Volunteer Management

What are the three different subject areas covered during the orientation process?

Cause, System, Social

What does EIAG stand for in coaching?

Experience, Identify, Analyze, Generalize.

What are the two primary content areas covered in volunteer training?

Job functions and roles and responsibilities.

What is the Authority for Self-Assignment in volunteer management?

Volunteers generate their own assignments and progress with most freedom.

What are the empowering questions a volunteer manager should ask as a way of providing supervision?

Planning (how/when/why do the job), empowering (how to make the job better), evaluation (outcome based), questions for yourself (double checking the above has been done and that your vols. are doing well).

What does RAP stand for in the evaluation process?

Review the past. Analyze the present. Plan the future.

What indicates that a volunteer may be struggling in their role?

Decline in quality of work, frequent lateness, no-shows, lack of enthusiasm, and no initiative.

What is connectedness in terms of volunteer retention?

The feeling of belonging, being part of a relationship with others which produces happier, healthier individuals.

What are two types of volunteer appreciation?

Formal (awards, events) and Informal (personal recognition, compliments).

What are the three motivational orientations of volunteers?

Achievement oriented. Affiliation oriented. Power oriented.

How do you calculate FTE?

Total hours of volunteer service divided by the number of hours in standard work week.

What is the purpose of effective volunteer screening?

To ensure safety and suitability, reducing the risk of legal involvement.

What is an example of output-based measurement in program effectiveness?

The number of volunteer hours or number of clients assisted.

How can you identify a volunteer declining in abilities?

Signs include increased absenteeism, forgetfulness, and reports of difficulty from others.

What should a volunteer manager do if a volunteer is declining in abilities?

Have an open conversation about the observations and seek support from their peers.

There are five ways to measure program effectiveness. What are they? (Think: COSMO)

Customer-based. Output-based. Standard-based. Mission-based. Outcome-based.

EIAG is an acronym which involves a method of coaching. What does EIAG stand for?

Experience (let them experience the role and learn from that).
Identify (let them articulate what they have learned from their experience).
Analyze (Why?).
Generalize (…the situation to apply to others).

What are the four levels of control a volunteer manager can assign to a volunteer?

1. Authority for Self-Assignment (most freedom for vol. Generates own assignments and progress).

2. Authority for Self-Assignment provided the boss is kept advised of progress.

3. Authority to Recommend Self-Assignment (still source of own assignments - pending approval beforehand).

4. No Authority for Self-Assignment (vol. does only as they are told with no authority to create assignments)

Why should we evaluate volunteers?

1. To help the volunteer work closer to their potential.

2. To help the organization better involve volunteers.

There are four common reasons for poor performance. What are they?

1. Volunteer is motivated and able. Problems: unclear performance expectations, personality issues.

2. Volunteer is motivated but unskilled. Problems: poor screening, poor training.

3. Volunteer is able but unmotivated. Problems: poor matching. Vol may not see connection between role and mission. Not enough recognition. Not enough authority to assign work.

4. Volunteer is unable and unmotivated. Problem: poor matching. Fatigue.

When a volunteer is unsuccessful, a volunteer manager may follow through with positive corrective action. What are the six steps?

1. Get vol. to describe the unacceptable behaviour.

2. Separate the behaviour from their self worth.

3. Say something positive about them.

4. Ask them for their plan for improvement.

5. Praise any improvement in performance.

6. As performance improves, repeat step 3.

What are the ten common reasons why people might be motivated to volunteer?

1. To gain knowledge of community problems.

2. To maintain skills no longer used otherwise.

3. To get out of the house.

4. To make new friends.

5. To gain new skills.

6. To payback.

7. To feel useful.

8. To fulfill a moral or religious duty.

9. To be part of a group or team.

10. To have fun.

What are the 8 elements involved in creating a system of good volunteer- staff relationships?

1. Overall policy on volunteer involvement
2. Assessment of staff capabilities
3. Staff orientation to volunteer program
4. Personalized Volunteer Position Creation
5. Early monitoring of volunteer placements
6. Staff Control and responsibility in volunteer management
7. Feedback and Recognition
8. On-going relationship building

There are risks to using volunteers in your program. There are three basic areas in which potential liability problems are likely to occur in volunteer programs. What are they?

1. Liability OF the individual volunteer.
2. Liability of the agency TO the volunteer.
3. Liability of the agency FOR the actions of their volunteers.

Risk management involves working through 4 steps. What are they?

1. Identifying risks (to physical safety, worksite and equipment, skills, nature of clientele, procedures, etc)
2. Evaluating Risks (organizing risk in an ascending scale)
3. Controlling Risk
            a. Stop the activity
            b. Eliminate the risk (change the operation to reduce likelihood of risk occurring)
            c. Minimize the harm (developing emergency plan to deal with disasters when they           do occur)
            d. Transfer the liability (Move the consequences of the risk to some other party via            insurance policy, waiver, etc)
4. Reviewing and updating risks and procedures.

How does an effective volunteer screening reduce risk?

1. Ensures the volunteer’s safety and suitability within the agency.

2. It reduces the risk of any kind of legal involvement. If done properly, it reduces the likelihood of being sued and provides a reasonable defense should the agency is sued.