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Handbook for UN Volunteers, Programme Officers and Managers

August 2011

United Nations VolunteersUN Campus, PO Box 260 111, 53153 Bonn, Germany

www.unvolunteers.org

Assessing The ConTribuTion of VolunTeering To DeVelopmenT

A Participatory Methodology


United Nations Volunteers

Evaluation Unit

August 2011

AssEssiNg ThE CoNTribUTioN of VolUNTEEriNg To DEVElopmENT



The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN Organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UN Volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity.

UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Assessing the Contribution of Volunteering to Development: A Participatory MethodologyCopyright © United Nations Volunteers, 2011This document was produced by theEvaluation Unit (EU) of United Nations Volunteers.Copies are available online and in print in English.United Nations VolunteersPostfach 260 111D-53153 Bonn, GermanyTel: +49-228-815 2000Fax: +49-228-815 2001Email: [email protected]: http://www.unvolunteers.org



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Foreword

Dear colleagues,It is with great pleasure that I am sharing with you the handbook on the Methodology for Assessing the Contribution of Volunteering to Development. It is the result of a joint effort with the International FORUM on Development Service, a network of organizations engaged in international volunteering and personnel exchange. The handbook provides development and volunteering practitioners with practical approaches and tools to generate evidence on the contribution of volunteering, thereby supporting accountability and learning. It consists of this handbook plus a CD-ROM with practical tools that facilitate the application of the methodology.

The methodology was piloted in twelve countries in 2006. Representatives from a range of national and international volunteering organizations took part along with a broad range of stakeholders including beneficiaries, partner organizations, government, and national employees of international agencies. The participatory assessment methodology that evolved over the course of those pilots forms the basis of this handbook. It is complemented by the experience gained and additional tools UNV developed during “Volunteerism for Development Results workshops” in 2008.

UNV wants to thank the many people and organizations that have contributed to developing this handbook:

• All volunteers in the field, community members, partners, stakeholders, UNV Field Units and headquarters staff who contributed their time and participated in the processes leading to this handbook;

• The Centre for International Development and Training (CIDT) and the consultants Patricia Daniel, Sarah French and Ella King who designed and coordinated the pilot study and wrote the first version of the handbook;

• UNDP Country Offices that were very helpful in supporting the logistics of the workshops; • FORUM members who participated in the pilot study: the Australian Volunteer Initiative, Carrefour Canadien

International, the Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, Skillshare International and the Voluntary Service Overseas;

• The UNDP Evaluation Office that provided advice during critical stages of the development of the Methodology; • Antonella Mancini and Rosalind David who developed complementary methods and tools for the UNV

‘Volunteerism for Development Results workshops’, and who facilitated those workshops together with Natalia Ortiz. Special thanks goes to Antonella Mancini who put together the current version of the handbook by editing and revising the original draft and by writing Section Three of this handbook, and to Anum Murtaza of UNV Online Volunteering services for the graphic design of the handbook.

• The UNV Evaluation Unit: Edmund Bengtsson and Robert Toé, former Evaluation Unit staff, who started this work; and Katrin von der Mosel, Caspar Merkle and Ana Cristina Guimaraes Matos who have ensured its finalization.

We hope that many UN Volunteers and Volunteer Involving Organizations around the world will use this handbook, be inspired by it, and adapt the methods and tools to the needs of their own organizations and environment. We wish you all success with this and look forward to receiving your comments on the experiences you have at: [email protected]. Ultimately, we hope that the handbook will help to showcase the contribution volunteering makes to development.

Best Regards,

Flavia Pansieri

Flavia PansieriExecutive Coordinator

United Nations Volunteers



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CoNTeNTS PREFACE ..................................................................................................................................................................................3INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................................................7SECTION ONE: KEY CONCEPTS ........................................................................................................................................7SECTION TWO: THE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY ..............................................................................................18 PLACeMeNT LeVeL ASSeSSMeNT PArTICIPATorY worKSHoP .........................................................................................21 Exercise A: Sharing Stories ............................................................................................................................................24 Exercise B: Reviewing and ranking the volunteer’s key activities and outputs ................................................25 Exercise C: The outcomes of the contribution of volunteering .............................................................................27 Exercise D: The volunteer’s overall contribution to higher level development goals ......................................29 Exercise E: SWOT Analysis ........................................................................................................................................... 30 Exercise F: Key Lessons and Recommendations .....................................................................................................31

ProGrAMMe LeVeL ASSeSSMeNT PArTICIPATorY worKSHoP ..................................................................................... 32 Exercise A: Sharing of Key Findings and Lessons from the Placement Level Workshops ......................... 35 Exercise B: The Contribution of Volunteering to Development Goals ...............................................................36 Exercise C: The Contribution of Volunteering to Development Goals – Group Feedback ..........................37 Exercise D: The Volunteer as a Catalyst for Change ..............................................................................................38 Exercise E: Factors supporting and hindering change .......................................................................................... 39 Exercise F: Key Lessons and Recommendations .................................................................................................... 40

INTer-orGANIZATIoNAL worKSHoP ...............................................................................................................................................................43 Exercise A: Sharing experiences, key findings and lessons ................................................................................ 44 Exercise B: Group discussion....................................................................................................................................... 45 Exercise C: Stakeholder perceptions and interests in volunteering ...................................................................46 Exercise D: Key Lessons and Recommendations ....................................................................................................47

SECTION THREE: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AND TOOLS ....................................................................................48 VoLUNTeerISM For deVeLoPMeNT reSULTS worKSHoP ................................................................................................... 50 Tool 1: Volunteer Self Reflection ...................................................................................................................................51 Tool 2: Reflection for partners attending a workshop..............................................................................................52 Tool 3: Exploring our understanding of volunteerism for development ............................................................. 53 Tool 4: The Results Tree ................................................................................................................................................. 54 Tool 5: Group analysis of key achievements, challenges and lessons ...............................................................56 Tool 6: Assessing the volunteers contribution to organizational/corporate goals ...........................................57 Tool 7: Results Matrix ...................................................................................................................................................... 58 Tool 8: External Feedback ............................................................................................................................................. 59 Tool 9: Developing a vision for our future work – generating recommendations ........................................... 60 Tool 10: Tips for workshop note takers .......................................................................................................................61

APPENDICES ..........................................................................................................................................................................62APPENDIX 1: GUIDE TO CD MATERIALS ......................................................................................................................63APPENDIX 2: GLOSSARY ..................................................................................................................................................65APPENDIX 3: ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................................66APPENDIX 4: SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................67



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INTrodUCTIoNThe handbook aims to support International Volunteering Organizations to ask six basic questions and use the answers to inform the work that they do and the decisions they take:

1. What contribution does volunteering make to development? What are the key results? 2. How does volunteering achieve these results? 3. What factors help or hinder the volunteering contribution?4. What is the added value of volunteering? 5. How is volunteering perceived by other stakeholders and partner organizations, both national and international?6. What lessons can be learned from volunteering and how can they be used to enhance development planning?

By answering these questions, the assessment also provides an opportunity for volunteers to share experiences amongst themselves and to systematically reflect on the contributions they have made. In this sense the handbook benefits both the Volunteering Organization and the individual volunteer.

The fundamental principle underlying the assessment approach in this h handbook is that it should be a bottom-up process, which draws on the experiences and perceptions of volunteers themselves, their partners and the intended beneficiaries of volunteering placements and programmes. The methodology does not intend to produce an impact assessment, but rather to promote an analysis of results and contributions of volunteering to short and long-term development goals. It provides opportunities for volunteers and their stakeholders to engage in a variety of ways. This includes:

• Primary beneficiaries to be included in the process: their voice can illuminate the contributions and changes observed as well as help to inform policy

• Individual volunteers to gain wider recognition of their work and to see their contribution to the bigger picture• Stakeholders and volunteers to reflect on the wider changes brought about through working in partnership with

others • UNV Programme Officers to see the cumulative contribution of volunteer work at national level and where

programme changes might be made• Lesson learning to be shared within and between volunteering organizations and with a range of partners • Promoting awareness about volunteering and its role in development

The methodology draws on a body of existing participatory methods and approaches. References and sources of methods that provided inspiration are acknowledged with thanks in the appendices at the back of this h handbook. The list of key people and organizations involved in the pilot workshops can also be found in the appendices.

Who should use this handbook and how?This h handbook is primarily designed for internal use in ongoing volunteer programmes where volunteers are posted for approximately two years. Many of the approaches and methods included in the h handbook can be adapted and used in other contexts. For example:

• For placement assessment by the country programme officer in cases where a volunteer has left early or has particular difficulties

• For ex-post assessment by the host organization and beneficiaries to reflect on longer term changes and their contribution to development

• As a basis for, or as part of, an external evaluation• For ongoing monitoring and learning purposes



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Good facilitation is keyThe workshops and exercises in this h handbook will require good facilitation. Facilitation can be placed in the hands of one person or a team, depending on the size of the group. A skilled facilitator may be a colleague or a volunteer from within your host organization, or a colleague from a national/international volunteer organization. Alternatively, you may decide to involve an external facilitator.

How the handbook is set outThe handbook is set out in three sections:

section 1: Key concepts This section introduces some of the key concepts underpinning the Methodology:

• Volunteerism for development• Types of volunteers and volunteering• The Logical Framework Approach• Gender• The broader context of our work: national goals and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

section 2: The Assessment methodologyThis section outlines the participatory assessment methodology developed and tested by UNV in twelve countries. The Methodology comprises a series of participatory workshops at different levels in a two-year cycle:

1. Placement Level2. Programme Level3. National Inter-Organizational Level

section 3: Additional approaches and toolsThis section gives an overview of the results workshop methodology developed by UNV and sets out the various tools used over the course of the workshops.

AppendicesThis includes a guide to the additional materials, reading and handout sheets on the accompanying Compact Disc (CD), a glossary, a list of acronyms, a selected bibliography that serves also as list of additional recommended reading and resources, and acknowledgements.

A word about jargon!We have tried to minimize the amount of jargon used in this handbook. However, there are standard monitoring and evaluation terms that we feel you should know about. You will no doubt have come across them in your work. There are also a number of terms that are used by UNV, as this was the context in which the Methodology was developed and tested. As you gradually familiarize yourself with the handbook and undertake your own assessment processes these terms will become self-evident. We also have a glossary at the back of this handbook that you can refer to at any time. Feel free to adapt the language to your organization’s needs.

And finally...We hope the ideas and processes in this handbook will stimulate your own thinking and ideas on how to assess the contribution of volunteering to development, and that you will feel encouraged experimenting with and adapting the frameworks, methods and tools to suit your own organizational systems and work context. Don’t worry about “getting it right”. It’s a learning process for all of us. We only get better by giving it a go. We do however encourage you to send us feedback on your experience using the ideas and methods in this guide and to share your own ideas as well.

Please send your feedback to the UNV Evaluation Unit: [email protected].



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SeCTIoN oNe: KeY CoNCePTSIntroductionIt is helpful to start by examining some of the key concepts that underpin the Methodology for Assessing the Contribution of Volunteering to Development. These are:

• Volunteerism for development• Types of volunteers• The Logical Framework Approach• Triangulation • Gender• The broader context of our work: national development goals and MDGs

Who should read this section?• The facilitator(s) – as part of their orientation process and to help them prepare for the workshops • The country programme officers/managers – as part of the induction/orientation on the methodology with

volunteers and partners• Volunteers – as part of the preparation for the workshops to ensure they are familiar with the basic concepts



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Volunteerism for development

“At the heart of volunteerism are the ideals of service and solidarity and the belief that together we can make the world better.”

Kofi Annan, UN Secretary-General

Volunteerism is both an opportunity and an asset for development. It represents a tremendous resource for addressing many of the development challenges of our times and it has the potential to significantly promote broad-based national ownership, gender equality, inclusive participation and sustainability. Volunteerism is increasingly seen as an essential ingredient in supporting peace and development and in achieving the MDGs.

How does UNV define volunteerism?Volunteerism includes civic action and work that is carried out freely and without coercion, where financial gain is not the main motivating principle, and where there are other beneficiaries beyond the volunteer. There are different forms of volunteerism, and some key aspects include mutual or self-help, philanthropy or service to others, participation and advocacy or campaigning. For the purposes of this Methodology, the UNV definition of volunteerism is used.

Volunteerism is a broad concept, while volunteering refers to the actual activities carried out by volunteers.

How do volunteers define volunteerism?Volunteers and their partners helped to define the key characteristics of volunteering from their own experience. The most essential characteristics include:

Figure 1.1: How volunteers define volunteering

• Le volontariat est bénéficiaire par une attitude positive et c’est cela qui amène le changement positif. Il faut se rappeler que la plupart des bénéficiaires n’ont pas été à l’école et ils ont de la difficulté à accepter l’innovation. Le seul moyen d’amener quelqu’un au changement, c’est de vivre avec lui dans le milieu. Association Malienne pour la Promotion des Jeunes (CCI Partner organisation), Mali.

Volunteering is a positive attitude that brings about positive change. One must remember that most benefi-ciaries did not attend school and have difficulties accepting change and innovation. The only way to make them understand the benefits of change is by living with them and sharing their life in the community. Malian Association for Youth Promotion (CCI partner organization), Mali

• El voluntario tiene un gran valor agregado siendo un ser humano dotado de las siguientes características e inculcado en siguientes valores: una vocación, una vida de servicio, actitud y espíritu de voluntariado, y buscar “ser útil”. Bolivia National Workshop, UNV.

A volunteer adds great value and, as human being, has the following characteristics: a vocation, a life of service, volunteering attitude and spirit, and quest for being useful. Bolivia National Workshop, UNV.

• 72% of people feel that volunteering offers something that could never be provided by paid professionals. Volunteering Ireland, 2006.

Neutrality

Volunteering

PassionSelf sufficiency

InnovationCommitted

Professional

Multinational

Highly skilled

Intrinsicmotivation

Fosteringparticipation

Agents ofchange

Technicalknowledge

Valuing indigenousknowledge

Adapting to localcircumstances



9KEY CONCEPTS

Types of Volunteers and Volunteering

It is important to remember that the term ‘volunteer’ can be used to denote a number of different people in different circumstances. Similarly, ‘volunteering’ takes different forms and meanings in different settings.

Let us first talk about the concept of ‘volunteering’. It is strongly influenced by the history, politics, religion and culture of a region. What may be seen as volunteering in one country may be dismissed as low paid or labour intensive work in another. And yet, despite the wide variety of understandings, it is possible to identify some core characteristics of what constitutes a voluntary activity.

There are three key defining characteristics of volunteering. First the activity should not be undertaken primarily for financial reward. Second, the activity should be undertaken voluntarily, according to an individual’s own free-will. And third, the activity should be of benefit to someone other than the volunteer him or herself, or to society at large.

