Future of Volunteering survey
[30 August 2007 | The Centre for Volunteering]
Is volunteering a doomed activity? Where will the volunteers of the future come from? What will motivate them? What might volunteering look like in the future? What forms might volunteering take (e.g. corporate volunteering, time-limited or project-based etc)?
The Future of Volunteering is an innovative project which will, for the first time in the world, use narrative research processes, tools and proprietary software Sensemaker TM developed by Cognitive Edge to explore an issue of critical public policy. The project is funded by the Department of Disability Ageing and Home Care (NSW), via New South Wales Meals on Wheels. It is supported by the Minister for Ageing, Disability and Home Care (Minster Keneally), the Minster for Volunteering (Minister Burney), and Premier and Cabinet as well as peak organisations in the community care sector. The Society of Organisational Learning Australia and Cognitive Edge are providing the software and facilitation expertise. (SoLA is the learning partner for Cognitive Edge in Asia Pacific).
The key objectives of the project are to develop an understanding of policy issues and implications given the changes in demographics and patterns of volunteering, as well as guidance for those organisations funding and managing volunteers. The initial focus is New South Wales; however there is already interest from other states and countries to replicate the project.
Any organisation or individual with experience in volunteering or managing volunteers is encouraged to participate in this programme. The more stories we are able to collect, the greater the pool of stories that can be used to identify themes and patterns around volunteering.
Complete the Future of Volunteering survey
Project scope
This is the first government funded project using Cognitive Edge approaches to address a social issue, where the information collected will be available in the public arena. While there is significant interest from other states, countries and sectors, the initial focus will be:- The community care sector – volunteers, their managing organisations, funders and policy makers
- In NSW
The project will capture thousands of stories about volunteering from volunteers, managers of volunteers and policy makers. The new SenseMaker software will enable researchers and policy makers to access these stories directly in large numbers and examine themes and patterns.
Project outcomes
- A data base that contains the experience of volunteers, funding bodies and organisations that use volunteers
- Identification of themes and issues, that will inform policy development for government and agencies that use volunteers
- An agreed set of priorities for further research and action
Operating principles
- The initial focus is on volunteers, their managers and funders within the community care sector.
- This does not limit involvement of others.
- Any extension of the project will acknowledge the initial funding of DADHC.
Governance
(i) Project Management Group
The project is:
- Auspiced by NSW Meals on Wheels
- Funded by DADHC
- Supported by Cognitive Edge and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu
- Facilitated by SoLA
Representatives from these organisations form the Management Group which will be accountable for the management of the project and the delivery of outcomes.
(ii) Project Reference Group
This group consists of interested people and organisations that will provide support and advice to the project by
- identifying relevant people to be involved in each aspect of the project
- encouraging participation
- providing comment on proposals for further use of the data collected
Project Management Team
- Les McDonald, CEO, NSW Meals on Wheels
- Steve O'Neill, CEO, Home Care, DADHC
- Viv Read, Director, Society for Org Learning Australia
- Dave Snowden, Founder, Cognitive Edge
- Steve England, Practitioner, SoLA
- Chris Fletcher, Asia Pacific Knowledge Management, Deloitte
Project Reference group
- Jane Burns, Director, Research and Policy, Inspire Foundation
- Mariessa Nicolas, ActNow Website Manager, Inspire Foundation
- Lynne Dalton, CEO, Centre for Volunteering
- Betty Johnson, Member, Older Women's Network
- Margaret Holland, Member, Older Women's network
- Roger Morris, Director, COTA
- John Scott, Strategic Projects Director, Premier and Cabinet
- Christine Regan, Senior Policy Officer, NCOSS
- Michael Fine, Assoc Professor, Macquarie University
- Jill Pretty, Acting CEO, Aged and Community Services
Timeline
The data collection phase will run through August and September 2007.A series of workshops will be conducted in late September for volunteers, managers of volunteers and policy makers to start to work with the stories, analyse and identify themes and issues.
For further information
If you require any additional information, have a question or would like clarification, please contact any of the following project team members:Viv Read – 0414294339
Chris Fletcher – 0402308403
Steve England – 0418638873