Strategy Implementation
Employees Vs Volunteers: Issues of NGO's When Setting and Implementing Management Policies and Procedures
When the earthquake of the January 2010 hit Haiti, a more than needed of NGO’s was built overnight and headed to Haiti. It was like in the time of the gold rush of the Far West. Except this time no shovels and other traditional tools to dig into the earth were needed.
Some of them were coming to help and make a difference, but some of them too were coming in the search of only opportunities. NGO’s were built like mushrooms after a rainy season in Haiti and volunteers had flooded the country in 2010, and we know the rest of the story.
All of this to say that I experienced some of the problem that can cause volunteers with policies and procedures in the implementation of organizational strategies for staff members who are volunteers rather than employees. I identified two of them, with I discuss in the lines below:
1- Most of the time there’s no formal contract of payment
First things first, an employee has a formal contract of payment and to comply with the procedures and policies of the organization. But in the case of a volunteer, there’s no such contract. As soon as I’m concerned, I’ve ever seen any formal paper for someone who comes to support that equal the employee morale and psychological responsibilities. Based on the fact that the volunteers won’t be paid, but only have compensation (in some case it out passes the payment of employees) and a guideline to follow. Consequently, volunteers have less restriction than employees. In the end, a privilege, that causes trouble to the implementation of policies and procedures of the organization.
What should be done?
Set the boundaries at the beginning and discuss while making it clear about what's expected from the volunteer.
2- The volunteer might pursue his/her personal goal
One of the other problems volunteers cause in the organization is about the mission and vision of the organization. The fact that the organization has a mission and vision with goals to achieve, and considering the fact that the volunteer might have his/her personal motivation more often are not aligned with the organization pursue.
What should be done?
Inside of the company the policies and procedures set the tone and outline how activities and operations need to be conducted and achieved. Finally, when it’s discovered that the volunteer is pursuing his/her personal goals the sanction should be clear and known to avoid any kinds of excuses.
As a conclusion, “Policies set boundaries, constraints, and limits on the kinds of administrative actions that can be taken to reward and sanction behavior; they clarify what can and cannot be done in pursuit of an organization’s objectives.” (David, p. 217)