Code of Practice Workshops Write Up 27-06-2014 Comments Rob

Case for a Code Association of Volunteer Managers - Consultative Workshops (Draft) - May-June 2014
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Case for a Code Association of
Volunteer Managers
Preliminary findings from a series of consultative
workshops on developing a code of practice for volunteer
management (May-June 2014)

Summary
In May 2014, the Association of Volunteer Managers began a project to develop a code of practice
for volunteer management in the UK
1
.
Four workshops were carried out between May-June 2014 hosted by Save the Children (London),
MNDA (Northampton), AVM (online webinar) and by Jewish Volunteering Network (London). 30
practitioners took part in these workshops
2
.
The workshops aim was to consult practitioners on volunteer management on two points:
Gauge views of practitioners on the broad debate for and against the professionalisation of
volunteer management.
Canvass opinions on the values that are core to the practice of volunteer management and
should be the basis for the principles in a code of practice.
These are preliminary findings which will be fed into the formulation of a wider online consultation
of all members of AVM, with a view to drafting a formal proposal for a code of practice that can be
agreed at AVMs AGM in October 2014.
Were seeking views of all the membership on these findings. To express your views, please contact:
info@volunteermanagers.org.uk

Introduction
The overall aim is to develop a code of practice in volunteer management which should:
1. provide a framework that guides the core practice of professionals in volunteer
management
2. encourage active reflection among professionals in volunteer management on the wider
implications and impacts of their work
3. inform the practice of others who work in association with professionals in volunteer
management
4. support constructive communication between professionals in volunteer management and
the public on complex and challenging issues in volunteering
5. raise the standards of practice by ensuring the integrity of members and thereby raise the
publics trust in what we do

1
http://volunteermanagers.org.uk/2014/05/02/the-case-for-a-code/
2
http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/association-of-volunteer-managers-4550611853?s=25585987
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Background
Growth in recognition of volunteering and its value though appreciation of the role of
volunteer managers still lags in comparison
We know from research
3
and anecdotal evidence that thousands work in volunteer
management (although often many are not aware that there is such a thing as volunteer
management, let alone a profession)
Increasingly, there is a body of knowledge behind volunteer management - more
autonomy/responsibility vis-a-vis related professions and disciplines, e.g. professionals in
personnel and development, fundraising professionals, etc.
Over the last 15 years or more
4
, much work has been done on the general principles of volunteering
and the practice of volunteering at an organisational level
5
. Theres also been work on the skills and
personal qualities required by individual practitioners of volunteer management. However, there is
no established set of principles that individual practitioners can sign up to which could form the
basis of greater professionalisation in the UK.

Defining the terms of the debate
For the purposes of this project, the definition of a professional has been taken from the work of
Hoyle and John
6
whose research was primarily based in the field of education:
makes proficient use of expert or specialist knowledge,
exercises autonomous thought and judgement,
and makes a voluntary commitment to a set of principles
This definition is inclusive in different respects: it includes those working in different sectors,
different levels of seniority and or those paid/voluntary.
This definition helps to identify the key challenges for greater professionalisation in volunteer
management. Namely:
1. Agreeing on the skills and knowledge that form the basis for the specialist knowledge of the
volunteer management professional
2. Achieving greater recognition and autonomy for volunteer management professionals as
practitioners with specialist knowledge
3. Appreciating that volunteer management professionals commit to following a set of
established principles
By taking a lead in establishing a code of practice, the Association of Volunteer Managers aims to
ensure that this process of professionalisation is led by the community of volunteer management
practitioners themselves.

3
http://volunteermanagers.org.uk/research/
4
https://www.energizeinc.com/hot/july97.html - "Is Volunteer Management Really a Profession?", Susan J.
Ellis, July 1997
5
Some examples include: Volunteering: Compact Code of Good Practice (2001), Volunteer Managers -
National Occupational Standards (2008), Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard (2003), GLV Volunteer
Management Charter (2012) and Universal Declaration on the Profession- declaration on the profession of
leading and managing volunteers - Volunteer Canada (2001).
6
Eric Hoyle and Peter John, Professional Knowledge and Professional Practice, Cassell (1995)
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Without volunteer management practitioners taking a lead, there is a risk that professionalisation is
driven as a reaction to external pressures, such as from government or for commercial reasons.

