Assessing the first National Voluntary Strategy (2012-2020) -
Achievements and shortcomings
Anna Mária Bartal
Achievements and shortcomings
Anna Mária Bartal
Abstract
While in the Hungarian volunteering an epoch came to its end in 2020, as on this date the eight-year period of the first National Voluntary Strategy (NVS) was closed, this strategy has not been widely discussed and evaluated. Hence, the main aim of this paper is to assess both achievements and shortcomings of the NVS (2012-2020) via analysing its objectives and performance indicators. According to our results, the primary goals of NVS, namely, to spread the concept of volunteering, to develop extensively the sector and to increase the proportion of volunteers among the 18-26-years-olds and over 60 years olds were adequate and responded appropriately to the contemporary situation of volunteering in Hungary. The analysis of the performance indicators, however, confirmed the goals of the extensive development of volunteering only partially and particularly in case of the key target groups they were fulfilled to a very limited extent. Moreover, the NVS has left many shortcomings, which at the same time pose enormous challenges to the new strategy for the period of 2021 of 2030, such as solving the problem of the short versus long-term strategy, formulating clear and well-understood messages with regard to volunteering, striking the right balance between extensive development and qualitative renewal, achieving a greater recognition of volunteering's economic role, setting differentiated development and strategic goals for a diverse sector, and, finally, facing the impacts of the pandemic on voluntary sector.
Keywords: National Voluntary Strategy (2012-2020), voluntary sector, volunteering, formal volunteering, extensive development, performance indicators,