Objective: Stimulate initiatives for URCS youth, volunteer and membership development and management for increased self-reliance.

The Youth, Volunteer Management and Membership Department falls under the Programs and Projects docket in the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan.

In the five years, more initiatives towards youth, volunteer development as well as membership expansion, management, retention, facilitation and motivation shall be emphasised.

Particular interest will be placed on raising both the numbers and profile of volunteers and members further to attract and retain more professionals and other categories of persons that may bring additional resources to the Society. Follow up activities for trained, retained and motivated volunteers and active members shall be critical in this.

Expected to be garned is more quality service and commitment of volunteers and members. Some of the key tasks for this department include:

• Mobilise, recruit, develop and retail youth as the most active volunteer force to respond to their vulnerabilities and needs of other vulnerable people in the community.
• Mobilise, recruit and expand a professional volinteer membership alongise a strengthened wider volunteer force for the Society.
• Develop and implement systems to raise quality of membership for improved productivity and self-sustenance.

Departmental goal

To strengthen, develop and sustain programmes for community development to reduce common vulnerabilities in communities

Objectives

1. To empower communities for self-reliance and self-sustenance in 25 targeted branches by the end of 2015
2. To strengthen community development initiatives to improve the socio-economic status of vulnerable groups of people in communities of 25 targeted branches by the end of 2015
3. Improve the quality of life of the people in the Lake Victoria basin, particularly for the most vulnerable, through the development of comprehensive programmes addressing the poverty related areas of health care, disaster preparedness, risk reduction and self reliance

Beneficiaries

1. Pastoral communities
2. Fishing communities
3. Communities affected by civil conflict
4. People with disabilities
5. Minority/discriminated persons
6. Women and children

Major components

1. Capacity building for community groups
2. Lake Victoria Programme
3. Global partnerships
4. Psychosocial support and rehabilitation
5. Community empowerment, Peace, and Conflict management

Strategy:

Promote good governance and straighten policies, systems and procedures

Key Activities:

1. Support and strengthen governance structures both at the branch and national level
2. Strengthen current efforts to effectively utilize the Society’s policies, systems and procedures at all levels
3. Enhance shared understanding of policies and guidelines for effective delivery of quality services
4. Build capacity in development of standardized planning, monitoring and evaluation tools and guideline materials that operationalise policy

Strategy:

Enhance financial management at headquarters and branch level

Key activities:

1. Strengthen the capacity of the centre and branches in financial management
2. Review systems and procedures for financial management and administration
3. Core personnel and administration costs