From the Ontario Association for Volunteer Administration, March 1998
In order to be truly effective, volunteer resources must be appropriately administered. Volunteer performance, as well as the consistency and quality of service to clients, is greatly improved when: needs are assessed; roles are clearly defined; the volunteer is appropriately matched to the position(s) available; ongoing communication and support exists; there are policies and procedures in place; volunteers are recognized for their efforts; and quality assurance mechanism are applied.
The effective recruitment, training and placement of volunteers enable increased service delivery to clients. Specifically recruited, well-screened and well-trained volunteers complement the efforts of staff in reinforcing, follow-up and assistive measures. Qualified volunteers may be a vital link between service providers and the many hundreds or thousands of clients with whom they cannot be in regular contact.
The Administrator of Volunteer Resources is directly responsible for implementing screening and placement policies which protect the clients, organization and volunteers themselves from risk. A critical function of volunteer management is to ensure that the vulnerabilities of both clients and volunteers are considered, and that every conceivable, reasonable action is taken to prevent either party from coming to harm, prior to matching. Ongoing training, supervisionand support of volunteers, as well as regular communication with clients/caregivers, are key components of managing risks.
The threat and severity of potential liability are greatly reduced whenthe organization has a mechanism to ensure volunteers are well trained, supervised and supported, and clearly understand their responsibilities and limitation of services/client contact. The recruitment of board/governance volunteers is less difficult when personal and organization liability is reduced through risk management policies and procedures. The Administrator of Volunteer Resources is accountable for several measurements of due diligence in regard to volunteer services and programming.
The Administrator of Volunteer Resources is often in the unique and important position of bringing people and programs together. Administrators of Volunteer Resources are often the link to other services/service providers both internally and externally. It is most often the Administrator of Volunteer Resources who is aware of all organizational services, need and volunteer opportunities. This bridging effect has the capacity to reduce duplication and identify service gaps.
Volunteer activity is a reasonable quantitative and qualitative measureof the community's support for the organization. Coordinated resources and well-organized voluntary efforts ensure that services are both responsive to and reflective of community. Increased volunteer activity and understanding of organization services/priorities has the potential to increase funding and other kindsof community support.
Volunteers who are satisfied with their placement will not only remain active longer, and demonstrate superior services, but also will be effective recruiters for the organization and volunteer movement generally. In their desire to feel satisfied and effective, volunteers look for: placements that meet their needs and schedules; placement-specific training; ongoing training; contact with their supervisor; opportunities to share their concerns/ideas; occasions to use their skills appropriately; placements which contribute to the well-being of the agency/clients; meaningful recognition. The Administrator of Volunteer Resources initiates and takes responsibility for conditions leading to volunteer satisfaction.
Volunteer/Staff relations are significantly healthier when a professional Administrator of Volunteer Resources services as the conduit to understandingand cooperation. Organizational staffs rarely comprehend the complexities of effectively working with volunteers and often feel threatened by volunteer involvement in their service areas. With an Administrator of Volunteer Resources to help clarify volunteer related issues, training practices and boundaries, and to resolve conflict/confusion, organizational staff are more apt to feel supported and able to dedicate their attention to their area of specific expertise.
The duties, responsibilities ad accountabilities of Administrators of Volunteer Resources include: program planning; system development/maintenance; record keeping; marketing volunteer resources; staffing volunteer services; screening and training volunteers and occasionally, staff; supervision of staff and volunteers; motivation and recognition interfacing with other organizational staff; program and systems administration; financial management; public relations; community relations; and ongoing professional development. Rarely are other organizational staffs positioned to assimilate this unique variety of skill sets and performance targets into their current workloads.
The effective management and promotion of voluntary action help facilitate community growth. Collaboration, interaction and social responsiveness are fostered through the success of individual and collection volunteer programs. The Administrator of Volunteer Resources helps a community focus on its capacities to resolve social problems, rather than on its deficiencies. The Administrator of Volunteer Resources who recognized this, is an agent of community development, furthering core Canadian values of reciprocity, compassion and diversity. Indoing so, the effective Administrator of Volunteer Resources helps equalize thespirits and value of community contributions made by both service providers andrecipients.