WAGGGS Capacity Assessment Tool 2.0 (CAT)

WAGGGS Capacity Building Assessment Tool supports national Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting associations to understand their own organisational capacity as measured against an organisational capacity model and defined minimum standards of membership.

This is a self-assessment tool designed to enable our MOs to take an overview of their strengths and to identify any areas that may need improvement. The tool also assists the WAGGGS Global Team - and our strong international team of Capacity Building Volunteers - to identify what type of support is required to most effectively develop and grow each association, and to support the development of new and improved tailored services and products.

CAT 2.0 has a new structure but builds on the existing CAT, retaining the things which have worked well and addressing the headline issues which MOS flagged to us.

The CAT still provides MOs with a structured way to:

• Assess strengths and weaknesses.
• Identify development priorities.
• Seek expert support from a global capacity building team.

BACKGROUND

In 2014, at the 35th World Conference in Hong Kong, WAGGGS Member Organisations (MOs) committed themselves to the Global Membership Development Strategy in order to reach ambitious and sustainable growth targets for the Movement.

In 2015-2016, we conducted extensive consultations with MOs, Regional Committees, Working Groups and staff that resulted in major changes to organisational structure. We reviewed the way we work with our MOs, refined our Mission, Vision and Purpose through extensive research, and conducted a review of all documents, toolkits, processes and systems in use. This led to the development of a Capacity Building Framework, which includes a self- assessment tool.

In 2019, WAGGGS designed the Capacity Assessment Tool (CAT) to support national Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting associations to understand their own capacity as measured against an organisational capacity model and defined minimum standards of membership. The Capacity Assessment Tool (CAT), provides Member Organisation a clear and easy way to assess the health of their Organisations and is intended for all organisations, regardless of size or scale.

Since 2022, we have been working on reviewing and updating of the tool.  As well as making changes to reflect Compass 2032 (WAGGGS vision statement for the Girl Guide and Girl Scout Movement), we have also sought to address Member Organisations’ feedback on the former CAT, to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of our Members.

SIMPLIFIED AND REBALANCED STRUCTURE

The CAT 2.0 is organised into five themed sections, the tool covers the following aspects of organisational activity:

I. Organisational Identity

II. Organisational Structure and Management

III. Young People in Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting

IV. Adults in Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting

V. Safe Space for All

Each of these sections contains some ‘essential’ indicators and other indicators to help you ‘take it further’. In each case, the essential elements reflect the WAGGGS membership criteria.

The CAT provides a way to review, consolidate and measure progress. It helps define areas for improvement and opens up a discussion on strategy. It is designed to empower and support you through self-reflection, allowing for team-building and a holistic view of your organisation.

HOW TO COMPLETE THE CAPACITY ASSESSMENT TOOL (CAT)

The Capacity Assessment Tool is also accessible on Campfire, so Member Organisations can complete it online. It is also possible to download it as an interactive pdf, or even download it as a pdf and print it.

WAGGGS has put in place a team to support MOs through this process. The first point of contact is the Regional Team (Regional Capacity Building contacts or Regional Managers), who will be able to support you with completing the CAT.

The Capacity Building space in Campfire also provides a range of resources to help MOs complete the CAT including a sample form.

Please do refer to the Frequently Asked Questions, Guidelines and Glossary before you go through the tool and ask your Regional Team for any additional support you may need.

📩 You can also get in contact with capacitybuilding@wagggs.org for further questions.