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Big Picture Report
OPTIONS FOR DIGITAL VOLUNTEERING FOR DISASTER
RESPONSE (DIVOLVE)
Enhancing Aid Capacities Project Team – September 2019 – Version 1
Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 1
2 Digital Volunteering Models: Forming the Concept ............................................................ 1
3 Digital Volunteering Models: Defining for Disaster Response ........................................... 2
1.1 Volunteer Motivation ...................................................................................................... 3
3.2 Digital Workspace Requirements .................................................................................. 3
3.3 Disaster Response Context ............................................................................................ 5
3.4 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 6
4 Volunteer Management Programs: An Analysis .................................................................. 6
4.2 Model Analysis ................................................................................................................ 6
4.3 Core Ways of Working .................................................................................................... 7
5 Practical Implications for DIVOLVE ..................................................................................... 10
5.1 Digital Workspace Requirements ................................................................................ 10
5.2 Management Support in Digital Workspace ............................................................... 12
5.3 Integration with Current Disaster Response Mechanisms in RCRC ......................... 15
Annex A: Standardised Analysis of Volunteering Models ........................................................ 18
Annex B: Workspace Requirements – Technical Details .......................................................... 52
1
1 Introduction
This big picture report of national and international digital opportunities was drafted as
part of the “Enhancing Aid Capacities” project jointly implemented by the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), 4 Red Cross National Societies
(Austria, Bulgaria, Italy and the Netherlands), with the support of the EU Aid Volunteers
(EUAV) programme. The project’s overall objective was to “improve the capability of
potential Sending Organisations within the Red Cross Red Crescent (RCRC) Movement to provide
quality support, managing enhanced pools of competent volunteers and staff for emergency
response and improving remote support of operations”.
Within the context of this project, several work packages were identified of which one
(work package 4) focused specifically on digital volunteering. The aim of this specific work
package was to “establish, pilot and evaluate online volunteering models that sustainably
strengthen humanitarian aid operations”. This report provides an overview of different
volunteering models and their suitability for managing digital volunteer support for field
teams working in disaster response situations.
2 Digital Volunteering Models: Forming the Concept Increasing distance support is a major priority in the implementation of more efficient
and sustainable field actions. Continued online support can be useful for both deployed
personnel and their local counterparts because specific expertise can be utilised without
the need for deployment to disaster response situations. Digital volunteer models have
the advantage of being less affected by in-country risk and, therefore, are potentially more
consistent in their ongoing support to field operations. Digital volunteers are often trained
individuals who are involved in tasks aside from the field operations in disaster response
situations and are, therefore, a source of background support for field teams (FACT, ERU
etc.). Digital volunteering is also an excellent way to strengthen local systems without
replacing them, leaving the in-country volunteers of local partner national societies (NS)
at the centre of humanitarian action.
Following the above rationale, and for the purpose of this report, the following definition
of a digital volunteer will be used:
“An online volunteer supports field operations remotely with support services that are
shared through digital communication channels. An online volunteer does not deploy to
a disaster site.1”
Examples of the services that can be provided by digital volunteers include:
• Mapping activities
1 NOTE: In this report we also consider as online volunteers those volunteers that come together in a location (e.g. a Red
Cross office) to support a disaster response team in the field through digital means.
2
• Damage assessments
• Data processing e.g. searching, analysis, data cleaning
• Communications activities such as preparing daily operational messaging
• Diversifying standard communication to specific target groups
• Activities carried out in other languages
• Conducting training or courses via video link
• Offering services through a local job site or local marketplace
In principle, anything you can do on a computer in the field can be done by a digital
volunteer and it is this ambitious statement which provides the challenge for this joint
project and allows the project to push the boundaries of the type of tasks that digital
volunteers are currently executing.
3 Digital Volunteering Models: Defining for Disaster Response When designing the model for the comparative analysis, volunteer motivation was
taken as the starting point. The other components of the model included the digital
workspace requirements (through which the volunteers would engage) as well as
establishing context, as always being the disaster response context. These three
components of the model and the interaction between them are illustrated in the figure
below.
Figure 1. Digital Volunteer Model for Disaster Response
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1.1 Volunteer Motivation The discourse around volunteer management and, in particular, volunteer motivation is
fairly well established, and a common consensus exists around the reasons why
volunteers offer their time and energy. Often, they do so for one or more of the reasons
highlighted in the table below.
Table 1. Volunteer Motivation for Participation
Reason Requirement
Altruism This typically informs the volunteer’s choice
of organisation. Regular feedback in terms
of impact stories should be provided.
Utilise skills & experience
Volunteers have a skillset they like to apply;
possibly one they cannot apply in their day
jobs.
Sense of community & belonging Volunteers want to be part of a social circle;
possibly where their friends are members
as well.
Develop new skills Volunteers like to develop new skills and
learn new things. They may have a hobby
that they want to further develop.
Job opportunities
Through working in an organisation as a
volunteer, people think that they will
improve their chances when applying for
jobs.
Each of the models will be reviewed on the suitability of the model to satisfy volunteer
motivation.
3.2 Digital Workspace Requirements Unlike volunteer motivation, what constitutes an effective digital workspace is less well
documented and is not generally pre-defined. A direct consequence of a digital volunteer
being defined as ‘someone who provides support services remotely and is not deployed
to the disaster site’, is that a suitable digital workspace necessarily entails the provision of
a working environment in which volunteers can collaborate remotely with others through
digital platforms to provide a service to the responders in the field. Based on discussions
within the Red Cross Red Crescent Organisation, the following has been defined as key
elements of a digital workspace environment. In this section we are looking purely at the
digital workspace and are not yet considering its application to a disaster response
context. This is the topic of the next paragraph.
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Table 2. Requirements for Digital Workspace Environments
Element Requirement
Effective communication Standardized, repetitive tasks require less
communication, but more complex tasks
require sophisticated channels of
communication and the possibility for one-
to-one communication. Different languages
and non-native speakers in the digital
volunteer pool need to be factored in.
Variety of tasks In recognising the wide range of
volunteers, an digital working environment
can host means factoring in:
• Volunteers live in different
locations and/or time-zones
• Volunteers availability varied in nr. of
hours and time of the day
• Volunteers skills are varied
Considering the above, tasks should always
be tailored to the volunteers:
• Sizes (time, amount of work)
• Time sensitivity (moment of delivery)
• Complexity (skills needed)
Onboarding required Particular attention needs to be given to
onboarding in a digital work environment to
keep the workspace and onboarding
process well organised. Not following
protocols in a digital working environment
may easily lead to miscommunication or
loss of data or information.
Recognition
Closely related to volunteer motivation it is
important to recognize contributions made
by volunteers. For example, through a
reward and recognition system or through
individual feedback.
Technical details on digital workspace requirements are found in Annex B.
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3.3 Disaster Response Context A disaster response context is not comparable to a normal working situation in several
ways. The main aim of disaster response is to maintain lives in a highly fluid situation with
many uncertainties. Working for disaster response places additional requirements on an
digital volunteer management system. These are outlined in the following table.
Table 3. Requirement for Volunteering System in the Context of Disaster Response
Context Requirement
High stress situation • Strict protocols need to be followed,
communication needs to flow and may
need moderation.
• Quality of deliverables needs to be
monitored.
Fast changing situation • Effective communication is necessary.
• Field parties/clients need to be very
clear in requests. Often tasks are
created based on little available
information.
• Contextualization and specification of
requested support and regular
updates are important. Standardized
products can help.
Task allocation/matching • To ensure timely results are delivered,
sufficient quality, matching tasks may
be necessary.
• Self-selection of complex tasks may be
an option with experienced volunteers,
but first-time volunteers will need
orientation.
No time for onboarding
• Due to the need to deliver results
quickly, there is little to no time for
onboarding new volunteers.
• Deliberately matching new volunteers
to work with experienced volunteers
may be an option for onboarding but
ideally onboarding is done outside of
emergency contexts.
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3.4 Conclusions It is clear that the three components are highly interdependent. For example, one cannot
see the digital workspace separate from the disaster response context in which it is
applied. In addition, volunteers often do not have the same availability as professional
staff and are often less familiar with the practical implications of in field disaster response.
To enable effective communication and collaboration between remote volunteers and the
teams in the field, a professional who speaks both ‘languages’, is needed. We will
elaborate on the role of a digital volunteer coordinator in section 5.2.
