The AGO has now accepted our new Volunteer Strategic Plan (VSP). It already had the unanimous support of the Volunteer Executive and AGO senior staff.

The 5 objectives and related strategies of the VSP all have a single purpose. It is to make our presence more satisfying for us as volunteers and more valuable to the AGO, as we respond to the opportunities and expectations of the larger Strategic Plan approved last year for the organization as a whole.

These goals will guide the work of the Volunteer Executive, on behalf of our entire volunteer community, right through 2015.

The AGO’s acceptance of the VSP marks the rewarding conclusion to 18 months of hard work by a 6-person volunteer/staff team: Volunteer Executive members Justin Harrington (Chair, VSP team), Phyllis Couzin (President, VE), Michelle Abrams and Juan-Pablo Suarez, plus Staff & Volunteer Resources members Deborah O’Leary (Director, SVR) and Diana Goliss (Manager, Organizational Development).

The process included consultation with both staff and volunteers. Last November, the team held two Listening Sessions for all interested members of our volunteer community. “Those sessions were really helpful,” says Justin, looking back.

“Participants supported the draft document’s content, but some of them wanted to learn more about process – how we created it, and how we planned to roll it out and implement it. They made clear they want to be kept informed.”

We took that to heart.

This is only the first message in what – within a month or so – will  become a continuing process of interactive communication, throughout the life of the VSP. We will provide background information about the VSP and successive updates about its implementation, make the full document available to you, and provide ways for you to contact us with your own questions and comments.