Volunteer Management Policy
Singapore Cycling Federation
Volunteer Management Policy
Editor Date Edit Detail Version Control
Intern 17th Jan 2020 1
Singapore Cycling Federation
OCBC Arena
5 Stadium Drive, #02-44
Singapore 397631
Tel. 67846621
About the Singapore Cycling Federation
The Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF) was established in 1958 and is registered
with the Registry of Societies. It is recognized by Sport Singapore (Singapore Sports
Council) as the national governing body for the promotion and development of the
sport of cycling. It is affiliated to the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC),
the ASEAN Cycling Association (ACA), the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) and
Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The SCF is also a Charity and an Institution of
Public Character (IPC).
SCF is responsible for the licensing of competitive cyclists, sanctioning of local
cycling events, and to ensure compliance with UCI international regulations in
competitions world-wide, involving Singapore-registered cyclists and Singaporeregistered
teams.
SCF represents the interests of six main cycling disciplines of Road, Track, Mountain
Bike (MTB), BikeTrial, Cycling Esports and BMX racing.
Background
Volunteering has been on the rise in Singapore. A study conducted by the National
Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre states the number of volunteers in Singapore has
doubled from 2014 to 2016. The rise of movements such as the Singapore Cares
Movement also contributed to the rise volunteering among the youths in Singapore.
According to Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCYY), in their annual
survey done in 2020, more people have been stepping forward to give their time to
good causes. With the advent of technology, Giving.sg, an online website that
matches the people with volunteering opportunities, now stands at more than
220,000 registered users, with the number of new users increasing by 35 per cent in
the past year. With volunteering gaining such a steady traction, SCF can also
consider recruiting volunteers in helping with their operation.
Objectives - SCF Volunteer Management Policy
The SCF Volunteer Management Policy has been developed with the specific intent
to provide SCF with guidelines on how volunteers should be managed.
The document policy will include the following:
1. SCF’s Commitment to Safe Sport
2. Volunteers’ Code of Conduct
3. Allowances & Claims
4. Volunteer Recruitment & Role Allocation
5. Volunteer Data and Communication
6. Volunteer Orientation
7. Volunteer Training
8. Handling of Grievances and Complaints
9. Volunteer Recognition and Reward
10. Feedback and Review
Rights to amend
The SCF reserves the right to amend the clauses listed in this document, from time
to time, in order to protect the interests of the Federation and the volunteer
community.
Our Commitment
(as extracted from SCF’s Safe Sport Commitment)
Singapore Cycling Federation is committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of
our staff, volunteers and participants. Our policies and procedures seek to address
risks to safe sport and to establish safe sport culture and practices. Our safe sport
commitment is accessible on our website (http://cycling.org.sg); and this have been
communicated to the Management Committee, Secretariat, and all contractual Staff.
We regularly review our policies, gain endorsement of changes and advise our staff
(full time and contractual) of changes.
We are committed to safe sport
Through our Safe Sport Framework, we document our clear commitment to keeping
sport safe from harassment and abuse. We communicate our commitment to the
public, SCF Representatives, Stakeholders, staff, volunteers and participants and
give them access to a copy of our commitment statement.
Our staff and volunteers know the behaviour we expect
We ensure that all representatives of Singapore Cycling Federation understand their
role and the behaviour we expect in relation to keeping the sport of cycling safe from
harassment and abuse through application of the Code of Behaviour. We utilise clear
position descriptions which clearly state relevant safe sport requirements. We have a
Code of Behaviour, which is approved and endorsed from Sport Singapore that
outlines our expectations for behaviour towards participants (including volunteers).
Our staff (full time and contractual) is given a copy of and have access to the Code
of Behaviour and is indicated, in writing, that they have read and are committed to
the Code of Behaviour.
Code of Conduct
The code of conduct aims to ensure that all volunteers understand the standard of
conduct which is expected. Volunteers should adhere to the code of conduct when
carrying out duties and interactions.