Areas of professionalisation
Professionalisation can be categorised in the following way (note this includes an ethical framework
for the profession):
1. Professional knowledge (knowledgeable practitioners)
2. Ongoing professional development (reflective)
3. Entry into the profession (structure and supported routes into the profession)
4. Scope of the profession (core capabilities)
5. Models of practice (contract/partnership)
6. Ethical framework for the profession (core value/principles)

Greater professionalisation of volunteer management
Is there an appetite amongst practitioners of volunteer management in the UK for greater
professionalisation? A demand for professionalisation, provides a rationale for a code of practice.
Understanding better why practitioners agree or disagree with professionalisation helps inform our
conversation about the kind of code in practice we want and need.

Summarised: the case for greater professionalisation
Volunteer management is more than just a job, role or function
There are values that set volunteer management apart
Considerable expertise/body of knowledge
Were ready for greater autonomy, independence and recognition

Summarised: the case against greater professionalisation
Risk of generating unnecessary formalisation and bureaucracy
Could make volunteering increasingly costly
Undesirable greater institutionalisation and loss of independence
Threat to the fundamental nature of volunteering

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Discussion talking points in the debate about greater professionalisation
The following points came out of the discussion in the consultative workshops on the reasons for
and against the greater professionalisation of volunteer management.

Greater autonomy, greater responsibility
As volunteer management practitioners, we are seeking greater responsibility. Professionalisation
would provide practitioners with a greater degree of autonomy. Volunteer management
practitioners who are more professional are more likely to be given decision-making responsibilities
on matters directly concerning volunteer management.
Defining our specialist knowledge
Too often key decisions affecting volunteer management are made without recourse to the
knowledge of practitioners about likely consequences. Professionalisation would help to define the
specialist knowledge of volunteer management practitioners, increase inclusion of practitioners in
decision making and lead to greater autonomy.
There is indeed a considerable body of knowledge within the sector. Defining this knowledge in a
more consistent and recognised way, would help to bring about a greater level of understanding
beyond volunteer management and ultimately build a greater level of autonomy for practitioners.
Code of practice would provide external validation
A code of practice would provide an external validation of our own voice on issues in volunteer
management within the groups and organisations in which we work. For instance, a volunteer
manager arguing for reform of their organisations policy on DBS checking, would be strengthened if
they could point to guidance of a community framed within a clear and recognised professional code
of practice.
Helping to define where volunteer management sits
In organisations, the volunteer management function sits in different teams or directorates.
However, it often sits in the human resources directorate (or people directorate as its increasingly
described). The working culture of human resources is often very different from volunteer
management. For example, it may tend to be conducted on more rigid policies and procedures and
pegged against specific legal concerns that are not relevant to volunteer management.
If volunteer management sits in the fundraising department/directorate, it can be hard to convince
colleagues of the value of involving volunteers in activities beyond fundraising.
Extending volunteer managements influence
Many volunteer-involving organisations in the UK havent adapted to the changes in the sector in
the last five years. Many still try to fundraise their way out of trouble, applying strategies and
solutions that might have worked before the financial crisis but are considerably less effective now.
Within that context, volunteer management has a crucial role to play in helping organisations to
think beyond what they can pay for and help unlock considerably more potential and resource to
achieve their missions.
Volunteering can be left as an aspirational hope, not always embedded within operational thinking
and behaviour. Greater professionalisation of volunteer management would increase its status and
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our ability to influence, both internally (e.g. ensuring volunteering is considered within strategic and
operating planning and decision making) and externally (influencing local and central government in
policy making, lobbying etc.).
Going by what people are saying, professionalisation as a process needs to help volunteer managers
and the work they do feel more integrated within the organisations and places of work. It feels like
volunteer management has a lot to offer, and in terms of how volunteering is currently managed
and structured, organisations may not always be the most effective they can be.
Professionalisation of volunteer management should have something to say, something to add to
the wider discourse of how volunteer management is organised within the organisations, networks
and groups it is present in.
Raising the profile of volunteer management
