VOLUNTEER'GOV

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VOLUNTEER.GOV

• Connecting people through technology

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Every year, more than 200,000 volunteers provide
in excess of seven million hours of service to
the Department of the Interior, valued at over
95 million.
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Overall Project Vision

• VOLUNTEER.GOV will serve as a recruitment and
  management tool that revolutionizes the matching
  of volunteer interests and abilities with
  available opportunities for the present and well
  into the future

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Principal Partners

• U.S. Department of Agriculture
• Cooperative State Research, Education Extension
  Service (CSREES)
• Forest Service (FS)
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
• U.S. Department of Defense
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
• U.S. Department of the Interior
• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
• Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
• National Park Service (NPS)
• Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• State of New York Division of Veterans Affairs
• Corporation for National and Community Service

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Motivating Rationale

• Existing methods are costly, outdated,
  inefficient
• VOLUNTEER.GOV will enhance volunteerism by
• Providing a single portal for tapping the diverse
  skills of a growing volunteer population.
• Quickly engaging all Americans with local
  volunteer opportunities.
• Providing a useful tool for public sector
  volunteer programs to combine recruitment and
  management efforts into one application, reducing
  overall costs outlay through economies of scale.
• Providing a standard look and feel across
  agencies.
• Reducing the need for paper recruitment notices.
• Streamlining the process for bringing in
  volunteers.

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Additional Benefits Received

• Enhance volunteerism for the improvement of the
  civic fabric of the country
• Broaden horizons through the expansion of
  partnerships
• Facilitate access for citizen involvement
• Expand networking potential between partner
  groups
• Strengthen interagency communication and
  cooperation

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What will make it work?

• Increased collaboration between Federal, State,
  and Local partners.
• Directed emphasis on internal and external
  partnerships.
• Advances in technology

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Draws on proven successes

• Modeled on the successful award winning Portal
  Recreation.gov
• Volunteer.gov is strategically aligned with
  Recreation One Stop

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How will the information be organized?

• The information will be searchable by the
  following criteria
• Volunteer activity
• Location of the opportunity
• Effective Date of the opportunity
• Sponsoring Partner
• Keyword search

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Volunteer.Gov homepage
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How will the information be presented?

• After selecting the criteria to focus the search
  for a volunteer opportunity, the potential
  volunteer sees a list of matching opportunities
  identified by
• position title
• location
• effective dates
• and host agency.
• The potential volunteer can click on any
  opportunity on the list to view a detailed
  description of the opportunity, which will
  include a method for application.

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Volunteer opportunities in the State of Virginia
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Detailed Description of Volunteer Opportunity
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Volunteer.Gov Application
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Who will enter the volunteer information?

• The volunteer coordinator or other authorized
  representative will gain access to the system via
  a username/password combination
• Using online forms, the coordinator enters the
  information that will later be provided to
  potential volunteers.
• For Partners with existing systems, automated
  software robots will gather required data and
  populate the system database.
• These online forms will look like blank versions
  of the detailed opportunity descriptions
  available to the potential volunteer.

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Adding a new volunteer opportunity
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As an administrator, you can view
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VOLUNTEER.GOVAchieving a state of excellence

• The VOLUNTEER.GOV online volunteer recruitment
  project will provide better access to a wider
  variety of opportunities. VOLUNTEER.GOV answers
  the Presidents call to action for Citizens to
  volunteer.

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VOLUNTEER.GOVHow to get started?

• Fill out the simple online participation form
• Partner details and Key personnel
• Program Requirements
• Existing systems/databases (if any)
• Submit the online participation form
• Schedule contacts
• application developer (Keith Stewart
  703.926.9976)
• system manager (Doug Blankinship 202.208.6367)
• LETS ROLL AMERICA!
• URL www.volunteer.gov/participate/

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Volunteer.Gov Technology Specifics
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Critical Project Elements

• Flexibility
• System must be able to accommodate the critical
  needs of all participating agencies and existing
  systems.
• Affordability
• Development, maintenance and deployment costs
  must be kept to a minimum.
• Serviceability
• Automate maintenance functions to the greatest
  extent possible.
• Sustainability
• The system must not only meet recruitment needs
  of today but anticipate future growth and
  enhanced reporting demands.

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How will it work?

• Database driven
• Open and flexible standards
• Web-based Internet application
• Automated system management/maintenance
• Intuitive design structure

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How will it work Database Driven

• The flexibility and expandability required by the
  system relies on a database backbone. The
  database that will house all of the information
  for this application is time tested and fully
  scalable.
• SQL Server is a RDBMS that is used by large
  numbers of Fortune 500 companies as well as the
  US and foreign governments

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How will it work Web-based Internet

• Placing this application on the World Wide Web
  allows access from any computer connected to the
  Internet.
• Coordinators will have access to the posting
  portion of the application via a password
  protected interface.
• Online forms are familiar and easy-to-use by a
  large number of potential volunteers.

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How will it work Automated System
Management/Maintenance

• The system management and maintenance will be
  minimized to the greatest extent possible.
• Coordinators will be responsible for posting and
  removing their filled positions.
• The system will enforce expiration dates set by
  the coordinator or preset by system defaults.

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How it will workIntuitive design structure

• The overall system navigation will be kept simple
  and consistent.
• The search criteria available to potential
  volunteers will be presented in an easy to follow
  online form.
• Results from the search criteria will be
  available in a variety of levels of detail.

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System Operation

• Web visitor selects interests from portal

• Portal queries database

• Volunteer Opportunities
• Descriptions

• Database returns results, user selects desired
  opportunity

• User Matched with opportunity with Partner
  completes application on Partner database

CNS
VA
Natural Resources
NY State
AmeriCorps

• Transaction complete, Partner notified of new
  application

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Summary

• VOLUNTEER.GOV will
• Bring people together
• Tear down bureaucratic walls
• Educate and inform
• Produce durable results
• Inspire people to action
• Heighten service delivery
• Achieve practical results, which are real,
  intended and comprehensive

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VOLUNTEER.GOVTechnical Specifications

• System Software ColdFusionTM Application Server
  V 5.0
• Database Microsoft SQL ServerTM V 7.0
• Web Platform Microsoft NTTM V 4.0
• Data Input Methods
• Internet web forms
• Automated query robots for existing databases
• XML
• Data Delivery web/internet, all V 4 IE and
  Netscape browsers, PDAs running Microsoft CE, and
  cellular devices using WAP (text only)
• Security/Privacy encrypted database, 128 bit
  SSL, firewall protected, intrusion detection
  monitoring
• Data Backup/Recovery daily data backups,
  twice-monthly offsite data backups, 2nd redundant
  server at separate location
• For Additional Information contact Keith Stewart
  at 703.231.3335