Volunteer Management System

The following points of consideration have been offered by Volunteering Australia in order to develop or review policies, procedures and documentation to meet the national standards:

• Interview and employ volunteer staff in accordance with anti discrimination and equal opportunity legislation;
• Provide volunteer staff with orientation and training;
• Provide volunteer staff with a healthy and safe workplace;
• Provide appropriate and adequate insurance coverage for volunteer staff;
• Do not place volunteer staff in roles that were previously held by paid staff or have been identified as paid jobs;
• Differentiate between paid and unpaid roles;
• Define volunteer roles and develop clear job descriptions;
• Provide appropriate levels of support and management for volunteer staff;
• Provide volunteers with a copy of policies pertaining to volunteer staff;
• Ensure volunteers are not required to take up additional work during industrial disputes or paid staff shortage;
• Provide all staff with information on grievance and disciplinary policies and procedures;
• Acknowledge the rights of volunteer staff;
• Ensure that the work of volunteer staff complements but does not undermine the work of paid staff;
• Offer volunteer staff the opportunity for professional development;
• Reimburse volunteer staff for out of pocket expenses incurred on behalf of the organisation;
• Treat volunteer staff as valuable team members, and advise them of the opportunities to participate in agency decisions; and
• Acknowledge the contributions of volunteer staff.
  (National Volunteer Skills Centre, June 2005)

Some of the components of your volunteer policy and procedure manual you may consider are:

• the vision of your organisation
• your mission statement
• your definition of volunteering
• volunteer roles and position descriptions in your organisation
• volunteer rights and responsibilities
• a Code of Behaviour
• policies and procedures
• forms and records (such as application forms, agreements, personnel registers and time sheets)

The main policy areas for consideration are:

• confidentiality
• anti-discrimination
• workplace health and safety
• volunteer insurance
• workplace harassment
• security
• volunteer participation
• recruitment and selection
• volunteer management
• training
• communication
• record keeping
• reimbursement of out of pocket expenses
• paid/ unpaid roles
• conflict resolution
• program performance review
  (Bundaberg Arts Centre, 2006)
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Don’t be daunted by this list. Check other local relevant sources for examples of their policies and procedures.  Ask Council run arts facilities such as regional galleries or libraries.  Approach fellow arts organisations in your region.  Find out what others have done so far as volunteer management goes.  There is no point in reinventing the wheel!