National standards for volunteering
The National Standards for Volunteer Involvement represent best practice in volunteer management. Volunteering is a mutually beneficial relationship between volunteers and the organisations that engage them. In giving their time, skills and experience, volunteers are supporting organisations in delivering their programs, services, and activities, increasing the capacity of an organisation to contribute to community outcomes.
Established by Volunteering Australia, they are guidelines that can support any organisation engaging volunteers to develop a framework by which they can optimise volunteer contributions and expand their capacity for supporting volunteers. The standards are not laws, but a set of ideal principles in the field of volunteer management, encompassing leadership and management, commitment to volunteering involvement, volunteer roles, recruitment and selection, support and development, workplace safety and wellbeing, volunteer recognition, quality management and continuous improvement.
The National Standards can support your volunteer management practice by providing simple standards against which to evaluate and improve your unique volunteer program, allowing for effective benchmarking and continuous improvement. They cover the following areas of volunteer involvement:
Policies and procedures -
An organisation that involves volunteers shall define and document its policies and procedures for volunteer involvement and ensure that these are understood, implemented, and maintained at all levels of the organisation where volunteers are involved.
Management responsibilities -
An organisation that involves volunteers shall ensure that volunteers are managed within a defined system and by capable personnel with the authority and resources to achieve the organisations policy goals.
Recruitment, selection, and orientation -
An organisation that involves volunteers shall plan and have clearly documented volunteer recruitment, selection and orientation policies and procedures that are consistent with non-discriminatory practices and guidelines.
Work and workplace -
An organisation that involves volunteers shall clearly specify and control the work of volunteers and ensure that their place of work is conducive to preserving their health, safety, and general wellbeing.
Training and development -
An organisation that involves volunteers shall ensure that volunteers obtain knowledge, skills, feedback on work, and the recognition needed to effectively carry out their responsibilities.
Service delivery -
An organisation that involves volunteers shall ensure that appropriate processes and procedures are established and followed for the effective planning, control, and review of all activities relating to the delivery of services by volunteers.
Documentation and records -
An organisation that involves volunteers shall establish a system and have defined procedures to control all documentation and personnel records that relate to the management of volunteers.
Continuous improvement -
An organisation that involves volunteers shall plan and continually review its volunteer’s management systems to ensure that opportunities to improve the quality of the system are identified and actively pursued.