Camp Assessment Training -2019

National Camp Accreditation Program

Boy Scouts of America

WelcomeAgenda for Training

• What is NCAP• Assessment Timeline• Expectations of the Assessment Team• The Camp Assessment Details• Review of the 2019 National Camp Standards• Continuous Camp Improvement Program• Questions & Answers

Common NCAP terms

• NCAP – National Camp Accreditation Program• CFET – Camp Facilities Evaluation Tool• DoR – Declaration of Readiness• CCIP – Continuous Camp Improvement Program• CSIP – (2019) Strategic Camp Improvement Plan• ACIP – Annual Camp Improvement Plan

NCAP ResourcesPrimary resource is the

Area Implementation Guide

For the latest informationGo to:

www.scouting.org/ncap

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NCAP Process

• Multi-Year Cycle – Analysis, Application & Authorization• Analysis by the Council of camp program & facilities• Application submitted by the Council• Authorization to Operate is Given by the Region (5

Years)

• Annual Cycle – Assessment & Accreditation

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Assessment is a National Process

• Coordinated through the 27 Areas of the BSA

• Assessments are performed by Area/Council volunteer teams & staff

• Assists the councils by providing guidance for year round programs

• Maintains the same standards nationwide

• Records maintained in the National Service Center

NCAP Roles & Responsibilities

• Council NCAP Chairs• Coordinates Authorization Process & Assessments

• Council Self-Assessment Teams• Visit & Assess Day/Family Camps

• Council NCAP Staff Advisers• Area Camp Assessors

• Team Lead & Team Members - Assessors• Visit & Assess Resident Camps

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Properties / Programs AssessedArea Assessment Teams VisitCouncil Resident Camps for

Cub ScoutScouts BSAVenture ScoutSpecialtyTrek High AdventureStand Alone COPE/Climbing Camps

Council Assessment Teams VisitCouncil Camps not holding Resident CampsCouncil Day CampsFamily Camps

Assessment Timeline• Council completes online Intent to Operate for all camps –

due to National Service Center by November 30th

• Post Camp / Pre Camp Inspections by Council, Sept – April

• Assessor Training in Areas – February thru May

• Declaration of Readiness – Due to Assessment Team Leaders, May 15th (or 30 days ahead if not during summer)

• Assessment Visits by Areas – June thru August

• Lessons learned – August / September

Intent to OperateAllows a local Council to communicate to National Service Center the types of camps, how many camp sessions & camp programs for the next camping season. The online submittal forms request the below information:• Council Name• Camp Name - Camp Directors Name - Camp Type• 1st choice Assessment Visit Date• 2nd choice Assessment Visit Date • Programs Offered/Specialty Programs• Day & Family Camps

Post Camp / Pre Camp Inspection

• Council Inspection of Camp Property• Designed to be used as an internal worksheet• Completed after camp has closed or before camp is

opened• Made by a council team of qualified Scouters &

Professionals• Submitted as part of the Declaration of Readiness

BSA Form # 430 - 310

How was I Selected You were chosen as an Assessor because you:

• Have an interest in camping, health & safety, camp programs & property development

• Understand the importance of camping

• Have the ability to work with people

• Can apply the Standards & use common sense• You are currently a registered member of the BSA

• Were approved by your Scout Executive

Assessment TrainingTraining is offered in several forms:

• Assessor training

• Team Leader training

• Team Leader webinar session

• National/Region/Area training conferences

• Assessors should become familiar with the Standards provided in training

Declaration of Readiness (DoR)• Helps a Council pull together all National Camp

Standards

• Submit prior year’s score sheet with corrective actions for standards scored as Deviation or Non-Compliant

• Submit Post Camp / Pre Camp Inspection

• Attach all Approved Waivers & Variances

• Provides material for Pre Camp Meeting w/Assessment Team Leader

• NCAP Form 430-072

Assessment Team LeaderA Team Leader has the responsibility to:

• Assemble competent team & establish communication

• Attend Team Leader trainings & makes sure team has trained Assessors

• Contacts & reviews DoR with Camp Director before camp

Assessment Team LeaderA Team Leader has the responsibility to:

• Distributes DoR & other camp information to team members

• Coordinates & leads the Assessment Team on camp assessment date

• Completes Score Sheet & forwards it to National, Council, Camp, area, etc.