Professionalisation would be helpful if it helps to improve the status of volunteer management. This
may be achieved through the development of a professional body for volunteer managers, such as
AVM.
Through such a body, it may be easier for colleagues, stakeholders and the public to make a clearer
comparison between practitioners of volunteer management and other practitioners, such as
fundraisers, operational staff, human resources and others.
Greater professionalisation is linked in the minds of many with the idea of improving the status
accorded to volunteer management. The status of volunteer managers is often linked to the visibility
of volunteering generally in the organisation. Where volunteering is low profile and volunteers voice
is not heard, volunteer management professionals accordingly are less likely to be understood or
recognised.
Volunteer management is poorly understood, as a result it is underappreciated and underrated
which leads to practitioners lower status.
Valuing volunteering
The language we use around volunteering in our organisations can denote status. Why, for example,
is there such a difference between volunteer and pro-bono? Often those who act pro-bono do not
think of what they do as volunteering. In the same way, our colleagues outside volunteer
management dont see pro-bono as volunteering. Professionalisation could change the discourse
about volunteering.
The local compact on volunteering whats the legacy of this? Many statutory partners now not
interested in continuing to follow the compact now theres no funding for it. This is an example of
how its become harder to get acceptance of the value of volunteering by local authorities.
Volunteering is often unfairly undervalued. Just calling a task volunteering can lower the perceived
value of the activity amongst certain stakeholders, e.g. describing a job as volunteering on a CV. This
is linked with the persistence of a pejorative meaning of words like amateur which insinuate second
rate quality, overshadowing the positives of work that is done for the love of it.
A multidisciplinary approach to learning
A volunteer management offers a new approach to management that knows how to rebalance the
need for control with the need to empower. It takes us into the realm of leadership, beyond
straightforward management. The volunteer management practitioner needs to understand how
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they can devolve decision-making. There is a lot practitioners of volunteer management can learn
from more established academic disciplines, such as management or leadership theory. Take for
example the work of Burns and Stalker
7
on a theoretical idea such as organic organisations that are
flexible unlike mechanistic organizations and value external knowledge. Such theory can have
interesting applications in volunteer management and would strengthen our specialist knowledge.
Never losing the essence of volunteering
There is something very special and spontaneous about volunteering. It puts the person at the
centre of the process. This essence should never be lost. Professionalisation would increase the
pressure to define what we mean by volunteer management. In practical terms, many people, both
staff and volunteers, supervise and manage volunteers on a day-to day basis as part of their
operational role. If we professionalise, we need to ensure this does not disempower these
colleagues or suffocate local ownership and responsibility, in a day to day/localised context.
We need to avoid volunteer management replicating some of the worst elements of
professionalisation such as becoming process driven at the expense of the good aspects.
Professionalisation would deter talent if it means we take our eye off the ball about whats most
important - our instinct for putting people at the centre of the process.
There's a worry that professionalisation if not carefully thought through may present values that are
contrary to the core values of volunteering. We need to find a way of rethinking professionalisation
that aligns it with these core values.
Volunteers are the focus. Every individual that gives generously of their time to support a cause
must be protected. As well as giving volunteer management some 'status' and the potential to
influence internally and externally, professionalisation could provide a recognised standard that
volunteers can expect from their host organisation.
Volunteering and volunteer management
Professionalisation of volunteering is distinct from the professionalisation of practitioners of
volunteer management. Many agreed there was a strong case for professionalisation, but we need
to be clear and ensure this doesnt impact negatively on the volunteers we work with. In a sense,
we need to achieve a professional standing for volunteers first we need to get this recognition for
the volunteers we work with, then get it for ourselves.
Empower practitioners am I doing the right thing? How do I compare myself against the standard
for others across the sector? How can we provide a more consistent level of work?
Professionalisation can bring with it added external pressures
The professionalisation of fundraising that came about as a result of external pressures is relatively
new as a phenomena. Fundraisers started professionalisation via the creation of the Institute of
Fundraising some 30 years ago to help them gain status. External pressure came later when external
(public, govt, etc.) expectations of the resulting professionalisation did not match the reality of
peoples engagement with fundraising.
Facing up to our collective responsibility

