TRAINING PROGRAMME | MODULE 2

MANAGING PEER TO PEER ACTIVITIES: Soft Skills and Project Design

Manual for Volunteers

Author: RIC Novo mesto,

Simona Pavlin, Tina Strnad, Metod Pavšelj

Plan Be: Active Senior Volunteers

2015-1-PT01-KA204-012930

Author: RIC Novo mesto, Simona Pavlin, Tina Strnad, Metod Pavšelj

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PLAN BE CONSORTIUM

FREGUESIA DE CASCAIS E ESTORIL – Project coordinator | Cascais, Portugal

ASSOCIAÇÃO ANIMAM VIVENTEM – Partner | Cascais, Portugal

KUUSANKOSKEN RETKEILIJÄT RY – Partner | Kouvola, Finland

RIC NOVO MESTO – Partner | Novo Mesto, Slovenia

SINERGIA SOCIETA COOPERATIVA SOCIALE – Partner | Bitonto, Italy

Contact information

Project Coordinator: Freguesia de Cascais e Estoril

Contact Person: Ms. Rita Serra Coelho

Address: Largo Cidade de Vitoria, 2750-319 Cascais – Portugal

Email: projetoseuropeus@jf-cascaisestoril.pt

Tel.: + 351 214849550

Legal Notice

This publication is a document prepared by the Consortium Plan Be. It aims to provide

practical support to the project’s implementation process.

The output expressed does not imply scientific, pedagogical, or academic positions of the

current consortium. Neither the partners nor any person acting on behalf of the

Consortium is responsible for the use which might be made of this publication.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held

responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

© – 2017 – Consortium Plan Be. All rights reserved. Licenced to the European Union

under conditions.

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INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................... 4

2. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO WORK AS A TEAM WHEN

VOLUNTEERING WITH YOUR PEERS? ................................................... 5

3. WHAT ARE THE KEY (SOFT) SKILLS NEEDED TO WORK IN GROUPS

AND PEER TO PEER ACTIVITIES? ........................................................ 6

Self-Awareness ........................................................................... 6

Practical exercise: “Life Line” ........................................................ 6

Teamwork and Cooperation .......................................................... 7

Communication ........................................................................... 7

Practical exercise: “Building a Shelter” ........................................... 7

Conflict Management ................................................................... 8

Initiative and Creativity ................................................................ 8

Decision Making .......................................................................... 8

Leadership ................................................................................. 8

4. PROJECT DESIGN ........................................................................ 9

Tree Analysis ............................................................................ 10

SWOT Analysis .......................................................................... 12

S.M.A.R.T. Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely ............. 13

Action Plan ............................................................................... 14

5. WEBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................ 15

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1. INTRODUCTION

In an increasingly globalised world, individuals need a wide range of skills

to adapt and prosper in the rapidly changing environment.

The intention of this training module is to raise awareness of the relevance of working in groups, and promoting and developing important skills in

order to manage peer to peer activities.

We aim senior volunteers to take an active role, considering them as

responsible for designing and implementing volunteering projects. We want senior volunteers to find out what is needed in their own communities, how

to address those needs and implement project ideas. Understanding the value of teams and how to develop teamwork becomes an important skill.

One of the particularities of this training module is that the Facilitator plays

a key role, having a neutral position, but guiding the senior volunteers’ group through the dynamics proposed.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Helen Keller

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2. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO WORK AS A TEAM WHEN

VOLUNTEERING WITH YOUR PEERS?

More than telling each senior volunteer what to do, we want senior volunteers to have an active role in the volunteering process. We want

senior volunteers to find out what is needed in their own communities, how to address those needs and implement project ideas. Understanding the

value of teams and how to develop teamwork becomes an important skill.

Thinking about your own experience as a team member, what benefits has teamwork brought for you and the team?

The benefits can vary, depending on the purpose and size of the team, but

will probably include some of these:

• A group of volunteers has more skills to apply, than an individual alone; • Several minds instead of one, will help to solve complex problems;

• You can generate more new ideas; • Will give people a sense of belonging;

• Will enhance communication; • Will help people to learn from each other and develop.

And most of all,

• Will provide support and help to team members! And this support, we

call it Peer to Peer.

What is Peer to Peer? • A supportive relationship with someone who has similar life experience;

• Mutually respectful, reciprocal; • Empowering;

• Non-judgmental; • Empathic.

Why Peer to Peer?

