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Organizing an MRC Unit: Internal Organization

Substantial organizational resources will be devoted to volunteer relations and external coordination, but it is equally important to maintain a viable internal organization for your MRC unit. Many ongoing administrative tasks will be required to serve both volunteers and response partners adequately. A healthy, well-run organization is the foundation of every successful MRC unit.

Internal organization activities that have particular relevance for MRC units include:

Tracking and updating information related to volunteers, local contacts, partners, and specific emergencies or engagements will be critical for several reasons. Volunteer records will allow you to: 1) ensure credentialing information is current, and 2) track volunteer activities when soliciting operating funds and communicating success to your larger community. Current and accurate volunteer information will be essential for distributing identification cards and other necessary information during an emergency or engagement.
Developing policies, procedures, and strategic priorities will be necessary, given the complexity of MRC unit activities. The unit’s volunteers likely will find themselves in many difficult situations. As such, it is important to define and communicate policies related to risk management, liability, the use of MRC identification cards, communications, and incident reporting and post-response activities. Your unit also will be operating in a continually evolving community context; navigating the complexity will require clear, strategic priorities. Planning likely will be an ongoing part of your unit’s operations, not an annual activity.
Achieving long-term sustainability is an administrative activity involving a particular type of networking, which includes grant writing and other solicitations of funds, updating local officials on your unit’s activities, etc. The unit coordinator will function as an ambassador who strengthens the unit’s foundation and administrative structure. Meeting and office space may need to be secured through funds or in-kind donations, and additional staff may be required. As always, the emphasis will be on asking others to support the highly complex work of utilizing medical and health care volunteers in a coordinated fashion.

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Last Updated on 8/16/2006