Commissioner Tools is the new process designed to assist the Commissioner Corps of the Boy Scouts of America to provide a structured unit service assessment system. This replaces the UVTS. It is the responsibility of the volunteer commissioner corps to provide guidance to all Scouting units to help them with them re-charter on-time, run a quality program with trained leaders, and to achieve higher levels on their unit Journey to Excellence reviews.
What we’re asking our board members to do– Our commissioner corps numbers are at a very low level. We need to expand our unit service forces and are asking each board member to begin the assessment process with one or two units in their area.
Process– At a minimum of twice a year the commissioner meets with the unit Key-3 (Unit Leader, Committee Chair, Charter Representative) to do an assessment. Regular contacts are made between the comissioner and the unit leadership throughout the year to provide continuity on addressed issues and to ensure that everything is going well. The assessments and all contact are recorded in the Commissioner Tools section of my.Scouting.org. A grade is assigned to all units in each of the areas reviewed. This process is to assist the units in identifying their strengths and weaknesses and to help them develop a plan to address any concerns.
Steps-
- Contact the unit Key-3 to schedule a meeting.
- Invite your district executive to attend the meeting. They are not required for you to hold the meeting. If the unit has an assigned unit commissioner, they will be invited as well.
- Attend the Key-3 meeting and explain your role in this process.
- Follow the unit assessment form and ask questions.
- If you wish to continue with the process, please let the unit Key-3 know that you will be their continued contact, otherwise let them know that they will be contracted by someone from the district to assist with issues identified in the assessment.
- Complete the form and submit it to the district executive assigned to your area.
Guidelines for Unit Self-Assessment and Action Planning Meeting
Present at meeting: Unit Leader — Unit Committee Chair — Unit Commissioner
Purpose of meeting (Use as the agenda for the meeting):
- To evaluate the unit’s progress toward achieving the Quality Unit Award
- To review the unit’s goals, successes, and vision for the coming year
- To identify any areas of improvement– leadership, program, and membership
- To determine any specific actions needing to be taken to assist with unit improvements and determine who will follow up on those actions
- To schedule any necessary follow-up to monitor progress
When to conduct meeting:
- After the unit commissioner has visited the unit for the first time
- Annually to review strengths and areas of improvement to help provide direction for needed support, preferably six months prior to the annual charter renewal.
- As needed when a problem arises
- When unit leadership changes.
How should the arrangements for this meeting be set up?
- The unit commissioner speaks to the unit leader during the first unit visit to schedule the meeting date, time, and location.
- The dialog should include:
- Approaching the unit leader after the meeting and requesting that a second meeting be set up with the unit leader and the unity committee chair.
- Setting the meeting, preferably at the leader’s or the chair’s home.
- Asking them to complete the unit self-assessment form prior to the meeting.
- Letting them know the visit will include a discussion of the self-assessment form and how the goals and vision of their unit’s program can be supported.
Why only the unit commissioner, unit leader, and unit chair?
- It provides a small group to openly analyze the program, their unit’s needs, and steps to be taken to help resolve any issues.
- It helps open a dialog between the unit and the district. Once they meet and determine what needs to be done, others can be involved in helping determine which direction to go and any potential improvements that can be identified.
Preparation should be made prior to the action planning meeting?
- Review the statistics of the unit available from the local council and the district team, especially looking at:
- Quality Unit status
- Outdoor program participation
- Advancement reports
- Trained leadership status
- Youth Protection training
- Participation in district and council events
- Roundtable attendance
- Complete the unit self-assessment form after the visit to analyze observations and review the statistics gathered from the council/district prior to the action planning meeting. (The self-assessment form is designed to take the place of the commissioner worksheet previously used by commissioners.)
