Scorecard (BFS-1) has been developed over the past four year. It is directed towards coordinators, directors, supervisors, or administrators of local volunteer programs. It has been designed to be a self-report on a sampling of standards of volunteer program administrative performance, according to our puck-0up from the field. Obviously only a sampling rather than an exhaustive enumeration of all standards are presented for self-report. The form can be given to directors and their supervisors independently to compare there perceptions of the program. A spread of more than 10 points is cause for concern. Newer program directors should be forewarned to expect extremely low scores. The advantage, of course, is that you’ve no place to go but up.

It is probably useful for a director to self-administer Scorecard about every three-six months. On a group basis, Scorecard averages can be used as input in the design of training programs for directors of volunteer programs, or even the composition of workshop groups in various topic areas.

Scoring – Examinee simply counts the number of check in each of the nine sections, records each, and then records a total for all nine. Double-check the count and the addition; people do make mistakes in addition. These part and total counts of checks are hereafter called "raw scores."

Want to see how you’re doing? Below are some representative questions to help you take the temperature of your program. Of course, not all questions are equally relevant to all agencies, and you might even want to make up some of your own Scorecard questions. Please be sure to look at all questions.

Place two checks on each line if you’re sure it’s true for you
       Place one check on each line if you’re uncertain or if it’s only partly true
_____ Leave the line blank if it’s not true for your program

Planning

_____ 1. Spent at least three months planning our program, before it started, carefully consulting all relevant people

_____ 2. During this time we looked into at least three national publications on the subject.

Recruitment and Screening

_____ 3. We have written volunteer job descriptions, at least two paragraphs long

_____ 4. Deliberately go out after the kind of people who can fill our volunteer jobs.

_____ 5. At least half of our volunteers are personally and consistently involved working directly with clients

_____ 6. Definite plans or efforts to involve new types of people as volunteers: minority, younger, older, poor, etc

_____ 7. Before accepting volunteers we use and study a volunteer background registration form

_____ 8. Each volunteer is interviewed at least once before acceptance

_____ 9. Each volunteer it interviewed at least twice by different people

_____ 10. At least half of the clients we thing could benefit from volunteers, have them

Orientation and Training

_____ 11. Require at least five hours volunteer orientation before assignment

_____ 12. Top management and/or regular staff are closely involved in volunteer orientation

_____ 13. We have in-service training meetings monthly or more often

_____ 14. Films and/or tapes, and/or slide shows, and/or role plays used for at least 25% of the total training time

_____ 15. Each new volunteer receives and keeps a written orientation manual

_____ 16. Systematic effort to orient staff to working with volunteers

Assignment, Work Roles

_____ 17. We have at least two main alternative work roles for volunteers

_____ 18. We deliberately seek maximum compatibility of volunteer and client by asking and assessing both volunteer and client

_____ 19. In addition to intuition, we employ specific compatibility criteria such as home location, interests, sex, age, etc.

_____ 20. Volunteers sign or explicitly assent to a work contract of specific time commitment over a maximum period of at leas eight months

_____ 21. At least 90% of our volunteers are assigned and on the job no more than four weeks after the end of pre-service training

The Volunteer Coordinator

_____ 22. We have regular position of Volunteer Coordinator or Director

He/she feels he has enough time to do the job adequately

_____ 24. Volunteer Coordinator is suitably paid

_____ 25. Our Volunteer Coordinator has attended at least three days of training institute conferences, also has read at least 150 pages in this specific area in the past year.

_____ 26. Our volunteer coordinator has an office near other staff, and is regularly invited to attend staff meetings at supervisory level

_____ 27. Not more that 40 volunteers for each direct supervisor of volunteers

Motivation – Incentive

_____ 28. Each volunteer has an I.D. card or lapel pin or other suitable agency identification

_____ 29. Certificates and/or volunteer recognition meeting at least once a year

_____ 30. Regular or supervisory staff are also recognized for their leadership role in volunteer program

_____ 31. Volunteers have a desk or other designated place to roost at agency

_____ 32. Provision for good experienced volunteers to move up in responsibility and status as volunteers, e.g. head volunteer, volunteer advisory board, etc.

_____ 33. At least one of our ex-volunteers is now on regular paid staff

_____ 34. Of volunteers who complete training, at least two-thirds are with us at the end of a year (or their assigned hitch)

_____ 35. At least a third of our new volunteers are brought in by present volunteers

Record Keeping, Evaluation

_____ 36. Within five minutes, we can tell you (a) exactly how many volunteers we have, and also (b) for any individual volunteer-current address, job and assigned client, if any

_____ 37. Volunteers are required to report at least once a month by phone or by report form, and we enforce this

_____ 38. At least twice a year we systematically ask regular staff what they thing of volunteer programs

_____ 39. Ditto, both volunteers and clients, what they think

_____ 40. Generally, volunteers are actively involved (e.g., advisory board) in decisions regarding their own volunteer programs

_____ 41. We have a regular statistical-evaluative component supervised by a professional in the area

Budget, Finance

_____ 42. We prepare a regular, carefully considered budget for the volunteer program

_____ 43. We keep good account books and formal records on the program

_____ 44. At least one-half of our volunteer program funding is from local sources (including below)

_____ 45. At least one-half volunteer program funding is incorporated in regular state or local agency budget

Public Relations

_____ 46.We have a newsletter for our volunteers, monthly or bi-monthly

_____ 47. Main (or only) local newspaper has least three favorable articles or editorials on vaunted program each year

_____ 48. At least one of those is not deliberately requested by us

_____ 49. Regular staff invited to talk on our program in town at least ten time a year

_____ 50. Agencies or organizations in similar service areas have expressed approval of our volunteer programs.

_____ Total Volunteer Program score
Scoring Yourself: Just count the checks.

Your comments are welcome.

Name: _______________________________

Date: ________________________

Organization: __________________________

BFS-1 – Preliminary National Norms

BFS-1 Scorecard – Your Program profile

Now you are ready to use the BFS-1 Program Profile Sheet. First place your overall (total) score and percentile in the upper left-hand corner. Then, after tallying each subsection of Scorecard and locating your estimated percentile on Basic Feedback System norms, plot each section with periods (.) or (x), and connect them with straight lines. The resulting line graph will allow you to visualize strengths and weaknesses of your program, areas of needed further training and development, etc.

People do get surprised when they see their profile. First of all, remember that these are only rough approximations. Second, remember that these are relative values. For example, you might be right in finding that your record keeping is poor; if you still come out above average nationally, it only means that most others are even poorer.

BFS-1 Scorecard

_____ Overall Raw Score

_____ Percentile

Your Program Profile