It is important for the volunteers to be aware that their image and behaviour reflects
the federation’s image. The federation expects every volunteer to behave with
integrity, fairness and trust.
Volunteers are expected to:
• Be present for duties, unless there are unforeseen circumstances which
causes the volunteer to not be able to report.
• In the event where the volunteer is unable to report, he/she should
immediately inform the volunteer manager and find another volunteer to
replace his/her role if possible
• Carry out duties responsibly, safely and in a competent manner
• Maintain confidentiality of all data and information obtained while volunteering
• Observe all safety protocols
Volunteers should not:
• Act in any way that may create liability or bring into disrepute SCF and its
name
• Disclose confidential client information to public
• Use SCF’s property, resources, information and funds for unauthorised
purposes
• Falsify/change any record documents
• Act as spokesperson for SCF unless prior permission has been given
• Drink alcoholic beverages while on duty or on SCF’s premises
• Smoke while on duty or on SCF’s premises. Smoking is only allowed outside
of the office’s building
• Hint, imply or ask federation’s clients directly or indirectly for gratuities or ‘tips’
Breaching the code of conduct will result in disciplinary actions being taken against
the volunteer. The disciplinary actions which can be taken are as follows:
• Verbal Warning
For minor breaches of discipline or failure to achieve the required standards of
performance, a formal Verbal Warning may be given to the volunteer by the
volunteer manager
• Written Warning
For serious offences or because of the volunteer’s failure to improve following a
Verbal Warning, he/she may be issued with a Written Warning by the volunteer
manager
• Suspension
As a precaution, the volunteer may be suspended from his/her job while SCF
investigates any allegations against the volunteer. The suspension is not a
sanction against the volunteer and will not prejudice the outcome of any
subsequent disciplinary interview with him/her.
• Dismissal
If volunteer fails to improve even after committing an offence and receiving
warnings (be it verbal or written), his/her volunteer appointment with the SCF will
be discontinued.
Volunteers are not obliged to remain in SCF for a minimum period of time and are
free to leave as they please. However, for both parties to get the most out of the
experience, a period of at least 6 months will be ideal.
Volunteers will only need to report for duty on days where they are needed for event
planning or to help with the event execution. The timing to report and duration of the
event will vary from event to event.
Allowances and Claims
Volunteers will receive a fixed sum of money as their allowance for the event. This
allowance will cover the transport and meal costs of the volunteer. It is important to
take note that this allowance is not the volunteer’s salary. The amount of allowance
to allocate for each volunteer will be determined by the following factors:
1. Location of the event
If the venue where the event is held is not near any MRT stations or bus stops (E.g.
Changi Coast), the allowance allocated for the volunteer should be higher to cover
their transport costs. Vice versa for when location of the event is held at areas that
are accessible via public transport.
2. Time of the event
Depending on the time which the volunteers must report to the venue, the availability
of public transport will be affected (E.g. 5am reporting time but MRT is not open for
operation yet). If reporting time is at such timings, allowance allocated for the
volunteer should be higher to cover their transport costs. Vice versa if the timing of
the event is when public transport is readily available.
3. Hours of event
Consider giving more allowance if the duration of the event is held over long hours.
Vice versa if the event is a short one.
4. Provision of food
If food and refreshments are not provided and volunteers will have to buy their own
meals, the allowance allocated for them should be higher and vice versa if there will
be food packed for them.
If a volunteer was instructed to buy something for event use and the money spent
was out of his/her pockets, SCF must reimburse the sum of money back to the
volunteer. Volunteers must get the claims form from the volunteer manager to apply
for their claims. Only claims for items bought under instruction from an SCF staff and
for the use in events operation will be approved.
Allowances and the reimbursement of cash (if any) will be either given to the
volunteers as cash after the end of each event or be transferred into their bank
accounts.
Volunteer Recruitment and Role Allocation
Anyone over the age of 16 years is applicable to become an SCF volunteer.
