by Jillian Lusaka

29 April 2008

Ljubljana, Slovenia: The economic value of volunteerism can – and should – be measured, but volunteerism is not easily quantified, according to speakers at a recent European volunteerism conference in Slovenia. Delegates to the General Assembly Conference of the European Volunteer Centre (CEV), held in Ljubljana, Slovenia heard that the hardest contributions of volunteerism to evaluate are the motivations and personal happiness of volunteers, as well as the indirect economic values of social cohesion, the promotion of social capital, and advocacy.  

Keynote speaker Dr. Lester Salomon, director of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies, said economic measurement was a "very convenient way to express the power, focus, scope and depth of volunteerism." Measuring the economic value of volunteerism would help to increase visibility, credibility and support, he said.  

The Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have together recommended a systematic way for measuring volunteerism. Their partnership is producing a draft Manual on the Measurement of Volunteer Work, which will be presented for review and potential adoption to the International Conference of Labour Statisticians, scheduled to convene in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 2008.  The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is supporting this effort through a start-up grant and participation in international fora exploring the issues surrounding economic measurement of volunteerism for development.

The International Year of Volunteers (IYV) in 2001 highlighted the important contribution of volunteerism to economic and social development at local, national and international levels. Discussions at the United Nations General Assembly in 2001, however, concluded that volunteering had not been adequately documented statistically and, as a result, there was little analytical insight into the role and economic impact of volunteering. The IYV outcome resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly encouraged Member States to establish the economic value of volunteering to assist in the development of informed policies on the subject.    

The CEV conference, which ran from 18 to 19 April, drew delegates from throughout Europe to discuss views on measuring the economic value of volunteering.  Dr Salomon said it was "an opportunity to boost the credibility of volunteerism."