Shaping Volunteers Coordination 2020

Veronica Rodriguez Sala
Volunteer Coordinator 2019 & 2020,Documentation 2019 Co-Lead, Event Coordination Team 2020; Realities Set up 2020
This thread is to:
gather opinion and define the role/tasks of the General volunteer coordinator 2020
Gather opinion/ input about the volunteers sign up system 2020
Discuss how can we reinforce the “voluntelling” to have more people interested in volunteering.
Realistically discuss how do we wanna avoid last-minute stress and potentially make a proposal after the opinion is gathered
Areas to get input from
Whole community
Tickets
Info from the past
How was done 2019
Unfortunately, there isn't any good thread to link to, but here an overview:
Volunteers Coordination 2019 used the same system than the previous year ( 2018)
Gathering the amount of volunteers needed in each area, by asking the Leads of each Need for the event ( using google forms)
Creating an open Spreadsheet on a drive
Spreadsheet was open for volunteers to take on their shifts
using Facebook & newsletter for recruiting
Using a survey filled in by Ticket holders for recruiting
How did it work the recruitment and coordination 2019:
Leads were clear and precise about the number of volunteers.
Communication with Leads was great.
Many Leads would get in touch with the volunteers to confirm shifts, give specific info
Many Leads like Rangers have recruited big part of their crew
Shifts were taken quite quickly although we did have some empty spots for Ranger Leads, Strike, that were very hard to fulfill.
There was not such a big pile of work for the Volunteer Coordinator since the decentralized model divided the work among the Leads.
It wasn't any General Volunteer Coordination onsite and it was not needed.
Kitchen for volunteers 2019
Deine mudda camp, fed volunteers only on Build and Strike
How did the sign-up System Work in 2019?
The open Spreadsheet document looked like this And it raised some controversy about the data/ contact info from volunteers being public.
It was possible to sign up for a shift without giving any contact information. Given this, the Leads were not able to contact some volunteers
Defining Volunteer Coordination role 2020
Sign up system
There was an initiative of a new sign up platform with many advantages. This came from @Erin Jeavons-Fellows @Callum Macdonald if I'm not wrong.
Eventually, we would need some update in that matter. If this happens, the role of Volunteer Coordinator might get reduced to a voluntelling work
If the new platform for sign up is not a go. Im happy to proceed with the previous 2019 / 2018 sign up system, since I lack resources to create a better system. ( If someone wants to volunteer and co-create, Iam also happy to co create., leave a comment!)
update: Erin communicate the new platform is not gonna be possible this year at least.
This means:
we could use the old system: the public spreadsheet as described above
or researching an already existing system that could adjust to our needs. This Might require money from Budget
Kitchen for Volunteers:
We would be offering food as last year
food for volunteers on build and strike. Also for security during the event
We are not yet confirmed how / which kitchen will host volunteers
Voluntelling:
We know Talk is very wide ( and yet getting wider)
Here there is a post where we can link people to, from Facebook . When someone is interested in volunteering and sign up is not yet open; still, they can have a brief overview or perhaps, on early-stage, get involved in the pre-event stuff.
here we are creating fun video tutorials
open to more suggestions on how can we get better at voluntelling
How can we avoid last-minute stress?
gathering opinion about this: @Otto
Given the last-minute stress we have to face last year to fulfill important strike/general build/Ranger Leads volunteers
And because important unfilled shifts would mean a plus load of unfair work onsite, for the people that are leading and volunteering onsite
I suggest sparing with transparency four or five direct tickets for volunteers that at last minute are missing a ticket and are willing to volunteer on important unfilled shifts during the event.
How would it work?
The volunteer will still have to pay the ticket
we wouldn't be promoting this emergency resource, but only consider those who VOLUNTARILY offer themselves ( on Facebook e.g. or meetings.) to actively participate but are missing tickets.
The mentioned direct ticket would be available ONLY if the Volunteer coordinator ( in communication with Leads) sees the real need.
The mentioned direct ticket would be handled only by the volunteer coordinator in communication with Tickets.
What "last minute" means 2 days before Build starts
Cons:
to gather cons with the community
Pros:
bring in to the event people that are willing to participate and help
avoid stress on-site! Especially for the beloved strikers!
Timeline
There is not such a timeline for Volunteers 2020 until Tickets sales are defined

walto Tue 25 Feb 2020 6:28PM
There are already a lot of volunteer management systems out there, maybe there is something that matches our needs already? https://www.wholewhale.com/tips/volunteer-management-tools/

walto Mon 2 Mar 2020 12:54AM
Regarding voluntelling, I found this podcast episode to be very inspiring: https://www.npr.org/2020/02/20/807758704/the-influence-you-have-why-were-blind-to-our-power-over-others
Basically:
we always underestimate the power we have over others ==> when we ask people to volunteer for something, do not underestimate how successful you might be
people might say yes to things they do not actually want to do
people might say yes to things they did not actually want to do, BUT they will solve they internal cognitive dissonance by telling themselves "I wanted to do it anyways". In the end, maximizing the total happiness
What I wonder:
how do we get ppl to say yes to things they WANT to say yes to (because it is often hard to determine, as the person asking, to know what people would not have said yes to). maybe it has to do more with asking it in a way that is more enabling/supportive, e.g. "I believe you could do..."?
which medium of communication does this lend itself to?

Veroca R. Sala Sun 8 Mar 2020 10:00PM
update: Erin communicate the new platform is not gonna be possible this year at least.
This means:
we could use the old system: the public spreadsheet as described above
or researching an already existing system that could adjust to our needs. This Might require money from Budget

Veroca R. Sala Wed 26 Feb 2020 9:52PM
If you wish to. Im not sure somtimes what is meant to be shared or not really.

Cris Tue 25 Feb 2020 11:37AM
@Erin Jeavons-Fellows I would love to be updated on this matter! Very curious about alternative methods!

walto Wed 26 Feb 2020 8:48PM
not following @Veroca R. Sala is there something for me to answer here?

Veroca R. Sala Wed 26 Feb 2020 8:40PM
I will check out that link. .
About Recruiting peeps:
I have added on the description of the Need of "Conflict Resolution" the link to Conflict Escalation. Since this thread is looking for ppl interested on doing a workshop or supporting the initiative .
There are sometimes threads opened even before the responsibility is formally taken. This is because Kiez Burners want things to happen =) so the thread is published as a recruiting method, like it was done with that thread of Conflict Resolution... and it does work. Then i find interesting to link Realities to this ongoing 2020 talk threads.
Im happy to do that with other Needs if there are other open threads for Needs that are missing Realizers. I suggest this as a Voluntelling Coordinator and not as a Realities Realizer 😆
Erin Jeavons-Fellows · Mon 24 Feb 2020 10:37PM
@Veroca R. Sala I will follow up with Callum this week.