Assessment Team Organization & Duties

• Team ensures applicable National Camp Standards are met

• Team members hold current NCAP training certificates & wear complete Scout Uniform

• Team members need to be able to get around the camp & have current Annual Health & Medical Record (Parts A&B)

Assessment Team Organization & Duties

• Qualified or knowledgeable team members for COPE/Climbing, Shooting Sports, Aquatics areas.

• Team members represent National/Region/Area & are resources for the local councils.

National Camp StandardsThe Standards are broken down into the following Categories:

PD 1xx – Program Design & Recommended Practices

PS 2xx – Program Specific

PT 3xx – Trek Program

SQ 4xx – Staff Qualification & Training & Recommended Practices

HS 5xx – Health & Safety

National Camp StandardsThe Standards are broken down into the following Categories:

FS 6xx – Food Service

FA 7xx – Facilities & Recommended Practices

AO 8xx – Administration & Operational Management & Recommended Practices

Standards = NCAP Publication # 430 - 056

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Standard or RP No.

Standard

Specific Requirements

Interpretation

Verification

Standard or RP TitleRevision Date

Type of Camp Standard or RP Applies to

2019 Updated StandardsFrom NCAP Circular No. 12•PD 101 General Program Design•PD 102 Cub Scout Program Design•PD 103 Scouts BSA Program Design•PD 104 Venturing and Sea Scouting Program Design•PD 105 Specialty-Adventure and High-Adventure Program Design

2019 Updated Standards – Cont.

• PD 109 Outside Providers of Program, Activity and Services

• PD 112 Council Program Design, Safety and Risk Review

• PS 201 Aquatics General• SQ 402 General Camp Staff Training• SQ 404 Camp Ranger• SQ 406 Aquatics Staff• SQ 408 Archery Range Staff

2019 Updated Standards – Cont.• SQ 411 Specialty-Adventure and High Adventure

Staff• HS 508 Medication Control and Record Keeping• FA 712 Tree Removal and Chainsaws• FA 715 Cope and Climbing Facilities• FA716 ATV Course and Facility Standards• AO 805 Emergency Procedures• RP 458 Camp Leadership Experience

Camp Ranger RecertificationSQ 404 changes

• There are two types of certification of training– National Camping School – Sunsetting

• Last school was taught in 2018 so good through 2022

– Camp Ranger Basic – effective beginning 2018

Camp Ranger RecertificationSQ 404 changes - continued

First option:• Ranger with a current National Camping School (NCS)

certificate They are not required to, but are encouraged toobtain “learning hours” to get additional knowledge

Camp Ranger RecertificationSQ 404 changes - continued

Second option:• All Rangers with the Camp Ranger Basic certificate or

an expired NCS card must obtain 12 “learning hours” every year– Content in the hours is determined by the council;– Can be any combination of hours = at least 12 hr– Hours are done the year prior to it being counted

Standards At-A-Glance Documents

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Developed to help Navigate the StandardsA Good Reference Tool for Assessment Visits

Standards at A Glance Document• There are now Excel sheets instead of PDF for the

Standards At a Glance for each of the types of camp. i.e.: Scouts BSA Resident, Cub Scout Resident, etc all of them. The purpose of the SAaG is that the council in concert with the team leader can take the Excel sheet and delete any items which do not need to be covered in that particular camp. For example if they don’t have horses then delete PS-209, etc

Assessment Scoring

• Compliant (C) – Camp Meets the Standard

• Deviation (Dv) – If the camp met the spirit of the standard, but did not meet it completely. A Deviation is valid for that camp & that year.

