INSTITUTIONAL PARTICIPATION OF VOLUNTEERS IN THE RED CROSS

Transcription

1 Guidelines Participation in the electoral process INSTITUTIONAL PARTICIPATION OF VOLUNTEERS IN THE RED CROSS Institutional Participation Participation in organs of governance, advice and control Representation of the Red Cross at external fora 1

2 CONTENTS 1. Justification 2. Introduction 3. Institutional Participation in the Spanish Red Cross 4. Preliminary conceptual consideration: Local, Regional or Island Assemblies 5. Considerations on Institutional Participation 6. The democratic nature of the Red Cross 7. Distribution of responsibilities within the scope of Institutional Participation 8. Best practices in Institutional Participation: Actions aimed at promoting the Institutional Participation of volunteers in the Spanish Red Cross CATEGORY A: Initiatives focusing on the promotion of the acquisition of responsibilities by volunteers CATEGORY B: Initiatives focusing on the promotion of the election process CATEGORY C: Initiatives focusing on promoting greater proximity of the Local Committee. 2

3 1. Rationale The Red Cross is a volunteer organization. Above all else, volunteers are people with an interest in solidarity and altruistic motivations, a need for social contact and recognition who decide, in return for nothing tangible, to donate part of their time, attitudes and skills to an organization dealing with a series of needs that are attempted to be met through organized voluntary action. These individuals perceive social injustices and specific problems affecting real people, problems that somebody has to do something about. But not just that, they also decide to step up in the conviction that they can form part of the solution. As we shall see later in these guidelines, Non-Governmental or Not-for-Profit Organizations (NGO/NPO) within democratic states have the duty to foster, encourage and boost internal democracy, as well as offer effective access to decision-making. An added value in the Spanish Red Cross is that the organization has not only completely interiorized this need, but has also clearly identified three different, yet complementary, routes to make sure that the fact of being a volunteer in our Institution does not necessarily mean engaging exclusively in carrying out voluntary action with third parties in situations of vulnerability. It is clear that a person showing the desire to undertake voluntary action in an organization does so basically to contribute to improving the quality of life of individuals, however, once that person is integrated into the NGO/NPO, it is the duty of the organization to offer him or her different possibilities for internal participation that contribute to personal growth and, of course, also to the advancement of the NGO itself. These three routes mentioned above are participation in activities, participation in the life of the association, and Institutional Participation. The fact that these three routes have been identified is extremely important, as it allows the design of actions aimed at boosting and promoting them systematically. Participation in activities, generally speaking, is one of the first routes by which volunteers in the Red Cross access decision-making. The ultimate aim of this type of participation is for volunteers to play an active role in the identification of the needs arising in their surroundings, in the formulation or expression of those needs and in the execution and evaluation of the actions undertaken by the organization. Participation in the life of the association basically focuses on the organization of leisure activities, free time, thing about and fostering the Fundamental Principles, organized mainly by volunteers. And finally, Institutional Participation, a more formal kind of participation insofar as it is regulated by the rules of the Spanish Red Cross. As years go by, the organization consolidates volunteer-led initiatives with the goal of increasing internal participation and their degree of affective ties with the Red Cross. It is precisely with this goal that we present the collection of guidelines for Participation of Volunteers in the Red Cross, a collection comprising four publications: Guide for the participation of volunteers in the Red Cross s activities. Guide for the participation of volunteers in the life of the Red Cross as an association. 3

4 Guide for the participation of volunteers in the Red Cross as an Institution. Guide for the recognition of volunteers in the Red Cross. The guidelines you are reading (the Guidelines for Institutional Participation of Volunteers in the Red Cross) focus on describing the concepts and making proposals aimed at fostering this participation route and are basically aimed at territorial volunteer leaders or those with local responsibility for participation. We hope you find it useful. 4

5 2. Introduction Sometimes individually, but particularly through organizations based on solidarity and altruism, citizens play a more and more important role in the satisfaction of general interests, especially in the eradication of marginalization situations. Voluntary service is the fundamental manifestation of this reality, as the basic instrument for the improvement of civil society by carrying out a very active function in the design and execution of social policies. These ideas are contained in the basic norms of the Red Cross. The importance of voluntary service is proclaimed in the Institution s Fundamental Principles (article 2 of the Statutes) and its fundamental goal (article 5 of the General Organic Regulations). These ideas have a starting point that has already been taken on board in our country since the institution of democracy: constitutional rights and freedoms. Some of these rights, contained in Chapter II of the Spanish Constitution, stipulate: The right to free association and meeting for peaceful purposes. The right not to be obliged to perform forced or compulsory labour. The right to participate actively in the political, economic, cultural and social life of the country. The right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. The right to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms. Without these freedoms it would be extremely difficult to imagine voluntary service as we know it in our country at the present time. These rights are combined with public recognition of the figure of volunteers, made explicit in Spain s Voluntary Service Act in 1996, the law constituting the main regulatory framework for voluntary service and the actions of volunteers in our country, together with the legislative corpus on voluntary service in the various Regions. The Institutional Participation of the Red Cross s members in its operation is the subject of these guidelines, understood as the formal participation of volunteers and donors in the Red Cross, a participation regulated by the institution s basic norms (Statutes and Organic Regulations). 5

