Sir, Give me a minute to serve! - Has Telecenters changed volunteering models ?

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Permalink Reply by Wangchuk Chungyalpa on April 2, 2009 at 2:38pm

Volunteer contributions are unquestionably utilitarian in nature and therefore should be highly regarded and valued. However, we should equally value institutions that provide such volunteer opportunity – albeit value added volunteer programs designed to empower volunteers in the following areas:
• Practical hands on training in a real work environment
• Skill building and knowledge enhancement opportunity
• Opportunity to implement new ideas, innovations and tools

As far as model is concerned, institutes could follow a “participative, collaborative model” that involves the volunteers from the initial steps in-designing a volunteer curriculum. I recommend a more restrictive “top down approach” where the institutes have pre-designed volunteer activities based on their strategic needs and requirements and priorities. However, the tasks and the activities should not be completely constrained and rigid. Volunteers should be given the freedom and leeway to implement their ideas and to innovate. In both the models, it is not only critical to implement a sound feedback mechanism but also to ensure that feedbacks are utilized to provide the maximum benefit.

Finally, as you have so elegantly highlighted, volunteers must be appreciated for their utilitarian services and their commitment. How that appreciation is conveyed is up to the institutes. It can take the following forms:
• Certificate of appreciation
• Letters of recommendation
• Special discount prices and cost
• Publication and printing – either on the web or the internet
• Volunteer appreciation events
• Employment opportunity with the institute etc.

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Permalink Reply by Dean Mulozi on April 2, 2009 at 5:36pm

Dear Nirinjan and Wanguchuk,
Yes I agree with you, volunteering can have a great impact on community in helping and providing much valued capacities to coumunites help themselves. Volunteering creates development bridges and may narrow the gaps of development.

In respect of telecenters, the key concept is value of partnerships in telecenter movement. A need to create partnerships with organisations and individuals with capacities and skills to support the cause of humanity especially in the south. Thus through volunteering, transfer of development skills, technologies and practices are evolve from the people and organisations.

And therefore the methodologies I propose among telecenters in developing countres is to promote the public -Private sector partnerhsips(PPP) between the people, organisations with capacities and skills and telecenters. This cross cultural and mix among organisations has changed a lot in the world. The long term impact would be increased technological and management skills among telecenters that will help in the improved delivery of services and sustainability of telecenters.

Dean Mulozi
ZAA-ICT, SATNET,
Connect Africa Zambia.

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Permalink Reply by Sandra Nassali on April 3, 2009 at 3:22am

Good discussion here. Many non- profit oriented organizations like telecentres need volunteers to survive in business since they do n't have any grounded financial source. You will see that even renowned international organizations like The Red Cross, United Nations extra always call out for volunteers when need arises.

Since they do it out of their own free will, volunteers do n't always ask for financial compassion BUT does this mean their efforts should n't be recognized?? I do n't think so.

I concur with Wanguchuk when he rises something about this issue- recognition should be done to boast their morale.

One thing i do n't like about volunteers though is most are not reliable. Since they know that their are doing their work for free, the level of commitment is very low and this affects the outputs of any organization.

Most telecentres that mainly rely on volunteers face this problem- they come and go as they wish and this is not something to be silent about- it affects the impacts of such Cecs in their communities.

I think in a way, a subsidized wage/ salary should always be given to consistent volunteers to motivate them at what they are doing- it is human to expect your efforts to be appreciated.

Also, to promote consistence, telecentres that regularly use volunteers should have rules and regulations in place to govern them so as to ensure that one is responsible and committed to what they are doing. For instance, if one is volunteering as a Radio Presenter on a Community Station, rules as to what, how and when to present should be there.

There should also be a time frame for their services and to formalize everything, an agreement in form of an appointment letter should be signed to clearly state what is expected from both parties i.e. the telecentre and the volunteer.

This will birth commitment, consistence and a whole new telecentre movement!!

