Friday, 12 September 2008

Our IT chap Angelo came to the office today to sort out some refinements to our network. Meanwhile, I forged ahead with the final checks on our local groups database.

When we decided to build our own management information system, it seemed easiest to adopt the classification system used by other CVSs in Hertfordshire; after all, it has been in place for several years and no-one has raised any problems. But the more I actually use the data, the weaker this classification system seems to be.

Ahead of a further meeting I have planned with Helen (our Volunteer Centre Co-ordinator), Angelo and I talked through the possibility of using Microsoft CRM to run our Volunteer Centre’s operations. At the moment, everything goes through V-base, but this means we have to maintain duplicate records on local organisations (in V-base and in CRM).

There is also something fundamentally wrong about the process that the Volunteer Centre follows. At present if an organisation wants to promote a volunteering opportunity through the Volunteer Centre, it must be sent a form to complete, and it must complete and return the form which is then checked and the details are entered onto V-base. Most organisations are already registered, of course. The organisation also has to complete a form giving details of the volunteering opportunity, after which the form is checked and the details are entered onto V-base. Then V-base is uploaded to the Do-It website. Then anyone seeing the opportunity must complete a form to register their interest with the Volunteer Centre. Then the Volunteer Centre must forward their details to the host organisation. Finally the host organisation may make contact with the potential volunteer to discuss the volunteering opportunity.

Assuming everything goes to plan, there are 8-9 steps to complete. I have tried to understand the strength and purpose of this process, but I struggle. What does it achieve? What value does it add? The process creates distance between voluntary organisations and potential volunteers - and who benefits from that?

It should be possible for voluntary groups to post details of opportunities directly onto a recognised website, and for interested people to contact them direct. Why isn’t it? how can we speed up the contact while still providing support? These are questions that Helen and I have explored and will continue to explore.

After talking this through now with Angelo, I headed off to Rickmansworth to meet my new counterpart there, Jeanette Harvey. She is settling in well and we spoke about future work together.