YouthNet, the charity behind www.do-it.org.uk, is about to embark on an exciting new project and we would like to invite other organisations to be involved.

V-Base, the volunteering management software developed by YouthNet, with funding from the Home Office, to support the work of a number of voluntary organisations throughout England, is about to undergo a complete rewrite.

We are therefore seeking to consult with organisations and groups who might benefit from the new product or who may wish to input into the creation of a database application tailored to meet the volunteering information management needs of Voluntary and Community Sector organisations, groups and programmes.

Why are we rewriting V-Base?

V-Base has the largest installed user base of any volunteering management software currently on the market in the UK, including approximately 370 Volunteer Centres (VCs).

While VCs make up the main core of the V-Base user base, it has, since its inception, received significant interest from other organisations and groups, looking for a database application that will enable them to manage information about individuals, organisations and groups, particularly with contact management and reporting functionality.

In response to ChangeUp, the capacity building and infrastructure framework for the Voluntary and Community sector, published by the Active Community Unit in June 2004, many organisations, including Volunteer Centres, are seeking to work collaboratively, to enhance efficiency and reduce duplication.

In order to support these initiatives, add new functionality to what is already a highly-regarded product and to take advantage of advancements in technology, we are planning a complete redevelopment of V-Base.

We are looking to put together a comprehensive specification for a new version of V-Base - a robust product that will meet and support the volunteering and other information management requirements of many different organisations, groups and programmes.

If, after reading the rest of this information you would like to participate in our research, or would like more information about the project, then please contact us by email at: version3@v-base.org

What does V-Base do now?

As well as managing information about volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations, V-Base is currently the main method of data capture and uploading of volunteering opportunities to the NVD and other sites to which we supply feeds of opportunity information, such as www.yearofthevolunteer.org

Functionality available in the current version of V-Base includes:

• Contact management of organisations & volunteers, with detailed activity reporting
• Matching of volunteers and volunteering opportunities
• Custom mailing lists
• Mail merges and emailing
• Reporting and graphs
• Calendar and automated reminders

What will the new version of V-Base do?

In addition to the functionality that already exists in V-Base, our list of proposed enhancements includes, but is by no means limited to:

• Information Sharing

  V-Base will facilitate the sharing of information between organisations, while still allowing each organisation to retain control of its own data and in compliance with the Data Protection Act (DPA).

  Standardised data fields will make it easy for organisations using V-Base to share and compare information, either dynamically or through a variety of reporting methods.

• Contacts, Organisations and Groups

  In addition to managing volunteers and volunteer-involving organisations, V-Base will be able to store information about other types of individuals, organisations and groups.

  The storing of multiple contacts and addresses against each organisation record will be supported, as well as multiple contact details for individuals.

  There will be the option to store membership scheme and programme information and to associate those with individuals, organisations and groups.

  Record archiving will be added. This will include the removal of personal information (for compliance with the DPA), while allowing the retention of non-personal data for statistical purposes.

• Reporting

  While V-Base already contains a number of standard filters and reports, as well as other ways of generating statistics and lists, the new version will allow users to create their own filters and reports and to save those for reuse.

What support is available for users of V-Base?

A team of dedicated support staff operate the V-Base helpdesk, Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm, providing support to all registered users via a telephone helpline and email.

The V-Base User Group meets quarterly, with representation from each region of England.

There is an ongoing training programme for users of V-Base and training can be delivered either at YouthNet's offices in London or on-site.

Who do we plan to consult?

We have identified several key groups for whom the new version of V-Base may be appropriate. These include:

• Volunteer Centres
• Councils for Voluntary Service (CVS)
• Student Volunteering programmes
• Sports Volunteering groups
• Youth Agencies
• Mentoring and Befriending groups
• Health and Social Care Trusts

How do we plan to consult?

We will be conducting a series of stakeholder interviews, either in person or via telephone/email, as appropriate.

We will also be conducting short electronic surveys, to establish a set of requirements and desired features.

A mailing group and/or electronic forum will be created, for us to share ongoing information about our progress and to facilitate input from our project stakeholders.

A V-Base 3 Advisory Group will have representation from all stakeholder groups.  In addition to communication by email, we plan to hold quarterly Advisory Group meetings. YouthNet will cover the travelling expenses of those attending.

How can you get involved?

If you would like to participate in our research, please send an email to Tracey Booth, detailing your interest:  version3@v-base.org

On receiving your details well be in touch with further information about our consultation programme and to discuss how you would like to be involved.

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