Table of Contents
Step 1 | An Introduction to Developing a Volunteer Water Monitoring Program
Step 2 | Setting Goals and Objectives
Step 3 | Understanding Elements of Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) Protocols
Step 4 | Recruiting, Training and Retaining Volunteers
Step 5 | Collecting Reliable Data
Step 6 | Data Collection, Analysis and Data Management
Step 7 | Evaluating the Success of Your Program
Additional Resources
Common misconceptions of volunteers in water quality programs: |
Step 4 | Recruiting, Training and Retaining VolunteersAfter completing this section, you should be able to:
A short video from Dr. Jo Latimore will discuss how the MiCorps program keeps volunteers motivated. You will also hear from three volunteers discussing challenges they have faced while being involved in a volunteer monitoring program. In order to have a successful program, there must be a focus on both collecting scientifically sound data and volunteer management. Volunteer management encompasses the recruitment, selection and supervision of volunteers as well as maintaining agreement between the monitoring goals and volunteer duties of the project. Monitoring programs provide citizens an opportunity to become involved with the protection of their watershed and serve as a grass roots source of public relations and marketing for your organization. Therefore it is vital that volunteers are properly trained as well as comfortable and satisfied with the duties they are assigned.
An essential first step in recruiting and managing volunteers is documenting the roles and responsibilities of program participants including volunteers and program staff. Developing a monitoring manual which outlines responsibilities and procedures will provide clear guidance to volunteers when they have questions in the field or are interested in joining your program. An excellent example of a volunteer manual is the Red River Basin Water Quality Monitoring Manual developed by the International Water Institute. It includes a combination of monitoring protocols and procedures as well as organization structure and volunteer roles. Your volunteer management goal should be to “empower volunteers to be successful,” according to Jarene Frances Lee and Julia M. Catagnus in their book, What We Learned (the Hard Way) About Supervising Volunteers. In order to empower a volunteer to succeed, a coordinator must inspire, energize and encourage the volunteer(s) as they accomplish their tasks. Below are 10 significant ways a supervisor can empower their volunteers to be successful according to Lee and Catagnus:
Self-Assignment: Based on the list developed by Lee and Catagnus, select two ways you will empower your volunteers. Take time now to write down at least two activities you will employ to achieve this goal. Be specific, and be sure to connect this to the goals and objectives of your program.
The following video will discuss how the MiCorps Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program and the Volunteer Stream Monitoring Program keep volunteers engaged and motivated and how the program conducts volunteer management.
Recruiting Volunteers
It is likely that prior to each monitoring season you will need to recruit new volunteers. Volunteer turnover can be attributed to poor volunteer management but it is most often due to changes in a volunteer’s life or not having enough time for monitoring. By developing a strong program and having a fulfilled volunteer base, other community members will be more aware of your efforts and more likely to respond to an invitation to join the group. Recruiting volunteers can occur two ways, formally or informally. Formally recruiting new participants includes marketing your program and screening volunteers as they apply. Informal participation occurs by accepting volunteers as they come. Each method has its benefits, and it is up to the project coordinator to determine which best suits the program. Existing volunteers are the true ambassadors of the monitoring program and are the most valuable recruiting tool. They have connections to local meetings, community newsletters, and know other people with similar interests who may be interested in joining your program. They should be the first place you look when recruiting new participants. Having a volunteer present at outreach events or who can personally write about their experience in a press release provides credibility to your program and can also make volunteers feel valued. There are many avenues for marketing a volunteer monitoring program. Below is a list of some of the most common places and ways to recruit new members:
Self-Assignment: Think of ways that you could recruit volunteers in your community. Do you have access to a newsletter for lake and stream residents in your area? Is there a fair or community event that would be beneficial for your organization to attend? Take a few minutes to write down three ideas. Focus on ideas that seem reasonable to implement. Do you know someone who is knowledgeable in the use of social media? Do you have volunteers with proven writing skills?
