Innovation projects

Network volunteering

Partners and volunteers often view the program’s wide network as an untapped resource that can be drawn on to extend the impact of their work. This workstream explored ways that the program could act as a bridge, facilitating exchange and collaboration that would enable volunteers and partners to achieve more together than they could alone.

We looked at the value of a global network, whether volunteers would be interested in joining such a network and what level of coordination would be needed. It also examined the potential impact that connecting volunteers could have on outcomes for volunteers and partners.

Partners and families

We know from our program research that bringing a family member on a volunteer assignment leads to better outcomes when that family member has their own sense of purpose. With this knowledge in hand, we sought to understand how we might be able to design new ways to create purpose for family members not on assignment, which could then expand or enhance the impact of the program. This workstream explored how family members who accompany volunteers can have a greater sense of purpose, and what contributions family members can make while living overseas.

Open volunteering

Not everyone can pack up their life and move overseas to volunteer. In this workstream, we wanted to explore a more flexible model of volunteering so more diverse Australians could participate in the program. A larger pool of volunteers, in turn, offers our partners access to skills, knowledge, and people that may not have been available previously. While considering how to make the program more accessible, this workstream explored the opportunities and challenges of developing effective short-term assignments.

Exploring volunteering for development

Volunteering can take diverse forms and contribute to social, economic and cultural development in many ways. This workstream explored alternative models of volunteering as identified by program teams across our international offices. This work took on an even greater importance as the program pivoted in response to the global pandemic, pausing our traditional volunteering model.

Through this workstream, we explored alternative volunteering models, opportunities to support others to build and grow volunteerism, and how we can support locally led innovation and design across the program.

Growing community volunteering

In recent years, the international volunteering sector has explored opportunities to redress power imbalances in the traditional volunteering model and tackle systemic challenges. Growing Community Volunteering explores alternative ways to support volunteering, seeking to understand if and how we might strengthen partners use of community volunteers.

Through this workstream, we sought to strengthen the program’s understanding of community volunteering and what if any desires our partners had to start or grow community volunteering. We also explored opportunities to support partners in their use of community volunteers and how to develop a global framework of support that could be tailored to local contexts.

Global volunteering accelerator

Volunteering is a tool that countries can use to make progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The Global Volunteering Accelerator explored how we can partner with national governments and peak bodies to strengthen volunteer infrastructure and accelerate volunteerism in their country.

Through this workstream, we sought to learn about the current state of volunteering in our partner countries and the enabling conditions needed to accelerate volunteering to better understand where our support might be most valued and valuable. Using a live prototype approach, we worked with partners to better understand what support government or peak volunteering bodies might want, if any, and the mechanisms we could use to deliver that support.