Strategic Plan 4-1-1 The Program is Changing

[bnelon44]

Strategic Plan 4-1-1 Chairman Russ Hunsaker provides an update to the multi-year goal aimed at examining the BSA's program offerings.

 

Video here:

 

My understanding is that suggestions concerning program should be sent to

program.content@scouting.org .(This message has been edited by bnelon44)

[jpstodwftexas]

Wow a lot said without saying much

[JMHawkins]

I really do wish I had more confidence in National, but that clip sure didn't help. I've seen a lot of presentations in my career, many from stumbletounged engineers who were very inexperienced at speaking in front of a group. But that presentation ranks near the bottom of what I've seen, for content and delivery. In content it was, as jpstodwftexas said, empty. Seems pointless to have even given it. And for delivery, Mr. Hunsaker conveyed zero interested or excitement about the project. An 11 minute presentation, with two video breaks, and he had to read it off a prompter? Those stumbletounged engineers had a hard time speaking, but they knew their subject matter, and cared about it. That clip looked like a guy going through the motions.

 

Well, I do thank bnelon44 for the email address. I'll try to rally some positive energy and write up some program suggestions. If they're re-doing rank requirements again, I have some ideas.

[johnponz]

I agree that he did not say much, but this is very important. Reading between the lines and directly from what was said, it seems like the entire program is going to be changing in 2015 with new rank requirements and materials. I believe this is a very significant event that will touch on all of scouting. Not much of a preview was given, but all Scouters need to watch this carefully.

 

I know from the business world when people start talking about significant changes in the strategic plan, WATCH OUT!!!

[Tokala]

It will be interesting to see how much more of the outdoors and camping they can remove from the program. Is it possible to dumb it down even more?

[AlamanceScouter]

Humm.....not sure what to take from that presentation.

 

I think part of what is behind this is trying to align the program with is what more and more United Ways are requiring in order to receive funding. It used to be if you were a UW agency and the UW raised more money in a campaign you received more money....if the UW raised less then you received less. United Ways are going to a community impact model where the community tells the UW what priorities they want addressed then human service agencies basically submit grant requests addressing how they will meet these priorities. The national UW broad priorities are education, health, and income maintenance. BSA is probably trying to find a way to show the outcomes the movement has in order to meet these new funding requirements. I say this because i heard the word "outcomes" a lot. Then again.....It might just be about trying to make the program more relevant for today's youth.....in the BSA's minds anyway.

[Twocubdad]

Well that was 11 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

 

They've finished the assement phase and are almost done with design. So what were the results of the assessment? What are the strength? Weaknesses? What programs to Scouts want?

 

Who wants to bet they're wondering why no one is submitting anything to their comments box? Comment on what?

 

Another High Priest from national making sure none but the chosen have access the the sacred rites. If they tell us what they're thinking, they may get folks actually responding, providing input and demanding meaningful change. But if the progress is kept under wraps and shrouded in corporate speak, they can spring it on everyone as a done deal in a few years.

[bnelon44]

Found more info:

 

Strategic Plan Progress Report: Summer 2012

 

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/Media/StrategicPlan.aspx

[AlamanceScouter]

I respect what they are trying to do. IMHO, there is nothing wrong with what they are trying to do. I do think a parr of this has to do with UW funding priorities but that ok too. I think it is obvious they are saying what we all say here.... Scout IT is not very good....but at least they know it.

 

[moosetracker]

Ok, went through the whole chart.. Lots about employee, administrative emphisis, lots for membership increase and retention, lots for finanace..

 

Volunteer & program...

Well lots for training adults.

A little for training youth.

decent amount for increasing physical fitness and community service..

 

 

All in all for updating program as far as the kids are concerned... ***YAWN***

 

Did anyone find anything I missed that they thought would be an exciting program change to interest youth?

[Twocubdad]

I'll save the rest of you the half hour of reading this

ct

Strategy -- To plan stuff

Goal -- Have a plan

Action -- Plan in place.

 

This goes on for 27 pages.

 

In all 27 pages there is very little which will affect the unit. That Mr. Excitement in the video somehow gets from this that they're going to rewrite all the advancement requirements, scout and leader handbooks and "hundreds" of other program documents is a bit of a head scratcher. Bottom line -- if you're counting on this "report" to tell you anything about upcoming changes in the program, you're going to be disappointed.

 

 

[JMHawkins]

I read the progress report. And debated whether I should post my detailed response or not. Ultimately I deleted it. It was not cheerful by any stretch of the imagination. I found myself picking the report apart - on a corporate management level - pretty much piece by piece. Almost every single page has serious flaws indicative of a dysfunctional organization. I'm not talking about program issues, that's a separate concern. I mean just the day-to-day functioning of a workplace, the leadership and management of the outfit.

 

The cheerful part is that we have a new incoming CSE. I'm hopeful that he will dispose of the corporate culture that produced this mess and institute one more geared towards realistic assessments, accountability to achievable goals, and honest, forthright analysis. The good news is - from this report anyway - they have more or less the right objectives. The problem is they have poor goal planning and assesment. I'd conclude from this that the culture in Irvine is one where the guy who makes the biggest promises gets all the attention, not the guy who actually delivers results. That makes a lot of the recent screwups quite understandable, it's a culture prone to them. But it's also a culture that can be changed pretty easily by a dedicated and forceful leader.

 

Let's see if we've got one.

[Kahuna]

My thoughts: Here they go again.

[bnelon44]

We have a new CSE and a new National President. I don't know either but those who do know them say they both have histories of success.

 

On the youth training side, what is mentioned in the status report is that they are moving NAYLE to the Regional and Council level.

 

 

[JMHawkins]

We have a new CSE and a new National President.

 

Yes, I have hopes for Wayne Perry as well. But National Presidents only serve two year terms (and frankly, Wayne Brock the new CSE isn't going to serve a very long term either, due to mandatory retirement), so they'll have to act fast. Interestingly, the outdoor program objective

 

OBJECTIVE II:

The BSA is known as the

premier outdoor program

provider and educator

 

has a status of

 

We are reevaluating these goals with the recent BSA staff member change.

Due date extensions were approved at the February 2012 meeting.

 

Staff is a rather broad term and may not mean the CSE and National President, but maybe it does. I'm not terribly impressed by the actual goals for this objective as currently written, so it's encouraging they are being reconsidered. The outdoor program is the key differentiating factor in BSAs "product offerings" and deserves more attention in any strategic plan.

 

Speaking of Wayne Perry, there is also this encouraging bit in the report:

 

The strategy document for the Dirt Patrol project has been finalized and is reviewed by mikeroweWORKS. This relationship will be leveraged into a national service recognition program with Wayne Perry.

 

It's part of the same goal as the "Are You Tougher Than A Boy Scout" show, so obviously part of their media campaign. Also it's officially part of the Scouting is cool with youth objective. So, there are some bright spots.