This lesson will introduce the importance of following a systematic process when developing a volunteer program.

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

• Determine how volunteers can be used most beneficially in their emergency management programs.
• Identify legal and liability issues involving volunteers.
• Design a volunteer program.
• Develop a volunteer job description.
• Develop a strategy for recruiting, assigning, training, supervising, and evaluating volunteers.

Americans have a history of wanting to help following a disaster. They have played important, even critical roles to help save lives, protect property, and preserve the environment.

Many have even given their lives to help others.

• But how will you plan for the types of volunteers who may come to the disaster scene?
• How will you formulate a strategy for engaging volunteers effectively?
• Who will you work with?
• What will the volunteer program cost?
• What insurance and liability issues need to be addressed?
• Who will write volunteer job descriptions?
• What will the process be for recruiting, assigning, training, supervising, and evaluating volunteers?

This lesson will answer each of these questions and provide an opportunity for you to plan a volunteer program in your agency or jurisdiction.

There are seven steps in developing a volunteer program. Following the seven-step model will facilitate development of a volunteer program that is tailored to the agency’s or jurisdiction’s needs.

Analyze Agency and Program Needs.
The process of determining the functions volunteers need to perform in an emergency, considering:

• The agency’s mission.
• Current staffing shortfalls.
• The tasks needing to be done to develop a volunteer program within an emergency management office to support that office’s needs.
• The skills, knowledge, and abilities required to perform the tasks.

Write Volunteer Job Descriptions.
The process of describing volunteer responsibilities and performance requirements. The job description can be used as the first step in the recruitment process and used throughout the volunteer’s tenure through performance evaluation.

Recruit Volunteers.
The process of identifying and attracting the types of volunteers required to perform identified tasks. Volunteer recruitment efforts are based on a recruitment strategy and may be broad-based or targeted.

Place Volunteers.
The process of assigning volunteers to the jobs they will perform during an emergency. Placing volunteers involves two steps:

• Screening
• Interviewing

Train Volunteers.
The process of ensuring that volunteers are qualified for the jobs they will hold. There are several types of training, each having specific purposes and goals. The most common types of volunteer training are:

• An orientation to the agency or the job.
• On-the-job training.
• Safety and personal protective training.

Supervise and Evaluate Volunteers.
The process of verifying that volunteers are performing in a way that ensures success for job tasks and for the volunteers. Verification is conducted as part of supervision and recorded during evaluation.

Evaluate the Volunteer Program.
The process of ensuring that the program meets the needs of the:

• Agency.
• Jurisdiction.
• Volunteers.
• Voluntary organizations

Sources of program feedback should extend beyond the organization and volunteers and should include the whole community.

When designing jobs for volunteers, remember that the jobs should reflect both the needs of the agency/jurisdiction and the volunteers. Volunteer needs may include:

• The desire to contribute to the community.
• The need to interact with other people.
• An interest in the job itself.
• The desire to learn new skills.

A well-defined job description is a valuable tool for an effective volunteer program. A good job description is:

• The first step in the recruitment process.
• A tool for marketing the agency’s need to potential volunteers.
• A focal point for interviewing, screening, and selecting volunteers.
• The basis for volunteer job training.
• A reference point for performance evaluation.

Paid staff can be invaluable when developing job descriptions. Paid staff are most familiar with the work requirements. Also, developing job descriptions helps ensure staff buy-in to the volunteer program.

Recruitment—getting the right volunteers into the right jobs—is crucial to a successful program. Recruitment can be:

• Broad-based (general) in cases where there is a need for a large number of individuals for jobs requiring skills that many possess or when a wide variety of skills is required. Broad-based appeals are typically made through mass media outlets.
• Targeted (selective) in cases where volunteers with specific skills are required. Targeted appeals are usually made through the Volunteer Reception Center, specialized media such as journals, or through personal contacts.

Determine whether broad-based or targeted recruiting—or a combination of recruiting strategies (e.g., recruiting as part of community activities, such as Make a Difference Day or Martin Luther King Jr. Day)—seems most likely to be successful when developing a recruitment strategy.

