Partnership Agreement
Partnership Agreement
The Partnership Agreement has four main tasks:
1. To outline the links between the Explorer Scout Unit and its partner
2. To outline the liaison between the Explorer Scout Unit and its partner
3. What equipment, facilities and resources (including financial) are to be provided
4. When the Partnership Agreement should be reviewed.
A Partnership Agreement should be completed whenever there is a long-term link between an explorer scout unit and a scout group or other scouting entity (such as a campsite or scout activity centre).
A Partnership Agreement is not a legal agreement but a simple document outlining the broad agreement between an Explorer Scout Unit and its Partner. It's open to review and alteration by mutual consent.
A Partnership Agreement may not be set up with an organisation not affiliated to the Scout Association.
Who should complete the Partnership Agreement?
As the Scout District is responsible for the provision of a balanced programme for Explorer Scouts and also the opening and closure of Explorer Scout Unit, it is usually the District, the Explorer Scout Unit and the Partner who jointly complete the Partnership Agreement.
In practice this will usually mean that the following people will meet to agree the details:
- The District Explorer Scout Commissioner, the Explorer Scout Leader and Group Scout Leader will meet to agree the detail for an Explorer Scout Unit linked to a Scout Group
- The District Explorer Scout Commissioner, Explorer Scout Leader and Camp Site Warden or Activity Centre Manager if the Partner is not a Scout Group.
Common sense should be used if the above examples are not appropriate to the specific local circumstances.
This section outlines:
- Who the agreement is between; usually the District, Explorer Scout Unit and Scout Group or Activity Centre
- Who may be members of the Unit. This will normally be any member of the Scout Association unless, exceptionally, the Unit is linked to a closed sponsored Group.
- A statement confirming that the management of the Group/Activity Centre is the responsibility of the Group Scout Leader or Activity Centre Manager as appropriate and that management of the Explorer Scout Unit is the responsibility of the District.
- The detail of this section may not be amended.
This section outlines the committee meetings that members of the Explorer Scout Unit may attend and who can attend them (for example the Explorer Scout Leader and an Explorer Scout may be invited to Group Board Meetings).
This section of the agreement should also outline any additional meeting between Leaders and/or managers that should take place and the frequency of those meetings.
This is mostly appropriate for Units that are in partnership with a Scout Group. It outlines the 'links' between the Scout Troop and Explorer Scout Unit and how those 'links' will be maintained.
The usual linking procedure can be found in Unit Essentials and this should be followed where possible.
This section should be adapted to meet local circumstances.
This section outlines:
- The financial arrangements between the Unit and the Partner. Unit members will pay the District, County and HQ levy direct to the District Treasurer and therefore the financial arrangements included in this agreement relate to use of buildings and equipment. This section should also outline any fund-raising that the Unit will be expected to assist with or undertake for the Partner.
- The facilities that will be provided to the Unit by the partner. This may include meeting room facilities, time of meetings, other resources that the partner will make available to the Unit such as camping equipment, other activity equipment, storage space etc.
- Any booking procedures that should be followed and any discounts that may be provided to the Explorer Scout Unit for use of facilities outside the normal usage.
- The resources that the Unit will provide to the Partner.
- Any additional commitment that the Unit may have to the Partner. An example may be assistance with the District Water Activity weekend if the partner is a water activity centre.
- Any other Partnership Agreement that the Explorer Scout Unit has established. This is important as it can show that the Unit may have commitments to another Partner that will need to be taken into consideration when making amendments to the agreement.
- Whether the Unit may wear Group Scarves
As with all agreements it's important that they are reviewed on a regular basis. The Partnership Agreement must be reviewed at least annually and whenever any of the signatories to the Agreement changes.
This will ensure that all key parties to the Partnership Agreement are happy with the details and have a clear understanding of the relationship between the Unit, District and Partner.
Within this process you must consider GDPR statements to make it clear what data you are collecting, the reason you are collecting it, who will have access to it, who you will transfer it to and how long you will retain the data for. For more information please visit data protection and data management.