ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMPLE: IFRC Volunteering Development Tool (award application) Use of IT in mobilising and managing volunteers;

Transcription

1 ENGLISH LANGUAGE EXAMPLE: IFRC Volunteering Development Tool (award application) 1) Name of National Society 3) Award to which this application relates I. What has been the impact of the specified service delivered by volunteers to vulnerable people? Spanish Red Cross (SRC) Use of IT in mobilising and managing volunteers; The mission recognized in the Plan of Action of the Spanish Red Cross (SRC) states the following: Being closer to vulnerable people at the national and international level, through integrated, volunteer-driven actions with broad social input. Volunteering is therefore both a means to achieve the SRC s goals and an end in itself (citizenship, active, participatory democracy). This being so, volunteer management requires a series of principles which facilitate efforts to carry out this mission while promoting volunteers active participation to strengthen the organization. These principles, in order, are the following: 1. Establish a plan of action focused on volunteering development as a guideline for a specific timeframe, with indicators allowing us to measure the degree of implementation. 2. Introduce a volunteer management process which, in addition to identifying goals, makes it easier to incorporate volunteers rapidly and appropriately into SRC activities and secure their loyalty. 3. Implement the process nationwide. 4. Organize activities around a homogenous plan/programme/project tree throughout the country. 5. Follow up on implementation of the process by establishing systems making it possible to monitor reference points. Using technological tools for volunteer management makes it easier to obtain such key information as: 1. Degree of coverage in terms of volunteer staffing needs (filled/vacant positions). 2. Statistics on people who wish to join as volunteers (applicants). 3. Statistics on the number of people recruited as volunteers. 4. Volunteer profiles. 5. Number of volunteers per plan/programme/project and volume of activities. 6. Follow-up of management indicators: average time spent on volunteer recruitment; average time spent on initiating volunteering activities following recruitment of volunteers, etc. This in turn helps the SRC become more flexible in terms of attracting and recruiting volunteers, training them and supervising them in the field. It also assists the organization, in its various territorial spheres, in taking rapid, appropriate decisions on volunteer promotion and development. II. How have vulnerable people and partners contributed to the activity, service, etc? To ensure coverage for all of our services that require volunteers and to give vulnerable people the care we have undertaken to provide, volunteer services must be managed as efficiently as possible, which can be done using information and communication technologies (ICTs). In addition, it is important to note that on the local level, those who use and manage

2 the technological applications and resources linked to volunteer management are primarily volunteers. It is precisely people with these profiles who, at the various levels at which we operate, have made suggestions for improving the various tools we have either introduced or designed. In this respect, above and beyond the utilization of ICTs to manage volunteers and activities, the technology used in various projects for providing services to vulnerable communities was developed through a process whereby volunteers as users and employees provided input with a view to finalizing the operational analysis of these applications. A few key elements are: mobile remote care, an application to alert emergency response teams, an application to provide the public with information on the status of beaches, remote assistance for people with hearing impairments, and a video medical care service for vulnerable communities. Projects are also being under way to narrow the so-called digital divide. We are developing projects focused on the recruitment of volunteers as digital helpers, whereby volunteers teach users (primarily the aged) how to access and use the Internet, how to use digital cameras, videos, DVDs, digital decoders, etc. One of the key principles for the introduction of systems based on ICTs is if it isn t in there, then it doesn t exist. Another key principle is the decentralization of their use within the SRC s territorial network. III. Describe the volunteer management system of the National Society and key elements that enables it to be effective, sustainable and empowering for volunteers to contribute at all levels. What are special features that promote innovation and encourage diversity in the volunteer force (ie. youth, senior citizens, gender, etc.)? The architecture for the introduction of computer applications is a core element of the SRC s human resources database. It contains information on all persons related in any way to the organization (volunteers, paid staff, partners, graduates, etc.) As far as volunteers are concerned, the database contains information on length of training and the Red Cross training received, as well as personal data such as mobile telephone number, address, formal training and language skills. Yet another core element is the record of volunteer activity carried out by each individual. The information contained in this application has great potential for the organization, as it enables us to: 1. Enjoy real-time access to the profiles of individual Red Cross volunteers. This is extremely important, as it lets us measure such key factors as the diversity index, average age and the type of activity preferred by volunteers. Moreover, data can be aggregated on a countrywide basis or on any other territorial level. 2. Determine the staffing ratio for specific projects, giving us information that is key for shaping recruitment policy. 3. Assess the impact of the recruitment campaigns run by the organization. 4. By means of the identification of volunteers for the self-management service, volunteers may update their own personal data, provide information on their availability or sign up for proposed activities, giving volunteers a say in certain aspects relating to their own management (self-management) and ensuring better quality data in the database. This database has enabled the Spanish Red Cross to design and introduce the following applications: 1. Application for the management of volunteer activities. With the help of this tool, activity managers in SRC branches are able to register all new activities for SRC volunteers and launch activity proposals for volunteers of branches which meet the requirements for a given type of activity. In addition, this application makes it possible to manage the participation of the volunteers chosen to take part in a given activity, up until the activity is completed.

