RE: Evaluation in volunteer environments

["Carole L. Touchinski" <ctouchinski@mayf.org>]

This is so true, so true, so true. My goodness, I think you and I have been
living the same life. Although many, many nonprofit organizations have
wonderful, energetic, and passionate leaders who give fully of themselves to
meet the needs of their um, what they call clients and what I and I think
Deming, Senge and Drucker would call customers, the practical application of
solid management and leadership concepts is at times missing. The system
does seem to reward this behavior, which makes me think that the higher
system may encounter some of the same issues. In public work, leaders,
managers and front line workers spend tireless hours learning about and
serving their "clients". At times, they are in a cycle that is moving so
fast they cant step out to the fourth quadrant and take a look at what is
going on so they can correct the system. There is no plan, do, study, act.

Our organization has recently developed a nonprofit learning network. This
learning network brings together several nonprofits with a similar priority
population. There are many learning activities that go on here, but I will
introduce only one.

For each learning network session, my organization researches a particular
management technique and boils it down to a practical application tool for
the network. This is presented and the organizations are able to go back and
begin implementation right away. I use Deming, Senge and Drucker as my
pillars and supplement with others. This take the burden of all that
research and reading from the nonprofit executives and gives them a usable
produce. We have presented things like, force field analysis, scenario
planning, and score boarding. In fact for the next network I will be
presenting information on measuring variation, (I have a post on this
network about that). The network members really like these tools being
presented in an application form and the network has been a huge success.

Carole L. Touchinski
Marquette-Alger Youth Foundation
307 S. Front St.
Marquette MI 49855
Phone 906.228.8919
Fax 906.228.8919
www.mayf.org


-----Original Message-----
From: clauson@deming.ces.clemson.edu
[mailto:clauson@deming.ces.clemson.edu]On Behalf Of Jim Walker
Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 8:42 AM
To: den.list@deming.ces.clemson.edu
Subject: Evaluation in volunteer environments


For several years I have been reading the very helpful posts here. And
from those insightful offerings have begun to talk in the public forum
about some of the concepts.

Deming is partly about evaluation. To plan the next part of one's
journey it is often wise to turn around to have a look at the path
already traveled. Distressingly, it has been my experience that none of
the volunteer organizations with which I am allied wish to engage in
having a look back. They don't have to. Their funding continues because
of historical precedent unless they fall out of favour. The volunteers
who stay seem willing to make-do with inconsistencies.

It has been my experience that the people generating leadership energy
think very differently than I do. They tend not to be 'forest' leaders
but rather 'tree' leaders. They're mostly interested in accomplishing
really well the details of the day rather than crafting a long-range plan.

The organizations seem to have a momentum which defies the nudges of
this Deming disciple. I am referring to a church context here and a
community restaurant serving food to those in transition. None of
leaders of either organization have a Deming-like vocabulary. When I
talk about evaluating church programs, for instance, there is a polite
silence…which continues from year to year. Similarly when I introduce
the notion of the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement (lots of good
Deming stuff) to the community restaurant they too are politely
equivocal.

I wonder at how many volunteers like me just melt away because the
training is lacking, the 'white space' isn't managed and there is little
personal connection with a vision. I am also very interested to know why
some volunteers continue for long periods of time within organizations
which have a different paradigm. It's about psychology, isn't it?

What's been your experience with Deming and volunteer organizations?

Regards,
Jim Walker