4 Volunteer Management Programs: An Analysis For this purpose of this report, several volunteer management programs were analysed
and reviewed against the model outlined above. The models that were covered include
the following:
Within the RCRC:
• The IFRC Surge Information Management System (SIMS)
• Team Öesterreich (Austria)
• Ready2Help (Netherlands)
• The 'Missing Maps' project
• COBACORE (Netherlands)
• 510 data team (Netherlands)
• VIOLA project (Italian Red Cross and EUAV)
• ICCO/EUAV project
The following volunteering models outside the RCRC were also analysed:
• United Nations Volunteers online volunteering programme (UNV Online)
• Digital Humanitarian Network Volunteer Project
4.2 Model Analysis The volunteer models that were analysed for the purpose of this report were reviewed by
the model owners themselves as well as the report team involved in this project. Each
review team was asked to provide their thoughts on each model in line with three criteria,
namely; volunteer motivation, disaster response context and online workspace
requirements. The comments made generally covered the strengths and weaknesses of
the model according to these criteria and are presented in the following sections of this
document. In the following section, the strengths of specific models are discussed and
presented as ‘core ways of working’ when developing a digital volunteering platform. In
the annex of this document, profiles templates for each model have been provided.
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4.3 Core Ways of Working Some models are considered to be significantly well established in one specific model
component across review teams. These specific components are analysed more in depth
to determine what, specifically, can be learned regarding that particular component. Of
note are the following models, per component:
Volunteer Motivation
1. 510
510 Volunteers are highly valued by and fully engaged within the regular team of staff.
They are given freedom to participate in tasks that require their expertise and are
provided with new learning opportunities. The work that volunteers do at 510 is
recognised amongst others in the interaction on the MS Teams platform. Through their
volunteer work, they can apply for jobs at the NLRC as internal candidates. Being part of
the larger Red Cross movement and are aware of their contribution to a good cause.
Volunteers belong to a larger pool of active volunteers and there is a sense of community.
Core ways of working:
• Face to face (social) interaction between staff and volunteers;
• Flexible choice of work assignments for volunteers;
• Offers learning opportunities for volunteers and sometimes access to jobs.
2. UNV Online
UNV online volunteers get an opportunity to develop in depth, one on one relationships
with the organisations they support in other countries. This way the impact of the
volunteer’s contributions becomes clear and the sense of belonging and contributing
increases.
Core ways of working:
• Chance to agree on (tailormade) work assignments, utilising skills optimally.
• The strong one on one relationship strengthens sense of belonging, purpose and
contribution.
• Offers in depth learning opportunities for volunteers.
Digital Workspace Requirements
1. SIMS
SIMS volunteers are part of the Surge Information Management (SIMS) network of trained
specialists who develop, coordinate and implement information management systems for
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global Red Cross and Red Crescent disaster response operations. Founded by the America
& British Red Cross, MSF and HOT.
This model was designed to work as digital collaboration. Most of the work is conducted
in a digital collaborative space by using different digital communication channels and task
management tools such as Trello and Slack. It is therefore considered to be an excellent
example of digital workspace and digital tooling. One of the challenges of SIMS is it is only
activated at a time of disaster; this means there is less time for onboarding or the
acquisition of new skills. SIMS team members need to have the requisite skills when
joining. This was mentioned as a reason why there is a trend to move away from
volunteers and focus on in-house capacity among staff who can contribute to SIMS.
Core ways of working:
• Digital off-the-shelf workspace tools such as Slack and Trello make it easy to join a
SIMS activation: only an invitation to tools, a computer and an internet connection
is required;
• A remote coordinator to ensure all tasks are picked up and for quality control;
• Flexible choice of work assignments for team members.
2. Missing Maps
Missing Maps volunteers are set up to work entirely through digital collaboration. Once
have set up an account, one can start mapping. Volunteers choose which mapping
initiative, even which specific tile of the map they contribute to, without intervention of a
coordinator. Experienced mappers validate the contributions of new mappers before they
are incorporated into published maps. Each mapper can decide when and for how long
they contribute. Missing Maps is an interesting model considering that it is based on self-
selection and works without the need for a digital volunteer coordinator (albeit their work
does need validation). The tasks a volunteer performs for missing maps are standardised
and repetitive (mark dwellings and roads), they require few skills to perform successfully.
It is important to note that many Missing Maps initiatives across the national societies
often provide face-to-face training events to motivate new volunteers to sign up. It
therefore remains to be seen whether this model could function without a coordinator
and entirely through digital collaboration.
Core ways of working:
• In theory no coordinator required for repetitive, simple tasks;
• Quality control done by remote, experienced mappers.
Disaster Response Context
1. Team Öesterreich
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One of the primary strengths of this model is that it reduces emergency response time by
activating neighbours and other people in the immediate vicinity of the emergency,
making it very suitable for responding on site in disaster situations.
Core ways of working:
• A team of remote coordinators keeps track of the situation and assigns priority on
site tasks to registered individuals;
• Training/onboarding of volunteers done remotely and mostly outside of disaster
emergency situations.
2. 510
This model is very flexible for providing remote support (it can also offer limited on site
support through deployment of IM’s to the disaster site). It provides support to the
international department of the Netherlands Red Cross under SIMS and offers broad
bilateral support to the international department which also includes managing Missing
Maps in the Netherlands. Experienced staff are linked with volunteers creating a flexible
skill pool that can be leveraged for disaster response, reducing the onboarding dilemma
faced for example in SIMS.
Core ways of working:
• Standing nature of relevant disaster response capacity. Disaster response takes
precedence over the regular work;
• Mix of professional staff and volunteers results in a balanced mix of reliable
professional response capacity with innovation (focus on data driven decision
making). Combined with the above standing nature, this makes the available skill
pool more consistent;
• Onboarding of interested volunteers is done ‘outside of’ or in a ‘measured way’
during disaster situations or can be done in a very measured way during disasters
by matching small, “introductory tasks”.
3. Ready2Help
This is a model that is designed specifically for disaster response through deployment of
available volunteers to affected locations in the Netherlands. It activates particularly fast
because volunteers that live nearest to the location are always called first and, provided
they are available, given directions to the affected location. At the disaster site, a
coordinator is present to provide direction and assign tasks to the volunteers. Mostly the
volunteers are untrained for the tasks they will perform.
Core ways of working:
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• Experienced volunteers coordinate new volunteers;
• Simple tasks for which no training is required are performed making the skill
requirement of first-time volunteers low;
• Personal call requesting activation of a volunteer facilitates a fast response.
4. SIMS
It is one of the models designed specifically for providing remote assistance to field teams
with information products for disaster response. This model activates quickly and calls on
available volunteers through digital channels across participating national societies. Over
the past year(s) there has been a shift from relying on digital volunteers to relying more
on the capacity available within the organisation.
Core ways of working:
• Presence of a remote coordinator making sure tasks are responded to quickly and
results meet quality standards;
• SIMS is a temporary mechanism. It is activated at the time of a disaster or crisis
phase and deactivated when it is no longer needed. In times of a protracted crisis
SIMS coordination is handed over from one person or NS to another which can
affect the consistency of the response;
• SIMS is a (limited) specialized service, supporting FACT teams. SIMS successfully
leverages the skills of specialized people. Within the scope of the service it provides
SIMS functions very well. However, there is limited time for onboarding.
5 Practical Implications for DIVOLVE Effectively working with digital volunteers during a disaster response and tapping into
their capacity requires that approaches from the above models are factored into the
DIVOLVE model and that the core ways of working identified through the analysis.
However, it is apparent that there are implications for the collaboration environment,
namely; the digital workspace and that there seems to be a strong need for an digital
volunteer coordinator.
5.1 Digital Workspace Requirements Considering the large volume of work generated at a time of disaster response and the
varying characteristics of the digital volunteer pool involved (location, availability, skills
etc.), collaboration is essential. A digital workspace for supporting disaster response
needs to offer solid features that facilitate effective digital collaboration in a fast-moving
environment. Bringing together the research conducted into different volunteer models
as well as the 3 main components and the requirements of the model described above,
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eight (8) key requirements for an digital volunteer management platform for disaster
response can be highlighted:
1. Task formulation needs to be both clear and flexible. Considering that the
available digital volunteers will change per disaster and that their combined profile
and availability will be different every time, task formulation should be able to adapt
to this. This should not be underestimated, and adds pressure as to how consistent
the requestor in the field formulates the requests for support. The biggest change will
be from formulating Terms of Reference for short to medium term positions to
formulating concrete and concise tasks of different size:
a. Tasks with different skill requirement (skills of digital volunteers likely
vary)
b. Tasks that require different durations to finish (digital volunteers have
different amounts of time available)
c. Tasks that can be completed at different moments (digital volunteers
are available at different moments).