6 3. Institutional Participation in the Spanish Red Cross The Statutes of the Red Cross establish as one of its goals the promotion of voluntary unpaid participation by its members in the Institution s activities for the achievement of its purposes (article 5.1.8). This voluntary participation in the Red Cross is bidirectional and two-fold: A) Participation is bidirectional because it is aimed at both society and the Red Cross itself. It is aimed at society since volunteers collaborate in the formulation and execution of the humanitarian activities of the Red Cross. Although this external action by volunteers is the most visible sign of their activities, this is complemented by another no less important: their internal actions vis-à-vis the Institution itself, of fundamental importance for the strengthening and development of the association. B) Participation is two-fold, comprising both formal and informal aspects. Informally, volunteers interact, spontaneously and every day, with their colleagues and with those responsible in the Institution at the level and work group corresponding to their activity. Among the volunteers, this relationship naturally gives rise, on the one hand, to a sense of solidarity with the Institution and, on the other, the evaluation of the needs it responds to and how it is doing so For this reason it can be said that: Participation, apart from ensuring the realization of the activities inherent to the Red Cross, contributes to the development of the association and the strengthening of the Institution. Participation is a fundamental element for the Institution s growth. Those with responsibility in the Red Cross must enhance this feeling among volunteers of belonging to the Institution, engaging them in its operation. In short, strengthening participation. Participation is so important that it even overflows out of the very framework for volunteers collaboration, involving the groups benefiting from the different programmes in the adoption of decisions and in the funding of services, and thus reinforcing the ability of the most vulnerable individuals to help themselves. This has been established in the document on the Characteristics of a well-functioning National Society (Tansley Report from 1975), without any Red Cross or Red Crescent Society being exempt from complying with these, as stated in that document. In short, the Institution establishes a series of possibilities with regard to the participation of volunteers, opening up routes for their participation whereby volunteers can decide on basic core aspects of the Red Cross. It will be up to the volunteers, depending on their interests and possibilities, to assume, to a greater or lesser extent, the level of their ties with the organization. It is not just that people are in the Red Cross, but that they feel they are the Red Cross. 6

7 In this way, the Spanish Red Cross structures the ties of volunteers in terms of participation on three distinct levels: 1. Participation in activities. 2. Participation in the life of the association. 3. Institutional Participation. Institutional Participation constitutes the formal participation by volunteers in the Institution s operation. This meaning of participation incorporates three key elements: 1. Participation in elections, structured within the regulatory framework of the Red Cross (Statutes and General Organic Regulations) by establishing that volunteers can and must have democratic access to the statutory bodies of the Institution, namely: i. Participation organs: Local, Regional and Island Assemblies. ii. Governance organs: the President of the Spanish Red Cross, the General Assembly and the Committees for their various areas. iii. Advisory and supervisory organs: the Finance Commission and the Commission for the Guarantee of Rights and Duties, or the Good Governance Commission. 2. The exercise of the different posts and functions, and the responsibilities inherent to these, by the members of the Institution who have been chosen through the electoral process to form the organs of governance, advice and supervision of the organization during their term of office. 3. External representation of the Red Cross by members of the organization in external discussion fora, platforms, co-ordinators or councils grouping together the players from different not-for-profit organizations with a view to advocate, defend or promote components or aspects relating to the third sector. 7

8 Participation in the electoral process Institutional Participation Participation in organs of governance, advice and control Representation of the Red Cross at external fora To conclude, and after everything that has been said, if we have to offer a definition of Institutional Participation, it could be summed up as follows: Participation of volunteers in the governance and management of the Institution, formally regulated by the Statutes and General Organic Regulations of the Spanish Red Cross, comprising participation in elections, exercise of positions and functions, and the responsibilities inherent to these, as well as the representation of the Red Cross by members of the organization at external fora. 8

9 4. Preliminary conceptual consideration: Local, Regional or Island Assemblies The Local, Regional or Island Assemblies constitute the basic organ for participation by all members (donors and volunteers) of the Spanish Red Cross in their respective territorial scope. Therefore, these participation organs comprise all of the members in that territory, obviously including volunteers within the term members. This is why the name habitually used to designate these Local, Regional or Island scopes is that of Assembly, as the organ for the participation of volunteers (as well as donors). Furthermore, it is important to stress that the Local Assemblies, as participatory bodies, are convened by the President of the Local Committee at his or her own initiative or at the request of a majority of its members. From the foregoing, the scope within which the members of the Red Cross must be registered is that of the Local, Regional or Island Assembly corresponding to their place of residence. Volunteers are part of a Local Assembly that forms part of the territorial network of the Spanish Red Cross. We have considered it appropriate to include this clarification as most of the actions to be proposed in this handbook are designed to be implemented within the scope of the Local Assemblies. 5. Considerations on Institutional Participation Within the framework of working groups comprising volunteers, on the one hand, and staff employees on the other, held in the Red Cross with a view to extracting valid information about their perceptions and opinions regarding the participation of volunteers in the Institution, one of the conclusions reached was that the information received in connection with the electoral process was described as insufficient. In fact the volunteers who take part in these groups gave the information they had received on the last electoral process a score of 5.47 out of 10. This item scored worse among the staff personnel, who reduced their evaluation of the information received by volunteers about the most recent process to 4.90 out of 10. It could be perfectly seen that the scores obtained for Institutional Participation were in general the lowest. Furthermore, it was seen that participation in the electoral process had been extremely low. One of the possible reasons indicated was that participation in the organization is structured in phases corresponding to different levels of belonging and assimilation of the Institution s ideals. Institutional Participation is precisely the area with implies the greatest engagement with the Red Cross. Volunteers who do not actively participate in the activities or life of the association are hardly engaged by Institutional Participation. 9

10 Strength of ties with the Institution Volunteers participating Institutional Participation Life of the association Participation in activities One conclusion that can be drawn from this graph would be that a strategy of tightening volunteers ties to the organization through Institutional Participation would require prior engagement with their participation in the activities and life of the association. A clear example of this can be seen in the Red Cross Youth and the volunteers who mainly carry out activities in the lifesaving and emergency programmes. The volunteers participating in RCY programmes or lifesaving programmes, generally speaking, have a much richer and varied participation in activities and in the life of the association than volunteers in other programmes. There may be various hypotheses in this respect, but we could highlight here the following: In the case of the Red Cross Youth, the degree of belonging to the youth association volunteers feel is notably higher than that experienced or perceived by volunteers not linked to the RCY vis-à-vis the Spanish Red Cross (possibly except for volunteers engaged in lifesaving and emergency activities). Why does this happen? Perhaps the extensive opportunities offered by RCY to be able to take an active part in the taking of decisions is a decisive factor, also linked to the activities of the youth association. Another noteworthy aspect that was reflected in those working groups was the difference in the opinions of volunteers regarding Institutional Participation, when consideration was given to the variable of Provincial Committee of origin of the participants in the groups. As we see in the following table, volunteers belonging to Provincial Committees with a larger number of volunteers gave a lower score for the quality of the information received in the most recent electoral process. 10

