Good practice guidelines final english cw layout

How to develop active volunteers
Good practice guidelines for organising
and managing volunteers in Cambodia
By Grusche Michelsen
National Volunteer Research Adviser
VSO Cambodia
April 2013

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Acknowledgements
First of all I would like to send a big thank you to VSO and CUSO International for providing funding
support to this important initiative. I would also like to thank and acknowledge HR and Operations
Manager Dawn Hoyle, VSO Cambodia, for her encouragement and support in the completion of
these guidelines.
Thank you to all the participants that gave up their time and enthusiastically talked about how their
volunteer programme supports and manages volunteers, it was very helpful and inspiring.
A huge thank you also goes to all the youth volunteers that participated in the group work session at
the 2nd National Forum on Volunteerism in Cambodia 2012 and in the session in Ratanakiri in
December 2012.
Last but not least, a big thank you to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport for being very
helpful and supportive of the research.
Front cover photo: Youth volunteers in discussion at the 2
nd
National Forum on Volunteerism, Cambodia
December 2012

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Table of contents
Acknowledgements..........................................................................................................2
Abstract ...........................................................................................................................5
Acronyms.........................................................................................................................5
Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................6
Who are the guidelines for? ...............................................................................................................8
Volunteering in Cambodia ..................................................................................................................8
Defining volunteering .........................................................................................................................9
The structure of the good guidelines................................................................................................10
A volunteer’s life cycle......................................................................................................................10
Chapter 2: Motivations and influencing factors............................................................... 11
New experiences and more knowledge............................................................................................11
Personal development and social network ......................................................................................12
Develop the community and Cambodia ...........................................................................................12
The volunteer programmes’ views on young people’s motives.......................................................12
Influencing and discouraging factors................................................................................................13
What young people want/need when they volunteer? ...................................................................14
Chapter 3: Volunteer strategy......................................................................................... 15
What topics can be included in a volunteer strategy? .....................................................................15
Volunteer insurance..........................................................................................................................16
Volunteer expenses ..........................................................................................................................17
Chapter 4: Recruitment .................................................................................................. 18
Job description..................................................................................................................................18
What to include in a volunteer profile:.............................................................................................18
Word of mouth .................................................................................................................................19
Bring a friend.....................................................................................................................................19
Getting parents and the community on board.................................................................................19
Existing volunteers promoting the programme................................................................................20
Recruitment in schools and getting teachers to promote volunteerism..........................................20
Being role models for younger generations .....................................................................................20
Website.............................................................................................................................................21
Posters/flyers....................................................................................................................................21
Radio, newspaper and TV .................................................................................................................21
Social network...................................................................................................................................22
Clear and precise communication ....................................................................................................22
Selection............................................................................................................................................22
Information meeting.........................................................................................................................22
Application and interview.................................................................................................................22
Chapter 5: Induction....................................................................................................... 23
Be prepared for your volunteer when they arrive............................................................................23
Trial period........................................................................................................................................23
Chapter 6: Training and development............................................................................. 24
Training and workshops....................................................................................................................24
On the job training............................................................................................................................24
Other roles........................................................................................................................................25
Listen and involve your volunteers...................................................................................................26

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Chapter 7: Recognition and appreciation ........................................................................ 27
Ways you can show that you appreciate them ................................................................................27
Chapter 8: Progression or saying goodbye....................................................................... 28
Chapter 9: Support and supervision ................................................................................ 29
Things to include when you support and supervise your volunteers:..............................................29
Planning your support and supervision: ...........................................................................................30
Annual appraisal and evaluation ......................................................................................................30
Communication.................................................................................................................................30
Chapter 10: Recommendations....................................................................................... 31
Flexible volunteer opportunities.......................................................................................................31
Raising awareness.............................................................................................................................31
End notes ..........................................................................................................................................32
Bibliography................................................................................................................... 33
Websites ...........................................................................................................................................33
Speeches ...........................................................................................................................................34
Appendix 1: Methodology .............................................................................................. 35
Semi-structured interviews and group work sessions......................................................................35
Data collection ..................................................................................................................................35
Appendix 2: Respondents ............................................................................................... 37

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Abstract
Youth volunteering in Cambodia is growing. Several youth volunteering programmes exist across
Cambodia and, with the newly approved National Policy on Cambodian Youth Development and its
focus on promoting volunteerism amongst young people, a good foundation is being built for the
future of youth volunteering in Cambodia.
These good practice guidelines are part of the strategy to develop youth volunteering in Cambodia.
The guidelines are based on desktop research of volunteering as well as research into Cambodian
youth volunteer programmes’ experience and good ways of working with youth volunteers. The
guidelines also include Cambodian youth volunteer’s motives to volunteer and what support they
need when taking part in volunteering.
The good practice guidelines are meant as an inspiration for existing youth volunteering
programmes and for people that wants to start up a new youth volunteer programme or youth
group.
The guidelines look at what motivates young people to volunteer, the influencing factors as well as
what barriers that might exist for young people considering volunteering. The motives and barriers
are important factors to consider before you develop a volunteer strategy.
The structure of the guidelines follows the volunteer life cycle, outlining and describing how to
recruit and induct, train and develop volunteers as well as looking at how to recognise and
appreciate your volunteers. The guidelines also include how to help your volunteers to progress
within your organisation or youth club, how to support and manage them throughout their
volunteering experience as well as giving advice on how to say goodbye to the volunteers that are
leaving – as they come full cycle.
The good practice guidelines include tips on how to develop your volunteer strategy. A volunteer
strategy helps you to think about how you want to work with your volunteers, including ideas of
how you will recruit, train, manage, support and reward your volunteers, helping to create a
framework for your overall work with your volunteers.
Acronyms
CIYA Cambodian Indigenous Youth Association
IPHIA Indigenous People Health Improvement Association
KAWP KROM Akphiwat Phum
KYA Khmer Youth Association
YRDP Youth Resource Development Program

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Chapter 1: Introduction
It is more than ten years since the UN declared 5th
December International Volunteers’ Day and
around the world there exists a very encouraging atmosphere for promoting and supporting
volunteerism. Many governments and civil society recognise that volunteerism is a powerful and
essential resource for development. Volunteer action is seen as having the potential to make
important contributions, both economically and socially, to building more united societies through
trust amongst its citizens and creating mutual benefits for citizens (Mysliwiec, 2005, p. 22,
http://www.unv.org/swvr2011.html).
Developing a culture of volunteerism is seen as essential to both specific development goals, like
improving the quality of education, health awareness or improving youth employment, as well as a
strategy for building democracy (Brown, E., 2008, p. 13, Managing the Placement of Volunteers, July
2005).
Volunteering in Cambodia is developing. The Royal Government of Cambodia has developed a new
policy and strategies to be implemented in the area of youth volunteering as well as raising
awareness about the importance of volunteerism. Research done in 2008 by the UN, focusing on
volunteerism in Cambodia and its development potential, found that local NGOs in Cambodia form
the majority of organisations working with and though volunteers. The research also highlighted that
there was more room for volunteer action than has historically been the case in Cambodia, as well as
a great need for it which shows the importance of the newly implemented policy by the Royal
Government of Cambodia (Brown, E, 2008, p. 8-13), (National Policy on Cambodian Youth
Development).
Even though awareness about, and the acknowledgment of, volunteerism is increasing in Cambodia,
and youth volunteering is growing as a result, there is still some way to go in educating the public
and young people about the benefits of volunteering.
In June 2011 the Royal Government of Cambodia, as part of raising awareness about the importance
of youth volunteering, endorsed strategies on youth volunteering in the National Policy for Youth
Development, which aspires for all young people to be active citizens. Part of the policy goal is to
develop an enabling environment for youth to share ideas/opinions and participate in decision-
making at community and national levels.
In Cambodia’s social, cultural and political context, youths are male and female, with a Cambodian
nationality, married or unmarried, between 15 to 30 years old (National Policy On Cambodia Youth
Development, p. 6).
The Royal Government of Cambodia, together with local and international NGOs and civil society,
has recognised the need to increase youth participation in volunteering in order to ensure the
continued development of Cambodia as well as a way of tackling youth unemployment. Cambodia
has approximately 13.4 million people with 70% of the population under the age of 30 years old and
52% under the age of 18 years old. Young people represent a huge resource the country can draw on
in developing Cambodia and achieving its development goals. But a lot of Cambodian youth feel
hopeless and frustrated as few opportunities exist to find work and, even with a university degree,
young people are finding it hard to find employment (Mysliwiec, 2005, p. 6- 19).
Being engaged in volunteer activities can be a way forward for Cambodia’s youth as it is recognised
that volunteering can help equip young people with new skills, knowledge and experience to
become active citizens in the society, as well as increasing their opportunity to find work (Speech by
Mr. Heng Chantha, Director of Youth Centre department, 2nd National Forum on Volunteerism in

