In the ever-evolving landscape of organisational growth and development, the decision by the Comissioner of Associação dos Escuteiros de Cabo Verde to embrace change and seek improvement stands as a testament to the organisation’s commitment to progress and the importance of WOSM Services. After conducting a GSAT Self-Assessment in July 2019, the National Scout Organisation’s (NSO) instigated a series of measures to strengthen areas highlighted for improvement that continue to have ramifications today.
A major change that impacted the NSO’s energy and commitment was the induction of a new national board, a process supported by a WOSM Consultant in July 2023. This rejuvenated team of Scouts has shown strong commitment to delivering the best support for Scouting to thrive in Cabo Verde, as well as an impressive sense of unity and alignment with the NSO’s strategic priorities.
The next major step was to review the NSO’s 2017-2022 strategic plan and to prepare a draft strategic plan for 2023-2028. The goal set for the NSO’s leadership and WOSM Consultant assigned to support this service was to identify more tangible key performance indicators and to craft a pragmatic action plan to achieve the goals established, while also addressing the harsh impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic had on implementing the previous strategy.
Work on reviewing the strategic plan ran for six months starting in September 2022, and the team was delighted to share that all the key goals were achieved:
- The NSO’s new strategic plan was aligned with industry best practices and with the global standards of WOSM.
- An operational plan was put in place to meet the targets set in the new strategic plan.
- A robust monitoring and evaluation system was developed and set up to measure the achieved impact.
Reflecting on this transformative process, Leonilde Lima, the Chief Comissioner of Associação dos Escuteiros de Cabo Verde, said that “defining a new strategy for our NSO allowed us to choose a path directed to our results based on where we are now, and what we want to achieve.”
“It was a great experience to adapt our strategic plan to the needs of our community and our NSO. I am really grateful for this experience, because I can see now the next steps our NSO needs to take,“ Leonilde said.
In parallel, the association also requested support from WOSM Services in several other areas. This resulted in significant progress being made towards reviewing the national growth strategy for 2020-2023 and in creating and implementing the NSO’s first national Youth Programme policy to better address the needs of young Scouts in Cabo Verde.
Every NSO can benefit from a GSAT Self-Assessment or a WOSM Assessment, conducted by an experienced GSAT Assessor. These assessments enable NSOs to identify their strengths and prioritise areas for improvement, helping a national team tremendously in establishing a strategic plan and giving their members a clear sense of direction and progress.
Read more about GSAT, WOSM’s global quality standard for Scouting excellence, and ask for a GSAT Assessment here. Let’s embrace the future with confidence, for the path to progress is well-illuminated when you have a roadmap for excellence.