Based on research, we found out that seniors: • Will seek out peers when they have difficulties or challenges;

• Want to help themselves; • Want to be helpful.

What are the benefits of receiving Peer Support? • Gain social and emotional support/encouragement;

• Learn about resources; • Build self-help skills.

What are the benefits of providing Peer Support?

• Reaffirm that helping others helps the self; • Enjoy the opportunity to share existing skills and information;

• Gain new skills, knowledge, and experience.

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3. WHAT ARE THE KEY (SOFT) SKILLS NEEDED TO WORK IN

GROUPS AND PEER TO PEER ACTIVITIES?

Intrapersonal and interpersonal skills are very important for the personal development as well as for the socialization and professional development

of individuals.

Intrapersonal skills, allow a person to use effective thought processes and

mental habits to succeed in personal and professional relationships. Interpersonal skills, also known as social competences, refers to the ability

to interact positively and get along well with others. Despite their intrinsic difference, intrapersonal and interpersonal skills are equally important and

they have a mutual impact on the personality and one cannot ignore them.

Well-developed interpersonal and intrapersonal skills help to increase productivity and achieve easier the goals set up in team and peer to peer

activities. To develop these skills, it will be important to have a facilitator leading the group and support you to perform some exercises, through

which you will have the opportunity to develop some of the following skills:

Self-Awareness

Self-awareness is having a clear perception of your personality, including

strengths, weaknesses, thoughts, beliefs, motivation, and emotions. Self-awareness allows us to understand other people, how they perceive us, our

attitudes and our responses to them in the moment. As we develop self-awareness we are able to make changes in the thoughts and interpretations

we make in our mind.

Practical exercise: “Life Line”

Objective: To provide the participants an opportunity to reflect on

various issues through their personal life experiences; To develop abilities of self-reflection and self-awareness.

Materials: pen, paper and drawing equipment (pens and pencils)

Time: 45 minutes. Around 15 - 20 minutes for self-reflection and after time is needed for sharing.

Take the following steps: 1. Work individually without sharing your impressions or thoughts with

others; 2. Draw a line representing your “life line”, and draw in the line (by

chronological order) all moments that you consider the most important; 3. Share your experiences in pairs or small groups.

Reflect about: How did you feel in expressing yourselves to the others?

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Teamwork and Cooperation

Is the ability to work co-operatively within diverse teams,

work groups and across the organization to achieve goals. Teamwork is not something that can be quickly developed

or enforced; it takes time for a real team to be created.

Teambuilding activities are exercises that help teams build

cohesion and work through common group issues. They are used as educational tools for a variety of individuals,

groups, and organizations.

Communication

Being able to communicate effectively is the most important of all life skills. Communication is simply the act of transferring information from one place

to another, whether this be verbally, written, visually or non-verbally. Good interpersonal communication skills enable us to work more effectively in

groups and teams, which may be either formal, like at work, or informally - in social situations.

Practical exercise: “Building a Shelter”

Objective: With this exercise, it’s possible to develop competences of

teamwork, cooperation and group problem-solving. Participants: Minimum of 6 participants (in groups of minimum 3

participants) Materials: Newspapers (many) and masking tape

Time: 35 minutes

Take the following steps: 1. The participants are divided into groups;

2. Each group gets a pile of newspaper and a roll of masking tape; 3. Imagine that they are on an island under scorching sun, and you as a

group must build a free-standing structure that the whole group can fit under. The structure cannot be attached to a wall or any object. You have

8 minutes to plan how you will do it, but once you start to build it, you can’t talk. You have 15 minutes to build the shelter.

Reflect about: How did the group approach the problem?

How did the group approach the use of non-verbal communication? What were your reactions and feelings?

What was good or bad about the experience? Make value judgements. What sense can you make of the situation? / What could you do

differently?

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Conflict Management

Conflict situations are an important aspect of the group. A conflict is a

situation when the interests, needs, goals or values of involved parties interfere with one another. Often, a conflict is a result of perception. Is

conflict a bad thing? Not necessarily. Often, a conflict presents opportunities for improvement. Therefore, it is important to understand the Conflict

Handling Styles.

Initiative and Creativity

Is about engaging in proactive behaviour, seizing opportunities and originating actions that go beyond simply responding to the obvious needs

of the situation or to direct requests from others. When you show initiative, you do things without being told; you find out what you need to know; you

keep going when things get tough; and you spot and take advantage of

opportunities that others pass by. You act, instead of reacting.