2. Digital volunteers need to have a (simple) competency based profile or track
record that allows an assessment to be made of the skills available in the online
volunteer pool for a specific disaster. This will be enabled focused task formulation
and potentially matching of digital volunteers with specific tasks. This profile should
include information on whether this digital volunteer is already a volunteer or staff
from another national society. A good approach would be to involve volunteers in daily
operations before disasters strike, so that you are aware of their skills when you need
them for emergency operations.
3. Matching of people and tasks can be based in prinicple on self selection but
complex or long running tasks need to be assigned to experienced staff. Partially
to ensure the tasks are executed with the right skill level, but partially also to avoid
that certain tasks remain open or incomplete. The staff member can then split the
work into smaller work packages assigned to remote volunteers.
4. Onboarding is important for digital volunteers to familiarize themselves with
protocols, but the disaster response phase is not the right moment for onboarding.
Onboarding is ideally done before or after a disaster occurs. Regular visits to the office,
if possible, are recommended.
5. Training and e-learning opportunities should be provided outside of disaster
response periods as the disaster response phase is not suitable for on the job learning.
If possible, e-learning in combination with internally facilitated face-2-face events (for
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example in the office) increases effectiveness of the training and commitment of
volunteers.
6. Feedback on impact and performance needs to be provided to the contributing
volunteers. Impact can typically be observed and measured best sometime after the
digital volunteering support has been provided. The envisaged volunteer coordinator
plays an important role in (1) storytelling about the impact to which the remote
volunteers contributed and (2) conducting a client satisfaction survey during and after
the response and feeding these results back to the digital volunteers.
7. Room for (informal) social interaction needs to be provided so that those
volunteers interested in this aspect of their volunteering assignment can participate.
8. Personalized references and/or letters of support should be provided at request.
Based on practical experiences with volunteer engagement elsewhere, on a case by case
basis it should be considered whether:
9. Terms and conditions of service for the protection, liability and accountability of
volunteers are needed. As a matter of principle, the deliverable produced by the
volunteer becomes an RCRC product and as such the RCRC takes responsibility for
what happens next with this product. The individual (digital) volunteer should not be
held individually responsible for any negative effects associated with his or her
contribution. Digital volunteers be asked to sign a volunteer agreement which can
clarify the accountability and insurance issues but also e.g. binding them to
regulations, policies, distribute intellectual property rights etc.
10. It adds value to add the possibility to register organizations in the platform and not
only individuals.
5.2 Management Support in Digital Workspace Considering the platform requirements described above, the need for clarity of tasks and
deliverables, the matching of volunteers with tasks, onboarding, feedback and references,
it is in most situations unrealistic to expect a digital volunteer management platform to
be entirely self-organising. An element of matching and management is necessary,
especially during times of disaster response. As can be seen in several other remote
support models, such as SIMS and 510, having an (digital) volunteer coordinator in place
is standard. Based on the analysis of volunteer models, three basic models have been
identified for a digital volunteer management model for disaster response.
1. A self-organising model for repetitive, standardized tasks - no volunteer
coordinator needed, for example the Missing Maps initiative. This model for
the time being should be considered as an “ideal-type”. It may be possible for
a self-organizing model to pick up some tasks but experience so far shows that
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a coordinator is needed at least for onboarding new volunteers and for
sustaining the volunteer community.
2. A model that functions with a remote coordinator for managing more complex
tasks and maintain contact with the teams in the field. The remote coordinator
is responsible for quality assurance (quality of deliverables, matching of tasks
where needed, timely delivery of tasks), community management (onboarding,
moderation if needed, feedback, impact stories, recognition).
3. A model with an onsite coordinator, if needed combined with a remote
coordinator. An onsite coordinator significantly shortens the gap between the
team in the field and the digital volunteers.
During the first few iterations of digital volunteer support in disaster response situations
it will likely be beneficial to have an onsite digital volunteer coordinator (option 3). This is
because most disaster responders will be unfamiliar with how remote digital volunteers
can effectively support disaster response efforts in the field. The large distances,
communication challenges, the ability of field-based responders to formulate tasks that
are suitable for digital volunteers and the lack of experience among digital volunteers all
play a role in the inefficiencies. The engagement of digital volunteers at the scale of
disaster response situations has not occurred.
The Red Cross, as a case in point, has invested in building inhouse capacity for SIMS in
order to be less dependent on the availability of (digital) volunteers for this mechanism.
Setting up a model for digital volunteer support for disaster response, therefore, goes
against this particular trend and requires additional effort and negotiation to make it
happen. An onsite digital volunteer coordinator can ensure that the required capacity is
available in the field in the short term. The capacity to engage with digital volunteers
during disaster response situations should in the meantime be incorporated into the
training packages for regular surge profiles in field. To bridge that training gap, it is
recommended that a temporary surge profile be developed for digital volunteer
coordination.
Role of Digital Volunteer Coordinator
As described above, a digital volunteer coordinator is considered necessary for anything
outside of repetitive, standardized tasks such as online mapping. The following key
functions were identified for the role of digital volunteer coordinator. No distinction
between in functions should be made between a remote or onsite digital volunteer
coordinator. The identified functions are the following:
1. Responsible for recruiting and onboarding digital volunteers (outside of the
disaster response phase) in a general pool.
2. Know the task-relevant skill levels of each digital volunteer.
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3. For each activation, build a disaster specific digital volunteer team for which
volunteers are drawn from the overall pool of onboarded volunteers.
4. Pivot with the field, especially during disaster response situations: oversee
task formulation (as described above) and quality of deliverables.
5. Ensure matching of the right volunteers to each specific task.
6. Moderate group discussions and interactions between volunteers (if
necessary).
7. Warn or expel digital volunteers from the group if necessary.
8. Ensure impact stories are provided to volunteers.
9. Identify training needs and opportunities for digital volunteers.
10. Provide reference and/or letters of support on request.
Ad-Hoc Versus Long Term Volunteer Coordinators
The nature of disasters means that volunteers are only necessary for a short period of
very intense work and collaboration followed by periods of down time. The experience of
Ready2Help model, for example, highlights that in order to maintain a digital volunteer
community for repeated involvement in disaster response, one must keep volunteers
engaged. When volunteers experience longer periods of ‘down time’ and are not engaged,
they start to disassociate from the management model and the community. Therefore, it
is important to dedicate the periods in between natural disasters to community building
and maintenance of systems, documentation and finally to onboarding and training. The
above described functional profile of a volunteer coordinator includes these tasks that
are best performed before and after natural disasters strike. A viable model could be to
engage digital volunteers on a continuous basis in ongoing projects and then “repurpose”
them during times of disaster response.
When setting up a digital volunteer management model it is recommended to invest in at
least a 2-year (volunteer) position to get the model up and running and to then, after this
2-year period, carry out reviews on the position. The role that started out as ‘volunteer
model creator’ will transform to a ‘volunteer coordinator’ who will ensure (1) continuous
recruitment of new digital volunteers, (2) onboarding, partially face-to-face, and (3) linking
remote volunteers with disaster situations based on their skills.
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Figure 3. Pattern for Volunteer Coordination in Disaster Response Context
5.3 Integration with Current Disaster Response Mechanisms in RCRC The RCRC organisation has existing mechanisms that activate in the case of a disaster,
most importantly the SIMS mechanism. It is imperative to link the proposed digital
volunteer model with the SIMS mechanism and to avoid setting up parallel systems. The
flowchart below shows how the digital volunteering model fits in the current SIMS
mechanism. The expectation is that the digital volunteering model proposed in this
document offers an expansion of the products and services currently provided by SIMS
through involving a broad range of volunteers with varying skill sets. To ensure effective
cooperation it is important that the volunteers are familiarized with the operational
modalities of RCRC disaster response well before they start contributing.
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Figure 4. SIMS Activation Flow
The figure below describes the process that would take place once the decision to involve
volunteers has been made. In short after receiving an activation request the existing pool
of pre-registered volunteers will be approached to see who is available. Based on the
availability a pool capacity profile can be produced. This will indicate to the people in the
field and to the volunteer coordinator what specific capacities are available and what tasks
can be prepared for the remote volunteers.