Sandra

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Permalink Reply by Munira Morshed Munni on April 7, 2009 at 1:57am

I agree with you Sandra that 'Many non- profit oriented organizations like telecentres need volunteers to survive in business since they do not have any grounded financial source.'
But I think volunteers also gain many subjective things which they can utilize in their professional life later. They dig up organizing capacity; gain knowledge how to deal and adaptation with new community, awareness grows in their mind about their real society through their helpful work, get in touch with large network. With all of this their horizon became better heeled. I also agree with Wangchuk Chungyalp ‘volunteers must be appreciated for their utilitarian services and their commitment ’. He gave some forms which is right.

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Permalink Reply by Jan Herder on April 7, 2009 at 11:09am

Hello everyone, while volunteering has its advantages and disadvantages really the model which will serve many of our needs is one of Internships. Having a vital and formal relationship with some kind of credit giving institution is preferable for a number of reasons.
Here is a strategy document I prepared for Telecenters:
Internship Structure and Strategy for Telecenters

Staffing and Internships.  Essential to the emerging paradigm of education of the 21st Century is the role of Internships for human capacity building and workforce development.  I would propose that an Internship program be established for Telecenters as a pilot to be extended to other areas as appropriate. Establishing articulation agreements between the a Telecenter and educational institutions to value and expose students to the possibilities of ICT is critical for long term adaptation.

Structure of the Internship Program. Ideally an Internship has these components:
Academic. It follows an individualized Plan of Study, prepared in collaboration with the Professor, that provides the context, purpose, roles and responsibilities, learning outcomes, documentation and assessment expected.

Hands-on, Experiential Student Centered Learning. There is a contract between the student, the Academic Institution and the Site Host. This contract reflects the expectations that the Site host has with the student. They do not need to be involved directly with the strictly ‘academic’ portion of the contract. The Host’s responsibility is to provide an authentic, professional, safe and rich working experience for the Intern that benefits their organization. The Student’s labor, contribution and energy are the organizations compensation.

The Student is paid some amount. This is absolutely essential. This could be as a scholarship, a modest stipend, housing and food, entry level pay from the site host, a portion of already existing tuition--a micro-loan.

The Professor is paid appropriately. Again, this is essential for the process to work. A credit fee related to the time the Professor must dedicate to collaborating and evaluating.

Length or depth of time. It seems to work best when Internships are not less than 3 academic college credits (120 hours over three months). More full time internships are best. It is critical that all parties are valued and compensated. This creates an economic cycle rooted in the student’s innovative influence and labor.

Realization of Internship Program:

I would like to suggest an advertising campaign targeted at your Primary Partners, but opened up to any student or resident: once job descriptions are created, funds located and pay scale determined. Ideally we are searching for Interns in an Academic Program. Hopefully that initial seed money can be found that provides a respectful and decent hourly rate or stipend appropriate for the the locale.

Fiscal sources. Here in the States stipends for Interns come from a number of places:
--A portion of their tuition money is set aside for them to earn in their Internship (a work-study program)
--Scholarship Aid from the Institution
--CSR Angel investor with an investment in teaching or the technologies being utilized by the Telecenter or community
--A micro- loan which is part of the student’s funding for getting credit for their experience as part of their education, but applied to the Internship, to make it possible.
--Grants
I hope you find this useful--
Regards,
Jan

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Permalink Reply by Balaba Peter on April 10, 2009 at 12:25pm

Nice forum, but wish to share my six years of experience working with Volunteers. In the first place volunteers can do a good job to a Telecentre if their capacities are built well.
In Nakaseke we realized that the few staff (4) we had could not deliver well to the expectations of the community. so what we did was to invite people who could volunteer on the Radio and ICT Training. on this point we were very clear to them that the Center could not be position to pay them however, they could get commission which is 20%and we pay this immediately to a volunteer before we deposit the money to the Bank.
indeed this has motivated them to go out and look for programmes , people willing to train in ICT and adverts.

