Building 4-H Volunteer
Management Organizations
Prepared for the Creating a Thriving Organization for the
Next 100 Years! Conference
February 12, 2013
by
Richard P. Enfield, County Director & 4-H YD Advisor
SLO and Santa Barbara Counties
Workshop’s Educational Goals
• Understand a middle management
approach to volunteer, program and fund
development.
• Contrast middle management volunteer
system approach vs. a non formal
volunteer approach.
• Identify the benefits of a middle
management systems approach for the
4-H YDP.
Workshop’s Educational Goals,
continued
• Become familiar with the process used
in two counties for transformation to a
middle management approach
• Introduce planning tools that can
support and result from this process
Creating & Empowering Volunteer Middle Managers
4-H YDP
Organizational
Structure
Activity
County Director
4-H Program
Representative
4-H Youth Development
Advisor
California 4-H
Foundation
County 4-H Program
Development Board
4-H Youth Development
Management Board
Program
Development
Committees
Committees
Ad Hoc Fundraising
Awards Liaison with Fairs
Budget Visibility
4-H Youth Development Program
Key:
Administrative authority &
responsibility
Assistance, advice & two-way
communication
4-H Units
SLO Scientists
Research Projects
School Involvement
Short Term Activities
Special Interest Groups
Youth Organization Networking
Adult Leadership
 Large Animal Science
 Citizenship & Community
Service
 Healthy Living
 Home Economics &
Expressive Arts
 Small Animal Science
 Science Engineering &
Technology
 Youth Leadership

Event/Activity
& AD HOC
Committees
STAGE I: STAFF DOES MOST OF THE DIRECT WORK
W = Work
w
S = Staff
w
w
V = Volunteer
w
w
MMV = MM Volunteer
w
w
v
S
7 CONTACTS
7 UNITS OF WORK
STAGE II: STAFF DOES SOME DIRECT WORK,
VOLUNTEERS DO MOST OF THE DIRECT WORK
W = Work
S = Staff
V = Volunteer
MMV = MM Volunteer
w w w w w w w w
w w
V
S
V
V
V
V
V
V
V
10 CONTACTS
10 UNITS OF WORK
STAGE III: WORK GROWTH EXCEEDS THE TIME AVAILABILITY OF
THE STAFF TO OPERATE IN THE STAGE II MODE. STAFF WORK
PRIMARILY THROUGH MIDDLE MANAGEMENT VOLUNTEERS.
W = Work
S = Staff
V = Volunteer
MMV = MM Volunteer
w w w
w w w w
w w w
V
V V V V
V
V
V
MMV
V
MMV
Staff
5 CONTACTS
10 UNITS OF WORK
Creating & Empowering Volunteer Middle Managers
Stage &
Contacts
Activity
What are Middle Managers?
• A volunteer “middle manager” is a generic term
to denote a person who works primarily and
directly with other adult volunteers who, in turn
do the direct work of the organization
• Or, a volunteer middle manager is a person who
assumes primary responsibility for all aspects of a
specified program function or process (including
planning, organizing, guiding and evaluating)
Roles of Middle Managers?
• The concept of “middle” suggests that the volunteer
functions between a salaried staff person to whom she or
he is accountable and the people or target audience to be
served.
• The primary role of the salaried staff is leadership in
developing and coordinating the strategic vision in
partnership with MM volunteers and insuring adherence to
that vision (setting the right directions and doing the right
things).
• The primary role of volunteers is designing and developing
their programs to consistently execute this vision in a
coordinated, high quality way.
Concepts of Organizational Responsibility
Empowered:
Empowered people are capable, willing and have the
authorization of the organization to carry out
delegated responsibility. An empowered volunteer
staff is an important goal of a volunteer middle
management system.
Authority:
Authority means having the official power or
permission to do something. Sometimes a letter or
document confirms that somebody has permission to
do something or be somewhere.
Empowerment
• An empowered volunteer staff is an important
goal of a volunteer middle management system.
• Empowered people are capable, willing and have
the authorization of the organization to carry out
delegated responsibility.
• Staff need to be able to relinquish responsibility
to Middle Management Volunteers.
• An empowered and supported volunteer is a
happy volunteer…
Questions? Comments?
4-H Playground in the Woods in Norway
Middle Management – A Systems Approach
If 4-H YD Programs wish to initiate, revitalize or
significantly expand the use of volunteers as
program managers, responsible staff should
think about a “volunteer system.”
Developing a “systems approach” is an
empowering and innovative act.
Idea of formal vs. non-formal:
Yea, we do it…
Leaders have lots of responsibility…
We or I don’t have time…
A VOLUNTEER MIDDLE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS APPROACH
WOULD REFLECT THE FOLLOWING PRINCIPALS:
• Volunteer middle management roles are
accepted and established as an integral part
of the staffing pattern of an organization.
• Volunteers are intentionally recruited
according to their skills to fill written job
descriptions for each volunteer role.
• Staff resources are allocated to monitoring &
supervising the Middle Management Role
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEMS APPROACH PRINCIPALS, cont’d
• The work to be done by the organization is
collaboratively identified, planned and
evaluated with clear divisions of labor
between volunteer and salaried staff roles
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT – A SYSTEMS APPROACH,
cont’d
A “systems approach” requires
• Removing and replacing volunteers when
appropriate
• Rotating volunteers to new jobs if they wish
• Conducting orientation and training sessions
for volunteers
• Involving Key volunteers in succession
planning
• Recognizing individuals for appropriate
involvement and achievement
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT - A SYSTEMS APPROACH,
cont’d
Opportunities:
• Conflicts resolved among people and
methodologies
• The work of standing committees, ad-hoc
committees, and task forces supported and
serviced
• Volunteers take responsibility during interim
vacancies in the ranks of salaried staff
Roles of Staff & MMV in a Systems Approach
The primary role of the salaried staff is leadership in
setting the vision and strategies to achieve high quality
programming (in collaboration with the VMO, setting the
goals and doing the right things to achieve those goals).
The primary role of MM volunteers (aka unpaid staff) is
leadership in developing their program areas to execute
the vision and strategies (doing or seeing that these right
things are done correctly).
The PROCESS!
• The PROCESS is most important piece!
• What is the best process for your
county(s)
– Who to Involve
– Who not to involve
• How to approach the topic/players
• SLO vs. SB vs. current counties
• What is your timeline
SLO County 4-H YDP
Push for shifts in advisor’s role and program
1. CE Admin
2. 4-H Admin
3. 4-H Advisors
o National Level
 SLO County “4-H Think Tank” – The PROCESS!
o Formed in June ’85 to
1. Address the coming changes in relation to the
SLO County Program
2. Come up with a middle management approach
 Comparison with Santa Barbara County

