Understanding volunteering infrastructure
Researching the current state of volunteering in program countries
Summary
This discovery project sought to better understand the state of volunteering in program countries to inform the strategic direction of the Global Volunteering Accelerator. We conducted formal and informal research to gather data on volunteering and the infrastructure that supports volunteering at a national-level across all countries within which the program operates.
Through this project, we had hoped to identify volunteering infrastructure trends and draw insights as to the impact that infrastructure may or may not have on volunteering in each country. While we've learned that there are limitations to the quantity and quality of volunteering data available, particularly in regard to trends in volunteering, the findings of this research provide an important foundation for understanding where program support may be most valued and valued.
Our objectives
- What is the current state of volunteering infrastructure in program countries?
- Where might the program's support be most valuable and valued?
Our approach
The research was conducted in three phases:
- A desktop review of internationally recognised datasets to provide a broad outline of volunteering in each country, including data on enabling conditions, volunteering trends, and comparable country indicators. Learn more about the desktop review.
- Interviews with program staff to gather evidence of the state of volunteering and volunteering infrastructure in each country.
- Validation and sense-making workshops with regional teams to interpret the combined data and gather insights.
What we learned
- There are limitations to the quantity and quality of volunteering data available, particularly in regard to trends in volunteering.
- Without data on volunteering trends, we cannot make assumptions about the impact of volunteering infrastructure.
- No patterns were identified between volunteering trends, volunteering infrastructure, a country’s region, and a country’s Human Development Index ranking.
- All program countries have some volunteering infrastructure; however, the quantity and nature of this infrastructure varies.
- Culture is both an enabler and inhibitor of volunteering and volunteerism.
- Program staff can be a good source of information about their national volunteering context, which is useful when determining where support could be most valued and valuable.
- Based on the available data, we can make some assumptions as to where support could be most valued and valuable.
- Countries with an enabling culture of volunteerism and where national organisations are already working to improve volunteering could be prioritised for support based on available data.
- Countries where staff have existing knowledge and relationships and the capacity to carry out the work could be prioritised for support based on available data.
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