World Youth Programme Policy

World Scouting has developed several global policies to support National Scout

Organizations (NSOs) in delivering safe, relevant, high-quality Scouting experiences. Over time, these policies have evolved independently, reflecting different priorities, mandates, and stages in the Movement's development.

The review of the World Scouting policy framework began to ensure the policies remain relevant, coherent, and aligned with the current needs of young people, adults, and NSOs.

The review of the previous World Scout Youth Involvement Policy (2014), World Scout Youth Programme Policy (2014), Safe from Harm World Policy (2017), and World Adults in Scouting Policy (2018) began following a decision by the 2021– 2024 World Scout Committee. The review aims to keep the policies aligned, strengthen coherence across WOSM’s educational and organisational framework, and reflect the priorities outlined in the Strategy for Scouting adopted by the 43rd World Scout Conference in 2024. The review also responds to resolutions and decisions adopted by the World Scout Conference and the World Scout Committee, including commitments related to Safe from Harm, Health and Well-being, Youth Engagement, educational quality, inclusion, and organizational effectiveness.

The new policies build on the strengths and content of the previous policies, updating key principles and introducing new concepts where needed to ensure relevance to emerging trends and needs.

Recognizing that Scouting outcomes depend on interactions across multiple policy areas, World Scouting undertook an integrated review process, first defining a Policy Review Framework to guide 4 autonomous but interconnected policy review teams, including consultations with NSOs, volunteers, young people, and subject-matter experts. This process highlighted the need for a common policy architecture and greater coherence between policies.

World Scouting policies establish the principles, commitments, and expectations that guide decision-making and implementation across the

Movement.

In World Scouting, a policy is a purpose-driven, values-based set of principles that defines the Movement’s shared aims and directions in a specific area. It serves as an institutional tool for long-term change - providing stability, guiding innovation, and remaining adaptable to evolving contexts.

Policies provide direction on what World Scouting seeks to achieve and the conditions required for success. They are not operational procedures, manuals, or implementation guidelines. Rather, they provide a common framework that supports adaptation to different national, cultural, legal, educational, and organizational contexts.

Guiding Principles

All World Scouting policies are guided by common principles:

• Mission-driven and values-based.

• Youth-centred and educational.

• Safe, inclusive, and accessible.

• Evidence-informed and future-oriented.

• Adaptable to different contexts.

• Based on shared responsibility and accountability.

• Committed to participation, partnership, and continuous improvement.

Policies as a System

The World Scouting policy framework has been developed as an interconnected system between:

• Youth Programme Policy,

• Youth Leadership Policy,

• Adults in Scouting Policy

• Safe from Harm Policy

This policy system aims to achieve its outcomes through the interactions among these four policy areas. It defines the relationships among 4 autonomous but interconnected policies, creates a common policy architecture, improves coherence between policies, strengthens implementation support, and clarifies how the policies work together as a system.

Each policy has a distinct purpose but cannot achieve its objectives on its own. The policies reinforce and depend on one another.

Quality Youth Programmes require capable, supported Adults and Volunteers; meaningful Youth Leadership requires safe, inclusive environments; Safe from Harm depends on responsible Adults, Volunteers, and active participation by young people; and Adults in Scouting supports the volunteers who make all other aspects of Scouting possible.

Together, the policies establish the conditions necessary for young people and adults to benefit from Scouting and contribute to its Mission. It guides NSOs in strengthening local Scout Groups and effectively delivering Scouting Education.

The policy system seeks to:

• Support transformative educational experiences.

• Foster youth participation, leadership, and active citizenship.

• Ensure safe and supportive environments.

• Strengthen adult and volunteer development and support.

• Improve organizational effectiveness and sustainability.

• Support quality Scouting across diverse contexts.

Delivery Settings

Scouting is delivered in a variety of contexts around the world, typically identified through:

• Community-Based Scouting - Scouting delivered primarily through community-based Scout Groups and local volunteer structures.

• School-Based Scouting - Scouting delivered within educational institutions where schools play a significant role in facilitating participation, leadership, organization, or programme delivery.

While implementation contexts and delivery methods may differ, the Mission of Scouting, Scout Method, educational purpose, and values remain consistent across all delivery settings. The policy system supports implementation across both community-based and school-based Scouting while allowing contextual adaptation.

The primary audience for the World Scouting policy system is National Scout Organizations and National Scout Associations. NSOs and NSAs are responsible for contextualizing, implementing, monitoring, and continuously improving the application of these policies within their own realities at the national level.

Adults in Scouting also share responsibility for upholding and applying these guiding principles within their respective contexts, thereby contributing to their effective implementation across all levels of the Movement.

The policies support governance bodies, professional staff, volunteers, trainers, commissioners, educational leaders, and other individuals responsible for creating the conditions necessary for quality Scouting.

World Scouting supports NSOs through policy guidance, services, implementation resources, capacity development, and opportunities for shared learning.

System

The World Scouting policy system is built around beneficiaries' needs.