Decision Making

When a group of people work together towards a common aim, they must make joint decisions, for example how to allocate funds. There are times

when decision making requires all, some or only a few group members to be present. Group decision-making commonly known as collaborative

decision-making is a situation faced when individuals collectively make a choice from the alternatives before them. The decision is then no longer

attributable to any group member individually, as all the individuals and social group process a similar social influence contribute to the decision

outcome.

Leadership

When working in a group, it is important to have a common goal around

which group members can unite. This is something on which all group members can agree and which they all desire to work towards to. When

leaders find that they have particularly strong-willed group members who seem to dominate the conversations, or several group members who do not

seem to get along, communication can often be the key to resolving the conflict. While leadership styles may vary depending on the person and the

situation, it is always important for leaders to remember their role in the group.

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4. PROJECT DESIGN

To empower you, as Senior Volunteer, in creating volunteering ideas and

projects for your community, we selected some tools that will help you in the project design.

There are 4 phases of implementing a Project:

Needs Assessment

A “need” is a discrepancy or gap between “what is” and “what should be”,

between the “current conditions” and the “desired conditions”. A “needs assessment” is a systematic set of procedures that are used to

determine needs, examine their nature and causes, and set priorities for future action.

A properly planned project addresses the real needs of the beneficiaries and

is therefore based upon a correct and complete analysis of the existing situation.

For this phase we will introduce the Tree Analysis and the SWOT Analysis tools.

Planning

The Project Planning Phase involves creating a set of plans to help guide

the team through the implementation and reflection/ evaluation phases of

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the project. The plans created during this phase will help to manage time,

cost, quality, change, risk and issues. This phase typically begins with setting goals.

For this phase we will introduce S.M.A.R.T. Goals and Action Plan.

Implementation

The project takes shape during the implementation phase. This phase

involves the construction of the actual project result. The project plan is put into motion and the work of the project is performed.

Reflection/Closure

The last remaining step is to conduct lessons-learned studies to examine

what went well and what didn’t, and what you can improve for the next time.

Tree Analysis

The Tree Analysis is one participatory tool of mapping out main problems,

along with their causes and effects, supporting project planners to identify clear goals and the strategy of how to achieve them. There are three stages

in this analytic process:

1) The identification of the negative aspects with their “causes and effects”

in a problem tree; 2) Inversion of the problems into objectives leading into an objective tree;

3) The decision of the scope of the project in an analysis of strategies.

Step 1: Problem Analysis

The first step in developing the problem tree is to identify the problem that you seek to

overcome. It may be worth debating about the needs of your community. Ideally projects

should have a specific problem (e.g. saving water inside the home) that they seek to

overcome if change is to occur.

The core problem is written down in the middle

of the paper, or on a sticky-note that is placed in the middle of a wall.

Once the core problem has been identified, participants should consider what the direct causes and what are the

effects/consequences of the problem are. Each cause statement needs to be written in negative terms.

Consequences

Problem

Cause

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The immediate causes to the problem are placed in a line below that of the

core problem. The immediate effect is placed above the problem. Any further or subsequent effects are placed above the line of immediate effects.

Step 2: Objectives Analysis

A solution tree (also called objectives tree) is

developed by reversing the negative

statements that form the problem tree into positive ones. For example, a cause (problem

tree) such as “lack of knowledge” would become a means such as “increased

knowledge”. The objectives tree demonstrates the means-end relationship between

objectives.

It is advisable to go through the solution tree and check to see if all the statements are clear, and if there are any missing

steps between a means and an end. If so, you may need to revise both the problem and solution trees by adding more statements.

Step 3: Analysis of Strategy

The final step is to select a preferred strategy for the intervention, is the most challenging, as it involves synthesising a significant amount of

information and making a judgement about the best implementation strategy to pursue.

The solution tree may present a number of separate or linked interventions

to solve a problem. Depending on project funding, time, and relevance, a planned intervention may not be able to tackle all the causes, it is important

to identify if some are more influential than others in solving a problem.

Once you have selected your preferred line of intervention, the core problem/solution is your immediate objective or outcome. The branches

below are the activities that you need to undertake, and the branches above become the longer-term outcomes.

Some questions you should think about during this process:

• Can/should we tackle all the problems identified? • Should we select just a few?

