Training and supervision¶
Status: Draft, pre-formation. Defines the minimum training every volunteer receives, the role-specific training each role's supervisor is responsible for, and the supervision cadence the Guild commits to in return.
Principle¶
The Guild trains before it asks. No volunteer takes on a role without (1) the universal orientation in onboarding.md and (2) any role-specific training listed in this document. Supervision is named, not implied — every volunteer has exactly one supervisor for that role.
Universal training (every volunteer, every year)¶
Required at onboarding and refreshed each January. Delivered live, recorded, or as a written module the volunteer attests to.
| Module | Length | Owner |
|---|---|---|
| Mission, classification (501©(6)), and what that means in practice | 10 min | Volunteer Program Lead |
| Org chart — who does what; the difference between board, officer, staff, committee, volunteer | 10 min | Volunteer Program Lead |
| Code of Ethics — practical scenarios | 10 min | Membership & Ethics chair |
| Code of Conduct (online) — what's expected and how to escalate | 10 min | Volunteer Program Lead |
| Conflict of Interest — what to disclose, when to recuse | 10 min | Treasurer or Audit & Finance chair |
| Whistleblower — channels and protections | 5 min | Volunteer Program Lead |
Total: ~45 minutes annually. Volunteers who completed training in the prior 12 months may attest to a refresher rather than retake the full module set.
Role-specific training by risk profile¶
The role's named supervisor confirms each item is current before recruitment opens. The Volunteer Program Lead records completion in the volunteer record.
Low-risk roles (e.g., conference greeter, member-portal usability tester)¶
- Universal training (above)
- Role-specific orientation: ~30 minutes from the supervisor covering the specific tasks, escalation, and how to ask for help
- Day-of briefing for event roles
Standard-risk roles (e.g., session moderator, communications committee, education committee, project volunteers handling drafts)¶
- Universal training
- Role-specific orientation: ~60 minutes
- Brand-and-voice mini-module from the brand README for any volunteer producing public-facing content
- Embargo and confidentiality expectations for any pre-publication content
Sensitive-risk roles (e.g., audit & finance, nominating & governance, membership & ethics, advocacy)¶
- Universal training
- Role-specific orientation: ~90 minutes
- Audit & Finance members: a 30-minute walkthrough of the chart of accounts, internal controls, and the §6033(e) calculation
- Nominating & Governance members: a 30-minute walkthrough of the bylaws, the Conflict of Interest policy, and the candidate-vetting standard
- Membership & Ethics members: a 60-minute walkthrough of the complaint procedure, due-process requirements, and confidentiality protocols. No casework before this is complete.
- Advocacy members: a 60-minute walkthrough of 2 U.S.C. §1601 et seq. (Lobbying Disclosure Act) thresholds, the §6033(e) member-notice posture, and what counts as direct vs. grassroots lobbying. Outside lobbying counsel may be retained to deliver this.
Refresher cadence¶
| Risk profile | Refresher |
|---|---|
| Low | Universal annual; role-specific only if the role changes |
| Standard | Universal annual + 30-minute committee or project refresher each January |
| Sensitive | Universal annual + 60-minute domain-specific refresher each January, delivered by the chair |
Supervision cadence¶
The Guild commits to supervision proportional to risk profile.
| Risk profile | Supervisor's commitment |
|---|---|
| Low | Day-of briefing; same-day debrief; recognition within two weeks |
| Standard | Monthly check-in (15–30 min); quarterly written feedback note from supervisor to Volunteer Program Lead |
| Sensitive | Monthly check-in (30 min) plus same-week debrief on any specific casework or material decision; semiannual written review |
What "supervision" includes¶
- Confirming the volunteer has what they need (access, materials, context)
- Catching scope creep early and bringing it back into bounds
- Spotting fatigue and offering a graceful adjustment before a volunteer burns out
- Documenting one specific positive contribution per quarter — fuel for recognition
What supervision does not include¶
- Personal life management or counseling — point the volunteer to appropriate resources
- Defending the volunteer against ethics complaints — those go through the whistleblower and ethics processes on their own track
Conflicts during service¶
If a volunteer's circumstances change (new employer, new board seat elsewhere, new business interest with a member company), the volunteer:
- Tells the supervisor in writing within 14 days
- Updates the Conflict of Interest disclosure with the Volunteer Program Lead
- Recuses from any active matter where the new conflict applies
- The supervisor and Lead decide jointly whether the role can continue, needs scope adjustment, or needs to end
Volunteer-initiated escalation¶
If a volunteer has a concern with their supervisor, scope creep, or a possible policy violation, they have three channels:
- Direct — raise it with the supervisor
- Volunteer Program Lead — when the supervisor is the issue or the volunteer prefers a third party
- Whistleblower channel — for suspected unlawful or material policy violations, per governance/policies/whistleblower.md
Retaliation for good-faith escalation is prohibited under the Whistleblower policy.
Coverage and overlap¶
For roles with continuity needs (event leads, committee chairs in midstream of a project), the supervisor identifies a backup volunteer at orientation, so a sudden absence does not stall work. Backups attend the same training as primaries.