Checklist for Group Leaders/ Youth Workers and Youth Involved in Organising the Youth Exchnge

The checklist is broken into three sections:

• Preparing for the Exchange

• On the Exchange

• Evaluation and Monitoring

Preparation for the exchange

• Partner finding

-  Check out the legitimacy of the partner group

-  Try to match interests and ethos of two organisations

-  Use a specimen ‘common agreement’ to help develop a contract or agreement between the two organisations – aims, objectives, activities, role of leaders etc.  Agreement should include a commitment to the safety and welfare of the young people

• Accommodation

-  In the planning stage check out the proposed sleeping arrangements for participants

-  Check out health and safety issues in relation to accommodation

-  Check out the centre on the planning visit and ensure that it is approved to acceptable standard.

-  Single gender dormitories are essential for under 18

-  Ensure that group leaders accommodation is appropriate

-  All group leaders to have a rooming list

-  Have a clear contract with accommodation providers

• Recruitment and Training

-  Ensure you have written approval of parents/guardians for those under 18.

-  Ensure you have adequate and appropriate insurance for all stages of the activity;

-  Participant details form – clarify level of information required.  How will information be used?  What level of confidentiality?

-  Selection process for young people should be open and transparent.

-  Ensure a good training and preparation programme for young people – should include the development and agreement of contract and ground rules for all participants.  Training should also include information on cultural awareness, safety and wellbeing, relationship building.

-  Give participants an information pack including a ‘help me’ card.

• Leadership

-  Appoint a key group leader (the buck stops here!)

-  Ensure that group leaders are appropriately qualified for certain activities (rock climbing, water sports etc)

-  If recruiting group leaders from outside the organisation they must complete an application form.

-  Ensure gender and age appropriate balance among group leaders.

-  Group leaders to be given clear roles and responsibilities

-  Group leaders should understand and respect the participants

-  Group leaders to be made aware of their duty to care and what this means

-  At least one Group leaders should have first aid training

• Programme

-  Plan de-briefing sessions daily with the young people and the participants

-  For the unstructured programme – ensure there are some boundaries and that it is monitored

-  Ensure that there is a clear schedule for Group leaders including responsibilities and time off

• Emergency procedures

-  Have clear emergency plans to include 24/7 contact details for host and home country, emergency procedures if you need to evacuate, have an emergency fund, know where participants and Group leaders are at all times

-  Have a back up plan if the programme needs to change for any reason

-  Bring a medical kit with you

• Tools for planning

-  Risk Assessment pro formas

-  Specimen common agreement for organisations

-  Specimen personal details form (medical conditions? Confidentiality?)

-  Specimen group contract

-  Contact details form

-  List of useful websites

During the Exchange

• Documents to bring with you

-  Details of Insurance

-  Participant details (application forms)

-  Copy of programme

-  First Aid certificate (if a Group leaders is qualified)

-  Group contract

-  Contact details

-  Tickets

-  Accommodation details

-  Child Protection policy (own country).  Whichever country’s policy is most stringent – go by that one

• Support system

-  Have a clear system of support for participants

-  Support system for Group leaders. Supporting each other

-  Sending and hosting organisations to each have a designated contact person in case of emergency

-  Funding agency contact details if necessary

• Orientation on arrival

Host to organise orientation meeting which will include the following:

-  Welcome

-  Practicalities and logistics

-  Programme introduction

-  Cultural information

-  Contact details

-  ‘Help me’ card

-  Responsibilities

-  Group contract

-  Awareness and understanding of home sickness

-  There should be one central information point for participants displaying information

• Tools for orientation

-  Orientation pack

-  Cultural ice breakers

-  Information point/board

-  ‘Help me’ card

-  Group contract

• Group leaders

-  Leaders to have a common understanding and position on certain issues – particularly in emergency situations

-  Leaders should meet daily

-  Clear responsibilities for leaders

-  Support system for leaders

-  Leaders should know where participants are at all times – even in free time

-  Leaders to have a good system for keeping records

-  Should have a good, open and ongoing relationship with the young people.

• Handling Child Protection Issues

-  Take it seriously

-  Remove the child where appropriate

-  Contact designated person

-  Use emergency contact numbers of hosting and sending organisation

-  Take recommended steps as per child protection policy (refer to policy in own country and host country)

-  Keep participant informed

-  Where appropriate, contact law enforcement agency

-  Ensure support for leader dealing with issue

• Involving the participants

-  Ongoing consultation and monitoring with participants

-  Be clear around the ground rules and consequences if not adhered to

-  Regular reports from participants about accommodation and food

-  Young people to keep a journal of the exchange – this can be shared with leaders

Monitoring and Evaluation

• • Systems for monitoring and evaluation should be developed prior to the exchange and agreed with the hosting organisation where appropriate

  • Monitoring and evaluation should be carried out with the young people, the Group leaders, the hosting and sending organisations

  • If expectations and ground rules are clear at beginning, it is easier to monitor progress and difficulties

  • There should be daily evaluations with the participants and the Group leaders

  • Leaders should have daily meetings to review the programme

  • Participants should keep a journal of the exchange

  • Have an evaluation box where participants can post comments whenever they like

  • Use creative forms of evaluation

  • Carry out a full, final evaluation ‘warts and all’.  Evaluation should be a real exercise for learning from.

  • Make sure you have a system for keeping records and reports during the exchange.

Version: 2025