Planning Volunteer Involvement - Volunteer Now

As Good AsThey GiveProviding volunteers with the management they deserveWorkbook OnePlanning Volunteer Involvement

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TVolunteering takes many forms - traditional service giving, mutual aid and self-help, advocacy and campaigning andcommunity action. All such forms of volunteering are equally valid.Volunteer Now promotes and develops volunteering as a valuable and integral part of life. We believe the followingprinciples and values should underpin volunteering:-Volunteering encourages civic participation and demonstrates active citizenshipVolunteering is an expression of the individual's freedom to chooseVolunteering is unwaged and benefits from being a reciprocal gift relationship that meets the needs of organisationsand volunteersVolunteering promotes inclusion and should be open to allVolunteering enables people and communities to influence and contribute to social changeVolunteering works best when it is guided by good practiceThis workbook was originally developed in 2001. A review of all five 'As Good as they Give' workbooks was carried outin 2012 , facilitated by funding provided by The Building Change Trust.These workbooks are available in downloadable electronic format only.All rights reserved. You may reproduce the various forms and exercises for use in their own organisation. Otherwise no part of this book maybe reproduced in any form, or by electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission inwriting from the publisher.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TAs Good As They GiveProviding volunteers with the management they deserveWorkbook One - Planning Volunteer InvolvementPageHow to use this book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11. Starting from first principles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2The nature of volunteering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Why involve volunteers? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2The two-way relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52. Some useful ideas and theories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Managing volunteers vs managing paid staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Management approaches and styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Managing to learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93. The Volunteer Manager’s role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12The work of the Volunteer Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12The skills of the Volunteer Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12The Volunteer Manager and the organisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174. A framework for good practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18What is policy?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Why develop a volunteer policy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19The process of policy development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Volunteer policy framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225. And finally... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Policy into practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26AppendixStandards relevant to volunteer management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N THow to use this bookThis workbook is aimed at the individual or teamresponsible for co-ordinating or managing theinvolvement of volunteers within an organisationor project. It explores some basic good practiceissues facing volunteer-involving organisationsand, in particular, Volunteer Managers who wantto develop a professional approach to their role.Volunteers are involved in such a wide variety oforganisations, and undertake such a diverserange of tasks that one book cannot claim toaddress all the issues which face everyorganisation and every individual VolunteerManager. Instead, this workbook seeks toexplore underlying principles, which can beapplied in any type of volunteer–involvingorganisation regardless of size. It also identifiessome procedures and skills for implementingthese principles and provides examples of goodpractice, which, it is hoped, will make it of use asa practical tool when undertaking these tasks inreal work situations. However, it also makesfrequent use of exercises and activities toencourage you to use your own knowledge andexperience to tailor these suggested ways ofworking within your own organisational contexts.The workbook has been designed primarily as alearning resource for the individual VolunteerManager to work through alone or, better still,with colleagues, but it could also be used as abasis for group training sessions. However youchoose to use the book, it should help youacquire skills and knowledge needed to:• outline key concepts and core valuesunderpinning volunteer involvement.• describe theory frameworks of relevance tothe management of volunteers.• identify and prioritise your developmentneeds in relation to volunteer management.• begin to identify key issues for yourorganisation in relation to volunteering.• explain the purpose and basic content of avolunteer policy.• use a simple framework to develop avolunteer policy for your own organisation.The following symbols will help you to use theworkbook:Key principles, which represent themain focus of a chapter or section.Indicates an example or case studythat illustrates good practice in aparticular context. It does not implyan ‘ideal’ way of applying the goodpractice principles, just one thatworked in that setting.Reflective exercises are designed todraw out ideas and knowledge on anissue, or to help place it in a relevantcontext.Tasks, on the other hand, involvepractical activities or research with atangible application to the reader’swork.Finally, references to other materialsallow more in-depth reading onspecific issues which space does notallow us to fully explore in thispublication.Before starting, you should be aware that thisworkbook is part of a series that addresses thekey areas of volunteer management. Addressingthe issues explored in this workbook is anessential first step towards the more effectiveinvolvement of volunteers. However, it is onlythe beginning and the aim of the workbook is tohelp you highlight priorities for your own andyour organisation’s development. Furtherworkbooks in the series outline basic goodpractice principles in relation to core volunteermanagement tasks (recruitment and selection,management, training and evaluation) and keyorganisational issues (legal responsibilities,equality and diversity and staff/volunteerrelations).Other workbooks in this series are:Two - Attracting and Selecting VolunteersThree - Managing and Motivating VolunteersFour - Managing Volunteer TrainingFive - Volunteers and the Wider Organisation© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W1

1.StNOTESNOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N T1. Starting from first principlesFor busy Volunteer Managers, there isalways a pressure to rush straight in todealing with the many urgent tasks thatdemand attention and just won’t wait.However, effective management meanstaking time out occasionally to step backand look at the ‘bigger picture’ to regainour focus on the core aims and objectivesof the work. This workbook aims to helpyou do just that by addressing some of thecore values and concepts that underpinvolunteer involvement and to help youidentify what you need to be an effectivemanager of volunteers. All the workbooksin this series are based on three key valuesaround volunteering.The nature of volunteeringThe first key value is about the nature ofvolunteering. While at some levels it isuseful to think about volunteering in thebroadest sense - as any community activity,or as active citizenship - there are timeswhen we need a clear definition ofvolunteering. For instance, when we areundertaking practical tasks, such asformulating policy and procedures forvolunteer involvement within ourorganisation or group, it is important to beable to state clearly to whom such policyand procedures apply.Volunteering has been defined as…”the commitment of time and energyfor the benefit of society and thecommunity, the environment orindividuals outside (or in additionto) one’s immediate family. It isu n p a i d a n d undertaken freely andby choice.”Join in, Get Involved: Build a Better FutureVolunteering Strategy for NI, 2012This is the definition that we will applythroughout this workbook and it raises fourdistinct points about the nature ofvolunteering:2. Whatever the volunteer’s motivation, thebenefits of their voluntary activity arefelt outside or in addition to theirimmediate family.3. There can be no element of compulsionor coercion in volunteering. Eachindividual must make the commitmentof his/her own free choice.4. Volunteering is essentially unpaid. Whilereimbursing out-of-pocket expenses isgood practice, giving or receivingpayment for work creates a differentkind of relationship to that between avolunteer and the group or organisationwith which they volunteer. This isexplained more in Workbook 5.Research undertaken by the VolunteerDevelopment Agency in 2007 1 estimatedthat 282,067 adults in Northern Irelandare ‘formal’ volunteers – those being peoplevolunteering under the auspices of anorganisation. This equates to 21% of theNI population. A further 470,117 peoplewere estimated to be ‘informal volunteers’-those being people volunteering at aneighbourhood level, outside of anorganisation. This equates to 35% of the NIpopulation.Why involve volunteers?It is interesting to note that 67% oforganisations in NI say that volunteersbring special qualities to the role that paidstaff cannot offer. A further 87% stated thateven if they had all the money in the worldthey would still involve volunteers.A mapping exercise of volunteer involvingorganisations in NI carried out in 2010 showedthat volunteers are involved across all Sectorsand in every imaginable activity. Although themajority of volunteers are still involved in theCommunity and Voluntary, Church and FaithBased Sector there is a growing number involvedin the Public and Private Sector.1. Volunteering involves an activecommitment. It is more than simplydonating money or lending one’s nameto a cause. Volunteers get involved.1 Its All about Time: Volunteering in Northern Ireland, Volunteer Development Agency, 2007© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W2

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TNOTESVolunteers in NorthernIreland are involved in everything frombefriending to fundraising, from tradeunions to political parties, from hospitals tomuseums, from campaigning tocounselling, from giving blood to mountainrescue and many other areas besides. Themost common types of roles carried outby volunteers include Administration /Office (55%), Governance (44%),Fundraising (36%),Working with Children /Young People (36%) and Advice /Information (31%) (State of the Sector VI,NICVA, 2011).Moreover, the work volunteers do benefitsall kinds of people: young people, olderpeople and families; men and women;those with physical or mental ill health;those with physical, sensory or learningdisabilities; the unemployed, theemployed, the retired, students and thosewho work in the home; those with aninterest in the arts, in history, in sports;people from minority ethnic backgroundsand other minority groups; localcommunities, people living on everycontinent, refugees and the homeless. Infact, it would be hard to think of any groupor community that does not benefit fromsome form of voluntary service.So what distinguishes work carried out byvolunteers from that carried out byemployees? 2 Is it simply that they do notget paid? It is true many organisationsthink of involving volunteers only in termsof saving money. This implies that, “If onlywe had enough money, we wouldn’t need(or even want) volunteers in ourorganisation.” So volunteers are toleratedas ‘cheap labour’ or second-class staff. This isa ‘second choice’ reason for involvingvolunteers. The motivation for involvingvolunteers has important implications for everyaspect of how you will involve and managevolunteers, from which tasks they do, to theresources spent on their involvement.If such economic considerations onlyproduce ‘second choice’ reasons forinvolving volunteers, what are the ‘firstchoice’ reasons? ‘First choice’ reasonsare those where, volunteers would stillbe the preferred option, even ifmoney was available to pay staff tocarry out the work volunteers aredoing.Aim: To examine attitudes tovolunteers in your organisation and itsapproach to volunteer involvement.Spend 10 -15 minutes thinking about or discussingwhy your organisation involves volunteers and try towrite down at least three or four reasons in order ofimportance.Think about…• the sorts of roles or functions thatvolunteers fulfil in your organisation.• how volunteers contribute to theachievement of the organisation’sobjectives.• the relationship of volunteers to paidstaff, and to your service-users.• what, if anything, your missionstatement or constitution says aboutvolunteers.Now consider if the reasons you have listedpass the following ‘ideal world’ test: In thisparticular ‘ideal world’, the needs yourorganisation deals with still exist, but thereis limitless money to spend on meetingthose needs. Do the reasons you havelisted mean that there would still be a placefor volunteers within your organisation?Now read the following extract:First choice reasons for involving volunteersIf you play this mind game (the ‘idealworld’ test), you will identify some of theunique things volunteers offer an organisation- so special to volunteers that paying a salarynegates or changes them completely:• Volunteers have perceived credibilitywith clients, donors, legislators, andothers for the very reason that they donot receive a wage from theorganisation.• It often makes a difference to the recipient of aservice that the provider is there purelybecause he or she wants to be.• Volunteers are insider/outsiders, bringinga community perspective and2 For more information on the issue of job substitution see Workbook Five, Volunteers and the Wider Organisation.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W3

