Supervising Volunteers

There are thousands of ideas, theories, and books on supervision and leadership styles. This section contains some basic advice and tips from experienced coordinators about supervising volunteers.

It Takes a Village

It's important that volunteers feel appreciated and valued by the Forest Service and know they are contributing to the mission. The line officer of your unit needs to be involved and supportive of your volunteer program. You also need your colleagues' support. The volunteer coordinators we interviewed emphasized they couldn't supervise all their volunteers without the help of their fellow employees (figure 32).

Figure 32—Employees from different agencies take
a break during Volunteer Day (left to right: Bureau of Land
Management employee; retired Forest Service employee;
retired Forest Service employee; Forest Service employee.
Courtesy of Tom Iraci (submitted by Sherri Richardson-Dodge,
Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station)

One way to get help from colleagues is simply by asking for it. As the old saying goes, "it never hurts to ask." Another way of getting help from coworkers is to help them in return. Many programs could use a couple of extra hands and are willing to give you some time if they get some time back. In some instances, when funding was available, coordinators offered overtime incentives to encourage coworkers to help.

Reluctant Employees

You may encounter resistance from some employees. They may not want to work with volunteers. Some employees are accustomed to working with seasonal employees and don't believe volunteer labor compares. Other employees believe volunteers are taking jobs from them. This is a tough situation, and there is no easy solution.

One coordinator got her district involved in the volunteer program by paying close attention when her colleagues didn't have the resources to hire help for their projects. She offered her volunteers as a way to solve the problem.

Several other coordinators got help from coworkers after actively marketing the volunteer program. They kept supervisors and colleagues informed about their volunteers' work and successes through e-mails, staff meetings, newsletters, and annual reports. These coordinators believe nothing is as contagious as success.

Another coordinator was able to get help by emphasizing her program's safety record. She stressed the precautions she takes to protect her volunteers' safety and the training they receive before beginning any position or project.

Finally, it always helps to be prepared when trying to recruit reluctant colleagues. The better you can answer questions and address concerns, the more likely you are to convince someone to help you.

No matter how much you try to change the mind of some colleagues, you might not succeed. Even if you do, changing minds takes time. Be patient. Many coordinators have turned reluctant employees into strong advocates.

Using AmeriCorps Members as Community Stewardship Coordinators

One way to address the problem of not having enough employees to serve as volunteer supervisors is to utilize AmeriCorps. The Mt. Hood National Forest used AmeriCorps members as Community Stewardship Coordinators during 2007 and 2008. The goal was to increase public participation on national forest lands, assist program managers with the volunteer and partnership programs, increase conservation education in local schools, and provide on-the-job experience for the AmeriCorps members to enhance their careers and life experience.

Except in limited cases, AmeriCorps Programs/Projects must be negotiated under a participating or cooperative agreement. Typically, AmeriCorps members are not considered volunteers. If you would like more information on using AmeriCorps members at your unit, you can go to the AmeriCorps Web site at http://www.americorps.gov.

Volunteer Leadership

In a perfect world, volunteers would always have an employee supervisor with them when out in the field. However, declining budgets and staff have made that impossible. Coordinators now rely on volunteers to serve by themselves or under volunteer leaders (figure 33). A Forest Service supervisor should always be appointed for volunteers even if supervision cannot be provided every day.

Since there are not enough employees or coordinators to serve as supervisors, many coordinators rely on volunteer leaders to help them out. These leaders, like regular supervisors, take responsibility for the project preparation, equipment, tailgate safety session, supervision, communications, and paperwork. Experienced coordinators believe the key to good volunteer leaders is finding the right people and giving them proper training.

Figure 33—Oregon Hunters Association volunteers
rebuild a riparian exclosure, part of the Lone Pine
exclosure rebuild project for the wildlife program.
Courtesy of Anne Alford, Ochoco National Forest

Coordinators select volunteer leaders in different ways. On some units, coordinators simply use their own judgment and stay on the lookout for volunteers who have training, experience, and leadership skills. They ask these volunteers if they want to take on leadership responsibilities. Many volunteers appreciate this opportunity and take the request as a sign of the coordinator’s confidence.

Some units have established volunteer/staff committees to select leaders. In these cases, coordinators ask interested leaders to submit their personal information, training, and experience to the committee for review. The committee then determines whether the volunteers are ready to lead or what training and experience they may still need.