• Non Compliant (NC)– Standard is not Met, Camp Deviates with No Approval for Change in Standard, No Waiver or Variance Received

• Not Applicable (NA) – If the standard is not applicable to a particular camp

What is a VarianceA variance is issued in writing by the National Standards Chair on behalf of the NCAP Committee that allows a camp to permanently vary from a requirement of the national camp standards upon demonstration that the variance provides equivalent or higher level of program quality and safety.

A variance may be conditioned.

What Constitutes a Waiver

• Waivers are issued, in writing, by the National Standards Chair

• Councils submit the Waiver form on the NCAP website

• Waivers allow a camp to vary from a Standard for 1 season due to an emergency or other good cause shown

What Constitutes a Waiver

• Waivers may be conditional & require the camp to meet an alternative or equivalent control

• Waivers may be renewed for only one additional season

What is a Deviation?A standard, authorization term, conditions, or commitment, variance, or waiver is scored as a deviation if the exact terms are not met, but the camp has substantially met the intent of the standard, authorization term, conditions, or commitment, variance, or waiver with adequate levels of safety and quality. Deviations are not failures, and may be appropriate where the camp has incidentally missed an item. If other aspects suggest the program or operation is in good shape, the staff should not feel penalized for an incidental deviation.

What is a Deviation?An example might be one temperature chart had not been kept current and the food service staff did not appear to be fully aware of the importance of these charts. Multiple instances, suggesting a systemic problem, must be scored noncompliant. The score sheet will reflect the nature of the deviation and any comments from the camp assessment team on how the deviation could be remedied.

Deviation Examples• An under age waterfront director is granted a waiver

and complies with the waiver conditions, it is scored as Compliant unless the waiver so states the standard has to be scored as a Deviation

• One missing smoke detector that is corrected right away is generally not scored as a Deviation. However, if more than one or is not corrected before the Assessors leave camp it is a Deviation

NCAP Score Sheet

• Only use the 2019 Version of the Scoresheet.

• Do not use an older version please

• Go to: www.scouting.org/ncap to get link

NCAP Score Sheet• There is a new Scoresheet format in 2019• It is web based• It is designed to make certain the form is

filled out properly• In 2018 over 150 hours were spent by NCAP

Staff correcting errors• It will automatically send copies to the

correct people

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New Scoring Form

New Scoring Form

New Scoring Form

New Scoring Form

New Scoring Form

New Scoring Form

New Scoring Form

New Scoring Form

Now what happens…• You will receive an email with your results• NCAP receives copy• Region Assessment Chair gets a copy• Area Assessment Chair gets a copy• Scout Executive Gets a copy• Camp Director gets a copy• All automatically

Continuous Camp Improvement Process (CCIP)

• As part of their CCIP, the Council:

• Determines stakeholders for each camp, strengths & areas for improvement

• Determines & prioritizes Categories of CCIP elements to address or maintain

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Continuous Camp Improvement Process (CCIP)

• As part of their CCIP, the Council:

• Develops SMART goals, success measures, implementation steps & timeline for each

• Develops feedback process to determine progress & objective measurements

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CCIP Reviews & ApprovalsCouncil submit with their Application for Authorization:• Based on stakeholders, timelines, etc., a Strategic Camp

Improvement Plan (SCIP – due 2019)(covers 4-7 years) & an Annual Camp Improvement Plan(ACIP) for each council camp

• Both plans must meet requirements of Standard AO-810 & have council executive board/committee approval

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CCIP Reviews & Approvals

Region Accreditation Committee reviews the Application – CCIP• Assures AO-810 requirements are met• May make recommendations or observation of trends on

sustainability, concerns & “best practices”• Approves the CCIP

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Annual CCIP ProcessesArea Assessment Teams:

• Reviews & discusses plans as per AO-810– Does the camp have a plan?– Is the camp following the plan?– If not, why?