Timeline/Rollout for Restructuring Santa Barbara
County 4-H Youth Development Program
April - June, 2011
– Four Meetings of the Task Force
June 29, 2011
– SB County 4-H Club Council Approves Restructuring
– Application packets available for 4-H Youth Development Management
Board positions and County 4-H Program Development Board Key
Leader positions
August 1, 2011
– Application deadline
September 1, 2011
– Program Development Committees fully staffed with Key Leader (Committee
Chair) and adult and youth committee members
– Ad hoc committee formed to establish Vision, Business Plan
December 31, 2011
– 4-H Youth Development Management Board fully staffed with 10 board
members
Goals of the Santa Barbara County 4-H Youth
Development Futures Task Force

Examine the current situation with 4-H in Santa Barbara
County

Become aware of the situation in the Tri-County area

Learn about other possible organizational structures

Develop the most effective structure for 4-H in Santa
Barbara County

Empower adult and teen leaders in middle management
Santa Barbara County 4-H Futures Task Force Plan
of Action
• Meetings
• Next meeting
• Timeline
• Sub-Committees
• Information needed from staff
• Communication forum and files in the
Bulletin Board System 4HFTF.ucanr.org
The PROCESS! AGAIN!
• What is the best process for your
county(s)
– Who to Involve
– Who not to involve
• How to approach the topic/players
• What is your timeline
County Director
4-H Program
Representative
4-H Youth Development
Advisor
California 4-H
Foundation
County 4-H Program
Development Board
4-H Youth Development
Management Board
Program
Development
Committees
Committees
Ad Hoc Fundraising
Awards Liaison with Fairs
Budget Visibility
4-H Youth Development Program
Key:
Administrative authority &
responsibility
Assistance, advice & two-way
communication
4-H Units
SLO Scientists
Research Projects
School Involvement
Short Term Activities
Special Interest Groups
Youth Organization Networking
Adult Leadership
 Large Animal Science
 Citizenship & Community
Service
 Healthy Living
 Home Economics &
Expressive Arts
 Small Animal Science
 Science Engineering &
Technology
 Youth Leadership

Event/Activity
& AD HOC
Committees
County Director
California 4-H
Foundation
4-H Youth Development
Advisor
4-H Youth Development
Management Board
Committees
Ad Hoc Fundraising
Awards Liaison with Fairs
Budget Visibility
Key:
Administrative authority &
responsibility
Assistance, advice & two-way
communication
4-H Program
Representative
4-H Management Board
 Youth and Adult Directors
 Responsible for program management matters
 Oversight includes both local policy making and
implementation of policy, as well as basic
program management decisions.
 Controls the finances of the 4-H YD Program
 Coordination of program efforts
 In addition to basic management responsibilities,
the board is responsible for specific identified
areas…
Directors
Directors = Middle Managers
Work as a team
Responsible to the 4-H YD Staff
 Some Directors are responsible for a
Program Management Committee…
 Responsible for their budget area
 See 4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
MANAGEMENT BOARD GUIDELINES
handout