11 Territorial committee Volunteers Score given to the information received in the most recent electoral process Territorial committee A 8, Territorial committee B 8, Territorial committee C 5, Territorial committee D 3, Territorial committee E 3, Territorial committee F 1, Territorial committee G 1, Territorial committee H There is, therefore, an inverse relationship between the size of the Local Assemblies in terms of volunteers and the volunteers evaluation of the information received in connection with Institutional Participation. But that is not all. It was also noted that the volunteers assigned to smaller Local Assemblies not only had greater access to the information but were also more involved in the decision-taking processes and in the sphere of Institutional Participation. Involvement in Institutional Participation Number of volunteers in the Local Assembly Local Assemblies with a small number of volunteers. In these cases, the involvement in Institutional Participation is higher. The reasons for this may be multiple, but the following could be highlighted: Local Assemblies with a large number of volunteers. In these cases, the involvement in Institutional Participation is low. A key aspect for taking an active part in the sphere of Institutional Participation is the information available to volunteers in order to exercise their right to participate. The more volunteers there are in a Local Assembly, the harder it is and the more energy is needed to ensure that they all have access to that information. 11

12 6. The democratic nature of the Red Cross A person s participation in any NGO to carry out voluntary action is an act of democratic participation. The more diverse and plural the not-for-profit sector is in a country, the better quality is its democratic health (not the countries in the world acknowledge freedom of association in their constitutions as a fundamental right). On this point, it should be noted that the Spanish Associations Act (Fundamental Law 1 dated March 22nd, 2002, regulating the right of association) explicit acknowledges in its article 2 that the internal organization and operation of associations must be democratic, with full respect for pluralism. These rights are social achievements of great relevance. These achievement are clearly developed in the Red Cross and are consolidated in two of the most important aspects of Institutional Participation: 1. The Red Cross is an organization that facilitates and fosters the fact that volunteers assume responsibilities in the processes for taking decisions in the various territorial areas. In fact, a clear example of this is the possibility of joining the Local Committees. This possibility is explicitly acknowledged in the General Organic Regulations: (volunteers have the) right to be (...) candidates for election to the bodies of the Spanish Red Cross in the manner established by the regulations governing the Institution (article 9.1,d). In terms of its practical application, this has a profound impact, as it indicates that the organization is run by volunteers on all its organs of governance. 2. A consequence of the above is the full recognition also given in the General Organic Regulations for volunteers to be able to exercise their right to vote in order to designate the members of different organs: (volunteers have the) right to vote (...) on the organs of the Spanish Red Cross in the manner established by the regulations governing the Institution (article 9.1,d). As we have seen, the democratic nature of the Red Cross has enormous significance. The members of the organization, thanks to its internal democracy, can be elected and can vote in the electoral processes and, once chosen for the organs of governance, they have a large number of options to continue fostering that internal democracy. The right to elect and be elected in the Spanish Red Cross is a consequence of its democratic nature. The electoral process takes place every four years. Every time an electoral process begins in the Spanish Red Cross, the Institution as a whole has to ensure through simple actions targeting the organization s volunteers that they assume their responsibilities in the Local Assembly (and, therefore, that they stand as candidates for the Institution s various organs of governance) and that the exercise their right to vote. Nonetheless, consensus is another characteristic element in democratic processes and the assumption of responsibilities, for which reason we must not rule out the possibility that there may be automatic election processes arising out of consensus and agreement within a Local Assembly. 12

13 In short, it is the responsibility of everyone involved in the organization to convey the importance and significance of Institutional Participation, as well as considering our Institution to be an organization offering high possibilities to participate. As a result, we can draw the conclusion that increasing the participation index among volunteers in the electoral process as candidates and voters constitutes a challenge for the whole organization. 13

14 7. Distribution of responsibilities within the scope of Institutional Participation This chapter presents a proposed distribution of functions in the sphere of Institutional Participation. It is appropriate to underline that the responsibility for encouraging participation in the institutional sphere corresponds to the Committees, and more specifically to their Presidents. In addition, participation, as we have seen in the preceding sections of the guidelines, is seen as a right and a duty of volunteers. However, this responsibility may be specialized through the positions presented below: the stimulator of Institutional Participation and the Institutional Participation Group. 7.1 The position of stimulator of Institutional Participation among volunteers at the Local Assemblies One of the success factors for any initiative is to define responsibilities clearly. In this case, it is proposed that the leadership and co-ordination of the actions aimed at encouraging Institutional Participation should be entrusted to the local stimulator of Institutional Participation. The functions of this figure would be as follows: 1. Informing volunteers and other members of the territorial area the functions of the Territorial Committee and of the persons sitting on it. At many Local Assemblies, particularly in those with a high number of volunteers, the members are unaware of who the members of the Local Committee are, and what functions they have. It is clear that the organs of governance have certain functions as defined in the statutes but the significance of this body extends beyond those functions; the Local Committees run and govern the progress of the Assembly by setting out its goals, organizing its structure and evaluating the management of the various people responsible for activity in the territory, among other matters. 2. Supporting the dissemination of the electoral process simply and understandably among the volunteers in the territory. At the work groups held with volunteers and salaried personnel in 2007 to obtain information on the perceptions of these collectives regarding participation, the participants indicated that they considered the electoral process as somewhat complex and cumbersome, and they added that it was a good idea to communicate the information on this subject in a dynamic and straightforward way, stressing the positive repercussions that the high levels of internal democracy seen in the Red Cross could have for the members of the organization. 3. Supporting the Secretaries in the dissemination of resolutions and the agendas for the meetings of the Territorial Committees. The Territorial Committees comprise volunteers and donors and, as such, they must promote the maintenance of a close relationship and contacts between these bodies and the rest of the members in the territory. One way to achieve this is by publishing and disseminating the resolutions adopted by the Territorial Committees to the volunteers in the Local Assembly. 14

