To celebrate over 1,000 services being delivered to National Scout Organizations (NSOs) around the world, World Scouting reached out to its global membership to learn more about what WOSM Services means to them and the impact it’s had on their organisations.
Among them was Sojuz na izvidnici na Makedonija, World Scouting’s member in North Macedonia, which has received more than ten services over six years. Here’s what Elisaveta Lukanovska, the NSO’s International Commissioner, had to say about the role of WOSM Services in her organisation’s journey towards becoming stronger and more sustainable.
World Scouting: One of the services your NSO received on was support to conduct a WOSM Assessment for GSAT, World Scouting’s benching tool to help organisations measure their progress. What did your NSO learn through this process?
Elisaveta: The GSAT WOSM Assessment provided a comprehensive evaluation of our organisation's strengths and areas for improvement. It offered a structured approach to identifying key challenges, which allowed us to align more closely with global standards for a Scouting organisation. The results of the assessment provided us with information on which areas to focus on improving and what kind of support we need for that.
World Scouting: What is the biggest benefit of conducting a GSAT Assessment?
Elisaveta: The clarity it provided for our strategic direction. It made us realise our priorities and actions we need to take to improve our internal processes. With GSAT, we enhanced our credibility with partners and supporters by demonstrating our commitment to transparency and continuous improvement, ultimately driving our organisation’s growth and long-term success.
World Scouting: How is your NSO ensuring that the positive outcomes from a service continue even after it ended or if there are leadership changes?
Elisaveta: The platform offers easy access to information on past services, which is useful - even without changes in leadership! It gives a quick overview of the activities done and the results achieved. We usually use the WOSM Services platform to update any new leadership on ongoing services or to celebrate a service’s achievements when closing one. We always have a person responsible for keeping up with the information of the services and always try to include a sustainability action plan in each service that we can follow up in the future.
World Scouting: Which of the services your NSO received has had the most impact in your organisation and why?
Elisaveta: While we have used WOSM Services in different areas, the growth and governance services were most beneficial for us. The SYSPUC project, which aimed to strengthened youth spaces and participation for underrepresented communities and came out as a result of our service requests, had the most visible impact on our organisation. This initiative, supported by World Scouting in multiple areas and with different consultants — including teams from Safe from Harm, training of trainers, and growth —, led to significant administrative and governance improvements within our NSO.
The capacity building efforts, including training for leaders and partner organisations, like the NSOs in Montenegro and Albania, enhanced our operational efficiency and strengthened our ability to manage and implement programmes. These changes resulted in a more cohesive and sustainable organisation, capable of effectively addressing the needs of our members and communities.
World Scouting: Which skills from WOSM Consultants helped the most in making the service successful?
Elisaveta: Because of the nature of our requests, we had consultants that had expertise in strategic planning and policy development, which proved to be essential in creating framework action plans and implementation strategies. They demonstrated strong facilitation skills, collaboration, and most importantly had a wholesome approach in supporting us, making sure the solution for our request was sustainable and fit our local context and organisational structure.
World Scouting: What advice would you give an NSO that hasn't requested a service before?
Elisaveta: The WOSM Services platform is the most useful support tool there is! It is easy to use, the consultants are supportive, and services can be tailor-made for your organisation. There are different ways a consultant can support you and contribute to the growth and strengthening of your organisation.
Give it a go and you will always know where you can ask for support regarding other challenges next time you need it. I would like to highlight the importance of all the hardworking consultants and thank them for their amazing dedication and success in supporting the NSOs in their requests!
Interested in a WOSM Service? National Scout Organisations who wish to receive support can check out our extensive list of resources, or request a service through the WOSM Services page on Treehouse.