Scouts Australia Digitally Equipped for the Future with Two Bulls/DEPT Terrain Solution on AWS

Two Bulls/DEPT helped Scouts Australia implement Scouts | Terrain, an AWS-based solution that enables Scouts to digitally track their progress and more easily achieve their goals. Additionally, the solution helps Scouts Australia gain a real-time view of program participation, reduce administrative burden, and establish a foundation for innovation. Scouts | Terrain runs on Amazon EC2 and uses Amazon DynamoDB to store Scout achievement data. It relies on Amazon Redshift to expose data for querying and it uses Amazon Cognito to securely control access.

Scouts Australia has provided development for youth across the country since 1908. Through an achievement-based model, Australians from ages 5 to 25 participate in programs, events, activities, and projects that contribute to their growth as active citizens. Scouts participating in the program can progress through different sections based on their age, starting with Joey Scouts, and moving to Cub Scouts, Scouts, Venturer Scouts, and Rover Scouts.

As part of the largest youth development movement globally, Scouts Australia has more than 55,000 youth members and over 15,000 adult leaders, with up to 10,000 adult helpers and supporters. Scouts Australia is an accredited member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, which now exceeds 57 million members in 172 National Scout Organizations globally.

For many years, Scouts Australia relied on books and paper-based systems to record Scouts’ achievements and accurately capture individual goal setting. Because books were often lost or damaged, both Scout leaders and Scouts had difficulty keeping updated records. In a world where young people want to own their development, Scouts Australia required a system that would empower and streamline some of the manual work, and simultaneously provide better visibility into the engagement youths had with Scouts.

Scouts Australia embarked on a digital transformation initiative designed to use technology to simplify Scout management and record keeping. As part of that initiative, the organization engaged Two Bulls/DEPT, an AWS Partner and premier digital product company. Two Bulls developed Scouts | Terrain, a real-time record keeping and program support software solution on Amazon Web Services (AWS). “Scouts | Terrain is a responsive web platform that digitally supports the delivery, maintenance, and implementation of Scouts Australia’s youth program,” says Eva Kane, marketing director at Two Bulls/DEPT. “This takes Scouts Australia well into the 21st century.”

The platform runs on Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) and uses Amazon DynamoDB to store all achievement data. “We needed a dynamic database solution that could scale to support achievement data from thousands of Scouts, and that’s why we chose Amazon DynamoDB,” says Chris De Vere, Account Director at Two Bulls/DEPT. The solution scaled to support more than 80,000 users upon deployment. Scouts | Terrain uses Amazon Redshift to expose data for querying, so users can view how many people have attended activities or achieved certain requirements. Scouts | Terrain also provides Scouts and leaders with administrative controls, using Amazon Cognito to securely control access.

The platform features Basecamp, a hub where Scouts can view calendars, track their personal progress, and see their updated achievements. When Scouts need another Scout or adult leader to assess their skills or knowledge, they can request approval within the app instead of having to physically locate a person. The app is also accessible offline, so Scouts and adult leaders can view activities while at camps other outdoor events.

Scouts can now digitally enter information and track their progress on the web or from their mobile devices. Using Scouts | Terrain, Scouts can clearly see their current achievements and where they are in their own individual Scouting journey. “Our youth members have really taken this onboard and driven the process of digital transformation,” says Emma Watson, program team leader at Scouts Australia. “For some of them, Scouts I Terrain has actually opened up a new world into our adventurous activity space, where they can now be recognized for outdoor adventure skills.”

In Australia, Scouts older than 14 can use their achievements for vocational training recognition, putting program certificates toward qualifications and university entrance scores. “This is why it’s so important that Scouts | Terrain records Scouts’ progression, because it’s evidence of training,” comments Jeffrey Lehrer, principal at Scouts Australia Institute of Training.

Furthermore, with Scouts | Terrain, Scout leaders can see exactly how many Scouts are attending meetings, activities, and camps. As a result, leaders have a real-time view of participation. “This is the first time we’re able to see where Scouts are in the program,” John Clarke, former national commissioner for the youth program at Scouts Australia, states. “Using Scouts | Terrain on AWS, we get a complete view of achievements and progress, and we can measure how our programs are doing.” This visibility has helped Scouts Australia leaders improve the quality of programs.

These insights have also helped Scouts Australia determine which programs have the highest engagement, and which activities need better promotion or support. “If we’re seeing a lack of attendance in a group, we will be able to ascertain which groups have consistent strong attendance, learn from it, and apply the findings to groups that need assistance,” says Clarke.

Because processes are now digital, Scouts no longer need to physically meet with other Scouts or Scout leaders and present books or documents for signing. “If a Scout leader had 20 Scouts on a hike, that person previously needed to record attendance, distance hiked, and who led the activity in each Scout’s book,” Watson says. “That’s an incredible administrative burden, and Scouts | Terrain is working to reduce it, because everything is digital.”

Two Bulls/DEPT continues to enhance Scouts | Terrain, adding notifications and calendar features designed to improve application efficiency. Cub Scout, Denith, from Sydney, has been excited to keep track of his progress towards his peak award, even through lockdowns, and Scouts | Terrain has made that possible. “Scouts | Terrain is helping our Scouts take ownership of their programs, improving collaboration and enabling increased self-direction,” says Watson. “This solution on AWS has accelerated our digital transformation. Digital knows no boundaries, and it’s exciting to see how the cloud can support what we’re doing.”

Kane concludes, "We often speak with people who are overwhelmed by the thought of going digital, citing prohibitive factors such as lack of organization support, plus high cost and effort. The beauty of going digital is that it is a process. With professional support, it doesn't take long to find a starting point, which can come down to just a click. This usually kickstarts a transformative moment in the organization, as the positive effects spark inspiration about what else could be achieved—easier, faster, and with less risk of error."