15 4. Communicating to volunteers the main milestones and successes achieved in the territory. The Local Assembly is the organ for participation by members of the Institution in the corresponding area. In fact the Local Assembly comprises all members of the Red Cross in that area, so the successes and achievements of a Local Assembly are the triumphs of all its volunteers. If we want to promote a feeling of belonging to the organization among volunteers, we must begin by furnishing information about relevant news in the Local Assembly. 5. Transmitting relevant institutional information from the areas above that of the volunteers and members of the territory. 6. This same person, if it is so decided by the Local Committee, could represent the Local Assembly at external fora outside the Red Cross with representatives of other NGOs. In this case, it is important for the person representing the organization at external fora to provide continuous and accurate information about what happens at these for both the Assembly s Local Committee and its volunteers. Considering the relevance of the functions and tasks proposed for this voluntary activity, it is appropriate, wherever possible, for the voluntary action post of stimulator of Institutional Participation to be exercised by a member of the Local Committee. If the Local Assembly has a communications spokesperson, it is important for the participation stimulator s functions relating to information and communication of actions to volunteers to be well co-ordinated by both persons. A proposed Voluntary Activity Record is given below. 15

16 PROJECT / ACTIVITY RECORD Intervention Plan: Programme: Project: Date: Voluntary Service and Participation Participation Institutional Participation April 1st, 20XX PROJECT Description of the project: This project comprises the execution of motivation actions for participation in the democratic processes of the Spanish Red Cross, for the exercise of leadership in the Red Cross and the representation of the Institution vis-à-vis the outside world, as well as the operation of bidirectional communication systems designed to strengthen decision-taking processes. Voluntary action positions contemplated in the project: Project Leader: Stimulator of Institutional Participation. ACTIVITY / VOLUNTARY ACTION POSITION Title of Activity/Position: Stimulator of Institutional Participation. Target Users: Place where the Activity is carried out: Description of the Activity: Red Cross volunteer personnel. All members of the Red Cross. Pertinent Local Assembly or Territorial Committee. 1. Informing volunteers and other members in the territory of the functions and members of the Territorial Committee. 2. Supporting the dissemination of the electoral process and its milestones. 3. Supporting the Secretaries in the dissemination of resolutions and agendas for the meetings of the Territorial Committees. 4. Dissemination to volunteers and members of the main milestones and successes achieved in the territory. 5. Providing pertinent institutional information on the higher levels to the volunteers and members of the territory. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VOLUNTARY ACTION POSITION: Flexible timetable from Mondays to Sundays between Frequency of the Activity and Timetable: 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Physical presence: X No physical presence / On-Line: Continuous: X Periodical: Sporadic: Person responsible for the Activity: Voluntary service contact. 16

17 PROFILE OF THE VOLUNTEER Availability: Between 3 and 4 hours a week. Age Training / Prior knowledge required: Necessary prior experience: Personal characteristics: TRAINING TO BE PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTION Training in participation. Training in organizational development. Training on the Code of Conduct. Training in Local Development. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED Total volunteers needed: Observations: No prior experience required. Communication skills and ability to co-ordinate groups. 1 volunteer 17

18 7.2 The working group on Institutional Participation. In order to involve a larger number of volunteers in the promotion of Institutional Participation, it may be recommendable to set up an Institutional Participation working group to be led by the Institutional Participation stimulator. This working group would have the goal of collaborating and co-operating with the stimulator in the identification, formulation, execution and evaluation of the actions undertaken in the participation area for the territorial scope during the year. Practical recommendations for the establishment of the working group: It would be appropriate for the group to comprise a minimum of 3 people. The first task that must be assumed by the group is the planning of the actions to promote Institutional Participation that will be carried out over a specific time interval. Working groups have a dynamic that responds internal and external stimuli, and for this reason it is important, if the group is to remain active over time, for the steps taken to be aimed at not generating false expectations, or to set excessively high targets that cannot be attained. For this reason, it may be appropriate for the first plan drawn up by the group to have a limited scope or to cover a short span of time (three months for example), and for the expected outcome foreseen to be realistic. For the plan designed by the working group to obtain the maximum possible support, it may be a good idea for it to be discussed and approved by the corresponding Local Committee. It is appropriate for the group s responsibilities to be distributed clearly among the various members depending on the plan drawn up, and for specific deadlines to be established for the execution of the different tasks undertaken. A draft notice or message is shown below and can be posted on the Local Assembly s notice board or sent by to the volunteers in the territory, with the intention of encouraging them to join the working group. 18

19 Institutional Participation working group: Would you like to join a working group to inform and communicate to other volunteers about what is happening in the Local Assembly? Would you like to help us ensure you and other volunteers understand the Red Cross better? Come to the first meeting of the working group on institutional participation! It will be held on XX next at XX in XX. Some of the activities that this group can create and develop: Informative electronic newsletter. Informative sessions on participation. Role plays on participation. For further information came and contact XXX. 19