7
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_organisation - see also The Management of Innovation -
http://www.sagepub.com/upm-data/27412_8.pdf
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We have a responsibility to volunteers we work with and to volunteering in general.
When we engage with volunteers it has to be a positive experience. A bad experience may put a
volunteer off volunteering altogether, a loss to all. As practitioners we have a collective
responsibility to each other. Greater professionalism may mean we work in a more collegiate way
with our peers in volunteer management.
Raising standards
Acting professionally is all about creating positive experiences and really valuing the work all
volunteers do. Good volunteer management is about working in partnership, where all feel listened
to and can play an active part in the development of volunteering.
We need to professionalise to up our game, and ensure we continue to innovate and create new
models of practice in volunteer management.
Entry into the profession
At present, many volunteer managers get involved in volunteer management as a result of sheer
serendipity. As one participant put it: the career chooses the person as it appeals to certain
strengths and beliefs. If volunteer management became a career you could plan for, it must not
lose this current strength that practitioners learn their craft primarily in a practical way in the field,
rather than through theory and written examinations.
We need greater pathways into volunteer management. There is a growing number of people who
are interested in getting into volunteer management, and are seeking to identify learning or
qualifications that will help them access opportunities in volunteer management.
The flip-side is that the sector is extremely diverse, and a bureaucratic formalisation of a code could
constrain an innovative sector in the same way that RIBA does for architects for instance.
Conclusion
Overall, the general consensus of practitioners is that greater professionalisation would be positive
for volunteer management.

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Values
As a practitioner, what are the values you see as core to the practice of volunteer management?
To begin this consultation on developing a code of practice, we discussed what the values are that
participants saw as at the core of volunteer management (not just volunteering per se).
For the consultation, the below grid was developed. It is based on an AVM workshop that was ran at
the annual conference in October 2013. In addition, it was took into account research on common
approaches to categorising the values behind volunteering and volunteer management
8
.

The grid identifies four core categories of values important to volunteer management:

Choice
This category of values are those connected with our belief as practitioners that volunteering is an
activity based on choice. It is the freedom of the volunteer to choose which make volunteering
fundamentally an act of giving and commitment. To be able to choose, we need to be open about
opportunities to get involved and offer access to volunteers with diverse needs and backgrounds.
We may need to support volunteers to enable them to access this choice.
Mutual benefit
This category of values focuses on the reciprocal nature of the relationships we aim to nurture and
develop. These are relationships between volunteers and service users/beneficiaries, between

8
The Case for a Code - full notes for a copy email info@volunteermanagers.org.uk
Page 9 of 15

volunteers and colleagues, between ourselves and volunteers. The idea of partnership is very
important, likewise the idea that these relationships are not simply self-serving, have a view to
deliver some kind of wider public benefit or social value.
Resource
This category of values seeks to set out our belief in the importance of understanding that
volunteering is a two way street. Through volunteering you can deliver incredible resources, and at
the same time as with all management, it requires careful management of resources. This may mean
monetary resources, but it may also means resources in terms of time, energy or gifts in kind. The
relationship between inputs and outputs are often much more complex and nuanced than in
equivalents from service industries based in the public or private sector based on contracts and
transactions. A practitioner in volunteer management needs to understand the importance of when
and how to evaluate, measure, plan and ultimately be accountable for the resources they manage.
Respect
This category of values sums up the importance of respecting the rights and the voice of the people
carrying out the volunteering. These are the values we believe in to ensure that the volunteers we
engage and those they work with, enjoy the protection of the law, are safeguarded, can speak out
and are heard within the organisation or group within which they are involved.