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Figure 5. Coordination of Volunteers in a Digital Environment
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Annex A: Standardised Analysis of Volunteering Models
READY2HELP VOLUNTEER MODEL General
Characteristics
Volunteering
Model/Initiative
Name
Ready2Help
Organisation Red Cross Netherlands
Country of Origin The Netherlands
General Information
(website/contact
information)
www.ready2help.nl
Twitter @Ready2Help_NL
Facebook @Ready2HelpNederland
Sector(s) and
Intended End Users
The focus of the organization is on local aid. The objective is to
provide professional institutions with a community volunteer
network that is proximate and rapidly deployable in case of an
emergency.
Volunteer
Involvement
There are over 40,000 volunteers which are registered with
Ready2Help. The intention is to attract people or want to help
but do not want to become a classic volunteer. Ready2Help
volunteers are regarded as ‘helpers’ and do not have to sign a
volunteer agreement.
Operational
Characteristics
Volunteer
Community
Management
Volunteer Recruitment:
Recruitment is done through an online platform and, once
registered, the volunteer receives a confirmation email.
Volunteer Management:
Volunteer management for Ready2Help is centralised in The
Hague. A group of regular Red Cross volunteers received
training to become a Team Leader with the organisation. For
most deployments, a Team Leader of Ready2Help
coordinates the deployed helpers at a location. In some
cases, the partner organisation will take care of coordination
during deployment without the presence of a Team Leader.
Work Packaging Size of Work Package:
Work packages are created as way of assisting in the work of
permanent members of staff in emergency situations. Each
package has a number of criteria:
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- Work package exceeds the capacity of permanent staff
but does not interfere with professional aid activities.
- The work is suitable to be carried out by a ‘regular
citizen’.
- Supports a crisis situation in The Netherlands or online
disaster relief.
- In line with the 7 fundamental principles of the Red
Cross.
- Does justice to preferences of Ready2Help helpers.
Packages are generally small and can be completed within a
couple of hours. Flexibility of Work:
There is no obligation to volunteer and depends entirely on
the availability of the helper. Volunteers are contacted and
availability is noted.
Quality Control System:
The Ready2Help Team leaders are coordinated by a Red Cross
district and are responsible for quality control on location and
feedback during deployment. After deployment, volunteers
are debriefed and thanked for their efforts in the field.
Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):
No skills are required but the request for the deployment of
specific skills that are needed can be mentioned. These may
be special skills in languages, IT, physical condition or a first
aid diploma. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:
Heterogenous. The skill set required of a volunteer depends
on the situation into which the volunteer is being deployed.
These can be wide ranging. Community Motivation and Engagement:
Several times a year, the volunteers receive a newsletter
(maximum of 4 per year as stated in the disclaimer on the
registration page). On social media (Facebook and Twitter)
postings on activities and trainings are made. Volunteers are
made a part of the community by wearing white vests with the
Red Cross and Ready2Help logos on them during deployment.
Training:
Training of helpers depends on the situation that the
volunteer is working in. Training is provided in cases where
needed.
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Rewards System:
N/A
Branding and Marketing Activities:
The organisation has a website which can be found at:
https://www.rodekruis.nl/hulp-in-nederland/ready2help/
In the past, Ready2Help has partly been branded as an
independent brand and department but with a clear link to the
Red Cross brand. Going forward, Ready2Help will become a
component of the Red Cross, focusing primarily on volunteer
recruitment and management, and will match volunteers with
partner organisations when necessary.
Digital Tooling
(including security
and data
responsibility):
Tools Used:
Ready2Help does not engage in digital volunteering. A digital
platform is used for the online enrolment of volunteers and
iTel Alerts or emails are used for mobilising volunteers.
Data Responsibility:
The gather personal data is restricted to a minimum and
stored in the same secure location as the personal data from
the Red Cross Netherlands and its employees.
Financial
Characteristics
Cost and Profit:
Ready2Help was funded by several donations from the
Ministry of Justice and Safety, Red Cross fund and other
partnerships aside from the budget provided from the Red
Cross itself. It has been, and remains, a challenge to find
structural funding for the network. Remuneration for Volunteers:
No remuneration for Ready2Help volunteers. Ready2Help
project leaders are Red Cross volunteers that receive
refunding for travel costs. In some cases, exceptions have
been made where the partner organisation rewards
volunteers for their work. Activity Specific Funding:
Funding for the model is moving towards activity specific
funding. Learning
Opportunities and
Sustainability:
Model Recommendations:
1. Volunteer recruitment is far easier during a visible crisis
with a clear task to achieve through volunteer support.
Indeed, during the refugee crisis in 2015, volunteers
through Ready2Help increased six-fold with very little
cost to the organisation.
21
2. Generally, on 1-2% of the registered volunteers are
deployed yearly. This has an impact on volunteer
engagement.
3. Working with Ready2Helpers demands flexibility from
the Team Leader. People do not always show up or
need to leave early. Quality of Results:
Team Leaders control the quality of the helpers during
deployment.
Coordination Required:
Team Leaders are required in order to manage the volunteers
during deployment. These leaders also serve as a node
between partner organisations and the volunteers
themselves.
22
TEAM OESTERREICH VOLUNTEER MODEL General
Characteristics
Volunteering
Model/Initiative
Name
Team Oesterreich Digital Initiative
Organisation Initiative of the Red Cross Austria and Hitradio O3.
Country of Origin Austria
General Information
(website/contact
information)
www.teamoesterreich.at
Sector(s) and
Intended End Users
Local aid; assist professional organisations in Austria with fast,
deployable resources. Local aid included disasters
management and response, food help to the local community,
assistance with missing persons, lifesaving assistance by first
responders.
Volunteer
Involvement
There are currently 50,000 volunteers registered with Team
Oesterreich. Volunteers need to own a smart phone and
download the Team Oesterreich Lifesaver app. Volunteers are
mobilized from the app.
Operational
Characteristics
Volunteer
Community
Management
Volunteer Recruitment:
Both volunteer types are recruited by brand awareness
campaigns in the media, especially supported by Hit Radio O3.
Website links are provided where volunteers can sign up.
Volunteers are recorded in a database and can indicate
whether they would like to be contacted for field work or
simply remain a digital volunteer through the app. Team
Oesterreich differentiates between ‘Classic’ volunteers which
are field volunteers and ‘Digital’ volunteers.
Team Oesterreich ‘Classic’: Volunteers are recorded in a
database and specify which skills they have. The registration
with the organisation is without obligations. When needed, the
authorities request assistance from Team Oesterreich and
volunteers are mobilised accordingly via text message, phone
call or email. This recruitment process is primarily done for
field volunteers.
Volunteer Management
23
Team Oesterreich ‘Classic’: When necessary, contact with the
volunteers are made and the volunteers is asked for their
availability. If available, the volunteer is registered and reports
to the specified manager. The rest of the volunteer
management is done through the Red Cross. The Red Cross
provides the volunteer with information about their work
packages, the length of time they are needed, the location and
their person of contact. Each volunteer also received a disaster
relief course from the Red Cross to be prepared for the event
and each volunteer is provided insurance coverage.
Team Oesterreich Digital: The Bundeskommando exists of
the three managers in Vienna who manage the
Redaktionsteam which consists of 15 trained persons spread
throughout the country. The management team decides the
questions applicable for digital volunteers and a work flow is
identified. Volunteers are not actively managed, they are
alerted by message when digital tasks are available for
completion.
Work Packaging Size of Work Package:
Team Oesterreich ‘Classic’: Work packages for field
volunteers may take a number of hours or a couple of days
depending on what the volunteer agrees with the organization
on mobilization.
Team Oesterreich Digital: Volunteers help with important
digital microtasks that help the emergency services during, for
example, a heat wave to better assess the situation and help
more purposefully. The work packages are generally small, can
be completed in a number of minutes and as simple as
answering a question ‘What is the temperature on the floor of
your house?’ or taking a picture of the snow in your local
vicinity. Flexibility of Work:
Very flexible.
Team Oesterreich ‘Classic’: Field volunteers also do not have
obligations but if contacted and agree to work, they are
managed by the Red Cross and given work packages to
complete according to their indicated availability.
Digital Volunteers: Digital volunteers are mobilized during an
emergency through mobile notifications and only complete
the micro work packages if they log into the website. There is
24
no obligation with this work and should only take a digital
volunteer a couple of minutes to complete.
Quality Control System:
Volunteers need to have a first responder certificate (obtained
after 16-hour course) and this is checked before a volunteer is
mobilised. Feedback mechanisms are planned for information
on completed missions. This is planned to be in the form of
anecdotal stories or blog posts about the work the
organisation does. Contact information is kept up to date by
sending annual messages asking for updated information. If
contact cannot be made, postal reminders are sent. The digital
app facilitates this data keeping.
Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):
Low skills, only requirement seems to be a first aid responder
certificate. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:
Heterogenous. Volunteers can complete work packages online
but also in the form of field work. This necessarily requires
different skills but not necessarily with higher skill levels.
Community Motivation and Engagement:
Team Oesterreich doesn’t intend to build a volunteer
community but rather a workforce. The Red Cross refers to
Team Oesterreich as a ‘sleeper’ workforce.
Training:
First responders are given a 16-hour training session which
needs to be updated every 2 years. Classic volunteers are
given disaster training by the Red Cross when a disaster
situation arises in order to ensure skill levels are up to
standard.
Rewards System:
N/A
Branding and Marketing Activities:
Team Oesterreich is marketed through Hit Radio O3. This is
used as the primary recruitment mechanism for the
organisation.
Digital Tooling
(including security
and data
responsibility):
Tools Used:
The organisation uses the Lifesaver app as a means of
registering volunteers and keeping their information up to
date. Text messages, phone calls and emails are used to get
into contact with volunteers when field responses are
25
required. The web app is used by digital volunteers to carry
out their microtasks and work packages.
Data Responsibility:
Financial
Characteristics
Cost and Profit:
Team Oesterreich’s cooperation with Hit Radio O3 is without
financial exchange; each part provides the cost for its own
activities. The radio station provides publicity and in return has
access to a human story around disasters and accidents. The
Red Cross Austria finances the activities of Team Oesterreich
out of its own budget. Remuneration for Volunteers:
Volunteers do not get any financial remuneration for their
time or for any expenses they incur. Activity Specific Funding:
The development of the Lifesaver App is paid for by the Red
Cross Austria. The nationally founded project received a grant
from the EU and the first version was made by students in a
pilot version.
Learning
Opportunities and
Sustainability:
Model Recommendations:
Team Oesterreich has the vision that online and offline
volunteering models are convergent and that the online
environment can be used to mobilise offline resources. The
development of platforms which support this is key to the
success of the organisation.
One of the key recommendations from this model is to ensure
that volunteers feel recognised in their willingness to help. A
volunteer application should not be left unacknowledged if
volunteer engagement is to be maintained. Similarly,
mechanisms of ongoing engagement should be instituted to
ensure that volunteers remain active.
Quality of Results:
The outputs from the Digital volunteers are controlled by a
management team of 15 employees. Work packages are
created by this team and the outputs are randomly checked
for their quality. Quality of results for Classic volunteers are
not managed by Team Oesterreich; this is managed by the Red
Cross Austria.
Coordination Required:
Attention needs to be paid to how volunteers are mobilized
and directed so as to best distribute resources. Team
26
Oesterreich has a strength in this regard because it can
manage the mobilization of resources according to the
database and get into contact with the volunteers rather than
simply relying on volunteers to report to emergency sites.
Although no remuneration is offered in this model, the
organization does recognize the need to consider the
movement of volunteer resources, particularly when
resources are not located in a disaster area.
27
DIGITAL HUMANITARIAN NETWORK VOLUNTEER MODEL General
Characteristics
Volunteering
Model/Initiative
Name
Digital Humanitarian Network
Organisation Digital Humanitarian Network
Country of Origin N/A
General Information
(website/contact
information)
Website: http://digitalhumanitarians.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Digihums (dormant)
Sector(s) and
Intended End Users
Their diverse skillsets and large selection of products benefit
both humanitarian agencies and people affected by natural
disasters and conflicts
Volunteer
Involvement
DHN is a coordination body and do not recruit/manage
volunteers themselves. Volunteers are registered with
partners, each of which is specialised in specific technology
(e.g. GIS, app development etc.)
Operational
Characteristics
Volunteer
Community
Management
Volunteer Recruitment:
N/A (Coordination Only)
Volunteer Management:
N/A (Coordination Only)
Work Packaging Size of Work Package:
N/A (Coordination Only) Flexibility of Work:
N/A (Coordination Only)
Quality Control System:
N/A (Coordination Only)
Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):
Each partner organization is specialized in certain technology.
Volunteers are expected to be specialists in those
technologies. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills
Heterogenous.
Community Motivation and Engagement
N/A (Coordination Only)
Training
28
N/A (Coordination Only)
Rewards System
N/A (Coordination Only)
Branding and Marketing Activities
N/A (Coordination Only)
Digital Tooling
(including security
and data
responsibility):
Tools Used:
Data Responsibility:
DHN enforces no guidelines of their own. DHN encourages
the member organisations to adopt some sort of standards
and guidelines which includes the ICRC Professional
Standards and Guidelines for Managing Sensitive Protection
Information.
Financial
Characteristics
Cost and Profit:
N/A Remuneration for Volunteers:
N/A Activity Specific Funding:
N/A
Learning
Opportunities and
Sustainability:
Model Recommendations:
Below is an excerpt from the lessons-learned workshop held
by UN-OCHA with humanitarian entities, which DHN was a
part of:
• "Volunteer Management is a key issue involving the
treatment, tasking and recognition of volunteers”
• “Collaboration with the V&TCs* requires a sustained
dialogue (both during and outside an emergency)
and acceptance of the use of non-standard
[organisation] tools”
• “When volunteers respond, [the coordination body]
must to be prepared for an 'around the clock’
response effort from these volunteers”
• “We will not get everything right quickly, but rather
we need to improve over time. There are several
thematic Communities of Interest that need to be
advanced”
*Volunteers & Technical Communities
Quality of Results:
29
Coordination Required:
DHN currently has three coordinators who are responsible for
liaising with V&TCs to form a solution team upon receipt of
activation requests.
30
UNV ONLINE VOLUNTEERING VOLUNTEER MODEL General
Characteristics
Volunteering
Model/Initiative Name
United Nations Volunteer Online Volunteering
Organisation The United Nations Volunteer Programme - UNV.
Country of Origin UNV HQ is located in Bonn Germany, but it is part of the UN
and thus cannot be categorized as originally from a specific
country.
General Information
(website/contact
information)
Web: www.onlinevolunteering.org
Email: [email protected]
Sector(s) and Intended
End Users
Non-profit organisations that are officially registered with the
appropriate government authorities and active in the field of
sustainable human development.
Volunteer Involvement Volunteer vacancies are communicated through the online
platform. Organizations and volunteers register and are
connected through the UNV platform.
Operational
Characteristics
Work Packaging Size of Work Package:
Variable depending on the organization posting a vacancy.
But generally the work tasks are meant to be short and
relatively small in scope. Flexibility of Work:
Also differs per vacancy. The work to be done online generally
does offer flexible working hours.
Quality Control System:
The quality of the work collaboration is assessed by the
organization posting the vacancy and the volunteer can also
rate the organization.
Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):
Projects require volunteers to be sufficiently
skilled/experienced to carry out the assigned tasks. Because
projects are fixed-term commitments, volunteers are
expected to deliver the services/results in accordance with the
agreed schedule. Homogenous/Heterogeneous Skills:
Heterogeneous.
31
Volunteer Community
Management
Volunteer Recruitment:
Volunteers are recruited online through the platform where
volunteers apply for a project. Each opportunity published is
reviewed by UNV.
Volunteer Management:
UNV does not actively manage volunteers; the role of the
organisation is to facilitate the recruitment of volunteers.
Community Motivation and Engagement:
Commitment and engagement of volunteers is based entirely
on satisfaction of volunteers and the connection that they feel
with the organisation or the cause they work with.
Training:
Some guidance material is made available to organizations
using the platform, to enhance their success in engaging and
managing volunteers.
Rewards System:
A certificate of appreciation issued through the platform.
Additionally, other forms of recognition are encouraged by
UNV such as putting names of volunteers on the final version
of their product, feature them on the organisation's website.
Branding and Marketing Activities:
Mainly through the website and social media accounts such
as Facebook.
Digital Tooling
(including security and
data responsibility):
Tools Used:
UNV platform website facilitates the connection between the
organisation and the volunteer. Other tools used are specific
for the project and what the organization can provide the
volunteer with to do his/her job.
Data Responsibility:
For more information on privacy policy of UNV:
https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/privacy-policy
Financial
Characteristics
Cost and Profit:
N/A Remuneration for Volunteers:
None Activity Specific Funding:
N/A
Learning
Opportunities and
Sustainability:
Model Recommendations:
Online volunteering works best when the work is task-based.
Maximum task length is currently at 52 weeks but will be
32
changed to 6 months and designated as mainly part-time for
online volunteers.