20 8. Best practices in Institutional Participation: Actions aimed at promoting Institutional Participation by volunteers in the Red Cross. A series of actions focused on promoting Institutional Participation are proposed below. Most of these actions are mutually complementary, and respond to the following criteria: The actions are simple and, in most cases, do not require too much effort for their execution. An attempt has been made to propose activities with zero cost or a minimal cost. Finally, we have felt it is recommendable for the actions put forward in this handbook to adapt to the long tail concept. This theory indicates that the ease of communication provided by new technologies makes it possible to design and execute certain actions relatively simply, compared with the time needed when those new technologies were not available, meaning that it is no longer necessary to focus actions to achieve the goals foreseen in complicated activities requiring more resources. The long tail, shown in yellow, may cover an area that is even larger than that of the first part of the function. The actions proposed are structured and organized by families or categories. The categories of actions and the actions presented are as follows: Category A: Initiatives focusing on the promotion of participation and the acquisition of responsibilities by volunteers. Action 1A: Replicate at a given Local Assembly the successful experiences of other Local Assemblies. Action 2A: Working sessions with volunteers from the Local Assembly. Action 3A: Survey of volunteers. Action 4A: Electronic newsletter on the latest events in the Local Assembly. Category B: Initiatives focusing on the promotion of the electoral process. Action 1B: Festive Election Day. Action 2B: Electoral information points. 20

21 Action 3B: Desktop background / poster on the Election Day. Action 4B: Preparation of proposed contents for informative sessions on the electoral process. Action 5B: Incorporation of information on the electoral process in territorial web sites of the Red Cross and the Red Cross Youth. Action 6B: Role play on Institutional Participation. Action 7B: Greater proximity to candidates for membership of the Local Committee. Category C: Initiatives focusing on the promotion of greater proximity to the Local Committee. Action 1C: Informing the members of the Local Assembly of the people making up the Committee and the local management team, as well as their responsibilities and how to contact them. Action 2C: Open meetings of the Local Committees. Action 3C: Publication of the agenda and of the resolutions and minutes of the meetings of the Local Committee. Action 4C: Participation by the members of the Local Committees in Basic Institutional Training. Action 5C: Offering volunteers a contact point for the Local Committee. Action 6C: A question if I may, Mr. President (meeting of volunteers from the Local Assembly with the Local President). Action 7C: Interview with the Local President. 21

22 CATEGORY A: Initiatives focusing on the promotion of participation and the acquisition of responsibilities by volunteers. Action 1A: Replicate at a given Local Assembly the successful experiences of other Local Assemblies. It might be of interest for the Provincial Committees to draw up a list of the Local Assemblies within their respective territories that had the largest participation in the last electoral process. Once this top 10 of Local Assemblies with the highest participation in the electoral process has been drawn up, it would be appropriate to contact them to establish hypotheses aimed at identifying the reasons for this greater participation. For those cases where the reasons identified as successful can be exported and transferred, this information can be conveyed between the Local Assemblies within the territory. Local Assemblies can study the information received in detail and have the chance to contact and visit those which are the benchmark for participation. The idea is to replicate and try to implement in one territorial area the successful experiences and processes confirmed in other areas. In short, it is a systematic process to evaluate processes and activities acknowledged as excellent or very good so as to bring about improvements within the territory, based on the principle that the most important asset of an organization is the ability to learn from internal experiences and from the experiences of other organizations. It is like looking at oneself mirrored in another. It should be remembered that observing oneself mirrored in another can also be done inside the same territorial are by analyzing those programmes and projects where volunteers show high levels of participation. The possible steps to replicate an action are summarized as follows: 1. Planning of the comparative action: a. Identify the good practices applied by the Local Assemblies we are most struck by and that we feel can be transferred to our Local Assembly due to the resources required and the time needed for their implementation. b. Identify clearly the information required to transfer that good practice to our Local Assembly. c. Identify the leaders at the Local Assemblies who implemented those actions and hold, where necessary, one or more meetings with them. 2. Analysis of the action or process depending on the plan drawn up. 3. Integration of the good practice into our Local Assembly. 4. Evaluation of the practice implemented at our Local Assembly. One way to identify good practices or specialists in certain issues (as in the case of Institutional Participation) is to make use of the Spanish Red Cross s Best Practices and Specialists Application, which can be found in the My applications heading on our organization s Intranet ( 22

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24 Action 2A: Working sessions with volunteers from the Local Assembly. The Institutional Participation stimulator, or else the Institutional Participation Working Group, can design how the working sessions should be conducted to collate qualitative information and work proposals devised by volunteers to increase their ties with the Institution and the degree of their participation in the electoral process. Some recommendations for conducting these working sessions are as follows: So that participation in the sessions can be satisfactory for all concerned, the groups should be no larger than 15 people. In the same way, they should not have fewer than 5 people. It is important to ensure a minimum number of participants prior to each meeting to be held. If the number of confirmations doesn t reach the minimum indicated it is better to postpone the meeting. Efforts should be made to have participants at the working sessions from more than one area or activity plan. It is a good idea to have at least two areas or work plans represented. Heterogeneity with regard to ages and gender. The volunteers taking part should already be incorporated into the activity. The sessions should take place on the day of the week when the largest number of people can attend. A possible distribution of timings for a working session with volunteers is given below in order to extract information and proposals about Institutional Participation. 24

25 CONTENTS Presentation of the goals of the working sessions. Presentation dynamics. Presentation on what the Red Cross understands by Institutional Participation. Survey on participation. Exchange of experiences with regard to participation. Presentation of the group work. Close of the session. COMMENTS Rationale of the working session. Presentation to the members of the Institutional Participation Working Group and transfer the results expected of the working session. Brainstorming on what the group understands by Institutional Participation. The stimulator must obtain a clear idea of how the group sees Institutional Participation, so as to understand the starting point. The survey is seen as a tool allowing reliable information to be obtained about the opinions of the volunteers regarding Institutional Participation and it must be used as a mechanism to complement the opinions expressed by volunteers during the session. The volunteers participating in the working session will meet in small groups to exchange information on the information they had previously about Institutional Participation, as well as to exchange ideas and proposals aimed at increasing the degree of participation of volunteers in the electoral process. The slogan for this session must be that the conclusions of these working groups are not to be a complaints box. The matters discussed should be framed positively. A spokesperson for each group will inform the rest of the working group s members about the conclusions reached during the group work. Thank the volunteers for participating in the working session and inform about the next steps that will be taken with the proposals put forward. Total time ESTIMATED TIME 10 minutes 20 minutes 10 minutes 10 minutes 30 minutes of group work 20 minutes of presentation 10 minutes 110 minutes 25

