3. Building and maintaining standards:
Although each youth organization may have internal processes tailored to its scope and working style, there are certain general guidelines in every phase which may set the basis for a successful, fruitful and interesting e-volunteering experience for both sides.
PHASE 1 – RECRUITMENT
- craft a compelling message that resonates with potential e-volunteers and clearly articulates your organization’s mission and values
- the call for e-volunteers should clearly describe the tasks they are expected to develop
- dedicate enough time to analyse the profiles: lacking the personal dimension in e-volunteering, it is essential to be very cautious when interviewing a potential candidate
- ask for external references and proof of qualifications when specific expertise is required and invest time in getting to know the e-volunteer better
- discuss and agree the terms of the cooperation among the e-volunteer and the organization and write down all the verbal arrangements. In that sense, a regular contract is a valid choice for both sides!
PHASE 2 – COORDINATION & MANAGEMENT
A. Online safety: create safe spaces online, empower e-volunteers and protect them from cyber threats, attacks or/and violence.
HOW?
- Apply a netiquette (“net”+“etiquette”), a set of rules of conduct for respectful and appropriate communication on the internet.
- Establish internal procedures to deal with online abuse and cyberbullying
- Offer resources for support and conflict management.
B. Online security: referring to technical issues such as protecting information stored online, cybersecurity, GDPR and other aspects of cybersecurity.
HOW?
- Take care of details related to intellectual property of authors and content owners. Have fun with the topic in this animated video.
- Secure liability over the material used through fact checking, resource checking, and tools against fake news. Learn more through the great resources of the European Against Fake News project!
- Explore any copyright issues and GDPR regulations – get a quick update on What is GDPR video and our UpDatAed – Guide for Youth Organizations on Digital Safety and Privacy – in case you haven’t done so already!
TIP!
- Good practice: ask online volunteers to sign an additional Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) (:a document outlining rules and guidelines for using an organization’s IT resources, including networks, devices, and software.)
- Check out this explanatory video where you can also find useful templates.
C. Delegation of tasks: ensure clear task assignment and accountability; make a skills-based task distribution; take consideration of different time zones.
D. Conflict management: address conflicts as soon as they arise. Proactive intervention prevents them from escalating and impacting the work progress.