Top Competencies Needed for Volunteer Administration

1. Top Competencies Needed for Volunteer Administration Improving Lives. Improving Texas.

2. Supportive Research / Literature • Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration • Dr. Barry Boyd’s 2004 study to determine specific “competencies that would be required by administrators of volunteers in the coming decade.” • Dr. L. Lockett’s 2007 study to determine competencies and best practices needed by Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinators

3. Core Competencies From the Council for Certification in Vol. Admin. • Ethics • Organizational Management • Human Resources Management • Accountability • Leadership and Advocacy

4. Core Competency From the Council for Certification in Vol. Admin. • Ethics: • The ability to act in accordance with professional principles

5. Core Competency - Ethics Examples of specific competencies needed • Fairness with everyone • Willingness to stand firm on your policies • Cautious understanding that decisions the coordinator makes become policy

6. Core Competency From the Council for Certification in Vol. Admin. • Organizational Management: • The ability to design and implement policies, processes and structures to align volunteer involvement with the mission and vision of the organization.

7. Organizational Management Examples of specific competencies needed • Ability to articulate Extension’s mission and goals • Creating a positive environment in which volunteers can learn and operate • Ability to turn needs into plans and plans into action • Creative use of technology to effect program impact

8. Organizational Management Examples of specific competencies needed • Plan and implement training for volunteers • Ability to identify volunteer’s strengths and weaknesses and see where they would best function within the organization • Creating “systems” for processes

9. Organizational Management Examples of specific competencies needed • Ability to “see the big picture” and identify individual steps to accomplish goals.

10. Core Competency From the Council for Certification in Vol. Admin. • Human Resources Management: • The ability to successfully engage, train and support volunteers in a systematic and intentional way.

11. Communication skills Positive attitude Ability to inspire your volunteers to rise to the challenge Motivational skills Respect for the time & contributions of your volunteers Human Resources Management Examples of specific competencies needed

12. Human Resources Management Examples of specific competencies needed • Good conflict resolution skills • Competent in recruiting and screening volunteers • Competent in matching volunteers to agency needs • Competent in retaining volunteers • Finding ways to secure resources, training, etc…

13. Human Resources Management Examples of specific competencies needed • Willingness to let volunteers plan and implement programs, yet be involved enough to provide guidance, assure accuracy of information, and compliance with organizational requirements. • Trusting volunteers to get the job done

14. Human Resources Management Examples of specific competencies needed • Achieving a proper balance of ownership and responsibility

15. Be the change you want to see in others and in your organization.

16. Core Competency From the Council for Certification in Vol. Admin. • Accountability: • The ability to collect relevant data and to engage in meaningful monitoring, evaluation and reporting to stakeholders.

17. Accountability Examples of specific competencies needed • Competent in evaluating volunteer efforts and accomplishments • Articulation of volunteer efforts and accomplishments • Articulating the organizational mission, vision, and goals to stakeholders.

18. Core Competency From the Council for Certification in Vol. Admin. • Leadership and Advocacy: • The ability to advocate for effective volunteer involvement inside of the organization and in the broader community it serves.

19. Leadership and Advocacy Examples of specific competencies needed • Realization that you (the volunteer administrator) don’t and can’t possibly know everything. • Ability to effectively enlist the assistance of your volunteers

20. Leadership and Advocacy Examples of specific competencies needed • Allowing tasks to be completed in ways that you would not have personally done them • Setting the organization’s “tone” when conducting business and interacting with folks • Guiding volunteers, yet respecting them as individuals

21. Our excitement, enthusiasm, and appreciation are contagious. We need to model those things.

22. Are there competencies not mentioned here, that you would have expected to see?

23. Characteristics of Effective Teachers Interesting similarities/correlation between this list and Volunteer administrator competencies needed • Clarity • Variability • Enthusiasm • Task-Oriented and/or Businesslike Behaviors • Student Opportunity to Learn • Positive Reinforcement

24. Characteristics of Effective Teachers Interesting similarities/correlation between this list and Volunteer administrator competencies needed • Positive Reinforcement • Avoiding Criticism • Use of Structuring Comments • Effective Questioning • Humor “Research on Teacher Performance Criteria” by Barak Rosenshine and Norma Furst, in Research in Education, edited by B. Othanel Smith for the American Educational Research Association, 1971.

25. Know your goal and head toward it!