Improving volunteer management in crisis response

In crisis situations, such as river floods or major earthquakes, usually volunteers offer to provide their help in response to the disaster. Volunteers have significant potential to support disaster management but can also lead to problems in addition to the challenges already caused by the disaster (e.g. blocked roads, lack of food or water). Thus, improving volunteer management in crisis response is considered crucial when addressing crisis management as a whole. Major aspects in this regard are the motivation and recruitment of relevant volunteers, the coordination of spontaneous volunteers; the assignment of volunteers on time and corresponding to their individual competences; the compatibility of volunteer activities and the daily work; and the improvement of information and communication systems.