Volunteering at local government

Olga Kutyina

Abstract

Since the 2020 COVID pandemic, more and more municipalities and institutions have been open to welcoming volunteers, which has been further strengthened by the growing political openness towards forms of participation. However, the emergence of volunteerism in activities organized by mayors' offices simultaneously raises opportunities and risks. While it may open up new channels of participation, it is fundamentally alien to the legitimate, risk-minimizing operating logic of public administration. How can a volunteer program be developed and operated in the organization of a mayor's office's Participation Office in such manner that it simultaneously meets the expectations of the political leadership regarding participation and the legitimate, risk-averse operating logic of the office, while the social practice of volunteering is fundamentally tied to civil society patterns? This case study examines the possibilities and limitations of "municipal volunteerism" based on the example of the Participation Office of the 12th district, with a special focus on how a volunteer program can be operated within the institutional framework of a mayor's office. The study presents the first experiences of the "municipal volunteer program", and then it analyzes, through a specific case – an experiment in volunteer assistance for the elderly – where the tensions between participation, legitimacy, and responsibility are most strongly expressed. In the study, the term "municipal volunteer program" is understood as a working term: it does not refer to a predefined, closed construction, but to an experimental operation taking place under institutional authorization. The author is an employee of the Participation Office of the 12th district of Budapest (community developer, civil servant) with the responsibility to create, launch, and operate a municipal volunteer concept and strategy.

Keywords: municipalities, local governance, volunteerism, volunteer program, municipal institutions