Within this broad conceptual framework it is possible to identify at least four different types of volunteer activities: mutual aid or self-help; philanthropy or service to others; participation or civic engagement; and advocacy or campaigning. The form each type takes and the balance or mix between different types differs markedly from country to country.

The promotion of volunteering or civil society self-help implies the mobilization of individual citizens in local activities for which they receive no direct financial gain whatsoever.

International volunteers are mostly deployed by internationally operating volunteer involving organizations. Some of these organizations, like UNV, also deploy national volunteers.

Some developing countries may have their own national volunteer schemes, which have different terms and conditions.

In peacekeeping missions, international volunteers may be recruited to carry out very specific tasks (e.g. piloting aircraft, air traffic control), which do not necessarily include work with a wider group of stakeholders.

Traditional volunteeringIt is also important to remember that all communities are likely to have a tradition of self-help. This will not be known as ‘volunteering’ but have a local term. For example, in Mali, it is called ‘solidarity’ and includes activities such as:

• Helping each other at harvest time • Loans in times of need• Conflict resolution • Discipline of children in the community

Often conflict or emergency situations have led to a breakdown of traditional social capital, but volunteering has been shown to help revitalize this:

• “El voluntariado puede rescatar valores que se creían muertos”, Guatemala Pilot study report.“Volunteering can rescue values that were believed dead”, Guatemala Pilot study report.



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The Logical Framework Analysis (LFA) Approach

The participatory assessment methodology we are presenting in this handbook builds on the Logical Framework Analysis approach (LFA). LFA or logframes are used worldwide by national and international agencies for planning and evaluation of development activities. This can be at the organization, programme or project level. International volunteering organizations are more and more commonly using the LFA, in line with the methodologies and requirements of their donor agencies.

LFA looks like a table (or framework) and aims to present information about the key components of a project in a clear, concise, logical and systematic way.

The framework includes:

• What the project should achieve, from the level of overall goal down to specific objectives• The performance questions/indicators that will be used to monitor progress• How the indicators will be monitored or how the data will be collected• The assumptions behind the logic of how activities will eventually contribute to the goal• The associated risks

The advantages of using the LFA include the following:

• LFA provides a handy summary to inform project staff, donors, beneficiaries and other stakeholders, which can be referred to throughout the lifecycle of the project/programme

• The LFA aims to link individual activities with longer-term impact and to show direct and indirect cause and effect• Using the same kind of approach and the same terms makes it easier to:

o locate volunteering within the wider development framework o discuss the longer-term contribution of volunteering with partners and donors

The disadvantages of using the LFA are that:

• It uses jargon and is not immediately user-friendly• It is not possible to neatly encapsulate the whole of human experience into boxes• It assumes that all project contingencies can be foreseen from the start, and that there will be a predictable,

linear, logical progression from activities to outputs to purpose to goal• It can lead to a rigidly controlled project design that becomes disconnected with field realities and changing

situations• Very few logical frameworks are done with beneficiaries. They are often done on behalf of communities.

However, if done well, LFA can be successfully used at the grassroots level by parents, volunteers, community leaders and civil society organizations in participatory workshops to develop a shared vision for implementing agreed plans. Many of the tools and methods included in this handbook can be adapted to facilitate a more participatory process for LFA.

Although the logical framework includes several levels up to impact, this methodology is NOT intended to measure the impact of volunteering. This would be inappropriate, as in general the work of volunteers is not enough to generate impact on its own. Rather, we look at how volunteering contributes to short and long-term development goals.

The Logical Framework for Volunteering for DevelopmentOn the next page we provide a generic logical framework that describes how volunteering can contribute to short and long-term development goals. It was developed by volunteers during the pilot study. This ‘logframe’ is intended to serve as a basis for discussion and programme development.



11KEY CONCEPTS

Table 1.1: A GENERIC LOGICAL FRAMEWORK FOR VOLUNTEERING FOR DEVELOPMENT

LEVEL OBJECTIVES

This is the higher level impact to which all development workers hope to contribute to but which they do not have control over

GOALE.g. Contribution to the Millennium Development Goals in selected sectors or across sectors(e.g. gender equality, governance)

This is the longer-term contribution of the country programme - the cumulative impact of volunteering

PURPOSEE.g. Contribution to National Development Goals in selected sectors or across sectors(e.g. gender equality, governance)

These are the wider changes that come about through activities in partnership with others

OUTCOMES

Changes might include:• Changes in people’s lives e.g. economic, cultural, spiritual,

personal, social, psychological• Shifts in gender & power relations • Changes in attitudes, ideas, awareness or behaviour• Group, community, organizational or institutional change,

e.g. changes in practice, behaviours, priorities, resources or systems

• Ongoing participation, commitment and support of a wide range of stakeholders

• Development of self-sufficiency/self-reliance among primary beneficiaries

• Development of open dialogue and trust between civil society and government

• Changes in attitude about the value of volunteering • Empowerment of women and recognition of women’s

contributions• Organizations strengthened• Enhanced service delivery• New systems embedded (e.g. in government programmes)• Pilot projects scaled up• Awareness raised about social and economic issues and pro-

poor policies• Reduction of conflict

These are the direct concrete results of what you do

OUTPUTS

• No. of women/men/youths etc. trained• Systems strengthened and/or set up• No. of partnerships developed• No. of schools built• No. of documents published

This is what you do ACTIVITIES

• Capacity building• Technical advice• Mobilization• Networking • Advocacy• Research

The following table describes what changes the various stakeholders of a volunteer assignment hope to see.



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Table 1.2: WHAT CHANGES DO WE HOPE TO SEE? 1

STAKEHOLDERS CHANGES

Volunteer

Personal and Social change E.g. Cross-cultural understandingE.g. Valuing traditional knowledgeE.g. Development of skillsE.g. Commitment to global education

Host organization

Attitudes and approachE.g. Remarkable change of attitude among technicians (less top-down instructions and more participatory approach)

Organizational developmentE.g. Change in working practices and culture

Community members/Civil Society

Self helpE.g. New ideas for partnership for local development plans are emerging among community associationsE.g. New attitude of self-reliance and change of mentality whereby village groups are no longer waiting for UNV to resolve problems encountered

InclusionE.g. Participation and public role of women in inter-village land management committees has increased

Local NGOs SkillsE.g. Project planning especially among women’s groups is now much better due to capacity reinforcement

Local governmentRelationshipsE.g. Greater trust and recognition between civil society and elected officials

Private sector

Public-private sector partnershipsE.g. Commitment to provide training in computing skills for a village school

Responsibilities and PrioritiesE.g. Drug company keeps pricing low for antiretroviral drugs

MediaCommunicationsE.g. Local radio programmes are promoting health education

National government

Attitudes, Priorities and Institutional DevelopmentE.g. Commitment to developing an enabling environment for civil society involvement in development (legislative framework)E.g. Recognition of national and local volunteering as means to develop solutions E.g. Valuing and building on traditional forms of voluntary service E.g. Taking stock of competences and needs of local volunteers E.g. Recognizing the huge voluntary contribution made by women, especially in local health initiativesE.g. Setting up of national volunteer corps

International partner organizations

Attitudes and approachE.g. Mainstreaming volunteering into programmesE.g. Greater recognition of the added value of volunteering for development

DonorsCommitmentE.g. Recognition and additional support for volunteering

The public in-country

Relationships, awareness and commitmentE.g. Motivation to participate in developmentE.g. Feeling connected to the wider world

1 Changes identified by volunteers.



13KEY CONCEPTS

Triangulation

Pulling together an overall analysis from the assessment process will require you to cross-check the information and findings with your stakeholders. You need to constantly take into account the different contexts and sources of information. This will help to ensure the findings and results are robust and reliable. Monitoring and evaluation practitioners sometimes refer to this process as triangulation.

Of key importance are the rich insights and lessons that can be drawn from these processes at the different levels. The key findings and lessons should be feeding into strategic planning decisions and help improve projects and future programmes. Remember also to give feedback on decisions and findings to your stakeholders. Use whatever means are locally available, including notice boards, meetings etc. to provide feedback on project decisions in local languages.

Box 1.1: Suggested further reading and resources

On CD:

Part 4 of the CD: Key Concepts• Looking at Outputs• Looking at Outcomes

Part 7 of the CD: Volunteerism for Development Results workshops• UNV results workshop generic methodology and process note

Part 8 of the CD: Additional reading• OECD Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management• Results-Based management - Concept and Methodology



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Gender

What do we mean by gender? Gender refers to the set of roles and characteristics that different cultures and social groups prescribe for women, men, girls and boys. While sex is a biological trait usually defined by a person’s reproductive organs, gender is a culturally determined phenomenon that can change over time and across cultures.

There is considerable variation on gender roles from culture to culture but usually men’s perceived roles are valued and rewarded more than those seen as women’s. Gender roles are also influenced by other factors such as class, caste, race, disability, age etc.

Why is consideration of gender important to us?

‘(Gender mainstreaming is) the process of assessing the implications for women and men of any planned action, including legislation, policies or programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making women’s as well as men’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and

evaluation of all policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that women and men benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve gender equality’.

(ECOSOC 1997/2)

Many scholars and practitioners have recognized that the status of women and girls in any society is one of the best indicators of economic, social and political development. Nevertheless, there is no country in the world that can claim to have achieved equality between men and women. While there are strong connections between poverty and gender inequality—approximately 70% of the world’s poor are women—women’s discrimination and subordination is experienced across all social classes and cultures to different degrees.

There is a strongly gendered element to volunteerism, since traditionally a high proportion of the unpaid work that supports a community has been carried out by women. In addition, the positive effects of volunteerism can be very empowering for women in particular, providing access to social networks, new skills, and an influential role in the community for individuals who may otherwise have few formal routes to education or influence. One of UNV’s central missions is the attempt to achieve recognition for the voluntary work that women are already doing, and which is often disregarded or undervalued. UNV’s projects can often have a positive effect in this regard by channelling and externally validating the voluntary activity, which is already going on2.

However, during programming volunteers do need to consider the risks of adding to the existing loads of unpaid work, which are already carried by many women. If volunteerism is to justify adding to this load of unpaid work, and taking away from the time available to women to undertake paid work, it will need to bring very clear benefits to the volunteer. Every project should, at the analysis stage, carry out an analysis of how volunteering will impact on gendered roles, and make it explicit how the project will ensure that the benefits are great enough to compensate for the time spent on volunteering. Gender needs to be integrated into all volunteering placements, projects and programmes and considered at each stage of the assessment process undertaken with this methodology. When taking into consideration issues of gender, we need to remember we are talking about men and women.

2 Gender Mainstreaming in UNV. Alexandra Norrish. June 2006.



15KEY CONCEPTS

Example questions to ask about women’s participation and gender: � How and in what way did women, men, girls and boys participate in our assessment processes whose voices

and perspectives got heard? � Did we create the best possible conditions for the participation and active involvement of women? � Did we provide women only spaces that were organized and facilitated by women? � Is our work helping to raise awareness amongst women and men about gender inequality? � Who is benefiting from our different activities and how (men, women, girls & boys)? � What have been some of the unexpected (both positive and negative) results of our different activities on

men, women, girls and boys? (Here you might want to consider issues of work load etc.) � How many women’s groups/associations have been formed? � How and in what way has our work contributed to changes in gender attitudes, roles, relationships and

behaviours? � Is our work helping to increase the capacity and confidence of women to have control over their own lives and

decision-making? � Is gender taken into account in the way we plan, analyze, review and report about our work? � Is our work helping to promote equal participation? � What lessons are we drawing from our work that will help to promote and contribute towards gender

equality?

HOW VOLUNTEERISM CONTRIBUTES TO GENDER EQUALITYCombating female genital mutilation in sudan

UNV’s unique approach to combating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) capitalizes on volunteerism and local community action. By involving males and youth in peer education, engaging midwives and mothers in sexual education, working with schools to raise the awareness of children, reaching families of pupils through public events, and by generating innovative information materials, UNV and community volunteers were able to challenge this issue from a community perspective.

Volunteerism enabled communities to generate their own solutions to development challenges, thus complementing the work of governments and development partners, including civil society organizations. This has led to enhanced openness to consider the collective abandonment of the practice.

In 2007, UNV contributed to the development of the National Strategy for the Abandonment of All Types of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and launched an abandonment campaign. Working closely with UNFPA, the Ahfad University for Women and other stakeholders, UNV engaged local volunteers to tackle FGM related issues from within their own communities. It was the holistic approach of interventions that contributed to the success of the joint initiatives.

To ensure sustainability, UNV and partners supported the creation of a new non-governmental organization comprising the community volunteers it mobilized. The scheme is being replicated elsewhere in Sudan and expanded to include new partners.



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On CD:

Part 4 of the CD: Key Concepts• Contribution to gender equality and critique

The Broader Context of our Work: National Development Goals and MDGs

Increasingly development organizations including Volunteer Involving Organizations (VIOs) are aligning their strategies and actions in support of much higher-level development goals and strategies, both at national and international level. The rationale being that projects alone will not affect longer-term change and sustainable development, but that working in synergy with others is more likely to produce significant changes for people living in poverty.

National Development GoalsThere is much greater recognition by the aid community than before that development strategies need to support country priorities, national ownership and the priorities of the poor. Many volunteer programmes are now aligned with the national development goals of the countries where they operate. This is in line with the current practice of donors and other development agencies.

Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)In many countries the national development goals are to be found in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The World Bank and the IMF initiated the PRSP concept in 1999. The idea was for low-income countries to formulate a national strategy for reducing poverty, which describes the country’s development objectives, the programmes that have to be introduced to achieve these objectives, and the funding required implementing them. By establishing their own Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), countries obtain access to debt relief and other financial support from the International Finance Institutions (IFIs) and other donors.

United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF)The United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) is the strategic programme framework for the UN Country Team (UNCT), which is composed of the operational UN agencies on the ground. It describes the collective response of this team to the priorities in the national development framework. Its high level expected results are called UNDAF outcomes. These show where the UNCT can bring its unique comparative advantages to bear in advocacy, capacity development, policy advice and programming for the achievement of MDG related national priorities.

Millennium Development Goals

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) constitute the foundation of the mission of UNV of supporting sustainable human development through volunteerism, including the mobilization of volunteers. At the heart of the UNV approach is the conviction that voluntary action by millions of people in programme countries and elsewhere is a vastly under-recognized and under-utilized resource that needs to be strategically engaged if the challenge of

attaining the MDGs is to be successful. UNV, 2006.

The Millennium Development Goals and targets have been developed as follow-up to the Millennium Declaration, which was signed by 189 countries, including 147 heads of state and government, in September 2000. The MDGs are interrelated and should be seen together. They represent a partnership between the developed countries and the developing countries “to create an environment – at the national and global levels alike – which is conducive to development and the elimination of poverty”.

Democracy, governance and peace-building as well as humanitarian relief and recovery underpin the achievement of the MDGs.