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N Toften widening the range ofbackgrounds of the workforce.Volunteers can bring a broader pointof view than the paid staff who maybe too close to the work to “seethe woods from the trees”.• Volunteers extend your sphere ofinfluence and access to additionalpeople, businesses and organisations inthe community. Even the volunteerwho helps you once a year becomesanother person with knowledge aboutyour work.• Boards of Directors/ ManagementCommittees of Charities / VoluntaryGroups are - by law - an intermediarybetween donors/funders andprogramme participants, acting as“trustees” of funds from which theythemselves derive no profit.• Volunteers bring the “luxury of focus”to their work. While paid staff membersmust spread their time and effortsequitably among all clients and projects,volunteers can be recruited toconcentrate on selected individuals andissues.• Volunteers can be asked to work oddhours, in varying locations, and to fillspecial needs for which staff time cannot be justified yet which are importantto individual clients.• Volunteers often feel freer to criticiseand speak their minds than employeesdo.• Volunteers, as private citizens, cansometimes cut through red tape andbureaucracies more directly thanemployees.• Volunteers can provide new andvaluable contacts and networks andextend the reach to new audiences,donors etc.• Volunteers can experiment with newideas and service approaches that arenot yet ready to be funded - or that noone wants to fund for a wide variety ofreasons. Historically, in fact, volunteershave always been the pioneers increating new services, often against thetide of opposition from more traditionalinstitutions.Other Benefits of VolunteersSince we live in the real, limited-resourcesworld, what are the other benefits to anorganisation for involving volunteers?Volunteers offer:• Extra hands and the potential to domore than could be done simply withlimited salaried staff; this “more” mightmean an increased amount of service,expanded hours of operation, ordifferent/new types of services.• Diversity; volunteers may be differentfrom the salaried staff in terms of age,race, social background, income,educational level, etc. This translatesinto many more points of view andperhaps even a sort of checks andbalances to the danger of the staffbecoming short sighted.• Skills that augment the ones employeesalready possess. Ideally volunteers arerecruited exactly because the salariedstaff cannot have every skill or talentnecessary to do all aspects of the work.• Community ownership of solutions tomutual problems. Especially if yourorganisation addresses issues affectingthe quality of life, when peopleparticipate as volunteers they empowerthemselves to improve their owncommunity (which is your mission, afterall).• Studies have shown that satisfiedvolunteers frequently are so supportiveof the organisations with which theyserve that they become donors ofmoney and goods as well. They alsosupport special events and fundraisersby attending themselves and bringingalong family and friends.So Why Pay a Salary?Perhaps you have been thinking about thereverse of the question of why you involvevolunteers, namely: “Why should we salaryanyone?” It is important to recognise thatthe answer is not that offering a salary getsyou people with better qualifications. Avolunteer can be just as highly trained andexperienced as can any employee. Instead,offering a salary gives the organistaion apre- determined number of work hours perweek, the right to dictate the employee’swork schedule, a certain amount of controlover the nature and priorities of the workto be done, and continuity.Adapted from: © Lee, J F & Catagnus, J M.Supervising Volunteers, Energize Inc, 1999© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W4

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N T NOTESThe second key value thatunderpins volunteering, then, isthat volunteers have a uniquecontribution to make to theorganisations, communities and causes forwhich they work, which is different from,but complementary to, that of paid staff. Itis absolutely vital to identify the uniquequalities of volunteers that are important toyour organisation, and to develop a ‘valuestatement’, which expresses why youinvolve volunteers in your organisation. Itis crucial that this ethos is understood andshared by everyone connected with theorganisation because those values will impacton all your policies and procedures forattracting and managing volunteers. It willmake the difference between anorganisation that uses volunteers and onethat involves them.put something into the process in order toreceive mutual benefits. On this basis, theorganisation has a clear responsibility toplan and manage the way in which itinvolves volunteers in its work in order tomaximise the potential benefits to allconcerned - the organisation itself, itsbeneficiaries and the volunteers.Ideas,contacts,enthusiasm,time, skillsexperience…The volunteerRecognition,friendship,fun, skills,experience …One last thought on the ‘second choice’ oreconomic reasons that you may have forinvolving volunteers in your organisation -volunteers are not a wholly free resource, toeffectively involve volunteers investment mustmade in planning for their involvement,recruitment, support, training and management.To maximise the number and diversity ofpeople that volunteer with you, offeringreimbursement of out of pocket expenses is alsostrongly recommended.It is therefore more accurate to say thatvolunteers provide excellent value formoney, with the consequent understandingthat volunteers do not come for free.Organisations must be willing to invest inthis valuable resource in order to get thebest value out of it.The two-way relationshipResources,training,welcome,insurance,support,expertise…VolunteeringThe organisationFlexibility,skills,community,involvemet,ideas,diversity…Highlighting the unique contribution ofvolunteers and the value your organisationplaces on the individuals and their workwill set the tone of the relationshipbetween volunteers and the organisation.The traditional view of this relationship isthat volunteers make a gift of their time,without any desire or expectation ofgetting anything back.Although the element of altruism is felt bymany to be an essential ingredient involunteering, this ‘one-way’ relationship isno longer seen as either realistic or useful bymany of those with a direct involvement involunteering. Instead, volunteering isunderstood as a relationship that, like mostrelationships, requires both parties toSo the third and final key value aboutvolunteering is that volunteering is a two-wayrelationship. As you will doubtless have realisedby now, each of these ideas is much more thanan abstract or philosophical point, because theyhave a fundamental effect on how theorganisation approaches the involvement ofvolunteers.Acknowledging a two-way relationship withvolunteers means that volunteers’ reasons forvolunteering become a matter of acute interest tothe organisation - and to the Volunteer Manager,in particular. In fact, much of the challenge ofvolunteer management lies in trying to achievethe best balance between the needs of theorganisation and the motivations of thevolunteers, the ‘best balance’ being that© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W5

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N Twhich maximises the benefits ofvolunteering for both parties.While the motivation for volunteering willvary from one individual to another, andindeed for one individual over time, thefollowing chart indicates some of the mostcommon reasons given in the Its All AboutTime 2007 research 1 .Top 10 Motivations toVolunteer I wanted to improve things/helppeople50 % The cause was really important tome28 % I had time to spare 24 % I felt there was a need in mycommunity23 % It’s part of my religious belief orphilosophy of life to help people22 % I thought it would give me a chanceto use my existing skills17 % My friends/family did it 15 %I wanted to meet people/makefriendsIt was connected with the needs ofmy family/friends12 %12 % I felt there was no-one else to do it 5 %It pays to remember that volunteering is aleisure pursuit and just one of manyoptions available. So, while the ‘traditional’or altruistic reasons for volunteering -responding to a need in the community ora sense of duty - are still important, manypeople are seeking to fulfil personal needsand motivations through volunteering too -to meet new people, to learn new skills oreven just to fill spare time. The implicationof this for organisations is simple -volunteers are unlikely to stay with anorganisation that fails to recognise the twowayrelationship.The three principles discussed in this chapterprovide the foundations on which all theother ideas about volunteer management inthese workbooks are built. It will beimportant to keep these three ideas at theforefront of your mind as we begin to lookat how best to approach the managementof volunteers. So, before proceeding to thenext chapter, take a few minutes to lookagain at the three key ideas and notedown any ideas or questions they raise foryour organisation, your volunteerprogrammeme and, in particular, yourrole.1 Its All about Time Volunteering in Northern Ireland, Volunteer Development Agency, 2007© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W6

