1. Volunteer Management: Essential Part of PIT Counts
PIT Count Workshop Toronto 2015
Wally Czech
Housing First Specialist
City of Lethbridge
Lethbridge, AB
Module 3 – Planning for Success

2. Benefits of Volunteers
Cover a larger geographic area
Elicits community support and involvement
Allows CE/CBO staff to focus on monitoring role.
Creates efficiency and ability to accomplish more

3. Recruitment Identify who will manage volunteers
Determine roles and types
Determine #’s required
Set number and dates for training
Actual Recruitment
Regular Communication
Role Based Training
Manage: could be subcommittee or individual
Roles and types: Everything you could benefit from having volunteers for, will be described in next slide

4. Where to Find Volunteers
Members and partners in homeless system of care
Students
Provincial/City staff and workers
Human service agencies
Volunteer organizations
Neighborhood associations
Newspaper add
Website posts
Past volunteer lists
Not for profit groups
Lived experience****
Previous count contact list
People with Lived Experience
Appeals to volunteers should describe expected time commitment, duration and amount of training required, potential risks, and safety measure in place.

5. Managing Volunteer Registration
Blanket registration
Register to roles/teams
Know numbers you need
Plan to lose 30%
Plan for having extras
Recommend online method
Volunteer Spot

6. Volunteer Roles Set up and take down Registration/Greeting/
Training assistants
Canvassing teams
Materials/supply distribution
Data quality check/input
Safety checkers/communicators
Donation solicitors
Public relations

7. Volunteer Training Both old and new (changes, pairing)
In person or remotely
Role specific
Develop formal training materials
Provide key methodology (1 to 2 pages)
Who should and should not be counted
Discuss challenges of personal judgment
Safety issues and protocols
Ongoing communication
Team lead roles/responsibilities
Members of housing teams/past experience
Enumerator training is an essential component in producing accurate homeless counts. Using the methodology consistently by all volunteers is key.

8. Training topics cont… Purpose of accurate data
Review previous results, what went well and what did not
Terminology
Role playing
Count night process and timeline
Review of survey instruments/questions
How to approach individuals
Helping people connect to supports and services
What happens with sub populations
What to wear, bring, reporting, staying safe, trouble

9. Training and Communication
Up to one month before actual count
The night of the actual count
Ongoing