Nepal confirms its commitment to review and implement strategic plan

18th December 2010, Kathmandu -- Nepal Scouts, with the support of the Asia-Pacific Region, starts today its National Strategic Plan Review Workshop to review its work during the last three years and to set its directions for the next three years. The review is now taking place at the National Headquarters, located in Kathmandu and will run until 22nd December.

Nepal Scouts Chief Commissioner Shree Ram Lamichhane inaugurated the workshop. He also presented Nepal Scouts’ major achievements for the last three years on the areas of youth involvement, volunteers in Scouting, organization of the 21st Century, scouting profile, finance and membership growth.

Among the achievements highlighted is the strengthening of the area youth involvement by appointing youth members to decision making bodies at sub-national levels. Chief Commissioner Lamichhane emphasized that the notable event happened this year was the mini-jamboree in Lalitpur District where in Nepal President Rambaran Yadab highlighted the need of scouting to be more evident in schools.

In terms of communication, frequent use of email facility is now taking place among its 10 districts and membership is steadily growing and confident that Nepal Scouts will hit the target of 60,000 members by 2020. Other achievement highlighted was the introduction of award system giving recognition to Volunteers.

WAGGGS Asia-Pacific Regional Committee Vice Chairman Ms Normala Binti Baharudin together with WAGGGS Asia-Pacific Regional Director Ms Mangfei WU, pointed out the importance of strategic planning for National Scout Organizations (NSOs) and is confident that the workshop will justify its purpose by centering the plan to the needs of the young people.

Since 2007, national strategic planning in National Scout Organizations within the Asia pacific region which are both members of WAGGGS and WOSM such as The Bharat Scouts and Guides, India and Nepal Scouts, have always been undertaken with the mutual involvement of both organizations.

As representative of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, Asia-Pacific Region, Director S Prassanna Shrivastava is facilitating the workshop with Workshop Director and Nepal Scouts International Commissioner Shiva Kumar Poudyal. Prassanna, in his remarks, emphasized the importance of continuous monitoring and periodical review of the plan and explained that “Drafting a plan is only a part of the work but the life of it is to implement at all levels.”

Since 2002, the Asia-Pacific Regional Office has been assisting most NSOs including in creating and reviewing their Plan to align them with the regional and global plan.

This year review workshop gathers around 40 participants, comprised of National Commissioners from different districts of Nepal, a number of young people and two Finnish Scouts. As part of the partnership project currently undertaken between Nepal and Finland, two representatives of Finland scouts will also be joining the review making sure that all partners are involved.