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TNOTES2. Some useful ideas and theoriesThe first thing to realise about volunteerinvolvement is that it needs to bemanaged. This may seem an obviousstatement, but many organisations stilloperate on the assumption that goodwillalone will be enough to ensure the successof their volunteer effort. Yet poororganisation is one of the most commonnegative experiences to volunteering;2007 research 1 and other research 3 hasfound that processes such as volunteerrecruitment are more efficient whenorganisations have a dedicated personresponsible for them. Due to theprofessionalisation of volunteering,the importance of having volunteermanagers has risen substantially over thelast decade, h o w e v e r , it is still quiteusual for volunteer management to betreated as an additional duty, tagged on toanother role, rather than as a job in itself.Even where the need for a volunteermanager role is recognised, there remains ahuge issue over the level or status of therole. Yet managing volunteers requires allthe ‘generic’ management skills andcompetencies associated with any othermanagement role - a simple fact whichoften escapes even those in volunteerinvolvingorganisations. As one managerof volunteers, designated a ‘Volunteer Coordinator’,put it, “You co-ordinate colours- volunteers are a little more complicatedthan that!” Managing people - whetherthey are paid or unpaid - is a complexprocess that requires a range ofadministrative, interpersonal and problemsolvingskills.However, there is still some way to gobefore volunteer managers are given a placein most organisations alongside othermanagers whose responsibilities includemarketing, recruitment, training,supervision, evaluation, risk managementand so on. While much of this workbookwill try to pinpoint the differencesbetween volunteer management and othertypes of management, the basic fact thatthis is a management role remains true.3 A Unique Way of Sharing, Volunteer Development Agency, 2001Managing volunteers vsmanaging paid staffAccording to the Management CharterInitiative’s (MCI) National OccupationalStandards for management, the ‘keypurpose’ of any management activity is,“To achieve organisational objectives andcontinually improve its performance”. Withinthis overall purpose, four ‘key roles’ ofmanagement are specified - managinginformation, resources, activities andpeople, with people management easilythe largest of the four functions.The emphasis in the ‘key purpose’statement on the central importance ofmeeting their organisation’s needs isimportant, although many managers ofvolunteers have commented that thisstatement lacks any reference to the vital‘human element’ of their role. While theskills required for the first three of the keyroles are broadly transferable, those whomanage volunteers may require different oradditional skills and knowledge in peoplemanagement.This is because the relationship withvolunteers differs in a number of importantways from that with paid staff. Theemployer/employee relationship is basedon two elements that, by definition, cannotbe present in a voluntary relationship –obligation and remuneration. Without the‘carrot’ of monetary reward or the ‘stick’ ofa legally binding contract, volunteermanagers need to be more flexible andresourceful in their approach tomanagement. As highlighted in theprevious chapter, the motivations ofindividual volunteers become central toeffective management.Don’t worry if you have trouble with thefollowing exercise. It is difficult tosummarise any role in just a few words anda possible key purpose statement forvolunteer management is suggested later.The point is to focus your mind not somuch on what you do as why you do it.Keeping focused on the purpose of yourwork will help clarify what you need toachieve it and even how these thingsshould be done.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W7

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TAim: To identify the keypurpose of volunteermanagement.Spend 5-10 minutes thinking about theoverall purpose of your role in relation tovolunteer management. Don’t get caughtup in describing the work you do, butfocus on the bigger question of “What am Ihere for?” In working this out you shouldconsider:• Your job description – What does it sayabout the aim or purpose of the role?How much of this is directly related tomanaging volunteers and how muchrelates to other areas of work?• Your organisation’s mission statement –How does your role relate to this and tothe organisation’s strategic objectives?• The key values highlighted in theintroduction.Now take 10 minutes to try to summarisethe key purpose of your role by draftingyour own key purpose statement. Youshould include some sort of commitment tothe welfare and interests of volunteers, aswell as the organisation. Keep it concise -just one or two sentences are enough.• Does this statement reflect the focus ofall your various volunteer managementduties and activities?• Does it highlight the common groundyou share with other VolunteerManagers?See workbook Three Managing andMotivating VolunteersManagement approachesand stylesManaging volunteers is different frommanaging paid staff, but this does notmean that ‘conventional’ managementtheories, skills and models are of norelevance in managing volunteers. Asstated before, many areas of managementrequire broadly similar skills and knowledgewhatever the particular context of thework. This rest of this chapter looks atsome of those ideas that are mostapplicable to the unique context ofmanaging volunteers.The earliest theories of management werebased on a view of the average human assomeone who dislikes work and seeks toavoid responsibility, preferring to bedirected. This view of people at work wasdesignated ‘Theory X’ byDouglas McGregor, a sociologist, in the1960s. He found that most organisationaland management practices were based onthis belief, with managers using acombination of rewards and threats tocontrol the workers. The basic problemwith this concept is that, if it were true,people simply would not volunteer inthe first place. The very fact that peopleundertake the work voluntarily makes this‘carrot and stick’ approach inappropriate tovolunteer management.McGregor, however, also suggested analternative view (his ‘Theory Y’) which saidthat work is as natural to human beings asrest or play. So, in the right circumstances,most people not only accept responsibilitybut seek it out. From this perspective,control and coercion are not the best waysto manage people at work, let alone theonly ones. If the work itself is satisfying,then people will be committed to the roleand, by extension, to the organisation.McGregor suggested that if people feel thisway they will go beyond the basic physicalor mental effort required to do the workand will use imagination and ingenuity totackle their work creatively. In fact,McGregor believed that Theory Y peoplerepresent a huge resource of untappedtalents and abilities, which are rarely fullydeveloped or utilised in the context ofwork.If we agree that volunteers do notfit the Theory X model, thenTheory Y holds enormousimplications for how we should approachthe management of volunteers. From thisperspective, volunteer management shouldfocus on helping people realise theirpotential in ways which meet bothpersonal motivations and theorganisation’s objectives.This idea summarises a number ofimportant points about the role of thevolunteer manager so well that it makes agood alternative key purpose statement. Itstill emphasises the importance oforganisational objectives, but recognisesthat individual motivations are key to the© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W8

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N Teffective management of volunteers. Infact, this approach amounts to a strategyfor involving volunteers - that is, managingnot just to achieve limited (organisational)goals, but also to realise individuals’potential. From this point of view, we canalso make suggestions as to how thevolunteer manager might go aboutimplementing such an approach.For a start, a Theory Y approach holdsimportant implications for what we mightcall an individual’s management style -meaning their overall approach to the roleand, in particular, how they interact withthose they manage. While personality andthe organisation’s structure will affect thisto some extent, the defining feature ofone’s management style is control. Basedon the research of another managementtheorist, Rensis Likert, we can describemanagement style as a continuum with avery high level of control at one end andtotal neglect at the other, with differentways of influencing and directing people atvarious points along that line.MANAGEMENT STYLEprovide effective management in anysituation. Likert found that theparticipative approach near the centre ofthe continuum, where all those involved inthe work take part in planning anddecision-making, was the most effective inall kinds of organisations, people-orientedas well as profit-making, backing upMcGregor’s more optimistic view ofpeople’s approach to work.A participative approach, however,demands that paid staff and managementtrust volunteers and have enoughconfidence in their abilities and motivationto delegate real responsibility to them. Itcan therefore require a considerableinvestment of effort and resources toenable and empower volunteers toparticipate effectively. The VolunteerManager who views his or her volunteersas a resource of huge potential, willing andcapable people who work best in aparticipative team, will want to managevolunteers in a way that can help people torealise their potential. One of the keyquestions they must ask therefore, is, “Howcan I help my volunteers to learn anddevelop the skills and qualities that theyneed to work most effectively?”Directive/conrollingFacilitative/empoweringAuthoritarianIndividualisticParticipatoryAbdicativeManaging to learnThe concept of ‘lifelong learning’ hasbecome very popular over the last fewyears. Government policy on educationand training is now heavily influenced bythe idea that learning does not and shouldnot stop when we leave formal education.There are numerous initiatives to create a‘learning society’ in which learning is partand parcel of our daily lives, inside andoutside work. The emphasis in theseinitiatives is usually on increasing access to,and uptake of, structured trainingprogrammemes, but this is not the onlyway to learn.AbdicativeChaoticWhile any individual manager mightemploy a variety of styles in a range ofcircumstances, the approaches at eitherextreme of the continuum are unlikely toTraining has been described as“Is a process which is planned to facilitatelearning so that people can become moreeffective in carrying out aspects of their work.”(Bramley, 2003) It is a deliberateand structured process with clearly definedgoals or outcomes against pre-determinedstandards. Learning, however, is muchbroader. One of many definitions describeslearning as, “a relatively permanent changein behaviour that occurs© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W9

