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Organizing an MRC Unit: The Coordinator's Role

Similar to most organizations, the leadership function of a Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) unit is aligned with the organization’s mission or function. The primary mission of an MRC unit is to facilitate maximum utilization of medical and health care volunteers in the community. The unit leader’s first responsibility is to remain focused on the mission and ensure all organizational activities support it.

When a unit’s organization or staff is small, the coordinator may be involved with the daily operations of all three operational components: external coordination, volunteer relations and internal organization. As the unit’s administrative staff grows, the tasks associated with the operational components may be assigned to several individuals. The unit leader must continue to be familiar with these areas and provide strategic guidance to help them collaborate. Additionally, all team members should record how their roles support the overall mission of the MRC unit.

Although an MRC unit’s staff may differ from that described in this publication, the unit coordinator’s role is characterized according to specific activities to stimulate brainstorming and facilitate planning. Simultaneously, creative solutions to these common organizational challenges are encouraged.

For example, the unit coordinator will need to:

Draft a management plan to include objectives, action steps, a timeline, and resources necessary to achieve the plan.
Apply for and manage grants to secure additional funding.
Address political, jurisdictional, and intergovernmental agency issues.
Match community resources and needs.
Attract volunteers subsequent to obtaining buy-in from organizations or groups from which these volunteers will be drawn.
Document unit achievements and write reports as needed, particularly inform public officials of MRC activities.
Use multiple resources.
Mentor others seeking to make a contribution to the MRC.

Although these may describe the daily work of coordinators in small MRC units, they may be distributed among several individuals working as a team in larger units.

Remember, individuals have different strengths relative to their roles as coordinators. Some naturally will be oriented toward inspiring and recruiting volunteers; others will be more adept at organizing logistical or financial details. It is important to recognize such strengths and to identify areas needing improvement. To help balance the overall combination of talent needed to run an MRC unit, additional staff or volunteer board members or advisors may supplement the coordinator’s skills.

Management Structure

A local MRC unit should have a core leadership and management structure to function effectively. Some key positions that might be useful to an MRC unit, whether managed by one or several individuals, include:

Unit coordinator
Assistant coordinator
Supervisory physician
Supervisory nurse
Supervisory pharmacist
Public health specialist
Mental health specialist
Logistics officer

Public information officer
Communications officer
Volunteer recruiter/coordinator
Training officer
Chaplain
Legal counsel
Financial specialist
Administrative support

These suggestions serve as action items that can be accomplished in several ways. The unit coordinator’s role may refer to the administrative leader of the MRC unit or an individual who coordinates a particular task. These suggestions are helpful in dealing with the complexities that MRC units must deal with in achieving their mission.

Remember—no single leadership and management model fits all MRC units.

Your unit’s organization and size will depend on various factors, including:

Your community’s size
The number of volunteers
Your community’s identified vulnerabilities
Your community’s health needs and priorities

The Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps (OCVMRC) welcomes feedback on which suggestions are helpful and on any that may be unclear. Sharing the solutions you developed to meet the problems and challenges identified in this publication is encouraged. The OCVMRC may seek your permission to include these suggestions in future guides that support community efforts to utilize medical and public health volunteers.

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Last Updated on 12/12/2007