Position Descriptions
Full Time Positions
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Part Time Positions
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Templates(part time only)
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Technical Assistance
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A. General Requirements
2018_icap_positiondescriptionguidance_20180523.pdf | |
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Every member must have a member position description. Position descriptions must fully describe the duties assigned to the member and must clearly state that the member is subject to the heightened three-part criminal history check, due to service activities that would give the member recurring access to vulnerable populations.
i. Eligible Service Sites
All organizations receiving Iowa College AmeriCorps Program support must be one of the following types of public organizations. Members placed at organizations that do not fall into one of these categories will have their service hours at that location disallowed.
- Non-profit organizations (including faith-based organizations) that are not solely focused on lobbying
- State and local governments
- Elementary and secondary schools
- Indian tribes
- Institutions of higher education
- Labor organizations
ii. Service Site Limitations
- Full time members can only serve at their host site. They may partner with other local public organizations.
- Part time members (minimum time) may serve at up to three public organizations (see eligible service sites).
iii. Position Description Guidelines
Host sites can use the following guidelines to ensure that member position descriptions accurately and adequately describe allowable duties assigned to the member.
- List service activities that are specific to each member.
- Activities in which members engage but which are not included within the position description may be considered noncompliant or unallowable.
- Multiple members should not have the same position description unless performing the same activities for the same term.
- Activities in which members engage but which are not included within the position description may be considered noncompliant or unallowable.
- Describe all member activities explicitly to ensure that prohibited activities are not included.
- Do not include phrases like, “other duties as assigned” or similarly vague statements about member responsibilities.
- Does not use employment terms such as: “work/job, job description, hired, or employee”. Instead the position description should use appropriate National Service terminology like, “serve/service, position description, enrolled, and member/service participant”.
- Avoid abbreviations and acronyms – instead spell out the terms at the first usage and then use the acronym or abbreviation later in the document.
- If a member position description includes member participation in volunteer recruitment, volunteer management or similar activities, a brief description of the potential activities for which the member will be recruiting must be added within the position description itself. For example, “Recruit and manage volunteers to support the afterschool program.”
- DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING WORDS OR PHRASES
- “Other duties as assigned”
- Work or job (use serve instead)
- Assist (describe the specific tasks instead)
- Manage (describe the specific responsibilities instead)
- Supervise (describe the specific responsibilities instead)
- “Other duties as assigned”
B. Guidance on Appropriate Service Activities
The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service has established these guidelines to help programs make a determination about whether proposed service activities are appropriate for an AmeriCorps*State member position. Here are some guidelines to use to determine if proposed activities are eligible for designation as an AmeriCorps service position:
Non duplication or displacement
- Member activities must not replace staff or community volunteer responsibilities.
- AmeriCorps is intended to be above-and-beyond what the individual or regular volunteers would “normally” do.
- Member activities must be;
- more expansive
- require more time
- include additional activities or,
- in other ways are outside of the scope of what a staff person or volunteer would “normally” do, this would potentially be an appropriate member service role.
- Capacity building activities must:
- Be intended to support or enhance the program delivery model.
- Respond to the organization’s goal of increasing, expanding or enhancing services to address the most pressing needs identified in the community.
- Enable the organization to provide a sustained level of more or better direct services after the national service participant’s term of service has ended.
- As a general rule, CNCS considers capacity building activities to be indirect services that enable CNCS-supported organizations to provide more, better, and sustained direct services. To determine whether assigned national service participants’ activities qualify as capacity building, think about the intended results of those activities. Applicants must understand and distinguish activities that build capacity. Capacity building activities cannot be solely intended to support the administration or operations of the organization.
- Activities must be connected to the ICAP’s design, goals, and performance measures.
- The prospective member activities must be in alignment with ICAP’s identified community need of improving the capacity of Iowa’s nonprofits.
- For example, a school-based program with a goal of increasing student academic performance couldn’t enroll a member whose activities focused on improving student health and nutrition, unless they could establish a connection between this member’s activities and the program’s overall goals.
- Similarly, members whose stated role is to provide tutoring activities cannot assign those members to recess duty or to supervise the lunchroom.
- Members must not serve in a primarily administrative role.
- For example, if a service site expects its staff to maintain their client files, this responsibility should not be shifted to an AmeriCorps member who starts service at the agency. The member may also be expected to maintain his/her own files, but not those of other staff.