3 2. Local proximity applications: A body of applications for the activation of services, available for SRC users. This includes a telephone helpline via a contact centre, the activation of services and their management. It should be noted that the activation of a service presupposes that volunteers are sent a text message proposing a service, which they are then free to accept or reject through various channels. 3. Self-management application: This tool is for SRC volunteers. The application makes available the volunteer services and activities provided by a branch, and also allows volunteers to update their personal data and indicate their availability. This in turn lets volunteers access the activities proposed by the activity manager and sign up for such activities, depending on the profile required. The application is available in both a Web version and a mobile version for Android and ios.

4 The QR codes which volunteers can use to download the mobile applications are the following: Android ios The system offers several advantages. It: - Considerably enhances the efficiency of the activity management process; - Reduces the amount of time spent managing activities and makes it possible to reach more volunteers in less time, without the need for phone calls to volunteers; - Improves control over volunteer activities; - Boosts volunteer improvement in activity management; - Facilitates rotation with regard to volunteer participation in an activity; - Ensures a more accurate record of volunteer activity. 4. Business intelligence application: This is a control panel which contains information on volunteer follow-up (recruitment highs/lows, volunteering highs/lows, volunteer profiles, volunteers impact on the general public and on various administrative levels, quality indicators for volunteer management, etc. A report based on this application is published monthly, and is available for all territorial levels.

5 In the future, by relying extensively on information technologies, we will be able to introduce an online volunteer microactivity system, leading to a paradigm shift in many traditional volunteer activities and enabling many people with travel-related problems (e.g. disability or a lack of time due to family or work reasons) to manage certain activities from home. It is important to note that these applications are primarily managed by SRC volunteers. In addition, there are other utilizations for the above applications: 1. Using new technologies to manage the SRC brand on social networks like Facebook (where our organization has 86,042 followers) or Twitter (38,686 followers). The Spanish Red Cross also has its own social network (mundocruzroja.org), which currently has some 20,000 members or backers. These social networks are also primarily volunteer-run, and are a source of information on the organization and recruitment opportunities. 2. Using e-learning platforms to facilitate the rapid induction of volunteers. The best example is the induction course for new volunteers for all those interested in becoming Red Cross volunteers. It is offered in either classroom format or online. The advantage with the online version of this course is that volunteers from branches with a low recruitment level do not have to wait to take the course until there are a minimum number of participants, and can undergo training straightaway. This course is rounded out by a broad range of training courses for SRC volunteers. With regard to all of the above, the goal is always the SRC s mission and the desire to meet the needs of the organization s volunteers.

6 IV. How will you share inspiring practices and learning with other National Societies if you win an award? If the Spanish Red Cross wins an award, it will prepare a case study of one of the above-mentioned projects, spelling out the steps and tools which our National Society has worked up to reach the goals set out in this proposal. We will also consider organizing a seminar on volunteer management and ICTs.