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N Tas a result of practice or experience” 5 . DavidKolb, a psychologist, described the way inwhich adults learn as a continuous processor a cycle:Kolb’s Learning CycleActiveexperimentation(Trying out thelearning in othersimilar situations)Concrete experience(Planned or accidental)AbstractReflectiveobservation(Actively thinking aboutthe experience, its basicissues and their meaning)Conceptualisation(Generalising from reflections,analysing to develop a bodyof ideas to apply to similarsituations)LEARNING FROMEXPERIENCEConcrete ExperienceAs Volunteer Manager, it was part of Mary’sjob to deal with ‘difficult’ volunteers, but itwas not a part that she relished. Andrewhad been volunteering with theorganisation for much longer than Maryhad worked there and, although he hadalways been ‘strong-willed’ and ratherblunt, he was also enthusiastic and a hardworker. However, he had become less andless co-operative over the last year, despiteMary’s repeated attempts to deal with thesituation. Things seemed to have come toa head recently, and he had now becomeobstructive. Mary was nervous at theprospect of confronting the issue and,when she remembered previousexperiences of trying to sort things outwith Andrew, she began to panic.Reflective ObservationMary began to reflect on a number ofrecent meetings – Andrew always seemedto get the upper hand and Mary neverquite managed to get a satisfactory resultfrom these meetings. In fact she oftenended up agreeing to something which sheknew might make the original situationworse. Thinking these things through,Mary observed that, because they were sodifficult, she had always tried to avoid suchmeetings until the last minute. This meantshe rarely had time to prepare what shewould say, to think through Andrew’sobjections and work out her own response.In fact, she could see now that sometimesshe didn’t even know what she wantedfrom him in the first place.Abstract ConceptualisationShe began to analyse what she shouldhave done to handle these situations moreeffectively. First, she thought that sheshould be clearer about what she wantedfrom Andrew and then work out what eachof them would have to do to achieve this.Of course that would not guaranteeAndrew’s co-operation – she needed to beable to show him that he would getsomething out of it too. Better still, if shecould offer him some choices, it wouldallow him to feel that he had some control- something she felt sure was important tohim. Making a note of all these ideas,Mary searched out the book on volunteermanagement she had bought when shefirst got the post and re-read the chapteron conflict management. Before longMary had worked out a set of ‘GoldenRules’ - a sort of checklist to help herprepare for these sort of situations.Active ExperimentationMary still felt nervous as she arranged tomeet Andrew for yet another ‘chat’, butthis time she had decided to try out hernew strategy. She made sure she had timeto prepare and used her checklist to workout what she wanted to say and to try toanticipate Andrew’s likely response. Ofcourse, she didn’t expect everything to goperfectly this time, but she was pretty surethat at least she wouldn’t end up makingthe situation worse! She wanted to try tobe open-minded and learn from theexperience. She may need to add to - oreven subtract from - her ‘Golden Rules’,but that was how she would learn.5 Bass, B.M. & Vaughan, J.A. Training in industry; the management of learning, Tavistock, 1967© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W10

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TYou can probably relate the sort of processdescribed in the case study to a learningexperience of your own. In fact, you haveprobably gone through such a processmany times but not really regarded it as‘learning’ as such. Increasing our ability tolearn and become more effective requiresnot only an awareness of the process butan ability to move through each phase ofthe cycle. This requires specific skills andknowledge – what we might call learningskills. Some of the key skills andknowledge are listed below, but this is byno means a complete list. Add any thatyou have identified.Skills• Assessing own performance• Identifying own needs• Analysing processes• Learning from others’ example• Asking for and accepting help• Planning• Taking risks and facing anxietiesKnowledge• Acceptable standard of work/behaviour• Own duties and responsibilities• Purpose of own work• Opportunities to learn• Sources of advice and information• Resources available• Sources of supportPerhaps the single most effective way aVolunteer Manager can help people torealise their potential in ways that meetboth personal motivations andorganisational objectives is by helpingvolunteers to develop these learning skills.Then they will be able to take moreresponsibility for their own development,whether that is in relation to theirparticular volunteer roles, as members of ateam, in employment (if applicable) or intheir personal lives.Aim: To identify ways inwhich the Volunteer Managercan increase a volunteer’scapacity to learn.• Work through the knowledge list(including those you have added).Consider:- Do you have access to this information?If not, where would you find it?- What opportunities do you have toconvey this information to volunteers?- How could you best convey theinformation? (e.g. verbally, in ahandbook, training etc.)• Now look at the skills list and consider:- Do you know any techniques, methodsor tips for putting the skills intopractice?- How could you help a volunteer tomaster these skills? (e.g. discussion,coaching, modelling etc.)- What opportunities do you have to dothis? (e.g. support meetings, on-the-jobsupervision, group training sessions)On a clean sheet of paper, write down yourideas about what you could do and howand keep it inside this workbook as youwork your way through. Keep adding tothe sheet as you read so that you develop alist of effective management behavioursand techniques that will enable yourvolunteers to develop their own skills andabilities in ways which are beneficial tothem and to the organisation.Chinese Proverb‘’Tell me and I will forget. Show me and I mayremember. Involve me and I will understand. ‘’© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W11

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N T33.So much for the theory - now it is time tothink very closely about the reality. Thischapter is devoted entirely to you and yourparticular role in relation to volunteermanagement. While the previous chapterfocused on the widest purpose of the role,which all Volunteer Managers have incommon, this chapter moves on to lookingat what you need to enable you to makethat happen on a day-to-day basis, takingaccount of the unique context of yourorganisation.The work of the VolunteerManagerWhile volunteer management should havea clear aim, common to all those involved,the actual work of any individualresponsible for managing volunteers islikely to vary from one organisation to thenext. This may be partly attributed to theindividual’s personal abilities, but willprobably be largely the result of eachorganisation’s differing structure, whichmeans that the place of the VolunteerManager within that structure is alsodifferent. Some managers haveresponsibility for securing funding andcontrolling expenditure within thevolunteer programmeme, while in otherorganisations a finance department willdeal with funding for all projects. Somemanagers will have direct responsibility fortraining volunteers, while those working inlarger organisations may have dedicatedtraining staff to do that.However, every manager fulfils anumber of broad responsibilitiesand will, at least, need to:• Set objectives• Plan• Organise• Communicate• Develop people• Motivate• Control• Evaluate3. The Volunteer Manager’s roleThinking back over the activities of the lastweek, you will be able to identify a numberof volunteer management tasks such aspolicy development, recruitment andselection, supporting volunteers orsupervising their work. Furthermore, foreach task or area of work, you should beable to see a cycle of activities: from thesetting of targets; planning, organisingand monitoring of work; communicatingwith those you manage; motivating themand developing their skills to achieve thetargets set; while continually reviewing andevaluating the process and outcomes. Ifany part of this cycle is conspicuouslyabsent from any of the tasks you identified,it is unlikely that you are working aseffectively in this area as you could. Theapproach of the other workbooks in thisseries is to focus on skills, knowledge andtechniques specific to the different areas ofvolunteer management activity, but thebroader management skills listed above areessential to underpin all tasks.The skills of the VolunteerManagerOf course, while every manager will needthese broad skills, any specific managementrole will have other, more specificdevelopment needs. As for your particularjob, you are probably the best person toidentify the specific skills needed in your joband decide on their relative importance,perhaps in consultation with your linemanager. You have already spent a fewminutes trying to describe the sorts ofactivities that fill your working day. The restof this chapter is given over to a series oftasks designed to help you identify theessential skills and knowledge needed inyour role and begin to prioritise yourindividual development needs. 66 The skills audit process uses exercises from The Skills Audit and Action Planner, NCVUK, 1992© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W12

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TAim: To clarify the key aimsof your role and to identifythe tasks and dutiesassociated with achievingthese aims.• List the key aims of your role in the firstpart of the Role Analysis sheet overleaf.Use the information from the firstexercise in the last chapter to help you.• Now complete the second part, listingall the actual activities or tasks involvedin achieving these aims.You may find your job description auseful starting point, but be aware thatsome of the things you actually findyourself doing in work may notcontribute to the achievement of theaims you identified. Equally, you maydecide that there are things that youneed to do in order to meet your aimsbut do not currently do, perhaps due toa lack of time or know-how.Include all the tasks you need to do tomeet the key aims of the job, whetheryou do them currently or not, and leaveout any tasks that do not contributeclearly to any of the aims.If, when you have completed this task, youfind there is a significant differencebetween the activities on the Role Analysissheet and your job description, you mayneed to discuss this with your linemanager. When you are satisfied that yourcompleted Role Analysis sheet matchesboth your own and your manager’sunderstanding of the job, you are ready tocomplete the next task.Aim: Identify the skills,knowledge and qualitiesneeded in your role andprioritise your individualdevelopment needs.• Work through the tasks listed on yourRole Analysis sheet, listing the skills andknowledge required to perform eachone effectively on to the Skills Auditsheet. It is useful to do this with acolleague or manager, especially if youare unfamiliar with some tasks. You willfind that many skills come up repeatedlyas they are important in a wide range oftasks - list each only once.• When you have completed your list, youwill need to give each skill or piece ofknowledge a score from 1 - 10 on eachof the following two elements:- Job need is how important theskill/knowledge is in relation to theeffective performance of your job.You may give a particular skill a highscore because it is vital to one keyaspect of your work, or because it isquite important for many differenttasks. Skills or knowledge which arenot essential or relate to only oneminor part of your job would receivea low score.- You also need to decide on yourcurrent ability level in relation tothe skill/knowledge. Again, it isuseful to get the opinion of a closecolleague or manager who knowsyour work. Don’t forget that skillsand knowledge can date or declinewith lack of practice, so make surethe score you give reflects yourcurrent level of ability.You can quickly identify your maindevelopment needs by picking out the skillsand knowledge which you have given ahigh job need score, but scored low onability level. However, the Job Skills grid onpage 16 may help you to discover someother useful ideas about your job.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E, V O L U N T E E R N O W13

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TWhat is the purpose of your role?ROLE ANALYSISList up to five key aims:a)b)c)d)e)List the main tasks or activities involved in achieving these aims. Where a task isrelevant to more than one aim, list it only once:1) 2)3) 4)5) 6)7) 8)9) 10)11) 12)13) 14)15) 16)17) 18)19) 20)21) 22)23) 24)25) 26)© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W14

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TSKILLS AUDITSkills and knowledgeJobneed(1-10)Abilitylevel(1-10)Zone2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W15