- Similarly, agencies may not assign AmeriCorps members to cover the essential duties of a staff member absent temporarily (such as for maternity or medical leave).
- Members cannot:
- Raise funds for their living allowance
- Raise funds for an organization’s operating expenses or endowment
- Raise funds for an organization other than their service site
- Write a grant application for funding provided by a federal agency including AmeriCorps VISTA, Summer VISTA associates, the Corporation for National and Community Service grant proposals, and AmeriCorps grants
- Spend more than 10% of their service hours on fundraising activities
- Solely recruit volunteers to do any of the above
- Fundraising activities might be allowable if:
- The activities raise cash or in-kind funds directly supporting the member’s specific service project
- ICAP is a program designed to improve the capacity of Iowa’s public organizations. Capacity building projects are generally indirect services. Direct service should not be the focus of the ICAP member’s service.
- Iowa Campus Compact strongly encourages host sites to consult with program staff before allowing members to provide direct services.
- Direct service might be allowable if the activities;
- train the member on their capacity building activities,
- are required in an emergency, and
- are organization-wide events (such as days of service events)
- The position should be defined by AmeriCorps service expectations and not those established for another school or employment purpose.
- For example, a program should not simply designate what had been an unpaid internship as an AmeriCorps position, unless the program can demonstrate that (1) the AmeriCorps position requires the individual to complete service hours AND (2) conducts activities providing a benefit to the community beyond the standard internship expectations.
- Part-time members can receive Federal Work Study for their service. The federal work study award must not exceed the maximum living allowance for a part-time member (also referred to as “minimum-time”). The maximum living allowance for a minimum time member is approximately $4500 per AmeriCorps term of service.
- Full-time members can also receive Federal Work Study for their service. However, ICAP is required to reduce the member’s living allowance by the amount of the work-study award.
- Members are allowed to serve in on-campus AmeriCorps positions. On-campus service sites may include campus departments, specific programs, or other student service clubs.
- All on-campus positions must have a connection to ICAP capacity building outcomes.
C. Member Service Projects and Policies
While it is allowable for members to have participation/leadership in service projects (outside of the day-to-day service activities) as part of the member position description or service activities, the host site must ensure that the activities completed by the member are in alignment with the program’s identified community needs and member activities as outlined in the approved grant application. In addition, the host site must have a way to verify the types of projects in which the members are involved and ensure that they do not include prohibited and/or unallowable activities.
D. Prohibited Activities
CNCS has a strong emphasis on monitoring for prohibited activities, and the consequences for programs that fail to adhere to these prohibitions can be high-profile and severe. All programs should make note of the prohibited activities and ensure that members, site supervisors, and other staff are well-versed in them. It is required that prohibited activities are covered in the Member and Supervisor Orientations, as well as specifically detailed in the member service agreement and host site agreements.
AmeriCorps members may not engage in prohibited activities directly or indirectly by recruiting, training, or managing others for the primary purpose of engaging in one of the activities listed above. Individuals may exercise their rights as private citizens and may participate in the activities listed below on their initiative, on non-AmeriCorps time, and using non-CNCS funds. Individuals should not wear the AmeriCorps logo, nor should they identify themselves as AmeriCorps members, while doing so.
AmeriCorps members may not engage in prohibited activities directly or indirectly by recruiting, training, or managing others for the primary purpose of engaging in one of the activities listed above. Individuals may exercise their rights as private citizens and may participate in the activities listed below on their initiative, on non-AmeriCorps time, and using non-CNCS funds. Individuals should not wear the AmeriCorps logo, nor should they identify themselves as AmeriCorps members, while doing so.
E. Program Interventions
ICAP positions must use one of the following program interventions. Full time ICAP positions may use more than one intervention. Part-time positions must use only one intervention per service site.