17KEY CONCEPTS

The cumulative contribution of volunteeringThe purpose of including the MDGs in the assessment methodology is to enable volunteers and partners to look in general terms at how they make a contribution in the wider context of international development targets. This is not about trying to attribute changes to individual volunteers, projects or programmes, but attempting to look at the cumulative contribution of volunteering within the broader context of ongoing development processes.

While it is useful for volunteers to have a copy of the MDGs for reference, we do not recommend getting caught up in the details. One problem with the MDGs is that the targets are very much based on quantitative rather than qualitative data. (A detailed copy of the MDGs can be found on the CD.)

What may be more relevant to assessing the wider contribution of volunteering are the Values and Principles of the MDGs (these can also be found on the CD), which are much more in tune with the development of social capital and with the volunteering ethos.


On CD:

Part 5 of the CD: The Broader Context of our work• National Development Goal – Mali Example• Example chart of the contribution of volunteering to Cambodia’s National Goals• Aggregation Chart from Kenya: Volunteering contribution to the MDGs• The value and principles of the Millennium Declaration• MDG summary table PDF

Other resources from the internet (not from the CD)• http://poverty.worldbank.org/prsp/• http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

HOW VOLUNTEERISM CONTRIBUTES TO ACHIEVING THE MDGSspreading nutritional knowledge in brazil

UNV and its partners in Brazil are harnessing school volunteers to raise awareness of nutrition and MDG1: ‘Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger’.

The ‘I learn, I teach’ programme, which is undertaken in cooperation with the NGO Conexão - Serviço de Integração Social aims at disseminating and implementing the MDGs. It involves groups of around five volunteer pupils and their teachers from 10 schools in Carapicuíba city. These groups are trained on awareness-raising techniques and go out into their communities to spread knowledge.

Women are the main target group of the information campaigns as they are often responsible for the purchase and preparation of food, whether for their families or as school cooks etc. Furthermore, the majority of volunteers – both students and teachers – are female.

The strategy has developed local self-esteem and trained people to improve their own situation, says UN Volunteer Alessandra Preto who has been running the project since 2007.

Research on local concepts of nutrition was key to ensuring the ‘I learn, I teach’ project addressed the community’s needs. (UNV)



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SeCTIoN Two: THe ASSeSSMeNT MeTHodoLoGYThe ‘Methodology for Assessing the Contribution of Volunteering to Development’ comprises a series of participatory workshops at different levels to collect data about the contribution of volunteering to development. This section introduces you to main methods and exercises used in the Methodology.

1. Placement level assessment workshops2. Programme level assessment workshops3. Inter-organizational assessment workshops

How to use this sectionThe example workshop schedules and workshop exercises presented in this section aim to support volunteers and their key stakeholders in analyzing their achievements, challenges and lessons and in assessing how their work contributes to changes in poor peoples’ lives and to the organizations and institutions they work with.

The suggested workshop schedules, exercises and steps in the process should be adapted by the facilitator(s) to suit the specific needs of the organization and to fit the context in which volunteers are working.

A full set of workshop Feedback Sheets for each workshop can be found on the CD.


On CD:

Part 3 of the CD: User notes• Notes for the Volunteer• Notes for Country Programme Coordinators• Notes for the Facilitator

Part 5 of the CD: The Broader Context of our work(These will need to be photocopied for the Programme Level Workshops)

• National Development Goal – Mali Example• Example chart of the contribution of volunteering to Cambodia’s National Goals• Aggregation Chart from Kenya: Volunteering contribution to the MDGs• The value and principles of the Millennium Declaration



19THE ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

The following four tables provide an overview of the workshops at placement, programme, national and global levels. Each of these types of workshops is discussed more in detail afterwards.

Table 2.1: OVERVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT WORKSHOPS

Level 1Placement/Project Level Assessment Workshop

Level definition Individual volunteer, or groups of volunteers working on the same project in the same locality

Purpose Collaborative review and reflection on the placement

Timing Near the end of the 2nd year of the placement

HowSelf-reflection1.5 day workshop/meetingInterviews by the volunteers with stakeholders (optional)

Convener Volunteer or VIO interested in the results of a particular project

Stakeholders

VolunteerOther volunteers involved in the project/activitySupervisorRepresentative(s) of host organization(s)Local groups/actorsBeneficiariesOther relevant key informants

OutputCompleted Placement Assessment Feedback Sheets (per volunteer, or groups of volunteers)Key lessons and recommendations for future placements

Level 2Programme Level Assessment Workshop

Level definition National level - aggregating data across volunteer placement & projects

PurposeAnalyzing overall findings from placements and projects and overall contribution of volunteering towards national/international goals

Timing Approximately every 2 years with volunteers who are nearing the end of their placements

How 1.5 day workshop

Convener VIO interested in the results of a sector or country programme

Stakeholders

VolunteersRepresentative(s) of host organization(s)Local groups/actorsBeneficiariesOther relevant key informants

OutputCompleted Programme Level Assessment Feedback Sheets Recommendations and lessons relevant to strategic planning at country level



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Table 2.1 (CONT’D): OVERVIEW OF THE ASSESSMENT WORKSHOPS

Level 3Placement/Project Level Assessment Workshop

Level definition Volunteering Organizations

PurposeJoint analysis and sharing of lessons and findings, promoting networking and collaborative planning amongst VIOs

Timing At least every two years

How Workshop or special event e.g. conference/seminar

Convener VIOs interested in learning from each other

Stakeholders

Representatives from VIOs and selection of partnersOther key stakeholders including:

Representatives from host organizationsDonors, government, other NGOs/INGOs, civil society representatives, academics etc.

OutputCompleted Inter-Organizational Workshop Feedback SheetsAction Plan for future harmonization and coordination

Level 4Global/Headquarters 3

Purpose Analysis of findings and recommendations for improved placements and programmes

Timing As needed/required by VIO headquarters

How As part of management’s ongoing review and evaluation of VIO projects and programmes

StakeholdersSenior programme managers at HQ level, evaluation officers, programme specialists and programme/executive officers

Outcome Ongoing strategic plan reviews and revisions

3 The handbook does not set out specific exercises for HQ level. However, we do give an example schedule for a workshop at HQ level on the CD. Many of the exercises and tools used in the placement/programme level workshops can be adapted for a workshop at HQ level.




Placement Level Assessment Participatory Workshop

The purpose of this assessment is to:• Reflect on the contribution of volunteering at the level of the individual placement and/or project• Share perspectives between different stakeholders on the added value of volunteering and what difference it

makes • Generate data and findings on volunteering activities (outputs) and outcomes from individual placement or

projects• Identify how volunteering at individual placement or project level contributes to wider development goals• Discuss challenges, good practices and lessons learned

The outputs of the assessment will be:• Completed Placement Assessment Feedback Sheets (per volunteer)• Key lessons and recommendations for future placements

When should it take place and who should be involved?The Placement Level Assessment can be organized by individual volunteers or by VIOs that are interested in learning about the results of a particular project. In order to discuss results more meaningfully, we recommend the participating volunteers to have been in their placements for approximately two years. The assessment might be done through a workshop and/or meeting with a range of key stakeholders. We are not suggesting a very large workshop. However, you may want to consider including partners, your line manager, local government members, representatives from the community/beneficiaries, or representatives from other NGOs as relevant. It makes sense if a number of volunteers are working on the same project to hold a joint workshop. If the placement is at community level, it may be more appropriate to collect data through informal discussions and semi-structured interviews. The volunteer will still have to complete the Placement Assessment Feedback Sheets, preferably in collaboration with one or two colleagues to help ensure objectivity.

HOW ONE INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCEfootball unites rival youth in myanmar

The antagonism between the Rohingya and Rakhine ethnic groups in Myanmar’s northern Rakhine State is especially marked. However, UNV volunteer Primo Wusong and his colleagues had an idea.

Mr. Wusong got together 30 young men from the two ethnic groups, put them into football teams and raised some money for T-shirts and balls. “Resentment was soon put aside,” he explains, “and the two groups actually joined together and performed very well.” The teams are about socialization as much as sport, and during picnics and tea shop meetings, the UN Volunteers encourage the players to talk about ethnic reconciliation and also about ways to solve environmental problems.

“I can tell you that they are able to play and work together now, they can be seen in town moving together, and in the tea shops welcoming one another,” says Mr. Wusong. “Actually, something real is happening here.”



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Preparation for the Placement Level Assessment WorkshopDecide on a convenient date, location and venue. Planning will require gathering any necessary background information and materials, arranging logistics, inviting participants, developing the overall schedule and sequence of exercises and/or interviews, and deciding on what additional preparation work will need to be undertaken. Volunteers will need to make sure they can back up their analysis with both quantitative as well as qualitative data. Remember to allow time for any translation work. Key concepts will also need translation into the local language. Make sure the facilitator is well briefed and able to conduct their assigned tasks. Key exercises and preparation work will need to be adapted to each situation.

Please use the Workshop Participation Form (template on CD) to record who has taken part in the assessment workshop.


On CD:

Part 3 of the CD: User notes• Notes for the Volunteer• Notes for Country Programme Coordinators• Notes for the Facilitator

Part 6 of the CD: Placement Level Assessment Workshop

• Workshop Participation Form• Placement Assessment Feedback Sheets• Example of Story: No More Sleeping! Indonesia• Example of Story: Communications and relationships, UNV volunteer, Vietnam




Placement Level Assessment: Participatory workshop

Example workshop scheduleThe following is an example of a workshop schedule for a one and a half or two day participatory workshop.

Day Time Session

Day 1 Morning

1. Introductions2. Participant expectations & fears3. Workshop objectives4. Exercise A: Sharing Stories

Break

5. Introducing basic terms and key concepts6. Exercise B: Reviewing and ranking the volunteers’ key activities and outputs

Lunch

Afternoon7. Exercise C: The outcomes of the contribution of volunteering 8. Exercise D: The volunteers’ overall contribution to higher level development

goals

Day Time Session

Day 2 Morning 9. Exercise E: SWOT analysis

Break

10. Exercise F: Key Lessons and Recommendations11. Closing the workshop & next steps12. Workshop evaluation

List of ExercisesEXERCISE A: SHARING STORIES .............................................................................................................................................................24EXERCISE B: REVIEWING AND RANKING THE VOLUNTEERS’ KEY ACTIVITIES AND OUTPUTS ...................................25EXERCISE C: THE OUTCOMES OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF VOLUNTEERING ....................................................................27EXERCISE D: THE VOLUNTEERS’ OVERALL CONTRIBUTION TO HIGHER LEVEL DEVELOPMENT GOALS .............29EXERCISE E: SWOT ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................................................................30EXERCISE F: KEY LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................................................................................31


On CD:

Part 6 of the CD: Placement Level Assessment Workshop• Workshop Participation Form• Volunteer Information Form• Feedback Sheet Exercise A: Stories• Feedback Sheet Exercise B: Output ranking• Feedback Sheet Exercise C: Outcomes 1-3• Feedback Sheet Exercise D: Overall contribution to development goals



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Exercise A: Sharing Stories

What?Invite each stakeholder in advance of the workshop to think of a story or choose a recent example of how volunteering has brought about a significant change. Ask the participants to consider why the change has occurred, who was involved, what were the activities and the role of the volunteer(s), who benefited from the changes and the difference it has made.

Why?This exercise can be used as an icebreaker. It is a good introduction to the theme of the workshop and helps to build rapport amongst the participants.

How?The facilitator should nominate someone to capture the key points from each of the stories and from the group discussions. Stories can be tape-recorded if relevant for case study purposes. A summary of the most significant story of change should be written up by the volunteer on the Feedback Sheet Exercise A (Copies of the Feedback Sheet can be printed from the CD).

Tips: This exercise can also be done by individual volunteers as part of a self-reflection exercise and/or for ongoing monitoring purposes.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Ask each participant to spend five minutes sharing their story.

Step 2: After everyone has shared their story, invite the participants to share their impressions during a plenary discussion. The facilitator may want to help the discussion by asking prompt questions. For example:

• What seem to be the main activities that volunteers have been involved in? • What common themes seem to be arising from the stories about change and the role of the volunteer(s)? • What role did the volunteer(s) play? Who else was involved? • Who were the main beneficiaries (women, girls, boys, men, specific groups)? • What types of changes have occurred as a direct result of the volunteer(s)? • How significant was the change? What difference has it made (overall contribution)? • If the volunteer(s) had not been involved, would this activity have happened?

Step 3: For the final part of this exercise ask participants to get into small ‘buzz’ groups (three-five people) to discuss which story they feel best illustrates the contribution of the volunteer(s) and why. It is important that they note down the reasons why. These provide useful criteria for later discussions on outcomes and overall contribution to development goals. After 10 minutes, invite each group to share the highlights of their discussion. The facilitator should attempt to synthesize the discussion, pulling out the most significant story or stories and any common themes and criteria identified.

For workshops with more than 8 people, we suggest the following:

Step 1: Ask participants to get into either pairs or groups of three. In their pairs/groups they each spend five minutes sharing their story.

Step 2: Invite each group to share highlights of their discussion in plenary. This does not mean feeding back a detailed account of what each participant has shared but general themes and significant elements of the story that they would like to share with the other participants. The facilitator can use the same prompt questions as outlined in Step 2 above.

Suggested further reading: Most significant change guide: Rick Davies & Jessica Dart http://www.mande.co.uk/docs/MSCGuide.pdf




Exercise B: Reviewing and ranking the volunteer’s key activities and outputs

What?A group exercise to learn more about the specific activities the volunteer has carried out and the immediate results (outputs) of these activities.

Why?To build on the stories shared in Exercise A and gather more information about the types of activities and outputs of the volunteer placement and the volunteer’s contribution. This exercise requires both quantitative data as well as qualitative analysis.

How?The facilitator will need to explain what an ‘output’ is (see box below). The facilitator can refer to the activities already identified during Exercise A to illustrate the types of activities and outputs of the volunteer placement. The facilitator should record the key outputs on a flipchart. The volunteer is responsible for completing Feedback Sheet B. (Copies of the feedback sheet can be printed from the CD)

OUTPUTS: Outputs are the immediate and specific results of a series of activities that are directly attributable to the volunteer or the project/programme. For example, the number of people trained, counselled, sheltered etc. The number of pamphlets published, information leaflets produced etc. It is assumed that these activities will lead to the achievement of what the project is hoping to achieve overall (the project objectives). Some of these will be planned outputs (i.e. as per project plan) but there may well be results that were unplanned. See the Logframe example on page 12 of this handbook.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Ask participants to list all main activities of the volunteer placement(s) and the immediate results of these activities (Key Outputs). They can either write these on cards or call them out to the facilitator who will then write them up on cards or on a flipchart. If the facilitator has already generated a list from Exercise A, this may be used as a checklist. Probe for quantitative information e.g. numbers of people, materials developed etc.

Step 2: Draw a table on a flipchart (see Feedback Sheet for Exercise B on CD for the template). In the first column of the table you will place each of the key outputs. In the next columns write whether the output was planned or unplanned and whether the activity was carried out by a national or international volunteer.

