Designing a volunteer program

One of the distinct features of the events, sport and tourism (EST) sector is the reliance on volunteer labour to develop and deliver services and programs. Therefore, the effective design of volunteer programs has become a necessity for these organisations. This chapter outlines the components organisations should incorporate when designing a volunteer program within the EST sector. When designing a volunteer program, organisations should begin with a rationale for volunteer involvement, allocate program leadership, develop induction and training materials, assign suitable roles that meet the needs of volunteers, identify recruitment and retention strategies, and incorporate evaluation strategies for volunteers and the program.