NCSS to set up management framework for volunteer organisations

SINGAPORE — The National Council of Social Service will be setting up a sector-wide structured volunteer management framework to help boost the development capability and organisational scale of voluntary welfare organisations (VWO).

The Volunteer Resource Optimisation (VRO) programme is said to be set up by the end of 2015. This will be done through redesigning selected programmes and job processes within the VWOs.

A systems for recruitment, training and deployment of volunteer resources and ensure that volunteers and their skills are matched will also be put in place.

The NCSS will work closely together with the VWOs on a one-on-one basis.

The programme is at the preliminary stage and the NCSS is planning to engage VWOs in the coming months to determine the level of interest in the use of volunteers, the scope of work and the feasibility of a structured volunteer management programme.

In addition, several initiatives to address the manpower needs of the sector have also been kick started.

For example, the NCSS is setting up a new manpower unit to focus on attracting and grooming professional and organisational leaders for the sector. These leaders will have the breadth and knowledge of the experience in the sector.

Also in the works is talent and leadership development which will involve mobilising and scaling up more “bottom-up efforts” in productivity, research and innovation.