Step 3: Decide on a method to rank the outputs in order of importance and/or effectiveness. You will need to agree what criteria you will use to judge what has been effective or is of importance. The facilitator may well have begun to draw this list up from the previous Exercise A. You can use this as a checklist. The facilitator will need to ensure that she/he elicits views from all of the participants and not just from a handful of more vocal participants.

A very simple and quick way to rank the outputs is through a scoring method. Give each participant five/seven sticky dots. You might want to disaggregate by giving different coloured dots to women and men, volunteers, non-volunteers etc. Participants have the option to put all of their dots onto one output or to spread the dots out over a number of outputs. Instruct the participants not to be led by others.

Step 4: After the participants have placed their dots, the facilitator should identify the outputs that have received the most and least dots. The facilitator leads a discussion with participants on the scores and the significance of the scores. They should try and get the participants to identify any trends emerging, the types of outputs that appear to be more important and/or effective. It is important to note down the different perspectives and views.



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Step 5: Write the list of final outputs and scores onto a clean version of the Placement Level Feedback Sheet Exercise B.

Tips: Remember there will be very different perspectives on what constitutes an ‘effective’ output. Participants may find it confusing to rank and/or score the order of importance of the volunteer outputs without a more in depth discussion on the outcomes and results of the activities. Participants are likely to want to discuss other factors that might have contributed to these changes, including their role, and other internal/external factors. The facilitator can choose to carry out the ranking exercise as part of Exercise C, which focuses on outcomes.

Example of outputs from the Ski Project in BotswanaBelow are some of the outputs volunteers working with Kuru Family of Organizations (KFO) and stakeholders involved in the Ski Project in Botswana identified during their placement level workshop:

• Human Capacity: Many people trained in various areas (business, leadership, health issues, community mobilization, CBNRM), skills-based training, also employment of local counterparts and local project staff

• Systems: Financial controls, human relations enrichment, management, governance• Knowledge/Information: Cultural exchanges, networking, humanities, various skills• Infrastructure: in the past buildings of preschool etc. would be built by volunteers• Materials/Documents/Websites: KFO website, financial systems, curriculum materials (Bokamoso),

CDF training manuals (sourcing existing materials and updating them), adult education and non-formal educational materials, health training manuals, BOOK “VOICES OF THE SAN”

• Awareness/Engagement: advocacy for minority groups rights based approaches, cultural exchanges

Participants found it difficult to rank the order of importance of outputs because they felt all the outputs were of equal importance and very crucial to a ‘holistic development process’. Yet in the end, they decided that those outputs they characterized under human capacity were probably the most important outputs, followed by systems and then materials. The factors and criteria they used included the mandate of KFO, participation and community impact.




Exercise C: The outcomes of the contribution of volunteering

What?A group exercise to identify the changes brought about by volunteering during the placement.

Why?This exercise builds on Exercise B and begins to connect the volunteer activities and outputs to the changes that have resulted (expected and unexpected).

How?Ensure all participants understand what an ‘outcome’ is (see the box below) The facilitator can refer to the outputs identified during Exercise B as the starting point to discuss what changes have happened as a result of these activities. The facilitator can use Placement Level Handout Sheet Exercise C (on the CD) to record the key volunteer outcomes with respect to the changes with different stakeholder groups. Once this has been done, the facilitator will support participants to explore and discuss in more depth how the volunteer contributed to these changes, any key challenges and key disappointments, whether the changes were intended or not (based on the original placement/project objectives), and to explore how different types of volunteers contribute in different ways.

OUTCOMES:These are actual changes/benefits brought about by volunteers through working with different stakeholders. They reflect the development of self-reliance.

Essentially we are looking at qualitative change, for example:

• Changes in attitudes, ideas, awareness or behaviour• Social, cultural, political or personal change• Individual, group, community, organizational or institutional change• Changes in practice, priorities, resources or systems• Changes in roles, relationships, responsibilities, communications• Changes at micro or macro level, in a specific sector or cross-sectoral

See the examples of types of changes that we expect to see for different stakeholders previously on page 13 of this handbook.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Ask participants to spend five-seven minutes on their own to think about the changes that have taken place as a result of the volunteer activities; these might be changes that the volunteers have contributed to with others, or they might be changes that have resulted as a culmination of a number of volunteer activities. The changes might be personal changes, organizational changes, changes in the community etc. They might be positive or negative changes. The changes might be intended or unintended. The changes might be on a very small scale or a large scale. Ask participants to write down the changes on separate cards. Ask participants to think about which stakeholders have been affected by these changes.

Step 2: The facilitator prepares a flipchart paper on the template set out in Placement Level Feedback Sheet Exercise C – 1 on the CD. The facilitator will ask each participant in turn to call out a key change and writes this on the flipchart. Participants will decide which stakeholder group(s) the change refers to. Once everyone has called out a change, ask whether there are any additional changes they would like to add to the list. The facilitator’s role is to probe the responses of the participants and reach further clarity on the type of change that has taken place, whether it was planned or not, positive or negative, and who benefited (men, women, girls, boys, marginalized groups etc.)



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Step 3: Once you have listed all the outcomes, divide the participants into small groups of three to five. Ask each group to spend 45 minutes discussing the following questions:

• Identify HOW volunteering has contributed to the key changes (i.e. identifying the exact role of volunteering within the changes brought about)

• Have there been any negative or unplanned outcomes as a result of these changes?• What key factors do you feel have supported or hindered the volunteers’ contribution?• Is there a difference in the contributions the following types of volunteers can make? Is so, please explain why.

o Volunteers of different ageso Male and female volunteerso National and international volunteerso Mixed teams of international/national volunteers

• Any other observations you would like to add?

If there are more than five key outcomes to discuss you may want to divide these up amongst the groups.

Step 4: Each group should write up their key findings onto a flipchart paper. They can be as creative as they like, e.g. they can do this as a picture or write up brief bullet points. The facilitator might want to hand out the Placement Level Feedback Sheets Exercise C 2 and 3 on the CD for groups to record their discussions.

Step 5: Give each group 10 minutes to feed back the highlights of their discussion. After each group has given their feedback, open up the discussion to plenary.

Step 6: The facilitator will need to consolidate the key outcomes of Exercise C onto the Feedback Sheets provided on the CD.

Optional: You could carry out the scoring/ranking exercise detailed in Exercise B as part of this exercise.

TIPS: The facilitator should make it clear to participants that any discussion of negative changes that might have occurred during the volunteer placement/project is not intended to be a blame making exercise. The idea is to get a better understanding of some of the unintended consequences of our activities so that we can learn to improve future projects and programmes. Likewise, any discussion on the contributions that different types of volunteers can make is intended to inform future placement strategies and is not an assessment or critique of individual volunteers.




Exercise D: The volunteers’ overall contribution to higher level development goals

What?The session begins with a short presentation on ‘volunteerism for development’ including an overview of National & International Development Goals. This is followed by a group discussion to explore the contribution of volunteerism to development goals.

Why?Having looked at what the volunteer does and what is achieved by volunteerism, this task links volunteerism to higher level goals and connects volunteer activities with the wider development landscape.

How?Volunteer outputs and outcomes may either contribute to one specific goal or to a number of goals (see examples on the Placement Level Feedback Sheet D on the CD). The idea is not to establish a direct causal link to these goals, but to support volunteers and their stakeholders to reflect on how and in what ways volunteering and volunteerism contributes to long term sustainable development.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: A representative from, either the volunteer host organization, VIO and/or invited participant presents a short introduction on the development goals (either national/MDG and/or other goals) and on how volunteering for development hopes to contribute to these goals. Aim to keep the presentation to a maximum of 10 minutes.

Step 2: After the presentation ask participants to split into small buzz groups for 15 minutes to discuss the following questions:

• In what way do you think the placement or project has contributed to the longer-term goals highlighted in the presentation (or the longer term goals set out in Feedback Sheet D)?

• How might the volunteer placement and/or project contribute to these goals in the future?

Step 3: In the feedback session elicit one point per buzz group for each question. Go round each group until all points have been shared. Then open up the discussion to plenary.

Step 4: At the end of the plenary discussion the facilitator should attempt to draw together overall conclusions from the discussion. You could also invite the presenter of the goals or an external stakeholder to feedback their overall conclusions.

Step 5: The facilitator or volunteer should write up the key points from the discussion onto the Placement Level Feedback Sheet Exercise D (on the CD).



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Exercise E: SWOT Analysis

What?This is a participatory tool that can be used to analyze the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the project or placement.

Why?To look at the factors which facilitate and constrain the volunteer in achieving the placement/project objectives.

How?Draw up a SWOT chart on two flipcharts (see Placement Level Feedback Sheet Exercise E on the CD). Use coloured post-its/coloured cards. You may find it easier to address all 4 factors simultaneously. SW factors are often used to refer to internal aspects of the placement, while OT factors address issues external to the employing organization. (See box below)

The aim of any SWOT analysis is to identify the key internal and external factors that are important to achieving the objective. SWOT analysis groups key pieces of information into two main categories:

• Internal factors – The strengths and weaknesses internal to the organization. • External factors – The opportunities and threats presented by the external environment.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Ask the participants to:

• List the key strengths of the placement/project (internal). Write each strength on a card and stick them to the chart labelled ‘strengths’.

• List the key weaknesses of the placement/project (internal). Write each weakness on a card and stick them to the chart labelled ‘weaknesses’.

• List the key threats to the placement/project (external). Write each threat on a card and stick them to the chart labelled ‘threats’.

• List the key opportunities for the placement/project (external). Write each opportunity on a card and tape them to the chart labelled ‘opportunities’.

Step 2: Review each category separately and try to reduce the list in each category and/or rank in order of importance.

Step 3: Invite the participants to discuss the findings of the SWOT, and discuss in more detail the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats and the reasons why. Ask participants to give concrete examples.

Step 4: Ask participants which of the most critical issues need to be resolved and how the issues might be addressed.

Step 5: Make sure to write the SWOT cards and key points from the discussion onto the Placement Level Feedback Sheet Exercise E (on the CD) at the end of the exercise.




Exercise F: Key Lessons and Recommendations

What?Pulling together overall key lessons and recommendations.

Why?The exercise builds on the SWOT analysis to prioritize key recommendations for the individual placement.

How?Participants work in small groups. Participants should identify at least one recommendation that can be usefully shared at the Programme Level Assessment Workshop.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Divide the participants into two-three groups. Provide each group with a flipchart. Ask them to come up with a set of five key lessons and five key recommendations for the future of the placement/project. These should build on:

1. The overall workshop analysis of key achievements (Exercises A-D)2. The strengths and opportunities identified (Exercise F SWOT)3. Addressing the weaknesses and threats identified (Exercise F SWOT)

Ask participants to write up the key lessons and recommendations on the flipchart.

Ask participants to identify one overall key recommendation that can be usefully shared at the Programme Level Assessment workshop.

Step 2: Ask each group to spend five minutes giving a brief highlight of their key lessons and recommendations.

Step 3: The facilitator feeds back overall conclusions from the workshop and from this last session, and explains how the findings will feed into the Programme Level Assessment Workshop.

Step 4: The facilitator nominates or invites someone to write up the flipchart lessons and recommendations on to the Placement Level Feedback Sheet Exercise F (on the CD).

TIPS: At the end of the workshop, it is good practice to carry out an evaluation of the workshop for learning purposes.



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Programme Level Assessment Participatory Workshop

The purpose of this assessment is to:• Discuss the overall findings from a wide range of individual placements/projects (aggregation)• Examine and assess the cumulative contribution of volunteering on national and/or international development

goals• Discuss key questions about the difference volunteering makes • Exchange good practices and lessons learned

The outputs of the assessment will be:• Completed Programme Level Assessment Feedback Sheets• Recommendations and lessons relevant to strategic planning at country level

When should it take place and who should be involvedYou should conduct an assessment approximately every two years through a workshop with volunteers who are nearing the end of their placements. Not every end of service volunteer needs to attend, but you should aim to get a group that is representative of the programme geography and sectors. You should also invite a small number of national and regional stakeholders and partners. These might be from the placement NGO(s) or government, along with primary beneficiaries as appropriate. You may also want to invite a small number of volunteers at other stages in their placement. For example, newly arrived volunteers could attend as part of their orientation to the methodology and the programme. However, we suggest no more than 30 people should attend the workshop. It is important to allow enough time for participants to have meaningful discussions. This can be difficult with numbers of more than 30.

HOW A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCEAssisting refugees in Chad

UN Volunteer Alexia Nisen is an Assistant Protection Field Officer with UNHCR. Disputes within refugee camps are sometimes solved via traditional methods, but Ms. Nisen oversees these to ensure that human rights are not degraded.

Other issues Ms. Nisen must deal with are sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) and the rights of children. She refers women and children to volunteer representatives within the refugee community and ensures they can consult a doctor.

Helping refugees with longer-term development is her colleague Amadou Boubakar, a UN Volunteer Environmental

Officer. Most of his efforts build the refugees’ capacity to solve their own problems. For example, Mr. Boubakar helped set up committees of volunteers from among the camp-dwellers to manage agricultural production, food security and animal husbandry.




Preparation for the Programme Level Assessment Workshop Decide on a convenient date, location and venue. Planning requires gathering any necessary background information and materials, arranging logistics, inviting participants, developing the overall schedule and sequence of exercises and deciding what additional preparation work has to be done. Volunteers will need to receive all the background reading and materials at least a month in advance of the Programme Level Assessment Workshop. This includes information on National Development frameworks and the MDGs. Volunteers who attend the Programme Level Assessment workshop should have completed the Placement Level Assessment. They should bring copies of all their Placement Level Feedback Sheets to the workshop, plus an extra copy of the ‘Change Story’ they prepared for the Placement Level Assessment. The first part of this handbook (Section One: Key Concepts) can be circulated to national stakeholders in advance of the workshop. Make sure the facilitator is well briefed and able to conduct their assigned tasks. Key exercises and preparation work will need to be adapted to each situation.

Please use the Workshop Participation Form (template on CD) to record who has taken part in the assessment workshop.


On CD:

Part 3 of the CD: User notes• Notes for the volunteer• Notes for Country Programme Coordinators• Notes for the facilitator

Part 5 of the CD: The Broader Context of our work

• National Development Goal – Mali Example• Example chart of the contribution of volunteering to Cambodia’s National Goals• Aggregation Chart from Kenya: Volunteering contribution to the MDGs• The value and principles of the Millennium Declaration

Part 6 of the CD: Programme Level Assessment Workshop

• Workshop Participation Form• Example of Story: Programa de jóvenes con la participación popular, Bolivia



34

Programme Level Assessment: Participatory workshop

Example workshop scheduleThe following is an example of a workshop schedule for a one and a half or two day participatory workshop.

