Introduction
Since the Skills for Life Strategy in Scouting was launched, the steps taken by Counties, Areas and Regions have helped to equip many more young people with skills for life through our amazing programme, supported by our incredible volunteers.
During the pandemic, however, we couldn’t carry on as normal. We rallied and responded to the challenge, adapting Scouting to meet new realities. Doing of all that was tough. It also meant pausing full implementation the Skills for Life Strategy.
Today, as we look to the future, with a renewed appreciation that Scouting has never been more needed, it’s time for us to recommit to implementing our Skills for Life Strategy. This information should help us, as a County, to prepare for the local implementation of change over the next two years, as we look to realise all the objectives in the Skills for Life Strategy that we agreed together in 2018.
Leading change
Across BSO we expect our key leadership to ensure that local implementation of our Skills for Life Strategy happens.
We already have our development plans, and you have been reviewing these in recent months. At the same time we are working hard to support the restart of Scouting, and that not all Sections and Groups are back up and running yet.
As we prepare for further change in Scouting, our key leadership have responsibilities to ensure that a focus is maintained on restarting Scouting and returning to ‘business as usual’, while steps are taken to prepare for changes that will be released over the coming two years, in a way which will not overwhelm local Scouting.
For that reason, while our County Commissioner has an important role in championing change, for example, championing everything that we are doing to improve the volunteer experience, we are looking to identify someone else, to be the Transformation Lead for our County.
What is a Transformation Lead?
The Area Commissioner would like to designate a Transformation Lead through until March 2025. The Transformation Lead will be someone who is committed to driving forward our Skills for Life Strategy, helping to plan for and lead change locally.
The Transformation Lead will work closely with the Area team and the Area Commissioner. The Transformation Lead could be an existing or new volunteer who has interest in and perhaps experience with planning and change management. They will be an enthusiastic individual, keen to build a small team around them, to help prepare for and support Districts, Groups, Units and Networks for all of the exciting changes that we anticipate rolling out over the next few years.
What we looking for in a Transformation Lead?
Transformation Lead needs to be someone who can make things happen locally; someone who is a people person, who enjoys supporting others and who is a good listener.
Our Transformation Lead will be able to talk to everyone from volunteers who like the facts, to those who want to hear the vision and story, and will be comfortable bringing constructive challenge where necessary.
Our Transformation Lead needs to recognise how the ‘big picture’ changes will positively affect volunteers at a local level.
Key tasks
Alongside fellow key volunteers the Transformation Lead will help us to understand, explain and plan the changes to come. Key tasks include:
- Taking ‘big picture’ plans and helping make them work in a local context – considering local timelines, commitments and communications channels.
- Supporting members in our County to connect the dots about what the changes mean to them.
- Helping shape future support for the Movement by feeding back what’s working and what’s not.
Personal qualities
Transformation Leads will be expected to:
- Openly contribute their views and ideas.
- Be courageous and comfortable in when talking about the importance of change.
- Put themselves in other people’s shoes.
- Be patient and flexible when unforeseen obstacles pop up.
- Be a trusted, calming voice.
Desirable experiences
Ideally Transformation Leads will have led change before in a volunteer or professional capacity, for instance they might have helped members to adapt to Scouting by Zoom.
Support from UK Headquarters
UK Headquarters is busy building a team to help support Transformation Leads in their important work. We will provide training in managing and delivering change, so it’s not essential to have this experience for the role.
Following Basecamp22, UK Headquarters will:
- Regularly communicate with all Transformation Leads
- Provide Transformation Leads with practical tools to help them in their role, in the form of presentations, talking points, documents and other materials that can be used directly and/or adapted for local use.
- Provide further training and support in response to emerging needs.
Time commitment
Much of this will depend on the approach to implementing change locally, and where our County is in implementing the Skills for Life Strategy. We would anticipate that Transformation Leads will need to:
- Assemble and work with a small team to plan for and lead the change, which will include preparing for, attending and speaking at local events.
- Join a monthly call with UK HQ (lasting about an hour) to feedback on how things are landing locally, any challenges encountered, areas for improvement and exchanging of best practice.
- Set time aside on a regular basis to be the go-to person for change in your County.
- Ensure you are able to meet with the me, and my team, as well as the County Executive, on a regular basis.
Is this you or do you know someone?
If you feel then this role is for you, you want to talk more or recommend someone then please email Graham Eden, Transformation lead (Initial) at graham.eden@britishscoutingoverseas.org.uk
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