Key Practices for Volunteer Management
One of the most vital roles of a program coordinator is to ensure that the volunteers feel appreciated and recognized for the amount of effort that went into collecting data. It is also important that their work is respected and their skills and dedication for the program are recognized. There are numerous practices and procedures that can be followed to insure that volunteers recruited into a program are passionate and dedicated long-term. Listed below are two of the most critical practices you should follow when developing a volunteer monitoring program. Create Clear Job Assignments How will you tell potential volunteers what they will be monitoring? How many hours they are expected to volunteer? What benefits will they get in return from participating? A volunteer job description is useful for sharing this information to interested citizens or with current volunteers who may not be fulfilling their duties. A volunteer job description should be similar to a paid staff position description. It generally includes a title, list of responsibilities, time commitment required, desired skills or qualifications and how the ‘job’ will benefit the overall goal of the monitoring program. One of the most important steps will be benefits or what the volunteer will receive from participating in your program. Volunteering is a selfless form of charity but often people volunteer because they will get something in return for their participation. Citizens may take part in monitoring because they believe in the cause, are interested in learning new things, gain friendships with like-minded people and can learn skills which can be applied in a professional setting. To ensure participants feel empowered to join and continue to participate in a volunteer monitoring program they must feel valued and important to the overall project. This can be communicated in a volunteer job description. One example of a job description was developed by the Nature Conservancy for a Water Level Monitor; note that all of the essential elements of a volunteer job description are included: job title, qualifications, functions, time commitment, skills desired, and benefits. Screen Your Volunteers
Generally programs that are trying to become established will take any person who is willing to participate. However, without a mechanism in place to screen out volunteers whose goals and expectations are inconsistent with your program, there will be volunteers who are unsatisfied and ultimately leave. Volunteers may leave a program because their expectations did not line up with the goals originally established. Ensuring that you have the appropriate volunteers to meet your program objectives is essential. A common technique used is a volunteer application and interview. An application does not have to be lengthy or in-depth, but should include the mission of the organization, your contact information, and specific questions regarding the volunteer’s interest, background knowledge, qualifications and motivations for joining your monitoring team. If you understand what motivates them to join your program and their expectations, you can ensure their job assignments are aligned with their goals as well as your goals. After an interested participant completes an application, it is best to have an informal interview with them to ensure that they understand their responsibilities and expectations as well as the goals of the program. It is important to develop an interview questionnaire that emphasizes the benefits of long-term water quality monitoring and remind the new participant that data collected will not solve any immediate problems. Often, volunteers become interested in monitoring because there is a problem, and they are looking for answers. The volunteer should be informed that data analysis is a time consuming process and avenues for sharing data may be limited. Be sure to show them what the data will look like in its final format if it is available. Showing future participants the end product will help to avoid any misconceptions about final results. Through an application and interview it can be possible to identify potential participants who have considerable differences in expectations for their volunteering experience. It can be very uncomfortable to “fire” a volunteer; therefore having a list of defined responsibilities makes it easier to explain to new recruits why it might be best for them to participate in a different capacity within your organization or with a different program. Use of a screening process makes it easier to get to know your volunteers and their needs so that you can provide opportunities to accommodate them. The activities may include additional training sessions regarding online databases or scheduling social or advanced training activities, all of which can keep your volunteers interested and engaged. Self-Assignment: Can you think of any other management practices that should be implemented when first starting a program, for example, volunteer social events, group trips, newsletters for volunteers?