• Which interventions are more likely to bring about the desired results? • What would be more beneficial for the target groups?

• Are these interventions sustainable in a long-term? • Are the financial means available?

• Do we have the technical capacity to implement the actions?

Effects

Vision

Solutions

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These and other questions, including environmental, social and economic

issues as well as policies and the legal framework, will help to rule-out those strategies which cannot be covered in the project, and those which are

realistic and will offer the most benefits for those facing the problems.

SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis is a useful technique for understanding your Strengths and

Weaknesses, and for identifying both the Opportunities open to you and the Threats you face.

Strengths and Weaknesses: These are the internal factors

• Human resources - staff, volunteers, board members, target

population; • Physical resources - your location, building, equipment;

• Financial - grants, funding agencies, other sources of income; • Activities and procedures- programs you run, systems you employ;

• Past experiences - building blocks for learning and success, your reputation in the community.

Opportunities and Threats: These are external factors stemming from community or social forces.

• Future trends in your field or the culture;

• The economy - local, national, or international; • Funding sources - foundations, donors, legislatures;

• Demographics - changes in the age, race, gender, culture of those you serve or in your area;

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• The physical environment (Is your building in a growing part of town? Is

the bus company cutting routes?); • Legislation (Do new federal requirements make your job harder...or

easier?); • Local, national, or international events.

S.M.A.R.T. Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Timely

This tool helps you to ensure that the goals have been thoroughly vetted. It also provides a way to clearly understand the implications of the goal-

setting process.

Specific

Very often, when you examine a particular goal, you will find that it can be broken down into separate, more specific goals. The first step in this process

is to ask the five 'W' questions: • What: What do we want to accomplish?

• Why: Specific reasons for accomplishing the goal.

• Who: Who is involved? • Where: Identify a location.

• When: Identifies the timeframe.

Measurable

The second term stresses the need for concrete

criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of the goal. The thought behind this

is that if a goal is not measurable, it is not possible to know whether a team is making

progress towards successful completion.

Measuring progress will help a team stay on track, reach its target dates, and experience the

sense of achievement that spurs it on to the continued effort that is required to reach the

goal. A measurable goal will usually answer questions such as: How many?

How much? How will I know it’s accomplished?

Attainable or Achievable

There is little point in setting a goal that is either too difficult to achieve or beyond your capabilities, as this will only serve to demotivate you and

destroy your self-confidence. The importance of being able to accomplish a goal is equally vital when you are setting goals for others, as it is for

yourself.

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When setting a goal you must use your knowledge and current skills as a

barometer for ensuring that the goal is 'attainable'. Setting yourself a goal that is too easily fulfilled will leave you feeling cheated once it is attained.

When setting 'attainable' goals in the project you must also ensure that sufficient resources are at your disposal and that your responsibilities can

accommodate this new requirement.

Relevant

Goals that are relevant will receive the needed support. A relevant goal can

answer 'yes' to these questions: • Is it worth the cost and the resources required?

• Is this the right time to be doing it? • Does it fit with our overall strategy?

Time Bound

It is essential that goals have a timeframe or target date. A commitment to

a deadline helps a team focus their efforts towards completion of the goal and prevents goals from being overtaken by other, unrelated routine tasks

that may arise.

Action Plan

An action plan, describes the way your project will meet its objectives,

through detailed action steps, that describe how and when these steps will be taken. It will help to organize the project activities and responsibilities.

We present here a simple template, which can be adapted to the needs of the team and to the project.

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5. WEBLIOGRAPHY

• http://www.nationalvoices.org.uk/publications/ourpublications/peer-

support • http://www.ventureteambuilding.co.uk/forming-storming-norming-

performing/ • https://thousandinsights.wordpress.com/articles/on-

leadership/tuckmans-model-of-team-development-and-dynamics/

• http://www.teampedia.net/wiki/index.php?title=Leadership_Compass • https://pt.scribd.com/document/319938350/Leadership-Compass-Self-

Assessment • https://www.google.pt/#q=dinamica+de+grupo+de+gesto+de+conflitos

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_support • http://www.krasmancentre.com/cultureofrecovery/?page_id=19

• http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Img/291864/0084182.jpg • http://www.performwell.org/index.php/identify-outcomes/10-

indicators/163-interpersonal-skills • http://lifecoachbloggers.blogspot.pt/2016/01/Intrapersonal-vs-

interpersonal-relationship-skills-examples-list.html • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26970311