Community Engagement: community asset mapping; level of community participation; use of community needs assessments; and leveraging resources/collaborative relationships
- Example Short-term Outcomes
- Increased activities to expand awareness of the organization
- Increased diversity of partnership arrangements
- Example activities (activities listed on position descriptions must be specific to the member's project)
- Creation of an external website
- Procedures to regularly update external website
- Regular staff/volunteer contribution to the website’s blog
- Development of a social media policy
- Creation of social media accounts
- Regular communication with key stakeholders (e.g., email, newsletter)
- Creation of a place for clients/staff/volunteers to download program documents
- Ongoing identification of potential partners
- Development of brochures, newsletter, marketing materials
- Ongoing management of event/client meeting invitations
- An established procedure to reserve client or event meeting space
- Meeting minutes are regularly recorded and disseminated
- Event follow-up communication is regular and consistent
Organization Development: nonprofit incorporation; existence or adoption of systems related to human resources, finances, information technology; existence or adoption of specific policies and procedures; and fiscal controls
- Example Short-term Outcomes
- Regular assessments of organization strengths and needs
- Regular assessments of external opportunities and risks
- Regular assessments of organization strengths and needs
- Example activities (activities listed on position descriptions must be specific to the member's project)
- Development of an organization database
- Regular maintenance of an organization database
- Researching organizational management best-practices
- Annual reviews of state/federal regulations
- Maintain awareness of state/federal legislation
- Researching issue briefs
- Regularly reviewing current studies or evaluations
- Researching evidence based practices/model programs
- Development of an organization database
Program Development: expansion or enhancement of program or service delivery; program monitoring; and evaluating program outcomes
- Example Short-term Outcomes
- Increase the number of clients served
- Track types and amounts of program services provided
- Obtain client feedback
- Track client outcome data
- Increase the number of clients served
- Example activities (activities listed on position descriptions must be specific to the member's project)
- Organized staff or volunteer training workshops
- Development of program training modules
- Development of curriculum for new or existing program(s)/event(s)
- Creation of an operations manual for new or existing program(s)/event(s)
- Development or implementation of a new program(s)/event(s)
- Development of a survey to research community need
- Regular data analysis performed on research
- Established program assessments or evaluation
- Regular data collection for tracking/reporting
- Evaluating community needs by GIS mapping
- Established process to collect oral histories from clients/community members
- Organized staff or volunteer training workshops
Volunteer Management: expansion or enhancement of existing volunteer practices; volunteer recruitment and placement; and coordinating service opportunities
- Example Short-Term Outcomes
- Increased visibility in the community
- Increased visibility on local college/university campuses
- Volunteer retention after the service project has ended
- Improved client services
- Increased agency program capacity
- Increased campus-community relationships
- Increased visibility in the community
- Example Activities (activities listed on position descriptions must be specific to the member's project)
- Develop a new or update an existing written volunteer generation plan
- Establish formal partnerships for volunteer recruitment
- Establishment of a volunteer unit within the program or organization
- Creation of volunteer manual/training/curriculum
- Regular supervision and communication with volunteers
- Liability coverage or insurance protection for volunteers
- Screening and matching volunteers to jobs
- Regular collection of information on volunteer involvement
- Written policies and job descriptions for volunteer involvement
- Recognition activities such as award ceremonies for volunteers
- Annual measurement of volunteer impact
- Training and professional development for volunteers
- Training for paid staff in working with volunteers
- Develop a new or update an existing written volunteer generation plan
F. Position Description Checklist
Use the following checklist to help determine if the written position description meets program requirements.
- Service Site
- Service site is an eligible Public Organization
- Supervisor name and contact information is listed
- Position Title includes "AmeriCorps"
- Purpose
- Target beneficiary population is listed
- Includes information on how position will help the organization (1) leverage more or better volunteers and/or (2) better serve local beneficiaries.
- Civic Action Plan Goal
- List the goal(s) the members will be directly or indirectly contributing to achieving from your Civic Action Plan
- If your campus does not yet have a civic action plan, then remove this section
- Typical Service Conditions
- Service conditions are reasonable for the member's service site and activities
- AmeriCorps Tasks and Activities
- Tasks and activities are not:
- Duplicative or displace existing employees/volunteers efforts
- Prohibited activities
- Administrative
- Disconnected from program outcomes
- Described using the words "work" or "job"
- Tasks and activities are clearly described
- Tasks and activities are specific to the member's position
- No acronyms or abbreviations are included
- Are generally indirect services
- Tasks and activities are not:
- Schedule
- Days of the week are listed
- Hours of the day are listed
- Special events are listed, such as;
- Days of service events
- Events that will result in the member serving 6+ hours in a day
- Federal Holidays in which the member will serve
- Meal breaks