Young People - Young people are Scouting's primary beneficiaries. Through Scouting, they access educational opportunities, personal development, participation, leadership experiences, and opportunities to become active citizens who contribute positively to their communities.

Adults - Individuals who support young people and carry out their roles while also benefiting from the Movement. They benefit from meaningful volunteering experiences, learning opportunities, support, recognition, personal growth, and opportunities to contribute to young people's development and the wider Movement.

As a system, these policies create an integrated experience for young people and adults in all contexts worldwide.

The policies' effectiveness as a system depends on coordinated implementation.

Policies alone do not create change. Their impact depends on NSOs' ability to build the structures, culture, leadership, resources, and support systems needed to implement them.

Implementation should therefore be approached as a system rather than through isolated policy actions. NSOs should consider how Youth Programme, Adults in Scouting, Safe from Harm, and Youth Leadership interact and reinforce one another within their governance, educational, safeguarding, and volunteer management systems. This should consider that implementation should be proportional to NSO relations and capacities.

Successful implementation requires enabling environments that support learning, participation, leadership, safety, inclusion, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Part II. World Youth

Programme Policy

Chapter 1: Introduction

The Youth Programme is the educational framework through which Scouting fulfils its purpose and brings Education for Life to young people.1 It translates

Scouting's educational foundations into learning opportunities and experiences that support their holistic development and prepare them to become active citizens.

The Youth Programme is guided by three fundamental questions: Why Scouting exists, How Scouting becomes meaningful through the Scout Method, and What young people experience in Scouting.

Through the Youth Programme, young people learn by doing, live the values of the Scout Promise and Law, take increasing responsibility for their own development, work in small teams, serve their communities, and develop the competencies, confidence, and motivation to contribute positively to the world around them.

From its earliest days, Baden-Powell described Scouting not as a collection of activities, but as a distinctive way of educating young people. Since Scouting for Boys was published in 1908, the Youth Programme has remained Scouting's primary means of fulfilling its educational purpose. While the educational foundations he established have remained constant, the Youth Programme has evolved to respond to the changing realities of young people and society.

Please refer to the definitions (in this document) of Youth, Young People, Age Sections and Adults.

As Scouting expanded across cultures and continents, it became increasingly clear that the Purpose, Principles, and Scout Method should unite the Movement worldwide, while the Youth Programme must be developed and adapted by National Scout Organizations2 according to their own contexts.

The first World Programme Policy, adopted in 1990, marked an important shift from seeing the Youth Programme as a fixed set of activities towards understanding it as an educational framework. The World Scout Youth

Programme Policy adopted in 2014 strengthened this perspective and introduced the Youth Programme Life Cycle as a common approach to programme development, implementation, and review, understanding the

Youth Programme as the totality of learning opportunities aligned with the purpose and method of Scouting.3

This third edition builds on those foundations while responding to new opportunities and challenges facing the Scout Movement, providing direction for the continued development of national Youth Programme that meet the evolving needs of young people.

Programme Policy

The World Youth Programme Policy establishes the principles and expectations that guide National Scout Organizations in developing, implementing, evaluating, and continuously improving their Youth Programme, in alignment with the Fundamentals of Scouting.

Specifically, this policy:

• establishes a shared understanding of the educational foundations of the Youth Programme;

• explains how the Youth Programme fulfils the Purpose of Scouting through the Why–How–What framework;

• defines the common educational principles and expectations that guide national Youth Programmes;

• clarifies the Youth Programme's relationship with other World

Scouting policies; and

• provides the policy foundation for designing, implementing, evaluating, and continuously improving national Youth Programmes.

All references to National Scout Organizations include National Scout Associations. See section 2.1, “Definition of the Youth Programme”, for more detail.

This policy applies to the Youth Programme throughout the Scout Movement, including those delivered through community-based, school-based, and mixed settings.

It does not prescribe a single model of Scouting, a fixed set of activities, a specific age-section structure, or one implementation approach. National Scout Organizations are expected to adapt their Youth Programmes to their own contexts while remaining aligned with the Purpose, Principles, and Scout Method of Scouting.

This policy is intended for volunteers and professionals responsible for designing, implementing, supporting, evaluating, and improving Youth

Programmes at national, regional, and world levels.

It also serves as a reference for educational partners, researchers, public authorities, and other stakeholders whose work contributes to the quality of

Scouting Education.

Young people participating in Scouting are the primary beneficiaries of this policy.

The definitions in this section are those relevant for this policy - where a definition is established across the four policies system, only the term is listed here.

Age Sections - Age Sections are divisions within Scouting organized by age range and different stages of personal development. The actual names and age ranges of these sections differ from country to country.

Adults in Scouting

Supporting adults - Supporting adults are adults in Scouting who are in direct contact with young people, co-creating the programme with them and providing the “adult support” described in the Scout Method.

GPS - The Guide to Youth Programme in Scouting. The WOSM framework for development, implementation, and lifecycle management of national Youth

Programme systems.

