Today’s blog post comes from Antoine Colonna d’Istria, an intern with HandsOn Network helping to developing Skills-Based Volunteering programs. Don’t forget to read part 1 and part 2 of Wrapping Up the Skills Based Volunteering Boot Camp.

On the last day of the Skills Based Volunteering Boot Camp we looked at the Go Stage.  Once a nonprofit organization is ready to have skills based volunteers (SBV) on board and a project is set, it is time to initiate it. Yet, even at this late stage, there still may be numerous issues to address.

First, the connector needs to recruit volunteers. There are several ways to attract candidates; such as using professional or personal networks. The hardest part is often to choose the volunteers who will correctly fit the need or project. This requires HR expertise to assess a volunteer’s skills – of course; this is another area where a SBV could be of assistance! The connector can be helped by volunteers with some HR background!

Then, the project is reviewed with the chosen volunteers and the project’s goals, timeframe, assumptions and constraints should be discussed. Attention should also be paid to risks in order to foresee possible problems and to plan solutions in advance.

“The Go Stage” is the time where materials to describe a project should be gathered and given to the team that will perform the project. In particular, roles in the team must be clearly defined, and crucial roles like team leader should be backed up to prevent project failure. A clear communication plan within the team is also very important. With these precautions you will be able to replace a volunteering leaving a project with another that can hit the ground running.

The project management and supervision phase comes after this. As it is the longest phase, and requires strong management skills, it is often the most expensive phase for the Action Center. However, it is key to track volunteer hours, to make sure deadlines are met, and to be prepared to intervene if necessary. According to some connector organizations specializing in SBV, 65% of SBV projects reach a point where they fail if there is no external intervention. Only good project management and supervision can ensure success and volunteer satisfaction.

Once the project is completed, there are only two steps left. Recognizing the work of the volunteers is the first step. The final step is evaluating the project; which will help improve future practices, and prove the value of your action. The scope of the evaluation can be large or smaller; to include business and/or personal impact.  Nevertheless, be aware that social impact can only be measured over an extended period of time. To properly measure impact, you may have to conduct several evaluations over a period of time to see how the project has affected the organization.

Over the course of the Skills Based Volunteering Boot Camp, we learned so much . No doubt, practicing and managing SBV will thoroughly be the best way to digest all the best practices.

If you want to see more pictures from the Boot Camp, !

Antoine Colonna d’Istria is intern with HON for 6 months to help developing Skills-Based Volunteering. He studies Corporate and Public Management at HEC and Sciences Po Paris after a BA in Philosophy at La Sorbonne. He is the co-founder of the young French non-profit Pro Bono Lab. Back in France, his objective is to help identifying community needs and replying to it in using corporate human resources and best practices in volunteer management.