Program Assessment

The end of one year and the start of the next is a great time to "check the pulse" of people in your organization. Keep things easy with a very short feedback request consisting of only two main questions -- one looking back over the year ending and the other looking ahead. But ask for a specific number of short responses to each.

For example:

1. In 2009, what two things did you do or see someone else do that you felt were really important to the people we serve?
   
   1.  
   2.  
2. For 2010, what two things would help you to be even more successful in your work here?
   
   1.  
   2.  

Note that the questions do not necessarily have to be about volunteers, nor do you have to limit the participants to volunteers only. In fact, asking everyone, regardless of position or pay status, to respond will allow you to use the responses to demonstrate the role of the volunteer office in organizational recognition and planning. Here are two ideas for how to do that, based on the sample questions above.

Sharing the many answers you will get to question #1 will make everyone feel good (it's that time of year, after all). You might even post the "really important" actions on big sheets of newsprint in some area seen mainly by paid and unpaid staff. Make sure the comments are legible and presented seriously, but you can also use colored markers, glitter, whatever, to make these posters festive. (Be sure to say something at the top such as "The Volunteer Office Wants You to Know..." so that you get the credit for the idea!)

For question #2, you might collate the answers and group them under topic headings. Distribute the list to everyone individually. There are many ways you can go from there. You might ask everyone to circle the five ideas they like the best and promise that, in 2010, you will attempt to put volunteer energy into those areas. Or you might offer to facilitate a meeting in each unit or program to discuss what's needed and what you, collectively, can do to accomplish this.

One important caveat: Do not ask for any feedback that you can do nothing about! In other words, if you do not feel able to tackle the issue of "what do you need to be successful," ask a different question. The whole point is not to conduct a survey per se, but rather to use the holidays to make people reflect positively on what they did throughout the year, and then to be upbeat for next year.

If you're like me (and a lot of volunteer managers I've known are!), you really want to please everyone. Of course this is unrealistic, but it ought to be possible to create more supporters of volunteers in your organization than detractors.

Begin by identifying who on staff is a real champion of volunteer involvement - the people you go to if you need a creative role for a volunteer or anything else special. On a piece of paper or an Excel spreadsheet, write down their names in a column (if you don't want anyone to see your list, use code names!). Then, next to each, identify why you think each person is so positive. Is it because:

• The volunteers you've assigned to them in the past have been exceptionally good?
• They are secure in their work and so able to share it more easily?
• They are naturally warm and welcoming?
• They have a good relationship with you?
• Their direct supervisor rewards success with volunteers?

Obviously there are many other possible factors.

In the third column, identify what benefits the staff member seems to derive, personally, from success with volunteers. Things like gains a sounding board for new ideas, access to many different skills, more ways to help their clients, etc.

Now draw a line across the page and do the same thing for staff members who are often positive, but not always. Can you find reasons for their occasional reluctance by comparing your answers in columns two and three to what you identified above for the greatest supporters?

Draw another line across the page and repeat the process for those who seem "on the fence" or neutral. Do it once again for those staff who are more often negative than positive. Finally, analyze those staff who really seem "bent on destruction" - who are always negative about volunteers.As you look at the possible reasons why detractors might be that way, you will be able to separate issues out of your control from things you can possibly do something about. Are their attitudes based on bad experiences with recent volunteers or on unsubstantiated prejudice? Might they be completely untrained in how to partner with volunteers, and yet not realize that? Do they receive feedback from their managers about how well they do or do not work with volunteers?

So now you can make a fourth column headed "What I Might Do." Consider how you might use what you have diagnosed about supporters to approach resisters. Are there real issues that you can take care of and change the situation (such as not assigning volunteers at particularly hectic times or requisitioning another workspace)? Is there a way to ask for the help of supporters to do some peer outreach to their more negative colleagues?The real point is that rarely is there only one reason why volunteers are welcomed or not. It comes down to personal relationships with each staff member - both with volunteers you may ask them to supervise and with you as leader of volunteers.