable some Central and Eastern European

NSOs/NSAs to maintain a minimal support structure to facilitate their activities.

These recommendations to the European Scout Committee resulted in a new

proposal to the 19th European Scout Conference to create the new fund entitled

the Partnership for Development and Growth Fund. The proposal was

presented in Conference Document 7b. However before looking at the new

proposal it is worth reading the conclusions of the then European Scout

Committee as presented in Conference Document 7a, reading as follows:

The evaluation of the Centenary Fund undertaken by the European

Scout Committee ensured that the Fund remained relevant to the needs

of the Region as well as the individual associations. It has to be

acknowledged that without the financial resources made available

through the Fund, supplemented by direct action with associations,

some associations would have found the economic situation impossible

to survive. Within the Region many associations do not have the benefit

of government financial support, many receive little recognition for the

role they are struggling to fulfil in society, and some associations suffer

from the legacies of former political systems.

To all those who made applications the European Scout Committee

pays tribute to you for your commitment to Scouting and for the time

taken to prepare the application.

To those who were successful in your application the European Scout

Committee thanks you, on behalf of the young people who benefited as

a result of your actions today and in the future.

To those who were unsuccessful the European Scout Committee

remains committed to finding ways of working with you to find

alternative solutions.


6/12


One hundred and fifty one projects were funded from the CentenaryFund. All may not have achieved every predicted outcome, but all

required vision to see the way ahead, all required effort to undertake

the actions and programmes and all required dedication to stick at the

task even when trying to report positively on a difficult situation. Many

lessons have been learned on all sides and that learning experience has

been incorporated in the proposal for Partnership for Development and

Growth Fund, which the European Scout Committee has designed to

replace the Centenary Fund. The European Scout Committee and the

regional staff are committed to continue to develop the partnership

approach to this important area of the work of the region.

Partnership for Development and Growth Fund / Partnership Fund

Conference Document 7b proposed to the 19th European Scout Conference the

creation of the PDGF identifying some important considerations stated as:

In the design of the Partnership for Development and Growth Fund thediversity of European Scouting and the diversity of the needs are

recognized. Therefore, the proposal is to create a flexible new fund,adapted to the different needs that arise, especially due to the

differences in the state of development of the NSOs/NSAs across theRegion.

In addition to these important considerations in the proposal part of document7b the following have been stated:

It is proposed that the Partnership for Development and Growth Fundshould integrate all the factors mentioned above and that it should

reflect and respond to the diversity of needs and state of developmentof different NSOs/NSAs.

Since the Partnership for Development and Growth Fund will be open toall NSOs/NSAs, they will be invited to apply for the support of projects

according to their specific needs and priorities. In this respect, a priorconsultation with the Committee Contact Member and/or the European

Office Staff Contact Member, will be essential to agree the fundamental

principles and the parameters on which the project will be based and thepriorities that it will cover.

All projects will be considered to be partnership projects between theNSOs/NSAs involved and the Region. The degree of Regional

involvement will be decided by the Region, on the basis of theimportance of the project and the assessment of the expected

involvement and contribution from the Regions side to maximize the

impact on the NSO/NSA involved. In this decision, a seriousconsideration should be given on the ability of the Region to provide the

necessary support, given its human resources constraints.

The benefits of applying this approach will be that:

The European Scout Committee contact system will be enhanced andfurther supported.


7/12


A focused, tailor-made approach will be implemented. The NSOs/NSAs will be assisted to prioritise their needs and develop a

more effective and efficient strategic plan.

The Region will have a clearer overview of the use of the funds madeavailable.

Partnership agreements between the Region and the NSOs/NSAs will beput into practice, which may be further used as examples of good

practice for developing similar or other types of partnership agreementswith partners outside Scouting.

The Region will have a better knowledge of the situation in NSOs/NSAsto enable more effective decision making.

A better utilisation of the financial resources and support to NSOs/NSAswill be achieved.

With this as a historical overview, what became known as the Partnership Fund

has been in the service of the European Scout Region to support the

development and growth of Scouting for the last six years.

What is the Amount Invested?

Have we invested too much or too little? The total amount invested by the

European Scout Region over the period 1999-2010 on a triennial basis is shown

in table 1 below as follows:

Table 1: Centenary Fund and Partnership Fund for Development and

Growth European Scout Region Investment

Triennium 1999 -

2001

2002 -

2004

2005 -

2007

2008 -

2010

2011 -

2013

Total CF Total

PFDG

(USD) 954,900 910100 664,000 2,509,000

(EUR) 354,300 341,215 695,515

Obviously the natural question asked in a case like this is is this too much or

too little? The European Scout Committee at its last meeting of the Triennium

2010-13 has discussed the issue and tried to evaluate the fund. The evaluationwas done on the basis of a questionnaire that the ESC members were asked to

fill on the basis of which an evaluation matrix was completed. The matrix was

drawn on two parameters:

a. The evaluation of the level of the amount invested, Investment Level(i.e. too much or too little?)

b. The achievement of the goals set to fulfil through the life of the fund andthe considerations raised at each level of its development over its 14-

year life of existence, Net Benefit. This was taken as the average ofthe answers to 30 questions raised in a questionnaire within the 1-5

range.

Thus the evaluation matrix takes the following form:


8/12


9/12


10/12


2011 March

Israel Empowering the Muslim association - training 15,000

Netherlands Recognition of Learning in Scouting 17,225

2011 June

Albania Development of Scouting in Albania 13,820

Estonia Documentary about Scouting in Estonia 12,650

2011 November

Croatia Youth Programme Development 21,000

Hungary Scout Troops to be found anywhere you want 13,000

Iceland Strategy Implementation 15,000

Latvia Educational Programme renewal 9,900

Spain - ASDE 100 years more growth through quality 14,000

2012 March

Albania Development of Scouting in Albania 13,820

Denmark - Faroes Programme renewal support 6,000

Czech Republic New programme last phase 12,500

2012 June

France - EEUDF Growth strategy 25,000

Greece R&R growth project 18,000

Israel Growth campaign 15,000

Slovenia Promotion for Growth 15,000

2013 March

France - SGDF Mission adventure recruitment campaign 10,000

2013 June

Albania Development of local Scouting 11,000

Kandersteg Rover Week programme development 20,800


11/12


Spain - MSC Pilot programme 12,500


12/12


World Scout Bureau - European Regional Office Inc.

June 2013

World Scout Bureau European Regional Office

P.O. Box 327, Rue Henri-Christine 5

CH-1211 Geneva 4

Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 705 11 00

Fax: +41 22 705 11 09

[email protected]

scout.org/europe

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.

21esc document 9a - partnership fund future

Documents