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5.35 a.m. of 3 rd June '07
(as you sleep in ME-Europe and the Americas!)

"Volunteer Management System" obviously may be of interest to just 2-3-4 or 5 in the movement at this stage and no more.
The subject is apparently not of much interest to the 20-25 SCIers who may have used this website.
(Unless I may have missed out on something
...which I doubt.) In 25 days, just 2 wrote...

VMS may just be of passing interest to the IEC or is it that we have not shown up much use for it today or in the future.

How do we make it of some dramatic effect for the movement (and ourselves) for the future?

Peace and regards.
Dev Chopra
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6.50 a.m. of 5 th June '07
Hi Adina:

   I read you well; you have some excellent points that make a lot of sense -- to us, in-house.

   "Out-house" or what we call 'the movement' one does query sometimes -- where is it?
And, the echo, even a hollow one, never comes...!

   It is some sophistry to have a website in our 21 st century and its times. One wonders how many really use it and for it to be of some tangible use to the movement -- I do indeed question that...

   And am eternally grateful to those few who are managing it so well, in a true SCI spirit. Thank you.

   Peace and regards...and its good to know that we should never give up!

   Regards & Peace!
Dev Chopra
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4.00 pm. Ind St. Time of 9 th June '07
Dear Adina & "absent" Friends:

I say that, tongue in cheek; as I lean over to thank you for your well written & good email.
   The reality my friend is, that our exchanges are suggestive of a 'monologue' among friends who happen to be, I think, on the same wavelength. Okay.

   I am of the opinion, that, management in SCI
(for sure, in the Asian context) is hardly ever visible. That may be true perhaps also in the case of  s o m e  other Branches in Europe, as well.
  For sure its so among the Working Groups!!

   It does not appear to have hurt anyone while all tend to appreciate:
a) the voluntariness b) come-and-go at will,
c) take on tasks positively w/o any time frames   
or continue, at will, to revise the time-frames,
d) continue to appreciate such ambience -- that
allows matters/events to happen over decades

IF none of the above "hurts" any one, who am I to complain?
That was one thought uppermost for me to get it out and share with you.
Yet, the issues before us where VMS is concerned must come from within Branches, themselves, and snot some interested individuals, at random regardless of their burning passion, that Irespect, of course!

Strong and weak Branches and similar WGs make what we are today in the movement.

Your points 1 to 7 are fine.
My impression & uptake is that the best way to say "thank you" to the Int. Volunteers is for oneself to get active and involved in the organisation, wherever. That, for me remains the innate beauty and the inspiration of what SCI is all about.
   Pick and choose a mentor, if you please. One must, and that applies to all of us, everywhere, to remain true to the key objectives of what SCI stands for.
Period.

   I hope I have said enough to maybe "stir up" some others to get on the Net!!

Thanks for writing.
Greetings from Delhi where the mercury has touched 46 degrees, ha! ha!
Dev Chopra
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10.00 pm AST                                       4th July '07

Let me try this again....I must have hit the submit button by accident...silly me... :-) And it is still the 4th of July..ha ha...

Anyway, I was just reading all the messages posted regarding the Volunteer Support and Management System and I thought I would drop a line or two....since I happen to fall in the 20-25 years category!!!

I would like to, first of all, let you know that I am relatively new to SCI (one year soon) so the comments that I make could very well be based on personal reflection and not on the overall picture.

My entry into the SCI world was rather by accident. I was the MC (Master of Ceremony) for one of the programs that SCI Nepal was doing and I then enquired as to what SCI was all about.

Perhaps this is the case for many other volunteers out there as well. Perhaps it is a friend, a family member or even an acquaintance that is drawn into the SCI world....for reasons that could range from making friends, personal growth to serving the community.

Volunteers come into the network in search for something 'better'....to learn, to contribute, to serve people, to foster relationships, to make a difference. I feel it is important to 'understand' the capacities of the volunteers that come into the network and to bring out the 'best' in them. Without doubt, volunteers have varied skills and talents. New and experienced...their needs and expectations differ and it is important that we respect and cater for this 'difference'.

Otherwise, we all know what happens. Frustrated volunteers that could otherwise have contributed so much slowly seem to dissapear.

And although I am sure all branches have some sort of system in place to ensure this 'difference' is catered for, ongoing discussions really show the extent of this problem.

