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Volunteering Strategy
ANNEX B Strategy development process
1. In June 2003 the Scottish Executive appointed Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS) to play the lead role in developing a new strategic framework for volunteer development in Scotland. Their remit required a five year look forward and asked them to identify how the Scottish Executive could provide leadership and support to embed a robust culture of volunteering in Scotland. In carrying this task out, VDS were asked to build upon lessons from previous policy and programmes. This includes the Active Communities Initiative, alongside other strands of work to promote volunteering and community action, particularly those involving young people. The evidence from this forms the basis of the Scottish Executive's Volunteering Strategy.
2. VDS's work to take this forward involved:
- Consideration of an independent assessment of the Scottish Executive's existing strategy to promote volunteering in Scotland, the Active Communities Initiative;
- Consultation with a wide range of stakeholders on the aims, vision and values for a strategy for volunteering;
- An independent assessment of the available evidence on volunteering to establish what is known about volunteering and to identify gaps in knowledge;
- A Scottish Opinion Survey undertaken by NFO to research the Scottish public's attitudes towards volunteering which involved a representative sample of 1045 adults;
- A survey of people currently involved in volunteering;
- A consultation exercise with stakeholders to get their views and opinions about the strategy and its priorities, which included a postal survey, a web based survey, a series of stakeholder meetings and a number of one-to-one meetings with key stakeholders; and
- Support from three experts external to VDS as a source of independent critical advice and analysis - Professor Mike Danson, University of Paisley; Dr Jim McCormick, Scottish Council Foundation, and Dr Justin Davis-Smith, Institute of Volunteering Research.
3. Documents relating to this work are available at www.vds.org.uk. In addition to the 1045 individuals taking part in the NFO poll, and over 200 respondents to the volunteer survey, there were over 900 responses to the consultation process either in writing or through meetings. Organisations from the voluntary, public and private sectors all participated.
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