After determining the types of volunteers needed, the next step is to develop a recruitment strategy. There are several broad tasks for developing the strategy:

• Work with partner organizations to develop a message inviting those interested in volunteering to affiliate with a voluntary organization before an emergency occurs.
• Develop a volunteer “profile” based on what is known about the volunteers needed.
• Determine ways to reach the volunteers (e.g., networking with the whole community, analyzing how other agencies/jurisdictions reach their volunteers).
• Identify organizations that have an impact on the agency/jurisdiction (regardless of whether the agency/jurisdiction is at the State, tribal, or local level) or that are affected by the agency’s/jurisdiction’s actions.
• Select one or more ways to reach the audience needed.

After determining who and where to recruit, the next task is to write a message that will reach potential volunteers. When developing a recruitment message, it is important to remember:

• The aspects of the job that make it attractive to volunteers.
• How the message will be released (e.g., print versus social media).

Regardless of the message or medium, all recruitment messages should include:

• An opening that will catch the audience’s attention.
• A statement that describes the role(s) that volunteers will play and the problems they can solve.
• A statement of the KSAs needed so that potential volunteers can determine whether they can do the job.
• A description of what the volunteer will gain.
• Directions for getting involved.

If possible, it may be advantageous for voluntary organizations and NGOs to use their experience and help develop the recruitment message.

All volunteers should be screened to ensure they are a good fit for jobs available. Those who seem to be a good fit should continue through the interview process. Topics to address in the interviews include the following, as applicable:

• Volunteer’s skill levels for the job being considered.
• Ability to work long hours under stressful conditions.
• Amount of time the volunteer will spend unsupervised.
• Experience working with individuals with functional needs (e.g., children, elderly people, people with sensory or access needs, people with limited English language skills).
• Requirement to handle funds.
• Requirement to operate a vehicle.
• Level of physical or emotional risk.

There are several additional steps to take following interviews with potential volunteers. For example:

• If there is physical risk to the volunteer, ensure that persons assigned are physically and mentally capable of performing the job.
• If certifications or licenses are required to perform the job during non-emergency times, ensure that persons assigned have those certifications or licenses.
• If volunteers will be assigned to jobs involving people with access and functional needs, conduct background checks to ensure that they have nothing in their backgrounds that might put those people at risk.

Because time is of the essence during an emergency, screening and interviewing quickly will be critical. Fortunately, there are several steps you can often take in advance that will make this process more efficient when an emergency occurs:

• Requiring applicants to complete an application
• Checking references
• Verifying licenses and certifications
• Conducting interviews

Depending on State law, implementing these screening steps also may reduce the jurisdiction’s vulnerability to legal action should an incident involving volunteers occur.

Wherever possible, screening and even interviewing should be completed before an emergency occurs. If pre-emergency screening is not possible, it is preferable for emergency management personnel to capitalize on the expertise at the local Volunteer Reception Center, which increasingly serves as a resource for volunteer recruitment and management.

Job applications are typically used early in the screening process because they present the agency or jurisdiction with information they need to determine whether the volunteer is a good fit for emergency positions. Applications should also include a consent form that enables the jurisdiction to conduct more indepth screening.

Consent forms should ask the applicant to:

• Verify the accuracy of information on the application.
• Waive the right to confidentiality for screening purposes.
• Consent to reference checks, criminal background checks, etc.

Following initial screening, the next step in placing volunteers involves interviewing applicants who appear most qualified. Interviews help the jurisdiction/agency determine which volunteers are the best fit in the emergency organization. They also provide the potential volunteer with an opportunity to evaluate the jurisdiction/agency and the job available to determine whether the job is a good fit.

The interviewer should use the tools below when interviewing potential volunteers:

• The job application.
• A form for recording the interview.
• A list of open-ended questions to ask.
• Information about the jurisdiction/agency to give to the interviewee.

A goal of all interviews should be to identify the candidate’s skills and motivation for volunteering and to match applicants with potential jobs. Other goals may include:

• Identifying undesirable candidates.
• “Marketing” the jurisdiction/agency to the candidate by answering his/her questions and providing other information, as appropriate.

Because of the volume of volunteers wanting to help in an emergency, procedures should be developed for conducting expeditious group interviews.

Certain questions cannot be asked during interviews, including questions relating to:

• Race, national origin, birthplace, or religious affiliation.
• Marital status.
• Credit card or home ownership.
• Age, height, or weight.
• Pregnancy or childcare arrangements.
• Arrest record (other than what appears on a background check).
• Discharge from military service.
• Length of residency in the community.
• Health (other than questions related to the candidate’s ability to perform a specific physical task).