26 Action 3A: Survey of volunteers. It may be very interesting to conduct a small survey addressed to volunteers at the Local Assembly, in order to ask questions about the electoral process, volunteers understanding and degree of participation, as well as including open-ended questions so that the interviewees can put forward their own initiatives to increase participation among the members of the Local Assembly in the process. Some recommendations: 1. It is a good idea for the survey questionnaire not to be sent by ordinary mail. The level of response tends to be far lower than expected. 2. Alternative systems can be established for the survey, such as , or handing out the survey in person (at courses, project meetings, by telephone ). 3. The survey must have a goal and the questions must be aimed at achieving this. 4. The questions asked might be: Did you vote in the most recent electoral process? Why? If elections were held tomorrow to choose the members of the Local Committee, would you vote? Why? What initiatives would you propose to increase the number of people casting votes or standing as candidates to form part of the Local Committee? How would you assess the information you have about the electoral process? What informative actions would you propose to improve volunteers understanding of the electoral process? 5. The survey must not be too complicated so that its tabulation and the extraction of valid information are as simple as possible. 26

27 Action 4A: Electronic newsletter on the latest events in the Local Assembly. Electronic newsletters are a widely used communication tool nowadays. They do not require too much effort to produce, they have no cost (if we except the time needed) and they provide fast communications. They have the disadvantage that is not a system that captures attention as much as text messages. Some recommendations for preparing an electronic newsletter: Establish a specific time frame, but not too frequent. If you promise a newsletter too often, you have to come up with the goods, and in some cases finding out the news stories is not so easy. Establish a frequency that can be effectively complied with. With newsletters, it sometimes happens that the user waits to have time to read it all because there are several items of interest. Time goes by and it doesn t get read until finally it is deleted as being obsolete. This is why some newsletters only contain a single story. Even if the user only has five minutes, it can still be read. The template can be created in any word processor (such as Word). People more familiar with other computer software can use it to publish their newsletters. Other options (such as a hard copy) can be considered for those volunteers who do not have access to according to the human resources database. A typical newsletter is given below with some news items that could be included in the first issue. 27

28 Red Cross Newsletter #1. May 20lX Red Cross Local Assembly in XXX 1. The Red Cross Newsletter is here 2. What is the Institutional Participation Working Group? and Who is in it? Sections: 3. Resolutions of the last meeting of the Local Committee of the Red Cross in XXX. 4. Distribute this newsletter. The Red Cross Newsletter is here Do you want to find out more about the latest news from the Red Cross in XXX? Do you want to receive information about the initiatives launched by the Local Assembly? The Red Cross Newsletter is intended to answer these questions, so as to become a flexible means of communication focusing on the reality of our area and the Red Cross in XXX. What is the Institutional Participation Working Group? and Who is in it? XXXXXXXXX + info: xxx@xxx.xx Resolutions of the last meeting of the Local Committee of the Red Cross in XXX. XXXXXXXX + info: xxx@xxx.xx Distribute this newsletter! Help us make sure that the maximum number of volunteers in the Red Cross get to read this electronic newsletter. Forward it and help us ensure that the information it contains is known by as many people as possible. The Red Cross Newsletter has been produced by the Institutional Participation working group of the Red Cross in XXX 28

29 CATEGORY B: Initiatives focusing on the promotion of the electoral process. Action 1B: Festive Election Day. The Election Day held at the Local Assemblies can be considered as a festive occasion. In this way, it is possible to organize an activity at a particular time to encourage volunteers to take part in the fun activity and then vote in the electoral process at the polling station in the Local Assembly. Another option might be to take advantage of the Election Day to organize a meeting of volunteers at the Local Assembly, so that the members taking part can cast their votes at the end of the meeting. 29

30 Action 2B: Electoral information points. In order to offer a service that ensures access to information about the process for the members of the Institution, electoral information points can be set up within the territory of a Local Assembly. Some recommendations with respect to the creation of these electoral information points are as follows: These points require a specific physical space at the Assembly. These should be accessible for anyone requiring information and documentation about the process. They must have a fixed schedule for providing information and these opening hours should be publicized among the members of the Local Assembly. The timetable must coincide, at least, with the times when the largest number of volunteers is present at the Assembly. Within the provincial and/or regional areas, it is possible to organize electoral information services to support the electoral information points. Where the Local Assembly has an address where the members from the territorial area can submit queries about the electoral process, the voluntary or salaried personnel responsible for these electoral information points may also take charge of maintaining this address, answering the questions posed. The electoral information points must in no case replace the attributions and functions assigned by the General Organic Regulations to the Electoral Councils. 30

31 Action 3B: Desktop background / poster on the Election Day. The initiative presented here would use as its medium. The idea is to send out a desktop background with an attractive image related to voluntary service or the institutional symbols, and also including information about the electoral process, to the volunteers from the Local Assembly. The will include and invitation for the recipient of the message to forward the desktop background to other volunteers from his or her Local Assembly, thus creating a kind of viral action. A proposed desktop background is shown below: This same image, or another similar one, could also be used to print some posters that could be hung at the Local Assembly headquarters. 31

