Vapaaehtoistoiminnan tukirakenteet Euroopassa/ Volunteer infrastructure in Europe Vapaaehtoistoiminnan juhlaseminaari Helsinki, 4.12.

Transcription

1 Vapaaehtoistoiminnan tukirakenteet Euroopassa/ Volunteer infrastructure in Europe Vapaaehtoistoiminnan juhlaseminaari Helsinki, Peter Hilger, Dipl. Social Scientist

2 Contents 1. Civil society and volunteering 2. Volunteering infrastructure 3. What about politics? 4. Challenges

3 1. Civil society and volunteering Civil society sector Volunteering and reflexive volunteering "1/3 plus X-rule" Motives: pleasure, socialising, doing good, promoting own views, qualifications, recognition Membership and engagement

4 Discourses of engagement Democracy frame Welfare frame Economy frame Community frame

5 Why? Civic and political skills Service delivery Choice and specialisation Flexibility and innovation Advocacy and participation Public deliberation and representation Legitimacy

6 The organisation of engagement Legal definition, employment regulation, insurance, taxation etc. Professionalisation Bureaucratisation Corporate citizenship Volunteer centres Engagement policy

7 2. Volunteering infrastructure Social networks Traditional associations Volunteer development agencies National database Embeddedness Municipality Faith organisations/churches Associations in general Umbrella organisations

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9 Volunteering England s 6 core functions Brokerage Marketing volunteering Good practice development Develop volunteering opportunities Policy response and campaigning Strategic development of volunteering

10 Volunteer management Need: Planning > Tasks: Activity profiles > Advertising & Recruitment > Matching & Agreements > Introduction to Task > Support & Training > Recognition & Appreciation >Analysis > End or a new start

11 BAGFA members were asked about effects of their work 1. Raise image of engagement 2. Increase the number of volunteers 3. Quality of life in community 4. Create network structures 5. Promote culture of acknowledgement 6. Open organisations for volunteers 7. And all the rest

12 Advertising/recognition

13 Matching

14 Quality control/accountability

15 Organisation of volunteering CEE: formerly an obligation, foreign donor dependence England: nationally organised, embedded in labour market and community policy Germany: heterogeneous Estonia: grass roots agency Finland: embedded in old age/health care

16 3. What about politics? Commonweal & tax law, subsidiarity, licensing & accreditation, work time legislation, insurance Grants, contracts, payments, tax deductions Speeches, acknowledgement (medals, certificates), information, benchmarking, pressure Commissions, reorganisation of public administration, networks, space

17 Tools of activation Legal (allow/forbid) Financial (finance) Symbolic (communicate) Organisational (create/link) Soc. & ec. regulation Funding Certificates, awards, celebration, feast Public sector portfolio reform Taxation Contracting Appeals Create networks Insurance rules Loan Codex of behaviour Volunteering centres Reimbursement scheme Fees, charges Web portals Commissions Licensing Job subsidy Pressure Allow use of facility Work time Benchmarking Technical assistance

18 EU engagement policy Generating an internal consensus Spill-over from other policies (e.g. employment, environment, welfare) Civil dialogue as input Tangible support measures since turn of millennium White paper on governance and OMC European volunteer service, hearings, speeches

19 4. Challenges: external 1. Understanding of volunteering ( for free ) 2. Project funding no basic funding 3. Dependence on other policies 4. Administrative portfolios 5. Branding 6. Open up professional organisations 7. Word of mouth

20 Challenges: Internal 1. Contracting: bureaucratisation, regulations, dependence, insecurity, challenging targets 2. Volunteers for reasons of legitimacy 3. Negative aspects, e.g. desire for power, rejection of volunteers 4. Internal cohesion but cultural lock-in 5. Unspecific character: Citizen or helper role