Standard: Agency volunteers shall be monitored, shall receive supervisory visits, and be evaluated regarding performance. Supervision and evaluation of volunteers is important to ensure adequate training is provided and to verify satisfactory conduct and performance. The degree to which the agency supervises and evaluates volunteers may vary depending on the role of the volunteers.
Suggested Evidence of Compliance: Provide written description of the monitoring system including current practices for supervisory visits, and examples of evaluations.
Informational reference in the Management of Park and Recreation Agencies, (2010), 3rd Ed., Chapter 17 – Human Resource Management, p. 457.
Agency Evidence of Compliance:
The Park District's Procedures for Volunteer Management1 outline the agency's expectations for supervision of volunteers. All volunteers must report to a full-time staff member at the Park District (except for volunteers for the Friends of Oak Park Conservatory, who report to their Volunteer Coordinator). Volunteers may receive supervision from part-time staff or occasionally other volunteers in certain situations. However, the full-time employee is responsible for volunteer management, including any recognition, mentoring, discipline, and evaluation that may need to take place.
In many cases, such as at special events, training is provided before the event and supervisors are present to check-in and are available in case of any questions. Because these are usually one-time volunteers, no formal evaluation is given.
Conservatory volunteers are monitored and supervised by Park District Conservatory staff, FOPCON Volunteer Coordinator, or experienced volunteers in leadership positions (depending on the nature of the volunteer activity. For these positions, as well as other volunteer positions at the Park District, verbal or written feedback is provided to volunteers as needed. For example, Cheney Mansion has a volunteer docent who received a Cheney Mansion Docent Evaluation2.
In the case of our youth sports volunteer coaches, which make up a substantial amount of our volunteer hours, Youth Athletic League Volunteer Coaches receive pre-season training to ensure that all expectations are clear. Park District staff are on-site during games and practices to monitor volunteers. In addition, coaches are evaluated at least once a season using a Coach Evaluation Form3. If issues are identified, staff will meet with the coach. Negative evaluations or recurring issues can lead to termination as well as exclusion from further volunteer coaching in the future.
Documentation:
- 04.07.03_Procedures-for-Volunteer-Management.pdf
- 04.07.03_Cheney-Mansion-Docent-Evaluation.pdf
- 04.07.03_Coach-Evaluation-Forms.pdf
Agency Self Assessment: MET