Lessons Learned:
• A platform can be established relatively quickly.
However, building up the user community is what
takes a long time in the beginning stage.
• It is important to make the experience of the
volunteer and organisation as much as possible a
learning journey.
• When providing guiding materials to volunteers and
organisations, it is important to implement visual
means instead of providing long texts. This applies
both to online and regular volunteering.
Quality of Results:
A feedback form is completed by both the volunteer and the
coordinator at the end of the volunteer assignment. If one
side expresses unhappiness with the quality of the
interaction the UNV investigates.
Coordination Required:
Coordination of the volunteer is done by the organisation
providing the task.
33
MISSING MAPS VOLUNTEER MODEL General
Characteristics
Volunteering
Model/Initiative Name
Missing Maps Initiative
Organisation Missing Maps is an international humanitarian mapping
initiative.
Country of Origin Founded by the American & British Red Cross, MSF, and HOT.
General Information
(website/contact
information)
Web: www.missingmaps.org
Contact Daniel Kersbergen: [email protected] - NLRC
Sector(s) and Intended
End Users
The primary intended sector is humanitarian. The beneficiaries
are those communities that will be better targeted and helped
through humanitarian assistance.
Volunteer Involvement Through the webpage the volunteers can support a missing
maps initiative task online. Occasionally, volunteers can
participate through an organized Mapathon activity that brings a
large group of volunteers together to do the mapping in a
specific location with a group of people.
Operational
Characteristics
Work Packaging Size of Work Package:
Relatively small mapping tasks but numerous tasks per project.
Dividing the map in a raster allows many people to work
simultaneously on the same project. Volunteers can choose to
do more tasks if they want to, in order to help complete the
mapping project faster. Flexibility of Work:
Can be done remotely at anytime and anywhere by volunteers,
or locally organized during a Mapathon.
Quality Control System:
The quality of the work varies and depends on the skill of the
volunteer. Validators are required to verify the accuracy and
correctness of mapping that was done.
Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):
Varying levels of skills are required depending on the role of the
volunteer inside the platform and the complexity of the mapping
project. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:
34
Tasks are mainly homogenous, mapping of structures or a
specific feature is generally repetitive.
Volunteer Community
Management
Volunteer Recruitment:
The mapping tasks are placed on an online platform (HOT
Tasking Manager). More urgent tasks are additionally shared
through Facebook, Twitter and Email to expand volunteer reach.
Volunteer Management:
There is no fixed pool of volunteers. There is a mailing list
however to contact the people who have previously been
involved in Mapathons for example.
Community Motivation and Engagement:
In the past there was newsletter (might be restarted soon). Now
mainly they reach out to mapping volunteers through a contact
list.
Training:
Training is provided online with video tutorials. During
Mapathons on site, local organizers can provide some coaching
and more direct instruction as to what is needed.
Rewards System:
• The Map Swipe app has levels it uses to show the user
what he has achieved.
• No other reward systems are in place for the rest of the
Missing Maps volunteer mappers.
• User statics of mapping tasks are often used for
feedback. Mapathons specifically provide this type of
statistics to the participants and highlight their
accomplishment of the day.
Branding and Marketing Activities:
Some branding is available; there are logos and stickers for the
Missing Maps initiative. There was also a newsletter in the past,
which may be revamped in the near future. There are Dutch and
International webpages for advertising Mapathon activities.
Digital Tooling
(including security and
data responsibility):
Tools Used:
• Map Swipe: This is an app for mobile devices developed
specifically to assist Missing Maps projects in their
preliminary selection phase.
• HOT tasking manager is the principal site that packages
the specific mapping tasks as advertised on Missing Maps
website. The users can read what they need to do and
start mapping a specific area.
35
• iD Editor (Editing interface): part of OSM, partially
developed by HOT community (volunteers). It is browser
based and it is the preferred tool within the tasking
manager for editing the map.
• JOSM (Editing interface): java based mainly used for
validating, as it has more capabilities and the software
runs locally. It can also therefore work offline, which is
useful for field purposes.
Data Responsibility:
In order to edit Open Street Map data, you must create an
account. Metadata is stored regarding the editing that is done
per user. For more information on privacy policy see:
https://wiki.osmfoundation.org/wiki/Privacy_Policy#Data_from_
contributions_to_OpenStreetMap
Financial
Characteristics
Cost and Profit:
Costs are incurred in regard to the functioning of the hardware
for OSM, which the Missing Maps model utilizes. Direct costs are
associated to the upkeep of tools and servers, which is paid by
the Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team (HOT). As it is for
humanitarian purposes there is no profit generated with these
activities. Remuneration for Volunteers:
No remuneration. Activity Specific Funding:
In the case of NLRC, there is funding made available mainly to
organize Mapathons, often funded/sponsored by Geo
companies and Universities per activity.
Learning
Opportunities and
Sustainability:
Model Recommendations:
• N LRC has seen a high success rate in smaller size
disasters due to a strong mapper community in the
Netherlands. When they get notified, they react quite
quickly. A lot of the volunteer mappers have some kind
of mapping background (geoinformation/GIS) from their
own work.
• When there is a direct disaster event, it is easy to get
mappers to map from home, by activating them through
twitter and social media channels.
Lessons Learned:
• In the case of NLRC, a positive trend in seen with people
that participated in earlier Mapathon events, which tend
36
to facilitate their participation on missing maps project
tasks online.
• It is important to compartmentalize the work packing. To
have clear tasks and descriptions of the work. If possible,
also to split up a large into smaller ones to avoid task
abandonment on the Missing Maps projects.
Quality of Results:
Validators check the quality of the mapping submitted by users
of the platform.
Coordination Required:
The tasking manager tool is used to track the progress of the
mapping tasks. No active coordination takes place for online
work, for Mapathon events coordination is required to guide the
users.
37
SIMS VOLUNTEER MODEL General
Characteristics
Volunteering
Model/Initiative
Name
Surge Information Management Support - SIMS
Organisation It is a Global network for Red Cross Societies to request
support.
Country of Origin Founded by the American & British Red Cross, with support
from IFRC.
General Information
(website/contact
information)
Web: rcrcsims.org
Sector(s) and
Intended End Users
The primary intended sector is humanitarian response. The
beneficiaries are those communities that can be assisted with
better and accurate information at hand.
Volunteer
Involvement
Permanent Red Cross staff are assigned to collaborate on this
network. Additional non-staff volunteers are involved to add
flexible capacity in terms of time and skills for delivering small
tasks (as is the case in NLRC).
Operational
Characteristics
Work Packaging Size of Work Package:
Variable size of work tasks. The type of tasks that are common
when there is activation are: Mapping tasks, data cleaning,
data analysis, and digitalizing surveys. Flexibility of Work:
Online and distance collaboration by different National
Societies responding to an activation. The organisation of the
work is decentralized and therefore also flexible. However,
there are time constraints when information is needed
urgently.
Quality Control System:
The quality of the work is generally guaranteed as it is
primarily delivered by Red Cross National Societies.
Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):
There are varying levels of skills are required depending on the
information request task. Homogenous/Heterogeneous Skills:
38
Heterogeneous as there are varying types of tasks with
different levels of skills.
Volunteer
Community
Management
Volunteer Recruitment:
RC staff are mainly responsible for recruitment. They may
delegate some less complex tasks to volunteers who are
already linked to that specific RC, depending on availability.
There is no public vacancy style platform.
Volunteer Management:
When volunteers are engaged, a person is assigned the task of
‘gate keeper’ and participates in the SIMS work coordination.
This member may delegate tasks to volunteers under their
supervision. However, there is no formal model for volunteer
management.
Community Motivation and Engagement:
For the different NS staff members involved in the SIMS model,
weekly conference calls are normal. The platform used for
communicating and knowledge management is SLACK and is
used to talk about activation and relevant topics like GIS
(Geographical Information Systems) and other system
requirements.
Training:
N/A
Rewards System:
N/A.
Branding and Marketing Activities:
N/A.
Digital Tooling
(including security
and data
responsibility):
Tools Used:
• Communication via SLACK
• Task management/coordination of an activation is
done via TRELLO
• File Management via DROPBOX or GOOGLE DRIVE.
Data Responsibility:
According to RC procedures.
Financial
Characteristics
Cost and Profit:
There is no formal financing for the SIMS network model. Each
member in the Network finances their own activities. Remuneration for Volunteers:
N/A. Activity Specific Funding:
N/A.
