Responses
to February 2008 Hot Topic
When
is a volunteer role NOT a volunteer role
Response
posted on March 4, 2008 by Jennie Holdom, Volunteer
Coordinator, Catholic Care, Australia
My
response to this hot topic is very simple and is also
highlighted by other respondents. If this co-ordination
position is a volunteer position then are all other
co-ordination, supervision positions in the council
that require the same level of experience etc also
volunteer positions, if not WHY? This also raises
the question should full time positions be volunteer
positions? To me this ad represents the brick wall
we are often hitting against as a profession.
I
think DJ said it all in his comment “ If it
has four legs, barks, wags a tail and looks like a
dog then it probably is a dog. This ad, to me, looked
like a call for someone to do the job for free”
It is not about if a volunteer could do the job it
about should we ask a volunteer to do the job?
I
often have to think about wether this is a profession
I want to be involved in, when I see these sort of
articles. For some it is simply about exploitation.
Volunteers are a valuable asset to any organisation,
they are not free! We need strict guidelines on how
volunteer should be involved in organisations.
Response
posted on February 11, 2008 by Andy Fryar, Director,
OzVPM, Adelaide, Australia
As
a follow up to the original story cited in this Hot
Topic I thought it was useful to post an email I received
today from the City Of Prospect
Dear
Sir/Madam
Council
has recently reconsidered its call for expressions
of interest from interested persons to undertake the
coordination of volunteers on a voluntary basis, and
has now decided to re-advertise it as a paid member
of Council's staff.
Council's
Administration will now review the composition of
the position and then it will be publicly advertised.
We
will undertake to inform you as soon as the position
has been advertised in the press.
Regards
Joseph
Fayad
Manager
Community Development
The
City of Prospect
Response
posted on February 10, 2008 by Jayne Cravens, Coyote
Communications, Bonn, Germany
For
me, the first and most prominent boundary that was
crossed was that the council's * other * positions
having to do with management, policy setting, staff
recruitment and training, etc., are paid. The volunteer
manager's position looks to be as complex and responsibility-laden
as the other paid positions by the council. The position
will require as many hours as the paid positions,
and will require candidates to be highly-skilled,
just as with the other paid positions.
If
the council's other, similar positions were filled
by volunteers -- the head of human resources, for
instance, or the head of IT services -- then I would
feel differently, because the volunteer manager position
would not be "singled out"; you could easily
justify it by saying, "well, actually, all managers
here are volunteers!"
There
was a second boundary crossed as well: I don't believe
the council could answer the is-this-really-a-volunteer-position
question, which is: if the council had all the money
it needed to hire all of the staff it needed to do
absolutely anything that needed being done, it would
still reserve this position for a volunteer because...
Response
posted on February 8, 2008 by Susan J Ellis, President,
Energize Inc, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Thanks
for framing the question, Andy! Of course I agree
with all the comments that this issue has nothing
to do with whether or not a volunteer would be competent
in the role. A QUALIFIED volunteer – absolutely!
Just as I’d fight against a paid position if
the Council hired an UNqualified employee to do this
role.
Here’s
another element that I think has been implied, but
not stated: internal comparison. What types of roles
does the Council now perform by hiring paid staff
and at what salary or level of authority are they
placed? Perhaps in that rural Council you imagined,
just about every role is done by a volunteer. In that
case, seeking yet another volunteer to do volunteer
management matches the pattern. If someone can run
the health department or the fire department as a
volunteer, why not the volunteer department? Also,
in this smaller setting, the amount of hours and effort
should also be much more part-time.
But
what about the larger and urban Councils with many
employees already? This is where the rub comes in.
In Adelaide, they seemed to have been seeking a volunteer
out of the misguided assumption that somehow, naturally
, a volunteer could or even should manage other volunteers
(don’t employees manage other employees?). Would
they have attempted to recruit a volunteer for any
other vacancy? Undoubtedly not. And that’s the
heart of the problem. They would automatically set
standards, look for high qualifications, and set aside
a competitive salary for any position they felt was
essential to the city. Volunteer involvement, however
nice, was seen as peripheral, so why not find some
way to do it that costs less? One can further assume
that the Council members and staff would also not
expect much of the volunteer who came forward, or
would feel that they couldn’t demand top-notch
work from her (it would be a lovely lady, right?),
and so the whole thing goes back to not valuing volunteers
first.
Depressing.
But bravo for the volunteer management community response!
Response
posted on February 7, 2008 by Dave Thomas, Volunteering
Development Officer, Volunteer Centre - Nottingham,
UK
You
have certainly opened a can of worms that has made
me take a fresh look at my own working and volunteering
experience. I am paid to manage volunteers in my "day
job", but I also volunteer on a steam heritage
railway, where I have the title of Volunteer Liaison
Officer" - a volunteer coordinator by any other
name.