Another way to select leaders is to establish a training curriculum and encourage volunteers to sign up. Curriculums differ from program to program but basically require volunteers to complete supervisory training and field experience before being certified as a volunteer leader.

Finally, in some instances, volunteer groups come with their own leaders or want to select their own leaders. In these instances, coordinators reserve the right to approve the leader based on their qualifications, experience, and knowledge of Forest Service policies and procedures. The coordinator also reserves the right to require the leader to obtain additional training before leading a group of volunteers without employee supervision.

No matter how you choose a volunteer leader, document in letter format that the individual is capable, trained, and possesses the communication and leadership skills to be a supervisor (a letter of delegated supervisory responsibilities). The documentation must be approved by the line officer and must be a part of the official project file (FSM 1830 and FSM 1834).

Staying Involved When Volunteers Serve by Themselves

When volunteers serve by themselves, experienced coordinators believe it is essential to stay involved. This keeps volunteers from making their own decisions and doing such things as restoring historical cabins improperly, building trails illegally, and planting trees incorrectly. When coordinators don’t stay involved, volunteers become frustrated and demoralized.

Coordinators with successful programs have several ways to stay involved. One way is to telephone or e-mail volunteers regularly, asking them how they are doing and how the project is going. Some coordinators hold monthly meetings with their volunteers or volunteer leaders. Some coordinators have their volunteers submit regular reports so they can answer questions and provide additional direction.

Another way to stay involved is to radio volunteers in the field or make occasional site visits. Many coordinators go out with their volunteers on the first day and try to get out with them periodically after that. This allows the coordinator to reinforce safety and the expectations for the project.

You can also make sure that you or someone else is available when the volunteers need to reach an agency employee. You can provide the volunteers with your schedule and contact information and an alternate contact when you are not available. Many coordinators provide this information by e-mail or post it on a bulletin board in the office.

Finally, successful coordinators stress the importance of always taking time to meet with volunteers whenever they are at the office. It does take time out of your day, but it makes the volunteers feel appreciated.

Giving Clear Direction and Setting Expectations

Experienced coordinators have found they can avoid problems by giving volunteers clear direction and setting expectations. You shouldn't assume volunteers know what to do or how to do something. Show the volunteers how to do the tasks, make sure your expectations are understood, and always provide volunteers with a written project description.

Volunteers want to do what's right, but if you don't give them the tools they need, they are bound to fail. If they have to remove or redo something, they will become frustrated and demoralized.

Realistic Expectations

Even though volunteers can perform most of the tasks employees normally perform, experienced coordinators have found that sometimes they can't work volunteers as hard or as long as employees.

When planning positions or projects for volunteers, ask them how many hours they want to put in. Some volunteers will commit to a full day while others may only want to serve a couple of hours. After you know their commitment, be flexible.

Most coordinators have also found they need to be flexible with the difficulty of positions or projects they expect volunteers to perform. They prepare projects that provide opportunities for a variety of skills and abilities.

Another issue you will face is the different speeds at which volunteers can perform tasks. To prevent injury, you will need to set the pace in a group to accommodate all volunteers or plan different activities that allow for a variety of paces (figure 34).

Figure 34—Eight Future Farmers of America students
and two chaperones traveled more than 1,900 miles
during Thanksgiving week from Divide County, North
Dakota, to complete the first phase of a three-phase
volunteer project to build a boardwalk on the Enoree
Ranger District on the Sumter National Forest. Courtesy
of Tammy Terrell Mason, Francis Marion and Sumter
National Forests

Some volunteers are happy doing the same task over a long period of time, but others get bored quickly and want to rotate into new positions. A key to keeping your volunteers active and excited about their service is giving them the opportunity to cross train and move within your program.

Finally, be careful when selecting positions or projects for volunteers. If you wouldn't consider doing the task for free, don't assign it to a volunteer.

Keeping an Open Mind

When working with volunteers, keep an open mind to their ideas. They want to contribute and have someone listen to their suggestions. In many instances, you won't be able to act on their suggestions, but volunteers should feel their comments are respected and appreciated.

Supporting Volunteers

On top of administrative work, coordinators spend a considerable amount of time supporting volunteers. Supporting has many facets. One facet involves checking in on the volunteers and asking them how everything is going with their service. They need you to encourage them, attend to their position or project needs, and respond to their requests, questions, and concerns.

Another facet of supporting volunteers is being their friend and not just their supervisor. Many volunteers donate their time to have a relationship with something they care about—the Forest Service and others who share their interests. Successful coordinators spend a lot of time talking with volunteers and listening to them.