Chapter 2: The Youth Programme

Policy

This chapter establishes the common educational understanding of the Youth Programme in Scouting through the Why–How–What framework: why it exists, how it becomes meaningful educational experiences through the Scout

Method, and what learning opportunities it encompasses.

All National Scout Organizations are required to provide a Youth Programme aligned with the Fundamentals of Scouting and the educational principles established in this policy adapted to different cultural, social, educational, legal, and organizational contexts.

The Youth Programme in Scouting is the totality of the learning opportunities that young people are offered within Scouting and from which they can benefit (What), that are created to achieve the purpose of Scouting (Why) and experienced through the Scout Method (How).

The Youth Programme therefore comprises three inseparable dimensions:

Why – The educational objectives, in accordance with the purpose and principles of the Movement.

How – The Scout Method, through which young people experience learning opportunities and develop through progressive selfeducation.

What – All learning opportunities and experiences from which young people can benefit, whether organized or spontaneous.

The Purpose of Scouting provides the common direction for the Youth

Programme. Educational objectives translate this purpose into intended learning outcomes that guide the design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of national Youth Programmed.

These objectives focus on young people's holistic development and their preparation for active citizenship, as outlined in the following sections.

2.2.1. Scouts as empowered individuals - Holistic Development

Scouting recognizes that young people develop as whole persons. Scouting therefore considers all dimensions of the human personality, and its educational objectives therefore address all areas of personal growth: physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, and character development.

These areas should not be considered separately, but as interdependent dimensions of holistic development, recognizing that growth in one area strengthens development across others. Chapter 2 of the Guide to Youth Programme in Scouting (GPS) provides further guidance on these areas of personal growth.

2.2.2. Scouts as active citizens - ready for life

Building on their holistic development, the Youth Programmer’s main educational outcome is young people empowered to apply their competencies in service of others and contribute to their communities. Scouting prepares young people for life by supporting them in developing transferable competencies, understood as a combination of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values4, that help them navigate an increasingly complex and changing world.

Active citizenship is the practical expression of Scouting's values and purpose. It reflects young people's ability and commitment to participate responsibly in civic life, uphold shared values, exercise critical thinking, and take action to create positive change at the local, national, and global levels.

In a world increasingly shaped by digitalization and artificial intelligence, the Youth

Programme should strengthen the human competencies that enable young people to navigate change, engage critically and ethically with other humans and with technology, and to contribute meaningfully to society.

To support these educational outcomes, the Youth Programme should contribute to the development of the following key competencies:

Critical and Reflective Thinking

The ability to think critically, analyze information and situations, question assumptions, reflect on values and actions, and make informed decisions in complex and changing circumstances.

Personal Integrity and Growth

The ability to act ethically and consistently with one's values, take responsibility for one's actions, reactions, health, and personal development; demonstrate resilience and self-discipline, and learn from experience.

Working with Others

The ability to build positive relationships, collaborate with others, communicate effectively, show empathy, build trust, and support

See GPS, Step 3 leadership5 processes by engaging and empowering people toward shared goals.

Creativity and Initiative

The ability to identify opportunities for improvement, envision positive futures, help establish shared goals, and take initiative to turn ideas into meaningful action.

Making Positive Change

The ability to plan, organize, and sustain action with others; mobilize resources and effort; solve problems; and contribute to positive, lasting change in communities and society.

Respecting Diversity

The ability to value and learn from diverse perspectives, identities, cultures, and experiences, promote inclusion, and foster mutual understanding, respect, and dialogue across differences.

Active Citizenship

The ability to participate responsibly in civic life, work with others for the common good, uphold democratic and non-violent principles, and exercise leadership in addressing challenges and opportunities within communities.

Competencies provide a common reference for national Youth Programmed rather than a fixed or exhaustive list. National Scout Organizations may adapt, further develop, and organize them according to their educational contexts, while preserving the intended learning outcomes, enabling young people to become individuals, active citizens, and members of their local, national, and international communities.

In a world increasingly shaped by digitalization and artificial intelligence, the

Youth Programme should strengthen the human competencies that enable young people to navigate change, engage critically and ethically with other humans and with technology, and to contribute meaningfully to society. We strongly recommend NSOs to use emerging technologies responsibly while strengthening the human qualities essential for personal development, leadership, and active citizenship.

Competencies also express Scouting’s understanding of leadership as a collaborative process through which young people establish shared visions, engage and empower others, and facilitate positive change.6 Leadership is not

Please refer to the WOSM guideline, 21st Century Leadership in Scouting.

See e.g. 21st Century Leadership in Scouting. World Scout Bureau (2019).

limited to formal positions, but is practiced through initiative, teamwork, responsibility, service, and ethical action in everyday life.

2.2.3 Key Principles for the Youth Programme

Building on the common principles established in Part I, the following principles guide the development and implementation of the Youth Programme throughout the Scout Movement.

The Youth Programme should:

1. Have young people at its center and as co-creators

At all levels of Scouting, Young people should actively help shape their Youth Programme and take increasing responsibility for their own learning and development (created by young people, not for them)7.