An effective, efficient yet 'flexible' Volunteer and Support Management System (VSMS) would aid in ensuring that 'differences' are indeed catered for and that 'expectations' are met in order to bring out the 'best' in everybody.

The five main points listed, I feel, are fundamental and quite logical: i) Preparation ii) Recruitment iii) Orientation and Training iv) Monitoring and Evaluation v) Recognition and Retention. Afterall, the main point is to 'attract' volunteers, ensure their 'development and growth' and then to 'retain' them. The 'Preparation' and 'Recruitment' process would ensure that the right kind of volunteers join the network...that is the volunteer with the right kind of 'attitude'. Afterall, attitude is the most important thing.

(Coincidentally, I read a book taday called 'Attitudes of Amazing Achievers' by Phillip Baker. A great book and a must read....)

Then the 'Orientation and Training' would ensure that the volunteers are provided the environment to develop and grow. The 'Monitoring and Evaluation' would be a continual  assessment of the work being carried out and would be a bench mark for the minimum standards required and would also be used as a tool to 'Recognise' active volunteers. 

'Recognition and Retention' would finally ensure that volunteers who have developed into activists on national and international levels are retained through proper 'Recognition' systems and through 'Newer challenges' in terms of the work that they carry out... We have to ensure that there are 'stepping stones' for volunteers to advance to so that they grow on a continual basis.

These are just some of my thoughts (which all probably sounds like a lot of repetition... which it probably is...ha ha...I am sure someone else has already mentioned all of this before)

Anyway, I think it is great that we already have some key points in place. Some further input from those activists who have been involved in SCI for some time and know more about volunteer management would be crucial to ensure that feedback from each corner of the world (Europe or Asia or US or Australia..wherever), from all SCI branches (whether big or small) is incorporated in order to formulate a VSMS that is suitable for SCI in its entirety.....

Best Wishes,
Neelam

As a matter of fact, I got involved with SCI through the "Herbstfest" autumm meeting many years ago. After doing a workcamp I decided it might be interesting to meet more people from SCI, so I went to Herbstfest. And there I learned that they are actually looking for people to contribute. I am sure I would never have got involved with SCI otherwise. I mean how should volunteers, after attending a workcamp for the first time? The websites of the branches often have little (up-to-date) information. SCI Germany might be an exception here. So how are they supposed to know that involvement is welcome, how to get in contact, and what possibilities there are to do something. I do think we need to do the first step and make it a little easier for them.

Vol Mgt System or Vol Support System
Re:--Helping by giving examples and comments on volunteer management

This has been the topic in the course of the past 6 months--as far as this website is concerned.

It has evoked a 'mini-dialogue' amongst 4-5-6 of us & no more. And it does not seem to be getting us anywhere. My first question of ourselves is: Will it in the next 6 years?
Yes, sometimes statements can be termed negative in content and intent. So perhaps, leading questions to get to be the same.

   Yet, it is important that we focus on what the said question poses to us, in-house. Otherwise there is a tendency to create our own positive-in- intent euphoria which does not represent any action on the ground...now or in the future.

   As I state elsewhere:
1) The process may continue to remain in the wilderness IF Branches and Groups have to take the lead, starting may be with just One or Two. Is even that not possible -- with one or two?

2) The second query needs an answer by us is – are we fulfilling “our own need” at the regional cum
international levels and not that of the Branches
concerned? (A need from within once discussed and reflected upon, ordinarily, leads some concerted cum co-ordinated action by any group of "activists" or friends.) The said follow through appears to be missing, methinks!

3) How far can we take the process IF no national branch or their committee is involved? So the message one wishes to deliver is to take a branch or two "on the bandwagon" with us... Otherwise are we the 5-6 of us not groping in the dark, really speaking, as every quarter or  every year goes by?

4) An action-oriented  study from some micro level data (and not from a large, random area) that may lead to a pilot process in a given Branch area may show some light, perhaps. That may be viable and possible if taken up by and with a national branch & with the help of an activist or two backed by the given branch secretary/committee members and with a full support of the IEC. Such a pilot process may show some light after
2-3-5 years, I submit.
   
   This may be one definite, slow but sure way to go about this issue than to draw results which remain both negative and unbecoming of our own pas (& present) in SCI, if you please.

IF this lengthy epistle does not evoke some other suggestions or ideas or alternatives, then, should one say that "we are truly playing our own little games"?!

Shared with respect... Amities & Peace!
7.50 p.m. Ind Std Time of 10 th Nov '07.
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