Program Planning & Evaluation

Whether starting from scratch, or managing an established volunteer program, planning is critical in order to empower volunteers to have the greatest impact in the community. A volunteer program without structure, guidelines, or much long-term planning is not effective or responsible.
We need to look at the value, tools, and impact of program planning as these relate to the organization’s volunteer program. A review of fundamental program planning elements, current practices, methods in the field of volunteer program management, and different evaluation methods available will better position the program to conduct the following techniques:

1. Establish the mission and goals of the volunteer program
2. Establish priorities and strategic planning
3. Assess volunteer staffing needs
4. Create new volunteer positions
5. Evaluate and measure volunteer program success

1. Establish Mission and Goals of Volunteer Program

Effective programs require planning, evaluation, and regular maintenance in order to produce successful results. Volunteer involvement in the community is most effective when the volunteer program is integrated into the overall mission, vision, and daily operations of the organization. Assessing the organization’s capacity/readiness to receive and support volunteer interest and effort is essential in order to set realistic, attainable goals for the volunteer program. Setting goals for your volunteer program will directly impact the outcomes you achieve. Goals will be set for those areas of the volunteer program that have value, that are connected to the overall mission of the organization.

Goal Setting Blueprint

Mission Statement Worksheet

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2. Establish Priorities and Strategic Planning

A strategic plan is a document that identifies and uses an organization’s vision, mission, and values as the basis for the development, maintenance, and growth of its programs and services. A strategic plan can enable volunteer programs to better focus and use their limited financial as well as human resources. Change will be a factor in determining what areas of the volunteer program require primary attention. Do not expect to focus on the same areas each year, or even within a particular planning cycle. Keeping an eye on the risks associated with the work the volunteers do is a responsible approach to prioritizing program elements. Strategic plans, their goals and objectives, provide a road map or “to do” list for our work, and evaluation processes allow us to continuously monitor our program’s success or failure, learn from these, and adapt program areas and elements as needed.

Volunteer Program Self-Assessment Strategic Plan

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3. Volunteer Staffing Needs Assessment

The purpose of a Needs Assessment is to determine the right number of volunteers to staff current positions in each department. This valuable information is necessary to guide, direct, and implement recruitment efforts for the organization. A Needs Assessment will assist you in developing new volunteer positions, as well as identify and staff episodic volunteer staffing needs.

Staff Assessment of Volunteer Involvement

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4. Creating New Volunteer Positions

Volunteers bring a variety of professional skills to the table; likewise, organizations often have mission-relevant work that would benefit from volunteer involvement. When creating new opportunities for prospective volunteer staff, it is essential to consider the following:

• Work is mission-connected, suitable for volunteer staff
• Paid staff supervisor identified
• All work support elements identified and in place (includes work flow, workspace, materials, training plan)
• Back-up staffing plan in the event of unsuccessful recruitment, no-shows, etc.
• Job risks clearly identified and strategies to minimize/eliminate risk outlined

Not all volunteer opportunities require a long-term commitment. Current volunteerism research shows that most people prefer episodic, or one-time events, or working with a team on short-term projects. These projects and events give us the opportunity to “audition” prospective volunteers for further involvement within the organization. It also gives us the chance to make a good first impression as an organization worthy of an individual’s time, skills, and dedication.

Volunteer Job Description

Volunteer Job Design

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5. Volunteer Assessment Tools & Evaluations

Explore different assessment tools effective in evaluating and measuring program success; create an evaluation component to a volunteer program. A volunteer feedback questionnaire is a key tool to assist in the evaluation of the program. The questionnaire is a form designed to provide critical and valuable feedback concerning the volunteers’ experience. When the evaluation is included in the overall volunteer program planning, it builds into the program’s systems, processes, policies, and procedures the tools needed to conduct an effective and informative formal evaluation. In many ways, the program is evaluated on a regular basis. Informal methods of evaluation feed and inform the formal ones. Be sure to identify where these informal evaluations are taking place and capture the essence of the information they provide.

Volunteer Assessment of the Volunteer Program

Volunteer Program Self-assessment

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