If you don't support your volunteers, they may become disgruntled and quit.

Field Projects

Volunteers serve on a wide range of field projects such as trail maintenance, tree planting, trash removal, and fire information. No matter the project, you or the supervisor will have to prepare them for the project and ensure a safe experience. Many coordinators and supervisors use a safety checklist (appendix C) to help them prepare for field projects.

Getting Volunteers Prepared

To keep field volunteers safe, you or the supervisor need to make sure the volunteers understand their project, the equipment they need to bring, and the environment they will be in (figure 35). Even though all of this information is on the volunteer agreement, provide safety reminders before every day. Describe the terrain, altitude, weather, water sources, insects, plants, and animals to the volunteers. If the volunteers are camping out, make sure they have detailed information about the conditions. Also make sure the volunteers know the personal items and protective equipment they need to bring and the items the Forest Service will be providing. Be specific, because doing so will help prevent injuries and reduce the chance that difficulties will become emergencies.

Figure 35—Boy Scouts come prepared to serve on the Long Cane horse trail
(Sumter National Forest). Courtesy of Elizabeth Meadows, Forest Service,
Southern Region

Here is a list of some common items volunteers need to bring when serving in field conditions. Forest Service employees working with the volunteers can bring some of the items, such as the first aid kit and radio, to lighten the load on volunteers.

• Day pack
• Jacket
• Long pants and long-sleeved shirt, as necessary
• Ankle-high boots
• Gloves
• Hardhat
• Food
• Water
• Sunscreen
• Sun hat
• Bug repellant
• First aid kit
• Toilet paper
• Radio or cell phone

For long-term volunteers, you will have plenty of time to get them prepared before the day. You can mail or email them the information about the project and what they need to bring. If you have a Web site, you can post the information for easy access. You also can have some of your office volunteers personally call project volunteers to discuss preparations.

For short term or 1-day volunteers, you may have only your advertisement to prepare them for the day. See the "Getting Started" chapter for more information on what to include in an advertisement to make sure volunteers come prepared. As the coordinator or supervisor, you will also need to bring a volunteer agreement and make sure everyone is signed up before their service begins.

Coming Prepared for Unprepared Volunteers

No matter how much you try to prepare, someone will forget something. Most experienced coordinators or supervisors bring extra supplies such as gloves, sunscreen, bug repellant, water, and so forth. If volunteers show up for your projects dressed inappropriately or without the proper PPE and you don't have extra supplies, you may have to tell them they cannot serve that day. You may be able to suggest tasks for the volunteer that don't require PPE. Then the volunteer can remain engaged and enthusiastic about those tasks while you reinforce the importance of being properly prepared for the next project or day.

Giving a Road Map for the Day

Before service begins, experienced coordinators and supervisors give volunteers a plan for the day (figure 36). They talk about the "big picture"—why the volunteers are doing the project and why it is important. They talk about how long they will be out, when they will return, and when to expect the lunch break. The supervisor also assigns tasks so all volunteers know what they are doing and the tasks they are responsible for.

Figure 36—Volunteers prepare to help with stream
surveys, part of the mine site restoration project for
the NatureWatch program. Courtesy of Scott Spaulding,
Lolo National Forest

Conducting a Tailgate Safety Session

A tailgate safety session needs to be completed when volunteers are serving in the field (figure 37). This session can be held the day of the project or up to 2 weeks in advance, depending on the group, location, and tasks. If the session is conducted in advance, make sure that another short safety briefing is given the day of the project.

Figure 37—Instructing students in safety before
electrofishing fish in the lake, a project for the
NatureWatch program. Courtesy Dr. Jim Taylor,
Ouachita National Forest

During the tailgate safety session, discuss the task, work pace, fatigue prevention, hazards, and equipment. Show volunteers how to do the tasks and how to use the equipment and tools. Talk about the weather, insects, plants, and animals. Discuss the emergency plan, contact numbers, and medical facilities in the area.

Make sure everyone is prepared for the day and ask them if they have any limitations, allergies, or current injuries the supervisor should know about, such as a bad back. Finally, some coordinators even assign a safety monitor for difficult tasks or for the duration of the project. This keeps safety in the forefront and on everyone's mind.

