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Newsletter
April 2011
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THIS MONTH'S TOPICS
1. FROM THE SERVICE: Results of the 2010 user survey
2. TIP: How to apply as an online volunteer
3. EXPERIENCE: Volunteering their design skills for the UNV roster
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1. FROM THE SERVICE: Results of the 2010 user survey
In January this year we sent out an anonymous survey to our 14,000 users who were active in 2010: volunteers who applied to at least one online volunteering opportunity and organizations that submitted one or more opportunities for publication on the Online Volunteering service website. We wanted to know how satisfied they were with the services we provide, to help us remain aware of and further adapt to our users’ needs. Users were asked to give ratings of “excellent”, “good”, “average”, “poor” and “very poor”.
In 2010, 84 percent of respondents rated their satisfaction with the overall services provided by UNV’s Online Volunteering service as good or excellent, which is a slight increase (+2 points) compared to the 2009 survey results.
The overall satisfaction with the website remains high as 84 percent of our respondents rated it excellent or good. Volunteer respondents are still very satisfied with the website and newsletter content (84 and 82 percent respectively), whereas organization respondents’ satisfaction has decreased compared to last year. However, the satisfaction expressed by organizations about opportunity and volunteer management tools was slightly above that of 2009: for example, 95 percent of the organizations were satisfied or very satisfied with the opportunity creation functionality and 86 percent with the opportunity management tools offered through the website. Volunteers’ satisfaction with the website tools is stable in relation to 2009, e.g. the opportunity search functionality satisfies 78 percent of volunteer respondents’ needs.
While 87 percent of respondents rated the relevance of emails sent by the Online Volunteering service’s user support as excellent or good, it has been noted that there were some delays in the timeliness of responses, resulting in a drop in respondents’ satisfaction to 77 percent. 87 percent of organizations rated as excellent or good the guidance received on volunteer and opportunity management, as did 84 percent the guidance on the presentation and formulation of opportunities. These results have to be considered together with the 71 percent of volunteer respondents who indicated their satisfaction with the clarity of opportunities published on the website, as well as the 77 percent of organization respondents satisfied with the applications received.
We are grateful to the many users who participated in the survey. Your feedback provides us with a lot of valuable information to further improve our functionalities, processes and services.
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2. TIP: How to apply as an online volunteer
Through the user survey, many respondents shared comments or raised questions that we will address in today’s and next month’s newsletters. Respondents who have raised more individual questions will be replied to directly, provided they recorded their name in the survey.
The application process for online volunteers is different from that of UN Volunteers who apply for on-site assignments with UNV or its partner organizations in the field. Here are the answers to some of the most frequent questions we received from users who asked for more information on how to apply as online volunteers.
How do I actively participate as an online volunteer?
Online volunteers have to submit their applications for specific online volunteering opportunities available in the Opportunity Search section of the Online Volunteering service website. Application forms are accessed through each opportunity description and, once completed by the online volunteering candidate, are sent through the website directly to the organizations that posted the opportunities. The organizations review all applications and inform the candidates of the outcome. UNV does not suggest opportunities to volunteers and is not involved in the selection of online volunteers.
How do the opportunity alerts work?
In addition to searching the website for opportunities to volunteer online, you can choose to receive an automated alert every time an opportunity of your interest is published. In the Manage Alerts section of your account, you can create up to three alerts that you can delete when no longer required. The alerts can be designed according to a task and development topic of your choice, as well as the language in which the opportunity is published (i.e. English, French or Spanish). We will soon enhance the opportunity alerts to include the language required to perform the task, such as local languages required for translation assignments, for example.
How do I increase my chances to being selected?
