Management of Volunteers Project

July 17, 2011

Management of Volunteers Project

Six months ago, around the middle of January, Claire Teal embarked on the ride of her life, putting some wheels on a year-long discussion to create a vehicle for promoting the role and value of Managers / Leaders of Volunteers.  This week marks the end of her internship with Volunteering New Zealand, sponsored by the Department of Internal Affairs.

What happens next is contingent on the outcome of funding applications and crossed fingers for other support.

The project began as a spontaneous response to the Inspiring Leaders stream of the Volunteering New Zealand Conference in November 2009. For a year a small group representing Sporting, Volunteer Centres, academic research and direct practice interests chewed over what we wanted to do, researched and discussed, explored options.  There was never any doubt that our mission was to promote the role and value of Managers / Leaders of Volunteers.  We wanted to see them well resourced with plenty of professional development opportunities.

The publication of Management Matters in June 2010, a research study undertaken by Karen Smith and Carolyn Cordery of Victoria University Wellington, offered significant benchmarks on the state of management of volunteers in New Zealand. As elsewhere in the world, the occupation ranges from full-time and part-time paid employment to volunteer engagement in leading volunteers.  As elsewhere, the salary range, qualifications and professional development opportunities varies enormously.

Karen and Carolyn have followed this research with more on the economic value of volunteering and with a literature review What works? A systematic review of research and evaluation literature on encouragement and support of volunteering. This report illustrates good practice in managing volunteers, and highlights key success factors for participation in volunteering and the support of management of volunteers within formal organisations.

From January 2011 Claire Teal initiated a community development approach to soliciting support for the project, developing relationships and establishing networks around New Zealand.  One significant group is considering Learning and Development for Managers / Leaders of Volunteers, drawing on academic and educational expertise, Volunteer Centre knowledge and the experience and ideas of practitioners.  The focus is on finding a range of pathways for professional development. Putting a straitjacket on professional qualifications is not in our book: one size, as we keep on saying, does not fit all.

A second strand, and possibly more significant, is drawing together organisational executives to champion the cause of management of volunteers – which is really about recognising the significance of volunteer contribution to the organisation.  This enthusiastic group will do much to promote volunteering and management of volunteers throughout New Zealand.

This brief overview does not do full justice to the work Claire Teal has undertaken.  Without doubt however, she has driven the project within range of achieving its goals.

In May this year the Volunteering NZ Conference included a stream on Developing the Leaders.  Sessions for this stream were largely over-subscribed.  The Conference was followed by the Australasian Retreat for Advanced Managers of Volunteers.  Both these events engendered comments like the following:

• It was a tremendous experience to be surrounded by people that share the same vision but at the same time have such a variety of view points, experiences and organisational practice. The obvious passion and energy for me was the ongoing highlight of the retreat. It was so gratifying to hear from others a shared believe of the importance of world citizenship and broadening our view of where we sit in the community – local, national and international.
• The light bulb moment for me being so new to Volunteer Management is that it is a PROFESSION rather than just a job, that there are amazing, passionate, talented people managing volunteers and I have lots of colleagues! I now know that I am a Volunteer Manager and I tell people so! I have also changed my language not only to promote our profession but also to encourage volunteers to value what they do in a professional sense. It’s great to read of people taking action and capitalising on their heightened energy following their ‘aha moment’. Thanks for the inspiration.
• I guess the thing that stands out most to me is the sense of being part of a global community of people who are passionate about what we do and what we can achieve… I know now that I have an amazing support/reality-checking network around me that ‘get’ why I do what I do and why I fight for what I fight for. That’s pretty awesome…
• I can now better articulate what it is we’re all trying to do: make a difference/impact/change through engaging the community in the work we do.  = not a ‘soft option’ profession. Crucial.
• We are professionals, not “just a volunteer manager”. I learn that I need to change the language I have been using to promote our profession.

Right now the following themes can be observed:

• The project is attracting international attention
• International trainers are quoting New Zealand as a model for developing Management / Leaders of volunteers
• There is a groundswell of support and enthusiasm for the project within New Zealand, from organisations as well as Managers / Leaders of Volunteers
• There is a spin-off in the way the profile of volunteering has been raised, leading to increased awareness of the political and social significance of volunteers and community organisations

From a community development perspective there are two really important messages:

•  We are building the critical infrastructure of volunteering inNew Zealand; and
• There is no effective volunteering without the creative, strategic input of Managers and Leaders of Volunteers.

There is a lot at stake here for organisations and the managers and leaders of volunteers.  There are more than one million volunteers who stand to gain from good management practice and from organisational recognition and support.  The gains  for volunteers and their organisations are also gains for New Zealand communities and our social well-being.

We must not allow this project to lapse.

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