* It isn't about numbers because there are about 25
volunteers at work and more than 150 at the railway.
* It can't be complexity; volunteering at the railway
is pretty complex.
* It isn't even about ability to pay; the railway
makes money from its visitors and from a few other
sources.
* I try to be just as professional in each of my roles
and believe that my performance in each comes up to
the same standard.
So
am I and my fellow railway volunteers being exploited?
I don't think I am. I feel comfortable with this because
I am passionate about trains - and steam trains in
particular. My involvement in the railway has become
one of my major hobbies - to the extent that I, and
every other volunteer, pay a subscription to be a
member of the railway as well as giving quite a lot
of time to maintain, operate and develop the service
we give to our fare-paying visitors. (Incidentally,
no-one claims volunteer expenses either.)
So
the railway does not recruit volunteers in order to
deliver a service, although that is what they actually
do. We recruit railway enthusiasts and provide them
with the opportunity to "play trains".
Back
at work in the Volunteer Centre, we invite volunteers
to deliver some key parts of our service. For example,
almost all of the interviews we carry out with potential
volunteers for opportunities in hundreds of organisations
across the city are carried out by volunteers. Other
volunteers carry out follow-ups on those interviews
or are in regular contact with volunteer-involving
organisations to update the thousand or so volunteering
opportunities on our database and website.
These
volunteers are recruited and managed specifically
to help us deliver the Volunteer Centre service. Their
motivations for being here are about things like gaining
and using skills, meeting people, making a difference
and "putting something back".
I
am suggesting that even if the line is not carved
in stone, we may be reach our own understanding, based
on the motivation of our volunteers and the culture
and ethos of the organisations into which they are
being recruited.
Response
posted on February 7, 2008 by Sr Margaret Guy, Australia
The
main difference between a volunteer and a staff member
is that the latter is PAID. I do not think it just
to ask a volunteer to fill in for a staff member on
a regular basis and it is not just to ask a volunteer
to fill a full time staff position.
16
hours a week is the limit to a volunteer's hours according
to the Centre for Volunteering NSW. It is important
to look after the organisation's volunteers and recognise
them in different ways,celebrations,certificates and
remuneration for out of pocket expenses.
Some
of our services in Sisters of Charity Outreach are
completely run by Volunteers from the Coordinator
down to each of the workers but the hours are shared.
Also staff are available for referral at least by
phone. Being a volunteer based organisation,we have
a huge contribution from volunteers-about 40-45% of
our services.
Response
posted on February 6, 2008 by DJ Cronin, VPM, Brisbane,
Australia
If
it has four legs, barks, wags a tail and looks like
a dog then it probably is a dog.
This
ad, to me, looked like a call for someone to do the
job for free.
I
don’t believe that anyone who spoke out in recent
times against this was saying that a volunteer wouldn’t
be capable of doing this job. That is ridiculous and
after 11 years volunteering and volunteer management
for me to even think like this would defy logic.
What
got to me, after a little investigating, was that
the council seemed to be implying that they “chance”
a volunteer first and if that didn’t work then
they would make it a paid position - just have a look
at council minutes on their website. To me it demeaned
volunteers and volunteer management. It also brought
back some memories!
Several
years ago I became aware of another position being
advertised as a volunteer role and it was for a volunteer
coordinator at a hospital. As a volunteer coordinator
myself I was concerned by this development so I contacted
the person in charge and voiced my concerns. They
informed me that the position would only be voluntary
for six months “to see if things worked out”
and then they would pay! Well! Talking about getting
me Irish blood up! Back then I wasn’t aware
of AAVA or didn’t know about any volunteer manager
networks. Thank Goodness that they exist and that
I know about them now. I kept an eye on this position
and this person lasted 3 months until they rode off
into the sunset. Nothing happened there for ages but
they eventually employed a full time paid coordinator.
If
there is someone in the country who is employed as
a volunteer manager and they work for a similar council
then how do you reckon this might make them feel?
It
may all come down to a lack of understanding or ignorance
about volunteer management. “Volunteer managers
get paid??? Who knew?” And if the position was
advertised as a paid role for $10,000 a year I would
hope that some people would kick up a fuss about that
as well.
The
litmus test – if any organisation is paying
staff - then they need to pay their volunteer manager
or coordinator as well. If they argue that they can’t
afford it then they must be asked why they can afford
the HR manager, the Marketing manager or the fundraising
manager. If they say that these are vital roles and
in order to get the best people they must pay then
they have already shot themselves in the foot. That
is to say they have demonstrated not only what they
think about volunteer managers but their volunteer
teams as well.
