1. Framework Review
Recommendations
Malcolm Fisk
Hayley Fisk
Iain Parker
Chris Mattravers

2. Definition [1]
 IVISOC definition of volunteering
 the ‘touchstone’ for the European Commission…
 enables more ready adoption and judgements to
be made regarding project impact
 is flexible and with blurred boundaries
 allows volunteering roles to evolve
 accepts different country contexts

3. Enabling volunteers [2]
 Moving beyond empowerment to
enablement
 giving volunteers a high status within organisations
 reviewing management structures and governance
 facilitating processes of social innovation
 demonstrating values attached to volunteering and
respecting these
 making the framework relevant

4. Give something back
European Year of Citizens 2013
…is ‘dedicated to the rights that come with EU
citizenship’ and the Commission’s promotional
strap-line ‘it’s about Europe, it’s about YOU’ echoes
the endeavour to build tools and products that
respond to volunteers

5. Wants as well as needs [3]
 Recognising wants of volunteers as well
as needs of organisations
 allowing a more positive perspective on training,
building skills, developing knowledge (etc)
 allowing for incentives and modest payments
 allowing for framework evolution – improved
ability to engage wide variety of volunteers

6. Listen to ‘the people’s voice’
László Andor
European Commissioner for Employment,
Social Affairs & Inclusion
…points to the necessity of finding ‘new answers to
social needs’ [adding that] ‘in order to innovate, we
need to rely on the inventiveness of the individual, of
civil society, organizations and local communities’

7. Partnership working [4]
 Seeking volunteering partnerships
 recognising the relevance for different sectors –
including the emergent fourth sector
 linking with multi-disciplinary approaches
 responding to [sometimes] complex needs
 embracing entrepreneurship and creativity
 engaging people ‘at risk’ of exclusion
 bottom up and not top down

8. Progressive thinking
European Institute for Public Participation
…the private sector is dedicating more commitment
to ‘corporate’ and ‘social responsibility’ and the
public sector and the third sector are becoming
more business-savvy, ‘social harmony and the
commitment of resources requires a collective
response’

9. Ethics [5]
 Necessity of equitable and fair
approaches
 bringing meaning to the term ‘co-production’
 recognising volunteering as a moral good
 recognising the engagement of and support for
volunteers as a moral good
 helping meet European Commission objectives
around social inclusion and the health and wealth
of the EU

10. Quality of life
European Quality of Life Survey III
‘measures to address social exclusion should not
only focus on the labour market or even improving
income - people involved in voluntary work, for
example, feel less excluded’
‘the underlying concepts of happiness and life
satisfaction are central to subjective well being’