MODUle 3 Sustainability of organizations
Introduction and main ideas
The sustainability and effectiveness of youth organisations is a valuable topic to consider. To thrive, youth organisations should develop strategic thinking and set clear goals that support their growth and development. Key strategies for enhancing sustainability and effectiveness include promoting cooperation within the organisation, organising for change, anticipating future trends, building flexibility, diversifying resources, creating an inclusive environment, fostering personal growth, and cultivating an empowering workplace. (O’Malley, 2022.)
A well-defined mission, vision, and multi-year strategic plan help youth organisations stay grounded in their core values. Stability is achieved through strong financial practices and diversifying funding sources rather than relying on a few major contributors. Lasting impact is created by empowering and engaging employees, volunteers, and the community. This includes active participation of youth. (Forbes Expert Panel®, 2020)
This module is designed for youth program directors, managers, and leaders in youth centers and organisations. It equips them with knowledge and tools to approach strategic development and manage resources to promote sustainability and effectiveness within their youth organisations.
In this module, leaders will learn how to actively build sustainability and effectiveness in their youth organisations.
- The first section is about the importance of strategy and leaders will learn how to start strategy development or revision in their youth organisation while fostering inclusivity by including the whole organisation and youth in the process.
- The second section is about sustainably managing financial resources and leaders will learn how to approach managing income, expenses, assets and liabilities strategically and sustainably.
- The third section is about human resources i.e. the personnel and the skills they bring to the table for the organisation. Leaders will learn how to approach managing human resources strategically and sustainably while fostering safety and well-being at work.
- The fourth section is about youth participation and digital youth work. Active youth participation brings a lot of benefits to the youth organisation itself, to the youth and to the community. Digital youth work on the other hand, creates a lot of opportunities in today’s digitalised world and active youth participation. Leaders will learn about the benefits of active youth participation and digital youth work, and learn how other youth organisations have approached these.
- The fifth and final section is about fostering expertise in a youth organisation to support long-lasting sustainability and effectiveness. Leaders will learn how to take an active approach to building organisational expertise and developing personnel competencies.
Aims of the training
- Leaders will learn how to understand the relevance of strategic development and apply the key steps of the strategy process considering sustainability and effectiveness
- Leaders will learn about different funding approaches and about sustainable financial resources management.
- Leaders will learn about different approaches to human resources management and how to apply the key steps of sustainable human resources management, including safety and well-being at work.
- Leaders will learn about the benefits and different approaches to active and sustainable youth participation in youth work.
- Leaders will learn about digital youth work, the possibilities of digital youth work, and how to analyze and choose effective approaches to digital youth work.
- Leaders will learn about the importance of expertise management and how to apply strategic competence development.
Prerequisite knowledge
To get the most out of this module, it may be useful to have a basic understanding of:
● The principles of organisational management and strategy.
● The principles of employer responsibility. Suggested reading: Labour law - European Commission
WAY TO TH!NK
