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Global Health Volunteering; Understanding Organizational Goals

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Abstract

This paper examines the goals of organizations that sponsor short-term volunteer trips in global health, whether they be NGO’s, faith-based, educational, or corporate organizations. Results from a U.S.-based national survey of 177 such organizations and 27 interviews with trip organizers suggest that organizations often sponsor volunteer trips to achieve goals that are quite different from the improvement of health outcomes in poor countries. While providing health services is often cited as the most important goal, volunteer activity is also considered important in enhancing the organizations’ reputation, recruitment and retention, and financial well-being. The prominence of other goals has the potential for diverting resources and focus from what is presumably the primary purpose of serving host communities in the most effective manner possible.

Résumé

Cet article examine les objectifs des organisations qui sponsorisent les voyages de bénévolat de courte durée dans le domaine de la santé mondiale, qu’elles soient des ONG, des organisations confessionnelles, éducatives ou d’entreprises. Les résultats issus d’une enquête nationale américaine de 177 de ces organisations et de 27 entretiens auprès d’organisateurs de voyages donnent à penser que les organisations commanditent souvent des voyages de bénévolat pour atteindre des objectifs qui sont très différents de l’amélioration des résultats en matière de santé dans les pays pauvres. Alors que la prestation de services de santé est souvent citée comme l’objectif le plus important, l’activité bénévole est également considérée comme importante pour renforcer la réputation, le recrutement et la fidélisation et le bien-être financier des organisations. L’importance d’autres objectifs est susceptible de détourner des ressources et l’attention de ce qui est sans doute l’objectif principal pour servir les communautés d’accueil le plus efficacement possible.

Zusammenfassung

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Ziele von Organisationen, die kurzfristige Reisen für Ehrenamtliche innerhalb des globalen Gesundheitsbereichs organisieren, wobei es sich hierbei um nicht-staatliche, glaubensbasierte, Bildungs- oder Unternehmensorganisationen handeln kann. Ergebnisse aus einer USA-basierten nationalen Befragung von 177 solcher Organisationen sowie aus 27 Interviews mit Reiseorganisatoren weisen darauf hin, dass die Organisationen, die Reisen für Ehrenamtliche sponsern, häufig ganz andere Ziele verfolgen als die Verbesserung der Gesundheitsversorgung in armen Ländern. Während die Erbringung von Gesundheitsdienstleistungen oft als das vorrangige Ziel angegeben wird, erachtet man auch die ehrenamtliche Tätigkeit als wichtig, um den Ruf einer Organisation, die Anwerbung und Bindung von Mitarbeitern sowie die finanzielle Lage zu fördern. Die Wichtigkeit anderer Ziele kann die Ressourcen und Konzentration von dem mutmaßlichen Hauptzweck, die Gastgemeinden zu unterstützen, auf effektivste Weise ablenken.

Resumen

El presente documento examina las metas de organizaciones que patrocinan viajes de voluntarios de corto plazo en salud mundial, ya sean ONG, u organizaciones religiosas, educativas o corporativas. Los resultados de una encuesta nacional en EE.UU. de 177 de dichas organizaciones y 27 entrevistas con organizadores de viajes sugieren que las organizaciones a menudo patrocinan viajes de voluntarios para lograr metas que son totalmente diferentes de la mejora de los resultados sanitarios en países pobres. Aunque la provisión de servicios sanitarios se cita a menudo como la meta más importante, la actividad de los voluntarios también se considera importante para aumentar la reputación, el reclutamiento y retención, y el bienestar financiero de las organizaciones. La prominencia de otras metas tiene el potencial de desviar los recursos y el foco de atención de lo que presumiblemente es el propósito fundamental de servir a las comunidades anfitrionas de la manera más efectiva posible.

摘要

本论文检视了赞助全球卫生短期志愿者差旅的各类组织的目标,不论这些组织是非政府组织、基于信仰的组织、教育组织,还是法人组织。一项在美国进行的全国性研究对177个这样的组织进行了调查并对差旅组织者进行了27个采访,结果显示这些组织经常赞助志愿者差旅,但是这些差旅的目标与改善贫困国家卫生健康状况这一目标颇为不同。虽然提供卫生健康服务通常被列为最为重要的目标,但是在这些志愿者活动中,组织者同时还认为提高组织的知名度、人员的招募与维持、确保良好的财务状况等也是重要的目标。过于突出其他目标有可能会分散资源,降低针对为东道社区服务的这一主要目标的专注力,使得志愿者无法尽量以最为有效的方式为东道社区服务。

ملخص

يفحص هذا البحث أهداف المنظمات التي ترعى رحلات المتطوعين على المدى القصير في مجال الصحة العالمية، سواء كانت المنظمات الغير حكومية (NGO’s)، على أساس ديني، تعليمي، أو منظمات تعاونية. نتائج دراسة إستطلاع رأي وطني مقرها الولايات المتحدة من 177 مثل هذه المنظمات و27 مقابلة مع منظمي رحلات المتطوعين تشير إلى أن المنظمات غالبا” تدعم رحلات المتطوعين لتحقيق الأهداف التي هي مختلفة تماما” عن تحسين النتائج الصحية في الدول الفقيرة. أثناء تقديم الخدمات الصحية كثيرا” ما يحاولوا يبرهنواعلى إنه الهدف الأكثر أهمية، يعتبر النشاط التطوعي مهم أيضا” في تعزيز سمعة المنظمات، التوظيف والإحتفاظ بها، والرفاهية المالية. ظهور أهمية أهداف أخرى لديها القدرة على تحويل الموارد والتركيز من ما هو يفترض أنه الغرض الأساسي لخدمة المجتمعات المضيفة في الطريقة الأكثر فعالية ممكنة.

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Notes

  1. There is no agreed-upon definition for the length of time considered “short-term”. This research found the great majority of trips described by study participants lasting 2 weeks or less (Lasker 2016).

  2. Useful sources included the University of Arizona (www.globalhealth.arizona.edu), International Health Volunteers (www.internationalhealthvolunteers.org), North Carolina State University Health Professions Advising Center (http://hpac.dasa.ncsu.edu) and Mission Finder (www.missionfinder.org/). Medical Mission Exchange (www.mmex.org) has a database of short- and long-term medical missions serving the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, and Belize.

  3. Four people responded by email indicating that they were not willing to fill out the survey. 222 (36.3 %) did follow the link to the survey, but three of those checked ‘no’ in response to the consent form and therefore were not able to continue. Of the 219 who agreed to the consent terms, there were quite a few who did not proceed with the survey.

  4. Individuals are identified only if they gave me permission to use their names in association with the specific quotes attributed to them. All interviewees were assured confidentiality in advance unless they agreed to being named. Some did not want to be named and are described only by their positions.

  5. The beneficiaries in the home countries are not only the sponsoring organizations, but businesses that they patronize, in particular the airline industry. Respondents to the Catholic Health Association survey estimated that half the cost of an overseas medical mission goes for international travel, and another quarter is spent in the US on administrative costs and supplies (Lasker et al. 2014).

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Lehigh University Faculty Incentive Grant and Lehigh University NEH Professorship, to Brocher Foundation, Geneva, and to the many students, colleagues, and participants in this research who made it possible. Thanks to Tamara Huson for assisting with this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Judith N. Lasker.

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Lasker, J.N. Global Health Volunteering; Understanding Organizational Goals. Voluntas 27, 574–594 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11266-015-9661-4

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