Day Time Session

Day 1 Morning

1. Introductions2. Participant expectations & fears3. Workshop Objectives & Introductory Presentation 4. Exercise A: Sharing key findings and lessons from the Placement Level

Workshops

Break

5. Exercise B Volunteering for development and the contribution towards National/MDG Goals

Lunch

Afternoon6. Exercise C – Group A & B feedback7. Exercise D: The volunteer as a catalyst for change

Day Time Session

Day 2 Morning 8. Exercise E1: Factors supporting or hindering change

Break

9. Exercise E2: Group Feedback 10. Exercise F: Key Lessons and recommendations 11. Closing the workshop & next steps12. Workshop evaluation

List of ExercisesEXERCISE A: SHARING OF KEY FINDINGS AND LESSONS FROM THE PLACEMENT LEVEL WORKSHOPS ...........35EXERCISE B: THE CONTRIBUTION OF VOLUNTEERING TO DEVELOPMENT GOALS .......................................................36EXERCISE C: THE CONTRIBUTION OF VOLUNTEERING TO DEVELOPMENT GOALS – GROUP FEEDBACK ..........37EXERCISE D: THE VOLUNTEER AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE ..................................................................................................38EXERCISE E: FACTORS SUPPORTING AND HINDERING CHANGE ...........................................................................................39EXERCISE F: KEY LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................................................................................40


On CD:

Part 6.2 of the CD: Programme Level Feedback Sheets:• Programme Level Workshop Participation Form• Volunteer Organization Information Form• Feedback Sheet: Exercise A Sharing key changes and lessons from the Placement Level Workshops• Feedback Sheet: Exercise B Group 1 – Contribution to National Development Goals• Feedback Sheet: Exercise B Group 2 – Contribution to the MDGs• Feedback Sheet: Exercise C Group 3 – The Contribution of Volunteering to Development Goals • Feedback Sheet: Exercise D The Volunteer as a Catalyst for Change• Feedback Sheet: Exercise E1 Group 1 - Factors Supporting and Hindering Change • Feedback Sheet: Exercise E2 Group 2 – Factors Supporting and Hindering Change • Feedback Sheet: Exercise F Action Planning




Exercise A: Sharing of Key Findings and Lessons from the Placement Level Workshops

What?Sharing experiences and lessons from the placement workshops.

Why?This exercise can be used as an icebreaker. It is a good introduction to the theme of the workshop and helps to build rapport amongst the participants as well as link this workshop to the Placement Level Workshop.

How?Lessons and change stories are shared in small group work. Facilitator(s) pull together a synthesis of key outcomes/stories and lessons. They can use the Programme Level Feedback Sheet Exercise A (on the CD) to help collate and put together the synthesis.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Divide participants into small groups (three-five per group). Provide each group with a flipchart. Ensure that the invited stakeholders are spread out evenly between the groups of volunteers.

Step 2: Each volunteer will share his/her story of significant change and the one key lesson that they identified during the placement level workshop. Allow 15 minutes per volunteer.

Step 3: After sharing the stories, the group participants can ask questions to each other regarding the stories. They should identify and agree on the type of changes for each story. See the examples of types of changes that we expect to see for different stakeholders on page 13 of this handbook. Each volunteer should pin up his/her story either on the wall or on a pin board and/or flipchart. They should write the type of change(s) identified with a marker pen at the top of their story. Each volunteer should also write up their key lesson on a card and put this on a second flipchart/pin board for display.

Step 4: Towards the end of the session, the facilitator(s) will call the participants back to plenary. There will not be a formal feedback session. Instead, the facilitator will invite participants to share any thoughts and reflections arising from the small group session.

Step 5: During the break, the facilitator(s) will walk round to all the flipcharts/pin boards and attempt to classify the stories of change (types of changes) and pull out overall key lessons. They will present back their summary findings at the beginning of the session after the break. Leave the flipcharts/pin boards up for participants to read during subsequent breaks. The initial analysis can be cross-checked at later stages in the workshop.

Sharing from the Placement Assessment1. Logistics: How did you organize the workshops and who was involved?2. Process: What did you like best about the workshop and what was most challenging/surprising about the

process?3. Change story: Share your selected story and identify what type of change it illustrates4. Key lessons: Share one overall key lesson and explain why



36

Exercise B: The Contribution of Volunteering to Development Goals

What?Group work exploring how volunteering contributes to higher level development goals.

Why?To demonstrate the added value of volunteering and its overall contribution to higher level development goals. (See examples from Mali, Cambodia and Kenya on the CD.)

How?Two group exercises will run concurrently. One group will focus on assessing the contribution of volunteering to PRSP/NDGs (or equivalent framework) and the second group will focus on assessing the contribution of volunteering to the MDGs.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Divide the volunteers and other participants into two groups. Group 1 will focus on national development goals and Group 2 will focus on the international development goals (MDGs). Ensure there is a good mix of volunteers, representatives from the VIO and other stakeholders in each group.

Group 1 – National Level – PRSP/NDG

Step 2: Draw a large chart with four columns on to flipchart paper. (See the Programme Level Feedback Sheet B Group 1 on the CD) Enter the national development goals for your country in column one.

Step 3: Ask each volunteer to write the key information from the Placement Level Workshop Exercises B (outputs), C (outcomes) and D (contribution to development goals) onto small coloured cards or post-it notes, with a different colour for each column. Volunteers should write one output/outcome/contribution to development goals per coloured card/post-it note.

Step 4: Each volunteer first places their output post-it notes/cards on the output column. At each stage of this exercise volunteers will be asked to discuss their cards. The role of the stakeholders is to question and help deepen the analysis and offer their perspectives on the contributions noted. The following questions are to prompt the discussion during each stage of the exercise:

1. Key OUTPUTS on the chart. Discuss: In which sectors is your organization’s (VIO) country programme contributing and to what extent? Who else was involved? (partners, government, private sector) What was the cost, etc.?

2. Key OUTCOMES on the chart. Discuss: Which are the most common key outcomes or changes (Who/what has benefited from the changes, how significant? Why did it change, is the work sustainable?)

3. Identifying contributions to DEVELOPMENT GOALS. Discuss: How and in what way do the outputs and outcomes contribute to higher-level goals (e.g. national development goals, PRSPs etc.) How might they contribute in the future?

Group 2 – International Level – MDGs

Group 2 will follow the same steps as Group A except they will list the MDGs in column one on the chart. (See Programme Level Feedback Sheet Exercise B Group 2 on the CD)




Exercise C: The Contribution of Volunteering to Development Goals – Group Feedback

What?Feedback from group work 1 and group work 2.

Why?To share findings, information and views.

How?Presentation and discussion of charts, small buzz groups, plenary discussion.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Give each group 15 minutes to present their chart and findings. Once the group has presented, allow five minutes for participants to ask any questions for clarification.

Step 2: Once the groups have presented, ask participants to get into small buzz groups (three-five). Try to mix up the participants so that they are not just sitting with the people they were with in the previous group work session. The buzz groups will discuss the following questions:

Discuss:

1. What are the similarities and differences in the way national versus international goals have been addressed?

2. What do you consider to be the cumulative effect of volunteers over time?3. Any other observations or reflections (about doing the exercise and/or the findings from the

exercise)?

Step 3: Get each buzz group to feed back the key points from their discussion. Start with one point per group per question.

Step 4: The facilitator concludes the session with a quick summary of the key themes and points emerging from the session. The key points from the discussion should be noted on the Programme Level Feedback Sheet C: Volunteering for development and the contribution to National and International Goals (on the CD).



38

Exercise D: The Volunteer as a Catalyst for Change

What?Group work exploring the role of the volunteer.

Why?Exercises B & C have looked at what volunteering does and what it achieves. This task looks at how it has been achieved and the specific role and qualities of the volunteer as a catalyst for change.

How?Participants split into three groups. A ‘recorder’ in each group captures the key points on a flipchart for feedback. As each group presents their key findings in plenary, other participants can add points, which should also be recorded. Tasks can be written on a card for each group.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Divide participants into three groups. Make sure each group has a good mix of volunteers, VIO representatives and other stakeholders. Each group will address a specific set of questions. If necessary, participants can refer back to the Placement Level Feedback Sheets (Exercise C, Outcomes) for specific examples and data to back up their points. Each group will appoint a note taker to capture the key points onto a flipchart.

Questions for group work These questions are based on the data and findings from the previous sessions.

group 1: • What are the common underlying themes regarding the role of the volunteer in the achievements and change

processes identified? In what way do volunteers act as catalysts for change?• Would the achievements have happened without the volunteer involvement or happened differently? Explain your

analysis.• Any other observations/comments regarding the role and contribution of volunteers?

group 2:• What types of volunteer activities have worked well/less well and why?• What have been some of the unexpected outcomes of the volunteer placement(s)? These might be positive or

negative outcomes.• Any other observations/comments regarding the role and contribution of volunteers?

group 3:• What, if any, are the key differences in contribution between:

o Female and male volunteerso Volunteers of different ageso National and international volunteers (as relevant to the project)o Mixed teams and non-mixed teams

• Are there any other specific examples of diversity with regard to context and overall contribution?• Any other observations/comments regarding the role and contribution of volunteers?

Step 2: Each group will give feedback in plenary session. After each group presents their findings, other participants can add points etc.

Step 3: The facilitator nominates or invites a volunteer to write up the key points on to the Programme Level Feedback Sheet D (on the CD).




Exercise E: Factors supporting and hindering change

What?Two exercises running concurrently that will explore and analyze supporting and hindering factors to change.

Why?Having examined the what and how of volunteering, the workshop now moves on to look at the factors that facilitate and constrain volunteering and how to overcome them. Factors can be internal or external to the VIO or employing organization.

How?Group 1 will brainstorm factors supporting and hindering change. They will draw on the findings from the SWOT exercise E from the placement level assessment. Group 2 will do a stakeholder analysis to identify people, groups, and institutions that influence volunteer initiatives (either positively or negatively). Each group will feed back their highlights and key lessons in plenary session.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Divide the participants into two groups. Provide each group with a flipchart. Write up the instructions for both exercises to hand out to each group.

group 1Step 2: Draw a large matrix on a flipchart paper. (See the Programme Level Feedback Sheet E1 on the CD for the template)

Step 3: First list all the key factors that have positively affected the outcomes and achievements. These might be internal and external forces. Identify the most important factors and discuss how the programme/VIO organization might build on these supporting forces. Remember to refer to the Placement Level SWOT Analysis Feedback Sheet Exercise E.

Step 4: Next, list all the key factors that have hindered or negatively affected the outcomes and achievements. These might be internal and external forces. Identify the most important hindering factors and discuss solutions for addressing these. Record the suggestions on the chart.

Step 5: Identify five key points/lessons to feed back in the plenary session.

group 2Step 2: Draw a large matrix on a flipchart paper. (See the Programme Level Feedback Sheet E2 on the CD for the template) Column one is a list of the people, groups and institutions that influence your project/initiative (either positively or negatively). Group members can add to this list.

Step 3: Review each stakeholder listed in column one. Assess how important are the stakeholder’s interests in the success of the volunteer placement and project. Consider how they might have a positive role (specific interests) and how they might have a negative role. Record these under the column “Stakeholder Interests in Volunteering”.

Step 4: The final step is to consider the kinds of things that you might do in the future to get stakeholder support and reduce opposition or obstacles. Consider how you might approach each of the stakeholders. Think about other groups or individuals who might also influence the stakeholder(s) to support your project. Record your suggestions in the last column of the matrix.

Step 5: Identify five key points/lessons to feed back in plenary session.



40

Exercise F: Key Lessons and Recommendations

What?Drawing together key lessons and recommendations for the organization.

Why?Provides results from the workshop that the organization can use in future strategic planning.

How?In buzz groups and plenary feedback, drawing out recommendations from the data generated throughout the day.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Ask participants to get into small buzz groups to discuss the following:

1. What are the key lessons? How can we capitalize on our experience more strategically to influence development interventions and approaches?

2. What is the profile of volunteers we have/want to have in the future? Think what we have learnt about the different types of volunteers we have and how we might build these lessons into future recruitment policies and procedures.

3. What is the profile of the placements that we have/want to have in the future? Think about the project design; selection; response to requests; partners etc.

Step 2: Each buzz group agrees and records action points and ways forward for the organization

Step 3: Each group calls out a key lesson and the corresponding action point. The facilitator notes down the key lessons and actions on a flipchart.

Step 4: Collate the feedback on to the Programme Level Feedback Sheet F (on the CD).




Inter-Organizational Workshop

The purpose of this assessment is to:• Exchange findings between VIOs• Strengthen relationships between different VIOs and different partners • Promote networking and collaboration between VIOs • Discuss mainstreaming volunteering into development programming • Discuss planning of volunteering and lesson learning from volunteering• Raise awareness about volunteering

The outputs of the assessment will be:• Completed Inter-Organizational Workshop Feedback Sheets • Action Plan for future harmonization and coordination

COMPARING DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES AMONGST VOLUNTEER INVOLVING ORGANIZATIONSNational volunteer programmes in Niger and liberia

The first national volunteers in Niger have been selected and will soon be fielded as part of the ‘Volunteers for National Development’ project launched by the Government of Niger with support from UNV.

The process started in early 2008 with the establishment of a candidate database. Among the host institutions are 25 rural municipalities, five national organizations and associations (a farmers’ group, a women’s group, a disabled people’s group, an NGO and one association), one rural radio station and one literacy centre.

Aiming to demonstrate how volunteerism is an empowering force for development, the Liberian National Youth Volunteering Service is open to citizens under 35. It places them in the Liberian countryside to work with communities on peace-building and development issues, bridging the divide between the urban youth volunteers and rural people.

Speaking in October at a recognition event for 67 volunteers who recently completed their six months service, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf commended UNV, UNDP and the Ministry of Youth and Sports for supporting her vision of engaging youth in productive voluntary service.

The Liberian NYVS sent 67 volunteers out to four rural counties to improve education and health. The

scheme will expand further in phase 2. (UNV)



42

When should it take place and who should be involvedConsider conducting such an inter-organizational workshop approximately every two years. It might be a small or large scale workshop, e.g. Programme Managers with a small number of volunteers, or a high profile event including national and international stakeholders.

Preparation for the workshopDecide on a convenient date, location and venue. Planning will require gathering any necessary background information and materials, arranging logistics, inviting participants, developing the overall schedule and sequence of exercises and deciding what additional preparation work will need to be undertaken. Make sure the facilitator is well briefed and able to conduct their assigned tasks. Key exercises and preparation work will need to be adapted to each situation.

Please use the Workshop Participation Form (template on CD) to record who has taken part in the assessment.


On CD:

Part 3 on the CD: User Notes• Notes for the volunteer• Notes for Country Programme Coordinators• Notes for the Facilitator

Part 6.3 on the CD: Inter-Organizational Workshop• Workshop Participation Form• Example of Inter-organizational workshop Introduction (PPT) – Botswana




Inter-Organizational Workshop

Example workshop scheduleThe following is an example of a workshop schedule for a half-day or one day workshop programme.