NOTES P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N T10JOB SKILLS GRIDBCAbilitylevel5AD0 5 10Job NeedUsing the job skills grid1. Find the point on the left hand edge ofthe grid that matches the ability levelscore you have given a particular skill.2. Follow this line across the grid until youmeet the vertical line that matches thescore you have given for job need.3. Note which zone it falls into in the lastcolumn of the Skills Audit sheet.The skills and knowledge in zone A of thegrid are not among your particular talents,but, since they are not of great importanceto your job either, they are not priorities fordevelopment. The tasks associated withthe skills/knowledge in this zone often feellike chores and, if someone else in yourteam, project or organisation is better ableto deal with them, it may be appropriate todelegate these tasks to them.Zone B of the grid contains skills andknowledge which you do possess at ahigher level. Your confidence in theseareas means you probably quite enjoy thetasks associated with them, but these arenot the most important aspects of yourwork. You may be able to utilise yourtalents to greater effect in your job, bydeveloping these areas of work, if you cando so in ways which are relevant to the keyaims you identified on the Role Analysis.You probably don’t need to be told thatthe skills and knowledge in zone C relate tothe areas of your work where you are mosteffective. Not only are you good at thesethings, but they are vital to your work too.Not surprisingly, these are often the aspectsof your work that give you the mostsatisfaction.For the moment, however, it is zone D thatis of most interest. The skills andknowledge in this area are vital in yourwork, but are not currently your strongpoints. These are the skills and knowledgethat you need to develop to becomemore effective in your work.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V , V O L U N T E E R N O W16

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TNOTESThe Volunteer Manager andthe organisationYou have examined your role as a Managerof Volunteers very closely in this chapter,breaking it down from its broader goals tothe daily tasks and the specific skillsinvolved. Such close scrutiny can makeyou start to think as if your role exists inisolation. However, it is important toremember the organisational context ofyour work, and to take account of this inconsidering your development needs.While the previous exercise should havehelped you identify skills and knowledgethat you need to develop specifically forthe role, you should also consider particularstrengths, weaknesses, opportunities andchallenges facing your organisation andhow these impact on your owndevelopment needs and priorities. It is alsoimportant to take account of organisationalobjectives and requirements whenplanning and prioritising how you willaddress these needs.Aim: To consider the impactof organisational issues onthe Volunteer Manager’s roleand vice versa.Take a few minutes to think about thefollowing issues and how they impact onthe organisation as a whole now and in theforeseeable future. What effects mightthese have on your role or vice versa?Note down any issues or ideas that you willneed to address.Policy - What policies exist in yourorganisation and how are theyimplemented? Are they relevant, currentand understood by everyone? Do newpolicies need to be drawn up or existingpolicies updated? How do they impact onvolunteering - if at all?access to them and how? Are theymanaged in a way that makes best use ofthem?Relationships - How are relationshipsbetween individuals and teams conducted?Do they foster an inclusive and cooperativeatmosphere? Does everyoneunderstand their role and how it relates toothers?Quality - How is success or progressdefined in the organisation? How is itmonitored and measured? How arejudgements arrived at and how is thisinformation used to plan and develop theorganisation’s work?Development - Where is the organisationgoing in the medium and long-term?What strengths should it build on and whatweaknesses does it need to tackle? Whatmight be gained and lost in the process?You should use all the information from theexercises in this chapter to begin to createyour own personal development plan.Since this is a medium to long-term plan, itis important to prioritise areas fordevelopment, taking into account therelative importance of particular skills andknowledge and their urgency in relation tothe needs of both your role and the widerorganisation. It may then take someresearch to identify opportunities to meetyour needs. Your line manager should beable to help you identify opportunities andresources within and outside theorganisation, and don’t forget about theother workbooks in this series!Procedures - What strategies, systems andarrangements exist in the organisation? Dothey help everyone to work effectively ordo they create barriers? Are there better,quicker, easier or more efficient ways ofworking?Resources - What resources exist within yourorganisation - financial, facilities, equipment,materials, people, expertise, etc? Who has© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W17

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N T4.4. A framework for good practiceIt is impossible to predict, as you start todraft your own development plan, whichareas any individual reader will prioritiseamong their particular development needswhen drafting their plan. Obviously, inselecting the topics for the rest of theworkbooks in this series, some assumptionshave been made about what the mostcommon needs will be. But it is probably asafe bet that few Volunteer Managers haveplaced skills and knowledge for policydevelopment at the top of their lists.Many Volunteer Managers would considerthemselves far too busy with the practical,day-to-day demands of their job to get tiedup in a paper exercise on policy. Or it maybe that policy is regarded as the preserveof large, highly structured organisations, orthe proper concern of senior management.Yet good policy underpins good practice,and a clear and practical volunteer policycan be one of the best aids a busyVolunteer Manager has in developingvolunteering and their own practice. It iscertainly preferable (although rarely thecase) that policy development is taken asthe starting point for effective volunteermanagement, rather than a distantaspiration for some time in the future.What is policy?In order to get around any negativepreconceptions we might have aboutpolicy, let’s start from the basics - what ispolicy?“Policy is a principle, course or planof action adopted by a person groupor state.”Webster’s New World DictionarySo, policy is essentially a thoroughlypractical tool, giving direction andproviding a structure for goodmanagement in the values and plans onwhich procedures are based. It is useful atthis point to clarify the distinction betweenpolicies and procedures. Basically,policies tell people what to do, whileprocedures tell people how they mustdo it.Policy and procedurePolicies are statements of intent which are“secondary to legislation and theorganisation’s by-laws. They serve asguidelines for decision-making; they prescribelimits and pinpoint responsibilities within anorganisation.”Procedures “give directions according towhich daily operations are conducted withinthe framework of policies. They are a naturaloutgrowth of policies supplying the ‘how to’for the rule. Procedures describe a series ofsteps, outline a sequence of activities or detailprogression.”Cryderman, P., Developing Policy andProcedure Manuals, Canadian HospitalAssociation, 1987When we understand this definition ofpolicy, we can see that even the newest,smallest and least formalised groups makepolicy decisions regularly - they just do notcall them policies or write them down. Forexample, deciding that volunteers shouldnot be asked to do work which is theresponsibility of a paid member of staff ismaking policy. Writing such decisions inthe form of policies lends them greaterweight and encourages people to comply.It also makes clear that the principle or planexpressed in the policy applies to everyoneassociated with that group - directors, staff,volunteers and service users. Therefore, thepolicy sets a boundary for the wholeorganisation. Inside the boundary, thingsare acceptable and outside theboundary, things are not.In this sense, policy is tough - contraveninga policy carries consequences. Notsurprisingly, therefore, policies are oftendeveloped when a problem arises orsomething goes wrong. By establishingboundaries, policies can help prevent asimilar situation occurring, or at leastdetermine what should be done if it does.They can clarify responsibilities and definelines of communication. Importantly theyalso provide continuity over time andacross the organisation, promoting equityand stability in the organisation asindividuals come and go.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E, V O L U N T E E R N O W18

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TNOTESWhy develop a volunteerpolicy?In light of the benefits listed above, now isa good time to think about why VolunteerManagers should be interested indeveloping a policy on why and how theorganisation involves volunteers.Aim: To identify benefits toyou, your organisation andvolunteers in developing avolunteer policy.Consider the following questions in relationto your own organisation or project andnote down any issues or problems thatthey raise:• Does everyone in your organisationunderstand why volunteers are involvedand value their input?• Could policy help to clarify roles andexpectations and to ensure appropriatebehaviour?• Are volunteers engaged in activities thatmay pose some risk to themselves orothers? Could policy reduce or eliminatethat risk?• Could policy enhance the quality ofservice provided?• Are there unwritten beliefs, values orrules that everyone involved in theorganisation should know about?The issues identified will vary for eachorganisation, but you will probably be ableto relate them to one or more of thefollowing benefits of developing avolunteer policy. A policy which sets outhow volunteering is promoted andmanaged within your organisation will:• highlight the value of volunteers andthe contribution they make.• make clear to everyone the role ofvolunteers within your organisation.• provide a framework from whichprocedures or practices in working withvolunteers should be developed.• provide a mechanism to establishstrategies for the monitoring, reviewand development of volunteering withinyour organisation.Policy and volunteerinvolvementPolicy also serves a number of distinctfunctions in the context of volunteerinvolvement:1. Policy can be a statement of belief,position or value, allowing theorganisation to articulate what itbelieves, what it holds to be importantin its structure and its operation e.g.“Anytown project is committed to equalopportunities and the elimination ofdiscrimination in Anytown. It will strive toreflect the community in its structure, bothvolunteers and staff, and to promoteequal access to its services.”2. Alternatively, policy can be a form ofrisk management when it is used toarticulate what the organisation will doto try to eliminate risks or liability and toprotect both volunteers and those theywork with e.g.“All volunteers are required to submit to acriminal record/references check prior toacceptance as a volunteer.” Or,“Volunteers are required to inform theirown insurance company of their volunteerdriving activity to ensure continuance ofprotection.”3. Policy can also articulate certain rulesor guidelines for behaviour that havebeen established by the organisation toapply to volunteers e.g.“Volunteers may not use theirorganisational affiliation in connectionwith politics, religious matters orcommunity issues contrary to positionstaken by the organisation.” Or,“Volunteers will not be asked in times ofindustrial action to do the work of paidstaff.”4. Finally, policy can operate as an aid toeffectiveness by communicating thatsystems are set up to enable theManager of Volunteers to plan,organise, and monitor performance orhelp volunteers with problems e.g.“Volunteers will submit expenses claimforms to the Manager of Volunteers withinfive working days of month-end. Expensescan be collected on the last day of eachmonth.”© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W19