The Youth Programme should provide opportunities for meaningful participation and decision-making at all levels, with sufficient flexibility for young people to adapt their experiences to their interests, needs, and aspirations.

2. Be about education and support lifelong learning

As a non-formal educational movement, Scouting provides progressive learning opportunities that support young people's personal development and prepare them for their present and future lives. The

Youth Programme should have a clear educational purpose, enabling young people to develop competencies, become increasingly autonomous, and apply their learning in different situations throughout life. Everything we do in Scouting should carry educational value and follow a successful development and implementation life cycle.

3. Develop active citizens for the present and the future

The Youth Programme should create learning opportunities for lifelong learning, helping young people develop the competencies to become active citizens of their communities and responsible, committed leaders today and tomorrow. It should empower them to be autonomous, take part in decision-making at the unit and institutional levels within Scouting, and in society outside Scouting. The Youth Programme transforms young people into active citizens, first in Scouting and then in the community.8

4. Be locally adapted and globally united

National Scout Organizations should develop Youth Programmed that reflect their cultural, social, and educational contexts while remaining

See Youth Leadership Policy

Refer to the World Scout Conference Resolution 2017-08 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the SDGs website: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs aligned with the Fundamentals of Scouting. This requires balancing shared educational foundations with the flexibility to respond to local realities and allow young people to shape their experiences.

5. Be relevant, innovative and future oriented

The Youth Programme should respond to the evolving needs, interests, and aspirations of young people and the changing realities of society.

Its development should be informed by evidence, reflection, and innovation, ensuring that learning opportunities remain relevant while preserving Scouting's distinctive educational approach. This includes responding to digital transformation by strengthening the human competencies young people need to navigate technological change, while preserving Scouting's distinctive educational value through reallife experiences, human relationships, and learning by doing. The

Youth Programme should consider society's cultural, social, political, and economic dimensions and reflect and meet the needs and interests of young people today and in the near future.

6. Be open to all and inclusive

The Youth Programme should provide accessible, meaningful learning opportunities for all young people and support their well-being, while respecting their diversity, backgrounds, abilities, and individual circumstances, including being adaptable for people with special needs or disabilities. It should be sufficiently flexible to respond to different needs and remove barriers to participation, enabling every young person to benefit from Scouting.

7. Be attractive, challenging, and meaningful

The Youth Programme should be fun with purpose; it should challenge young people to explore risks safely9 and align with their interests. Scouting provides learning opportunities for young people, facilitated by adults and created through a cooperative process between adults and young people. These learning opportunities are not random activities; they should fit within a structured educational framework that leads to a meaningful, fulfilling experience for young people.

These principles complement the common principles of the World Scouting Policy Framework and should be applied in conjunction with the relevant World Scouting policies, particularly those addressing Youth Leadership, Adults in Scouting, and Safe from Harm.

Youth Safeguarding (SFH) Policy

The Scout Method is the educational method through which the Youth Programme is delivered and experienced by the young people. It is based on self-education; it recognizes each young person as a unique individual and the primary actor in their own educational journey, taking increasing responsibility for their learning and personal growth.

Through the Scout Method, young people turn learning opportunities into meaningful experiences, supported by adults who facilitate their development. This requires a partnership between young people and adults, in which adults create the conditions for learning while young people actively shape their experiences and take responsibility for their own development.

2.3.1. The Scout Method

The Scout Method is a system of progressive self-education based on the interaction of eight equally important elements. These elements work together as a cohesive system and must be applied in a combined, balanced way to achieve Scouting's educational purpose.10

Please refer to WOSM’s Constitution and the WOSM guideline, The Scout Method.

The Scout Method is one of the Fundamental Characteristics of Scouting and comprises the following elements:

The Scout Promise and Law - A personal voluntary commitment to a set of shared values, which is the foundation of everything a Scout does and a Scout wants to be. The Promise and Law are central to the Scout Method,

Learning by doing - The use of practical actions (real-life experiences) and reflection(s) to facilitate ongoing learning and development,

Personal progression - A progressive learning journey focused on motivating and challenging an individual to continually develop, through a wide variety of learning opportunities,

Team system - The use of small teams as a way to participate in collaborative learning, with the aim of developing effective teamwork, interpersonal skills, leadership as well as building a sense of responsibility and belonging,

Adult Support - Adults facilitating and supporting young people, through intergenerational dialogue, to create learning opportunities and through a culture of partnership to turn these opportunities into meaningful experiences,

Symbolic framework - A unifying structure of themes and symbols to facilitate learning and the development of a unique identity as a Scout,

Nature - Learning opportunities in the outdoors which encourage a better understanding of and a relationship with the wider environment,

Community Involvement - Active exploration and commitment to communities and the wider world, fostering greater appreciation and understanding between people.

NSOs are expected to apply the fundamentals of Scouting, including the Scout Method, and the guiding principles of relevant global policies.