Just like for on-site assignments as UN Volunteers, the number of candidates wishing to volunteer their skills online is much higher than the number of available opportunities (on average 19 applications per opportunity in 2010). Before you submit your application, therefore, be sure to have a clear understanding of the kind of profile the organization is requesting, and adjust your application to prove that you have the required skills. If your skills or experience do not match the organization’s needs, your chances of being selected for the assignment are very slim. This does not mean that the organization does not appreciate your enthusiasm and offer of support – it only means that it received applications from volunteers who met all of the requirements. UNV is very careful to ensure that everybody is treated equally and receives a fair chance to participate (statistics are available on the website at http://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/vol/about/statistics.html).
Is my application as an online volunteer connected to my application as a UN Volunteer?
For on-site assignments, candidates register their profile in a database, available through www.unv.org, from which UNV selects those with relevant skills. For online volunteering assignments, candidates have to apply for specific opportunities, through www.onlinevolunteering.org, by completing a form in which they express their motivation and describe their relevant qualifications and experience for this particular opportunity. These two processes are independent. Candidates can both register their profiles for on-site assignments and apply for online opportunities if desired. Since online volunteers do not hold a contract with UNV, they do not have the same entitlements as UN Volunteers who serve in the field.
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3. EXPERIENCE: Volunteering their design skills for the UNV database of candidates
The United Nations Volunteers programme mobilizes more than 7,500 UN Volunteers every year and maintains a database of candidates interested in serving as UN Volunteers in the field. The UNV database contains the details of thousands of candidates, and new applications are submitted every day. In order to increase the efficient management of these candidates, staff of UNV’s Volunteer Recruitment Resources Section, which manages the database, developed “MyProfile”, a web-based application that enables candidates to easily update their profiles. Two online volunteers, Catherine Palmer and Ahmed Darwish, were engaged to design the graphic identity and homepage of the “MyProfile” application.
The online volunteers successfully mastered the challenge of developing a distinct graphic design for “MyProfile” that clearly differentiates it from the three public websites administered by UNV, namely www.unvolunteers.org, www.onlinevolunteering.org and www.worldvolunteer.org, while maintaining a cohesive organizational image. Moreover, the design conveys UNV’s mission and values, and visually integrates the promotion of volunteerism and gender equity. The page will go live towards the end of April.
Catherine and Ahmed worked together as a team, with Catherine focusing on the design of the graphic element and Ahmed on the layout of the “MyProfile” homepage. They sent weekly updates to their contact person in UNV, who provided feedback. The online volunteers’ proposals passed through a number of approval stages, and the comments were integrated into the design. The volunteers contributed to the development of a web page that makes it quick and easy for candidates to access and update their profiles, thereby greatly impacting the volunteer recruitment workflow and facilitating a faster and more efficient volunteer recruitment process.
Ahmed Darwish from Egypt works as General Manager for a consulting and telecommunications company in Cairo, and is enrolled in an MBA in Strategic Planning. He began his online volunteering activities in May 2010 in order to give back and make positive contributions to peace and development. He chose to apply to the UNV’s online volunteering opportunity because he wanted to support the United Nations.
“I spent about 8 hours a week on this assignment. It was really amazing working with Catherine, and with the help of our coordinator at UNV, we were successful in creating a design that was approved by UNV. Volunteering is something that has influenced my personal life in a positive way. One day my contribution may have a positive impact on the development of my community and country.”
Catherine Palmer, who is from South Africa and the U.K., holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art, complemented by studies in various design and 3D computer programme courses. She has worked in theatre, commercials, feature films and television. She had just applied as a UN Volunteer herself, and immediately seized the opportunity to contribute to this assignment because she thought the “My Profile” concept was a brilliant idea in which she wanted to be involved.
“The process has been very collaborative, each person using their specific design skills and tools. The online relationship has been fluid and open, and thoroughly enjoyable. I couldn’t say exactly how many hours I spent on it, initially a few days a week, which then just became a few hours a week as we resolved the design. I feel proud of the work I have done, and happy that people I have never met were excited by it. I’m glad that my skills and free time can produce worthy results. Volunteering is the most rewarding thing you can do with your time. The sense of achievement and accomplishment has far more value than any paid work.”
