Building Your MUN Team - a Three Year Roadmap
Starting and growing a Model UN team takes time, commitment, and a strategic approach. This guide outlines a three-year roadmap to help you transform your team from a small, foundational group into a large, skilled delegation capable of competing at multiple conferences. Here’s how to develop your team step-by-step:
Year 1: Laying the Foundations
Key Goals:
Focus on Fundamentals: Begin by teaching the basics—rules of procedure, diplomacy, research, and public speaking. The goal is to build a strong foundation of MUN skills.
Build a Core Group: Start with a manageable team size of 8-16 members. Recruit enthusiastic members, as these individuals will form the core of your team in the following years.
Role Assignments: Assign specific roles early on, such as Head Delegate, Director of Research, or Training Specialist. This not only keeps members engaged but also builds loyalty and responsibility.
Participate in One Conference: Plan to attend a conference in the second semester. Select one that suits beginners and allows your team to put their newfound skills into practice.
Training vs. Simulations:
More Lessons than Simulations: In this stage, focus on lessons that cover the basics. Use simulations sparingly to reinforce concepts.
Resources: Rely heavily on the core curriculum from the teambuilder program, which is designed to introduce MUN concepts step-by-step.
Feedback and Success Metrics:
Gather Early Feedback: Use simple feedback forms after practice sessions and the first conference to understand what’s working.
Measure Success: Look for improved confidence, stronger speaking skills, and better research quality.
Year 2: Expanding and Improving
Key Goals:
Leverage Returning Members: Your advanced members from year one can now mentor newcomers, help run simulations, and promote the program.
Grow the Team Size: Aim to increase the team size to around 20-30 members, as you’ll need a broader base to support multiple conferences.
Attend Multiple Conferences: Add at least one additional conference this year. This helps delegates gain more experience and keeps motivation high.
Training vs. Simulations:
Increase Simulation Frequency: Use practice simulations more regularly, including different committee formats (e.g., crisis, General Assembly) to diversify skills.
Resources: Begin integrating research guides from the teambuilder program, encouraging students to delve deeper into position papers and resolution writing.
Feedback and Success Metrics:
Expand Feedback Mechanisms: Create reflection sessions after each conference, where delegates can discuss what went well and what needs improvement.
Measure Success: Track progress through awards won, teamwork, and the overall quality of debate during simulations.
Year 3: Advanced Growth and Specialization
Key Goals:
Split into Teams: Organize a Travel Team for competitive conferences and a Training Squad for beginners and less experienced members. This ensures tailored development for all skill levels.
Aim for 50-100 Members: By year three, your team should be large enough to sustain a broader range of activities. Effective recruitment and engagement strategies are crucial to reach this milestone.
Compete at Multiple Conferences: Plan to attend 3-4 conferences, including more competitive events. Your Travel Team should be ready to tackle challenging debates.
Training vs. Simulations:
Focus Heavily on Simulations: At this stage, simulations should form the bulk of training, with frequent in-house events to maintain engagement and refine skills.
Resources: Rely primarily on advanced research guides and diverse simulations to help members excel at high-level conferences.
Feedback and Success Metrics:
Implement Formal Reviews: Conduct detailed debriefs after conferences, including peer feedback and self-assessments.
Measure Success: Evaluate through award counts, consistency in preparation, and a broader influence in debates and resolutions.
