The first step in starting up any volunteer program is to gain the support of senior management and to promote the value of volunteering to the organisation and to external stakeholders.
Be sure to communicate how the volunteers and the volunteer program align with the goals and priorities of the agency. If everyone understands the reasons for working with volunteers and their contribution to the work of the agency then it will be easier to integrate volunteers into the work environment.
Case studies:
- Driver Reviver program Driver Reviver program
- Ambulance First Responder program Ambulance First Responder program
When developing volunteer programs consult the National Standards for the best practice in managing volunteers published by Volunteering Australia, have a look at Volunteering Queensland's resources and, if appropriate, The National Health and Medical Research Council publication Working with Volunteers and Managing Volunteer Programs in Health Care Settings.
Consider these questions:
- Why do you need a volunteer program?
- Does the program align with the organisation's objectives?
- What do you hope to achieve? Can you measure this?
- What skills will volunteers need? Are the skills transferable?
- What would attract volunteers to the program?
- Is there a policy on the organisation's approach to volunteering?
- What are the benefits?
- What are the risks?
- What are the costs?
- How will you inform staff about the volunteer program?
Volunteer policies and procedures play an important role in supporting, involving and guiding volunteers. They provide clarity and direction to help everyone in an organisation – volunteers, employees and management – understand why and how volunteers are involved, what's expected of them and, in turn, what volunteers can expect from being involved.
Table of contents:
Volunteer policy
A volunteer policy should include:
- agency philosophy on involving volunteers
- objectives for involving volunteers
- who will be responsible for the volunteer program
- how volunteers will be managed
- rights and responsibilities of volunteers
- adherence to the agencies' Code of Conduct
- what constitutes a volunteer position
- selecting, inducting, recruiting and training volunteers
- recognising, supporting and evaluating volunteers
- workplace health and safety standards
- information on insurance cover for volunteers and
- maintaining documentation and record keeping.
Procedural guidelines
Many procedural guidelines within your agency may apply equally to staff and volunteers. Procedures should set out clearly how the management policies will be applied. They may cover a range of issues including:
- pre-employment reference checks and/or police checks
- use of private and/or agency motor vehicles and insurance
- the different types and application of insurance cover for volunteers
- induction and Code of Conduct
- dealing with complaints
- volunteer recognition
- performance appraisal and feedback
- screening, interviewing and selecting volunteers
- workplace health and safety
- confidentiality, personal information and privacy
- conduct of social events
- reimbursement of expenses.
The National Standards for managing volunteers is a set of three books comprising of the National Standards, an Implementation Guide and a Workbook which includes sample structures for all types of policies and procedures.
Sport and Recreation Services also has links to resources, tools and templates to help clubs improve their volunteer management strategies.
Policy and procedure review
Agencies should review all policies and procedures regularly and incorporate the views of volunteers into the review process. This may involve collecting and analysing data.
Resourcing volunteer programs
While volunteers are unpaid by definition, they are not cost free. Resources are needed for volunteer activities and managing the volunteer program. Weighing the costs and benefits of using volunteers may require separate recording and analysis of expenditure associated with the use of volunteers, together with evaluation of the benefits, both tangible and intangible, for the agency, the volunteer and the community.
The volunteer manager
A volunteer manager is crucial to the success of the volunteer program.
Volunteers who are supported, coordinated and well managed are likely to feel positive about their volunteer experience and stay.
A volunteer manager should:
- be a paid staff member with management skills
- understand the work of the agency
- understand why people have volunteered for the program
- be supported by management
- have appropriate delegations
- seek networking and training opportunities.
Training for volunteer managers
Volunteering Queensland offers accredited training including the Certificate IV in Volunteer Management, and have developed The Volunteer Management Essentials , a toolkit of essential resources for volunteer managers.
Networking for volunteer managers
The Office for Volunteering within the Department of Communities coordinates a Volunteer Program Managers Network for volunteer managers working in government. Email volunteering@communities.qld.gov.au for more information about the group.
Volunteering Queensland also run regular Volunteer Managers Network meetings and the Australasian Association of Volunteer Administrators is the professional association for volunteer managers in Australia and New Zealand.
Reimbursement of expenses
An agency should provide all the equipment and resources needed for the volunteer to effectively undertake their role. Where this is not possible, convention strongly supports the reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by volunteers. Policy in this regard is at an agency's discretion. This needs to be communicated clearly in advance to potential volunteers and should be included in any formally documented agreements. Agencies should define their policy on reimbursing expenses incurred by volunteers, including but not limited to:
- travel and parking costs
- childcare costs
- motor vehicle mileage or fuel allowance, when volunteers use private cars
- administrative costs associated with volunteer representative groups
- training costs
- uniform costs
- personal protective equipment (PPE)
- communication devices
- volunteering related phone calls
- other incidental out-of-pocket expenses of individual volunteers.
Agencies need to be careful to ensure that any reimbursement paid or reward given does not impute or imply an employer/employee partnership to volunteer arrangements as this may have implications for future workers' compensation, taxation or other claims.
Example of a reimbursement policy statement
Volunteers are eligible for reimbursement of reasonable expenses incurred while undertaking business for the agency. The volunteer manager will distribute information to all volunteers regarding specific reimbursable items. Prior approval must be sought for any major expenditure.
Union considerations
Agencies should consult unions when developing, monitoring and evaluating volunteer programs. Ongoing consultation provides an effective means of establishing cooperation and ensuring that unions are aware of the goals of the volunteer program.
Unions expect that volunteers are only engaged in appropriate circumstances, and not to the detriment of an agency's paid staff. Agencies should not engage volunteers to replace paid staff.
Volunteers should not be used in an inappropriate manner during periods of industrial action.
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