The Class of Volunteers varies, from age, educational background (minimum O'level). we also work with institutions as Volunteers like the extension workers on Agric.Helath and councilors of HIV/AID

Appreciating their work also boosts their morale, it is also better to record their programmes and play back such that they can listen made programmes when they are at their homes listening together with their family members.

it is culture that at the end of the year especially on Christmas we slaughter a bull and Share the meat this gives them more courage to continue working with the Telecentre. i guess this may not be suitable to other Centers but do what you find best for them.

We also organize sports and we normally have friendly marches with community this is aimed at promoting our services to the community and also recognizing work of the volunteers.
Capacity Building since most of the Telecentres are in the Rural Areas where you can hardly get qualified people to start working with. therefore, it is better to build their capacities in all disciplines.

Students - Volunteers: we have also decided not work with volunteers who are still students because their services are not reliable.
Time allocation: we have tried not keep volunteers at the center for a long time each person of group is allocated 1 hr every time they come for the programme and we also make sure that a volunteer doesn't have to come twice a week. This gives them time to do other productive activities in their homes.

such models have enabled us to maintain them for such a long period of time. however some do leave for other places but we are not much affected.

I finally urge you to always to consider and value the work of a volunteer in a Telecentre the only problem comes right from the inception of the projects Volunteers should be encouraged even during the pilot phase because the experiences has shown that most staff tend the leave the Telecentre immediately the pilot expires thus leaving the Telecentre to the messy of Volunteers.

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Permalink Reply by Niranjan Meegammana on April 11, 2009 at 2:14pm

Hi All
Thanks for great inputs. In this topic i mean whole telecenter movement, not only telecenter but many other components in the movement related to ICT4D. This involves Telecenter Networks, Managing and Supporting Orgnizations, Reserch, M & E and many process. They all rely on some sort of volunteering, like we are initiating a dicusssion on "volunteering" and spend our time volunteerly.

as an example Shilpa Sayura involves many volunteers at different levels in advice, content , shilpa sayura depoloyment, tech support, media and advacasy. This involve hardware providers who provide long term credit. In field telecenter operators, managers, owners, community and specially students provide great support in all operations. This v olunteered support is a result of something they get from Shilpa Sayura.

Volunteering for Passion
At higher level People like Manju Hathotuwa and JayaLaxmi Chittor, Chiranganie Mubarak, Peter Mozellius and many others support Shilpa Sayura because they have a passion, had been a part of bringing Shilpa Sayura up.
For them It's a pride to be a helping hand for a successfull project.

Volunteering for Living
The Key Technical Team make a living out of Shilpa Sayura and proud to be assosiated with exitment, learning , happyness and fame of Shilpa Sayura.

Volunteering for Knowledge
Nenasala operators gain knowledge working with Shilpa Sayura and earn revenue and it is a pride to be associated with success. This include Sinhala Unicode Group members.

Volunteering for fun
Media friends who help Shilpa Sayura enjoyed the outing , videos they can shoot and hospitality

What encourages good volunteering in Shilpa Sayura


Pride of being associated and Worthy Credit
Openness, Knowledge & Resources Sharing
Good Food and Beverages, Entertainment
Revenue Opportunities
Owneshipo

Pride of being associated with success in a key attractor for volunteering. Yet using vroolunteering require return benefits to the person to generate the free will to do something. One strong component is ownership. Shilpa Sayura has provided key positions to teachers, nenasala operators, developers in the board level.

For a famous organisation getting volunteers not difficult. But a start up project has to use different strategies. Friends are best volunteers in this case. In many Telecenters in Sri Lanka, volunteering is quite based on friendships. Volunteering is an esstaintial element in ICT4D. It need diffrent consideration of returns at different levels, But there are no free rides at operational level.

Niranjan Meegammana
http://www.shilpasayura.org

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