The National Learning Initiative for the Voluntary Sector What is a “culture of learning?” And how does the voluntary sector develop one? During the National Leadership Initiative’s research to uncover voluntary sector leadership competencies, sector leaders challenged the assumption that the only thing needed was more courses and training opportunities.  They identified that a “culture of learning” was needed in the voluntary sector, to result in a more functional, efficient sector. Central to building a culture of learning are changes in mindsets or behaviours that govern how work is accomplished within voluntary sector organizations.  Creating a culture of learning starts with changing the way conversations happen within an organization, and by changing the nature of the questions that are discussed, which in turn will (with encouragement) help to change the way we think. The report, Developing a Culture of Learning within the Voluntary Sector, delves into what is needed to develop a culture of learning: from strategies to help individuals nurture a learning culture with peers, to approaches organizations can take to support behaviours and practices that lead to more learning in their workplaces. In this report you’ll find:

• strategies for creating or nurturing a culture of learning,
• how organizational processes might be differently structured in a learning culture,
• differences between organizational cultures that support learning and those that inhibit learning,
• five disciplines required for a learning organization,
• how education, training, and professional development fit into an overall culture of learning,
• characteristics of voluntary sector leadership; and,
• suggestions for ways in which individual organizations can address the challenge.

As argued by Dianne Bascombe, NLI Advisory Committee member, “We are talking about changing a culture. Changing an organizational culture requires broad organizational change, but more importantly, individual attitudinal and behavioural change … and that takes time, concerted effort, opportunities for learning, and leadership.”  Download a copy of this report at www.NationalLearningInitiative.ca.  For more information, contact:

• English -- Dianne Bascombe, Director, National Children's Alliance, Phone: 613-560-5843 x 229; email: dianne@nationalchildrensalliance.com
• Français -- Paul Brennan, Directeur, Relations communautaires et corporatives Association des collèges communautaires du Canada, Ph: 613-746-2222  x 3132, mailto:pbrennan@accc.ca

Backgrounder on The National Learning Initiative for the Voluntary Sector Recent decades have brought with them significant change in the voluntary sector. Organizations and leaders are no longer primarily focused on managing their own organizations but instead have an expanded mandate to lead effective social change, with accountability to many more groups. Today’s voluntary sector leaders must collaborate more, develop and nurture increasingly complex relationships and deal with multiple funding sources and diverse program partners. The trend toward increasing complexity and collaboration in the sector has not only meant change for organizations, it has had a huge impact on leaders and managers.  This challenge led to the creation of the National Learning Initiative (NLI) for the voluntary sector. The NLI, which was launched in 2002, was a unique partnership between the Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations and the Association of Canadian Community Colleges.  The vision of the NLI was to foster dynamic leadership in the voluntary sector – effective, responsive, and accountable – for a vibrant democracy and caring, inclusive communities, by enhancing human resource development, through accessible, relevant education and training opportunities.  – The Voluntary Sector Initiative   Over three years of research and project implementation, the NLI and its partners discovered that new competencies, skills and abilities are now required to work effectively in voluntary sector leadership positions. Effective leadership is required to make transformational change within our communities. Voluntary sector leadership requires an understanding of the complexity of the sector, and its context (funding, regulation, changing policies). Due to the unique nature of the voluntary sector, educational and training opportunities tailored to develop these new skills are essential for building a stronger voluntary sector in Canada – and a stronger society.  Several valuable documents have come from the work of the NLI: 

1. A brochure, entitled “National Learning Initiative: A National Skills and Learning Framework for the Voluntary Sector,” provides background information on the development of the core competencies.

2. A discussion document, Voluntary Sector Leadership Competencies: Examples, Current Challenges & Complexities, & Learning Outcomes,” presents ideas and encourages dialogue on the required core competencies for leadership in the voluntary sector.

3. The report, What Do Voluntary Sector Leaders Do? released in July 2003, summarizes the research process of the NLI.

4. Leadership in the Voluntary Sector: Human Resources Tools, a handbook of concrete tools to assist Boards of Directors with hiring and performance appraisal for their Executive Directors. Included in this handbook are:

• Senior staff position descriptions to support the recruitment process;
• Performance assessments for Executive Directors; and
• Self-assessments for individuals interested in pursuing a career as a voluntary sector organization Executive Director. 

5. The NLI experimented with stimulating voluntary sector leadership development through three pilot projects:

•  The Calgary Project – The  Strengthening the Capacity Of Executive Directors project used a facilitated peer learning circle to achieve its goal of helping voluntary sector leaders develop knowledge and skills of critical importance to them, and to ensure each participant had a network of peers to continue to support them at the end of the pilot project. Nine leaders of small organizations participated in the peer learning circle over the course of four months;  
• The British Columbia Project – The Learning to Lead – project incorporated both workshops and peer learning circles to support over 250 voluntary sector leaders in support of creating a learning culture with the voluntary sector in British Columbia, developing more responsive leadership training from the educational system, and establishing a strong peer learning network; and,   
• The Pan-Canadian Leadership School, Leadership Connext / Leadership Reseau, was a hybrid of workshop and distance learning methodologies, based on a philosophy of transformational leadership. Fifty-eight participants from four communities in three provinces and both official languages completed the Leadership Connext program.  

The NLI offers tangible results, research, and resources related to the barriers facing voluntary sector leaders in accessing ongoing professional development. And, perhaps most importantly, it offers a better understanding of effective strategies to support leadership development - extremely valuable information for the future of the sector. – Charity Village    All the work products of the National Learning Initiative are available for download at www.NationalLearningInitiative.ca.  For more information, contact:

• English -- Dianne Bascombe, NLI Management Team member, 613.560.5843 x 229, Dianne@nationalchildrensalliance.com.

• Français -- Paul Brennan, Directeur, Relations communautaires et corporatives Association des collèges communautaires du Canada, 613.746.2222 x 3132, pbrennan@accc.ca