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TThe process of policydevelopmentSo, the good news is that a good volunteerpolicy is a really useful tool for managingthe involvement of volunteers. The badnews is that the process of developing acomplete policy package for a volunteerprogrammeme will take time and effort, butit should pay dividends in the long run.Since good policy underpins good practiceit is never too early to begin developing avolunteer policy. The process outlinedbelow assumes that you will be startingwith a ‘blank sheet’ but can be adapted towhatever stage of development yourorganisation is at.If your organisation is well established andhas involved volunteers for some time, youmay find that some of the steps describedbelow are already in place. However, dobe aware that simply having a writtenpolicy on volunteering does notautomatically mean that any part of thisprocess can be by-passed. Policies thatwere written or ‘borrowed’ because ‘weneed a policy’ may not serve any realfunction and therefore are never activelyimplemented. Even the most relevantpolicies can become out of date.1. Recognise that volunteeringneeds attentionFirst, make sure that everyone in theorganisation recognises the value andimportance of volunteer involvement. Thisincludes the committee who, whilstvolunteers themselves, may not be fullyfamiliar with the range of volunteeringactivity within the organisation. It is up tothe Volunteer Manager to keep raising theprofile of volunteering in the organisation –send articles, press clippings, providereports to committees. You could supplyinformation on the number of volunteerhours contributed, the number of clientsserved or tasks completed, the differencevolunteers make to clients’ lives etc.Once everyone has come to understandthat volunteers’ presence is significant,then they need to understand thatvolunteers deserve attention in order to beinvolved appropriately. Managementcommittees need to realise that a lack ofappropriate policy and procedures canresult in mismanagement, which placesboth the organisation and its managementat considerable risk.2. Establish the value baseOnce everybody in the organisation hasrecognised that volunteering is importantenough to warrant attention, then a clearvalue base or values statement about theirinvolvement is needed. This links to thequestion ‘Why involve volunteers?’ that weaddressed in Chapter 1 and is the firstquestion which every organisation wishingto involve volunteers should ask. This kindof values and belief statement or broadpolicy statement will provide a context forall other policy statements regardingvolunteer involvement.3. Develop policiesOnly when the first two steps are in placecan an organisation begin to formulateactual policy statements. While theVolunteer Manager could workindependently to develop programmepolicies and guidelines, he/she will rarelyhave the authority to implement them.Moreover, working independently missesthe opportunity to educate seniormanagement as discussed above. And ifthe management committee has not, atleast, approved policies and apprised itselfof volunteer activities, it still may run therisk of liability in the event of injury ordamage.The volunteer policy framework providedat the end of this chapter is divided intofour key stages of volunteer involvement:i. Developing a value-base.ii. Preparing and planning to involvevolunteers.iii. Recruiting and selecting volunteers.iv. Supporting and supervising volunteers.The guidelines under each heading will helpyou to identify the main issues forconsideration and sample policy statementsare provided. However, they should not betaken as a formula for writing policystatements, as these will be unique to yourorganisation (some tips for drafting policystatements are given below). The pointsidentified in the framework represent abasic standard for the effective involvementof volunteers, but there are many otherissues that you will want to include due to© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W20

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TNOTESthe nature of your own organisation andparticular volunteer roles. As a result, youmay decide not to use the framework in itsentirety and/or you may identify issues inyour organisation under any of the fourheadings that the framework does notaddress. Remember the differencebetween policy and procedure though, andtry to keep the document reasonably briefwith an appropriate level of detail.You will need to consider each of the issuesraised in relation to your ownorganisation’s values and its other policiesand procedures in order to decide whatform your policy on that aspect ofvolunteer involvement should take. Forthis very reason it is not advisable to simplyborrow policy statements - or wholepolicies - directly from this or any othersource. Unless you work through theprocess of policy development, yourpolicies will not reflect the uniquecircumstances of your organisation and,therefore, cannot properly fulfil thefunctions discussed earlier.Aim: To consider the volunteerpolicy framework and begin toidentify how it could betailored to your organisation.Read through the volunteer policyframework at the end of this chapter,working through one section at a time, andconsider:• Are the statements broadly applicable toyour organisation?• What issues might be raised for yourorganisation by developing such policystatements? (e.g. What practice orprocedures will need revised ordeveloped?)• Are there gaps in the framework thatyour organisation would need toaddress? (e.g. working with otherorganisations)• Would the process of developing andimplementing such a policy raise otherissues for your organisation? (e.g.responsibility for monitoringimplementation)Do not be daunted by the size of the task.The whole process of developing avolunteer policy is a major undertaking andeach organisation’s policy will be unique,reflecting the organisation’s particularethos, history, values and structure. Thebasic framework will help you identify whatyour policy should include, but there areother ways to ensure an efficient process.You will need to set a realistic overalltimescale for completion of the volunteerpolicy and then take it one step at a time.Break it down into manageable tasks andset interim targets for each step. You mustalso get some help. Even in smallorganisations, it is sensible to form a policycommittee to develop new policies andpossibly to review and revise them in thelonger term. You might include servicevolunteers, staff, management committeevolunteers, service users, communityrepresentatives and/or trade unions. Keepit small, though, and make sure everyoneknows they will actually be given work todo!When you do get your working grouptogether, make sure to prioritise. Consultyour committee and other relevant peopleto devise a list of policy issues or questionsthat need to be addressed, then decide theorder in which they should be addressedaccording to:a. Risk, liability and legal requirements.b. Beliefs and values that need to bearticulated as the basis of other policies.c. Positions that need to be taken andrules that need to be clarified.d. Areas where policy might help improvea poor level of effectiveness.Finally, it is helpful to note that textbooksrecommend that policies be written in adirective tone (i.e. they should sound likea command or order). They should use thepresent or future tense and the activevoice (i.e. ‘All volunteers will attendsupervision meetings’ rather than‘Supervision meetings will be attended byall volunteers’).Impact of LanguageAll volunteer documents should be written inplain English avoiding employment terms andjargon to ensure effective communication.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W21

NOTESValuesP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TVOLUNTEER POLICY FRAMEWORKYour volunteer policy will need to be based on a clear set of values around the involvement of volunteers. It is agood idea to begin the policy development process by agreeing a Value Statement, based perhaps on yourorganisation's historical perspective, its wider values and ethos and your reasons for involving volunteers.1 The policy should value the distinctive contribution that volunteers can make."Anytown Community Project values the involvement of volunteers in our work because they help reflectthe interests, needs and resources of the community we aim to serve and bring a unique perspective on allour work."2 The policy should recognise the status of volunteers as a legitimate and complementary resource to thatof paid staff."Anytown Community Project recognises volunteers as a core part of our team, with a distinctive butcomplementary role alongside paid staff."3 The policy should acknowledge that volunteering is a beneficial experience for both volunteers andservice users."Insofar as Anytown Community Project benefits from the skills, experience and enthusiasm ofvolunteers, we believe that volunteers should be able to gain personal benefits from the experience too.We are committed to managing volunteers in a way that ensures that the needs of both parties are met."4 You should also include a statement in this section on the organisation's beliefs about quality, equalopportunities, diversity, etc. and how they apply to volunteer involvement."Anytown Community Project strives to create a diverse and inclusive organisation within a diverse andinclusive community. Therefore, we are committed to ensuring equality of access to high qualityvolunteer opportunities and equality of treatment for our volunteers in all our policies and practices."Preparation and planningThe next areas that the policy should address are those actions and systems that need to be put in place beforethe organisation is ready to actually involve volunteers. Even if volunteers are already active in yourorganisation, it is important to discuss the reasons for involving volunteers with staff, existing volunteers,service users or beneficiaries, Trade Unions etc. and agree on the nature and purpose of the volunteerinvolvement.5 The policy should identify the ways in which the work of the organisation can be extended by theinvolvement of volunteers and ensure that these opportunities complement rather than substitute the workof paid staff (if applicable)."Any town Community Project identifies roles for volunteers which extend the work of the organisation.Volunteers are involved at every level of the organisation in roles which complement, but neversubstitute, the work of paid staff."6 Furthermore, the policy should make clear the position of volunteers in any staff dispute or action."Volunteers will not be used in times of industrial action to do the work of paid staff. They may continuewith their regular tasks, but will not be asked to undertake additional duties."7 The policy should specify how volunteer roles would be defined, including the purpose of each role andtasks involved."All volunteers are provided with a written role description, outlining the purpose, tasks and mainexpectations of their role. This role is reviewed at least once a year with the volunteer's supervisor."8 The policy should clarify what protection volunteers can expect from the organisation in terms ofinsurance."Volunteers with Anytown Community Project are fully protected by the organisation's public liabilityand personal accident insurance. However, drivers using their cars in connection with their voluntarywork must inform their own insurance company to ensure adequate and continued cover."9 The policy should state the organisation's position on the reimbursement of expenses to volunteersincluding what expenses can be claimed, and how to make a claim."Anytown Community Project reimburses volunteers' out of pocket expenses for travel and dependantcare when claims are submitted on a standard Expenses Claim Form and accompanied by proof ofexpenditure."© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W22

