Managing public voluntary programs - the case of vanishing volunteers

The new director considers that there is need for ethics to be upheld in the workplace by those taking part in the volunteer program. She is concerned with lack of proper organization in the program and sees the need to control the activities of those participating in it. This is in contrast to the way the program was previously handled where it basically ran by people who were not professionals. In the previous management, the program was run by the director himself with help of volunteer coaches chosen from network friends and people known to him (Rainey.G). There was no clear definition of how the volunteers were to be included in the management of the program such that anybody that came in was included in the roster without provision of any rules to follow. However, the new director brought in the vast experience she had while working in a similar position. An effective management in any organization should involve the definition of the roles to be carried out by all the members so that there is no conflict (Connors, 2012). After definition of roles the manager should spell out clearly the policies that should be followed by any person willing to be a volunteer. Policies are the general rules that offer guidelines in decision making in various situations (Connors, 2012). The director should also come up with evaluation process to ensure that the guidelines on ethical standards are adhered to by the volunteers such as avoiding any cases of sexual harassment (Rainey.G). The process should indicate corrective actions to be taken in dealing with any unethical behavior or any deviation from the set guidelines.

The case of the volunteers feeling unappreciated for their work is well depicted in the case which can be attributed to the lack of well structures that give work descriptions. Role description indicates the various tasks to be carried out by the volunteers so that to avoid any inconveniencies in running the program. Lack of proper communication can also be attributed to lack o well structured communication process which in turn is connected to the lack of proper job description. This is seen where the director finds continuous calls from the various volunteers who end disrupting her work (Rainey.G). The director should thus be clear on what she expects from the volunteers and similarly what the volunteers expect from her management. This will eliminate the case of the volunteers feeling that set out rules are an indication of the mistrust.

The case shows that lack of involvement of all stakeholders in public programs will lead to opposition even if it meant for the public good. The authorities should thus offer benefits to the volunteers in the program so that the new director can work with a motivated group.

 

Privatization of public programs- the case of the crummy contract

The election of new county commissioners comes with increased call for contracting out and privatization in order to enhance service delivery in the operations of the county (Rainey.G). This also comes with increased call for budgetary stringency which was a major campaign agenda of the commissioners. The issue at hand for the new directors is how to handle the pressure especially during the impending contract renewal. Efficiency is a significant factor in service delivery since it determines the level of customer satisfaction (Kettl, 1996). The director should thus take into account the public complaints concerning the quality of food offered and the cleanliness of the place around which food I offered.

Since privatization has been considered to be a major factor that will improve service delivery and increase income to the county, the new director should consider how best it should be done. This will ensure there is not conflict of interest, in the case where the county commissioners would want to be part of the investors.  The main aim of any public programs is to provide services. Any strategic action taken should focus more on provision of the best services but not to make profits. The service should be responsive to the needs of the clients. It s expected that in the implementation of such programs issues such as cost cutting are bound to arise. The directors should thus ensue that there is a balance between management and politics so that focus is not shifted from the service delivery to other unnecessary issues (Kettl, 1996). The director should also ensure that principles are laid down to spell out the responsibilities are spelt out in the delivery of services. This will ensure that cases such as littering are done away with. The director should combine effort with the county commissioners to come up with best privatization strategies and carry out an evaluation of the extent to which the service delivery wills be different. This will ensure that the county move away from in the informal management adopted by the former director which led to much deterioration of service delivery.

The case represents how a combination of politics and management can play out to bring down service delivery in the public sector. The authorities should provide an environment that will allow the adoption of strategies that enhance service delivery and give the new director a chance to come up with professional and workable solutions.

 

Reference

Kettl, D. F. (1996). The state of public management. Baltimore [u.a.: Johns Hopkins Univ. Press.220

Connors, T. D. (2012). The volunteer management handbook: Leadership strategies for success. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.