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Cambodia 4th
December 2012, National Policy On Cambodia Youth Development, p. 8,
www.worldvolunteerweb.org).
Several socio economic factors influence/impact the participation of youths in volunteering and can
be both a motivational factor and a barrier for young people. A lot of Cambodian parents want their
children to get a job and earn an income after they finish their education. It can be a challenge to
convince them that participating in unpaid volunteer work could be beneficial to their children
(Mysliwiec, 2005, p. 2).
The Royal Government of Cambodia and local youth volunteering organisations have a big task on
their hands in trying to engage young people and keep them involved in volunteer activity, as well as
creating an environment where volunteering is seen positively and has the support of the young
people’s parents. It will be crucial that the Royal Government of Cambodia, together with local NGOs
and local youth volunteering programmes, promotes volunteerism and demonstrates the benefits to
individual volunteers and to society (Mysliwiec, 2005, p. 2).
The National Youth Policy of Cambodia was approved by the Royal Government of Cambodia in 2011
and focuses on specific strategies to be implemented in the area of volunteerism in paragraph 5.10:
 Raise youth awareness of the importance of volunteerism and develop networks of
volunteers at national and sub-national levels;
 Promote the spirit and momentum of volunteerism and integrate in the National Strategic
Development Plan and humanitarian activities;
 Promote formal recognition, respectful value, and provide awards and prizes for youth
volunteers;
 Support all initiatives by local volunteers, volunteerism organisations, and projects initiated
by youth volunteers; and
 Develop facilitation mechanisms and enhance effective cooperation between governmental
institutions, national and international organisations, and private sector to help youth
volunteers.
(Speech by H.E. Sean Borath, Adviser to Samdech Akka Motha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, Prime
Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia and Secretary of the Ministry of Education, at the 2nd
National
Forum on Volunteerism in Cambodia 2012, National Policy On Cambodia Youth Development, p. 6).
A survey conducted in 2004 on youth volunteering in Cambodia by the founder of Youth Star, Eva
Mysliwiec, found a need to develop strategies to not only raise awareness about volunteerism but
also to develop strategies to recruit volunteers. It found that even though Cambodia’s youth
organisations and NGOs working with young volunteers were very active and highly motivated,
many of the programmes did not have a strong organisational structure due to a lack of experience
and knowledge (Mysliwiec, 2005, p.10).
“Creating youth volunteering projects in villages
and including volunteers in development efforts
can help prevent young people from migrating and
instead support them in developing the skills to
sustain their livelihoods. They can help create
peace in the villages and improve the standard of
living”.
(Amos Kephas, VSO)
“Creating a volunteer culture
can be very useful and
beneficial to the community
and villages involved, as the
volunteers start to work
together between villages to
solve problems and help each
other in crisis situations”.
(Yves Bureau, VSO)

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As a result of the new policy and the need to establish good guidelines to encourage, promote and
implement youth focused volunteering programmes in Cambodia, the Ministry of Education, Youth
and Sport together with VSO Cambodia (set out to research and develop a set of good practice
guidelines of youth volunteering in Cambodia. This report and set of good practice guidelines are a
result of that research, which was conducted between October 2012 and February 2013.
The purpose of the good practice guidelines for creating active volunteers in Cambodia is:
 To describe the context in which youth volunteering is currently taking place in Cambodia
 To provide some guiding principles, based on existing organisations’ experience, and good
ways of working with youth volunteers - how to recruit, develop and manage young people
as volunteers
 To provide guiding principles based on young people’s own accounts of what motivates
them to be volunteers and their suggestions of what support they would need/want
 To highlight the value of volunteering as part of developing Cambodia
Who are the guidelines for?
The guidelines are for everyone. From well-established youth volunteer programmes that want to
develop their volunteer programme, to new programmes, to people that want to set up a project or
youth group in their community and want to involve volunteers. These guidelines offer ideas on
how to start the recruitment, advice on how to manage volunteers, and how to support, develop or
retain them. The guidelines also contain information about volunteers’ motivations and reasons for
volunteering and some of the barriers to participating in volunteering that Cambodian youth are
experiencing.
The guidelines are not meant as a one size fits all approach. They are intended as an inspiration of
ways to go about involving volunteers, as each programme’s structure, environment and way of
working is unique (www.citizensinformationboard.ie/.../Managing_Volunteers_08.pdf).
These good guidelines have been created from:
 Interviews with youth volunteering programmes in Cambodia
 Interviews with VSO volunteers, working with their partner organisations, developing
and supporting youth groups in Battambang, Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri
 Interviews with representatives from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
 Group work sessions conducted with Cambodian youth volunteers
 The research of relevant literature on the subject of youth volunteering, adapted to fit
Cambodia
The term volunteer programme has been used throughout the guidelines and includes both
volunteer organisations, projects and youth clubs and refers to all activities that involve volunteers.
The guidelines are intended as much for programmes that only involve a few volunteers, as well as
larger programmes with two hundred volunteers. Most of the principles and suggestions of good
ways of dealing with volunteers are similar, regardless of how many volunteers you involve
(www.citizensinformationboard.ie/.../Managing_Volunteers_08.pdf).
Volunteering in Cambodia
Volunteering in Cambodia is not a new development. Cambodia has a long history of mutual
assistance and helping each other in the community; this is often centred around temples and
pagodas. Pagoda associations are a form of volunteerism and are seen as traditional volunteering.
These have existed in Cambodia for a long time, disappearing while the Khmer Rouge were in power
from 1975 to 1979 and re-emerging in the 1980s when the regime fell. In today’s society these
pagoda associations are once more a traditional feature of communities, established by the villagers
themselves as a way of helping each other. They are often led by Buddhist beliefs and ways of living.

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Traditional volunteering and mutual help processes are often started by individuals who want to
work together and create an environment of solidarity in the community. They are started by older
people who are respected and trusted members of the community. Youth do not often participate in
this kind of volunteering, as the young person is not regarded as someone that the community
would feel comfortable asking for advice, which is part of the traditional volunteer role (Mysliwiec,
2005, p.9).
Research done in 2008, focusing on harnessing the potential to develop Cambodia through
volunteerism, found that ‘traditional’ volunteerism has been essential to the formation of
communities and to their access to resources such as education (Brown, E, 2008, p 7).
However, new forms of volunteering action have started to surface in addition to traditional
volunteerism and various programmes have started to promote volunteerism especially among
young people. A count of youth programmes in Cambodia carried out by Forum Syd in 2002 lists
between 50-60 youth initiated programmes in the country. Many of these promote and rely on
volunteers as a way of developing local communities and working for the future of Cambodia. Many
of these programmes engage high school and university students throughout the country, offering
them an opportunity to develop self-awareness, increase their confidence and improve their
knowledge of social issues. They also offer them opportunities to gain work experience, enhancing
their job prospects. According to a youth survey conducted in 2005, this is perhaps the leading
motivation for volunteering amongst university students in Cambodia (Mysliwiec, 2005, p. 10).
These guidelines focus on these new, emerging forms of volunteering instead of looking at mutual
assistance association and traditional forms of volunteering as those mostly attract and involve
adults and not young people.
Defining volunteering
This research adapts the definition of volunteering from the United Nations and the International
Year of Volunteers. The UN recognises three significant characteristics of volunteering:
1. The activity should not be undertaken primarily for financial reward, although the
reimbursement of expenses and some token payment may be allowed.
2. The activity should be undertaken voluntarily, according to an individual’s own free-will.
3. The activity should be of benefit to someone other than the volunteer, or to society at large,
although it is recognised that volunteering brings significant benefit to the volunteer as well.
(www.eyv2011.europak-online.net/wp.../UN-definition-volunteering.pdf).
In this definition of volunteering at least four different types of volunteer activity are identified:
 Mutual aid or self help
 Philanthropy or services to others
 Participation or civic engagement
 Advocacy or campaigning
Each of these types of volunteering occur in all parts of the world, but how they play out and what
they look like, as well as the balance between them, are different from country to country. They are
influenced by the country’s economic, social and political make-up and its stage of development
(www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/volunteering-and-social-development).
In this research, and in the development of these guidelines, the focus has been mainly on the
experiences of volunteering programmes that have adopted a more formal structure in their
volunteering programme. The programmes and the young Cambodian volunteers included in the
research were working within all four types of volunteer activities.