Before volunteers are recruited to join the SCF, each individual volunteer or group of
volunteers will be interviewed and assessed. If any of the volunteers are found to
have a criminal background, SCF would exercise caution when recruiting them. For
example, if the volunteer has a criminal record involving theft, roles that require the
individual to deal with monetary assets would not be considered for the volunteer.
When creating roles for the volunteers, the volunteer manager would also ensure
that the roles allow for the volunteer to learn or develop skills instead of merely
fulfilling mundane administrative tasks. Furthermore, the risks associated with the
roles created should also be carefully assessed.
This would be done through a simple risk assessment to identify the likelihood of the
risk occurring and the severity of the risk:
Risk Impact Potential frequency of
risk occurring
Severity of risk should it
occur
Low Rare, unlikely to occur Little damage should the
risk occurred
Medium Occurred before, but not
often
Moderate impact if risk
occurred, but may still be
tolerable
High Common, high probability
of occurring in the future
Catastrophic impact on
the organisation
Some of the risks that include:
1. People; risk of injury to volunteers/clients
2. Equipment; damage to machinery
3. Financial; theft and mismanagement of funds
4. Confidentiality; divulgence of confidential information
5. Reputation; misrepresentation of organisation
6. Mission-criticality; risk of important deadlines not met
If both the likelihood of the risk and the severity of the risk is high, the volunteer
manager would assign the task to a full-time SCF staff to handle it unless the
volunteer manager is able to establish prevention strategies throughout the volunteer
programme, such as:
Area Prevention Strategy Type of risks addressed
Orientation
Provide information during
induction to inform
volunteers of their expected
responsibilities and their role
in risk awareness &
mitigation
All
Training
Provide training on health
and safety measures to
equip volunteers with the
skills to carry out their tasks
safely. Provide training on
the Do’s and Don’ts
People, Equipment,
Confidentiality, Reputation
Emergency Procedures Develop contingency plans
and safety protocols
People, Mission-criticality
Screening
Conduct screening
commensurate with risk
level of the position
People, Financial
Volunteer Data and Communication
As part of SCF’s commitment to create an effective volunteer management system,
data collected from volunteers will be stored in an online volunteer database.
Information such as the following will be collated and uploaded onto the database:
• Volunteer contact details
• Volunteer emergency contact
• Next of kin information
• Formal records of volunteer contributions
• Specific volunteer skills and qualifications
• Feedback collected from volunteers during discussions
SCF values the privacy of every volunteer and are committed to protect the personal
data collected. The SCF will take all practicable steps to protect against the
unauthorised or accidental access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification,
disposal or any other similar risks. The SCF will also be compliant to the minimum
requirements of the personal data protection act (PDPA), regardless of the format in
which the data is recorded.
SCF also believes that effective communication contributes significantly in creating a
successful volunteer management system. Several channels will be made available
to ensure lines of communication are open between staff and volunteers,including:
Open Door Policy:
Volunteers can approach any SCF staff member at any time to provide feedback,
ask questions or seek advice.
Online Discussion/Chat Groups:
An online chat group will be created on WhatsApp and be available to all volunteers.
It will serve as a platform for the volunteer manager to disseminate important details,
for volunteers to have discussions or ask any questions they have. Volunteer efforts
and opportunities will also be posted through the chat group on top of other platforms
such as e-mails etc.
Volunteer Manager:
An individual will be appointed as the role of volunteer manager. He/she will be the
focal point of communication between the organisation and the volunteers. He/she
will also deal with any grievances of volunteers within the organisation
Website:
The SCF website will be regularly be updated and contain all policies and
procedures for volunteers to review.
Volunteer Orientation
Any new volunteer which joins SCF has would be provided with an orientation
session to help them be familiar in their new working environment. This orientation
would comprise two aspects, (a) familiarising the volunteers with SCF and (b)
familiarising the volunteers with each other. Both aspects of the orientation will be
organised and planned by the volunteer manager.
