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Mobilizing Human Resources

Bringing people and resources together to address a critical issue is an important part of any community project. Tools are provided to help groups mobilize members resources.

• Stakeholders Map
• Chart Your Stakeholders
• Create a Volunteer Job Description
• Volunteer Job Description
• Resource

Imagine this: A community is successful in identifying a critical issue and establishing a set of goals by which it will address the issue. Then, the effort loses momentum and falls flat. Why?

There comes a point in any community project when making the transition from vision to action is critical. People need to see action, movement, progress! While having a solid set of justifications or a plan of action is critical to the success of any endeavor, in the end, it will be the depth of citizen involvement and support that truly makes the project successful.

The ability to mobilize resources is defined as the ability of a community or group to engage a critical mass to take action on an issue. This critical mass is achieved when enough people and resources are brought together to do what a community wants done. This mobilization is about strategic, planned, and purposeful activity to achieve clearly defined outcomes.

Almost anyone can get resources moving in a community. It takes leadership and strategic planning to get enough of the right resources moving toward the same objective or target. It is important to remember that sometimes it is about engaging interests just as much as it is about engaging people or securing money or things.

Mobilizing a critical mass of resources for a project takes some planning. Assess the following:

1. Think about how the effort needs to move others to advocate (speak and act) in support of the project goals.
   
   
2. How will the effort engage people who have access to key networks that will help the project goals?
   
   
3. How will the effort directly engage significant numbers of people from throughout the community?
   
   
4. At what points during the effort will people adopt new ideas that support or benefit the project?

The following tools are provided here to assist you in mobilizing your local community resources:

1. Analyzing stakeholders using the Stakeholders Map
   
   
2. Recruiting and sustaining volunteers using Create a Volunteer Job Description

Stakeholders Map

List the desired outcome for your community project. Then, list stakeholders who will be affected by the outcome, how they might respond, and why.

Chart Your Stakeholders

Create a Volunteer Job Description

Volunteers are essential to any community project. In order to recruit, and then retain, volunteers, it is essential that they understand what they are expected to do and why it is important. The best way to achieve this understanding is to develop a volunteer job description.

A volunteer job description helps to specify the skills and qualities needed for the community project. This job description also can motivate people to volunteer for roles that meet their interests and talents. The following items should be included in any volunteer job description.

Volunteer Job Description

Resource

Krile, J. (2006). The community leadership handbook. Blandin Foundation. Published by Fieldstone Alliance (formerly Wilder Publishing Center).

This publication has been peer reviewed.