2.3.2. Youth leadership

A defining feature of the Youth Programme is that youth lead all age sections.

Young people should lead in shaping their learning experiences and making decisions that matter to them, while adults support and facilitate their development. Small teams, such as Sixes and Patrols, give young people opportunities to work autonomously, take responsibility, and overcome challenges together.

Adults who “support and facilitate” mean their presence enables young people to lead and make decisions in ways they find meaningful, about things that matter to them, including design and delivery.

Youth leadership should be age-appropriate, recognizing young people's different stages of development and increasing capacity for autonomy. Young people should experience that their voices are taken seriously and that their decisions actively shape their Youth Programme experiences. Responsibility, independence, and support should evolve progressively throughout their

Scouting journey.

The Youth Programme should prepare young people to exercise leadership within and beyond Scouting, developing the competencies and confidence to participate meaningfully in decision-making bodies, collaborate across and with diverse generations, and contribute to shaping their communities and society.

For the broader principles and expectations concerning youth participation, representation, and leadership within the Movement, refer to the World Youth Leadership Policy.

2.3.3. Well-being and Safeguarding

The Youth Programme should provide learning environments that support the well-being, safety, and inclusion of all young people. These environments should enable them to express their ideas, exercise leadership, explore new experiences, take appropriate risks, learn from mistakes, and progressively take responsibility for their decisions.

The Youth Programme should empower and support young people to take the lead, try new things, express their ideas, take risks and make mistakes, and take responsibility for their choices and participate in the leadership needed to implement those choices.

Safeguarding should be integrated into the educational experience without unnecessarily limiting opportunities for discovery, adventure, and personal growth. The Youth Programme needs to balance appropriate educational risktaking to promote well-being and personal growth, with the responsibility to prevent harm, ensuring that challenges and experiences are suited to young people's ages, abilities, and stages of development11. The World Safe from Harm

Policy provides direction on this. World Scouting has zero tolerance for violence, abuse, or maltreatment of any kind.

The Youth Programme should also provide age-appropriate learning opportunities that enable young people to:

• develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to support their own well-being and that of others;

• participate in creating safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environments and contribute to preventing violence and abuse; and

• understand their rights, including their right to safety, dignity, and well-being.

Young people's participation in creating safer environments does not replace the responsibility of adults and National Scout Organizations to ensure their protection. Safeguarding responsibilities, standards, and procedures are established in the World Safe from Harm Policy and its supporting resources.

See, e.g. Øyvind Kvalnes & Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter (2023). Risky play. an ethical challenge. Palgrave Macmillan which offers a framework for discussing and analysing this balance.

The Youth Programme encompasses a wide range of learning opportunities offered to young people in Scouting, including camping and outdoor activities, community service and development projects, games, ceremonies, personal progression and proficiency badges, and experiences within teams and Scout Groups.

These opportunities may be organized or spontaneous, individual or collective, and take place in different settings. Their educational value lies not simply in the activities themselves, but in the meaningful learning experiences they create through the Scout Method.

The Youth Programme is intentionally designed to achieve Scouting's

Educational Objectives through the Scout Method.

2.4.1. Learning Opportunities

The Youth Programme should provide a balanced, progressive, and diverse range of learning opportunities that respond to young people's ages, stages of development, interests, aspirations, and contexts. These opportunities should support all areas of personal growth and enable young people to progressively develop and apply their knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values.

Learning opportunities extend beyond planned activities and include situations and experiences that arise naturally through participation in Scouting. National

Scout Organizations should ensure that their Youth Programmes provide sufficient flexibility for young people, supported by adults, to shape and benefit from these opportunities according to their individual and collective needs.

2.4.2 Meaningful Learning Experiences

The educational value of the Youth Programme depends on the quality of the learning experiences it creates. Learning opportunities should actively engage young people, encourage reflection, and enable them to apply their learning in different situations. Young people and supporting adults should also be able to recognize and transform spontaneous situations into meaningful learning experiences.

Meaningful learning experiences should respond to each young person's abilities, competencies, stage of development, and needs. While the Youth Programme provides a common educational framework, each young person follows a unique learning journey, progressing at their own pace and benefiting from experiences that contribute to their personal growth.

Chapter 3: The Youth Programme

Life-Cycle

The Youth Programme life cycle is the continuous process through which

National Scout Organisations develop and sustain a high-quality Youth

Programme. It's structured around interconnected phases of designing, implementing, and maintaining the Youth Programme, ensuring it stays aligned with the Purpose, Principles, and Scout Method of Scouting while responding to the changing needs of young people and society.

It is a process of learning, evaluation, adaptation, and improvement that supports Scouting's long-term relevance and educational impact.

The Youth Programme life cycle should complement, as much as possible, the roles of parents (informal education), schools (formal education), and other stakeholders (partners, youth institutions, government, etc.). Scouting is not isolated from its surroundings, and we should recognise the constructive role other stakeholders can play within the Youth Programme life cycle.

