Description
This project aims to promote volunteerism, a practice that is very limited in Greece. The project promoter will research and implement best practices in volunteers’ management and will strengthen its organizational structure. The organization is involved in advocacy for consumers’ rights, and will be transferring the knowledge and best practices that will result from the project to other NGOs involved in similar activities, thus maximizing its impact. These will be achieved by organizing a 'department for volunteers’ at EKPIZO and by developing flexible tools aimed at optimizing their management, such as the adoption of international best practices and the development of an open source internet platform for volunteers management. There will also be joint pilot actions with EKPIZO and students of the University of Economics, intended to implement-assess-review the volunteers’ management developed procedures.
Summary of project results
EKPIZO’s tasks are largely carried out by volunteers. In the daily work with them, deficiencies that hindered the full utilization of their work and problems in their proper management were identified. The need of a person exclusively responsible for volunteers recruitment- training- follow up –evaluation was also identified. In trying to solve these problems, it was found necessary to make use of new technologies, which would uniquely facilitate the management of volunteers, strengthen EKPIZO’s capacities, the effectiveness of its work and in general, volunteerism in Greece. The project supported EKPIZO’s organizational structure and capacity to properly and effectively manage its volunteers; its staff members were trained in the use of the online platform, while it is expected to also strengthen the organizational structure and capacity of other NGOs by making the open code software for the management of volunteers available for free as well as conducting a study on good volunteers’ management practices by NGOs active in Greece. During the project, an EKPIZO Volunteers Department was established based on two studies of the Athens Economic University (study on good volunteers’ management practices by NGOs active in Greece and on creating a standard volunteer management system tailored for EKPIZO). An on line platform (open-source software) for managing volunteers was developed; EKPIZO’s website was upgraded and interfaced with the above mentioned platform. The study on best practices of NGOs and the open code software, were designed from the outset to adapt to the specific requirements of NGOs, and were offered to them for free. The project exceeded its initial objectives. 16. 671 people benefited directly and 4.129 indirectly. 45 new volunteers were attracted producing important work necessary to EKPIZO, such as translations, communication strategy development intended for members-consumers-journalists-social media; infographics development, elaboration of the existing consumer education material, legal issues’ studies followed by respective surveys, and organization of events. A joint pilot activity (EKPIZO and students of the Athens University of Economics) was carried out aiming at implementing and assessing volunteers’ management procedures. Finally, EKPIZO’s website attracted 7.026 new visitors.
Summary of bilateral results