County 4-H Program
Development Board
Program
Development
Committees
 Adult Leadership
 Large
Key:
Administrative authority &
responsibility
Assistance, advice & two-way
communication
Animal Science
 Citizenship & Community
Service
 Healthy Living
 Home Economics &
Expressive Arts
 Small Animal Science
 Science Engineering &
Technology
 Youth Leadership
Event/Activity
& AD HOC
Committees
4-H Program Development Board
Key Leaders = Middle Managers
Eight Current Program Areas
Directly responsible to the 4-H YD Staff &
Management Board
Responsible for program development matters
Coordination of programs & activities
Key Leaders








Middle Managers
Responsible for the development and
delivery…
Responsible to the 4-H YD Staff &
Management Board
Responsible for a Program Development
Committee
Works with the chairs of event/activity
committees
Function as an important link between…
Responsible for their program budget
See Job Description & Contract
4-H
Program Development Committees




Same program areas as key leader
positions
Key Leader serves as chair of PDC
Planning, developing, facilitating &
communicating…
Special emphasis on AA/Outreach
Event/Activity Committees


Detailed planning, conducting & in part,
evaluating…
Detailed planning based on direction from
PDC and the vision
Creating & Empowering Volunteer Middle Managers
Job Description
& Contract
Activity
Why It Has Worked
Ownership/Commitment
 Dynamic
 Results…
 Enthusiastic people
 Focused
 A team approach

Cautions/Concerns
Responsibilities of Key leaders vs.
Staff and vice versa
 Relationship/Communications
between Mgmt. & P. Dev. Boards
 SLO vs. SB approach
 Plans for Succession
 Too much Enthusiasm – REALLY!

Roles/Responsibilities of Staff
Leadership as discussed above
4-H/ANR/UC/USDA Policy
o Discussions & assistance with
implementation
 Work closely with/support the “Directors”
& “Key Leaders”
o In-service/Education
 In partnership, setting direction…


24 year 4-H Comparison
2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Participants
Adults
1986/1987
2010/2011
Santa Barbara County
4 year 4-H Comparison
900
800
700
600
500
Youth
400
Adults
300
200
100
0
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
2012-2013
Cooperative
USDA
University
of
California
County
Board of
Supervisors
Merced County 4-H
Program
1993
Extension
Extension System
DANR
Cooperative
Extension
Regional Director
County Director
4-H Youth Development
Advisor
4-H Youth Development Program
Key:
A.
Management
System
Administrative authority &
responsibility, assistance,
advice & two-way
communication
B.
Delivery
System
Vision
A shared management of program, where adults, teens, and staff work together toward
a common goal of youth development which reflects the diversity of the community.
Extension
4-H Youth Development Management Team
Educational
Development Board
Promotional
Development Board
Resource
Development Board
POB Commissions
RDB Commissions
EDB Commissions
1. Research/Adult leadership
1. Evaluation
1. Personnel and Support
2. Animal Science
2. Expansion & Review
2. Incentives and Recognition
3. Engineering /Science/Tech
3. Visibility Public Relations
3. Fundraising
4. Home Economics and leisure
4. Delivery System
4. Budgeting - Accounting
5. Plant/Resource Sciences
5. Advocacy
5. Auditing
6. Social Sciences
Charged with the development
and operations of educational
programs and activities
Charged with the assessment
and development of programs to
meet needs of youth and
sharing with the community of
the value, opportunities and
potential benefit for youth
Charged with providing financial,
educational and other support
for the programs
4-H Youth Development Program Delivery
Issue
Youth Development
general
at-risk
teen pregnancy
migrant youth
disability
others...
Extension
Youth Members and or Participants
Adult Volunteers
1. Activity Volunteer
2. Project Leader
3. Chaperone
4. Other
Category
Sponsorship
1. UC conducted
2. Collaboration
3. Consultation
4-H Units
Mode
4-H Unit Type
1. Club/Group
2. Special Interest
3. School Enrichment
4. TV- Distance learning
5. Individual
6. Camp
7. After School
Youth Volunteer
1. Jr / Teen Leaders
2. Officers
3. Camp Staff
4. Other
Unit Coordinator
1. Volunteer
2. Teacher
3. Other Collaborator
Questions? Comments?
Creating & Empowering Volunteer Middle Managers
Middle
Management
Systems Approach
Structure Activity
(redo of first activity)
Why Convert ?
• Get more volunteers involved in specific areas
of the program
• Allow the organization to capitalize on people’s
passions and strengths
• Identify key ways to increase the quality of the
program
• Enable the program to have a positive impact
on the lives of more people – youth & adults
Creating & Empowering Volunteer Middle Managers
NEXT STEPS
To Develop a MM
Systems Approach
Activity
Presented by:
Richard P. Enfield
County Director & 4-H YD Advisor
The End