Programme development is the process of regularly reappraising and adjusting the Youth Programme of an NSO to suit the changing needs and aspirations of young people in society and thus, improve its quality, relevance, and impact.

Designing the Youth Programme is the process through which a National Scout Organization develops or reviews its educational proposal. The process of designing or reviewing the Youth Programme is complete and efficient when the concrete Educational Proposal is put into practice, innovating and improving the quality of the Youth Programme that is lived in the local units (and not just included in materials or resources produced by the NSO). When designing a new Youth Programme, the NSO is recommended to be inspired by the process set out in the GPS.

3.1.1. Understanding Needs and Context

Programme development is the process of regularly reviewing and adjusting an NSO's Youth Programme to meet the changing needs and aspirations of young people in society, improving its quality, relevance, and impact.

National Scout Organisations should also consider emerging trends that influence young people's lives and development, changing conditions in the context, and other factors affecting adult support, social change, and education.

3.1.2. Setting goals

Designing the Youth Programme begins with establishing a shared educational direction for the National Scout Organization. This process should engage the Organization at all levels to build broad consensus around its educational purpose and ensure a common understanding of the educational outcomes the Youth Programme seeks to achieve.

Defining its Educational Proposal, Areas of Personal Growth, and Educational Objectives, the NSO establishes the educational framework that guides the design, implementation, and continuous development of its Youth Programme.

• Educational Proposal - clearly articulates the NSO educational intentions and expresses the Fundamentals of Scouting, adapted and expanded to reflect the national context.

• Areas of personal growth - identify the Areas of Personal Growth for the holistic development of young people, reflecting all dimensions of the young person and guiding the educational journey.

• Final educational competencies, expressing concretely the desirable competencies expected to be achieved at the time the young person completes their educational journey and departs from the Scout

Movement.

3.1.3. Organising Age Sections

The Youth Programme should be organised into age sections that reflect the developmental stages of children and young people, ensuring that the educational journey is appropriate to their evolving needs, interests, abilities, and aspirations. National Scout Organizations should determine the age sections of their Youth Programme based on an understanding of young people’s developmental stages within their national context.

• Age sections - to the NSO’s Youth Programme, based on the analysis of the different stages of development of children and young people within their national context. Transitions between age groups should support young people's continuous, progressive development.

• Section educational competencies - National Scout Organizations should establish Educational Objectives for each age section that progressively contribute to the overall Educational Objectives of the

Youth Programme.

3.1.4. Designing the Youth Programme Framework

This framework should provide age-appropriate learning opportunities, apply the Scout Method to the developmental characteristics of each age section, and include a personal progression system that supports every young person’s continuous growth and development.

• Developing learning opportunities - will allow young people to achieve intermediate objectives or competencies. These should be meaningful, challenging, and apply their learning through active participation and real-life experiences.

• Adapting the Scout Method - to the characteristics of each age section, national context and the characteristics of young people in their country.

• A personal progression system - for each of the age sections, a system that helps young people set personal goals, recognise their achievements, identify opportunities for further growth, and progress at their own pace throughout their Scouting journey,

When developing its Youth Programme, an NSO should consider many other areas in addition to the content of the Programme:

• The NSO should develop guiding principles for integrating wellbeing and safeguarding into the youth programme and raise awareness among young people about their right to be safe and what Safe from Harm is.

• When developing the Programme, NSOs should also consider adult development schemes to ensure that the Youth Programme is implemented appropriately.

• NSOs should establish an infrastructure to support the implementation, monitoring, and further development of the

Programme.

• They should also ensure that they have sufficiently qualified and active adults with the relevant knowledge, skills, mindset and values.

Implementing the Youth Programme translates the educational framework into meaningful learning experiences for young people. It requires a planned and coordinated approach involving young people, supporting adults, governing bodies, and other relevant stakeholders.

National Scout Organizations should ensure that the Youth Programme is understood, supported, and effectively applied at all levels, particularly within local Scout units, where young people experience Scouting.

3.2.1 Preparing for Implementation

National Scout Organizations should establish an implementation process that supports the effective introduction or revision of their Youth Programme. This process should consider the organization’s context, capacities, and available resources, and include:

• Planning – Analyzing the current social and organizational conditions in which the Youth Programme will be implemented, assessing the NSO's readiness, strengths, and areas for improvement, and developing an implementation plan with the involvement of young people and other relevant stakeholders, including clear responsibilities and specific actions.

• Communication and engagement – Communicating the educational proposal and relevant changes, engaging young people and supporting adults, and making appropriate Youth Programme materials and resources available.

• Capacity development and support – Ensuring that adults and other relevant stakeholders have the competencies, understanding, and support needed to fulfil their roles in implementing the Youth Programme.

• Piloting and feedback – Where appropriate, testing new or revised programme components, gathering feedback, and establishing mechanisms to identify challenges and inform adjustments during implementation.

The Youth Programme and Adults in Scouting functions should work collaboratively to identify the competencies and development needs of supporting adults and ensure that appropriate learning and support opportunities are available, in accordance with the World Adults in Scouting Policy.