Effective Training
Training is an essential component of any volunteer monitoring project. A project is only as successful as its volunteers. When volunteers are properly trained in the goals of the project they will produce more credible data, clearly understand their role, be motivated to continue monitoring, and feel engaged in a team effort. Training is not a one-day field demonstration or a classroom presentation; it should be a part of an entire program. It is important to train new participants as well as reinforce program elements and procedures throughout the year through newsletter articles, email reminders and at annual meetings. It is helpful to think of volunteer training in two parts, orientation to the program and hands-on training for monitoring and sampling (see Step 6). Program Orientation
Program orientation and training can include presentations, hands-on activities (such as insect identification), shoreline walks, and in-field training with program coordinators or volunteer “experts.” All volunteers should receive a volunteer handbook with information on the history, mission and structure of your organization. It can help volunteers know where they fit in, how they are contributing to the group, and offer information if someone asks them about their volunteer work. It is helpful to address the topics found within the volunteer handbook with the volunteers, so they become comfortable using the handbook and know where to find appropriate information. After an orientation session, volunteers should be introduced to general information about stream or lake ecology, the condition of the waters to be monitored and the overall importance of long-term monitoring. They should have a clear understanding of how and who will use the data they are collecting and what it will look like in its final format. Hands-on Training
The next step for the volunteers is training. Hands-on training gives volunteers the tools (information and skills) they need to do their specific job as well as help them to understand the limitations of their assignments, policies and procedures and safety precautions. Make sure you plan ahead when developing your training methods. Determine who will be conducting the training, when it will take place, where it will be held, what materials will be necessary in the field, and what the volunteers will know after the training. If the project includes extensive chemical parameters or biological monitoring it may be necessary to schedule more than one training session or follow up with a one on one session. Training volunteers can take place in group settings or one-on-one. Group trainings save time and allow participants to meet other volunteers and learn from each other, however it can be difficult to address unique problems or individual characteristics of water bodies. One-on-one trainings allow procedures to be learned under actual conditions and can account for unique situations. It can also be time consuming and expensive. A combination of formats can be used, such as a group training session focused on easy to learn parameters such as Secchi disk readings or chlorophyll sampling and one-on-one trainings for aquatic plant identification. Effective volunteer training is essential for a successful program. In order to ensure your volunteers retain what they need to learn, avoid learning overload. Break topics into manageable segments and offer lots of breaks in between sessions. Don’t be afraid to repeat important information throughout the whole training. Having a variety of presenters will keep volunteers engaged and interested and will expose them to other project partners. Always review how effective your training program is by having volunteers fill out evaluation forms. These forms can help assess what volunteers liked and disliked, the effectiveness of trainers and handouts, and general knowledge gained after the training. In this next video, volunteers discuss the biggest challenges they face being a volunteer.
While watching the video listen carefully to their challenges and what they would change, and then consider how your program could overcome these challenges. Not surprisingly, time for monitoring is mentioned as a challenge. Volunteers have other commitments that limit their time and availability for monitoring. Remember to consider the time constraints of your volunteers when developing your monitoring program.
Another challenge is complex instructions for infrequently used equipment. Volunteers do not use the equipment daily and will often need to refer back to the instructions to use the equipment properly. Having clear, easy-to-use instructions allow volunteers to complete their monitoring activities successfully in a minimal time. Helpful Tips for Organizing Volunteer Training
Come prepared for the training. It is discouraging for volunteers and other partner organizations if it is unorganized. The US Environmental Protection Agency recommends that training sessions include:
During the training make sure to provide all of the materials necessary to complete the field work and include the monitoring manual which should cover project information and monitoring procedures. Having written materials for them to review and makes notes helps to maintain interest and increase their knowledge and comfort when collecting data. Your volunteers will rely on these materials while they are in the field. Materials must be clear and concise and should include your contact information so that volunteers can call you for assistance. Be sure to include copies of data sheets, a checklist of materials necessary out in the field, safety precautions, a monitoring schedule and procedures to follow. There are numerous volunteer manuals available online. For an extensive list, visit the Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Factsheet IV Designing Your Monitoring Strategy. During the field portion of the training, give a brief overview of the parameters and review the monitoring procedures found within the monitoring manual. Demonstrate the procedures slowly and have volunteers practice until they are comfortable with them. Having the monitoring manual in the field is essential as volunteers will be able to make notes and review them when they are, one they are on their own. Once a program is established it may be possible to invoke “train the trainers,” and develop leaders of monitoring techniques who can later train other volunteers. Having a mixture of classroom and field training will keep volunteers interested and will help ensure that all procedures are followed correctly. Having volunteers outside (if possible) develops their confidence and allows them to ask questions that they may have not realized they had. Do not be surprised if there are volunteers who have never seen monitoring equipment and do not understand its purpose or how to use it. Allowing volunteers to handle equipment can help to demystify the technical nature of monitoring and will show citizens that they too can monitor effectively.
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Steps
- Step 1 | An Introduction to Developing a Volunteer Monitoring Program
- Step 2 | Setting Goals and Objectives
- Step 3 | Understanding Elements of Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) Protocols
- Step 4 | Recruiting, Training and Retaining Volunteers
- Step 5 | Collecting Reliable Data
- Step 6 | Data Collection, Analysis and Data Management
- Step 7 | Evaluating the Success of Your Program
- Acknowledgements