New Regulations/Policies Impact on Volunteers Time

[RADIOMAN015]

I've noted when the National Board meets to approve agenda items there's always a standard format.  One is "budget impact"..   Got to wonder when all these new policies get proposed IF perhaps another standard briefing format items should be "Volunteer Time Requirements/Impact".

Surely, what we as members have to give to the organization is basically our "time" & "talent".  I would hope that ANY policy & regulation change specifically looks at how much time a volunteer will have to commit to meeting the regulation and/or policy.   (Hey even the IRS determines how long it will take somone to fill out a tax form).
     

[RiverAux]

I would hope that this issue is always in the back of their minds....

[Nathan]

I would hope that this issue is always in the back of their minds....

As well as the budget should be, but laying it out there and forcing them to acknowledge it would certainly help.

We haven't had as many ridiculous uniform changes and so on since Courter took over, but we have been experiencing more and more bureaucratic nonsense in the form of paperwork, requirements, prereqs, etc.

I'm not blaming this on Courter or anyone else. This is a natural part of being a government organization. But I certainly think that it would be worth adding, because I would be surprised if even the changes we've had hencefar haven't forced some people out of CAP.

I'm in college and can barely make it to two meetings a week based on my current schedule. Forcing me to complete a bunch of classes and fill out paperwork certainly isn't going to help my situation.

[lordmonar]

Forcing who to what classes?

The last "mandated" class added to the general membership was the OPSEC requirement and it was forced on to us by the USAF.

And let's face it.....if it takes you more then 10 minutes to read the slides and click "I agree" ....there is something wrong.

And if you considerthe ICS requirements....again forced on to us by the an outside agency.

The recently mentioned EEO training....I have not heard anything about it except in passing and again a 10 minute power point slide show and a quick paperwork drill.

[Eclipse]

No one in CAP is forced to do anything - as Lord says, everything recent has been due to outside requirements, and regardless, its only "required" because a member wants to take advantage of an opportunity.

I'm not sure why you're doing two meetings a week - that would be tough for anyone, college or not.  If its too much, step back.

[LtCol057]

That's one reason we're consolidating our senior and cadet meetings. I live over an hour from my squadron building. 2 meetings every other week is too much.  I feel like I live on the road sometimes.

[EMT-83]

I feel like I live on the road sometimes.

Just added up mileage for my tax return - 3,550 miles for CAP last year. Talk about windshield time!

[RADIOMAN015]

Forcing who to what classes?

The last "mandated" class added to the general membership was the OPSEC requirement and it was forced on to us by the USAF.

And let's face it.....if it takes you more then 10 minutes to read the slides and click "I agree" ....there is something wrong.

And if you considerthe ICS requirements....again forced on to us by the an outside agency.

The recently mentioned EEO training....I have not heard anything about it except in passing and again a 10 minute power point slide show and a quick paperwork drill.

You seem to want to trivialize  what I am saying .   Perhaps a bit of rewording --  It is VERY reasonable for members joining the organization to have a good idea as to the estimated volunteer time requirements it's going to take for their initial training, upgrading, qualification, and also typical CAP squadron staff duties they will be performing (those monthly, quarterly, annual reports/inventories) as well as the entire ES specialities spectrum.   Even on mandatory "out of CAP" imposed requirements, there still should be an acknowledgement of the time requirements.  Most of those FEMA ICS had an estimated maximum time of 3 hours each.  Of course the ICS 300 required a lot more "on site" time.  That SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED at the NB meeting  - it wasn't      

NO one anywhere (at any command level) in CAP should be taking volunteer time availability for granted.   The objective should be to keep the volunteer training/administrative time required down to the minimum & every regulation, policy, procedure, etc should be reviewed/implemented with this in mind. 
RM
     

[James Shaw]

I've noted when the National Board meets to approve agenda items there's always a standard format.  One is "budget impact"..   Got to wonder when all these new policies get proposed IF perhaps another standard briefing format items should be "Volunteer Time Requirements/Impact".

Surely, what we as members have to give to the organization is basically our "time" & "talent".  I would hope that ANY policy & regulation change specifically looks at how much time a volunteer will have to commit to meeting the regulation and/or policy.   (Hey even the IRS determines how long it will take somone to fill out a tax form).     

Ironically the problem with trying to narrow down this kind of specific information is very costly with respect to time and talent. In order to do a valid "time and impact" assessment you have to have specific control groups, establishing specific standards as well as establising some base lines. All of this costs alot of money for a single item not to mention the many changes that our organization goes thorugh. I have completed 15 of the FEMA EMI courses in the last year and they all have some level of "time" impact assigned to them. These are usually done when the course is being developed and is alot easier to establish.

[Nathan]

I'm not sure why you're doing two meetings a week - that would be tough for anyone, college or not.  If its too much, step back.

Oops... typographical error on my part... let's go with "month." That makes more sense and makes me seem less lame.

[Rotorhead]

[NO one anywhere (at any command level) in CAP should be taking volunteer time availability for granted.   The objective should be to keep the volunteer training/administrative time required down to the minimum & every regulation, policy, procedure, etc should be reviewed/implemented with this in mind.

Given that the vast majority of the NB participants are volunteers (who had to get off work, etc, just to be at the NB meeting), I doubt they take it for granted.

[jeders]

[NO one anywhere (at any command level) in CAP should be taking volunteer time availability for granted.   The objective should be to keep the volunteer training/administrative time required down to the minimum & every regulation, policy, procedure, etc should be reviewed/implemented with this in mind.

Given that the vast majority of the NB participants are volunteers (who had to get off work, etc, just to be at the NB meeting), I doubt they take it for granted.

Except that generally, by the time you're on the NB, you're retired or in a position where taking time off isn't much of an issue. I'm not saying that's the case for everyone, but certainly the case for many of them.

[James Shaw]

How about 120 to 150 emails per day with response requested. 40 to 50 hours per week talking with various CAP related and other people. All of this on a volunteer basis.

[gistek]

If you don't have the time to attend meetings/trainings then scale back your level of activity. I know one CAP member who goes to his unit meetings once a month to do the testing. Another only comes to meetings during the summer.

I've even talked to a few who almost never go to meetings. They do their work from home or their offices. Then there are those who are only available for encampment or one or two events.

If you have the time and interest to go out on SAR missions, you'll make the time to do the training. This includes the 116, 117, and IS courses.

Many of us have reasons, from time to time, when we have to scale back our involvement. Do what you can. When you can do more, we'll be glad of the additional help.

[RADIOMAN015]

Ironically the problem with trying to narrow down this kind of specific information is very costly with respect to time and talent. In order to do a valid "time and impact" assessment you have to have specific control groups, establishing specific standards as well as establishing some base lines. All of this costs alot of money for a single item not to mention the many changes that our organization goes through. I have completed 15 of the FEMA EMI courses in the last year and they all have some level of "time" impact assigned to them. These are usually done when the course is being developed and is alot easier to establish.

  Well on most of the requirements, surely we've got enough data to come up with some estimated times.  IMHO those with experience in the various CAP specialities could easily come up with the time requirements (range of that is).   I just think its' a good volunteer management objective that we should persue.   On the radio comms end of it, I always recognize the training time that is required and tell the members that there's two parts to the training, the orientation course (which doesn't exceed 2-2 1/2 hours) which gets them the initial operators card & than the practice which is VERY important to their success as a good radio operator.   Some volunteers can easily pickup radio comms, others have training issues that just take more time.
RM