Day Time Session

Day 1 Morning

1. Introductions2. Workshop Objectives3. Exercise A: Sharing experiences, key findings and lessons 4. Exercise B: Group work – identifying key themes and the distinctive

contribution of volunteering to development

Break

5. Exercise B: Group feedback & plenary6. Exercise C: Stakeholder perceptions and interests in volunteering

Lunch

Afternoon7. Exercise D: Key lessons and recommendations 8. Exercise E Final Plenary

List of ExercisesEXERCISE A: SHARING EXPERIENCES, KEY FINDINGS AND LESSONS .................................................................................44EXERCISE B: GROUP DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................................................45EXERCISE C: STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTIONS AND INTERESTS IN VOLUNTEERING ..........................................................46EXERCISE D: KEY LESSONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..............................................................................................................47


On CD:

Part 3 on the CD - Inter-organizational Level Feedback Sheets: • Inter-organisational Workshop Participation Form• Volunteer Organisation Information Form• Feedback Sheet: Exercise A Sharing experiences, key findings and lessons VIO presentations• Feedback Sheet: Exercise B Group 1 Similarities and differences in findings• Feedback Sheet: Exercise B Group 2 Distinctive contribution of volunteers• Feedback Sheet: Exercise C Stakeholder perceptions and interests in Volunteerism• Feedback Sheet: Exercise D Key lessons and recommendations



44

Exercise A: Sharing experiences, key findings and lessons

What?Exchange of information by participating VIOs.

Why?To share findings of assessment exercises between organizations.

How?Each VIO gives a short PowerPoint presentation or another method of presentation.

TipsBack to back power point presentations can be tedious. Think about how you might make the sharing session more interactive and engaging. E.g. by introducing energizers between presentations, breaking into Q&A sessions after each presentation or buzz group discussions after every two presentations etc. Or perhaps a poster presentation. Encourage VIOs to be creative in the way they present their findings.

Suggested steps in the process (see also tips in the box above)Step 1: Ask each VIO to give their 10-15 minute presentation, which will highlight the key findings from their own review processes. Each presentation will be followed by a five-minute question and answer session.

The presentations should include:

1. A general introduction to the organization: how and where they work, in which sectors, how many volunteers etc.

2. What contribution has the volunteering programme made to national development? What are the key results?

3. How has volunteering achieved these results?4. What have been some of the key challenges?5. What are the key lessons?

Step 2: After each VIO has presented, ask participants if they have any further questions or reflections before moving on to the next exercise.

Step 3: The facilitator collects each of the summaries from each participating VIO to attach to Inter-organizational Feedback Sheet Exercise A.




Exercise B: Group discussion

What?Analysis of presentations.

Why?To compare findings of assessment exercises between organizations (Group 1); and to identify the specific contribution of volunteering to development (Group 2).

How?Participants work in two groups to address different sets of discussion questions (1 and 2).

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Divide participants into two groups. Provide each group with a flipchart. Each group will appoint a rapporteur to note down the key points from their discussion on the flipchart.

Group 1: Similarities and differences in findings

Step 2: In your group discuss the following:

1. What are the key similarities in findings between the VIOs?2. What are the key differences in findings between the VIOs?3. What do you think are the reasons for the differences in findings between the VIOs?

Group 2: Distinctive contribution of volunteers

1. What are possible key attributes of volunteers that make a difference, as opposed to other development or peace-keeping workers?

2. How can we define the different contribution of volunteers, as opposed to other development or peace-keeping workers?

Step 3: Group feedback: Ask each group to feedback the key highlights and points from their group discussion (five minutes). This will be followed by a short plenary discussion.



46

Exercise C: Stakeholder perceptions and interests in volunteering

What?Analyze the interests and perceptions of different stakeholders about volunteering.

Why?Having completed this activity at programme level, this is an opportunity to discuss with peer organizations the strategic implications vis-à-vis key stakeholders.

How?This exercise should build on the programme level stakeholder analysis exercise (see Exercise E on page 41). The facilitator may want to split participants into smaller groups depending on the number of workshop participants. Coloured cards or post-it notes should be used to record different perceptions.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Draw a large matrix on a flipchart paper. (See Inter-organizational Feedback Sheet C on the CD for the template.) In column one is a list of the people, groups and institutions that influence your project/initiative (either positively or negatively). Group members can add to this list.

Step 2: Either individually or in groups, review the list of stakeholders in the columns. For each stakeholder, write on a coloured card or post-it note how the stakeholder might have a positive role and/or a negative role with regards to volunteering.

Step 3: The facilitator will go through each stakeholder and ask participants to call out one card with a positive role and one card with a negative role.

Step 4: The next step is to consider the kinds of things that you might do in the future to get stakeholder support and reduce opposition or obstacles. Consider how you might approach each of the stakeholders. Record these under the column “Suggestions”.

Step 5: Ask participants to identify five key points from the discussion you would like to keep for sharing in the next session (Exercise D).

Step 6: For the last part of the exercise, draw together the overall key lessons and recommendations. Use the chart for Exercise D (on the CD) to write up two key lessons and two recommendations per level (local, national, international, organizational).




Exercise D: Key Lessons and Recommendations

What?Drawing together overall strategic lessons and recommendations for VIOs on how volunteering can be mainstreamed into development planning.

Why?Taking lessons learnt throughout the workshop forward into action points for future collaboration and advocacy for volunteerism.

How?Each group feeds back their highlights, lessons and recommendations from Exercise C. The facilitator maps out key lessons and action on a flipchart. Followed by a final plenary session.

Suggested steps in the processStep 1: Ask each group to give a quick highlight of the key points from their discussion during Exercise C.

Step 2: After the feedback invite the groups to pin their key lessons and recommendation cards onto a large version of the matrix in plenary (see Inter-organizational Feedback Sheet Exercise D on the CD). Participants should cluster similar cards. Ask participants to reflect on the lessons and recommendations, identifying similarities, contradictions etc. The facilitator should identify and summarize the overall actions emerging.

Step 3: The last part of the final session will be a brief plenary discussion. Invite participants to share any additional thoughts and reflections on the findings, lessons and actions from the workshop and any other comments they would like to make.

Step 4: Ask Participants to fill in a workshop evaluation form. Make sure that one of the questions on the evaluation form includes a question about key actions to be taken as a result of the workshop.

Step 5: Consolidate the cards for Exercise D onto one Feedback Sheet.



48

SeCTIoN THree: AddITIoNAL APProACHeS ANd TooLS This section sets out some other suggestions for assessing the contribution of volunteering to development. These are based on the exercises and tools used in the volunteerism for development results workshops undertaken by UNV in 2007.

About the results workshopsThe results workshops were held by UNV between October and November 2007. They were part of an extensive consultation process that UNV undertook to report to its Executive Board on the work and achievements of UNV and its contribution to development objectives. Each workshop focused on a core theme of UNV’s work where UNV believes it has a critical mass of experience: post conflict environment, democratic governance, youth participation, disaster risk reduction and volunteer infrastructure4.

The methodology and workshop designThe majority of the workshops took place over two and half days and involved volunteers from up to three countries in each workshop working on a particular theme. Two of the workshops involved predominantly UNV partners and national level UNV programme staff.

While the methodology described so far is useful for assessing the contribution of volunteering to development in a general manner, the results workshops were designed specifically to understand the practical reality of UNV’s work in a particular area. External ‘Resource People’ were invited to provide critical feedback and to peer review UNV’s work, therefore verifying or contradicting the achievements suggested by the UN Volunteers themselves. A final aspect of the workshops was to enable the volunteers to ‘locate’ their work within the framework of UNV’s corporate ‘Results Framework’.

4 See Part 7 on the CD for more information on the Volunteerism for Development Results workshops.

HOW ONE INDIVIDUAL VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE IS VISUALLY DISPLAYED THROUGH A ‘RESULTS TREE’

Thushan Kapurusinghe worked with the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP) in Sri Lanka in the wake of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. His tree diagram shows us ways in which he helped to change people’s lives – the ‘fruits’ of improved community skills, the establishment of volunteer youth groups etc. – based on the ‘branches’ of community capacity development, training, mobilization, monitoring and evaluation activities.

It also notes how partnership with GEF and UNV was the basis of his endeavours – the trunk of the tree – and how the ‘roots’ of his personal experience fed into creating the results. And he is not shy to bring to our attention the challenges he faced, such as the ‘broken branch’ of unsatisfactory administration.

Effectively, the ‘tree’ distils a four-page report into one simple and easy-to-absorb image. Thushan Kapurusinghe’s ‘results

tree’ portrays many complex ideas at a glance. (UNV)



49ADDITIONAL APPROACHES AND TOOLS

How to use this sectionThis section sets out a generic Workshop Schedule and suggested Tools adapted from the results workshop methodology. Many of the Tools can be used for ongoing assessment purposes at all levels.


On CD:

Part 7 on the CD: Volunteerism for Development Results Workshop

• Generic Methodology Guide• Example Results Tree (PPT)



50

Volunteerism for Development Results Workshop

Volunteerism for Development Results WorkshopExample workshop scheduleThe following is an example of a workshop schedule for a two-day workshop programme.

Day Time Session

Day 1 Morning1. Introductions2. Workshop Introduction & Objectives3. Tool 3: Exploring our understanding of volunteerism for development

Break

4. Tool 4: Results Tree exercise

Lunch

Afternoon5. Tool 5: Pulling together an analysis of overall key achievements, challenges and lessons

Day Time Session

Day 2 Morning6. Recap of Day 17. Tool 6: Distillation of progress against organizational/corporate goals

Break

8. Tool 7: External Feedback9. Tool 8: Developing a vision for the future10. Tool 9: Key recommendations

List of ToolsTOOL 1: VOLUNTEER SELF REFLECTION ..............................................................................................................................................57TOOL 2: REFLECTION FOR PARTNERS ATTENDING A WORKSHOP ........................................................................................58TOOL 3: EXPLORING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF VOLUNTEERISM FOR DEVELOPMENT ...............................................59TOOL 4: THE RESULTS TREE ......................................................................................................................................................................60TOOL 5: GROUP ANALYSIS OF KEY ACHIEVEMENTS, CHALLENGES AND LESSONS .....................................................62TOOL 6: ASSESSING THE VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTION TO ORGANIZATIONAL/CORPORATE GOALS ...............59TOOL 7: RESULTS MATRIX ...........................................................................................................................................................................64TOOL 8: EXTERNAL FEEDBACK ................................................................................................................................................................65TOOL 9: DEVELOPING A VISION FOR OUR FUTURE WORK – GENERATING RECOMMENDATIONS ..........................67TOOL 10: TIPS FOR WORKSHOP NOTE TAKERS ..............................................................................................................................68




Tool 1: Volunteer Self Reflection

This tool can be used by volunteers as preparation for a review/assessment workshop or meeting. It can also be used by the VIO with their volunteers to monitor the progress of volunteers on an annual basis or towards the end of the volunteer placement.

What is required?All volunteers will prepare a three-four page “reflection note” prior to attending the workshop. In the preparation to the reflection note, volunteers should to the extent possible consult with colleagues, peers and other partners to enrich the information base and analysis. Once finalized, they should send it to the workshop facilitator and VIO project officer/coordinator in their country three weeks in advance of the workshop.

Why a reflection note?The reflection notes will be used as preparation material by the workshop facilitators and as source of information for the workshop report, VIO annual report and for other learning purposes.

What it should includeThe following elements should be included in the reflection note:

1. basic data: • Name• Gender• International or national volunteer• How long you have been working as a Volunteer• What institution/organization are you working with• (other specific information required by the VIO)

2. reflecting back on your work for (name of volunteer organization):• Describe how your work as a volunteer has contributed to xxx (This might be a thematic area of work e.g. youth

participation, governance etc., or more generally the VIO’s own strategic goals in the country). You should focus on your own experience, and on contributions that are attributable to yourself, rather than to the team or institution you work with.

• What have been your three main successes over the last (x) years or since you have been a volunteer? Please give specific examples (and where relevant include numbers, key dates etc.)

• How have these three successes contributed to:• Changes in people’s lives and/or• Changes in the effectiveness of the institution you are working with• Other significant changes (please be specific)• Please describe the challenges/issues you have faced in developing your work (please give specific examples).• What have you learned about how the VIO can most effectively contribute to development effectiveness in this

area (i.e. the area you are working in/focusing on)? • Gender dimensions: What are the most relevant gender issues related to your work? (Please include key

challenges and actions taken to try to overcome gender inequalities in your work).



52

Tool 2: Reflection for partners attending a workshop

This tool can be used by VIOs as preparation for partners attending a review/assessment workshop. It is a useful tool for monitoring and assessing the partnership relationship and how the VIO might best support the partner in the future.

What is required?To make best use of the workshop time, the VIO invites the partners attending the workshop to prepare a case study and/or spend some time to reflect on the contribution of the volunteer and VIO in support of the partners work. The case study should be sent to the workshop facilitator and the VIO project officer/coordinator three weeks in advance of the workshop.

Why a case study?The case studies will be used as preparation material by the workshop facilitators and as background material for corporate reports. They should have a length of three-four pages and have the following contents:

1. basic information:• When did the partnership with the VIO begin?• What type of support/input has the VIO given you?

o Please be specific – examples of support include seed funds (amount), training etc.

2. About your work:• Please briefly describe your organization’s work (e.g. types of activities you are involved in, who you engage with

– other partners, organizations, government etc.)

3. Key successes, challenges and lessons about your work:• What have been the two most important successes of your work with volunteers in the past two years, and

explain why?• What have been the key challenges you have faced in this work, and what has been done to try to address these?• Gender dimensions: what are the most relevant gender issues related to your work with volunteers? (Please

include key challenges and actions taken to try to overcome gender inequalities in your work)• What do you feel has been the VIO’s contribution to your work and in promoting volunteerism for development in

your country?• What have you learnt about how VIO can most effectively contribute to volunteerism for development in the

future?• Any other comments or suggestions you would like to make about the partnership with the VIO.




Tool 3: Exploring our understanding of volunteerism for development

This tool is a good introductory exercise for any workshop exploring the understanding of volunteerism for development.

Purpose: • To enable workshop participants to discuss and develop a common understanding of volunteerism and its key

characteristics. • To surface any tensions or questions that participants may have about volunteerism and its contribution to a

specific thematic area of work and/or development goals.

Materials: Coloured cards, flipchart paper and marker pens

Time: 45 minutes

Steps in the processStep 1: Instruct each participant to spend five minutes on their own reflecting on the following questions:

• What does volunteerism mean to you?• What is your question about volunteerism for development and its contribution to supporting (XXX theme/goal

etc?)

You may need to explain that the question might be something they are expecting the workshop will address, or it might be an expectation, fear etc.