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The structure of the good guidelines
The structure of the good guidelines follows the volunteer’s life cycle and describes the different
elements involved in the life cycle and youth volunteer management. The phases in the volunteer
life cycle are: recruitment and induction; training and development; recognition and appreciation;
progression or saying goodbye. The element of support will be covered in a separate section,
however support is an element that is tied into all four phases in the life cycle. It is considered an
essential part of good management of volunteers. In addition, some of the recommendations that
emerged from the research will be considered, and useful things to consider going forward with
developing volunteerism in Cambodia will be highlighted
(www.vds.org.uk/.../Growing%20Better%20Youth%20Work.pdf).
In addition to the four phases, the guidelines also cover volunteers’ motives for volunteering and
factors that can be barriers for young people engaging in volunteer activities. The guidelines look at
what young people ask for when they participate in volunteer activities, linking it in with the four
phases of the volunteer life cycle.
Dividing the guidelines into different phases of the volunteer’s life cycle makes it easier for readers
to dip into the specific area they are interested in, want to know more about or want to develop in
their work with volunteers.
A volunteer’s life cycle
A volunteer’s motivation
* Between each phase there is potential for the volunteer exiting the circle if they lose interest and motivation, or are not
supported enough.
Before beginning to look at the different phases of a volunteers’ life cycle it is important to look at
how your volunteer programme can get ready to receive volunteers. You should also gain an
understanding of Cambodian youth’s motives for volunteering as this will help in recruiting and
retaining volunteers. Understanding their motivation will support and help in managing the
volunteer’s life cycle (www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/the-volunteer-life-cycle).
Active
volunteering
Recruitment
and
induction
(support)
Training and
development
(support)
Recognition
and
appreciation
(support)
Progression
or saying
goodbye
(support)

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Chapter 2: Motivations and influencing factors
A lot of research has been conducted into volunteers’ motivations and reasons for volunteering. As a
volunteer programme it is useful to be aware of theses motives to assist in trying to meet the
volunteers’ needs. It will help with the recruitment process and the management and retention of
volunteers (www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/the-volunteer-life-cycle).
There are many different reasons why young people choose to engage in volunteer work and
previous studies have found that the reasons and motives are as complex and varied as the people
who volunteer. No reason or motive is more valid than another
(www.volunteeringwesternisles.co.uk/.../guidefinalversion).
Research conducted with Cambodian youth volunteers at the 2nd
National Forum of Volunteerism in
Phnom Penh on 4th
December 2012, and with members of a student council in Ratanakiri in
December 2012, found the following three main reasons for taking part in volunteer work:
New experiences and more knowledge
One of the key themes that that emerged from the young people’s answers was that they wanted to
gain new experience and knowledge from becoming volunteers. They wanted to understand more
about Cambodian society, discover social problems and learn how to solve them. Knowing about the
‘real’ society by being exposed to it was a driving factor in becoming a volunteer.
•Gain new experiences and more knowledge about society
•Learn more about social problems and how to solve them
•Get work experience that can help their career
New experiences
and knowledge
•Develop personally
•Create and build a social network
•Meet other young people
•Become good leaders and role models for younger generations
Personal
development and
social network
•Help out and develop the community
•See the community and Cambodia prosper
Develop the
community and
Cambodia
“People volunteer for different reasons – It is important to find out
what they are looking for from the experience and what, if
anything, they hope to gain. By finding out their expectations and
planning to meet them you will be taking the first steps towards a
long and rewarding relationship”.
(www.volunteeringwesternisles.co.uk/.../guidefinalversion, p. 13)

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In general, they wanted to increase their knowledge and know-how, but also be able to share this
knowledge with other young people, with Cambodian citizens and in their community.
Part of the reason for volunteering was to improve their CV, getting more work experience and
through that the prospect of a job. This links in with what was mentioned in the introduction where
work experience and enhanced job prospects where the leading motives for volunteering amongst
university students.
Personal development and social network
Other reasons for taking part in voluntary work were because the young people wanted to meet
new people, develop personally, create a network of contacts and build relationships with their
peers. They also said they just wanted to have fun volunteering.
Becoming a role model was another motive for volunteering. They wanted to set an example and
become good leaders. They stated that they would like to enhance their leadership skills and get a
good reputation in society through their volunteer work.
Personal development, being empowered to express their personal capacity, was something that
was also a driving factor in becoming a volunteer, as well as getting experience with building
relationships and learning how to work in teams.
Develop the community and Cambodia
A lot of the answers from the group work sessions revolved around wanting to develop the
community. The young people cared about society and their motivation for volunteering was to
develop the community and see Cambodia prosper. Some of the areas and topics that the youth
were interested in were reducing poverty, promoting gender, healthcare, literacy, and training
human resources. They also wanted to educate citizens about health and safety issues in their lives.
They wanted to reduce violence, migration, gangsters and social insecurities. The young people
participating in the forum wished to build a society full of solidarity.
The volunteer programmes’ views on young people’s motives
Youth volunteering programmes in Cambodia gave similar answers as to why young people
volunteer in Cambodia. Their experience is that young people are motivated because they want to
participate in training that offers new skills and knowledge in relevant subjects to the work they are
going to be doing. Certificates and recognition for their volunteering contribution, as well as
encouragement, are some of the motivating factors (Cambodian Scouts, Gemma Bangcal and Anna
Mukudi).
The volunteer programmes also highlighted that some of the young people want to volunteer
because they just want to help out in their community, as they feel committed to their culture and
want to build capacity, which ties with what the youth volunteers expressed (CIYA).
Volunteers will be motivated and attracted by different combinations of objectives and goals,
therefore different volunteering opportunities will appeal to different people. Programmes that can
offer interesting and fulfilling volunteer roles that match the volunteer’s motives will find it easier to
attract new volunteers and keep them (www.volunteeringwesternisles.co.uk/.../guidefinalversion).
“The reasons that our volunteers come,
are because they feel like a family”.
(YRDP)

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Influencing and discouraging factors
When thinking about involving and recruiting youth volunteers it is important not only to look at
what motivates, but also to look at what discourages young people from engaging in volunteer work.
This has an impact on how you plan your volunteer recruitment and develop your volunteer
strategy.
Below are the main reasons given by the youth and the volunteer programmes for young people not
taking part in volunteer work.
Young people’s perspective Volunteer programmes’ perspective
 Lack of time
 Lack of information
 Not enough clear information
 No support or encouragement from
family, friends or society
 Not knowing the benefits of volunteering
 Not knowing about volunteering
opportunities
 Lack of time
 Responsibilities to the family
 Have to study
 No family support
 Financial issues
 Too far away
 Not enough flexible volunteer
opportunities
 Too big a commitment
The youth volunteers said that having support and being encouraged to volunteer was a strong
influencing factor. Parents’ support and encouragement was the most important, but
encouragement from family and friends as well as the wider community also had an impact on their
decision to volunteer. The lack of support could be a major barrier to young people volunteering. If
volunteering is seen as something positive, and there is greater awareness about the importance of
volunteering in the community and society, young people said that they would be more motivated
to volunteer. This is because they want to be role models to their peers and also get a good
reputation in the community.
The young people, who already volunteer themselves, highlighted that there does not exist enough
clear information about the importance of volunteering. They thought that if young people had
greater knowledge about the significance of participating it would make them more likely to
volunteer. They did not specify who should provide the information and how it should be distributed
to them, but having greater knowledge and clear information about the importance of volunteering
ties in with the government’s goal of raising awareness about volunteering.
The volunteer programmes interviewed also described factors that influenced young people’s
participation in volunteering. They mentioned young people not being able to commit because they
had other obligations - to their studies, their families or other activities that they felt were more
interesting than volunteering. They explained that a lot of young people do not have a goal in their
life and do not know why they want to volunteer which influences their motivation and often results
in them dropping out. They also highlighted that the young people could not commit for a long
period of time, as they have other commitments.
“Make it fun – volunteering
has to compete with other
activities so it must stand out”.
(www.do-it.org.uk/product-
support/resources/involving-
young)
“Have fun activities
and be creative in
motivating people to
volunteer – use music”.
(SmallWorld)

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Another barrier was that a lot of young people’s families live in a financially difficult situation and
engaging in volunteer work means that the young people cannot earn money for their families. Even
though the young people want to volunteer, they have to consider their family’s basic needs first
(KYA).
What young people want/need when they volunteer?
Besides taking into account what motivates young people to volunteer and what factors prevent
them from volunteering, it is also useful to consider what they feel they need/want when they have
decided to volunteer. This will help you plan support and training and help retain volunteers. A
volunteer friendly environment, showing appreciation, providing training and having fun increases
the volunteers’ satisfaction with the experience and has been proved to increase the length of their
service (www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/the-volunteer-life-cycle).
What the Cambodian youth volunteers expressed they needed when volunteering:
 Support from family, the community, society and the NGO they volunteer for
 Recognition
 Knowledge and experience
 To have fun
 To meet new people and be able to create networks
 Being taken seriously
 Influence in decision making processes
 Places to stay and easy access to the youth centre/club
 Support from the place or people where they are placed as volunteers
 Supplies, material for teams to perform their duties in different areas
 Annual evaluation
 Medical cover
 Safety
 Food, transport and accommodation
 Emotional support
It is important to include and take into account the different needs your volunteers have when
volunteering. The list above shows what the youth volunteers want and can be used as a guideline
when planning your volunteer strategy (further explanation below). Some programmes will be able
to include and apply all the points on the list while others will only be able to include a few of the
points. The important thing is that you consider the volunteers’ needs and include the points that fit
to your unique programme structure.

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Chapter 3: Volunteer strategy
To help you start involving volunteers in your programme, or to help improve how you work with
volunteers already, there are different things you can consider and plan. These will help you to have
a clearer idea of why and how you do things in your volunteer programme.
A volunteer strategy can be part of good guidelines on youth volunteering as it helps you think about
the volunteer’s life cycle and how you will manage your volunteers during each phase. A volunteer’s
life cycle can last for days, weeks, months or years. It all depends on your specific volunteer
programme or the specific volunteer job. However, no matter how long the life cycle lasts, you
always have to pay attention to the different phases when managing volunteers.
A volunteer strategy will give you an overall framework for volunteer involvement in your
programme. Having a strategy shows that you care and have thought about why you involve
volunteers. A strategy ensures consistency and clarity, not only for your volunteer, but also for
yourself, allowing volunteers to know where they stand and how they can expect to be treated. A
volunteer strategy does not need to be a long and complicated document, it can be some bullets
points about how you would like to work with your volunteers, making sure that everybody knows
the thoughts behind it (www.gedlingcvs.org.uk).
A clear volunteer strategy is also something that the youth volunteers asked for.
What topics can be included in a volunteer strategy?
• An explanation of why you want to use volunteers
• What kind of roles, work, and duties the volunteers will do
• Who you want as volunteers
• How the work will be divided between staff and volunteers
• Who is responsible for the induction, management and support of the volunteers
• How you will recruit and select volunteers (if you have selection criteria)
• Induction and training
• Support and supervision
• Communication
• Recognition and reward
• Development
• Insurance
• Expenses
• Saying goodbye
(www.bh-impetus.org/volunteeringgoodpractice,
www.frivillighed.dk/Webnodes/Frivilligpolitik+og+frivilligpleje/689, www.bh-
impetus.org/volunteeringgoodpractice, www.gedlingcvs.org.uk).
“You need to be organised to offer the
quality volunteering opportunity that will
lead to a happy committed volunteer”.
(Brown, E., 2008)
“Key for them is that the organisations have proper plans and structures in place in regards
to the volunteering programme and the volunteer work, a clear timeline of the volunteering
work, clearly defined principles and specific projects with obvious objectives. A clear goal
with the purpose of the volunteer work is very important for them”.
(Group work at the 2
nd
National Forum on Volunteerism 4
th
December 2012, Phnom Penh)

Page | 16
As you can see, some of the topics/issues you can include in a volunteer strategy are entwined with
the phases of the volunteer life cycle.
Additionally, the volunteer strategy could include a description of daily ways of working and
everyday activities that ensure quality in the work that the volunteers do. It could also include
information about your programme’s plan for how to appreciate your volunteers’ work and how you
plan to develop them on a personal as well as professional level
(www.frivillighed.dk/Webnodes/Frivilligpolitik+og+frivilligpleje/689).
Having a good framework and a good volunteer strategy helps to support the volunteer’s
engagement, developing it over time and ensuring that they stay committed. There will be other
elements that can be included in your volunteer strategy and some of those mentioned above might
not be relevant for your programme. The volunteer strategy is unique to your volunteer programme
and should be something that is tailored and fits your way of working with volunteers.
Volunteer insurance
All volunteer programmes should aim to minimise the risk of their volunteers while they are
volunteering and make sure if something happens to the volunteers they are able to cover the
medical costs etc. However it all depends on your financial situation and the structure of your
programme. It might not be feasible to have insurance that covers all the volunteers and the
activities carried out by them and your volunteer programme
If you do have insurance, check with your insurance company to see if your policy covers the range
of volunteer activities you plan to undertake and make any adjustments to the policy prior to the
volunteer starting.
You should let volunteers know if you do or don’t have insurance that covers them. You will also
need to inform them of what the insurance includes. It's useful for everyone in the programme to
know about the insurance terms.
“It is very important and crucial to have
clear guidelines and structures in place
outlining the key volunteering activities
properly”.
(Daniel Nsubuga, VSO)
“It is easier to recruit when the
volunteers know exactly what they are
doing and the objectives of it”.
(SmallWorld)
“It is important that there are clear instructions
about what the volunteers should do, because if
they volunteers are unsure of the role and the work
they will be doing they will leave. It would be good
practice that host organisations have a volunteer
manual”.
(KYA)

Page | 17
(www.citizensinformationboard.ie/publications/voluntary_sector/managing_volunteers/7daytoday_
publications_voluntary_managing.html).
Volunteer expenses
The payment of expenses can be extremely important to volunteers and is one of the barriers to
volunteering. Being able to reimburse volunteers’ expenses makes volunteering accessible to a
wider group of people. It then becomes more about who has the skills and interest in volunteering
and not about who can afford to volunteer
It's accepted as good practice that volunteers should not incur any financial costs when volunteering
and that cost should not be a barrier to volunteering. However, the reality is that many volunteer
programmes could not afford to have volunteers if they adopted this guideline. However, consider if
there are any costs that you can realistically afford to have your volunteers claim back, for example,
transport, accommodation, food and medical insurance, then set out a procedure for claiming
expenses and inform your potential volunteers about it
The volunteer programmes interviewed manage the issue of expenses very differently. Some pay
their volunteers’ expenses; others do not have the financial capacity to do so. Some charge a small
membership fee or charge when the volunteers take part in training (SmallWorld, KYA, Youth Star,
YRDP, Cambodian Scouts). KAWP highlighted that their young people have to think about their basic
needs first, so for them it is important to give their volunteers financial support.
Other programmes expressed that paying their volunteers an incentive (per diem) when taking part
in training and providing food and money for transportation helps them be able to participate. Some
people would not come if they did not get their expenses paid (Patricia T. Sibarani and Lucita Narag).
For volunteer programmes that can’t reimburse the volunteers financially, their selling point is that
they increase the young person’s chance of getting a job after volunteering (KYA).
When asked about what support they need when volunteering, young people reiterated that they
need financial support. This would cover costs such as transport, food, and accommodation if
travelling outside their community, plus equipment and supplies for volunteering activities and
funds to organise activities. Some also expressed that they needed financial support in the form of
health insurance while volunteering.
There is no right or wrong in the issue of providing financial support to volunteers. It is an individual
assessment of what suits your volunteer programme and your potential volunteers’ best. You have
to assess whether your target group/future volunteers can afford to or would take part if they
weren’t offered a financial incentive or what you are able to afford.
“Some volunteers in the provinces are living in very remote villages
and for them it can be difficult to attend workshops and training, if
they do not get money for petrol and lunch, as some of them are
very poor”.
(Yves Bureau, VSO)

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Chapter 4: Recruitment
Job description
Thinking about what kind of work the volunteer will be doing and who you want to volunteer for you
is one of the first steps in the recruitment process. These questions will help you to formulate a clear
job description:
 What kind of work will the volunteer be doing?
 What are the specific roles and tasks the volunteer is expected to do?
 When and where?
 What is the aim/goal/purpose of the work?
Having a job description will enable the young person to make an informed decision about their
commitment. This will also help minimise one of the barriers to volunteering mentioned earlier, that
young people said they did not have clear enough information about volunteer work and the
purpose of it.
Deciding on how to recruit all depends on who you want to do the job. Do you want people with
specific skills or experience? Is it a role where you just want young people to take part? Having a
volunteer profile helps you make those decisions and also helps you to attract the right people.
What to include in a volunteer profile:
 How many volunteers are needed for the job
 Male/female
 Age
 Qualifications – education/work experience
 Specific skills needed, for example someone that can write English or someone with specific
IT-skills or leadership skills
Being clear about the job description and your volunteer profile makes it easier for you to decide
how best to recruit. If you want a volunteer with specific skills and knowledge, think where you are
likely to find these people. For example, if you want a volunteer with IT-skills, you could focus your
recruitment at universities in Cambodia that offer IT degrees/courses or put up flyers in internet
cafes.
There are many recruitment methods and you can choose to only use one or combine several of
them. It all depends on what suits your programme and what will be most useful for your target
group.
Some of the methods might be too expensive or not possible for you to use as the size of the
programme’s financial resources will determine what methods are possible. Again, it is important
that you use choose the method that fits your programme (www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/the-
volunteer-life-cycle).
“We want clear guidelines
and information about the
volunteer role and what the
goal is”.
(Group responses from 2
nd
National Forum of
Volunteerism, Phnom Penh
4
th
December 2012)
“A good rule of thumb is to be as
concrete and specific as possible.
Your recruiting message can provide
examples of the kind of things
volunteers will be doing in the
program”.
(www.nationalserviceresources.org)

Page | 19
Below are some suggested methods to use for recruiting young people.
Word of mouth
• Ask friends, family or colleagues to promote your project and share that you want more
people to join
• Most effective way of recruiting
• Cheapest way of recruiting
Bring a friend
Get your volunteers to bring a friend to an open day or induction meeting so they can get a better
idea of what it is that you’re doing
(www.softball.org.nz/site/softballnz/files/images/Development/Club_tool_box/volunteers/Ideas_fo
r__increasing__volunteers.pdf).
Getting parents and the community on board
Having support and encouragement from parents and the community is important to youth in
Cambodia.
Inviting parents or people from the community to attend youth groups meetings, open days or
information meetings will help them to get a better understanding of what it is that the young
volunteers are doing or will be involved in. Asking community elders to be involved in supporting the
young volunteers with their work could also help build a bridge between generations, as well as
raising awareness and creating support for the work at hand.
It could also be useful to get supportive parents of current volunteers to influence and encourage
other parents to be supportive. Ask them to be involved in your open days or information meetings
and get them to talk about their positive experience with their children volunteering.
“To be able to carry out the volunteer programme in the
community it is vital that you have the backup and support
from the Commune Council and community leaders, or else we
won’t be able to work”.
(YRDP)
“When organising youth volunteering projects in the provinces, it is a
good idea to meet with the village elders and the Commune Council to
get them on board and get their support as they can help to influence
the young people and also support them”.
(Anna Mukudi, VSO and Gemma Bangcal, VSO)
“Parents are not always positive in the beginning about their
children volunteering, but they change their attitude towards
their children volunteering when they see them grow”.
(YRDP)
“Remember to involve the community and the youth’s parents as
it is crucial that they are supporting the young people in their
decision to volunteer. It has a great impact if the community and
the parents are involved and supportive of the young people”.
(Patricia T. Sibarani, VSO)

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Existing volunteers promoting the programme
Using existing volunteers is a good way to recruit new ones, as they will be able to share their own
experiences for anyone who is interested in becoming a volunteer. Ask your volunteers to be part of
promoting your programme and volunteer work at national volunteer days/events, at volunteer fairs
or talks at schools, universities or work places. This could also help with getting the support from
parents and communities if existing or old volunteers can express how they have developed
((www.softball.org.nz/site/softballnz/files/images/Development/Club_tool_box/volunteers/Ideas_fo
Recruitment in schools and getting teachers to promote volunteerism
Recruitment in schools and linking with teachers in schools or universities as a recruitment method
is very effective. CIYA, Youth Star, SmallWorld and YRDP all work and collaborate with schools and
universities to recruit new volunteers and raise awareness about the importance of volunteering.
The Cambodian Scouts also have good links with schools. They recruit new Scouts through
contacting the principals and delivering talks about the Scouts.
Involving teachers to promote volunteering amongst students can have a great effect, as seen from
an example in Ratanakiri:
Young people themselves expressed that they want encouragement and support from teachers to
volunteer. Build relationships with teachers is a good way of improving your network, raising
awareness about volunteerism, creating role models for young people and motivating them though
an authority figure supporting volunteering.
Being role models for younger generations
The young people highlighted that being a role model for the younger generation was one of the
driving factors for becoming a volunteer. If volunteering is recognised, valued and seen as a good
thing by the community and society, young people will be encouraged to become volunteers.
Your existing volunteers can inspire other young people by telling them about their experiences, the
new skills and knowledge they have gained as well as the good work they have done. This could help
create an environment where being a volunteer is someone to look up to and something younger
generations aspire to.
Good story from Ratanakiri:
“Young people from a youth club that took part in the International Day of Volunteering and
2
nd
National Forum on Volunteerism in Phnom Penh in December 2012 were very motivated by
the event and felt very important for participating with representatives from the Ministry of
Education, Youth and Sports. They felt very valued and were telling their friends about it when
they returned home. They were an inspiration to their friends – motivating other people to
volunteer”.
(Patricia T. Sibarani, VSO and Lucita Narag, VSO)
“One of the teachers (overseeing the student council) that participated in the International
Day of Volunteerism and the 2
nd
National Forum of Volunteers in Phnom Penh in December
2012, was so motivated and inspired that he went back to his school and recruited 40 young
people to participate in a volunteer youth group by encouraging them and inspiring them to
take part”.
(Anna Wills, VSO)

Page | 21
Website
Aside from involving people in your recruitment process there are other methods that you can use.
If you have a website for your volunteer programme or project then use it to announce that you are
recruiting new volunteers. Upload the volunteer ‘job descriptions’ and list the different volunteer
opportunities you have, how people can get in contact with you and what the volunteer recruitment
and selection process is – be specific.
Remember to respond to any enquires.
You can also use your website to promote your programme by uploading your volunteers’ success
stories. Get volunteers to talk about their good experiences; get representatives from the
community to tell about the impact your volunteers’ work has had. These could be written stories
with pictures or small video clips. Everybody wants to be part of a success and real life stories have a
great impact.
The stories of the impact of volunteering links with what the young people expressed in the research
- they want to know the benefits of volunteering as well as wanting to develop personally and
support the community. In your stories you can show how volunteering has changed and helped the
community, the people and the volunteers themselves.
Posters/flyers
Create your own posters or flyers and put them up wherever your target group might see them –
this could be in schools, pagodas, universities, public spaces, health centres, or in other volunteer
programmes like national youth centres or NGOs. It could also be in private organisations where you
can ask to put it up on their notice board. Cafes, restaurants and gyms or sports club where you
know young people go could also be places to advertise.
Remember that it is important to be specific in your advert and briefly describe the volunteer work,
your programme’s objectives and the goal, the opportunities, how people can get involved and who
to contact.
Remember who you are ‘talking to’; speak/write in a language that young people speak in -
remember who your target group is.
The Cambodian youth also said that posting banners or information boards in public spaces were
good advertising.
Radio, newspaper and TV
If you have the resources, contact local or national newspapers and try to get an article in the
newspaper about your volunteer work. Profile existing volunteers and make sure that they talk
about your volunteer programme and the benefits of volunteering. This can help raise your profile
and young people might be inspired by their stories and contact your programme for more
information. You could also advertise in the newspaper for new volunteers
((www.softball.org.nz/site/softballnz/files/images/Development/Club_tool_box/volunteers/Ideas_fo
This can also be done in local TV and in radio spots.
The Cambodian youth said to use media broadcasts to inform the public about the benefits of
volunteerism.

Page | 22
Social network
More and more young people are using social networking sites, such as Facebook, to keep up to date
with what is happening and communicate with their friends. By creating a Facebook profile you can
promote your work, provide information about events and advertise current volunteering positions.
Facebook is a cost effective way of recruiting new volunteers and raising your volunteer
programme’s profile (www.volunteeringnow.org.nz).
Clear and precise communication
Whatever you do, whether it is using your website, creating flyers and posters or using newspapers
to advertise your programme and recruit new volunteers, it is important to give precise information
about your programme and the volunteer work. Share the purpose of the job and a little about your
programme. Remember to inform about how often, when and where people will volunteer and who
to contact for more information
What recruitment method you use all depends on your programme, the target group and, of course,
your financial resources. But remember the most effective method is the cheapest – word of mouth.
Selection
If you have chosen to have a formal recruitment process, part of it will be the selection of your
volunteers. However, before you start the selection process you could hold an information meeting
where potentially volunteers can hear more about the volunteer opportunities and the volunteer
programme.
Information meeting
Some volunteer programmes have an information meeting for interested young people where they
talk about the work, the volunteer programme, their goal and mission. They explain how to be
involved, what is expected of the volunteers and what they provide. The young people also have an
opportunity to ask questions about the volunteer work and work out if it appeals to them (Youth
Star). Sharing this information helps potential volunteers to get a clear idea of the volunteer
opportunities and what is expected, which can help to reduce people dropping out after they have
joined.
Application and interview
You might want to have potential new volunteers write an application for the job you are offering,
which some more formally structured volunteer programmes require (Youth Star, YRDP).
In the application you can ask the young person to write what motivates them, why they want to
volunteer and how they will meet the requirements of the job description. Some programmes
combine the application with an interview. At the interview you can ask further questions about the
young person’s qualifications and reasons for wanting to become a volunteer, to see if they are
committed and motivated. The interview is also a chance for the young person to ask further
questions about the volunteer role.
When the interview is done, it is important to inform the young person about the outcome and let
them know if they have been accepted. If they have not been accepted it is important to give them
constructive feedback about why they have not made the cut. You can advise what other
qualifications or experience they will need or potentially offer them another volunteer role if
possible. Remember to communicate in a positive and good manner, so your programme does not
get a negative reputation.

Page | 23
Chapter 5: Induction
When you have selected your volunteers, the next step is the introduction process. It is important
that your new volunteer feels welcomed on their first day meeting your organisation, your project or
the other members of the youth club.
Below are some things that you can consider to make sure that new volunteers feel welcomed and
want to come back:
Be prepared for your volunteer when they arrive
 Don't bring a volunteer in until you have everything worked out, from the job description to
a place to work with proper equipment (if the role needs it), to something to do immediately
 Make them feel welcomed. If they have a good first day they are more they likely to come
back
 Have someone to welcome them. It can be a member of staff, a volunteer or the leader of
the youth club
 If possible, have a volunteer welcome pack
 Show the volunteer around – introduce them to the staff, other volunteers or members of
the youth club
 Don't let your volunteer feel uncomfortable. Show that your organisation or your volunteer
project or youth club is warm, friendly, helpful, and is happy to meet them
 Inform them of the workshops, training etc. they will need
 If they will have a mentor or will shadow an existing volunteer in their induction period,
introduce them to each other
Trial period
As part of the volunteer induction process, some volunteer programmes have a trial period. This
helps the volunteer to see if the work appeals to them and also helps the organisation to determine
if the volunteer has the right skills and abilities to do the job. This period can also help the volunteer
to see if they are able to commit the time required for the job or they are truly interested in the
work or the cause. Your trial period can be a day, a week or three months; it all depends on the work
and the length of time you want to plan for your trial period.
Remember to inform the new volunteer about the trial period and have a meeting/talk with them at
the end of the period to discuss the outcome. Do they want to stay or do you think they fit your
organisation and the work or the volunteer project? If you decide that they do not fit, make sure
that you give the volunteer constructive feedback and the reasons why they are not right for the
organisation. It is important, as mentioned earlier, for the volunteer to depart in a good manner. You
want to make sure that it is a positive goodbye so they do not give your organisation or youth club a
bad reputation amongst other young people, making it difficult in the future to recruit more
volunteers. If the young person decides that the work is not for them, thank them for trying it out
and say that they can always come back if they have more time to commit in the future, again saying
good bye in a positive manner (www.vds.org.uk/.../Growing%20Better%20Youth%20Work.pdf,
CIYA).
“Successful organisations are prepared for the volunteer, plan and organise their placements
well, develop roles that use the skills of the volunteer and, where necessary, provide support to
build new skills”.
(www.volunteeringaustralia.org/News-and-Events/-General-News/Minister-launches-National-
Volunteering-Strategy-at-the-National-Conference-on-Volunteering-2011.asp, p. 24)

Page | 24
Chapter 6: Training and development
Some volunteer roles require specific knowledge or skills. If that is the case, make sure you give your
volunteer the right training and information so they feel equipped and confident in doing the job.
Try and make sure that your new volunteer gets information on the first day about what training
they need to do, when and where and for how long, so they can plan and know what their schedule
is.
Teaching volunteers new skills or developing existing ones can be planned and carried out in
different ways, all depending on the needs or the make-up of your organisation or volunteer
programme.
Training and workshops
Most of the programmes interviewed delivered both training and workshops to their volunteers.
Some of them have more structured training programmes that cover different topics that the
volunteers have to complete before they can start volunteering. Others provide workshops that the
volunteers can take part in after they have started to volunteer (KYA, YRDP, KYA, CIYA, Youth Star).
Depending on the work your volunteer will be doing, it is important to assess whether they have to
complete specific training before becoming an active volunteer. Some programmes have very
structured training processes. Youth Star, for example, has three to four weeks pre-departure
training before their volunteers are placed in the community, working within areas such as
education, youth development, health education and good governance. Youth Star also has on-site
training as well as re-call training after six months (Youth Star).
YRDP works a little bit differently but is also very structured in their training approach, providing
skills training and specific workshops to their volunteers. YRDP has 18 basic courses and 14 specific
courses that aim to raise awareness about the challenges facing Cambodia. The volunteers have to
attend a basic course before they can attend the specific courses. After each course the volunteers
are require to participate in field practice to apply what they have learnt (YRDP).
Both YRDP and Youth Star’s training course are very structured and the volunteers have to take part
in training and gain specific knowledge and skills before they can volunteer in the field.
How you decide to plan and structure the training of your volunteers all depends on the work they
will be doing and how you want to manage and work with them.
On the job training
Instead of having specific and structured workshops and training course some programmes do on
the job training instead. Learning on the job (learning by doing) is a very useful teaching method,
recognising that a lot of useful learning takes place while doing the volunteer role. A new volunteer
can shadow an existing volunteer doing the job, or they can be allocated a mentor that teaches them
and oversees them carrying out the work, creating a connection between theory and practice
(http://users.ugent.be/~mvalcke/LI_1213/experiencial_learning.pdf)
Using on the job training/learning is a very good way of getting the volunteer involved and active
quickly. It is also a good way of using your existing volunteers’ skills and experience. Getting existing
volunteers to teach a new volunteer to do the job creates a learning space where the new volunteer
learns new skills and your existing volunteer develops new skills by having a new role and new
responsibilities.

Page | 25
This links in with what the young people expressed they want when they volunteer; they want to
develop and have responsibilities. Creating development opportunities for your existing volunteers
and offering them new roles helps them stay motivated and increase retention.
Remember the following when having a mentor teaching or someone shadowing:
 Introduce them to each other
 Make sure your existing volunteer knows what their role is
 Check up on the progress of the new volunteer to see if they are learning and make sure that
they get the support they need
 Give extra support to the mentor and support them with their new responsibilities and in
their new role
(http://nonprofit.about.com/od/volunteers/a/volposdescsample.htm,
www.vds.org.uk/.../Growing%20Better%20Youth%20Work.pdf).
Developing an environment where your volunteers can develop the skills they already have or learn
new ones, by getting new opportunities in their roles, keeps people interested, enthusiastic and
motivated.
Good practice is to ask and listen to what the volunteers themselves want to do, if they want to
develop and how they would like to develop. If they would like to change volunteer role or take on
more responsibilities. An example could be that someone in your youth group aspires to become the
leader of the group. It is important that you listen to that young person’s aspiration and wishes and
talk to them about how you can support them to fulfil that dream. If you have opportunities in your
volunteer programme for your volunteers to progress, creating development plans with your
volunteers that outline what the process would involve - training, another role or more responsibility
- is good practice (www.do-it.org.uk/product-support/resources/involving-young).
Other roles
Being a mentor for new volunteers is not the only role you can offer to your existing volunteers who
want to progress and develop their skills. Asking them to help out with showing new volunteers
around, becoming a team leader, helping out with workshops and training of new volunteers, or
asking them to talk at introduction days all helps to develop their skills and gives them more
responsibilities.
It could also be that they become representatives of the volunteer programme or your organisation.
They can talk to the media about volunteering and help with fundraising for your organisation or
project. Again, it all depends on your organisation or volunteer project’s make-up, what you need
and how much capacity you have to develop your volunteers.
“Increasing your volunteers skills help them to be even more confident in the
work they are doing and allows them to perform to the best of their abilities”.
(www.vds.org.uk/.../Growing%20Better%20Youth%20Work.pdf).
“Make sure that other team members involved in volunteer support and supervision are
adequately trained and supported to do the task”.
(www.citizensinformationboard.ie/publications/voluntary_sector/managing_volunteers/7dayto
day_publications_voluntary_managing.html)

Page | 26
Listen and involve your volunteers
Most of the young people that participated in the workshops for this research said that one of the
motivational factors for participating in volunteer work was increased knowledge and new skills.
They also expressed that they wanted training that could help them develop and they wanted to be
listened to and involved in decisions being made in the organisation or project. They wanted to be
included, taken seriously, take action and learn about leadership (Group work session 4th
December
2012, Phnom Penh).
Knowing what motivates your volunteers, and ensuring that their volunteer role will meet their
expectations and desires, will help you get satisfied volunteers and retain them for longer
(www.volunteeringwesternisles.co.uk/.../guidefinalversion ).
It is not only the young volunteers that expressed that they want to be included and listened to. A
key message that emerged from the interviews conducted with the programmes and people working
with youth volunteers was that it is important to listen to the young people as a way of involving
them in the work and motivating them. Finding out what the volunteers want and trying to achieve
that means they will feel more involved and inspired (SmallWorld, KYA, Patricia T. Sibarani and Lucita
Narag, Amos Kephas).
Involving the young people and giving them ownership of the work/ project will encourage and
motivate them. In the youth clubs, the people working with young people said that it was important
that the ideas should come from the young people. They should take on the role of leadership in the
youth groups; organising themselves, voting for leaders and agreeing the rules (KYA, Amos Kephas).
Volunteer jobs that volunteers find boring or not satisfying lead to a high turnover of volunteers.
Volunteer roles that are interesting and challenging develop the volunteer’s skills and are rewarding,
lead to satisfaction and a good result (www.volunteeringwesternisles.co.uk/.../guidefinalversion).
Listening to your volunteers’ needs and wishes to develop shows that you care, you are interested in
their development and you value their commitment.
“Always listen to the volunteers, their needs, aspiration, motivations and expectations”.
(www.volunteeringwesternisles.co.uk/.../guidefinalversion)
“Increasing young people’s
involvement helps and
motivates them even more”.
(SmallWorld)
“KYA give youth ownership by asking them
to name their own youth group, select
their leaders and agreed their own rules
and form the structure of the network”.
(KYA)

Page | 27
Chapter 7: Recognition and appreciation
Keeping your volunteers is largely a matter of making them feel valued and important. When a
person feels good about their job, paid or unpaid, they look forward to doing it
Recognising the work your volunteers do is very important. Make them aware that you appreciate
the time and effort they give to your organisation, project or youth club. This will help keep them
motivated and also keep them coming back.
Ways you can show that you appreciate them
 Say ‘thank you’ on a regular basis
 Tell your volunteers frequently when they are doing a good job
 Reward your volunteers – it could be with study tours/field trips/participation in workshops
 Arrange your own volunteer day where you show you appreciate their work and invite
parents and the community to the ceremony
 Certificate of appreciation
 Make sure that your volunteers feel that they belong to the organisation and are not ‘just’
volunteers. Make sure that they know that their opinions, ideas and suggestions matter
 Listen to them
Arranging social events and encouraging friendships amongst the volunteers will help increase the
young people’s commitment.
Creating networks and promoting friendships are some of the things the young people are looking
for when choosing to volunteer and it is also something that you can promote when recruiting new
volunteers. It also helps to maintain team spirit and shared goals
(www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/the-volunteer-life-cycle).
“Part of good practice is study
tours, workshops, training and
certificates”.
(Anna Mukudi, VSO and
Gemma Bangcal, VSO)
“Fundamentally, in any relationship people need three things –
they need to be valued, recognised and appreciated. If people
get that in a voluntary sector setting, then they will stay with
the organisation”.
(www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/the-volunteer-life-cycle)

Page | 28
Chapter 8: Progression or saying goodbye
The volunteer life cycle has come full circle and the ‘final’ phase is progression or saying good bye. In
this phase, your volunteer’s placement may have come to an agreed end or the job is finished. It is
here you either say ‘good bye’ to your volunteer or you help them progress on to another role within
your organisation or volunteer programme.
Saying good bye to a volunteer is a natural process as most volunteers do not volunteer for life. So,
when a volunteer decides to finish with their volunteering, it is important to say good bye in a
positive way.
Ways to say good bye in a positive manner:
 Say thank you for their time
 Make a volunteer certificate with the hours or length of time they have given to show that
you appreciate them
 If they need one, offer to give them a reference
 Have a farewell or thank you party/dinner/lunch
 Make sure to have a handover meeting where they can hand over their tasks to another
volunteer, if needed
If you make sure you say good bye in a positive manner and your volunteer’s experience has been a
good one, your ‘old’ volunteer will be the best ambassador for your organisation and can help you
recruit new volunteers and spread the word
If your volunteer chooses to continue and take on more responsibilities or do another volunteer
role, the volunteer life cycle starts over. You might have to introduce them to the new role and offer
them additional training.
If you find that your volunteer is not doing a good enough job or is not committed enough and you
want to see them go, after you have tried to support them in improving, it’s important to do it in a
positive manner and explain to the volunteer why you want them to leave. Arrange a meeting with
them and explain the circumstances; provide them with constructive feedback and remember to say
thank you for their contribution. Again, it is important to say good bye in a positive manner as you
do not want your former volunteer to talk negatively about your organisation. In some situations
you can offer the volunteer another role, if they do not have the right skills for their current role, or
invite them to come back in a few months time when they have more time to give, if it is a matter of
lack of commitment.
If you as an organisation or volunteer project want to improve and develop your own work, it is
important that you support and create an environment where your volunteers can progress. If you
manage to keep your volunteers, you also keep their acquired knowledge and experience which is
beneficial to your organisation and programme

Page | 29
Chapter 9: Support and supervision
How you choose to support and supervise your volunteers all depends on what kind of work they
will be involved in. However, good practice would be that the volunteer has a designated person
that they talk to about their concerns, wishes and feelings. It is important that your volunteers know
the name of the person who they can ask for support and who it is that will provide regular support
and supervision for them (www.volunteeringwesternisles.co.uk/.../guidefinalversion).
Remember that in each phase of the volunteer’s life cycle the volunteer needs support according to
where they are in the cycle.
Volunteer support and supervision is very important and is crucial to volunteer management.
Whether formal or informal, most programmes have a system of showing volunteers how to do their
job and also making sure that they do the job well.
Things to include when you support and supervise your volunteers:
 A space to give and get feedback
 Evaluate the contribution the volunteer is making to your organisation or volunteer project
 Ensure that the volunteer’s work is in line with the aims and objectives of your organisation
or volunteer project
The time and resources given to volunteer support and supervision will vary depending on your
human resources, how your organisation and volunteer programme is set up and what work the
volunteer is doing. For example, the role of a volunteer driver will require less supervision compared
to a volunteer working with children with HIV and AIDS. It will also depend on the amount of hours
your volunteer gives you. If the volunteer works 15 hours a week they will need more support
compared to someone that only works two hours a week.
Some volunteers will require more support and supervision than others. This can depend on the role
but also on the volunteer’s skills and experience and emotional state/wellbeing. It is a good idea to
reassess in the second or third supervision if your volunteer needs more support, making sure that
you then are able to provide it.
Most importantly, when giving support and supervision, your aim is to enable your volunteer to do
the work to the best of their ability. Help their learning process, motivate them and also, as
mentioned earlier, say thank you for their time and effort.
“Youth Star’s programme officer goes on field visits to see the
volunteer and deliver supervision every second month but is also
reachable on the phone if the volunteers need extra support”.
(Youth Star)
“Having a know face to turn to can make all the difference to a volunteer. Telling a
volunteer what to do and leaving them to get on with it will quickly lead to a feeling of
abandonment and a lack of appreciation. Support and supervision doesn’t need to be
formal but having a formal approach will ensure no-one gets forgotten”.
(www.volunteeringwesternisles.co.uk/.../guidefinalversion, p.33)

Page | 30
Planning your support and supervision:
 Decide what support and supervision each role or volunteer requires. Make sure that you
allow the volunteer to approach you and get extra support if needed between supervisions.
 Agree how often it will happen. In the beginning the volunteer might need more supervision
and support because they are new to the role.
 Prepare for the supervision by finding out about the specific work the volunteer has been
doing and also asking them if they have any topics or issues they want to talk about.
 Meet the volunteer one to two weeks after they have started their volunteering to evaluate
and talk about how it is going and find out how they feel about the work.
 In supervision, give and get feedback. Make sure that the volunteer can ask questions and
discuss any issues that they have.
 For the first supervision it is always good to have feedback from the volunteer’s mentor if
they have had one.
 Have an open door policy for volunteers to talk to you at other times.
 It's important to address any issues that arise while volunteering during the support and
supervision meeting. Doing so as early as possible will hopefully avoid problems escalating.
Annual appraisal and evaluation
Besides supervision, daily support and appreciation, having an annual or six month appraisal
meeting with your volunteer, where the focus is on their work and progression and how they want
to develop, is good practice. This was also one of the things that the young people expressed they
need when volunteering; evaluation of their work and how they do their job.
Communication
Regular and clear communication is also part of the way you support your volunteers. Regular
communication is motivating for volunteers, while the lack of it is one of the most common reasons
volunteers become dissatisfied. Volunteers like to have a particular person who looks after them. If
your organisation does not have a volunteer coordinator, be sure to assign someone to be the point
of contact for your volunteers.
Be ready to listen to volunteers and respond to concerns immediately. Telephone them, have
meetings, invite them to stop by your office, send info via social media, email them regular updates
or send a volunteer newsletter
(http://nonprofit.about.com/od/volunteers/tp/whatvolunteerswant.htm).
Being aware of what goes on in the organisation makes the volunteer feel like they belong and are
part of the organisation.

Page | 31
Chapter 10: Recommendations
Flexible volunteer opportunities
During the research and the development of the guidelines, additional issues were identified as
important for developing a successful volunteer strategy and having success with recruiting youth
volunteers. Flexible volunteer opportunities were highlighted as a useful strategy to allow more
young people to participate in volunteering as it will fit around their busy lives.
Some of the volunteer programmes highlighted that young people do not have enough time to
commit to long term or full time volunteering as they have other commitments in their life. Creating
a flexible volunteer programme, with different volunteer opportunities, would help to minimise that
barrier and the risk of losing volunteers because they find that they do not have enough time
(SmallWorld).
Creating different volunteering opportunities that young people can choose from, for example, a
couple of hours a week, a onetime project, a couple of months or for the ones that are interested in
longer term, full time and several months, gives the young person a chance to choose something
that suits their lives (SmallWorld).
Research shows that if young people have had a successful and positive volunteering experience
once they are more likely to do it again, continue or recommend it to their friends.
A few of the volunteer programmes interviewed are already successful with offering different
volunteering opportunities that young people can be involved in, varying from a couple of hours a
week to full time volunteering.
Research shows that young people are more sympathetic to programmes that have different
projects to be involved in that imposed minimum time commitment, making it more suitable to the
young people’s lives. Thinking about creating flexible volunteer opportunities when developing your
volunteer strategy, can therefore be a good idea (www.volunteeringaustralia.org/News-and-Events/-
General-News/Minister-launches-National-Volunteering-Strategy-at-the-National-Conference-on-
Volunteering-2011.asp).
Raising awareness
Another issue that was highlighted again and again was the significance of raising awareness about
the importance of volunteering. Both volunteer programmes and young volunteers themselves
expressed that raising the profile of volunteering will be important for the recruitment and retention
of volunteers.
When communicating to young people about volunteering, it is important to be clear about how
they can benefit from volunteering as well as how volunteerism benefits their community and
Cambodia.
“It is useful to offer flexible and
varied volunteering
opportunities, as not many
young people are able to or
interested in volunteering for a
long time or can commit full
time to a volunteer role”.
(SmallWorld)
”… most people live busy lifestyles, and
are likely to volunteer in organisations
which take account of this fact…”
(http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications
/national_volunteering/, p. 7).

Page | 32
Thinking about including the community and young people’s parents when communicating about
your volunteering opportunities can be a valuable strategy, as young people expressed that the
support and encouragement from their parents and the community were important factors in their
decision to volunteer.
One of the strategies of volunteerism in The National Youth Policy of Cambodia is to promote formal
recognition and provide awards and prizes for youth volunteers which will help raise the profile of
volunteerism nationally. The International Day of Volunteering and also the National Forum will be
an excellent platform for the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports to recognise and award youth
volunteers. And having different media to cover the event will help spread the word and highlight
the importance of youth volunteering.
End notes
Thank you for reading the good practice guidelines on youth volunteering in Cambodia. I hope you
have found the guidelines useful for your further work with your youth volunteers and your
volunteer programme. There already are many youth volunteer programmes here in Cambodia that
do excellent work and I am grateful that I have been able to learn from some of them, as part of
developing the good practice guidelines. I hope that these guidelines will inspire more to develop
and that youth volunteer programmes will continue to grow in Cambodia.
Remember that volunteering can contribute to the improvement of life within your communities.
Volunteering can empower individuals, can build community cohesion and trust and helps to
promote civic engagement, so please continue to support volunteerism and raise awareness about
its importance for the development of Cambodia.
I wish you all the best of luck!
Yours sincerely,
Grusche Michelsen

Page | 33
Bibliography
Brown, E. (2008) Volunteerism. Harnessing the Potential to Develop Cambodia. Youth Star Cambodia
in cooperating with United Nation volunteers. International Printing House
Kvale, S. (1996) Interviews: An introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. SAGE Publications,
Inc.
Managing the Placement of Volunteers. A VSO Guide. July 2005
Mysliwiec, E. (2005) Youth, Volunteering and Social Capital in Cambodia. Results of a feasibility
study conducted for a Cambodian youth service program. Copyright Youth star Cambodia 2005.
Design and production by DESIGNGroup
Websites
Day-to-day Volunteer Management –
publications_voluntary_managing.html)
Experiential Learning: Theoretical Underpinnings –
(http://users.ugent.be/~mvalcke/LI_1213/experiencial_learning.pdf)
Get it Right from the Start. Volunteer policies – the key to diverse volunteer involvement -
(http://www.gedlingcvs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Get-It-Right-From-The-Start.pdf)
Growing better youth work. A guide to strengthening your volunteer team –
(www.vds.org.uk/.../Growing%20Better%20Youth%20Work.pdf)
Hjertet alene goer det ikke – om frivillighedpolitik -
(www.frivillighed.dk/Webnodes/Frivilligpolitik+og+frivilligpleje/689)
How to Keep you Volunteers! Good Practice Guidelines For Organisations -
(www.volunteeringwesternisles.co.uk/.../guidefinalversion)
Involving Young Volunteers - (www.do-it.org.uk/product-support/resources/involving-young)
Managing Volunteers - A Good Practice Guide - Citizens Information –
(www.citizensinformationboard.ie/.../Managing_Volunteers_08.pdf)
National Volunteering Strategy – Australia volunteers inspiring the volunteer in you -
(www.volunteeringaustralia.org/News-and-Events/-General-News/Minister-launches-National-
Volunteering-Strategy-at-the-National-Conference-on-Volunteering-2011.asp)
No Limits – Volunteering as a model of youth development –
(www.youthscotland.org.uk/projects/volunteer-action-plan/youth-development-.htm)
Passions, People and Appreciation: Making volunteering work for young people -
(www.fahcsia.gov.au/our-responsibilities/communities-and-vulnerable-people/publications-
articles/passions-people-and-appreciation-making-volunteering-work-for-young-people)
Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Centre National Network – Tips for Recruitment of Youth
Volunteers – (www.nationalserviceresources.org)

Page | 34
Report - National volunteering Strategy Consultation –
(http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications/national_volunteering/)
Snowball Sample – (http://sociology.about.com/od/Types-of-Samples/a/Snowball-Sample.htm)
State of the World’s Volunteerism Report - (http://www.unv.org/swvr2011.html)
The volunteer life circle: a marketing model for volunteering –
(www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/the-volunteer-life-cycle)
United Nations Volunteers Report, prepared for the UN General Assembly Special Session on
Social development, Geneva, February 2001 - (Ref: eyv2011.europak-online.net/wp.../UN-
definition-volunteering.pdf)
Volunteering across the generations –
(www.softball.org.nz/site/softballnz/files/images/Development/Club_tool_box/volunteers/Ideas_fo
r__increasing__volunteers.pdf)
Volunteering and social development - (www.ivr.org.uk/component/ivr/volunteering-and-social-
development)
Writing a Volunteer Policy - (www.bh-impetus.org/volunteeringgoodpractice)
www.worldvolunteerweb.org
Speeches
H.E. Sean Borath, Adviser to Samdech Akka Motha Sena Padei Techo HUN SEN, Prime Minister of the
Kingdom of Cambodia and Secretary of the Ministry of Education, 2nd
National Forum on
volunteerism in Cambodia 4th
December 2012

Page | 35
Appendix 1: Methodology
The focus of this research was to get an understanding of existing volunteer programmes’
experience and ways of working with youth volunteers in Cambodia, to be able to develop the good
practice guidelines. In my research I aimed to explore the structure of the volunteer programmes
and the thoughts and ideas behind it when interviewing participants. I also sought to get an
understanding about young people’s thoughts on volunteering and what drives them to volunteer or
not volunteer in Cambodia, in order to develop guidelines that could help recruit and retain
volunteers, taking into account young volunteers’ own perspective.
Developing the good practice guidelines is based on qualitative research, using two different
methods; one to one interviews and group work sessions. The data material consists of eight
interviews with Cambodian NGOs, Associations and a National Youth Centre working with
Cambodian youth volunteers and two interviews with representatives from the Ministry of
Education, Youth and Sports. The qualitative research also included five interviews with VSO
volunteers working with youth groups in three provinces in Cambodia. Two sessions of group work
with Cambodian youth volunteers, where the young people in groups of 7-10 people answered four
questions about volunteering. One group session was conducted with 280 volunteers at the 2nd
National Forum on Volunteering, held on 4th December 2012, with Cambodian youth volunteers
between the ages of 15 and 35 years old. The other group work session was carried out in Ban Lung
in Ratanakiri with 28 members of a youth council in a secondary school.
Semi-structured interviews and group work sessions
I used a semi-structured interview as an interview method, because it gave participants the space to
express themselves and describe how they manage and support their volunteers and the values
behind it. This interview method also enabled me to probe and ask follow up questions, allowing the
participants to elaborate on what they had said (Kvale, 1996).
The interview questions were developed based on the outlined purpose of the guidelines as well as
my desk top research. The four research questions for the group work sessions were developed
based on my desk top research, and from questions that emerged from my one to one interviews
which I wanted to follow up and ask young volunteers.
The group work session enabled the groups to discuss their different experiences, reflect and also
share knowledge. Not only did the young people really engage in the group work session, the group
work also raised awareness about the importance of volunteering and created networks between
the young people.
Data collection
Some of the participants for my interview were identified by his Excellency Mr. Tauch Choeun
General Director of Youth from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports during my first interview
with him on 3rd
October 2012. Some were identified by Mr. Heng Chantha from the General
Department of Youth, Department of Youth Centres in the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
in my meeting with him on 15th
November 2012.
Other participants were chosen through the snow ball method where volunteer youth programmes
or people working with volunteers nominated other relevant programmes to contact. This method
was beneficial as, being a foreigner in Cambodia with no pre-existing knowledge about relevant
youth volunteering programmes, I could use the knowledge of others to approach relevant
programmes for my research. Some of the organisations suggested were useful for my research and
others were not structured around volunteering, but still gave me an insight into youth work in
Cambodia which was useful for my overall understanding. The 2nd
National Volunteer Forum was

Page | 36
also an arena where new contacts and respondents were found
(http://sociology.about.com/od/Types-of-Samples/a/Snowball-Sample.htm).
In February 2013 I conducted a validation workshop presenting my key findings, attended by my
interview participants and nine youth volunteers. At the workshop, feedback was given on my
research findings and the outline of the guidelines. This feedback has been included in the final
guidelines.

Page | 37
Appendix 2: Respondents
1. Tauch Choeun, General Director, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
2. Heng Chantha, Director, General Department of Youth, Department of Youth Clubs
3. SmallWorld – Thul Rithy, Co-founder
4. Youth Star – Sor Lynny, Program Officer and Sin Sokhomony, Program Officer
5. KAWP - Veasna Pot, Community Development Worker
6. CIYA – Mr. Chantha, assistant to CIYA’s president and Yun Lorang Program Officer, Education
Support and Youth Networking
7. YRDP- Cheang Sokha, Executive Director and Seap Sinet, Youth Empowerment Officer
8. KYA – Mak Chamroeun, President
9. Cambodian Scouts – Piseth Em, Deputy International Commissioner
10. National Youth Centre – Sothea Ouk, Director
11. Amos Kephas (VSO), Development Adviser, KAWP Akphiwat Phum , Battambang province
12. Anna Mukudi (VSO), Management Adviser, Pichreada District Council, Mondulkiri province
13. Daniel Nsubuga(VSO), National Volunteering and Community Participation Adviser,
Provincial Office of Education, Youth and Sports, Mondulkiri province
14. Gemma Bangcal (VSO), Management Adviser, Oreang District Council, Mondulkiri province
15. Lucita Narag (VSO), Local Administrative Council Adviser, Provincial Association of
Communes and Municipal Councils, Ratanakiri province
16. Patricia T. Sibarani (VSO), Community Development Adviser for Yeaklom Community,
Ratanakiri province
17. Yves Bureau (VSO), Organisational Development Adviser, IPHIA, Mondulkiri province

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