Project management within volunteering organisations

Leading without classic authority

Within volunteering organizations, leading of projects is being done without the classic authority, as seen in companies. This means that all volunteers have to be motivated by other factors, such as the feeling of purpose or the process of the project. To create a motivational atmosphere it is also important to focus on communication and on involving the volunteers. The Danish scouting and guiding organization, Det Danske Spejderkorps, was drawn upon for references and case examples. The objective of this organization is to create an inspirational environment with possibilities for development of the members. All in all, this article strives to explain some of the learnings about project management that can be drawn from a volunteering organization.

Important factors within volunteering management

A report on attractive scout groups were done in 2006 and from this we know that four factors are especially important when leading volunteers, these are Team spirit, Ambition, Simplicity and Leadership.

• Team spirit: The whole group works as one team.
• Ambition: The group has high and visible ambitions.
• Simplicity: The group has organised the work, so it is simple and manageable for the individual leader.
• Leadership: The leadership of the group functions as a rallying point and leads the way. (Has to be solid and visionary.)

The four points that are shared among most attractive groups within Det Danske Spejderkorps.

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Conclusion

A company culture that focuses on the employees’ development provides value to knowledge based companies, because the employees are the most important resource of the company. Furthermore the resistance to change within the company can be minimized by focusing actively on communication and on involving their employees. This will help the company adapt more to a quickly changing market. Additionally, volunteering organizations provide insights into different motivational factors that drive its members to actively engage in projects, knowledge that can also be used in companies.