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Newsletter
January 2009
Dear users,
This newsletter will reach more than 100,000 users of the Online Volunteering service of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, amongst them representatives of NGOs; UN organizations and local governments who are collaborating with online volunteers to strengthen the impact of their development activities; as well as online volunteers who are professionals, students, retirees and expatriates from across the globe, all who share the commitment to making a real difference to development.
UNV is the UN organization that promotes volunteerism to support peace and development worldwide. Volunteerism can transform the pace and nature of development, and it benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for volunteerism globally, encouraging partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing volunteers.
The Online Volunteering service is one of UNV’s tools to mobilize volunteers for peace and development. In today’s newsletter you will read the reactions of Online Volunteering service users to the redesigned website, find all the answers to your questions regarding the Feedback functionality and learn how to participate in the Online Volunteering video project.
Best wishes and Happy New Year!
The Online Volunteering service team
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THIS MONTH'S TOPICS
1. FROM THE SERVICE: How satisfied are the Online Volunteering service users with the new website?
2. TIP: All you wanted to know about the Feedback
3. EXPERIENCE: Promote online volunteering and share your experiences via video
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1. FROM THE SERVICE: How satisfied are Online Volunteering service users with the new website?
Very satisfied! The reactions to the new website are overwhelmingly positive, and the results of the survey on the Online Volunteering service homepage confirm that the redesigned website is very well received by the users:
91 percent of the survey respondents rated the appearance of the new website (the layout, design and imagery) as excellent or good, followed by 88 percent who said the same regarding the clarity and usefulness of the content. 87 percent appreciated the usability and 83 percent rated the navigation as excellent or good. None of these aspects was rated poor or very poor by more than 4 percent of the respondents.
Despite the very high satisfaction of website users, we will continuously work on further improving the site and service, targeting the 100 percent satisfaction mark.
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2. TIP: All you wanted to know about the Feedback
Submitting feedback
How can I submit feedback?
The link to the feedback form is available next to the online volunteer’s name listed in the ‘Manage Volunteers’ section of your organization account.
When do I submit feedback?
You should submit feedback to all those volunteers whom you contacted and with whom you mutually agreed to work on an assignment.
Normally, you submit feedback when a volunteer has completed an assignment. Once both the volunteer and the organization have submitted their feedback, the link to issue the certificate of appreciation will become available.
If a volunteer accepted a task but then did not take up the assignment, you should still submit feedback and respond “No” to the question “Did the volunteer work on this assignment?” This will remove the volunteer’s name from your list of active volunteers. In addition, you have the option of entering a comment, which you may share with the volunteer.
Why should I share my feedback with the volunteer?
You have the option of either sharing your feedback with the volunteer or keeping it confidential. Sharing your comments on the online collaboration is very valuable to volunteers. It allows them to evaluate their own performance and make any necessary changes in the future.
Shared feedback will be reflected in the average rating on top of the volunteer’s feedback page and help the volunteer to quickly grasp how organizations rate the collaboration overall and specifically in terms of the quality of their contributions, adherence to deadlines, and overall communication.
Receiving feedback
Where can I access the feedback my organization received?
You can find the feedback which volunteers provided about the collaboration with your organization in the “View Feedback” section of your account. If the volunteer chose to share the feedback, you can access it by clicking on the date of feedback submission below the stars next to the volunteer name. If the volunteer chose not to share the feedback, no stars are displayed and the date of feedback submission is not clickable.
What do the stars mean?
The stars reflect the rating received. The more blue or ‘filled’ stars you see, the higher the rating. Five blue stars represent the highest rating. The stars displayed on the individual feedback level correspond to the volunteer’s response to the last question of the feedback form “How would you rate your overall satisfaction with this collaboration?”.
How is the average feedback calculated?
The stars on the top of the “View Feedback” section reflect the average of all the shared feedback your organization received. It is meant to give you a quick overview and is only visible to your organization. The categories correspond to the questions on the feedback form which the volunteer completed. The feedback from applicants who were never informed by your organization as to whether they had been accepted or rejected for the assignment, will reflect negatively on the “Responsiveness to applications received”.
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2. EXPERIENCE: Promote online volunteering and share your experiences via video
To open a space for online volunteers and organizations to share their experiences via video, we have created a “UNV Online Volunteering service” group on YouTube. The first video clip is already online. It was recorded by Youth for Technology Foundation, an NGO based in Nigeria, and two of their online volunteers, Jaime Chapman and Silvia Lovato. “It is simple. Each of us sat down in front of our digital camera or webcam and taped our messages. Then we spliced them into one video clip”, recalls Silvia.
Tell your story, too! Talk about how online volunteers are supporting your organization and the difference they make to your projects and the people you serve. Ask your online volunteers to record why they volunteer online, what they personally gain from the experience, how they have supported your organization and what they have helped you to achieve -- and then join your statements together (using any video editing tool) and upload them to the “UNV Online Volunteering service” group on YouTube. YouTube provides guidance on doing this: http://help.youtube.com/support/youtube/.
Your videos can be featured on the Online Volunteering service website and will help demonstrate that online volunteering is about real people, real relationships for real impact on peace and development. It is also a way for organizations to recognize the contributions of their online volunteers.
Some tips…
• Use a script: Write down what you would like to say and rehearse at least once before taping your statement. Remember to mention your organization’s name and objectives as well as your name and position.
• Keep it short: One statement should not exceed 2 to 3 minutes, and the maximum length of the entire clip (in case you want to splice various clips) should be maximum 5 minutes long.
• Need help? Post an opportunity and ask online volunteers to help you! Online volunteers can support you in drafting the script or provide technical advice and support.
• Find more tips for the recording of a video in the Resources section of the Online Volunteering service website.