• Provides summary information where applicable on the Score Sheet

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CCIP Categories

• Staff• Program• Program Equipment• Facilities• Sustainability

• Marketing & Communication

• Attendees & Participation

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The Continuous Camp Improvement Program addresses:

4 (Basic) Steps of Camp Assessment

• Preparing – Items team leader & members review prior to camp arrival

• Coordinating – team leader pre-camp meeting & other arrangements

• Assessing – what happens on the day of the camp assessment

• Completing – Score Sheet submittal

Preparing – Camp Assessment• Team Leader & Team Members review:

• Leader’s guides/information, usually from council/camp websites

• Declaration of Readiness from Team Leader, including postcamp/precamp inspections, waivers, variances, corrective action plans, etc.

• map of camp –usually from council/camp website• Review of applicable standards

Coordinating – Camp AssessmentTeam Leader MUST meet with the Camp Director at least 2 to 4 weeks before camp starts, covering:

• Declaration of Readiness, including Waivers or Variances & corrective action plans for prior year’s score sheet, CCIP information, etc.

• Applicable Standards & any desired Recommended Practices

• Meeting can be by telephone, conference call, SKYPE/GoToMeeting or face-to-face

Pre-Camp Assessment - Reviews• Recommended Items attached to the

Declaration of Readiness

• Certifications, NCS cards, etc. (Staff/Programs)• Emergency plans, letters from local authorities-i.e.

fire depart., health codes, law enforcement, etc.• Standards that apply/do not apply

Assessing - Camps• Team meets at camp, on time (check-in as visitors)

• Visit all program areas & campsites• When appropriate, asks staff & campers about

camp improvements (always have escort present)• Reports their findings or scores back to Team

leader (meeting with Camp Director, SE, etc.)• Praises staff in front of campers, corrects any

items in confidence (away from campers)

Completing – Camp Assessment• Team meets with Camp Director & staff

• Gathers scores from team members• Discuss any recommendations for improvement• If “accredited”, award pennant & certificate• If “conditionally accredited” or “denied

accreditation”, mention appeal process• Team Leader completes Score Sheet (within 48

hours)

Assessing Special ProgramsHow do we accomplish the Assessment Visit for a Special Program?• Make parallels between staff positions – Camp Director = Ship

Captain

• Contact the Council ahead of time to get Declaration of Readiness

• Select the Standards that apply -stress Health & Safety, Program Design, Food Service & Admin Management

Assessing Special ProgramsHow do we accomplish the Assessment Visit for a Special Program?• Find a knowledgeable person to help explain the similarities

• Select Experts who are also Trained Assessors to help with the visit - Example - COPE Knowledgeable, Aquatics, Shooting Sports, etc.

• Use Common Sense!!!

CommunicationNCAP Assessment requires Continuous Improvement

Types of Communication include:NCAP Circulars – Updates in Standards and TrainingTraining Schedules & Trainingwww.scouting.org/NCAPDeclaration of Readiness

Share Information with Councils !!!

Communication Flow

National Service CenterNCAP Committee

Region NCAP CommitteeArea NCAP Committee

Assessment Team LeadersAssessment Team Members

Local Council

What We Have Learned with NCAP

• Declaration of Readiness & need for Pre-camp assessment meeting

• Assessment Team honesty & importance of communication

• Scoring a Standard as “NA” when it clearly applies, such as PD-101 - Aims and methods of Scouting

• Completing the Scoresheet has to be done

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Regional Assessment Coordinators

Marty Webb – Western RegionBarry Simays– Northeast Region

Rich Koch & Jason Kasiorek – Central RegionBob Miller - Southern Region

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Contact Information at National Level

Jack HessNCAP Assessment Coordinator

jwhess62@gmail.com

Brian R GrayOutdoor Program Coordinatorbrian.gray@scouting.org

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Training Certification is good for 2 years

Assessment Training Code – CS53

Be sure your record is updated on My.Scouting.org

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING