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Big Picture Report

OPTIONS FOR DIGITAL VOLUNTEERING FOR DISASTER

RESPONSE (DIVOLVE)

Enhancing Aid Capacities Project Team – September 2019 – Version 1

Contents

1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1

2 Digital Volunteering Models: Forming the Concept ............................................................ 1

3 Digital Volunteering Models: Defining for Disaster Response ........................................... 2

1.1 Volunteer Motivation ...................................................................................................... 3

3.2 Digital Workspace Requirements .................................................................................. 3

3.3 Disaster Response Context ............................................................................................ 5

3.4 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 6

4 Volunteer Management Programs: An Analysis .................................................................. 6

4.2 Model Analysis ................................................................................................................ 6

4.3 Core Ways of Working .................................................................................................... 7

5 Practical Implications for DIVOLVE ..................................................................................... 10

5.1 Digital Workspace Requirements ................................................................................ 10

5.2 Management Support in Digital Workspace ............................................................... 12

5.3 Integration with Current Disaster Response Mechanisms in RCRC ......................... 15

Annex A: Standardised Analysis of Volunteering Models ........................................................ 18

Annex B: Workspace Requirements – Technical Details .......................................................... 52

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1 Introduction

This big picture report of national and international digital opportunities was drafted as

part of the “Enhancing Aid Capacities” project jointly implemented by the International

Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), 4 Red Cross National Societies

(Austria, Bulgaria, Italy and the Netherlands), with the support of the EU Aid Volunteers

(EUAV) programme. The project’s overall objective was to “improve the capability of

potential Sending Organisations within the Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement to provide

quality support, managing enhanced pools of competent volunteers and staff for emergency

response and improving remote support of operations”.

Within the context of this project, several work packages were identified of which one

(work package 4) focused specifically on digital volunteering. The aim of this specific work

package was to “establish, pilot and evaluate online volunteering models that sustainably

strengthen humanitarian aid operations”. This report provides an overview of different

volunteering models and their suitability for managing digital volunteer support for field

teams working in disaster response situations.

2 Digital Volunteering Models: Forming the Concept Increasing distance support is a major priority in the implementation of more efficient

and sustainable field actions. Continued online support can be useful for both deployed

personnel and their local counterparts because specific expertise can be utilised without

the need for deployment to disaster response situations. Digital volunteer models have

the advantage of being less affected by in-country risk and, therefore, are potentially more

consistent in their ongoing support to field operations. Digital volunteers are often trained

individuals who are involved in tasks aside from the field operations in disaster response

situations and are, therefore, a source of background support for field teams (FACT, ERU

etc.). Digital volunteering is also an excellent way to strengthen local systems without

replacing them, leaving the in-country volunteers of local partner national societies (NS)

at the centre of humanitarian action.

Following the above rationale, and for the purpose of this report, the following definition

of a digital volunteer will be used:

“An online volunteer supports field operations remotely with support services that are

shared through digital communication channels. An online volunteer does not deploy to

a disaster site.1”

Examples of the services that can be provided by digital volunteers include:

• Mapping activities

1 NOTE: In this report we also consider as online volunteers those volunteers that come together in a location (e.g. a Red

Cross office) to support a disaster response team in the field through digital means.

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• Damage assessments

• Data processing e.g. searching, analysis, data cleaning

• Communications activities such as preparing daily operational messaging

• Diversifying standard communication to specific target groups

• Activities carried out in other languages

• Conducting training or courses via video link

• Offering services through a local job site or local marketplace

In principle, anything you can do on a computer in the field can be done by a digital

volunteer and it is this ambitious statement which provides the challenge for this joint

project and allows the project to push the boundaries of the type of tasks that digital

volunteers are currently executing.

3 Digital Volunteering Models: Defining for Disaster Response When designing the model for the comparative analysis, volunteer motivation was

taken as the starting point. The other components of the model included the digital

workspace requirements (through which the volunteers would engage) as well as

establishing context, as always being the disaster response context. These three

components of the model and the interaction between them are illustrated in the figure

below.

Figure 1. Digital Volunteer Model for Disaster Response

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1.1 Volunteer Motivation The discourse around volunteer management and, in particular, volunteer motivation is

fairly well established, and a common consensus exists around the reasons why

volunteers offer their time and energy. Often, they do so for one or more of the reasons

highlighted in the table below.

Table 1. Volunteer Motivation for Participation

Reason Requirement

Altruism This typically informs the volunteer’s choice

of organisation. Regular feedback in terms

of impact stories should be provided.

Utilise skills & experience

Volunteers have a skillset they like to apply;

possibly one they cannot apply in their day

jobs.

Sense of community & belonging Volunteers want to be part of a social circle;

possibly where their friends are members

as well.

Develop new skills Volunteers like to develop new skills and

learn new things. They may have a hobby

that they want to further develop.

Job opportunities

Through working in an organisation as a

volunteer, people think that they will

improve their chances when applying for

jobs.

Each of the models will be reviewed on the suitability of the model to satisfy volunteer

motivation.

3.2 Digital Workspace Requirements Unlike volunteer motivation, what constitutes an effective digital workspace is less well

documented and is not generally pre-defined. A direct consequence of a digital volunteer

being defined as ‘someone who provides support services remotely and is not deployed

to the disaster site’, is that a suitable digital workspace necessarily entails the provision of

a working environment in which volunteers can collaborate remotely with others through

digital platforms to provide a service to the responders in the field. Based on discussions

within the Red Cross Red Crescent Organisation, the following has been defined as key

elements of a digital workspace environment. In this section we are looking purely at the

digital workspace and are not yet considering its application to a disaster response

context. This is the topic of the next paragraph.

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Table 2. Requirements for Digital Workspace Environments

Element Requirement

Effective communication Standardized, repetitive tasks require less

communication, but more complex tasks

require sophisticated channels of

communication and the possibility for one-

to-one communication. Different languages

and non-native speakers in the digital

volunteer pool need to be factored in.

Variety of tasks In recognising the wide range of

volunteers, an digital working environment

can host means factoring in:

• Volunteers live in different

locations and/or time-zones

• Volunteers availability varied in nr. of

hours and time of the day

• Volunteers skills are varied

Considering the above, tasks should always

be tailored to the volunteers:

• Sizes (time, amount of work)

• Time sensitivity (moment of delivery)

• Complexity (skills needed)

Onboarding required Particular attention needs to be given to

onboarding in a digital work environment to

keep the workspace and onboarding

process well organised. Not following

protocols in a digital working environment

may easily lead to miscommunication or

loss of data or information.

Recognition

Closely related to volunteer motivation it is

important to recognize contributions made

by volunteers. For example, through a

reward and recognition system or through

individual feedback.

Technical details on digital workspace requirements are found in Annex B.

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3.3 Disaster Response Context A disaster response context is not comparable to a normal working situation in several

ways. The main aim of disaster response is to maintain lives in a highly fluid situation with

many uncertainties. Working for disaster response places additional requirements on an

digital volunteer management system. These are outlined in the following table.

Table 3. Requirement for Volunteering System in the Context of Disaster Response

Context Requirement

High stress situation • Strict protocols need to be followed,

communication needs to flow and may

need moderation.

• Quality of deliverables needs to be

monitored.

Fast changing situation • Effective communication is necessary.

• Field parties/clients need to be very

clear in requests. Often tasks are

created based on little available

information.

• Contextualization and specification of

requested support and regular

updates are important. Standardized

products can help.

Task allocation/matching • To ensure timely results are delivered,

sufficient quality, matching tasks may

be necessary.

• Self-selection of complex tasks may be

an option with experienced volunteers,

but first-time volunteers will need

orientation.

No time for onboarding

• Due to the need to deliver results

quickly, there is little to no time for

onboarding new volunteers.

• Deliberately matching new volunteers

to work with experienced volunteers

may be an option for onboarding but

ideally onboarding is done outside of

emergency contexts.

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3.4 Conclusions It is clear that the three components are highly interdependent. For example, one cannot

see the digital workspace separate from the disaster response context in which it is

applied. In addition, volunteers often do not have the same availability as professional

staff and are often less familiar with the practical implications of in field disaster response.

To enable effective communication and collaboration between remote volunteers and the

teams in the field, a professional who speaks both ‘languages’, is needed. We will

elaborate on the role of a digital volunteer coordinator in section 5.2.

4 Volunteer Management Programs: An Analysis For this purpose of this report, several volunteer management programs were analysed

and reviewed against the model outlined above. The models that were covered include

the following:

Within the RCRC:

• The IFRC Surge Information Management System (SIMS)

• Team Öesterreich (Austria)

• Ready2Help (Netherlands)

• The 'Missing Maps' project

• COBACORE (Netherlands)

• 510 data team (Netherlands)

• VIOLA project (Italian Red Cross and EUAV)

• ICCO/EUAV project

The following volunteering models outside the RCRC were also analysed:

• United Nations Volunteers online volunteering programme (UNV Online)

• Digital Humanitarian Network Volunteer Project

4.2 Model Analysis The volunteer models that were analysed for the purpose of this report were reviewed by

the model owners themselves as well as the report team involved in this project. Each

review team was asked to provide their thoughts on each model in line with three criteria,

namely; volunteer motivation, disaster response context and online workspace

requirements. The comments made generally covered the strengths and weaknesses of

the model according to these criteria and are presented in the following sections of this

document. In the following section, the strengths of specific models are discussed and

presented as ‘core ways of working’ when developing a digital volunteering platform. In

the annex of this document, profiles templates for each model have been provided.

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4.3 Core Ways of Working Some models are considered to be significantly well established in one specific model

component across review teams. These specific components are analysed more in depth

to determine what, specifically, can be learned regarding that particular component. Of

note are the following models, per component:

Volunteer Motivation

1. 510

510 Volunteers are highly valued by and fully engaged within the regular team of staff.

They are given freedom to participate in tasks that require their expertise and are

provided with new learning opportunities. The work that volunteers do at 510 is

recognised amongst others in the interaction on the MS Teams platform. Through their

volunteer work, they can apply for jobs at the NLRC as internal candidates. Being part of

the larger Red Cross movement and are aware of their contribution to a good cause.

Volunteers belong to a larger pool of active volunteers and there is a sense of community.

Core ways of working:

• Face to face (social) interaction between staff and volunteers;

• Flexible choice of work assignments for volunteers;

• Offers learning opportunities for volunteers and sometimes access to jobs.

2. UNV Online

UNV online volunteers get an opportunity to develop in depth, one on one relationships

with the organisations they support in other countries. This way the impact of the

volunteer’s contributions becomes clear and the sense of belonging and contributing

increases.


• Chance to agree on (tailormade) work assignments, utilising skills optimally.

• The strong one on one relationship strengthens sense of belonging, purpose and

contribution.

• Offers in depth learning opportunities for volunteers.

Digital Workspace Requirements

1. SIMS

SIMS volunteers are part of the Surge Information Management (SIMS) network of trained

specialists who develop, coordinate and implement information management systems for

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global Red Cross and Red Crescent disaster response operations. Founded by the America

& British Red Cross, MSF and HOT.

This model was designed to work as digital collaboration. Most of the work is conducted

in a digital collaborative space by using different digital communication channels and task

management tools such as Trello and Slack. It is therefore considered to be an excellent

example of digital workspace and digital tooling. One of the challenges of SIMS is it is only

activated at a time of disaster; this means there is less time for onboarding or the

acquisition of new skills. SIMS team members need to have the requisite skills when

joining. This was mentioned as a reason why there is a trend to move away from

volunteers and focus on in-house capacity among staff who can contribute to SIMS.


• Digital off-the-shelf workspace tools such as Slack and Trello make it easy to join a

SIMS activation: only an invitation to tools, a computer and an internet connection

is required;

• A remote coordinator to ensure all tasks are picked up and for quality control;

• Flexible choice of work assignments for team members.

2. Missing Maps

Missing Maps volunteers are set up to work entirely through digital collaboration. Once

have set up an account, one can start mapping. Volunteers choose which mapping

initiative, even which specific tile of the map they contribute to, without intervention of a

coordinator. Experienced mappers validate the contributions of new mappers before they

are incorporated into published maps. Each mapper can decide when and for how long

they contribute. Missing Maps is an interesting model considering that it is based on self-

selection and works without the need for a digital volunteer coordinator (albeit their work

does need validation). The tasks a volunteer performs for missing maps are standardised

and repetitive (mark dwellings and roads), they require few skills to perform successfully.

It is important to note that many Missing Maps initiatives across the national societies

often provide face-to-face training events to motivate new volunteers to sign up. It

therefore remains to be seen whether this model could function without a coordinator

and entirely through digital collaboration.


• In theory no coordinator required for repetitive, simple tasks;

• Quality control done by remote, experienced mappers.

Disaster Response Context

1. Team Öesterreich

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One of the primary strengths of this model is that it reduces emergency response time by

activating neighbours and other people in the immediate vicinity of the emergency,

making it very suitable for responding on site in disaster situations.


• A team of remote coordinators keeps track of the situation and assigns priority on

site tasks to registered individuals;

• Training/onboarding of volunteers done remotely and mostly outside of disaster

emergency situations.

2. 510

This model is very flexible for providing remote support (it can also offer limited on site

support through deployment of IM’s to the disaster site). It provides support to the

international department of the Netherlands Red Cross under SIMS and offers broad

bilateral support to the international department which also includes managing Missing

Maps in the Netherlands. Experienced staff are linked with volunteers creating a flexible

skill pool that can be leveraged for disaster response, reducing the onboarding dilemma

faced for example in SIMS.


• Standing nature of relevant disaster response capacity. Disaster response takes

precedence over the regular work;

• Mix of professional staff and volunteers results in a balanced mix of reliable

professional response capacity with innovation (focus on data driven decision

making). Combined with the above standing nature, this makes the available skill

pool more consistent;

• Onboarding of interested volunteers is done ‘outside of’ or in a ‘measured way’

during disaster situations or can be done in a very measured way during disasters

by matching small, “introductory tasks”.

3. Ready2Help

This is a model that is designed specifically for disaster response through deployment of

available volunteers to affected locations in the Netherlands. It activates particularly fast

because volunteers that live nearest to the location are always called first and, provided

they are available, given directions to the affected location. At the disaster site, a

coordinator is present to provide direction and assign tasks to the volunteers. Mostly the

volunteers are untrained for the tasks they will perform.


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• Experienced volunteers coordinate new volunteers;

• Simple tasks for which no training is required are performed making the skill

requirement of first-time volunteers low;

• Personal call requesting activation of a volunteer facilitates a fast response.

4. SIMS

It is one of the models designed specifically for providing remote assistance to field teams

with information products for disaster response. This model activates quickly and calls on

available volunteers through digital channels across participating national societies. Over

the past year(s) there has been a shift from relying on digital volunteers to relying more

on the capacity available within the organisation.


• Presence of a remote coordinator making sure tasks are responded to quickly and

results meet quality standards;

• SIMS is a temporary mechanism. It is activated at the time of a disaster or crisis

phase and deactivated when it is no longer needed. In times of a protracted crisis

SIMS coordination is handed over from one person or NS to another which can

affect the consistency of the response;

• SIMS is a (limited) specialized service, supporting FACT teams. SIMS successfully

leverages the skills of specialized people. Within the scope of the service it provides

SIMS functions very well. However, there is limited time for onboarding.

5 Practical Implications for DIVOLVE Effectively working with digital volunteers during a disaster response and tapping into

their capacity requires that approaches from the above models are factored into the

DIVOLVE model and that the core ways of working identified through the analysis.

However, it is apparent that there are implications for the collaboration environment,

namely; the digital workspace and that there seems to be a strong need for an digital

volunteer coordinator.

5.1 Digital Workspace Requirements Considering the large volume of work generated at a time of disaster response and the

varying characteristics of the digital volunteer pool involved (location, availability, skills

etc.), collaboration is essential. A digital workspace for supporting disaster response

needs to offer solid features that facilitate effective digital collaboration in a fast-moving

environment. Bringing together the research conducted into different volunteer models

as well as the 3 main components and the requirements of the model described above,

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eight (8) key requirements for an digital volunteer management platform for disaster

response can be highlighted:

1. Task formulation needs to be both clear and flexible. Considering that the

available digital volunteers will change per disaster and that their combined profile

and availability will be different every time, task formulation should be able to adapt

to this. This should not be underestimated, and adds pressure as to how consistent

the requestor in the field formulates the requests for support. The biggest change will

be from formulating Terms of Reference for short to medium term positions to

formulating concrete and concise tasks of different size:

a. Tasks with different skill requirement (skills of digital volunteers likely

vary)

b. Tasks that require different durations to finish (digital volunteers have

different amounts of time available)

c. Tasks that can be completed at different moments (digital volunteers

are available at different moments).

2. Digital volunteers need to have a (simple) competency based profile or track

record that allows an assessment to be made of the skills available in the online

volunteer pool for a specific disaster. This will be enabled focused task formulation

and potentially matching of digital volunteers with specific tasks. This profile should

include information on whether this digital volunteer is already a volunteer or staff

from another national society. A good approach would be to involve volunteers in daily

operations before disasters strike, so that you are aware of their skills when you need

them for emergency operations.

3. Matching of people and tasks can be based in prinicple on self selection but

complex or long running tasks need to be assigned to experienced staff. Partially

to ensure the tasks are executed with the right skill level, but partially also to avoid

that certain tasks remain open or incomplete. The staff member can then split the

work into smaller work packages assigned to remote volunteers.

4. Onboarding is important for digital volunteers to familiarize themselves with

protocols, but the disaster response phase is not the right moment for onboarding.

Onboarding is ideally done before or after a disaster occurs. Regular visits to the office,

if possible, are recommended.

5. Training and e-learning opportunities should be provided outside of disaster

response periods as the disaster response phase is not suitable for on the job learning.

If possible, e-learning in combination with internally facilitated face-2-face events (for

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example in the office) increases effectiveness of the training and commitment of

volunteers.

6. Feedback on impact and performance needs to be provided to the contributing

volunteers. Impact can typically be observed and measured best sometime after the

digital volunteering support has been provided. The envisaged volunteer coordinator

plays an important role in (1) storytelling about the impact to which the remote

volunteers contributed and (2) conducting a client satisfaction survey during and after

the response and feeding these results back to the digital volunteers.

7. Room for (informal) social interaction needs to be provided so that those

volunteers interested in this aspect of their volunteering assignment can participate.

8. Personalized references and/or letters of support should be provided at request.

Based on practical experiences with volunteer engagement elsewhere, on a case by case

basis it should be considered whether:

9. Terms and conditions of service for the protection, liability and accountability of

volunteers are needed. As a matter of principle, the deliverable produced by the

volunteer becomes an RCRC product and as such the RCRC takes responsibility for

what happens next with this product. The individual (digital) volunteer should not be

held individually responsible for any negative effects associated with his or her

contribution. Digital volunteers be asked to sign a volunteer agreement which can

clarify the accountability and insurance issues but also e.g. binding them to

regulations, policies, distribute intellectual property rights etc.

10. It adds value to add the possibility to register organizations in the platform and not

only individuals.

5.2 Management Support in Digital Workspace Considering the platform requirements described above, the need for clarity of tasks and

deliverables, the matching of volunteers with tasks, onboarding, feedback and references,

it is in most situations unrealistic to expect a digital volunteer management platform to

be entirely self-organising. An element of matching and management is necessary,

especially during times of disaster response. As can be seen in several other remote

support models, such as SIMS and 510, having an (digital) volunteer coordinator in place

is standard. Based on the analysis of volunteer models, three basic models have been

identified for a digital volunteer management model for disaster response.

1. A self-organising model for repetitive, standardized tasks - no volunteer

coordinator needed, for example the Missing Maps initiative. This model for

the time being should be considered as an “ideal-type”. It may be possible for

a self-organizing model to pick up some tasks but experience so far shows that

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a coordinator is needed at least for onboarding new volunteers and for

sustaining the volunteer community.

2. A model that functions with a remote coordinator for managing more complex

tasks and maintain contact with the teams in the field. The remote coordinator

is responsible for quality assurance (quality of deliverables, matching of tasks

where needed, timely delivery of tasks), community management (onboarding,

moderation if needed, feedback, impact stories, recognition).

3. A model with an onsite coordinator, if needed combined with a remote

coordinator. An onsite coordinator significantly shortens the gap between the

team in the field and the digital volunteers.

During the first few iterations of digital volunteer support in disaster response situations

it will likely be beneficial to have an onsite digital volunteer coordinator (option 3). This is

because most disaster responders will be unfamiliar with how remote digital volunteers

can effectively support disaster response efforts in the field. The large distances,

communication challenges, the ability of field-based responders to formulate tasks that

are suitable for digital volunteers and the lack of experience among digital volunteers all

play a role in the inefficiencies. The engagement of digital volunteers at the scale of

disaster response situations has not occurred.

The Red Cross, as a case in point, has invested in building inhouse capacity for SIMS in

order to be less dependent on the availability of (digital) volunteers for this mechanism.

Setting up a model for digital volunteer support for disaster response, therefore, goes

against this particular trend and requires additional effort and negotiation to make it

happen. An onsite digital volunteer coordinator can ensure that the required capacity is

available in the field in the short term. The capacity to engage with digital volunteers

during disaster response situations should in the meantime be incorporated into the

training packages for regular surge profiles in field. To bridge that training gap, it is

recommended that a temporary surge profile be developed for digital volunteer

coordination.

Role of Digital Volunteer Coordinator

As described above, a digital volunteer coordinator is considered necessary for anything

outside of repetitive, standardized tasks such as online mapping. The following key

functions were identified for the role of digital volunteer coordinator. No distinction

between in functions should be made between a remote or onsite digital volunteer

coordinator. The identified functions are the following:

1. Responsible for recruiting and onboarding digital volunteers (outside of the

disaster response phase) in a general pool.

2. Know the task-relevant skill levels of each digital volunteer.

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3. For each activation, build a disaster specific digital volunteer team for which

volunteers are drawn from the overall pool of onboarded volunteers.

4. Pivot with the field, especially during disaster response situations: oversee

task formulation (as described above) and quality of deliverables.

5. Ensure matching of the right volunteers to each specific task.

6. Moderate group discussions and interactions between volunteers (if

necessary).

7. Warn or expel digital volunteers from the group if necessary.

8. Ensure impact stories are provided to volunteers.

9. Identify training needs and opportunities for digital volunteers.

10. Provide reference and/or letters of support on request.

Ad-Hoc Versus Long Term Volunteer Coordinators

The nature of disasters means that volunteers are only necessary for a short period of

very intense work and collaboration followed by periods of down time. The experience of

Ready2Help model, for example, highlights that in order to maintain a digital volunteer

community for repeated involvement in disaster response, one must keep volunteers

engaged. When volunteers experience longer periods of ‘down time’ and are not engaged,

they start to disassociate from the management model and the community. Therefore, it

is important to dedicate the periods in between natural disasters to community building

and maintenance of systems, documentation and finally to onboarding and training. The

above described functional profile of a volunteer coordinator includes these tasks that

are best performed before and after natural disasters strike. A viable model could be to

engage digital volunteers on a continuous basis in ongoing projects and then “repurpose”

them during times of disaster response.

When setting up a digital volunteer management model it is recommended to invest in at

least a 2-year (volunteer) position to get the model up and running and to then, after this

2-year period, carry out reviews on the position. The role that started out as ‘volunteer

model creator’ will transform to a ‘volunteer coordinator’ who will ensure (1) continuous

recruitment of new digital volunteers, (2) onboarding, partially face-to-face, and (3) linking

remote volunteers with disaster situations based on their skills.

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Figure 3. Pattern for Volunteer Coordination in Disaster Response Context

5.3 Integration with Current Disaster Response Mechanisms in RCRC The RCRC organisation has existing mechanisms that activate in the case of a disaster,

most importantly the SIMS mechanism. It is imperative to link the proposed digital

volunteer model with the SIMS mechanism and to avoid setting up parallel systems. The

flowchart below shows how the digital volunteering model fits in the current SIMS

mechanism. The expectation is that the digital volunteering model proposed in this

document offers an expansion of the products and services currently provided by SIMS

through involving a broad range of volunteers with varying skill sets. To ensure effective

cooperation it is important that the volunteers are familiarized with the operational

modalities of RCRC disaster response well before they start contributing.

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Figure 4. SIMS Activation Flow

The figure below describes the process that would take place once the decision to involve

volunteers has been made. In short after receiving an activation request the existing pool

of pre-registered volunteers will be approached to see who is available. Based on the

availability a pool capacity profile can be produced. This will indicate to the people in the

field and to the volunteer coordinator what specific capacities are available and what tasks

can be prepared for the remote volunteers.

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Figure 5. Coordination of Volunteers in a Digital Environment

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Annex A: Standardised Analysis of Volunteering Models

READY2HELP VOLUNTEER MODEL General

Characteristics

Volunteering

Model/Initiative

Name

Ready2Help

Organisation Red Cross Netherlands

Country of Origin The Netherlands

General Information

(website/contact

information)

www.ready2help.nl

Twitter @Ready2Help_NL

Facebook @Ready2HelpNederland

Sector(s) and

Intended End Users

The focus of the organization is on local aid. The objective is to

provide professional institutions with a community volunteer

network that is proximate and rapidly deployable in case of an

emergency.

Volunteer

Involvement

There are over 40,000 volunteers which are registered with

Ready2Help. The intention is to attract people or want to help

but do not want to become a classic volunteer. Ready2Help

volunteers are regarded as ‘helpers’ and do not have to sign a

volunteer agreement.

Operational

Characteristics

Volunteer

Community

Management

Volunteer Recruitment:

Recruitment is done through an online platform and, once

registered, the volunteer receives a confirmation email.

Volunteer Management:

Volunteer management for Ready2Help is centralised in The

Hague. A group of regular Red Cross volunteers received

training to become a Team Leader with the organisation. For

most deployments, a Team Leader of Ready2Help

coordinates the deployed helpers at a location. In some

cases, the partner organisation will take care of coordination

during deployment without the presence of a Team Leader.

Work Packaging Size of Work Package:

Work packages are created as way of assisting in the work of

permanent members of staff in emergency situations. Each

package has a number of criteria:

http://www.ready2help.nl/

https://twitter.com/Ready2Help_NL

https://www.facebook.com/Ready2HelpNederland/

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- Work package exceeds the capacity of permanent staff

but does not interfere with professional aid activities.

- The work is suitable to be carried out by a ‘regular

citizen’.

- Supports a crisis situation in The Netherlands or online

disaster relief.

- In line with the 7 fundamental principles of the Red

Cross.

- Does justice to preferences of Ready2Help helpers.

Packages are generally small and can be completed within a

couple of hours. Flexibility of Work:

There is no obligation to volunteer and depends entirely on

the availability of the helper. Volunteers are contacted and

availability is noted.

Quality Control System:

The Ready2Help Team leaders are coordinated by a Red Cross

district and are responsible for quality control on location and

feedback during deployment. After deployment, volunteers

are debriefed and thanked for their efforts in the field.

Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):

No skills are required but the request for the deployment of

specific skills that are needed can be mentioned. These may

be special skills in languages, IT, physical condition or a first

aid diploma. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:

Heterogenous. The skill set required of a volunteer depends

on the situation into which the volunteer is being deployed.

These can be wide ranging. Community Motivation and Engagement:

Several times a year, the volunteers receive a newsletter

(maximum of 4 per year as stated in the disclaimer on the

registration page). On social media (Facebook and Twitter)

postings on activities and trainings are made. Volunteers are

made a part of the community by wearing white vests with the

Red Cross and Ready2Help logos on them during deployment.

Training:

Training of helpers depends on the situation that the

volunteer is working in. Training is provided in cases where

needed.

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Rewards System:

N/A

Branding and Marketing Activities:

The organisation has a website which can be found at:

https://www.rodekruis.nl/hulp-in-nederland/ready2help/

In the past, Ready2Help has partly been branded as an

independent brand and department but with a clear link to the

Red Cross brand. Going forward, Ready2Help will become a

component of the Red Cross, focusing primarily on volunteer

recruitment and management, and will match volunteers with

partner organisations when necessary.

Digital Tooling

(including security

and data

responsibility):

Tools Used:

Ready2Help does not engage in digital volunteering. A digital

platform is used for the online enrolment of volunteers and

iTel Alerts or emails are used for mobilising volunteers.

Data Responsibility:

The gather personal data is restricted to a minimum and

stored in the same secure location as the personal data from

the Red Cross Netherlands and its employees.

Financial

Characteristics

Cost and Profit:

Ready2Help was funded by several donations from the

Ministry of Justice and Safety, Red Cross fund and other

partnerships aside from the budget provided from the Red

Cross itself. It has been, and remains, a challenge to find

structural funding for the network. Remuneration for Volunteers:

No remuneration for Ready2Help volunteers. Ready2Help

project leaders are Red Cross volunteers that receive

refunding for travel costs. In some cases, exceptions have

been made where the partner organisation rewards

volunteers for their work. Activity Specific Funding:

Funding for the model is moving towards activity specific

funding. Learning

Opportunities and

Sustainability:

Model Recommendations:

1. Volunteer recruitment is far easier during a visible crisis

with a clear task to achieve through volunteer support.

Indeed, during the refugee crisis in 2015, volunteers

through Ready2Help increased six-fold with very little

cost to the organisation.

https://www.rodekruis.nl/hulp-in-nederland/ready2help/

21

2. Generally, on 1-2% of the registered volunteers are

deployed yearly. This has an impact on volunteer

engagement.

3. Working with Ready2Helpers demands flexibility from

the Team Leader. People do not always show up or

need to leave early. Quality of Results:

Team Leaders control the quality of the helpers during

deployment.

Coordination Required:

Team Leaders are required in order to manage the volunteers

during deployment. These leaders also serve as a node

between partner organisations and the volunteers

themselves.

22

TEAM OESTERREICH VOLUNTEER MODEL General

Characteristics

Volunteering

Model/Initiative

Name

Team Oesterreich Digital Initiative

Organisation Initiative of the Red Cross Austria and Hitradio O3.

Country of Origin Austria

General Information

(website/contact

information)

www.teamoesterreich.at

Sector(s) and

Intended End Users

Local aid; assist professional organisations in Austria with fast,

deployable resources. Local aid included disasters

management and response, food help to the local community,

assistance with missing persons, lifesaving assistance by first

responders.

Volunteer

Involvement

There are currently 50,000 volunteers registered with Team

Oesterreich. Volunteers need to own a smart phone and

download the Team Oesterreich Lifesaver app. Volunteers are

mobilized from the app.

Operational

Characteristics

Volunteer

Community

Management


Both volunteer types are recruited by brand awareness

campaigns in the media, especially supported by Hit Radio O3.

Website links are provided where volunteers can sign up.

Volunteers are recorded in a database and can indicate

whether they would like to be contacted for field work or

simply remain a digital volunteer through the app. Team

Oesterreich differentiates between ‘Classic’ volunteers which

are field volunteers and ‘Digital’ volunteers.

Team Oesterreich ‘Classic’: Volunteers are recorded in a

database and specify which skills they have. The registration

with the organisation is without obligations. When needed, the

authorities request assistance from Team Oesterreich and

volunteers are mobilised accordingly via text message, phone

call or email. This recruitment process is primarily done for

field volunteers.

Volunteer Management

http://www.teamoesterreich.at/

23

Team Oesterreich ‘Classic’: When necessary, contact with the

volunteers are made and the volunteers is asked for their

availability. If available, the volunteer is registered and reports

to the specified manager. The rest of the volunteer

management is done through the Red Cross. The Red Cross

provides the volunteer with information about their work

packages, the length of time they are needed, the location and

their person of contact. Each volunteer also received a disaster

relief course from the Red Cross to be prepared for the event

and each volunteer is provided insurance coverage.

Team Oesterreich Digital: The Bundeskommando exists of

the three managers in Vienna who manage the

Redaktionsteam which consists of 15 trained persons spread

throughout the country. The management team decides the

questions applicable for digital volunteers and a work flow is

identified. Volunteers are not actively managed, they are

alerted by message when digital tasks are available for

completion.


Team Oesterreich ‘Classic’: Work packages for field

volunteers may take a number of hours or a couple of days

depending on what the volunteer agrees with the organization

on mobilization.

Team Oesterreich Digital: Volunteers help with important

digital microtasks that help the emergency services during, for

example, a heat wave to better assess the situation and help

more purposefully. The work packages are generally small, can

be completed in a number of minutes and as simple as

answering a question ‘What is the temperature on the floor of

your house?’ or taking a picture of the snow in your local

vicinity. Flexibility of Work:

Very flexible.

Team Oesterreich ‘Classic’: Field volunteers also do not have

obligations but if contacted and agree to work, they are

managed by the Red Cross and given work packages to

complete according to their indicated availability.

Digital Volunteers: Digital volunteers are mobilized during an

emergency through mobile notifications and only complete

the micro work packages if they log into the website. There is

24

no obligation with this work and should only take a digital

volunteer a couple of minutes to complete.


Volunteers need to have a first responder certificate (obtained

after 16-hour course) and this is checked before a volunteer is

mobilised. Feedback mechanisms are planned for information

on completed missions. This is planned to be in the form of

anecdotal stories or blog posts about the work the

organisation does. Contact information is kept up to date by

sending annual messages asking for updated information. If

contact cannot be made, postal reminders are sent. The digital

app facilitates this data keeping.


Low skills, only requirement seems to be a first aid responder

certificate. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:

Heterogenous. Volunteers can complete work packages online

but also in the form of field work. This necessarily requires

different skills but not necessarily with higher skill levels.

Community Motivation and Engagement:

Team Oesterreich doesn’t intend to build a volunteer

community but rather a workforce. The Red Cross refers to

Team Oesterreich as a ‘sleeper’ workforce.

Training:

First responders are given a 16-hour training session which

needs to be updated every 2 years. Classic volunteers are

given disaster training by the Red Cross when a disaster

situation arises in order to ensure skill levels are up to

standard.

Rewards System:

N/A


Team Oesterreich is marketed through Hit Radio O3. This is

used as the primary recruitment mechanism for the

organisation.

Digital Tooling

(including security

and data

responsibility):

Tools Used:

The organisation uses the Lifesaver app as a means of

registering volunteers and keeping their information up to

date. Text messages, phone calls and emails are used to get

into contact with volunteers when field responses are

25

required. The web app is used by digital volunteers to carry

out their microtasks and work packages.


Financial

Characteristics

Cost and Profit:

Team Oesterreich’s cooperation with Hit Radio O3 is without

financial exchange; each part provides the cost for its own

activities. The radio station provides publicity and in return has

access to a human story around disasters and accidents. The

Red Cross Austria finances the activities of Team Oesterreich

out of its own budget. Remuneration for Volunteers:

Volunteers do not get any financial remuneration for their

time or for any expenses they incur. Activity Specific Funding:

The development of the Lifesaver App is paid for by the Red

Cross Austria. The nationally founded project received a grant

from the EU and the first version was made by students in a

pilot version.

Learning

Opportunities and

Sustainability:


Team Oesterreich has the vision that online and offline

volunteering models are convergent and that the online

environment can be used to mobilise offline resources. The

development of platforms which support this is key to the

success of the organisation.

One of the key recommendations from this model is to ensure

that volunteers feel recognised in their willingness to help. A

volunteer application should not be left unacknowledged if

volunteer engagement is to be maintained. Similarly,

mechanisms of ongoing engagement should be instituted to

ensure that volunteers remain active.

Quality of Results:

The outputs from the Digital volunteers are controlled by a

management team of 15 employees. Work packages are

created by this team and the outputs are randomly checked

for their quality. Quality of results for Classic volunteers are

not managed by Team Oesterreich; this is managed by the Red

Cross Austria.


Attention needs to be paid to how volunteers are mobilized

and directed so as to best distribute resources. Team

26

Oesterreich has a strength in this regard because it can

manage the mobilization of resources according to the

database and get into contact with the volunteers rather than

simply relying on volunteers to report to emergency sites.

Although no remuneration is offered in this model, the

organization does recognize the need to consider the

movement of volunteer resources, particularly when

resources are not located in a disaster area.

27

DIGITAL HUMANITARIAN NETWORK VOLUNTEER MODEL General

Characteristics

Volunteering

Model/Initiative

Name

Digital Humanitarian Network

Organisation Digital Humanitarian Network

Country of Origin N/A

General Information

(website/contact

information)

Website: http://digitalhumanitarians.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Digihums (dormant)

Sector(s) and

Intended End Users

Their diverse skillsets and large selection of products benefit

both humanitarian agencies and people affected by natural

disasters and conflicts

Volunteer

Involvement

DHN is a coordination body and do not recruit/manage

volunteers themselves. Volunteers are registered with

partners, each of which is specialised in specific technology

(e.g. GIS, app development etc.)

Operational

Characteristics

Volunteer

Community

Management


N/A (Coordination Only)




N/A (Coordination Only) Flexibility of Work:





Each partner organization is specialized in certain technology.

Volunteers are expected to be specialists in those

technologies. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills

Heterogenous.

Community Motivation and Engagement


Training

http://digitalhumanitarians.com/

https://twitter.com/Digihums

28


Rewards System


Branding and Marketing Activities


Digital Tooling

(including security

and data

responsibility):

Tools Used:


DHN enforces no guidelines of their own. DHN encourages

the member organisations to adopt some sort of standards

and guidelines which includes the ICRC Professional

Standards and Guidelines for Managing Sensitive Protection

Information.

Financial

Characteristics

Cost and Profit:

N/A Remuneration for Volunteers:

N/A Activity Specific Funding:

N/A

Learning

Opportunities and

Sustainability:


Below is an excerpt from the lessons-learned workshop held

by UN-OCHA with humanitarian entities, which DHN was a

part of:

• "Volunteer Management is a key issue involving the

treatment, tasking and recognition of volunteers”

• “Collaboration with the V&TCs* requires a sustained

dialogue (both during and outside an emergency)

and acceptance of the use of non-standard

[organisation] tools”

• “When volunteers respond, [the coordination body]

must to be prepared for an 'around the clock’

response effort from these volunteers”

• “We will not get everything right quickly, but rather

we need to improve over time. There are several

thematic Communities of Interest that need to be

advanced”

*Volunteers & Technical Communities

Quality of Results:

29


DHN currently has three coordinators who are responsible for

liaising with V&TCs to form a solution team upon receipt of

activation requests.

30

UNV ONLINE VOLUNTEERING VOLUNTEER MODEL General

Characteristics

Volunteering

Model/Initiative Name

United Nations Volunteer Online Volunteering

Organisation The United Nations Volunteer Programme - UNV.

Country of Origin UNV HQ is located in Bonn Germany, but it is part of the UN

and thus cannot be categorized as originally from a specific

country.

General Information

(website/contact

information)

Web: www.onlinevolunteering.org

Email: [email protected]

Sector(s) and Intended

End Users

Non-profit organisations that are officially registered with the

appropriate government authorities and active in the field of

sustainable human development.

Volunteer Involvement Volunteer vacancies are communicated through the online

platform. Organizations and volunteers register and are

connected through the UNV platform.

Operational

Characteristics


Variable depending on the organization posting a vacancy.

But generally the work tasks are meant to be short and

relatively small in scope. Flexibility of Work:

Also differs per vacancy. The work to be done online generally

does offer flexible working hours.


The quality of the work collaboration is assessed by the

organization posting the vacancy and the volunteer can also

rate the organization.


Projects require volunteers to be sufficiently

skilled/experienced to carry out the assigned tasks. Because

projects are fixed-term commitments, volunteers are

expected to deliver the services/results in accordance with the

agreed schedule. Homogenous/Heterogeneous Skills:

Heterogeneous.

http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/

mailto:[email protected]

31

Volunteer Community

Management


Volunteers are recruited online through the platform where

volunteers apply for a project. Each opportunity published is

reviewed by UNV.


UNV does not actively manage volunteers; the role of the

organisation is to facilitate the recruitment of volunteers.


Commitment and engagement of volunteers is based entirely

on satisfaction of volunteers and the connection that they feel

with the organisation or the cause they work with.

Training:

Some guidance material is made available to organizations

using the platform, to enhance their success in engaging and

managing volunteers.

Rewards System:

A certificate of appreciation issued through the platform.

Additionally, other forms of recognition are encouraged by

UNV such as putting names of volunteers on the final version

of their product, feature them on the organisation's website.


Mainly through the website and social media accounts such

as Facebook.

Digital Tooling

(including security and

data responsibility):

Tools Used:

UNV platform website facilitates the connection between the

organisation and the volunteer. Other tools used are specific

for the project and what the organization can provide the

volunteer with to do his/her job.


For more information on privacy policy of UNV:

https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/privacy-policy

Financial

Characteristics

Cost and Profit:

N/A Remuneration for Volunteers:

None Activity Specific Funding:

N/A

Learning

Opportunities and

Sustainability:


Online volunteering works best when the work is task-based.

Maximum task length is currently at 52 weeks but will be

https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/privacy-policy

32

changed to 6 months and designated as mainly part-time for

online volunteers.

Lessons Learned:

• A platform can be established relatively quickly.

However, building up the user community is what

takes a long time in the beginning stage.

• It is important to make the experience of the

volunteer and organisation as much as possible a

learning journey.

• When providing guiding materials to volunteers and

organisations, it is important to implement visual

means instead of providing long texts. This applies

both to online and regular volunteering.

Quality of Results:

A feedback form is completed by both the volunteer and the

coordinator at the end of the volunteer assignment. If one

side expresses unhappiness with the quality of the

interaction the UNV investigates.


Coordination of the volunteer is done by the organisation

providing the task.

33

MISSING MAPS VOLUNTEER MODEL General

Characteristics

Volunteering

Model/Initiative Name

Missing Maps Initiative

Organisation Missing Maps is an international humanitarian mapping

initiative.

Country of Origin Founded by the American & British Red Cross, MSF, and HOT.

General Information

(website/contact

information)

Web: www.missingmaps.org

Contact Daniel Kersbergen: [email protected] - NLRC

Sector(s) and Intended

End Users

The primary intended sector is humanitarian. The beneficiaries

are those communities that will be better targeted and helped

through humanitarian assistance.

Volunteer Involvement Through the webpage the volunteers can support a missing

maps initiative task online. Occasionally, volunteers can

participate through an organized Mapathon activity that brings a

large group of volunteers together to do the mapping in a

specific location with a group of people.

Operational

Characteristics


Relatively small mapping tasks but numerous tasks per project.

Dividing the map in a raster allows many people to work

simultaneously on the same project. Volunteers can choose to

do more tasks if they want to, in order to help complete the

mapping project faster. Flexibility of Work:

Can be done remotely at anytime and anywhere by volunteers,

or locally organized during a Mapathon.


The quality of the work varies and depends on the skill of the

volunteer. Validators are required to verify the accuracy and

correctness of mapping that was done.


Varying levels of skills are required depending on the role of the

volunteer inside the platform and the complexity of the mapping

project. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:

34

Tasks are mainly homogenous, mapping of structures or a

specific feature is generally repetitive.

Volunteer Community

Management


The mapping tasks are placed on an online platform (HOT

Tasking Manager). More urgent tasks are additionally shared

through Facebook, Twitter and Email to expand volunteer reach.


There is no fixed pool of volunteers. There is a mailing list

however to contact the people who have previously been

involved in Mapathons for example.


In the past there was newsletter (might be restarted soon). Now

mainly they reach out to mapping volunteers through a contact

list.

Training:

Training is provided online with video tutorials. During

Mapathons on site, local organizers can provide some coaching

and more direct instruction as to what is needed.

Rewards System:

• The Map Swipe app has levels it uses to show the user

what he has achieved.

• No other reward systems are in place for the rest of the

Missing Maps volunteer mappers.

• User statics of mapping tasks are often used for

feedback. Mapathons specifically provide this type of

statistics to the participants and highlight their

accomplishment of the day.


Some branding is available; there are logos and stickers for the

Missing Maps initiative. There was also a newsletter in the past,

which may be revamped in the near future. There are Dutch and

International webpages for advertising Mapathon activities.

Digital Tooling

(including security and

data responsibility):

Tools Used:

• Map Swipe: This is an app for mobile devices developed

specifically to assist Missing Maps projects in their

preliminary selection phase.

• HOT tasking manager is the principal site that packages

the specific mapping tasks as advertised on Missing Maps

website. The users can read what they need to do and

start mapping a specific area.

35

• iD Editor (Editing interface): part of OSM, partially

developed by HOT community (volunteers). It is browser

based and it is the preferred tool within the tasking

manager for editing the map.

• JOSM (Editing interface): java based mainly used for

validating, as it has more capabilities and the software

runs locally. It can also therefore work offline, which is

useful for field purposes.


In order to edit Open Street Map data, you must create an

account. Metadata is stored regarding the editing that is done

per user. For more information on privacy policy see:

https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy#Data_from_

contributions_to_OpenStreetMap

Financial

Characteristics

Cost and Profit:

Costs are incurred in regard to the functioning of the hardware

for OSM, which the Missing Maps model utilizes. Direct costs are

associated to the upkeep of tools and servers, which is paid by

the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT). As it is for

humanitarian purposes there is no profit generated with these

activities. Remuneration for Volunteers:

No remuneration. Activity Specific Funding:

In the case of NLRC, there is funding made available mainly to

organize Mapathons, often funded/sponsored by Geo

companies and Universities per activity.

Learning

Opportunities and

Sustainability:


• N LRC has seen a high success rate in smaller size

disasters due to a strong mapper community in the

Netherlands. When they get notified, they react quite

quickly. A lot of the volunteer mappers have some kind

of mapping background (geoinformation/GIS) from their

own work.

• When there is a direct disaster event, it is easy to get

mappers to map from home, by activating them through

twitter and social media channels.

Lessons Learned:

• In the case of NLRC, a positive trend in seen with people

that participated in earlier Mapathon events, which tend

https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy#Data_from_contributions_to_OpenStreetMap

https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy#Data_from_contributions_to_OpenStreetMap

36

to facilitate their participation on missing maps project

tasks online.

• It is important to compartmentalize the work packing. To

have clear tasks and descriptions of the work. If possible,

also to split up a large into smaller ones to avoid task

abandonment on the Missing Maps projects.

Quality of Results:

Validators check the quality of the mapping submitted by users

of the platform.


The tasking manager tool is used to track the progress of the

mapping tasks. No active coordination takes place for online

work, for Mapathon events coordination is required to guide the

users.

37

SIMS VOLUNTEER MODEL General

Characteristics

Volunteering

Model/Initiative

Name

Surge Information Management Support - SIMS

Organisation It is a Global network for Red Cross Societies to request

support.

Country of Origin Founded by the American & British Red Cross, with support

from IFRC.

General Information

(website/contact

information)

Web: rcrcsims.org

Sector(s) and

Intended End Users

The primary intended sector is humanitarian response. The

beneficiaries are those communities that can be assisted with

better and accurate information at hand.

Volunteer

Involvement

Permanent Red Cross staff are assigned to collaborate on this

network. Additional non-staff volunteers are involved to add

flexible capacity in terms of time and skills for delivering small

tasks (as is the case in NLRC).

Operational

Characteristics


Variable size of work tasks. The type of tasks that are common

when there is activation are: Mapping tasks, data cleaning,

data analysis, and digitalizing surveys. Flexibility of Work:

Online and distance collaboration by different National

Societies responding to an activation. The organisation of the

work is decentralized and therefore also flexible. However,

there are time constraints when information is needed

urgently.


The quality of the work is generally guaranteed as it is

primarily delivered by Red Cross National Societies.


There are varying levels of skills are required depending on the

information request task. Homogenous/Heterogeneous Skills:

38

Heterogeneous as there are varying types of tasks with

different levels of skills.

Volunteer

Community

Management


RC staff are mainly responsible for recruitment. They may

delegate some less complex tasks to volunteers who are

already linked to that specific RC, depending on availability.

There is no public vacancy style platform.


When volunteers are engaged, a person is assigned the task of

‘gate keeper’ and participates in the SIMS work coordination.

This member may delegate tasks to volunteers under their

supervision. However, there is no formal model for volunteer

management.


For the different NS staff members involved in the SIMS model,

weekly conference calls are normal. The platform used for

communicating and knowledge management is SLACK and is

used to talk about activation and relevant topics like GIS

(Geographical Information Systems) and other system

requirements.

Training:

N/A

Rewards System:

N/A.


N/A.

Digital Tooling

(including security

and data

responsibility):

Tools Used:

• Communication via SLACK

• Task management/coordination of an activation is

done via TRELLO

• File Management via DROPBOX or GOOGLE DRIVE.


According to RC procedures.

Financial

Characteristics

Cost and Profit:

There is no formal financing for the SIMS network model. Each

member in the Network finances their own activities. Remuneration for Volunteers:

N/A. Activity Specific Funding:

N/A.

39

Learning

Opportunities and

Sustainability:


Having a global network makes it easier to perform around the

clock and play with the time differences. If people go to sleep

in Indonesia, people in Europe and America can easily work on

products, when people awake in Indonesia, the products are

ready.

Lessons Learned:

To work as an online network that needs to deliver quickly and

effectively in disaster response, it’s important to build the

network around key persons that trust and know each other

well.

Quality of Results:

A quality control is currently under development. Guidelines

are been developed to determine feedback to each member

and also to formalize working methods to avoid common

mistakes in work that is delivered.


There are gate keepers or intermediaries from NLRC in the

SIMS model. These are persons within the network that

manage volunteer work as part of task assigned in SIMS.

40

COBACORE VOLUNTEER MODEL General

Characteristics

Volunteering

Model/Initiative

Name

Community Based Comprehensive Recovery - COBACORE

Organisation The COBACORE project is leading the development of an

innovative approach to community-based comprehensive

recovery and is grounded in a holistic, community-based

approach.

Country of Origin EU Project. The consortium consisted of the following

partners Netherlands Red Cross (Netherlands), TNO

(Netherlands), Tilburg University (Netherlands), German Red

Cross (Germany), IFRC (Switzerland), Future Analytics

Consulting (Ireland), Integrasys S.A. (Spain), Spatialest

(Ireland), Ulster University (UK).

General Information

(website/contact

information)

Web: www.cobacore.eu

Technical Coordinator - Martijn de Neef (TNO)

Sector(s) and

Intended End Users

Disaster affected communities in northern Europe are thus

considered the main users and beneficiaries of this model and

its corresponding platform.

Volunteer

Involvement

The COBACORE platform acts like a citizens’ marketplace for

disaster/crisis response matching needs of people affected

with other people in the same community that have resources

and skills to help.

Operational

Characteristics

Work Packaging Size of Work Packaging:

There is a variable size in the work packages. Tasks vary

depending on the need of the community in a post-disaster

situation. Flexibility of Work:

Depends on the urgency of the task. Generally, people are

requested on site to help.


The quality of the work may vary depending on the capacities

of the community volunteers providing assistance.


http://www.cobacore.eu/

41

The skills required vary and the skills available also vary

depending on the type of user. This also depends on the type

of help that is needed by the community members asking for

help and from those community volunteers and relief workers

able to provide it. Homogenous/Heterogeneous Skills:

Heterogeneous.

Volunteer

Community

Management


No traditional recruitment. The COBACORE platform acts like

a citizens’ marketplace for disaster/crisis response matching

needs of people affected with other people in the same

community that have resources and skills to help.


Volunteers are not managed.


N/A.

Training:

User instructions are available online on how to use the

COBACORE platform.

Rewards System:

N/A.


N/A.

Digital Tooling

(including security

and data

responsibility):

Tools Used:

The COBACORE platform itself is the main digital tool used.


N/A.

Financial

Characteristics

Cost and Profit:

EU-funded research project. No funding for implementation

phase (yet). Remuneration for Volunteers:

No. Activity Specific Funding:

N/A.

Learning

Opportunities and

Sustainability:


N/A

Lessons Learned:

42

When citizens don’t feel heard by the professionals, they will

try to organize themselves. Individual citizens are faster,

more agile and are structurally underestimated.

Quality of Results:

N/A.


The COBACORE system functions more as a facilitator.

43

510 DATA TEAM VOLUNTEER MODEL General

Characteristics

Volunteering

Model/Initiative

Name

510 Data Team

Organisation 510 is an initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross

Country of Origin The Netherlands

General Information

(website/contact

information)

www.510.global

Sector(s) and

Intended End Users

The intention of the initiative is to shape the future of

humanitarian aid by converting data into understanding and

put it in the hands of humanitarian relief workers, decision

makers and people affected to improve the preparedness of

teams in the event of disasters and crises.

Volunteer

Involvement

The organisation works with staff, volunteers and students.

Volunteers increase the capacity of the 510 data team.

Volunteerism is part of 510’s strategy and core values and

became the most important source of recruitment for the

team. 510 believes that working with volunteers allows them

to have a team that is both very diverse and highly skilled. The

aim of the model is to recruit all paid staff from this talented

pool of volunteers.

Operational

Characteristics

Volunteer

Community

Management


Volunteers are recruited through the 510 websites where the

vacancies for projects are posted. Team members are also

encouraged to work on talent scouting.

510 also works with corporate volunteers. Our partners skilled

employees help 510 achieve its purpose through research,

development or implementation of 510's categories, products

or services. 510 recruits from partners who have a common

vision on moving 510's purpose forward. Before working

together an MOU is created, tasks and goals are aligned and,

“sprints” are created to achieve these in an agile manner with

the employees that have the appropriate skills.


http://www.510.global/

44

Volunteers within 510 are assigned to a project and managed

by the project lead which is a member of staff. There is a

member of staff which is also primarily focused on the

management of volunteers. The essential components of

volunteer management for this model include; assigning tasks

to the volunteers that are not critical in time or deadline,

making sure the onboarding process is clear, a tasking system

which allows for self-selecting tasks by the team, working in an

environment that offers a strong sense of team and has a

clearly defined strategy for all to work towards.


Volunteers can be deployed at all kind of tasks within

projects. Within several initiatives, several types of

volunteering can be categorized:

• Some volunteers come every week a day and have a

look what they can do that day, mostly microtasks that

have a quick result, like data collection or data

verification. These are also mostly more technical

tasks

• Some volunteers come every week and work alone or

in a team on the same good defined task, for example

data collection for one country.

• Some volunteers assign to an overall task that will last

6,8 or 12 weeks, within a regular 510 project. The goal

is to always have short tasks. In this case, a big task

(that will take 6 – 12 weeks to finish) will be broken

down into many smaller tasks that will be completed

by the same volunteer(s).

The 510 data team divides the type of work in the following

work packages:

• Data collection

• Data integration

• Data visualisation

• Data literacy

• Data analysis

• Data management

• Data sharing Flexibility of Work:

45

The aim of the model is to divide projects into well-defined

tasks so all members of the 510 team can assign themselves

to a task. Working at 510 goes beyond traditional job

descriptions and is based on the matching of current task

requirements with the availability of hands and knowledge.

Volunteers are, therefore, free to define their role according to

these tasks and to their availability.


The project leader is responsible for the quality control of the

work produced by the volunteer.


The volunteers needed for the 510 data team are mostly digital

experts and developers. Volunteer roles include; data analysts,

GIS-experts and data visualisation experts. For the collection

of data which feeds into the data team, volunteers with any

skill level are required. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:

Heterogenous. The type of skills required for the team depend

on the type of work that is being done. While most volunteers

are qualified digital experts, this is not a hard requirement for

the data team as data collection activities do not necessarily

need a high level of skill.


In order to ensure volunteers are motivated, appreciated and

engaged, the 510 model emphasises the importance of

feedback and communication between the volunteers and

their project leads in particular during the onboarding period.

It is also stressed that it is necessary to ensure that there is a

balance between boring and attractive tasks. Teambuilding

activities also include online and offline social ventures such

as the presence of a chit-chat channel in MS Teams as well as

daily stand up meetings, lunch presentations and social team

activities; all of which volunteers are welcome to join as they

are available. It is important to note that onboarding takes

place over a longer period of time. Volunteers have effectively

already been onboarded and are ready to go when a disaster

occurs.

Training:

No specific training is required; however, volunteers may

differ in their level of data literacy and may need training.

Rewards System:

46

Volunteer management is aware of the benefits of ‘soft’

rewards. These include being appreciated as a person and for

their work. Volunteers are often happy to contribute to doing

something worthwhile.


510 is part of the legal entity of the NLRC. It has its own brand,

and both the brand of NLRC and 510 are used wherever they

are most effective to attract volunteers. There are separate

brands for some of the internal models such as SIMS, Missing

Maps and Mapswipe.

Digital Tooling

(including security

and data

responsibility):

Tools Used:

Central to the assignment of tasks to volunteers is the digital

hub for teams provided by Microsoft Teams. Each project has

its own channel with Teams where project members share

their communication, files and tasks.


510 has a Data Responsibility policy where it defines data

responsibility as ‘the responsible usage of data (including

collection, storage, processing and dissemination) with

respect to ethical standards in the humanitarian context,

bearing in mind potential consequences and taking measures

to avoid putting individuals and communities at risk’. For every

new project, a checklist of potential risks is identified, and

measures are discussed to mitigate these risks.

Financial

Characteristics

Cost and Profit:

510 has a cost-recovery model. Each national society that

requests services from 510 is asked to include the service

delivery costs in the budget. Netherlands Red Cross provides

a core funding, to create flexibility in the team for volunteer

costs, operational efficiency and strategic decision making.

Remuneration for Volunteers:

Volunteers receive reimbursement for travel costs, and this is

financed by 510’s core budget. Activity Specific Funding:

1. Innovation funding is applied for, that is used to create

new products and services. This is partly public funding

and partly internal NLRC funding.

2. Products and services are integrated in humanitarian

program funding, to deliver the innovation output into

the humanitarian operations of multiple national societies

(not just NLRC)

47

3. Remote support to Emergency operations are funded

through Dutch government block grant and campaign

funding, usually through NLRC, but also through other NS

or IFRC.

4. Core funding is used to manage the core functions of

510, including volunteer management, legal, marketing,

communication, office, volunteer costs, training, etc. Learning

Opportunities and

Sustainability:


Deployment of Volunteers

• Good discipline in definition of tasking

• Give volunteer opportunity to choose a task

• Collaboration tool with conversation integrated within

an assigned task

Focus on Data & Digital

• Build a data team

• Find data champions

• Develop a proposition / business case for NS

management

• Free up data champion for minimum 1 year

• Recruit volunteers and students

• Connect to existing projects and networks – SIMS,

Missing Maps, 510 projects

• Be useful, build visibility, grow buy-in, learn and share

• Use the media and networks to reach out to data

experts

Branding

• Create brand, identity and team culture

• Connect to internal projects, contribute to proposal

writing

• Start small data projects with your NS (cost-recovered)

• Recruit more volunteers, students, 1 extra staff?

• Implement the blueprint for data teams, learn from

others

• Embed in at least one multi-year project with

substantial funding

• Grow, build, accelerate

Quality of Results:

48

Working entirely with remote volunteers was not a successful

model for the 510 data team. Volunteers are now required to

report to the office at least one day a week.

510 experimented with remote volunteers but it was not

successful, due to lack of engagement, lack of ownership and

understanding of the priorities of 510. Volunteer

management would have to be much more intensive to work

with out-of-office volunteers.


Volunteers management requires that one member of staff is

overseeing the management of all volunteers working in the

organisation to ensure onboarding and coordination is

standardised. Additionally, project leaders are responsible for

managing the quality of the work being produced by the

volunteers within specific projects.

In the case of a SIMS activation, the emergency response

coordinator coordinates the remote support tasks for staff

and volunteers.

49

ICCO/EUAV VOLUNTEER MODEL General

Characteristics

Volunteering

Model/Initiative

Name

EUAV Acting Against Disaster Risk

Organisation European Union Aid Volunteers

Country of Origin European Union, 26 countries are involved.

General Information

(website/contact

information)

https://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/eu-aid-

volunteers_en

Sector(s) and

Intended

Beneficiaries

Five countries are the intended beneficiaries, namely; Ethiopia,

Uganda, Nepal, Bangladesh and Cambodia.

Volunteer

Involvement

Volunteers are involved both through an online platform and,

albeit in a smaller capacity, on the ground in the 5 countries of

focus.

Operational

Characteristics

Volunteer

Community

Management


The EUAV platform for recruitment of volunteers is

compulsory. This platform makes available the processes and

expectations of volunteers.


The platform makes available to the volunteers the what is

expected of them and what tasks are required to be

completed in a given location. There is an onsite volunteer

manager who works closely with local counterparts to

understand what information is required and how it will be

used. Each online volunteer is linked with an onsite volunteer

in order to support fluid communication. The request for work

is put on the EU website and within a week a volunteer is

recruited for the task following qualification checks.


There is a long-term view when it comes to work packages. The

packages are generally carried out over several months. They

also tend to be very broad and limited in their detail. Flexibility of Work:

Not very flexible.

https://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/eu-aid-volunteers_en

https://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/eu-aid-volunteers_en

50

Quality Control Online volunteer and onsite volunteer are in communication

and both are certified. This is integrated into the EUAV

platform. Following task completion, a certification of skills is

presented to the relevant volunteer.


High skill levels. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:

Heterogenous as it depends on the task needing completion.

The breadth of the work packages requires a number of

different skills.


There is a certification for volunteers by the EU after the

assignment has been completed.

Rewards System:

ICCO discussed with the University of Wageningen if online

volunteering tasks could add to university credits. This is still

under negotiation.


General EUAV branding. Little marketing activities.

Digital Tooling

(including security

and data

responsibility):

Tools Used:

EUAV platform is the primary tool used in this model.

Financial

Characteristics

Remuneration for Volunteers:

Standard EUAV pay, no remuneration for online volunteers.

Learning

Opportunities and

Sustainability:


For ICCO, the biggest advantage of this model is that there is

an option ot have an onsite support volunteer which

coordinates and is in contact with any online volunteers that

are recruited. Per onsite volunteer, there is a possibility of 1 or

2 online volunteers but usually only 1 is used.

Use creativity in setting up the model. Current models are not

always the best practice versions of an online volunteering

model.

Quality of Results:

51

Outputs are controlled by the onsite volunteer. It is

recommended that each onsite volunteer has at least 1 online

volunteer as this keeps costs low and field activities up to date.


Although the online platform helps to keep volunteers up to

date with task requirements, process and expectations, online

volunteers require an onsite coordinator to be available and in

contact with local counterparts in order to facilitate smooth

communication. This is cost intensive depending on task

requirements.

52

Annex B: Workspace Requirements – Technical Details Equipment and Other Basic Requirements

1. Internet connection

Fast enough for holding conference calls, up/downloading a large amount of data (e.g.

satellite photos) etc.

2. Computer

Volunteers are expected to:

• Use their own computers or digital devices, which must fulfil the minimum spec to

run applications to undertake tasks;

• Use a monitor(s) of a reasonable size and resolution to carry out the work;

• Admin access to the machine so applications can be installed as required.

3. Space

Volunteers are expected to work in the environment which is suited to carry out a job in

general (tranquility, enough lighting, safety, access to electricity and necessary facilities).

Privacy

For some tasks, volunteers may need to pay special attention to privacy. Under such

circumstances, volunteers are urged to consider the following:

1. Space

• The workspace is shared with people whom the volunteers can fully trust, and

confidentiality is guaranteed;

• If the volunteers don’t have access to such an environment, there must be

sufficient distance between the volunteers and strangers so the information on

the screen cannot be read by them, or conversations are not overheard.

2. Internet

In some cases, volunteers may be asked to use a VPN. They must ensure the VPN service

is a trustworthy one and not use a free VPN service.

Security

1. Space

• Volunteers should work in a space where their equipment can remain safe;

• If external memory storages are used (e.g. USB key, external drives etc.) the devices

/ the data on the devices must be encrypted.

53

2. Network

• Use of public Wi-Fi is not allowed unless a reliable VPN is used to secure the

connection;

• When using wi-fi, the connection must be secured by WPA/WPA2 (or

equivalent) with a long password that is not easily guessable and withstands

dictionary attacks.

• No physical access to the router by unauthorised personnel (routers usually

have passphrase / URL + ID & ID & password for the router config console

printed on it).

3. Computer

• The computer must ask for the password when using any of the accounts on

the machine. The password must be reasonably long and secure;

• Antivirus with up-to-date definitions should be installed;

• Security updates to the operating system and all installed applications must be

installed as soon as possible after their release;

• Automatic password lock after inactive for x minutes;

• Application firewall should be enabled;

• HDD / SSD must be encrypted;

• It should not be configured in such a way that others on the same network are

able to freely access the data on / login to your machine without your granting

their access explicitly.

Refer to 510’s Data Responsibility Policy for details on how data should be used, handled

and managed in a responsible manner: https://www.510.global/data-responsibility-v2-2/

https://www.510.global/data-responsibility-v2-2/

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