Familiarising the volunteers with SCF
When familiarising the volunteers with SCF, some important aspects to be covered
include:
1. An explanation of what the SCF does and its history including how it came
about and it evolved
2. A description of some of the key programmes which the SCF organises and
the purpose of these programmes.
3. An overview of the SCF, including the organisational structure to enable the
volunteer to understand the roles of each employee in SCF
4. An introduction and tour of the SCF office and training facilities.
5. General policies and procedures, highlighting those which will impact the
volunteers the most. (e.g. lines of communication, reporting times, claims and
allowances)
6. A briefing on the SCF Volunteer Management Policy and to answer any
additional questions they might have
Familiarising the volunteers with each other
On top of familiarising the volunteers with the SCF organisational set-up, it is also
equally important for them to know one another as the volunteers will be working
closely in many overlapping areas. The volunteer manager would organise bonding
sessions for the volunteers or to have some ice breaker sessions so volunteers can
know each other better. The volunteer manager would ensure that the organised
activities would not be dangerous or breach any policies which SCF has in place.
Volunteer Training
All volunteers will be given access to training and education to adequately fulfil their
volunteer role. These training may be in the form of mentoring with an SCF staff,
briefing sessions or relevant accredited training courses. Where courses attract a
fee, these fees will be covered by SCF if it meets the following criteria:
• Directly improves the quality of work output from volunteers
• It is a pre-requisite for the position
• It appears in the position description for the voluntary role
• Prior approval has been granted by the SCF Management Committee
Some example of the things which volunteers may learn while being on the job
include:
• Sports Coaching
Volunteers may get the opportunity to join in for Safe Cycling coaching sessions,
be it for students in schools or for organisations (E.g. Thye Hua Kwan). During
these sessions, volunteers have the opportunity to learn about basic coaching.
This would include the management of a large group of participants, to the
breakdown of a task into smaller parts so that participants can better ‘digest’ the
information and how to alter a programme to better suit the needs of the
participants.
• Events Management
When events and competitions are being held, volunteers will have the
opportunity to take up various roles, be it in the planning or the execution of the
event. For event planning, some examples of the roles the volunteers can pick up
include: Route Plotting, Promotion/Marketing of Event and Liaising with
External Partners. For event execution, some examples of the roles volunteers
can pick up include: Registration Booth Management, Event Setup, Route
Marshalling.
• Facility Management
Volunteers may also have the opportunity to learn more on facility management
while at the SCF Academy @ Centaurs. They can experience aspects of facility
management such as Facility Maintenance and Scheduling etc. They might
also get the chance to help out to assist the appointed coach in the conduct of
off-road cycling activities (MTB, BMX, Cyclocross)
• Other Learning Opportunities
As a form of upgrading the skill set and competency levels of the volunteers, training
for skills that are not necessarily required (E.g. Leadership, communication) may
also be provided for the volunteers. These forms of training will likely be held in the
form of workshops/classes and may require the help of external service providers to
conduct these enrichment programmes. Full time SCF staff can also join in these
programmes to help equip all of SCF’s staff with such ‘soft skills’ as they help the
SCF be ready to adapt to changes, innovate and develop more effective ways of
doing things.
Handling of Grievances and Complaints
In the event of a conflict occurring, whether is it between two volunteers or an SCF
staff and a volunteer, it should be resolved and handled swiftly. The volunteer
manager and the SCF General Manager would manage these disputes, including
those involving a fulltime staff.
Channels would be made available for volunteers to air their grievances. The
availability of these channels would also be made known to the volunteers so they
know what they should do, who they should go to when they have something they
want to clarify.
A general guideline for handling disputes in the workplace is as follows:
1. Identify the reason for the conflict and clarify each other’s position
More often than not, conflicts result from a misunderstanding between two
parties. The mediator (in this case the volunteer manager or the SCF General
Manager) should listen to both sides of the story and provide for the opportunity
for each party to fully respond. It is important to demonstrate empathy and
patience so all are clear on the issue.