Suggestions and clarifications
During the consultative workshops the following additional values were suggested by participants:

Being flexible, flexibility, adaptability, creativity
Flexibility and adaptability are crucial in modern volunteer management and leadership. Flexibility is
valued as a guard against over-standardisation, control and systemisation helping to remain person-
centred.
Its also about developing processes that are flexible and encouraging volunteers to be prepared to
adapt to the needs of the organisation and its beneficiaries, engaging over a longer period of time.

Engagement, partnership, collaboration, co-operation
An important principle in its own right, engagement is not something that happens just because you
may want it to. Its something that we have to work hard at, think about constantly and
respond/adapt to the views and actions of our volunteers. We have to value engagement, not
engage for the sake of it or turn in on ourselves.
Partnership captures the spirit of volunteering both internally in supporting and managing our
volunteers, but also externally in our outward-facing relationships, if we are to influence, inform and
lobby as a group/profession.

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Enjoyment, celebration
We need to recognise the value of the contribution that volunteers make and not lose sight of the
importance of fun, enjoyment and satisfaction. Again it is keeping the person at the centre of the
activity.

Leadership, coordination, motivation, reciprocity
The responsibility of leadership of volunteers and understanding the motivations for those who
volunteer and how they match the requirements of beneficiaries and organisations.
There is a balance between the volunteer getting something from volunteering as well as the
organisation and beneficiary getting something too. The balance between volunteering being
valuable in its own right and also having significant value in the ends it achieves.

Trust, integrity, relationship building, empathy, compassion (included under empathy)
Understanding volunteers/stakeholders. Understand the importance of trust in developing
relationships. Respect is about the volunteer manager, not just the volunteer.

Transparency, accountability
As a profession, were increasingly under pressure to account for the resources spent on
volunteering. Volunteers, just like those in paid positions are expected to be accountable for their
work. There is a need for those in volunteer management to ensure that volunteering is a
transparent and accountable part of the group or organisation for all those involved.

Connect, translate, network, broker (included under connect)
Often those in volunteer management have a good view point from which to understand the
different ways teams and functions interrelate within groups and organisations. Practitioners can
function as brokers, identifying and seeing the potential for opportunities in different teams and
roles for volunteers. They are able to liaise with teams about their requirements and gain an
understanding into the value of connections within and beyond organisations.

Diversity
We think of diversity in different senses: being open to a diverse volunteer base, diverse
relationships, diverse resources, diverse motivations, etc.
Diversity is an ever-present issue. Its linked to creativity and good understanding of the resources
available to development new and bespoke opportunities to volunteer.

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Learning, continuous development
The knowledge volunteers have is a resource. We need to be continually open to learning and open
minded in terms of our own self-development. Learning is linked with our capability and therefore
our capacity.
Learning is linked with the motivations that volunteers often give their time, because their roles are
challenging and stimulating learning opportunities. Learning as a value can also be at the heart of
many of the reciprocal relationships between volunteers and service users.

Commitment
The value of commitment is crucial to volunteering. In volunteer management, helping to facilitate
and nurture a sense of commitment to the volunteering you oversee is vital.

Economic value, impact, evaluate
There is a need to communicate the value of what volunteers do in economic or monetary terms.
However, it is important to avoid oversimplifying. We should always to strive to articulate the all-
round value of volunteering and wider impact.
Volunteer management should be able to translate the value of volunteering so that it is can be
defined and measured in different ways and against a range of criteria that enable a group or
organisation to demonstrate its impact in relation to its mission and aims.

Freedom, change
Volunteers have the freedom to choose volunteer and the freedom to move on.
We are trying to move people to thinking they have the freedom to move on when you want. As
volunteer managers we have to be especially careful not to pressurise volunteers to continue, when
they have said they want to step down.
We have an important part to play in protecting this freedom to step down. A volunteer who steps
down happy is far more likely to engage again in the future with the same organisation or another
when the time is right.
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Below is the updated grid of core and associated values discussed in the consultative workshops:

