The Membership Committee is seeking volunteers interested in helping MBB volunteer "extraordinaire" Suzi Norbeck welcome MBB's newest members.You will be responsible for contacting new MBB members by telephone and/or Skype and, if no response, then by e-mail. The goals are to:
- welcome new members,
- gather basic information about their interests in joining, and
- answer questions regarding MBB.
From time to time, you also will be contacting existing members.
This volunteer work requires an estimated 20 - 30 minutes per week, depending upon the number of new members joining. You can expect to call 1 or 2 members every week. The calls are usually done in the evening and take about 5-10 minutes. You will have a template of questions and will be asked to take brief notes regarding new members' specific skills or interests. If there are questions that you can't answer, you will refer the new member to Suzi or MBB Program Director Gillian Saxby. Based on her experience contacting new MBB members, Suzi reports that "it is truly rewarding to chat with like-minded mediators and that all of my calls have been interesting. The new members are usually excited about joining and are usually eager to make a meaningful contribution. I love hearing about their past experiences and their dreams. It has been very interesting."
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The Lessons Learned Committee is seeking volunteers to assist with project team interviews. This is a fascinating opportunity to learn about the various MBB projects and to understand how the project teams work. The Committee Chair is Linda Beitz, another MBB volunteer "extraordinaire".
The Lessons Learned Committee's two main purposes are to:
- Offer MBB project team leaders and members a timely opportunity to reflect on their MBB trip experience across multiple areas after returning from their work. The assumption underlying this purpose is that team members are a rich source of descriptive information of what generally worked well and what could be improved when doing fieldwork. This promotes the personal and professional growth of both MBB members and the organization as a whole.
- Utilize learning from experienced project team members in shaping comprehensive training for new MBB members who are preparing to participate in project work. The goal is to offer pre-trip preparation, which will enhance the quality of service delivery and ensure a high level of satisfaction for those volunteering in support of MBB's mission.
Volunteers' main tasks will be to conduct interviews with returning project team members after they travel, to prepare interview notes, to assist in interview analysis and preparation of Lessons Learned reports.
The specific skills required include the following:
- reflective listening;
- ability to use interview template as a beginning place for the conversation - developing additional questions based on information the interviewee has provided;
- reframing interviewee remarks in terms of what might be generalized for the benefit of other teams doing project work (i.e., ability to distinguish "lessons learned" from project specific evaluation - which is not among our purposes for doing this work);
- willingness to be accountable to the timelines set for conducting interviews and validating them with interviewees - keeping the committee chair abreast of any difficulties in doing so; and
- an ability to maintain complete confidentiality regarding interview content.
The interviews generally take between 30 - 60 minutes; and there will time required for scheduling the interview, typing up the notes and getting it validated/edited by the interviewee. The time required will depend on the length of the interview and interviewer's data collection detail. In addition 1- 2 hours time will be required to review all interviews for report preparation once every 6 months. Teleconferences related to report preparation are infrequent and are typically limited to 1 hour.
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