Do not ask anything that is not directly related to the candidate’s ability to perform a specific job.

After conducting each interview, the interviewer(s) should consider the candidate’s responses and make a decision about further action. Decisions can include:

• Placement.
• Additional screening.
• Rejection.

After volunteers are brought on board, they must be trained so that they are:

• Able to perform their jobs effectively.
• Satisfied with their volunteer job assignments.

There are several ways to train volunteers successfully, depending on the job assignment. The most common types of training are:

• Orientations.
• Classroom training and self-instruction.
• On-the-job training.

Each of these training types will be covered on the next screens.

Orientations provide a broad overview of voluntary organizations, government agencies, nongovernmental agencies, and/or jobs. Components of a successful organizational orientation include:

• The organization’s mission and relationship to the community and other organizations.
• Organizational values.
• Organizational procedures and issues.
• How volunteers are engaged in the organization.

Classroom training and self-instruction are designed to provide and enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities so volunteers learn the “how to” of job performance.

Training can be general or specific. General training includes training that is common to many positions, such as communications and interpersonal skills, leadership and supervision skills, or problemsolving skills.

Some topics, especially those intended to introduce students to a new topic, are well-suited to self-instruction. Self-instruction is also useful when reviewing information or improving skills and knowledge before undertaking classroom training. In addition, self-instruction is often used for refresher training.

Good supervision empowers volunteers to succeed and ensures completion of assigned work. Supervision involves:

• Establishing performance expectations.
• Acting as a coach and team builder.
• Communicating ideas effectively.
• Listening and synthesizing information received from others.
• Giving constructive feedback and taking corrective action, when needed.
• Recognizing volunteers for their contributions.

Volunteers have the right to know job expectations and receive feedback about how well they are doing.

Positive feedback is relatively easy, but many supervisors face difficulties when providing corrective feedback. 

There are several steps that supervisors can take to conduct a successful corrective feedback session:

• Establish and maintain a nonthreatening environment.
• Discuss the volunteer’s strengths first, then move to areas in which the volunteer needs to improve. Provide concrete examples of each.
• Listen to the volunteer’s input and take it seriously.
• Provide suggestions for improving job performance, and gain the volunteer’s agreement.
• Develop a plan for improving weaknesses jointly with the volunteer, including scheduling feedback sessions.

Always keep a written performance improvement plan (i.e., a record of corrective feedback and agreed-upon steps for improving future performance) as a future reference.

Evaluations can be formally scheduled performance reviews or can be done informally by discussing job performance with the volunteer.

Evaluative feedback should follow naturally from supervisory feedback and the volunteer’s performance improvement plan.

Regardless of how volunteer evaluations take place, they should always be kept confidential.

As volunteers begin to rotate out of their emergency jobs, the Volunteer Program Coordinator should gather evaluative feedback on the overall volunteer program. Evaluating the volunteer program regularly ensures that it is meeting the needs of the:

• Agency or jurisdiction
• Volunteers

Volunteer evaluation should not be the only means of program evaluation, though. In addition to the volunteers themselves, other sources of feedback include:

• Paid staff
• The public
• Voluntary organizations
• Exercise performance
• Lessons learned from actual emergencies

Program evaluation has several long-term benefits. It allows the Volunteer Program Manager to:

• Increase volunteer satisfaction.
• Upgrade the program to improve services.
• Improve efficiency and reduce costs.
• Identify what works and what doesn’t and develop corrective strategies.

Who gives the feedback is just as important as how the feedback is gathered. Methods for gathering and processing feedback include:

• Staff surveys.
• Internal reviews that compare program results with objectives.
• External reviews that compare and contrast the agency’s/jurisdiction’s volunteer program with other volunteer programs.

Evaluation analysis should include consideration of alternate explanations but should not include assumptions or conclusions that cannot be confirmed by evaluative data.

Because volunteer programs are an important part of emergency response and recovery, program feedback should be used to revise the Volunteer Annex to the jurisdiction’s Emergency Operations Plan (EOP).

The revised document then becomes the basis for new procedures that should be formally developed, trained, exercised, and evaluated again.

In this lesson, you have learned how to:

• Determine how volunteers can be used most beneficially in their emergency management programs.
• Identify legal and liability issues involving volunteers.
• Design a volunteer program.
• Develop a volunteer job description.
• Develop a strategy for recruiting, assigning, training, supervising, and evaluating volunteers.