Step 2: Ask participants to form into small buzz groups for 10-15 minutes to share their reflections and key questions. Ask each buzz group to distil their reflections on volunteerism and the key questions, and write these on cards to share back in plenary.

Step 3: First ask each buzz group to provide one definition of volunteerism and one key question. Write these up on a flipchart. Check to see if there are any additional definitions and questions and then open up the discussion. Ask participants to share their thoughts and reflections on what has been shared. Look for common themes and questions emerging.

Note: You may want to follow this exercise with a more formal presentation on the theme of the workshop. This might include a brief summary of the VIO’s understanding of volunteerism, their programme goals etc.



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Tool 4: The Results Tree

Images can be a very powerful tool for supporting critical reflection and learning. For example a tree is a universally recognized symbol, which people can use to explore issues or processes from a new angle5. The Results Tree exercise was developed to support volunteers in exploring their individual experience of volunteering. It was also adapted for workshops with a wide participation of partners.

Purpose:• To provide space for volunteers to reflect on their experiences (achievements and challenges) in their placement/

project.• For the group to peer review the experience of the volunteer and further deepen an analysis of the findings and

results.

Materials: Flipchart paper, coloured pens or crayons

Time: This will depend on the number of volunteers. The whole exercise, including peer review, can take up a whole morning.

Steps in the processStep 1: Ask the volunteer to draw a picture of a tree that will represent their experience of working for the VIO over the past (two) years. They can be as creative as they like but the tree has to include:

• Roots: These are the experiences and skills you bring to your work as a volunteer. They include your values and the reasons why you have chosen to become a volunteer. You don’t have to put all of this down, but it does connect to the theme of volunteerism as a development asset and the contribution that individuals make to development through voluntary action.

• Trunk: The institutions and organizations you are working with.• Branches: The key activities that you are directly involved in (and that contribute towards the theme of the

workshop).• Buds: These represent your key successes.• Fruits: These represent the results of your successes e.g. changes in peoples’ lives, changes in the

effectiveness of the institutions you are working with and/or other significant changes. You can indicate the significance of the results by the size of the fruit. This is about the difference volunteers are making and how that is contributing to positive changes in people’s lives - economically, socially, culturally, politically and psychologically.

But we also want to hear about your key disappointments, missed opportunities and the challenges you face in your work

• Broken branches lying on the ground: These represent disappointments and/or missed opportunities.• Tree environment: This represents the factors that support and/or hinder your work and the results you are

striving to achieve. These may be internal factors or external factors.

Step 2: Ask the volunteers and participants to form into small groups.

Step 3: Each volunteer has 10 minutes to share his or her tree. After the 10 minutes there will be 15 minutes of questions and further discussion of the experience with the other volunteers and participants. The purpose is to get a better understanding of the key results and achievements that the volunteer has contributed to.

Step 4: Once all the volunteers have shared their trees you may open up the discussion and see if the group has any further thoughts and questions regarding the volunteer experiences.

5 Ref: Communication and Power, Reflect Practical Resource Materials, 2003




Step 5: At the end of the sharing sessions each volunteer has to choose two specific fruit examples (i.e. specific results that they are working on and most proud of). Ask the volunteers to please write these examples on cards and keep them. They will need the cards for another exercise exploring the overall contribution of volunteerism. (See Tool 7)

Notes• Group facilitator: Your role will be to ensure that the group keeps to the time frames allocated for the sharing

and feedback.• Participant observers: Your role is to both listen and make notes of any salient points that you would like to hear

more about or probe further, but you will not ask questions or make comments until the story telling process has finished.

• Note takers: Your role is to both listen and take notes of any salient points that arise from both the sharing session and discussions that follow, e.g. key achievements and examples of good practices and approaches, significant changes and results (people, institutions, practices etc.), how these results have been achieved, and what UNV’s role and contribution has been. Note also challenges and issues, and how these have been overcome or not.



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Tool 5: Group analysis of key achievements, challenges and lessons

This tool can be used to support groups to collectively discuss and deepen their analysis and understanding of key achievements, challenges and lessons. This exercise should build on previous group work where individual activities and experiences have been shared and discussed. It could also follow on from a more formal presentation or feedback session where findings have been presented.

Purpose• To pull together findings and to deepen the analysis from the previous sessions (See Tool 4) • To draw out overall key achievements, challenges and lessons

Materials: Flipchart paper, coloured cards and marker pens

Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Steps in the processStep 1: Ask the participants to reconvene into their groups from the previous session. (If using this tool after a more formal presentation, you can just divide participants into three-four groups of approximately six people per group). Each group nominates a facilitator and a rapporteur.

Step 2: Ask each participant to reflect on the experiences and discussions with the volunteers during the previous session.

Step 3: Individual: First spend 10 minutes individually writing on cards (ask participants to write each point onto a separate card):

1. What key activities have worked well and contributed most to the theme/goal and why?2. What are the three main key achievements/examples of work that have made the most significant difference to

people’s lives (be specific) and why?3. What are the three main key challenges?4. What are the three main key lessons?

It is useful to write the above questions on a flipchart so that participants can view them easily.

Step 4: Group work: The Group facilitator will go through each question in turn. Their role will be to prompt and ask useful questions to support the group members in their analysis, and they will ask the group members to call out one or two points from their cards. They will stick the cards onto the flipchart.

Step 5: Once each participant has shared one-two points, the facilitator will cluster the cards and pull out the overall key themes. They should check back with the group that everyone agrees with this interpretation. They should then move onto the next question. Once all questions have been covered the group will review the cards and pull out overall headlines and key points for each question. This will then be shared in plenary session.

Step 6: Plenary: Please choose a rapporteur to report back to plenary (preferably a volunteer). They will have just 15 minutes to give a concise report back on the key points and highlights from the group discussion and analysis. This will be followed by a 10-minute question and answer session.

Step 7: At the end of the feedback session the main facilitator may want to ask participants to share overall impressions of themes emerging from the feedback session. The facilitator should also offer their own analysis of themes emerging or invite another participant to do this, preferably an external stakeholder or someone from the VIO national office or headquarters.




Tool 6: Assessing the volunteers’ contribution to organizational/corporate goals

This tool enables volunteers and their stakeholders to consolidate their analysis of achievements and results and locate this analysis within the context of the organization’s strategic framework. It enables a further iteration of the key results identified by volunteers in the Results Tree exercise (Ref.: Tool 4).

Purpose • To triangulate and consolidate the analysis of the volunteers’ achievements and results• To assess how the work of the volunteers and volunteerism contributes to achieving the VIO’s strategic goals

and/or broader development goals

Materials: Volunteers will need the two fruits they picked from their Results Tree (Tool 4), coloured cards, pens and masking tape

Time: Up to 3 hours

Steps in the processStep 1: Ask the volunteers to spend 5-10 minutes reviewing their two fruits from the Results Tree session. Volunteers will put the name of the country on the cards and add any relevant information e.g. quantitative information, stakeholders, approach, methods and areas of good practice, results (be specific) and any lessons.

Step 2: Divide the participants into three groups. Try and mix up the volunteers and participants so that they are not working with the same group members as in previous sessions. Ensure the volunteers and external stakeholders are spread evenly between the three groups.

Step 3: One hour will be spent reviewing the volunteer fruits and key results. Each volunteer will spend about five minutes explaining his or her two fruits to the group. The group members can ask questions and probe further. The idea is to deepen the groups’ understanding of the types of results volunteers are contributing to and what best practice and lessons can be drawn from these achievements.

Step 4: After one hour the groups will have a short break. When the groups reconvene they will listen to a short presentation on the overarching corporate framework in which to locate the analysis and contribution of the volunteers. These might be programmatic goals or broader development goals. The groups are then asked to think about how the specific achievements of the volunteers are contributing towards these goals. For the results workshops, a simple matrix was used. A version of this matrix can be found on the next page.

Step 5: Each group will spend approx. 20 minutes exploring where they think their fruit/key result might fit under each goal (the facilitator should have a handout of these). Participants shouldn’t worry if they feel the examples cross into more than one goal/category. The main thing is to explore further how their work is contributing to longer-term organizational/corporate goals.

Step 6: The facilitator will have drawn a large matrix per group on the floor (using masking tape). Volunteers can then place their cards on the goals that they feel their work contributes to the most. Once all the cards have been placed, ask the participants to walk around to the other groups’ matrix to review their results.

Step 7: Ask participants to return to plenary. Invite any reflections or observations regarding the types of activities and results and the goals that volunteers seem to be contributing most/least to and why. Nominate someone in each group to capture the group discussion and results of the matrix session.



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Tool 7: Results Matrix

This tool can be used to support volunteers to think about their work and how it contributes to longer-term development goals. The matrix can be used by the VIO to also explore how the work of the volunteer is contributing to the organization’s overall strategic framework. In the results workshops, Tool 7 was used together with Tool 6.

How to use the matrixUse the first column to list the goals or areas of change that you are hoping to contribute to. Volunteers can place their cards (fruit/key results) on the columns and goal that they feel best represents their achievement. The aim is not to talk up one’s work but to stimulate a further discussion on the areas of change that volunteers contribute towards.

Volunteers’ distinctive contribution – scoring exercise

GOALS(Areas of change)

Work just beginning, new activities starting

up 6

Foundations in place, concrete outputs

evident 7

Change has taken place, results are clear

and evident 8

Significant results & cumulative

contribution are evident 9

- Goal 1

- Goal 2

- Goal 3

Etc.

6 These are new activities that volunteers/VIO programmes are directly involved in starting up.7 These are the effects that are directly attributable to the volunteer or the project/programme, i.e. outputs that are directly attributable to the volunteer or the project/programme.8 These are the outcomes to which volunteers contribute through working with different stakeholders.9 This is the cumulative contribution of the volunteer involvement to higher level goals, together with other stakeholders (volunteering partnership).




Tool 8: External Feedback

Involving external stakeholders in your assessment process is one way to support volunteers and the VIO to critically review their achievements, lessons and challenges. External stakeholders might include partners, community representatives, government and other key stakeholders. You might also involve peers from other VIOs and/or key informants who can bring fresh perspectives and insights based on their areas of knowledge and expertise. The UNV results workshops were designed so that external ‘Resource People’ familiar with the work of UNV and specialists in the thematic areas of work under review would provide critical feedback and peer review of UNV’s work, therefore verifying or contradicting the achievements suggested by the UN Volunteers themselves.

In the following, we provide some ideas on how you might involve a small number of ‘Key Resource’ people in your assessment workshop.

Purpose:• To draw out the volunteers’ achievements, challenges and lessons• To triangulate and/or get critical feedback on the VIO’s work from an “external” perspective• To see how the work of the volunteers has contributed to the VIO’s strategic goals

Step 1: You should decide at least 6-8 weeks before the workshop who to invite. Send an invitation letter explaining the objectives of the workshop and the role the external resource person will play during the workshop. For example, the external resource people for the results workshop were asked to take part in the two-day workshop and to give feedback on the last day. UNV specifically asked for feedback on the following:

• Feedback/validation/critique of UNV’s analysis of their achievements, challenges and lessons, including gender dimensions and issues related to UNV’s work (to be drawn from day one of the workshop).

• Their thoughts on how UNV could improve its contribution to development effectiveness in the subject area XXX.• Their own perspective on current debates and future trends in volunteerism for development and the subject area

XXXX, which helps to inform UNV’s future work.

Step 2: Once the external resource person has accepted your invitation, be sure that you liaise with them regarding transport, what you’ll be covering in terms of costs etc. It is a good idea to phone them at least a week before the workshop starts to brief them again on their expected role.

Step 3: The external resource people will take part in all the group and plenary discussions. They will listen to the experiences of the partners and volunteers and help to deepen their analysis by asking challenging and insightful questions, and sharing their own insights and perspectives regarding the themes/areas of work under discussion.

Step 4: Towards the end of the workshop, the external resource people give their feedback and perspectives. For the UNV results workshops, we did this through Panel Discussions. Each key resource person had 15 minutes to present their critical reflections on the theme, followed by a 15 minutes question and answer session. At the end of the feedback session there was a plenary discussion.

Step 5: Ask the external resource people for copies of their presentations or notes (if possible).

Step 6: And finally, don’t forget to send a thank you letter or email to the resource people for their valuable support and contribution soon after the end of the workshop, as well as, once finalized, the workshop summary report. We recommend you also ask them for feedback on the draft workshop report prior to its finalization.



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Tool 9: Developing a vision for our future work – generating recommendations

At the end of an assessment workshop the group is usually at the point where they begin to formulate recommendations and actions. A good way to give people a sense of something to move toward and to generate creative thinking and encouragement is to conduct a short visioning exercise. You can follow this with a recommendations and actions session.

Purpose:• To generate a common goal, and a sense of working together to achieve that goal• To generate creative thinking and encouragement• To offer the possibility of fundamental change

Materials: Cards and pens

Time: 10-15 minutes

Steps in the processStep 1: Ask participants to close their eyes. Get them to imagine they are seeing the VIO two years into the future. Ask them:

• What type of work will the VIO be doing?• Who will the VIO be working with?• What will be your approaches and ways of working? How will you be working?• How will the VIO be working with the volunteers? How will they be feeling?• What will you be known for? What might you hear others saying about your work (Your key stakeholders: the

government, partners, donors, beneficiaries) at the local, regional, national and international level?• What impact will the VIO have made?

Step 2: Explain to the participants that this is a personal reflection. They do not necessarily have to share it. Ask the participants to individually reflect on the following question:

• What does the VIO need to do to ensure they make the biggest contribution to development in the future?

Step 3: Ask each participant to spend five minutes writing three recommendations per question on a post-it note or card. The questions are:

1. What should the VIO start doing or do more of?2. What should the VIO stop doing or do differently in the future?3. Any other recommendations for the VIO?

Step 4: Write up each question on a separate flipchart paper. Get participants to put up their recommendations on the flipchart paper. The facilitators should attempt to cluster the cards and consolidate the recommendations. Spend five minutes reviewing each question.

Step 5: Invite someone from the VIO country office or VIO HQ (if present at the workshop) to respond to the recommendations and explain what will happen next.

Step 6: Make sure someone writes up the consolidated key recommendations. These will be included in the workshop report.




Tool 10: Tips for workshop note takers

Capturing the key points and rich discussions that take place during a workshop is always challenging. Here are some tips to make your note taking more useful and valuable to you.

• Be clear why you are taking the notes: It is important to be clear why you are taking the notes in the first place. It might be for the workshop report, to write up a case study or for record keeping purposes only. It helps to have this in mind to guide you to take the right notes.