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N T NOTES10 It is essential that the policy commits the organisation to providing volunteers with adequate resources to dothe work for which they were recruited."Anytown Community Project endeavours to provide adequate and appropriate facilities, equipment andresources to enable volunteers to fulfil their roles."11 The policy should make clear where the responsibility for day-to-day management of volunteers lies,specifying a member, or members, of staff as appropriate and making a clear commitment to providing suchstaff with appropriate training."The Project Manager is responsible for the overall management of volunteer involvement, includingoverseeing the implementation of this policy and dealing with any complaint or grievance relating tovolunteers. The volunteer's designated supervisor provides support and supervision, identifies trainingrequirements, countersigns expenses claims etc. All staff required to undertake such duties are provided withtraining in the management, supervision, support and training of volunteers."Recruitment and selectionWhile attracting and selecting volunteers is a different process from staff recruitment, you should still aim toprovide a fair, effective and transparent process that is truly inclusive. Although you may wish to keep theprocedures fairly informal in practice, it is still vital to lay down minimum requirements clearly in your policy tohelp ensure that they are consistently implemented.12 The policy needs to lay down the organisation's approach to volunteer recruitment, stating how volunteeropportunities will be made accessible to all sections of the community."Anytown Community Project is committed to serving and representing all the people of Anytown andwishes to see all sections of the community represented among our volunteers. Volunteer opportunities arewidely promoted throughout Anytown, and we will endeavour to make recruitment and selection materialsavailable in a format accessible to any individual or group, upon request. Furthermore, AnytownCommunity Project regularly reviews the make-up of the volunteer team to identify and target any underrepresentedgroup(s)."13 The organisation should have an agreed recruitment and selection procedure for all volunteers which areappropriate to the role and which reflects best practice in relation to equal opportunities."Anytown Community Project implements a fair, effective and open system in the recruitment and selectionof volunteers and treats all information collected in this process confidentially.All potential volunteers will go through a recruitment and selection process that is appropriate to the roleoffered. Anytown Community Project uses registration forms, references and informal chats / interviews.Additional measures may be implemented depending on the nature of the volunteer role and police recordschecks are conducted where appropriate.The process is conducted by appropriately briefed/trained staff and aims to allow both parties to give andreceive sufficient information to assess whether the volunteer opportunities available match the potentialvolunteer's skills, qualities and interests.If unsuccessful, individuals will be offered an opportunity to discuss the outcome and identify possiblealternatives within or outside of Anytown Community Project."Management of volunteersThis section will specify how you intend to manage volunteers once they have become involved in yourorganisation. Goodwill alone is not enough to guarantee success and a pro-active approach is essential both toachieve the organisation's objectives and to ensure that volunteer' interests and motivations are met. Remember thevoluntary nature of the relationship between volunteers and the organisation as you develop this section and try toensure that the policy holds benefits for both parties.14 The policy should outline how the expectations of both parties are to be agreed and communicated."Volunteers are provided with a written letter of welcome, which outlines the expectations andresponsibilities of both the volunteer and Anytown Community Project. This agreement may be reviewed atany time with the consent of the volunteer and his/her supervisor, including during the initial review meetingat the end of the settling in / taster period (see point 16)."© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W23

NOTES P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N T15 Volunteers will need to be properly briefed about the activities to be undertaken, and given all thenecessary information to enable them to perform them with confidence. The policy should commit theorganisation to an appropriate induction procedure."All volunteers are provided with an induction within six weeks of commencing their voluntary work.The induction: provides background information on Anytown Community Project; explains itsstructures and procedures; describes the volunteer role and the work team and outlines how s/he will besupported, including practical information on e.g. expenses.During the induction period volunteers will be provided with written information on relevantlegislation, organisational policies and codes of practice and will be given the opportunity to discussany of the issues with the Project Manager and/or supervisor."16 A settling in period is helpful in providing an opportunity to assess the suitability/progress of theplacement, and allowing any problems to be resolved at an early stage. A policy statement should helpensure consistent implementation of the procedure and reassure new volunteers as to the reasons forsuch a measure."All volunteer placements are subject to a settling in period, the length of which depends on the natureand hours of the voluntary work. During this period volunteers are given additional support and areview meeting between the volunteer and his/her supervisor is held at the end of the settling in periodto ensure that all parties are satisfied with the arrangement."17 Access to regular support and supervision is key to maintaining effective and motivated volunteers.While the level of support and supervision needed will vary for different volunteers and differentvolunteer roles, the policy should commit the organisation to providing each volunteer with a namedindividual to provide this."All volunteers are allocated a named member of staff as their supervisor (although the ProjectManager can also be contacted in case of an emergency or if the designated supervisor is unavailable).This individual can provide day-to-day help and guidance on any issue related to the voluntary workand is responsible for providing regular support to, and supervision of, the volunteer. The frequency,duration and format of this support and supervision is agreed between the volunteer and his/hersupervisor at the end of the settling in / taster period."18 Training will enable volunteers to develop their capabilities and personal competence. The organisationmust decide on what basis such training will be offered, and to whom. A clear policy statement willensure fair and equal access to these opportunities."Anytown Community Project is committed to improving the effectiveness of volunteers. Volunteers maychoose to attend any in-house training course that they feel is relevant to their voluntary work, subjectto the approval of their supervisors and availability of places.Volunteers may also apply to the Project Manager for financial and practical support to attend externalcourses, where they can be shown to have a clear relevance to the voluntary work. (c/f Training andDevelopment Policy). Volunteers attending approved training courses, internal or external, may do sowithin their normal hours of voluntary work and may reclaim out-of-pocket expenses."19 The organisation must make arrangements to deal with any difficulties with the volunteer or their work ina fair, open and effective way. Equally volunteers should have access to an equivalent process toaddress grievances about any aspect of their work or how it is managed. The aim of such a policy is toprotect all concerned while maintaining good relationships and effective volunteers where possible."Anytown Community Project aims to reflect the voluntary nature of our relationship with volunteers inall our policies and procedures for managing their involvement. Therefore, the volunteer's designatedsupervisor deals with minor complaints or grievances about or by volunteers or their work through theusual support and supervision procedures, in the first instance.However, we recognise our duty to protect the wellbeing and interests of all our stakeholders andtherefore operate a formal complaints procedure in the case of more serious complaints. In the case ofparticularly serious offences, as specified in the Code of Practice, this process may be bypassed and/orthe subject of the complaint asked to leave. Where a criminal offence is suspected, the matter will behanded over to the police."© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W24

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N T20 Volunteers should, as far as possible, be fully integrated into the organisation. You may wantto include a commitment in your policy to specific communication systems to keepvolunteers informed, special measures to recognise and publicise their contributions,opportunities to take part in decision-making etc."Anytown Community Project recognises the core role that volunteers fulfil at every level ofthe organisation. It endeavours to communicate with volunteers in appropriate ways,including bulletin boards, e-mail and the monthly `Volunteer Update' newssheet.It also recognises the importance of seeking volunteers' ideas and opinions at regularintervals and conducts an annual volunteer survey and provides suggestion boxes at eachsite. Feedback from volunteers is always welcome and any volunteer may makerepresentations to the monthly meeting of the Management Committee."21 Records should be kept of the work done by volunteers, to enable their involvement to bemonitored effectively."In order to effectively monitor the work that volunteers do and how they are managed, apersonal file is maintained for all volunteers, which includes: contact details and otherrelevant personal information; details of the application and selection process; agreementsmade; hours worked; records of support and supervision activities; training undertaken andany complaints or grievances made or received. Some of this information and other relevantinformation may also be recorded in computerised records. All such information is treated inaccordance with the Data Protection Act (1998) and volunteers are entitled to inspect allsuch information pertaining to their own involvement."22 If relevant, an organisation should make it explicitly clear that intellectual property rights oforiginal work produced by volunteers has been transferred to the organisation i.e. flyers,photos, reports that volunteers have written in etc.“Both volunteers and the organisation agree that the intellectual property rights of originalwork produced by volunteers automatically transfers to the organisation.”Volunteer Now has a wide range of information sheets and template documents tosupport you to meet the aims set out in your volunteer policy. These are available fromthe publication section of Volunteer Now under ‘Volunteer Management’.http://www.volunteernow.co.uk/supporting-organisations/publicationsIt is recognised by VolunteerNow that the guidelinesin the Volunteer Policy Framework must beconsidered in the light of individualorganisation’s needs and/or situation.The sample statements (in italics) areprovided only as an illustration ofthe relevant guidelines and are notintended as a standard or model for useby any other organisation. There may beother issues that you may want to addressthrough your volunteer policy due to thenature of your organisation and particularvolunteer roles.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W25

