Teaching Paper: Skills Assessment Checklists – Tools for Identifying Training Needs and Enhancing Volunteer Effectiveness
Author: Dr. Anna Neya Kazanskaia
Publisher: NEYA Global Publishing
Teaching Paper | NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies
Year: 2025
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5669-1676
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-trdgvl-tp-03
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About the Teaching Paper
Assessing volunteer skills is a foundational step in designing effective training programs and ensuring organizational effectiveness. Without clear insights into volunteers’ competencies, training initiatives risk being misaligned with actual needs, leading to inefficiencies and reduced impact. This Teaching Paper introduces three structured skills assessment checklists: Technical Skills, Communication Skills, and Project Management Skills. Each checklist provides practical criteria for evaluating volunteer readiness, identifying skill gaps, and tailoring capacity-building initiatives. By applying these tools, organizations can make evidence-based decisions about training priorities, role assignments, and program design. A case study demonstrates how one non-profit applied the checklists to restructure volunteer onboarding and improve project outcomes. This paper contributes to the literature on competency-based training in the non-profit sector, linking established management theory with practical, adaptable instruments.
Key Topics
- Volunteer skills assessment
- Competency-based training frameworks
- Technical, communication, and project management skills
- Training needs identification
- Role assignment and capacity building
- Volunteer effectiveness in digital contexts
Suggested Citation
Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Teaching Paper: Skills Assessment Checklists – Tools for Identifying Training Needs and Enhancing Volunteer Effectiveness. NEYA Global Journal of Non-Profit Studies. Neya Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/neya-gjnps-trdgvl-tp-03
References
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- Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Training Digital Volunteers. NEYA Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/training-digital-volunteers-2025
- Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Managing Volunteers: Creating and Sustaining Impact. NEYA Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/managing-volunteers-2025
- Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Motivating & Retaining Online Volunteers. NEYA Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/motivating-retaining-online-volunteers-2025
- Kazanskaia, A. N. (2025). Youth Engagement: Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders. NEYA Global Publishing. https://doi.org/10.64357/youth-engagement-2025
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