An Chéad Céim Eile – YFG Strategic Plan 2018-2021

Introduction

Young Fine Gael (YFG) has marked forty years in existence and is looking forward to the next decades.
Since 1977, the Organisation has sought to live up to the aims of its founder Garret FitzGerald, to be
idealistic, radical, and a voice for young Ireland. YFG has many strengths, not least its passionate and
enthusiastic membership, however challenges remain that must be tackled to allow the Organisation
to reach its full potential.

This document looks forward to the next three years of YFG – effectively the term of two National
Executives. It draws from the views of members across the country to highlight the important
challenges that exist and proffers action points to meet them. It does not seek to bind the hands of
future National Executives nor to commit them to certain actions. It does, however, represent an
important engagement with the membership, and reflects their priorities for the coming years. It aims
to reflect their ambitions for the Organisation, and to highlight the ways of achieving them. As such,
it offers the opportunity for the long-term development of YFG above and beyond the regular election
cycles and political promises. This document is, at heart, a development plan for the YFG that we
would like to see by 2021.

Method

This document began as an evaluation of the key areas for the growth and development of YFG, with
a focus on how YFG should best engage with members, whether the Organisation’s internal structures
were functioning effectively, what the core values of the Organisation are, and how the Organisation
should best engage with external youth organisations and the Senior Party.

Following the establishment of these key areas, a national consultation process was initiated involving
ordinary members and former members of the National Executive. Ongoing structured conversations
were held between June 2017 and February 2018, with a largescale consultation session with
members held at the YFG Summer School in Cork City, in July 2017. During this process, the feedback
of ordinary members was sought on the four key areas (membership engagement, organisational
structures, core values, and external engagement). Former National Executive members were also
asked their views via an online survey on how the Organisation had been performing in these areas,
how the Organisation could improve, and what the future challenges were.

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The recommendations and action points contained in this document reflect the output of this
consultation process, and cover most areas of YFG activity. Their implementation over the course of
the next three years will provide a major boost for the Organisation.

Aims

It should never be forgotten that YFG is an overwhelmingly voluntary organisation. This is both a huge
advantage and a challenge. Alongside the presence of a single, professional National Youth Officer,
YFG relies entirely on the dedication, generosity, motivation, and passion of its members. There are
no monetary rewards, there are few formal supports, incentives vary hugely, and resources in terms
of time, money, and comparable experience can often be scarce. Members are frequently in full-time
education or full-time employment, with the additional pressures they bring. Therefore, the work of
every member must always be commended. And unless there is a large-scale expansion in the
professional wing of the Organisation, expectations for future development must always be tempered
by the reality of what is possible.

The recommendations contained herein, if implemented, should help the Organisation achieve the
following aims by 2021:

 An increase in membership by between 1,500 and 2,000

 An increase in female membership
 A better representation for minority groups within the Organisation
 Between 50-100 media hits per year for the Organisation across local and national print,
online and broadcast media
 Greater retention of existing members
 Stronger local branches
 More dynamic and responsive internal structures
 A better balance in the relationship between the National Executive and local members
 A higher profile for YFG in the Irish youth political landscape
 A more effective relationship with the Senior Party

RECOMMENDATIONS

Engaging with members

Members join Young Fine Gael for various reasons, and membership engagement should take account
of the differing motivations for involvement. While many members join in order to be proactive in
politics, either campaigning on specific issues or for general ideological viewpoints, others join for
social reasons – chiefly because their friends or family are involved or because they associate YFG with
enjoyable events. It is important that membership engagement is not done on the basis of all members
wanting the same thing from the Organisation. While some do want campaigns, others prefer social
events and networking. Indeed, of those who do want YFG to be a proactive and campaigning
organisation, there are sometimes competing views over what these campaigns should focus on.

The solution is variety, trying to offer as broad a suite of activities as possible, and giving individuals
the opportunity to organise their own events at local level should they wish to. In addition, campaigns
should focus on areas that YFG has already approved as policy, as these positions are viewed as having
the legitimate approval of members.

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Membership of YFG also varies by age, geographical location, gender, and cultural background. While
largescale national events such as National Conferences and occasionally Summer Schools may
successfully engage all categories of members, intervening events must take account of this
demographic diversity. Specific events for specific groups may often be necessary in order to prevent
fall-off of any particular group of members.

During the consultation process, members highlighted current priorities in the area of engagement,
as well as areas for greater action in the future. Current priority areas included: retaining college
graduates, achieving an appropriate balance between political and social events, supplying members
with information on events, improving rural branch structures, and better inter-branch
communications. Areas for future focus included: embracing the history of the party, better use of
social media, engaging with local groups, events focused on female membership, improving
registration processes, local branch activities, and officer training.

