Local self-government bodies and volunteer groups do not always interact in the best way, and in our context, partnerships between them are the exception rather than the rule. Municipal representatives note that they lack full understanding and experience in cooperation with volunteers.
At the info session “Establishing Interaction Between Local Self-Government Bodies and Volunteer Groups in the Municipality: Tools and Practices” organised by U-LEAD with Europe, participants discussed who exactly should be considered volunteers, how local self-government bodies can establish cooperation with them and why municipalities need this.
Charity does NOT equal volunteering
Who are volunteers? How does volunteering differ from other forms of help to address social problems? This was discussed together with Olena Vuzka, Volunteer Programme Expert at U-LEAD, Head of National Programmes of the Ukrainian Volunteer Service.
Volunteering is a voluntary, unpaid and socially useful activity aimed at solving or alleviating a certain social problem. It is important that this social problem is chosen by the volunteer themselves; it is something that this person deeply cares about.
The three pillars of volunteering are its voluntary nature, no payment and social utility. If the activity lacks at least one of these characteristics, it cannot be called volunteering. Moreover, volunteers are usually active residents of the municipality who, in their free time, provide volunteer assistance of their own accord. This time is a very important aspect of volunteering. A volunteer gives their resource, invests their time and talent in mitigating a social problem.
So don't confuse volunteering with charity. After all, unlike volunteers, donors voluntarily, free of charge and in a socially beneficial manner invest their funds in mitigating a certain social problem.
Why is the volunteer movement in municipalities important for local self-government bodies?
This question is most often asked in municipalities where the volunteer movement is not developed or self-government bodies prefer to ignore it. This can be explained by a lack of understanding of the “pros” of cooperation, a lack of motivation in local self-government bodies to interact with the volunteer community.
However, there are quite a lot of “pros”. After all, an active volunteer community in the municipality is a mix of quick response forces, innovators and drivers of change that act as a consolidating factor in the municipality. For local self-government bodies, the volunteering movement means an opportunity.
First, addressing the urgent needs of the population of the municipality. For example, providing assistance to IDPs. While the healthy bureaucratic engine with lists, documents and the purchases of the necessary items is revving up in the local self-government bodies, volunteers have already provided the assistance. This is a quick result that can be seen immediately.
Secondly, the promotion of values and education among the youth and other groups. After all, volunteers show by their own example that you can join in responding to challenges for the municipality and develop your knowledge, skills and abilities through volunteering.
Thirdly, strengthening the cohesion and stability of the municipality. Volunteer initiatives involve joint activities, thus contributing to building trust between residents and the authorities, which is a basic prerequisite for the development of the municipality as a whole.
Fourthly, the introduction of new services and innovations. Often it is volunteer initiatives that start projects that might not otherwise exist in the municipality, from environmental projects to caring for the lonely and the needy. This allows local self-government bodies to study the needs of residents and make initial conclusions about requests for services and implementation mechanisms.
Fifthly, attracting additional resources to the municipality. Volunteers often raise funds for their initiatives or fundraise from donor organisations, attracting an external resource.
An equally important benefit of the volunteer movement in the municipality is the increase in visibility of the municipality within the country and abroad. After all, volunteering means dozens and hundreds of informal contacts that allow you to get yourself and your municipality out there.
“The impact of the volunteer movement on the municipality and its residents is not something that can be seen here and now. Sure, certain things can be seen immediately: say, we handed over 10 tonnes of humanitarian aid. But we can talk about spillover effects only after a certain amount of time passes,” said Olena Vuzka, Head of National Programmes of the Ukrainian Volunteer Service.
Legal relations: What should local self-government bodies be guided by in their interactions with volunteer groups?
If you are wondering what you should be guided by in interactions with volunteers — in other words, “dos and don’ts” — U-LEAD experts advise to refer to the legal framework that regulates the forms of interaction of local self-government with volunteers. In particular, refer to the following:
- Law of Ukraine No. 280/97-VR “On Local Self-Government in Ukraine” dated 21 May 1997 (local initiatives, public hearings, general meetings of citizens, participation in meetings of collegial bodies)
- Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 996 “On Ensuring Public Participation in the Formation and Implementation of State Policy” dated 3 November 2010 (open public discussions, electronic consultations with the public, public opinion polling, public councils)
- Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 94 “On Approval of Methodological Recommendations on the Mechanisms of Public Participation in the Budget Process at the Local Level” dated 3 March 2020 (public budget)
- Charter of the municipality and other local regulations of local self-government (other forms of interaction may be established)
As for the powers of local self-government in the field of volunteering, they are defined in the Law of Ukraine No. 3236-VI “On Volunteering” dated 19 April 2011.
Practical interactions of local self-government and volunteer groups
If we talk about practical interactions, local self-government bodies can do it at several levels: collecting and disseminating information about volunteering in the municipality; coordinating the activities of local self-government and volunteers; strengthening the capacity of volunteer groups; encouraging residents of the municipality to participate in the volunteer movement; acting as a partner to volunteer groups.
Strengthening the capacity of volunteers became the most debatable issue for local self-government bodies. That is, how exactly it can be achieved. Because money will not help here. Literally. Local self-government bodies cannot finance the activities of volunteers, because then the meaning of the very concept of volunteering will be completely lost. It will have a different name — works or services for budget funds.
Olena Vuzka pointed out several of the easiest-to-understand and effective ways to strengthen the capacity of volunteer groups:
- Initiating training events for volunteers: workshops, forums, conferences;
- Providing consultations, clarifications and recommendations to volunteers;
- Joint activities of local self-government and volunteers: events and projects;
- Project competition for local NGOs, public budget tools;
- Support of volunteer activities through the activities of the youth centre;
- Creation of a “volunteer headquarters”, a physical space used by volunteers.
This list is not exhaustive. Here you should be guided by the motto “Everything which is not forbidden by law is allowed”.
If the local self-government body wishes to effectively interact with the volunteer environment, U-LEAD experts suggest the following steps:
- Identify the person responsible for establishing interaction with volunteers (not the unit but the employee personally).
- Collect information about volunteer initiatives in the municipality, including contacts, activities and needs for support, and regularly update it (if you plan to publish contact information of volunteer groups on the municipality website or pages on social media, ask the permission of the volunteers themselves).
- Determine forms of regular communication with volunteers: not just information on the website, but two-way communication.
- Develop a local document on volunteering assistance or amend documents that already exist in the municipality.