32 Action 4B: Preparation of proposed contents for informative sessions on the electoral process. One of the activities most often repeated at the Local Assemblies to encourage and promote the participation of volunteers in the electoral process is to hold informative sessions explaining the process. These sessions can be of several types: Depending on the framework or context in which the informative sessions are held: a) Sessions within previously scheduled or planned meetings of volunteers or training sessions. It is very common to hold information sessions within the framework of other training actions, or at meetings of volunteers for a specific project or programme. For example, sessions designed to last for 10 or 20 minutes on the electoral process could be held in the context of meetings of lifesaving and emergency volunteers or the programme for remote assistance at home. b) Monographic sessions with the sole purpose of dealing with the electoral process or the scope of Institutional Participation, for which volunteers are convened exclusively to receive information about this form of participation. Depending on the methodology used in the informative sessions: c) Formal. These do not use group work and are usually more descriptive than nonformal ones. Generally speaking, the facilitator provides information about the process using more conventional methodologies (presentations about Institutional Participation and the electoral process itself). d) Non-formal sessions. These try to achieve the same goals as the formal sessions, but use more participatory and group-based methodological techniques. Generally speaking, the first group of sessions are more structured because of the limited time available, and the second group could be structured or not, depending on how they are designed. It is suggested that the formal sessions should be planned for inclusion in the first group so that they are modular (in other words the same session design can be used for any kind of meeting or training action to be included), and those in the second group consider a predominantly non-formal methodology. One of the tasks that can be carried out by the Institutional Participation Working Group is technical design of formal and non-formal sessions on the Institution s electoral process. These sessions should be designed in co-ordination with the Local Committee and led by the Local President. 32

33 Action 5B: Incorporation of information on the electoral process in territorial web sites of the Red Cross and the Red Cross Youth. The territorial web sites of the Red Cross can provide detailed information about the electoral process and the rights of volunteers to vote and to stand as candidates for the Local Committees. It is a good idea for the person(s) collating the information for these web sites to bear in mind the intended audience for this information, so that the presentation, distribution of contents and the style used take this factor into account. If we want this micro-site to have the greatest reach possible, an e mail can be sent out to the volunteers whose address in on record in the database to invite them to visit the web space. A possible distribution of information for a micro-site on the electoral process is proposed below. 33

34 1. Address by the President. Welcome text in which the President of the Local Assembly sets out his or her vision on the importance of volunteers participation in the democratic process started at the Institution. 2. Blog on the electoral process. Editorial section providing, on a regular basis, updated information on the progress of the process and encouraging the volunteers to participate. 3. Resolution from the President calling the Elections. In this section of the micro-sit, visitors will be able to view the resolution starting the electoral process within the Spanish Red Cross. 4. Key dates in the electoral process. Space for indicating the milestones in the electoral process with a precise explanation of the relative importance of each date. 5. Functions of the Spanish Red Cross s organs of governance. This section will set out clearly the functions of the organs of governance, to allow visitors to obtain a clear idea of their responsibilities. 6. Frequently-asked questions. Section with frequently-asked questions where visitors can view the various questions and answers most frequently posed in connection with the Electoral Process. Some examples: Who can vote?, Who can sand as candidates?, etc. 7. Downloads. Section in which visitors can download documents, such as the Statutes and GOR of the Spanish Red Cross, the Resolution by the President, or screen backgrounds for their computers. 8. Sign up for the newsletter. Visitors can also subscribe to an electronic newsletter that will be produced twice a month until the electoral process is over. 9. Latest updates. Space for the most outstanding headlines regarding the process. 34

35 Action 6B: Role play on Institutional Participation. The activities or dynamics using a role-based methodology or role-play have the advantage of fostering empathy, thus promoting better understanding, internalization and fixation of certain ideas or concepts. With this goal, a proposed role play is shown below focusing on the area of Institutional Participation. This activity is completely adaptable to the times and needs of the facilitator. Audience: volunteers from the Red Cross. Ideal group size: Minimum of 10 people, maximum 30 people. Approximate duration of the activity: 3 hours. The distribution of timings and contents for the role-based activity is given below: # Contents Time 1 The first step is to distribute the group into sub-groups of 5 people at random. This can be done using a group distribution dynamic. 5 min. The facilitator indicates the starting situation to the group, as follows: 2 A group of X people (as many as there are in each sub-group) has created a non-governmental organization with the mission of being closer and closer to vulnerable individuals in the national and international arenas through prevention, assistance, rehabilitation and development actions basically undertaken by volunteers. This group is considering the need to create a modern, functional organization and so they have to design and propose the system of governance for this new entity. The organization is expected to have delegations in the near future in around 100 towns, covering the 52 provinces of the State and in all 17 Regions, with a total of about 10,000 volunteers. The first task of each sub-group is to give a name to the organization, propose a logo to identify it and establish its main areas of action to achieve the mission indicated. Each group will appoint a spokesperson. 3 min. 30 min. 35

36 # Contents Time 4 Once the preceding task has been completed, each group presents its results from the preceding point. 5 min. 5 The next task of each group is to propose a representative government system democratically chosen by the members of the organization. Each group has complete freedom to establish the governance system considered most appropriate. Some clues that can be provided: 1. The management bodies should be considered independent in each territory (local, provincial and regional), and they should indicate how 40 min. they are chosen. 2. They should specify the functions of these organs of governance. 3. They should consider holding electoral processes as frequently as they decide. 6 Once the time allotted has elapsed, the spokespersons from each group will explain to the others the conclusions they have reached. 10 min. The activity facilitator then give the following information: As you had planned, the electoral process was held in your organizations on X Yth last (any date invented by the facilitator). After counting the ballot boxes, you see that only 5% of the volunteers in your organizations have exercised their right to vote, and that the number of volunteers who have decided to stand as candidates is alarmingly low. The maximum organ of governance of each organization has to meet to put forward 10 measures aimed at increasing their participation in the next electoral process, and to encourage volunteers to stand as candidates. Once the time allotted has elapsed, the spokespersons present the conclusions of each group. The facilitator then shares some thoughts on the work done by each group, and looks for parallelisms with the organization and the governance system of the Spanish Red Cross. At this point, it is useful to point out very briefly: 1. The organization of the management bodies in the Spanish Red Cross. 2. The election system for these management bodies and the Institution s electoral process. Total time 40 min. 10 min. 30 min. 173 min 36

37 Action 7B: Greater proximity to candidates for membership of the Local Committee. In order to encourage volunteers to participate in the Electoral Process, it might be interesting for those people standing as candidates for the Local Committees to present to the volunteers from the Local Assembly the actions they intend to encourage and promote if they are elected to form part of the Local Committee. It is clear that the people standing as candidates for an organ of governance are doing so in order to increase the abilities of the Assembly; however the volunteers often have no idea of their desires and work expectations. This situation could be helped with these chats. 37