Don't Give Preferential Treatment

Coordinators should not become so close to volunteers that they give them preferential treatment or give others the impression that they do. Sometimes volunteers pressure coordinators to give them special privileges such as access to closed areas so they can ride ATVs. As a coordinator you may be tempted to give in, because volunteers do so much for the agency. All this will do, however, is cause problems.

Other volunteers and the public will feel unfairly treated and your action will set a bad precedent.

Problem Volunteers and Discipline

Most experiences with volunteers are positive and rewarding. On occasion, volunteers will not meet your expectations or they will get themselves into trouble by violating their service description/essential eligibility criteria by doing such things as building illegal trails, making unauthorized building repairs, carrying a gun, refusing to follow safety protocols, drinking alcoholic beverages with the public, making derogatory remarks, or becoming possessive of a location that's not theirs to possess.

In most cases, a few corrective words will solve the problem. In other cases, additional action is required. One option is a face-to-face meeting with the volunteer. Talk with the volunteer about the problem, the volunteer's service role, and expected behavior when representing the Forest Service. Such discussions and how the volunteer was in noncompliance with the service description/essential eligibility criteria should be documented.

Another technique coordinators use is to require volunteers to take breaks from their positions or areas every so often. They give the volunteers a couple of days off or incorporate them into training sessions or safety meetings. If this does not correct the problem, the coordinator may transfer volunteers to a different location or position. In some cases, coordinators live with the problem until the original agreement expires, but never invite the volunteers back or don't sign them up again if they reapply.

If volunteers who work with organizations are causing problems, approach the group's leaders. Groups that organize volunteers value the relationship they have with the Forest Service and usually will be more than happy to handle the issue or work with the volunteer who has a problem.

For a small number of volunteers, coordinators have found they have to terminate an agreement. Firing a volunteer will be difficult, but it may be necessary to protect the volunteer, other volunteers, and your program. When you do have to terminate an agreement, you can either tell the volunteer in person or send the volunteer an official letter. Either way, you will need to explain that the agreement has been terminated, the reasons why the volunteer is in noncompliance with a specific area of the service description/essential eligibility criteria, and that the volunteer is no longer allowed to serve with the Forest Service. It is critical to have documentation of your efforts to correct the problems. For more information on terminating a volunteer, see "How to Fire a Volunteer and Live to Tell About It" at http://casanet.org/program-management/volunteer-manage/fire.htm (McCurley 1993).

Exit Interviews

Coordinators often conduct exit interviews when volunteers and groups leave the program, even if the circumstances surrounding the departure are not positive. The interview gives volunteers an opportunity to express their opinions freely about their experience and the volunteer program. It gives coordinators and supervisors an opportunity to provide feedback to the volunteers on their performance, productivity, competence, technical skills, dependability, safety practices, and attitude.

There is no official set of questions for an exit interview. It is up to you to tailor the interview to your program, area, and volunteers. To help you get started, here are some general questions experienced coordinators have used during exit interviews.

• How did you learn about this volunteer opportunity?
• Why did you want to volunteer with the Forest Service?
• What benefits did you receive from your experience?
• What was the most interesting or rewarding part of your experience?
• How adequate was your orientation and training for the service you performed?
• What were some of the frustrations or negative experiences you had with the program?
• Were your expectations met?
• How was your relationship with your volunteer coordinator or supervisor?
• Why are you leaving the program?
• How would you recommend we improve the program?
• Would you recommend this volunteer experience to a friend?

For 1-day volunteers or short-term projects, a traditional exit interview may not be appropriate, but you can ask the volunteer how the project went (figure 38).

Figure 38—Volunteers pick up trash along Tellico
River in 3 inches of snow during March 2008,
as part of the annual Tellico River clean up.
Courtesy of Mary Jane Burnette, Cherokee
National Forest, Tellico Ranger District

Program Evaluations

Coordinators find it helpful to evaluate their program annually to consider what went right, what went wrong, and what needs to be improved.

Here are a few of the items experienced coordinators think are important to review annually:

• Were our recruitment practices successful and did they include diverse populations?
• Did our training prepare volunteers for the service?
• Did we protect the safety of our volunteers? If not, how can we improve?
• Were we able to maintain communications with our field volunteers?
• Did we have enough PPE and equipment for the volunteers?
• Did we have enough employees or volunteer leaders to supervise the volunteers?
• Was our funding adequate to manage the volunteer program?
• Were we able to keep accurate and up-to-date records?
• Did we effectively reward and thank our volunteers?

After you complete the evaluation, update any of your program's operating procedures or guidelines that need to be changed.