Targets for the next three years are as follows:

 Selection of membership champions with the role of engaging with new and potential new
members from groups where YFG is currently weak. This group should primarily focus on new
female members and should be offered all necessary supports, in order to ensure that new
and potential female members are engaged with, encouraged to come to events, and choose
to remain involved in the Organisation. By ensuring that new members in specific categories
are brought into the YFG network early on, it will help to ensure that these members do not
fall away from the Organisation.
 High profile YFG involvement in the Young Professional Network, using the Organisation’s one
or two seats to engage with graduates and young professional members in order to maintain
a broad base of members.
 Structured engagement with second level membership through specific events or initiatives
such as a second level committee, along with at minimum one meeting a year between the
National Executive and the Irish Second Level Students Union to explore the possibility of
cooperation.
 The establishment of high profile social events in the Leinster and North-West Regional along
the lines of Oktoberfest in Munster and Dublin Day.
 Production of a quarterly digital newsletter or ezine summarising recent events and initiatives,
and promoting upcoming events.
 National Executive and local branches should be encouraged to organise specific
commemoration events, linked with the history of the party. These could include
commemorations of figures such as Kevin O’Higgins or Billy Fox, as well as events to mark the
First Dáil and the declaration of the Irish Republic.
 National Executive and local branches should conduct a full social media audit in order to
establish existing strengths and weaknesses, highlight areas for improvement, and maximise
the effectiveness of the Organisation’s social media presence.
 YFG should aim to move the annual affiliation process online within the three years.
 YFG should push for the establishment of an internship programme within the Fine Gael party.
 National Executive should explore the best way for branch chairs to exchange best practice
regarding the holding of meetings and events, whether this be via a training weekend, or a
group chat, or in another manner.
 The welcome process for new online membership registrations, including introductory emails
and the provision of welcome packs should be reviewed to ensure that it is fully functioning

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 and effective. Best practice should also be shared with and between local branches in relation
to recruiting new members.
 Moderation of the National Forum and other online discussion forums related to YFG should
be an important priority. The National Executive should consider initiatives that reduce or
eliminate any online behaviour by YFG members that may be detrimental to the Organisation.

Organisational Structure

The YFG structure is defined by its focus on geography, with local branches feeding into Regional
Councils, which sit under the National Executive with the support of a single National Youth Officer.
In addition, there are frequently sub-committees at various levels. District branches are entirely non-
existent. In its recent organisational reforms, YFG has chosen to focus on extending local branch
coverage with the aim of eventually covering the geographical extent of the country. Where
previously, YFG’s area of greatest strength was on third level campus, there are now many examples
of local branches with high activity levels and solid membership bases that are not connected to local
branches. However, maintaining continuity of local branch strength without effective succession
planning remains a challenge, and all branches retain a relatively low ceiling of active membership
numbers.

In addition, despite the presence of a National Youth Officer, YFG remains an overwhelmingly
voluntary organisation, with all members contributing to various degrees on a part-time basis. This is
all the more challenging for members in full-time education or full-time employment as the time
available to dedicate to YFG activity is limited. The National Youth Officer is an important liaison
between the Organisation and the Senior Party, and also provides crucial professional support,
however with a single professional officer and a vocational membership, YFG cannot hope to match
the organisational capacities of other organisations to which it is regularly compared such as the Union
of Students in Ireland, or Macra na Feirme. The success of the Organisation is almost entirely due to
the passion and drive of the members and the dedication of the Youth Officer, however, if YFG,
particularly at a national level, is expected to match the increased expectations that are placed on it
in terms of activity outputs and the support of an increased number of local branches, greater
investments are a pre-requisite. Without increased investment in the Organisation, YFG will never be
able to advance in terms of its organisational capacities. Paying lip-service to the importance of the
Organisation in engaging with young people in politics and promoting the Fine Gael brand is of limited
use, particularly at a time of increased political cynicism and declining levels of youth party
memberships across the board. The capacity for action in YFG is linked to the funding available. This
funding is a mark of the seriousness with which the Organisation is taken.

Based on consultation with members, targets in this area are as follows:

 Branch development policy should include the option of de-emphasising the necessity to join
a local branch and instead allowing members to join the Organisation at a national level, or
simply become a member of whichever branch they wish (outside college branches). As young
people are often more geographically mobile than other age groups, it is sensible to consider
the option of a more dynamic form of membership that does not limit people to a branch in
their local area.
 The work of sub-committees such as the International Committee and the Agriculture and
Rural Affairs Committee should be better publicised.

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  Branches should draft annual branch plans in every branch during the early summer months,
in order to ensure that local chairpersons and committees have targets for the coming
membership year. Regional Organisers should be encouraged to support local branches with
specific requests such as inviting guest speakers or organising joint events.
 The introduction of formal or informal succession planning process should occur in advance
of branch AGMs in order to ensure that local branches have the best chance of continuity, and
that strong branches do not become weak in subsequent years.
 Local branches should be linked to nearby college branches where feasible in order to
promote joint events.
 Establish and promote a branch officer training process to take place at Summer School or at
an earlier date each year.
 The National Executive should review the structures and rules of Regional Councils in order to
ensure that they are optimised in order to best serve members. This review should include
the link between Regional Councils and the Regional Organiser, including whether the
Regional Organiser should have the right to act as chairperson.
 YFG in conjunction with the National Youth Officer, and the Senior Party, should review its
bullying policy and its disciplinary process to ensure that they are fit for purpose.
 The National Youth Officer should be allocated a dedicated paid intern in order to support
them in their important work. Where funding allows, the option of a second full-time
dedicated staff member for YFG should be examined.
 YFG through its networks should lobby strongly for an increase in budget and aim for a
substantial increase over the next three years.
 The National Executive should conduct an annual review of the geographic spread of branches
and Regional Councils in order to ensure that they are of optimum size and also to examine
whether reconfiguration would better support existing member. Submissions from branches
and Regional Councils should be sought as part of this process.