38 CATEGORY C: Initiatives focusing on the promotion of greater proximity to the Local Committee. Action 1C: Informing the members of the Local Assembly of the people making up the Committee and the local management team, as well as their responsibilities and how to contact them. Perhaps the first step to increase awareness of the reality of a Local Committee and the local management team is to inform volunteers in the Assembly who make up these bodies and their functions. This is a very simple action, which can include the name of each member, his or her responsibility and functions, a photo, and their telephone and contact details. This information can be included in some of the communication resources already available at the Local Assembly, such as a magazine or electronic newsletter, as well as posting it on the notice board, distributing it by , or adding it to the Local Assembly s area on the web site of the Spanish Red Cross. A proposal is shown below for a table with information on the Local Committee and management team, that could be used to achieve this goal. 38

39 Name XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX Responsibility Photo Functions Local President Vice-President Local Secretary Local Director of the Red Cross Youth (RCY) Supervise the progress of the activity programmes and the fulfilment of the Institution s goals. Supervise the proper execution of the resolutions and decisions adopted by the respective Committees by the higher organs of the Spanish Red Cross. Promote solid contacts with the local town council to foster communication between the latter and the Local Assembly. Present the portfolio of projects furnished by the Provincial Committee and offer these projects to the town councils. Make use of the framework agreements furnished by the Provincial Committee. Lead, together with the local committee, the implementation of the Local Assembly s annual plan and the signing of the solidarity agreement. Stand in for the President in his or her absence. Participate in the Basic Institutional and Management Training courses. Manage meetings and preserve the Minutes of the Local Committee. This is the maximum leader of the RCY in the local area. Responsible for the management, representation and administration of the RCY in the local area. Watch over the achievement of the Institution s goals and the resolutions taken at the Local Council, as well as the resolutions of the higher levels. Foster and motivate volunteers and members of the RCY to take an active part in the Institution at all levels (activities, life of the association, formal and non-formal organs of governance, etc.). Contact telephone XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX Contact 39

40 y Independence Voluntary Service Unity Universality Name XXX XXX Responsibility Photo Functions Local administration leader Run the administration of the Local Assembly. Conduct the Local Assembly s economic and financial management. Keep the Local Assembly s inventory up to date. Organize employed personnel (monitoring, tasks ) Act as the holder of the documentation (register, members ) Notify proposals for free assignments to the Provincial Committee. Monitor the Assembly s income and expenditure and send a summary to the Provincial Committee. Keep the Accounts for the Assembly of he or she has access to Oracle Financials. Prepare the accounts in accordance with the requirements of current legislation. Register accounting entries, using the Oracle Financials application if the Local Assembly has access to it. Obtain the individual Financial Statements for the Local Assembly, for inclusion together with those of the rest of the provincial Committee after validation by the same. Monitor the accounting balances of the accounts payable and accounts receivable for the Local Assembly. Monitor the cash-flow of the Local Assembly. Keep the ancillary accounting records (inventories, budget reports, treasury ) required under the Spanish Red Cross s Assembly Procedures Manual. Contact telephone XXX XXX Contact Humanity Impartiality Neutralit 40

41 Name XXX XXX XXX XXX Responsibility Photo Functions Local fundraiser Local communication leader Perform new registrations, removals and maintenance of members on the application (if access is available); otherwise, notify these to the Provincial Committee for the records to be updated. Organize campaigns and activities to attract new members, with the support of the Communication area. Seek alternative sources of funding and co-ordinate income-raising activities. Promote solid contacts with the local town council to foster communication between the latter and the Local Assembly. Present the portfolio of projects furnished by the Provincial Committee and offer these projects to the town councils. Make use of the framework agreements furnished by the Provincial Committee. Present funding proposals to town councils. Organize the sale of the Sorteo de Oro (annual Solid Gold lottery) through volunteers and other channels, together with the coupons for other lottery draws (Christmas and other draws in favour of the Spanish Red Cross). Organize the Flag Day and other events. Manage the door-to-door collection of regular donations, if any. Define the fund-raising actions and campaigns. Present and launch the campaign. Co-ordinate the start, progress and conclusion of the campaign. Present the results of the campaign to the Provincial Committee. Send the Provincial Committee press releases, communications, etc., that are going to be published or have already been published for verification. Receive all the information from the Provincial Committee and adapt it to the local reality, if necessary. Identify the local mass media and schedule interviews with them. Receive training in communication. Schedule communication actions. Contact telephone XXX XXX XXX XXX Contact 41

42 Name XXX XXX XXX XXX Responsibility Photo Functions Local voluntary service leader Local training leader Identify the necessary profiles for the execution of projects with participation of volunteers and drafting of the job catalogue. Organize the strategy for attracting volunteers. Ensure attention for people interested in being volunteers who come to the Local Assembly. Advise volunteers about the activities that best conform to their expectations and the needs of the Spanish Red Cross. Update the details of volunteers on the corresponding application, and, if access is available, carry out the pertinent steps at the Provincial Committee. Manage volunteers changes of scope. Organize activities for the life of the association, acknowledge the work done by volunteers and facilitate the completion of their tasks. Share experiences of projects with the rest of the Organization. Update the contents of courses alongside the trainers giving Basic Institutional Training. Co-ordinate the Basic Institutional Training courses. Identify the training needs for the progress of the activity, in coordination with the Voluntary Service and Activity areas. Design and plan training depending on the needs of the Local Assembly. Co-ordinate the teaching of the courses, in terms of both training itineraries and specific training. Co-ordinate the management courses (Basic Institutional Training, Accounting, Management) for the Presidents of Assemblies. Receive requests for external training and plan courses. Receive information on courses from the Provincial Committee and publicize the courses. Contact telephone XXX XXX XXX XXX Contact 42