3.2.2 Delivering the Youth Programme

National Scout Organizations should support the effective delivery of the Youth Programme in local Scout units and other relevant settings, ensuring that the educational framework is translated into meaningful learning experiences through the Scout Method, designed in collaboration of young people.

Delivery should respond to local circumstances while maintaining the educational objectives and principles established in Chapter 2. NSOs should provide appropriate guidance and support to local units and encourage collaboration with partners and other stakeholders where this enhances learning opportunities and contributes to achieving the Youth Programme's educational objectives.

3.2.3 Supporting Change

Implementing a new or revised Youth Programme requires appropriate organizational support to facilitate change across the NSO. National Scout Organizations should support local units and relevant stakeholders in adopting new educational approaches and practices, recognizing that changes may require time, adaptation, and ongoing assistance.

The implementation process should provide opportunities to identify challenges, share experiences and good practices, and make necessary adjustments to support the effective adoption of the Youth Programme.

Maintaining the Youth Programme is the continuous process of monitoring, evaluating, reviewing, and improving its quality, relevance, and educational effectiveness.

National Scout Organizations should establish systematic processes that enable them to assess how the Youth Programme is being implemented, respond to changing circumstances, and make informed decisions about its further development.

3.3.1. Monitoring and Evaluating the Youth Programme

National Scout Organizations should regularly monitor and evaluate their Youth

Programmes to assess their implementation, educational quality, and effectiveness, by establishing systematic processes, tools and mechanisms at NSO level.

Monitoring should examine how the Youth Programme is delivered and applied in practice, while evaluation should assess the extent to which it achieves its educational objectives and contributes to young people's development. Assessing the educational impact of Scouting can also provide evidence on how effective the Youth Programme is.

These processes should draw on relevant evidence, including feedback from young people, supporting adults, other stakeholders and existing systems in place by the NSO or the organization, like GSAT. Their findings should inform decisions to strengthen the Youth Programme and identify areas requiring further development.

NSOs should conduct regular reviews of their Youth Programmes, complemented by more comprehensive reviews when necessary. As a general recommendation, a thorough review and revision may be undertaken every five to ten years, depending on national circumstances and the pace of change affecting young people and society.

3.3.2 Responding to Emerging Trends

National Scout Organizations should regularly consider emerging social, educational, technological, environmental, economic, and other developments that may influence young people's lives and learning needs.

These developments should inform decisions about adapting the Youth

Programme, including its learning opportunities, educational approaches, and supporting resources. The Youth Programme must be intentionally designed to remain responsive to changing contexts while remaining grounded in the Fundamentals of Scouting shared global educational outcomes.

Innovation and adaptation should strengthen the relevance and educational quality of the Youth Programme while preserving the Fundamentals of Scouting. In responding to emerging technologies and other changes, NSOs should maintain the distinctive value of Scouting's human-centered educational approach, as reflected in Section 2.2.2.

Emerging trends should inform the Youth Programme's continuous development but should not alter the foundations of Scouting Education. Innovation and adaptation should always strengthen, rather than replace.

3.3.3 Continuous Improvement

National Scout Organizations should foster a culture of continuous improvement by using evidence from monitoring, evaluation, and feedback to strengthen the quality and impact of their Youth Programmes.

This includes reviewing and updating relevant Youth Programme resources, sharing experiences and good practices, and encouraging innovation that enhances Scouting Education.

The findings and learning generated through this process should inform future decisions about programme design and implementation, ensuring that the

Youth Programme Life Cycle remains continuous and responsive to the needs of young people and society.

Chapter 4: Implementation of the

Effective implementation of the World Youth Programme Policy requires its principles and expectations to be reflected in relevant institutional documents, processes, and support systems and, most importantly, in the Youth Programme experienced by young people.

Implementation is a continuous process that recognizes the different stages of development of national Youth Programmes and the diverse contexts of National Scout Organizations (NSOs). This chapter establishes expectations for policy implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and review.

The World Youth Programme Policy provides a common reference for the development and implementation of national Youth Programmes. The Scout

Movement should support its application through appropriate institutional arrangements, communication, capacity development, and coordination.

Relevant WOSM, regional, and national institutional documents and processes should be reviewed and, where necessary, aligned with the principles and expectations established in this policy. This includes ensuring coherence with the other core World Scouting policies, particularly those addressing Youth Leadership, Adults in Scouting, and Safe from Harm, as established in Part I.

World Scouting structures should support implementation through appropriate guidance, resources, capacity development, and opportunities to share experiences and good practices.

NSOs/NSAs

National Scout Organizations are expected to apply the principles and expectations of the World Youth Programme Policy according to their national circumstances and the stage of development of their Youth Programme.

Alignment with this policy should be considered throughout the Youth Programme Life Cycle, as follows:

• During design: NSOs should use the World Youth Programme Policy as a reference when developing or substantially revising their national

Youth Programme, ensuring alignment with its principles and expectations while adapting the programme to the national context.