To
conclude, I believe that the reaction to this ad has
been a defining moment for our sector. We spoke up.
Our voice has been heard. We are becoming more relevant
and rightly so. And we are prepared to stand by each
other when the need arises. Plus we have utilised
the forums, websites and AAVA to good effect. We are
finding our feet and growing confident in who we are
and what we do. Remember that we work in a profession
that uplifts humanity!
“
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance
and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."
Dr. Martin Luther King
Response
posted on February 5, 2008 by Karen Sacke, Volunteer
Resources Consultant, Toronto Rehab Lyndhurst &
Rumsey Centre, Toronto, Canada
VPM
positions should be paid. I’m going to compare
a VPM job with a HR Manager’s job. In both cases
it is the Manager’s responsibility to recruit,
screen, interview, place, orientate and sometimes
supervise the candidates. Therefore, why should one
job be paid and one not? I realize it becomes a little
dicey when you consider the number of charities/non-profits
whom do not have the funds to pay for a VPM. However,
somehow these same organizations are hiring staff
and more than likely paying someone to conduct the
hiring. So my position stands. I don’t think
program size or complexity should make a difference.
Response
posted on February 5, 2008 by Sandra Reid, Volunteer
& Transport Coordinator Home Assist Community
Services City of Playford Grenville Centre, Adelaide,
Australia
It
would be interesting to hear the union's point of
view, and how they recognise volunteer roles in organisations
such as Local Government.
Response
posted by Lynda Kings, Volunteer Manager, Anglican
Retirement Villages, Castle Hill, Australia
I
agree with the valid points you have made - one aspect
that you don;t seem to have canvassed is the time
that the volunteer would be expected to attend to
the role. This role in particular would be a full
time position or close to it and as such would seem
to cross the line of a volunteer role.. Also the advantage
for many people of volunteering is the flexibility
that it affords ie if they need to go from one shift
per week to per fortnight then most organisations
can accommodate this request. I doubt this would be
the case in this instance.
Response
posted by Ciro Castellanos, Volunteer Projects Coordinator,
Open Family Australia
I
do agree with many of the points made in the article,
including the one about council having a budget which
could afford to pay a volunteer manager, the points
following including program size, complexity etc…
do reinforce the argument, however I believe volunteering
in this role would have taken a person’s ability
to have a paid job taken away from them.
I
believe volunteering is something we do for the love
of a cause, and after we have meet our immediate needs.
I
have volunteered myself with a number of organisations
in the past, and the fulfilment obtained from the
roles undertaken have been enormous, however I could
not do fulltime volunteer work which seems to be what
council advertised for. To be able to volunteer I
would need to cover travel expenses, participation
expenses, etc, which I could never be able to do if
I had no paid employment,
In
any case, maybe council should look at making all
other positions within council to be volunteer positions
and wait for the reaction of employees; it amazes
me to think that the many people involved in bringing
out of an ad like that all agree to look at this position
as a volunteer position.
Response
posted by Carole Hadley, Manager Regional Services,
Eastern Palliative Care, Australia
Good
Morning, this is a topic of great interest to me,
as a Manager, of a community based not for profit
organization, I am vehemently opposed to, I believe
using people. A lot of people are willing to give
time to an organization, but we must always remember
that they are giving of their time, and if over used
will leave the organization feeling not valued.
I
have 3 co-coordinators of Volunteers and we are constantly
asking the question is this the role of a paid person
or a Volunteer. To manage Volunteers we are constantly
reviewing policy, procedure risk management to mention
a few, this is a big task and needs committed staff
to work with our volunteer team of 120- persons. The
roles are varied and many from Committee of management
to fundraising, home based visiting, Bereavement walking
groups working with paid staff for a particular project.
I
understand that the dollars for all organizations
are spread thinly, but believe that any Volunteer
Management role should be rewarded by a paid position,
any one will tell you that the hours you are paid
for go over and beyond to provide a program .The benefit
to our organization in having such a committed Team
of Coordinators of Volunteers we cannot do without.
It is our role to value and recognize at our AGM the
work that the Volunteer do for us is recognized in
a public forum. I would also like to add that in the
9 years that this organization has been functioning
that we have not had to advertise our service as we
are sought out by persons interested in the organization
and wish to assist. We are also unique as some of
the Volunteers have been with us for longer than 9
years, this I believe is due to the dedication of
the Coordinators in supporting the Volunteers.
Thanks
for the opportunity to respond,
Let's
hear what you think!
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