Core value
Choice Freely chosen giving

Associated values Examples of how value is important in volunteer management
Open Open-mindedness, being open about the opportunities for volunteers to get
involved
Freedom Free to volunteer, free to stop volunteering
Flexible Able to adapt and broker volunteering that meets both the needs of
beneficiaries and volunteers
Creative Creative approach to harness the choices made by those who engage
Commitment Free to choose, volunteer management is about facilitating engagement
Supported Providing support so that those who want to volunteer have access to join
in and get involved
Giving Volunteering is the choice to give, volunteer management is the art of
receiving those gifts that are offered
Change Volunteering is freely given, change is an integral part of volunteer
management, change is embraced
Diverse Offering diverse access to the volunteering

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Core value
Mutual benefit Mutually beneficial relationships

Engagement Developing relationships that sustain engagement
Empathy Compassion and understanding for volunteers and beneficiaries
Reciprocity Develop reciprocity in relationships between volunteers and beneficiaries
where both benefit
Partnership and
collaboration
Build partnerships with volunteers that engage, romote engagement
through a collaborative ethic
Public benefit Look to provide wider public benefit from the relationships facilitated
through volunteer management
Fair Foster relationships that are fair to each party, and dont exploit either
party
Connect Volunteer management connects different stakeholders and facilitates
networking

Core value
Resource Resource for resource

Learning Developing learning opportunities for volunteers and beneficiaries
Planned, measure
and evaluate
Plan, measure and evaluate the use of resources required and the resources
created as a result of volunteering
Leadership Provide leadership for volunteers
Transparent Take a transparent approach to developing policies and procedures
Impact Look at impact in a broadest possible sense, including and not limited to
monetary value
Accountable Put in place governance structures for volunteering so that those involved
are accountable to stakeholders

Core value
People All about people

Voice Ensure volunteers are given a voice within the group or organisation in
which they engage
Rights Uphold the rights of volunteers
Enjoyment Dont lose sight of the importance of ensuring volunteering is an enjoyable
and satisfying experience
Trust Win the trust of those who engage with the volunteering you develop and
manage
Listen Actively listen to volunteers and those they work with to understand their
needs
Celebrate Celebrate and recognise the achievements of volunteers
Growth Foster and value the growth of volunteers
Integrity Act with integrity in all matters relating to volunteers you engage
Page 14 of 15

Law Comply with the law and ensure volunteers you engage are not expected to
act unlawfully
Recognition Recognise the needs and achievements of the volunteers you engage

Skills and Experience
During the consultative workshops many values we identified were very close to skills and
experience that we felt was important to volunteer management.
At this stage, weve just listed some of these skills mentioned to give a flavour of the overlap
between values and skills needed in the practice of volunteer management.
The National Occupational Standards for Volunteer Management
9
(2008) provide a good basic list of
personal qualities or skills for volunteer management:
Adaptability and innovation
Communication
Concern for others
Desire to learn
Entrepreneurship
Ethical stance
Focus on results
Information and knowledge management
Persuasiveness
Political awareness
Relationship management
Self-management
Strategic awareness
Thinking and decision-making
In our discussions the following additional skills and experience were also mentioned:
Networking and brokering
Discerning and assessing ability in others
Change management
People skills
Problem solving
Facilitator
Flexible
Adaptable
Managing change
Managing time/contingency
Brokering people (engagement)
Head-hunting
Overview of the organisation (roles, opportunities, service users, staff, volunteers)

9
http://exploringvolunteering.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/national-occupational-standards-for-volunteer-
managers-with-matrix.pdf
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Next step: From values to principles
The next step of this project is to consult the whole membership of AVM on how we go from our
core values to clear principles that we can apply to our practice of volunteer management.

Below are some examples of going from values to principles:

Core value: Choice
Freely chosen giving
Example of how these values are expressed as a principle for volunteer management:
Develop volunteering that is freely chosen and freely given

Core value: Mutual benefit
Mutually beneficial relationships
Build and manage relationships of mutual benefit

Core value: Resource
Resource for resource
Provide resource for resource (volunteering provides resource and requires resources)

Core value: People
All about people
Uphold and advocate for the rights of all you engage

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