• During implementation: NSOs should assess the alignment of their national Youth Programme with this policy, identify significant gaps, and make necessary adjustments to support its effective application.

• During maintenance: NSOs should periodically review the alignment of their national Youth Programme with this policy, identify and priorities areas for improvement, and address them through continuous improvement processes.

Regardless of the stage of development of their Youth Programme, NSOs should communicate the principles and expectations of this policy to relevant stakeholders and ensure that those responsible for its implementation have the necessary understanding and support.

World Scouting should monitor and evaluate the implementation of the World Youth Programme Policy across the Movement to assess progress, identify common challenges and gaps, and determine areas requiring further support or improvement.

This process should draw on relevant information and evidence from NSOs,

Regional Support Centers, and existing organizational monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, including the Global Support Assessment Tool (GSAT), where appropriate. It should consider the extent to which the policy is being applied across the Movement, its alignment with the Fundamentals of Scouting, and its contribution to the strategic direction established in the Strategy for Scouting.

The findings should inform decisions on implementation support, the development of relevant resources, and the continuous improvement of policy application across the Movement. They should also contribute to the periodic review and update of the World Youth Programme Policy, as established in Section 4.4.

The World Youth Programme Policy should maintain stability in its core principles and elements while remaining relevant to the evolving needs of young people, the Scout Movement, and society. Periodic reviews should ensure its continued relevance, effectiveness, and alignment with the Fundamentals of Scouting and the Strategy for Scouting.

A comprehensive review of the Policy should normally be undertaken within a nine-year period, organized into three triennia to guide its adoption, implementation, evaluation, and review:

First triennium – Adoption and promotion: Promote the Policy across the Movement, develop or update supporting resources, and

Further review and alignment with all four policies in one transversal chapter.

identify necessary adjustments to relevant institutional documents and processes.

Second triennium – Implementation: Support NSOs in applying the

Policy, strengthening national alignment, and addressing identified gaps and implementation needs.

Third triennium – Evaluation and review: Continue supporting implementation while undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of the

Policy's application, relevance, and effectiveness, and identifying any necessary revisions.

While the three-triennium framework provides a reference for comprehensive review, targeted reviews and updates of specific sections, provisions, or terminology may be undertaken at any time to respond to emerging trends, changing circumstances, or identified needs. Such updates should preserve the stability and coherence of the Policy's core principles and elements and follow the appropriate governance processes, without requiring a comprehensive review of the Policy.

Progress should be reviewed at the end of each triennium, with a report submitted to the World Scout Committee. At the end of the third triennium, a comprehensive review report, including recommendations for any necessary revisions, should be submitted to the World Scout Conference through the appropriate governance processes.

The Policy remains in force beyond the review period until formally revised or replaced. Implementation, monitoring, and improvement should continue throughout its implementation and review cycle.

APPENDIX

This Appendix complements the World Youth Programme Polic13y. The definitions at the beginning and the terms herein aim to enhance the holistic understanding of the Youth Programme.

THE DEFINITION OF THE SCOUT MOVEMENT

The Scout Movement is a voluntary non-political educational movement for young people open to all without distinction of gender, origin, race, or creed, in accordance with the purpose, principles, and method conceived by the Founder and stated below.

THE PURPOSE OF THE SCOUT MOVEMENT

The purpose of the Scout Movement is to contribute to the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual potential as individuals, as responsible citizens, and as members of their local, national, and international communities.

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE SCOUT MOVEMENT

The Scout Movement is based on the following principles:

• Duty to God. Adherence to spiritual principles, loyalty to the religion that expresses them, and acceptance of the duties resulting therefrom.

• Duty to others.

o Loyalty to one’s country in harmony with the promotion of local, national, and international peace, understanding, and cooperation.

o Participation in the development of society with recognition and respect for the dignity of humanity and for the integrity of the natural world.

The wording of this section was taken from the institutional documents of WOSM. Also, the phrase ‘fundamentals of Scouting’ always refers to the purpose, principles and method of Scouting.

• Duty to self. Responsibility for the development of oneself.

THE SCOUT METHOD14

The Scout Method is a system of progressive selfeducation through the interaction of all the following elements:

• The Scout Promise and Law,

• Learning by Doing,

• Personal Progression,

• Team System,

• Adult Support,

• Symbolic Framework,

• Nature,

• Community Involvement.

The Scout Method is practiced by creating a meaningful educational experience for young people. It should be used in a way that is consistent with the Scout Movement’s Purpose and Principles.

THE MISSION OF SCOUTING

The Mission of Scouting is to contribute to the education of young people through a value system based on the Scout Promise and Law. Through Scouting, we are building a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.

THE VISION OF SCOUTING

To be the world’s most inspiring and inclusive youth movement, creating transformative learning experiences for every young person, everywhere.

For more information and explanations about the Scout Method elements, refer to the additional reading list on +RD09 - Youth Programme Policy - Working Document: ADDITIONALIMPORTANT-READING