39
Learning
Opportunities and
Sustainability:
Model Recommendations:
Having a global network makes it easier to perform around the
clock and play with the time differences. If people go to sleep
in Indonesia, people in Europe and America can easily work on
products, when people awake in Indonesia, the products are
ready.
Lessons Learned:
To work as an online network that needs to deliver quickly and
effectively in disaster response, it’s important to build the
network around key persons that trust and know each other
well.
Quality of Results:
A quality control is currently under development. Guidelines
are been developed to determine feedback to each member
and also to formalize working methods to avoid common
mistakes in work that is delivered.
Coordination Required:
There are gate keepers or intermediaries from NLRC in the
SIMS model. These are persons within the network that
manage volunteer work as part of task assigned in SIMS.
40
COBACORE VOLUNTEER MODEL General
Characteristics
Volunteering
Model/Initiative
Name
Community Based Comprehensive Recovery - COBACORE
Organisation The COBACORE project is leading the development of an
innovative approach to community-based comprehensive
recovery and is grounded in a holistic, community-based
approach.
Country of Origin EU Project. The consortium consisted of the following
partners Netherlands Red Cross (Netherlands), TNO
(Netherlands), Tilburg University (Netherlands), German Red
Cross (Germany), IFRC (Switzerland), Future Analytics
Consulting (Ireland), Integrasys S.A. (Spain), Spatialest
(Ireland), Ulster University (UK).
General Information
(website/contact
information)
Web: www.cobacore.eu
Technical Coordinator - Martijn de Neef (TNO)
Sector(s) and
Intended End Users
Disaster affected communities in northern Europe are thus
considered the main users and beneficiaries of this model and
its corresponding platform.
Volunteer
Involvement
The COBACORE platform acts like a citizens’ marketplace for
disaster/crisis response matching needs of people affected
with other people in the same community that have resources
and skills to help.
Operational
Characteristics
Work Packaging Size of Work Packaging:
There is a variable size in the work packages. Tasks vary
depending on the need of the community in a post-disaster
situation. Flexibility of Work:
Depends on the urgency of the task. Generally, people are
requested on site to help.
Quality Control System:
The quality of the work may vary depending on the capacities
of the community volunteers providing assistance.
Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):
41
The skills required vary and the skills available also vary
depending on the type of user. This also depends on the type
of help that is needed by the community members asking for
help and from those community volunteers and relief workers
able to provide it. Homogenous/Heterogeneous Skills:
Heterogeneous.
Volunteer
Community
Management
Volunteer Recruitment:
No traditional recruitment. The COBACORE platform acts like
a citizens’ marketplace for disaster/crisis response matching
needs of people affected with other people in the same
community that have resources and skills to help.
Volunteer Management:
Volunteers are not managed.
Community Motivation and Engagement:
N/A.
Training:
User instructions are available online on how to use the
COBACORE platform.
Rewards System:
N/A.
Branding and Marketing Activities:
N/A.
Digital Tooling
(including security
and data
responsibility):
Tools Used:
The COBACORE platform itself is the main digital tool used.
Data Responsibility:
N/A.
Financial
Characteristics
Cost and Profit:
EU-funded research project. No funding for implementation
phase (yet). Remuneration for Volunteers:
No. Activity Specific Funding:
N/A.
Learning
Opportunities and
Sustainability:
Model Recommendations:
N/A
Lessons Learned:
42
When citizens don’t feel heard by the professionals, they will
try to organize themselves. Individual citizens are faster,
more agile and are structurally underestimated.
Quality of Results:
N/A.
Coordination Required:
The COBACORE system functions more as a facilitator.
43
510 DATA TEAM VOLUNTEER MODEL General
Characteristics
Volunteering
Model/Initiative
Name
510 Data Team
Organisation 510 is an initiative of the Netherlands Red Cross
Country of Origin The Netherlands
General Information
(website/contact
information)
www.510.global
Sector(s) and
Intended End Users
The intention of the initiative is to shape the future of
humanitarian aid by converting data into understanding and
put it in the hands of humanitarian relief workers, decision
makers and people affected to improve the preparedness of
teams in the event of disasters and crises.
Volunteer
Involvement
The organisation works with staff, volunteers and students.
Volunteers increase the capacity of the 510 data team.
Volunteerism is part of 510’s strategy and core values and
became the most important source of recruitment for the
team. 510 believes that working with volunteers allows them
to have a team that is both very diverse and highly skilled. The
aim of the model is to recruit all paid staff from this talented
pool of volunteers.
Operational
Characteristics
Volunteer
Community
Management
Volunteer Recruitment:
Volunteers are recruited through the 510 websites where the
vacancies for projects are posted. Team members are also
encouraged to work on talent scouting.
510 also works with corporate volunteers. Our partners skilled
employees help 510 achieve its purpose through research,
development or implementation of 510's categories, products
or services. 510 recruits from partners who have a common
vision on moving 510's purpose forward. Before working
together an MOU is created, tasks and goals are aligned and,
“sprints” are created to achieve these in an agile manner with
the employees that have the appropriate skills.
Volunteer Management:
44
Volunteers within 510 are assigned to a project and managed
by the project lead which is a member of staff. There is a
member of staff which is also primarily focused on the
management of volunteers. The essential components of
volunteer management for this model include; assigning tasks
to the volunteers that are not critical in time or deadline,
making sure the onboarding process is clear, a tasking system
which allows for self-selecting tasks by the team, working in an
environment that offers a strong sense of team and has a
clearly defined strategy for all to work towards.
Work Packaging Size of Work Package:
Volunteers can be deployed at all kind of tasks within
projects. Within several initiatives, several types of
volunteering can be categorized:
• Some volunteers come every week a day and have a
look what they can do that day, mostly microtasks that
have a quick result, like data collection or data
verification. These are also mostly more technical
tasks
• Some volunteers come every week and work alone or
in a team on the same good defined task, for example
data collection for one country.
• Some volunteers assign to an overall task that will last
6,8 or 12 weeks, within a regular 510 project. The goal
is to always have short tasks. In this case, a big task
(that will take 6 – 12 weeks to finish) will be broken
down into many smaller tasks that will be completed
by the same volunteer(s).
The 510 data team divides the type of work in the following
work packages:
• Data collection
• Data integration
• Data visualisation
• Data literacy
• Data analysis
• Data management
• Data sharing Flexibility of Work:
45
The aim of the model is to divide projects into well-defined
tasks so all members of the 510 team can assign themselves
to a task. Working at 510 goes beyond traditional job
descriptions and is based on the matching of current task
requirements with the availability of hands and knowledge.
Volunteers are, therefore, free to define their role according to
these tasks and to their availability.
Quality Control System:
The project leader is responsible for the quality control of the
work produced by the volunteer.
Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):
The volunteers needed for the 510 data team are mostly digital
experts and developers. Volunteer roles include; data analysts,
GIS-experts and data visualisation experts. For the collection
of data which feeds into the data team, volunteers with any
skill level are required. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:
Heterogenous. The type of skills required for the team depend
on the type of work that is being done. While most volunteers
are qualified digital experts, this is not a hard requirement for
the data team as data collection activities do not necessarily
need a high level of skill.
Community Motivation and Engagement:
In order to ensure volunteers are motivated, appreciated and
engaged, the 510 model emphasises the importance of
feedback and communication between the volunteers and
their project leads in particular during the onboarding period.
It is also stressed that it is necessary to ensure that there is a
balance between boring and attractive tasks. Teambuilding
activities also include online and offline social ventures such
as the presence of a chit-chat channel in MS Teams as well as
daily stand up meetings, lunch presentations and social team
activities; all of which volunteers are welcome to join as they
are available. It is important to note that onboarding takes
place over a longer period of time. Volunteers have effectively
already been onboarded and are ready to go when a disaster
occurs.
Training:
No specific training is required; however, volunteers may
differ in their level of data literacy and may need training.
Rewards System:
46
Volunteer management is aware of the benefits of ‘soft’
rewards. These include being appreciated as a person and for
their work. Volunteers are often happy to contribute to doing
something worthwhile.
Branding and Marketing Activities:
510 is part of the legal entity of the NLRC. It has its own brand,
and both the brand of NLRC and 510 are used wherever they
are most effective to attract volunteers. There are separate
brands for some of the internal models such as SIMS, Missing
Maps and Mapswipe.
Digital Tooling
(including security
and data
responsibility):
Tools Used:
Central to the assignment of tasks to volunteers is the digital
hub for teams provided by Microsoft Teams. Each project has
its own channel with Teams where project members share
their communication, files and tasks.
