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