Other common reasons for conflicts include:
• Heavy workload
• Unsuitable job scope
• Volunteers not feeling respected or their efforts are not recognised
• Poor relationship between staff and the volunteers
2. Facilitate understanding between both parties
Both parties would be encouraged to discuss the issues, collaborate and
compromise. Trying to get both parties to understand each other’s perspective
and resolve the conflict or identify a solution to the issue.
3. Involve a neutral mediator (optional)
If the volunteer manager feels that he/she will not be able to formulate a neutral
stance on the issue, it will be helpful to involve a neutral third party to formulate a
mutually agreeable solution – this could include the involvement of the SCF
General Manager.
4. Commit to the resolution
Once a mutually agreeable solution has been decided upon, summarise and
articulate what the parties have agreed upon. Reiterate the remedial actions each
party should adhere to.
5. Resolve disputes quickly
This is to prevent the issue from further escalating and affecting the dynamics of
the team.
Volunteer Recognition and Rewards
Prioritising the retention of the volunteers within the SCF is very important as a huge
amount of resources and time would be invested into recruiting and training the
volunteers. The best way of ensuring that the retention rate of these volunteers is
high will include recognition for them, letting them know that their contributions has
made a difference in the SCF and that their voices and feedback are being heard
and duly acknowledged.
Some methods which the volunteer manager can explore and implement are:
• Annual Volunteer’s Appreciation Day
The volunteer manager can schedule a day every year to thank the volunteers for
their contributions. Awards and certificates can also be presented to volunteers
that have displayed exemplary behaviour.
• Have frequent feedback sessions
Hold regular meetings with the volunteer group (E.g. End of every month, after
every event) so volunteers can have their input and feedback on whether there
are any areas of improvements that SCF can work on to better refine their
volunteer management system.
• E-newsletter
Create an e-newsletter for the volunteers. In the newsletter, the volunteer
manager can feature volunteers, update volunteers on upcoming volunteering
opportunities and allow volunteers to share more on their volunteering
experiences etc. This helps to foster better relationships between them and the
organisation.
All volunteers will have the right to discontinue from their voluntary role. When a
volunteer decides to leave, the following should take place:
• A Certificate of Appreciation would be presented
• The Volunteer manager and the SCF General Manager will personally contact
the volunteer to thank him/her for their service
• Feedback – As a form of exit management, the volunteer will be requested to
complete a feedback survey (be it through a written or verbal form) to find out
how SCF can improve the volunteer management system
• Testimonial – As a form of good practice, the volunteer manager would
provide departing volunteer with a written testimonial detailing his/her
character, qualities and contributions.
Feedback and Review
To ensure that SCF is truly able to create and develop a volunteer programme that
meets the needs and expectations of the volunteers, having frequent meeting
sessions with the volunteers for them to voice their thoughts and opinions will be
organised. Reviewing the volunteer management policy is also equally important to
see if SCF are on the right track to achieving the goals and objectives. This process
can be split into two different components: (a) a review of the performances of the
volunteer and (b) followed by a review of the management system.
Volunteer Performance Review:
• The volunteer manager gathers feedback on an individual volunteer
• Feedback can be garnered from other volunteers, full time SCF staff,
members of public etc.
• The volunteer manager would then go through the feedback with the
volunteer, supporting each feedback with an example if possible.
• Possibilities of future training and developmental opportunities would also be
discussed.
• Allow volunteer to voice any feedbacks or concerns they may have.
Policy Review:
• The volunteer manager sources for feedback on the volunteer management
policy or the broader framework.
• Feedback can be garnered from other volunteers, full time SCF staff,
members of public etc.
• Review all feedback to assess areas that needs improvement.
• Also take note of positive feedback received.
• Analyse the feedback in accordance with the policy’s visions and goals to see
if SCF is on the right track in achieving their objectives.
When the feedback has been garnered and assessed, the next step will be to refine
and make improvements to the volunteer system based on the feedback from
volunteers and SCF staff. Discussions and meetings can be held to discuss the next
possible step of action and how SCF should go about managing the system in the
years to come.