Core Values

YFG has long been described as a broad church and this is reflected in the feedback from members on
the core values of the party. However, several common themes emerged during the consultation,
including the importance of equality of opportunity, law and order, enterprise, patriotism, social
engagement, and the autonomy of the Organisation. This marks the first time that members have
been asked to give their input into the identity of the Organisation, and these values should guide the
development of the Organisation over the next three years. All the most prominent responses to the
question “what are the core values of YFG” are as follows, as derived from the consultation process.

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Interaction with other organisations

Social activism is an important value for YFG members, and this is reflected in the links that exist
between YFG and other organisations, and the involvement of many YFG members with other
organisations. From the National Youth Council of Ireland, to the Youth of the European People’s
Party, to Macra, to the Irish Second Level Students Union, to student unions across the country and
many others, YFG is represented in many forums across Ireland and internationally. As well as being
excellent platforms for the promotion of the Organisation and its policies, YFG’s external links can also
be an important source of new members.

However, it is often the case that YFG does not optimally leverage its links and the activism of its
members. It is often the case for example, that many members choose to join YFG because of friends
they meet in other organisations who are already involved in the party. Feedback from members
highlights the importance of action in this area. In addition, YFG members at a local level want their
branches to be more involved in local community initiatives and to engage to a greater extent with
other youth parties. Therefore, targets in this area are as follows:

 National Executive should consider initiatives that encourage YFG members to be advocates
for the Organisation within other organisations such as Macra, ISSU, Women for Election, the
European Youth Parliament, or the NYCI. Active members in such groups should be liaised
with regularly regarding upcoming initiatives and provided with necessary supports and

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 information to promote Young Fine Gael. In addition, the insight of these members should be
sought when YFG interacts with other youth organisations.
 The National Executive should formally meet with the leadership of both the Union of
Students in Ireland and the Irish Second Level Students Union at least once during every term.
 YFG should aim to retain a seat on the Board of the Youth of the European People’s Party.
 YFG should aim to win a seat on the Board of the National Youth Council of Ireland. This will
involve campaign planning, drawing on existing experience, strategic engagement with other
NYCI members, and support from the Senior Party where necessary.
 The National Executive should build links with youth parties in Northern Ireland and the
United Kingdom through the organising of joint meetings or initiatives. YFG should also play a
part in the ongoing Brexit debate in the United Kingdom and should consider initiatives in this
regard.
 Local branches should consider joint events with external local groups, and plan for at least
one such event every year as part of the local branch plan. Support of the National Executive
for the organisation of such events should be sought and given where necessary.
 The International Committee and the National Executive should give ordinary members a
greater opportunity to engage with international delegates or representatives who visit
Ireland to engage with Young Fine Gael.
 Initiatives such as the Young Fine Gael Charity Campaign should be built on in future years.
 The National Youth Officer, the National Executive, and local branches should each develop a
media plan for each year and support each other in this regard. Sharing of information
regarding events should be encouraged, and press release templates should be circulated to
branches for localised releases in advance of national events. National campaigns should be
pitched to local media, and local members should be given the opportunity to be interviewed
on local media should they wish. Media campaigns should also include a prominent social
media element. Training and sharing of best practice in relation to media relations should be
an important part of this process.
 Brainstorming should become an intrinsic part of the campaigns process, in order to ensure
the YFG campaigns are as creative and far reaching as possible.
 YFG should seek to formalise the proposed FitzGerald Process not only with the party leader,
but also with Ministers or front bench members to ensure that YFG policy is promoted within
the Senior Party.
 YFG should re-appoint a Parliamentary Party Liaison, who may be the youngest current TD or
Senator in the party. The role of this liaison, as was done previously, should be to promote
YFG policy positions at Parliamentary Party meetings. Briefing documents and talking points
should be provided by the National Executive or the National Youth Officer, if necessary.
 YFG should aim to ensure that all internal Fine Gael affinity groups whose target membership
includes YFG members have standing YFG representatives as part of their organising
committees.
 YFG should ensure that all policy documents are thoroughly researched and well-drafted, with
relevant examples and neatly formatted, to ensure that submissions are credible and taken
seriously.
 YFG should ensure that the Organisation has its own profile and identity during national
elections, through specific YFG manifestos, campaigns, and canvasses. This offers the
opportunity for promoting YFG’s agenda, gaining media coverage, and attracting new
members.
 YFG should continue to build relations with the Senior Party through regular canvassing.