• Capture specific examples: It is important to listen out for specific examples. The more information you can pick up regarding the examples, the richer the report will be. E.g. in the Results Tree exercise you would want to note down:

o key outputs and good practices o key achievements and how they have been achieved (most significant changes and outcomes in institu-

tions, people, practices etc.)o key enabling factors (what supports/hinders the work of the volunteer)o key challenges and how they have been addressed (whether problems have or have not been solved) o key ideas around the perspective of partners and volunteers on the roles and contributions of UNV to their

work and to the theme of the workshop • Capture quotes: A workshop report is always more interesting to read when there are quotes from participants

to illustrate a key point. It brings the workshop experience alive to the reader. Remember that when writing up your note you do not need to attribute the quote to a name (issues of confidentiality are important).

• Capture themes: It is important to listen carefully during feedback sessions to capture themes and ideas that emerge. You may want to underline these points as you write.

• Review and summarize: Take a few minutes to review your notes - adding any words or phrases that will make them clearer. The review process will help you remember and make the notes more useful. Once you have reviewed them, take a couple of minutes to note the most important points again.

• Have a format for writing up your notes: It helps to organize your notes if you have a format to work with. Notes need to be objective and clear, and they need to capture the essential points discussed, so they can be a valuable input to the workshop report. When more than one note-taker is participating in the workshop, it is very important to have the same format for the notes. An example is provided below.

Note takers report format - results workshopThe report must include the following points:

• Name of the country• Participants in the group (identify whether they are partners or volunteers)• Good practices (at least two examples)• Key achievements and/or outcomes (areas of significant progress, changes in people’s lives, institutions

etc.) and how they have been achieved, e.g. what activities (outputs) led to these achievements (outcomes) and what long term difference this has made (contribution to development goals). Please give at least two detailed examples of how they have been achieved.

• Most significant contributions by UNV to the country• Key challenges (including specific challenges as a result of UNV)• Key lessons learnt• Specific lessons for UNV• Any recommendations discussed



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APPeNdICeS



63APPENDICES

APPeNdIx 1: GUIde To Cd MATerIALS

Guide to CD Materials

Part 1: The HandbookThe full text of the handbook PDF versionThe full text of the handbook Word version

Part 2: The Pilot Study • The Pilot Study & The Bonn Workshop

Part 3: User Notes• Notes for the volunteers• Notes for the Country Programme Coordinators• Notes for facilitators

Part 4: Key Concepts

• Looking at outputs• Looking at outcomes• Contribution to gender equality and critique regarding the consideration of women in the

MDGs

Part 5: The Broader Context of Our Work

• National Development Goal – Mali Example• National Development Goals – pilot workshop examples• Example chart of the contribution of volunteering to Cambodia’s National Goals• Aggregation Chart from Kenya: Volunteering contribution to the MDGs• The value and principles of the Millennium Declaration• MDG summary table PDF • ODM Français PDF• ODM Español PDF

Part 6: The Assessment Workshops

Part 6.1: Placement Level Assessment Workshop• Placement Level Workshop Participation Form• Volunteer Information Form• Exercise A: Sharing Stories• Exercise B: Reviewing and ranking volunteers’ key activities and outputs• Exercise C: The outcomes of the contribution of volunteering• Exercise D: The volunteers’ overall contribution to development goals• Exercise E: SWOT analysis• Exercise F: Key lessons and recommendations• Example of Story: No More Sleeping! Assessment Level One Workshop, Indonesia• Example of Story: Communications and relationships, UN Volunteer, Vietnam

Part 6.2: Programme Level Assessment Workshop• Programme Level Workshop Participation Form• Volunteer Organization Information Form• Feedback Sheet: Exercise A Sharing key changes and lessons from the Placement Level

Workshops• Feedback Sheet: Exercise B Group 1 – Contribution to National Development Goals• Feedback Sheet: Exercise B Group 2 – Contribution to the MDGs• Feedback Sheet: Exercise C Group 3 – The Contribution of Volunteerism to Development

Goals – Summary of group feedback• Feedback Sheet: Exercise D The Volunteer as a Catalyst for Change• Feedback Sheet: Exercise E1 Group 1 - Factors Supporting and Hindering Change • Feedback Sheet: Exercise E2 Group 2 – Factors Supporting and Hindering Change • Feedback Sheet: Exercise F Action Planning• Example of Story: Programa de jóvenes con la participación popular, Bolivia



64

Guide to CD Materials

Part 6.3: Inter-Organizational Workshop • Placement Level Workshop Participation Form• Volunteer Information Form• Exercise A: Sharing Stories• Exercise B: Reviewing and ranking volunteers’ key activities and outputs• Exercise C: The outcomes of the contribution of volunteering• Exercise D: The volunteers’ overall contribution to development goals• Exercise E: SWOT analysis• Exercise F: Key lessons and recommendations• Example of Story: No More Sleeping! Assessment Level One Workshop, Indonesia• Example of Story: Communications and relationships, UN Volunteer, Vietnam

Part 6.4: International Headquarter workshop • Example Workshop Schedule• Agenda UNV Workshop, Bonn, Germany

Part 7: Volunteerism for development results workshop

• UNV Generic methodology guide and process note• Example Results Tree (PPT)

Part 8: Additional Reading

• OECD Glossary of Key Terms in Evaluation and Results Based Management• Results-based management - Concept and Methodology (UNDP)



65APPENDICES

APPeNdIx 2: GLoSSArYActivities Actions required to achieve objectives

Buzz groups Buzz groups are spontaneously formed teams with a task to be accomplished in a short time

DisaggregateAnalyze data according to different groupings to show differences between certain groups (e.g. gender, age, ethnic group etc.)

Feedback Presenting findings

GoalThe overall development objective to which a set of interventions will contribute. Goals are statements of intended future changes in relation to the key problem or issue to be addressed. The timeframe for achieving the goal will often be much longer than the intervention period.

ImpactThe wider, significant changes that have accrued (positive and negative – intended and unintended) as a result of a given set of interventions.

Impact Assessment

Understanding the wider intended and unintended changes brought about as a result of a given intervention and the different effects of these changes on women, men, girls and boys. Impact Assessment also involves understanding how and to what extent development interventions influence the socio-economic and political situation of a society.

Inputs Resources invested in an activity or process

Intervention External or internal action intended to influence or change a situation

Logical Frameworks

Management tool used to improve the design of interventions, most often at the project level. It involves identifying strategic elements (inputs, outputs, outcomes and impact) and their causal relationships, indicators, and the assumptions and risks that may influence success and failure. It thus facilitates planning, execution and evaluation of a development intervention.

Outcome The effects or visible results of an activity or intervention

ObjectiveWhat we want to achieve; the desired outcome of an activity. They are a level down from a goal. Objectives are statements that describe in clear terms the intended changes or steps that the intervention will take towards achieving the overall goal.

OutputThe immediate and specific results of the input – this is typically (but not necessarily) quantifiable.

StakeholdersLiterally the individuals, organizations or categories of people who have a ‘stake’ or an interest in the work. These include both internal and external stakeholders.



66

APPeNdIx 3: ACroNYMSCBO Community Based OrganizationCSO Civil Society OrganizationECOSOC Economic and Social CouncilHQ HeadquartersINGO International Non-Governmental OrganizationLFA Logical Framework Analysis MDG Millennium Development GoalNDG National Development GoalNGO/INGO Non-Governmental Organization/ International Non-Governmental OrganizationOECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentPPT PowerPoint presentation (Microsoft)PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy PaperUNCT United Nations Country TeamUNDAF United Nations Development Assistance FrameworkUNDP United Nations Development ProgrammeUNV United Nations VolunteersVIO Volunteer Involving OrganizationVSO Voluntary Service Overseas



67APPENDICES

APPeNdIx 4: SeLeCTed BIBLIoGrAPHYAustralian Volunteers International (2005): Monitoring and Evaluation Framework Australian Volunteers International

CCI (2005) : Les visages du changement. Des partenariats qui transforment le monde, Rapport Annuel, Carrefour Canadien International. Available at: www.cciorg.ca

CCI (2005) : Documents provisoires sur l’évaluation de l’impact

Coulibaly, Anna et Sidibé Moussa (2003) : Analyse Sociologique du Volontariat pour la Promotion du Développement Durable au Mali. Cas du PNUD Mémoire de Maîtrise, Faculté des Lettres, Langues, Arts et Sciences Humaines, Université de Bamako, Mali

DFID (2001): Partnership Programme Agreement between UK Department for International Development and Voluntary Service Overseas

DED (2004): Appraisal (Planning), Monitoring and Evaluation (P, M&E) of Development Worker Placements, DED-Handbuch Band 1, Deutscher EntwicklungsDienst, Bonn

Erdenechimeg, Tserendorjiin et al (2005): Study of the Effects of the National United Nation’s Volunteers Program in Mongolia. Research Report Centre for Social Development, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Fofanah, James (2004): The Impact of UN volunteers in Promoting Reintegration and Reconciliation in Communities in Sierra Leone, Dissertation for MSc in International Development and Training, CIDT, University of Wolverhampton

Davies, Rick & Dart, Jessica, (2005): Most Significant Change Guide, http://www.mande.co.uk/docs/MSCGuide.pdf

Gosling, Louise (1995): Toolkits: A practical Guide to Assessment, Monitoring, Review and Evaluation, Save the Children

Haynes, R. (2006): Impact Assessment in Skillshare International: A Conceptual Framework. Final Report for MSc (Development Management) Programme, Open University

JICA / JOCV (2005): JICA Volunteer Program Evaluation

JICA / JOCV (2006): Evaluation on Volunteer Program (Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers): Cases of Malawi, Vanuatu and Honduras

Pretty J, Guijt I, Thompson J and Scones I (1995): Participatory Learning and Action: A trainer’s guide, IIED

Kane,Thierno et al (2004): UNV Programme in Burkina Faso. Country Review

Mondesire, Alicia (2001): Support to Gender Mainstreaming. Report on Pilot Project. Project Document GLO/97/V03 for UNV/UNDP/UNIFEM

Neighbourhood Initiatives Enterprises (1999): Planning For Real. A Users Guide

Randel, Judith et al (2004): International volunteering: trends, added value and social capital Development Initiatives for Forum



68

Returned Volunteer Action (1995): The Development and Volunteering Collection

Returned Volunteer Action (1995): Skills Transfer: Myth or Mission

Returned Volunteer Action (1989-90): Evaluation Questionnaire Survey covering the Overseas Programme of VSO and CIIR

Rieffel, Lex (2003): Reconsidering the Peace Corps Policy Brief 127, The Brookings Institution. Article available at: www.brook.edu/comm/policybriefs/pb127.htm

Roche, C (1999): Impact Assessment for Development Agencies, Learning to Value Change, Oxfam Development Guideline

Skillshare International (2005): Corporate Strategy 2005-2010

Slagman, Trine Olsen et al (2005): Change Agents for Development. A study of individual and social results of the FK exchange program Kulturell Dialog for Fredskorpset, Oslo

Smutylo, Terry (2005): Outcome Mapping: A method for tracking behavioural changes in development programs, ILAC Brief 7, August 2005, www.idrc.ca/evaluation

Start, Daniel and Hovland, Ingie (2004): Tools for Policy Impact: A Handbook for Researchers Overseas Development Institute, London

Tabapssi, Timothée (2006) : Enquête en vue de la mesure de l’impact du tourisme et des activités des volontaires des Nations Unies à Sangha en Pays Dogon, Mali, VNU / PNUD

UNDP Albania (2005): The Role of Civil Society and Volunteerism in Promoting the Pro-Poor and Pro-Women Agenda Chapter 8, National Human Development Report, www.worldvolunteerweb.org/mdgs/

UNDP (2005): UNDP Draft Evaluation Policy

United Nations Evaluation Group (2005): Norms and Standards for Evaluation in the UN System

UNV (2001): Expert Working Group Meeting on Volunteering and Social Development, New York 29-30th November 1999

UNV (2001): Measuring Volunteering. A Practical Toolkit

UNV (2002): Volunteerism and Capacity Development

UNV (2003): Volunteers and the Millennium Development Goals, UNV, Civicus, IAVE

UNV (2005): Guidance note on the fundamental principles of participation in UNV, UNV Intranet

UNV (2006): Reports of the UNV Results Workshops for Bolivia, Cambodia and Mali

Volunteering Ireland (2006): Fact Sheet 20 Facts about volunteering in Ireland, www.volunteeringireland.ie



69APPENDICES

APPeNdIx 5: ACKNowLedGeMeNTSUNV Country Programme Coordinators:

Koen Acoleyn, Vietnam Gateane Scavée, BoliviaRuby Banez, Cambodia Sharmini Sherrard, KosovoStefano Cordello, Syria Virginia Tumagole, BotswanaFatou Ndiaye Diop, Kenya Abigail Wilmer, MongoliaAidan Leavy, Guatemala Paul Wilson, IndonesiaHugh Salmon, Kyrzyg Republic Salifou Yaye, Mali

Participants from pilot workshops (2006) in: Bolivia, Botswana, Cambodia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Mali, Mongolia, Syria, Vietnam:

UN Volunteers Representatives from Volunteer Involving OrganizationsRepresentatives from Civil Society OrganizationsRepresentatives from UNV, UNDP, other UN AgenciesGovernment Representatives

FORUM Representatives:Anne Gardner, Canadian Crossroads International CCI Rachel Haynes, Skillshare International SKIRussell Hocking, Australian Volunteers International AVI Jessica Lowe, FORUM CoordinatorRyuichi Nasu, Japan Overseas Co-operation Volunteers JOCV Doris Popp, German Development Agency DED Peter Swain, Volunteer Service Abroad VSA

United Nations Staff:Edmund Bengtsson, UNV Evaluation UnitMae Chao, Research & Development, UNV Ana Cristina Guimaraes Matos, UNV Evaluation UnitCaspar Merkle, UNV Evaluation UnitRuby Sandhu-Rojon, Africa Section, UNV Robert Toé, UNV Evaluation UnitKatrin von der Mosel, UNV Evaluation UnitSukai Prom-Jackson, Evaluation Office, UNDPJoyce Yu, Deputy Executive Coordinator, UNV

Online Volunteer: Anum Murtaza



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This handbook describes a methodology to assess the contribution of volunteering to development, and to support learning amongst volunteers and between Volunteer Involving Organizations (VIOs). The methodology supports the analysis of the effects of volunteering at different levels, while answering the following key questions:

• What contribution does volunteering make to development, and how? • What factors help or hinder the volunteering contribution?• What is the added value of volunteering? • How is volunteering perceived by stakeholders and partner organizations?• What lessons can be learned and how can they be used to enhance

development planning?

These questions are asked in a series of participatory workshops that are designed to systematically reflect on results achieved and to share learning and experiences.

The handbook and CD provide practical guidance, exercises and templates to allow tailoring of the methodology to your own requirements.

www.unvolunteers.orgUnited Nations Volunteers, UN Campus, PO Box 260 111, 53153 Bonn, Germany

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August 2011

United Nations VolunteersUN Campus, PO Box 260 111, 53153 Bonn, Germany

www.unvolunteers.org

Assessing The ConTribuTion of VolunTeering To DeVelopmenT