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N T5. And finally…The issues raised by the process ofvolunteer policy development go to theheart of what effective volunteerinvolvement is all about, but a policy willnot actually manage volunteers for you.The process does not finish once thewritten policy document is finalised - infact, it is only the start! Policies need to bebrought to life and made relevant toeveryday activities through thedevelopment of procedures, guidelines andstandards. It is vital to monitor how (or if)the policies and procedures areimplemented by staff and volunteers andto attempt to measure their impact on theorganisation. And policies cannot bewritten in stone - they must be revised andupdated regularly.Policy into practiceSo the process of policy development hastwo further steps (steps 1 - 3 are onpage 20):4. Develop procedural guidelinesand standardsOnce policy statements have been writtenand approved by the managementcommittee, more detailed tasks regardingoperating procedures, performancestandards etc. can take place. Normally,this activity would be delegated to relevantstaff, depending on the size and structureof the organisation, but much of it will fallnaturally to the Volunteer Manager.It is highly likely that some systems andprocedures will already exist, perhaps onan informal or unwritten basis. Someprocedures will stand as they are, othersmay simply need to be put in writing,while others will need revised in light of thenew policy statements. The process ofdeveloping policy is also likely to highlightgaps where no systems exist or specificprocedures are unclear. The otherworkbooks in the series - coveringrecruitment, selection, support andsupervision, training and organisationalissues - contain suggested procedures formany volunteer management activities,which can be tailored to your particularcircumstances.5. Monitor, review, reviseThe policy process never really stops. Oncepolicies and procedures are ‘on the books’,they need to be implemented, monitoredfor compliance, reviewed regularly forrelevance and revised as needed. Ensurethat appropriate structures for regularlyreviewing policies and procedures are inplace.Evaluation is a core management skill (seechapter 2) which will allow you to assessthe effectiveness of policy and proceduresin meeting the organisation’s and thevolunteers’ needs 7 . Gaps in policy willcontinually surface as factors in thevolunteer environment, the organisation,the community or the law change. Thecareful and regular attention required isusually shared among managementcommittee, staff, and volunteers andparticularly the Volunteer Manager –although again, ultimate responsibility willprobably continue to rest with themanagement committee.This ongoing process of policydevelopment and review may seemarduous, but the process itself can carrybenefits for volunteering within theorganisation, over and above thedevelopment of a volunteer policydocument. It provides the opportunity toinvolve a range of volunteers, staff andmanagement (who may not have any otherdirect involvement in volunteering) atpolicy level. This will allow you, asVolunteer Manager, to highlight both thecosts and benefits of volunteering to theorganisation, encouraging awareness andinvestment. It should raise understandingand appreciation of the roles of volunteersand the Volunteer Manager.Finally, returning to the issue of your ownprofessional development, the process mayalso highlight gaps in your own skills andknowledge. The individual developmentplan you began to draw up in chapter 3must be maintained as a workingdocument. This series of workbooks shouldaddress some of the needs you haveidentified and will, perhaps, help you toidentify other areas for development.7 See Workbook Five, Volunteers and the Wider Organisation, for more information on monitoring and evaluation.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W26

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TAAAppendixStandards relevant tovolunteer managementThere are two complementary standards,both important for those who work withvolunteers and have an interest inimproving practice - NationalOccupational Standards forManaging Volunteers and Investingin Volunteers.NATIONALOCCUPATIONALSTANDARDSFOR MANAGING VOLUNTEERSWhat are the national occupationalstandards for volunteer managers?The National Occupational Standards(NOS) for Managing Volunteers specify thestandards of performance that thoserecruiting and supporting volunteersshould be working to across the UK. Theyalso describe the knowledge and skills thatmanagers of volunteers need in order toperform to the required standard.The occupational standards define thewhole spectrum of activity required todevelop and implement a volunteeringstrategy within an organisation effectively.They are based around 5 key areas, eachwith their own units of competence.The National Occupational Standards forManaging Volunteers have been developedand agreed by a group of nationalorganisations with expertise and experiencein volunteer management, includingVolunteer Now in Northern Ireland.What are occupational standards andwhat do they describe?Occupational standards define a frameworkof good practice in the way people work,based on the functions of their job.They describe:- The main roles or functionsthat can be part of your job- The specific activities involvedwithin these roles- The standards of performanceexpected when carrying out theseactivities- The knowledge, skills andunderstanding which you willneed to meet the performancestandard© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W27

NOTES P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TA. Develop &evaluate strategies& policies thatsupportvolunteeringB. PromotevolunteeringC. Recruit & inductvolunteersD. Manage &develop volunteersE. Manage yourself,your relationships& yourresponsibilitiesF. Provide m a n a g e m e n t for volunteering programmesThese standards are for you if you perform,manage or support any of this work, eitheras a volunteer or as part of your paid work.Whatever the circumstances, you shouldfind these standards relevant. They havebeen designed primarily with thoseworking in the voluntary and communitysector in mind but should also beappropriate if you work in the publicsector, such as in a hospital or school. Youare not expected to be carrying out everyactivity described in these standards - thereare rarely two volunteer management rolesthat are exactly the same so the NOS donot intend to provide a single template jobdescription. What they do is describe thefunctions, activities and tasks that can bepart of volunteer management.Volunteer involving organisations can alsouse the standards to ensure that thoseinvolved in the management of theirvolunteers are competent and have theknowledge and skills to do so effectivelyand appropriately.Full text and further informationabout the standards can bedownloaded free of charge fromwww.skills-thirdsector.org.ukFollow the link for NationalOccupational Standards and thenManaging VolunteersThe benefits of national occupationalstandards to those who manage volunteersinclude having a:-• Clear description of the work standardsyou need to meet.• Statement of knowledge and skillsrequired to meet each standard.• Tool to help you plan your currentcareer development.• Qualification structure to support yourcareer development.• Heightened awareness of your job roleand responsibilities.• Chance to obtain objective appraisaland feedback from your manager.• Better understanding of how to transferyour skills from one situation toanother.• Sense of achievement from a job welldone.• Greater confidence to do your job well.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W28

P L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TNOTESINVESTING IN VOLUNTEERSInvesting in Volunteers is the UK qualitystandard for the involvement of volunteerswithin an organisation. It is designed tohelp volunteer-involving organisationsreview and improve their volunteermanagement. It is a nationally recognisedaward that allows organisations to publiclydemonstrate and promote theircommitment to volunteering. Investing inVolunteers complements NationalOccupational Standards by providing amotivating framework for reviewing andimproving how your organisationattracts, values, supports and developsvolunteers.The Investing in Volunteers standard clearlylists the organisational practices andprocedures that should be in place toeffectively manage volunteers. Whether anorganisation chooses to go through theassessment process or not – the Investingin Volunteers Quality Standard is aninvaluable tool that all volunteer involvingorganisations should refer to. Thoseorganisations not yet ready to commit toInvesting in Volunteers can still use thestandard as a self-assessment tool tobenchmark the organisation and drive upperformance, and as a resource fordeveloping knowledge, good practiceand learning within the organisation.Organisations that achieve the Investing inVolunteers standard will be able to prove tofunders, stakeholders, volunteers andservice users that the contribution ofvolunteers is valued and that they are wellmanaged.This means organisations candemonstrate that they meet these NineIndicators:• There is an expressed commitment tothe involvement of volunteers, andrecognition throughout the organisationthat volunteering is a two-way processwhich benefits volunteers and theorganisation.• The organisation commits appropriateresources to working withvolunteers, such as money,management, staff time and materials.• The organisation is open to involvingvolunteers who reflect thediversity of the local community,and actively seeks to do this inaccordance with its stated aims.• The organisation develops appropriateroles for volunteers in line with itsaims and objectives, and which are ofvalue to the volunteers.• The organisation is committed toensuring that, as far as possible,volunteers are protected fromphysical, financial and emotional harmarising from volunteering.• The organisation is committed to usingfair, efficient and consistentrecruitment procedures for allpotential volunteers.• Clear procedures are put into action forintroducing new volunteers to therole, the organisation, its work,policies, practices and relevantpersonnel.• The organisation takes account of thevarying support needs ofvolunteers.• The whole organisation is aware of theneed to give volunteer recognition.© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W29

NOTESP L A N N I N G V O L U N T E E R I N V O L V E M E N TFor those organisations that want to beassessed against the Standard, VolunteerNow offers a tailored package of supportand assessment to help the organisationthrough a 6 step process of accreditation.Check out www.investinginvolunteers.org.ukfor a copy of the Standard and forinformation on t h e registration process andcosts. If you have any queries regarding theInvesting in Volunteers Standard please emailinvestinginvolunteers@volunteernow.co.ukGovernance Best PracticeThe Code of Good Governance is a best practice document, it sets out the standards for allgoverning committees/boards in the Voluntary and Community Sector in Northern Ireland. It isendorsed by the Charity Commission and the Department for Social Development. The Codeof Governance covers 7 key principles:1. Leadership2. Responsibilities and obligations3. Effectiveness4. Reviewing and renewing5. Delegation6. Integrity7. Openness.The principles provide a valuable checklist for Voluntary and Community Sector Organisationsin complying with their statutory responsibilities and meeting best practice.Resources to Support the CodeA range of resources have been developed to support the implementation of the Code:DIY Committee Guide; this is an online governance resource with a range ofinformation mapped against the seven key principles www.diycommitteeguide.orgGovernance health check A self assessment tool developed as a practical resource toassist committees/boards to work towards adhering to the principles of the Code ofGood Governance. The aim of this health check questionnaire is to helpcommittees/boards review their governance arrangements, check that they haveappropriate systems in place and identify areas where they could improve. It is a bestpractice tool - it is not mandatory. However, this resource can also helpcommittees/boards of any size to demonstrate their good governance practices to theirstakeholders, beneficiaries and funders alike. Available to download fromhttp://www.diycommitteeguide.org/resource/governance-health-check© 2 0 1 2 A S G O O D A S T H E Y G I V E , V O L U N T E E R N O W30

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