Data Responsibility:
510 has a Data Responsibility policy where it defines data
responsibility as ‘the responsible usage of data (including
collection, storage, processing and dissemination) with
respect to ethical standards in the humanitarian context,
bearing in mind potential consequences and taking measures
to avoid putting individuals and communities at risk’. For every
new project, a checklist of potential risks is identified, and
measures are discussed to mitigate these risks.
Financial
Characteristics
Cost and Profit:
510 has a cost-recovery model. Each national society that
requests services from 510 is asked to include the service
delivery costs in the budget. Netherlands Red Cross provides
a core funding, to create flexibility in the team for volunteer
costs, operational efficiency and strategic decision making.
Remuneration for Volunteers:
Volunteers receive reimbursement for travel costs, and this is
financed by 510’s core budget. Activity Specific Funding:
1. Innovation funding is applied for, that is used to create
new products and services. This is partly public funding
and partly internal NLRC funding.
2. Products and services are integrated in humanitarian
program funding, to deliver the innovation output into
the humanitarian operations of multiple national societies
(not just NLRC)
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3. Remote support to Emergency operations are funded
through Dutch government block grant and campaign
funding, usually through NLRC, but also through other NS
or IFRC.
4. Core funding is used to manage the core functions of
510, including volunteer management, legal, marketing,
communication, office, volunteer costs, training, etc. Learning
Opportunities and
Sustainability:
Model Recommendations:
Deployment of Volunteers
• Good discipline in definition of tasking
• Give volunteer opportunity to choose a task
• Collaboration tool with conversation integrated within
an assigned task
Focus on Data & Digital
• Build a data team
• Find data champions
• Develop a proposition / business case for NS
management
• Free up data champion for minimum 1 year
• Recruit volunteers and students
• Connect to existing projects and networks – SIMS,
Missing Maps, 510 projects
• Be useful, build visibility, grow buy-in, learn and share
• Use the media and networks to reach out to data
experts
Branding
• Create brand, identity and team culture
• Connect to internal projects, contribute to proposal
writing
• Start small data projects with your NS (cost-recovered)
• Recruit more volunteers, students, 1 extra staff?
• Implement the blueprint for data teams, learn from
others
• Embed in at least one multi-year project with
substantial funding
• Grow, build, accelerate
Quality of Results:
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Working entirely with remote volunteers was not a successful
model for the 510 data team. Volunteers are now required to
report to the office at least one day a week.
510 experimented with remote volunteers but it was not
successful, due to lack of engagement, lack of ownership and
understanding of the priorities of 510. Volunteer
management would have to be much more intensive to work
with out-of-office volunteers.
Coordination Required:
Volunteers management requires that one member of staff is
overseeing the management of all volunteers working in the
organisation to ensure onboarding and coordination is
standardised. Additionally, project leaders are responsible for
managing the quality of the work being produced by the
volunteers within specific projects.
In the case of a SIMS activation, the emergency response
coordinator coordinates the remote support tasks for staff
and volunteers.
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ICCO/EUAV VOLUNTEER MODEL General
Characteristics
Volunteering
Model/Initiative
Name
EUAV Acting Against Disaster Risk
Organisation European Union Aid Volunteers
Country of Origin European Union, 26 countries are involved.
General Information
(website/contact
information)
https://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/humanitarian-aid/eu-aid-
volunteers_en
Sector(s) and
Intended
Beneficiaries
Five countries are the intended beneficiaries, namely; Ethiopia,
Uganda, Nepal, Bangladesh and Cambodia.
Volunteer
Involvement
Volunteers are involved both through an online platform and,
albeit in a smaller capacity, on the ground in the 5 countries of
focus.
Operational
Characteristics
Volunteer
Community
Management
Volunteer Recruitment:
The EUAV platform for recruitment of volunteers is
compulsory. This platform makes available the processes and
expectations of volunteers.
Volunteer Management:
The platform makes available to the volunteers the what is
expected of them and what tasks are required to be
completed in a given location. There is an onsite volunteer
manager who works closely with local counterparts to
understand what information is required and how it will be
used. Each online volunteer is linked with an onsite volunteer
in order to support fluid communication. The request for work
is put on the EU website and within a week a volunteer is
recruited for the task following qualification checks.
Work Packaging Size of Work Package:
There is a long-term view when it comes to work packages. The
packages are generally carried out over several months. They
also tend to be very broad and limited in their detail. Flexibility of Work:
Not very flexible.
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Quality Control Online volunteer and onsite volunteer are in communication
and both are certified. This is integrated into the EUAV
platform. Following task completion, a certification of skills is
presented to the relevant volunteer.
Skills Required Level Required (High, Low):
High skill levels. Homogenous/Heterogenous Skills:
Heterogenous as it depends on the task needing completion.
The breadth of the work packages requires a number of
different skills.
Community Motivation and Engagement:
There is a certification for volunteers by the EU after the
assignment has been completed.
Rewards System:
ICCO discussed with the University of Wageningen if online
volunteering tasks could add to university credits. This is still
under negotiation.
Branding and Marketing Activities:
General EUAV branding. Little marketing activities.
Digital Tooling
(including security
and data
responsibility):
Tools Used:
EUAV platform is the primary tool used in this model.
Financial
Characteristics
Remuneration for Volunteers:
Standard EUAV pay, no remuneration for online volunteers.
Learning
Opportunities and
Sustainability:
Model Recommendations:
For ICCO, the biggest advantage of this model is that there is
an option ot have an onsite support volunteer which
coordinates and is in contact with any online volunteers that
are recruited. Per onsite volunteer, there is a possibility of 1 or
2 online volunteers but usually only 1 is used.
Use creativity in setting up the model. Current models are not
always the best practice versions of an online volunteering
model.
Quality of Results:
51
Outputs are controlled by the onsite volunteer. It is
recommended that each onsite volunteer has at least 1 online
volunteer as this keeps costs low and field activities up to date.
Coordination Required:
Although the online platform helps to keep volunteers up to
date with task requirements, process and expectations, online
volunteers require an onsite coordinator to be available and in
contact with local counterparts in order to facilitate smooth
communication. This is cost intensive depending on task
requirements.
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Annex B: Workspace Requirements – Technical Details Equipment and Other Basic Requirements
1. Internet connection
Fast enough for holding conference calls, up/downloading a large amount of data (e.g.
satellite photos) etc.
2. Computer
Volunteers are expected to:
• Use their own computers or digital devices, which must fulfil the minimum spec to
run applications to undertake tasks;
• Use a monitor(s) of a reasonable size and resolution to carry out the work;
• Admin access to the machine so applications can be installed as required.
3. Space
Volunteers are expected to work in the environment which is suited to carry out a job in
general (tranquility, enough lighting, safety, access to electricity and necessary facilities).
Privacy
For some tasks, volunteers may need to pay special attention to privacy. Under such
circumstances, volunteers are urged to consider the following:
1. Space
• The workspace is shared with people whom the volunteers can fully trust, and
confidentiality is guaranteed;
• If the volunteers don’t have access to such an environment, there must be
sufficient distance between the volunteers and strangers so the information on
the screen cannot be read by them, or conversations are not overheard.
2. Internet
In some cases, volunteers may be asked to use a VPN. They must ensure the VPN service
is a trustworthy one and not use a free VPN service.
Security
1. Space
• Volunteers should work in a space where their equipment can remain safe;
• If external memory storages are used (e.g. USB key, external drives etc.) the devices
/ the data on the devices must be encrypted.
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2. Network
• Use of public Wi-Fi is not allowed unless a reliable VPN is used to secure the
connection;
• When using wi-fi, the connection must be secured by WPA/WPA2 (or
equivalent) with a long password that is not easily guessable and withstands
dictionary attacks.
• No physical access to the router by unauthorised personnel (routers usually
have passphrase / URL + ID & ID & password for the router config console
printed on it).
3. Computer
• The computer must ask for the password when using any of the accounts on
the machine. The password must be reasonably long and secure;
• Antivirus with up-to-date definitions should be installed;
• Security updates to the operating system and all installed applications must be
installed as soon as possible after their release;
• Automatic password lock after inactive for x minutes;
• Application firewall should be enabled;
• HDD / SSD must be encrypted;
• It should not be configured in such a way that others on the same network are
able to freely access the data on / login to your machine without your granting
their access explicitly.
Refer to 510’s Data Responsibility Policy for details on how data should be used, handled
and managed in a responsible manner: https://www.510.global/data-responsibility-v2-2/