Description
Provisional NGO sector research indicated that „development of a system to support volunteering as a process is necessary for fostering of volunteering in Lithuania“. Such system enables promotion of volunteering and creates sustainability, motivates volunteers and improves NGO skills in coordination of the process. Project aims to foster active citizenship through development of NGO competences in work with volunteers and mobilising young people for long-term volunteering. Project shall introduce Social Volunteering Year methodology, based on well-known German model Freiwilliges Soziales Jahr. It shall be used for establishment of long-term volunteering structure in the NGOs, including legal and administrative management, and training of volunteers. Social Action shall organize open trainings for 15 NGOs, followed by 12 internal trainings how to attract, retain and motivate volunteers. Complementary supervisions and consultations shall ensure sustainable involvement of new volunteer group to long-term (from 6-12 months) volunteering. Target groups and beneficiaries: NGOs, volunteers, society at large.
Summary of project results
The survey of NGO sector commissioned by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour (2011) revealed that in terms of development of voluntary activities it is necessary to develop a system that supports volunteering as a process. It is as well essential to create a structure that would foster volunteerism and would encourage volunteers to stay in the organization, motivate them to reflect and promote development of skills of NGOs to coordinate volunteer work. Another few studies highlighted the discrepancy between the possibilities/opportunities volunteers may offer to NGOs and what they can receive in turn as well as what they are needed most for. It may be stated that the organizations are somewhat not ready or not strong enough to properly engage volunteers into their activities. The study also found that 34 percent of the respondents haven’t participated in volunteering activities because no one ever proposed to do that. The key purpose of the project was to enable regional NGOs to work with volunteers using the support programme “Social Volunteering Year“ (SVY). The following results were achieved during the project: - Methodology “Guide for work with Youth volunteering programme” based on volunteers‘ support programme “Social Volunteering Year“(SVY) was developed and published. - 16 representatives from 10 NGOs were trained on application of the methodology during the extensive 3-day training course. - Another 12 one-day rapid trainings to NGOs on application of methodology were organized. - 20 individual consultations were provided for organization in urgent need of assistance regarding issues related to volunteering (each lasting not less than 1,5 h). - Two sessions of group supervision were implemented in two Vilnius regions (in total 20 supervision meeting, 5 hours each). - Articles representing best practices of organizations working with volunteers were published in different media channels. - Conference-discussion about volunteering was organized. - 5 years strategic plan of “Social action” was developed. - 10 supervision meetings were made with the team of project promoter in order to strengthen the team. - 10 individual supervision meetings for director of “Social action” was made - Three 2-days motivational seminars organized for 12 long term volunteers. - 12 group meetings for 12 long term volunteers were organized. - 12 individual consultations for 12 long term volunteers in crisis situations were organized.
Summary of bilateral results