The Role of Libyan Civil Society Organization in Voluntary Work - Research Paper Example

The Role of Libyan Civil Society Organization in Support Voluntary Work Health and Social Research MethodsResearch proposal Title of the work: The role of Libyan Civil Society Organization in support voluntary work in Libyan Red Crescent.Research question:My specific research idea is aimed at answering the following question: How can Libyan Red Crescent staff and volunteers in Zintan develop sustainable health care?Background The Libyan Red Crescent (LRC) is a voluntary aid organization, launched in1957 with over 34 branches across Libya. The Zintan branch offers several services such as relief and medical aid. My study will be about the challenges that face Zintan branch and find out the possible solutions to improve the provided services (Duggan, Geller, Cooper, and Beach, 2006). The Libyan Red Crescent (LRC) is an important provider of humanitarian responses to the society whenever there is a need. The LRC has its staff together with other volunteers deployed in numerous branches where they provide the emergency first-aid services to the people in need. Among these branches are Tripoli, Nalout, Bengazi, Ejdabyia, Toukra, Al-Marj, and Al-Abiar (Ardichvili, Page and Wentling, 2003). The activities of the LRC are majorly reliant on the volunteers, considering that the institutions are non-profit making, and rely on the donations made by local and international organizations to facilitate their operations. Given the fact that the organization is majorly dependent on volunteers, it is expected that it experiences numerous challenges, particularly in ensuring that the service providers in the organization perform at the best of their potential. Like any other developing world, Libya continues to experience challenges within its healthcare sector, most particularly the insufficient population of the health personnel, and the limited resources to guarantee quality health for its citizens. It is in this respect, therefore, that the research is conducted to establish the real challenges affecting the LRC in its quest to enhance the levels of healthcare services for the region. A particular interest is focused on the organization’s ability to mobilize and utilize the available resources for the intended purpose, most especially the human resource. The sensitivity of the healthcare sector makes decision making within it a critical feature whose effectiveness determines the outcome of the practices therein. Volunteers being the major players in the organization, decisions made in regard to volunteer training, orientation, management, motivation and assessment form an integral component that determines the level of success in the organization. This research work aims at analyzing the different aspects of practice through which the Libyan Red Crescent staff and volunteers in Zintan can develop sustainable health care. It will thus focus on the workers viewpoint towards the services they provide in the institution. Research Aim(s) and Objectives. To explore and understand values and attitudes of the volunteers at the Libyan Red Crescent (LRC). To examine barriers for volunteers to provide high-quality services. To help increase the capacity of workers at the LRC. To know how to build a good system for leading, managing volunteers in (LRC). To investigate how (LRC)Zintan branch can improve their provided services. Literature Review Smith and Elliott (2007, p524) discovered that the youths who volunteer are more likely to develop the values and attitudes of volunteering following their beginning of volunteering, as opposed to before. Similarly, the author suggests that the volunteering behaviours of youths, are more likely to demonstrate the interests and roles of socioeconomic factors of their parents who underwent modelling at childhood. This finding gives support to the observation made by Probst and Borzillo (2008, p340) in which they established a relationship between education, occupational status, and volunteering. Havitz and Mannell (2005, p161) observed that students in high school, who had pro-military attitudes, together with those who demonstrated an affirmative attitude towards tangible benefits that came from armed force associated work, demonstrated higher interest in voluntary enlistment in their future life. In the analysis of the motives that drive decisions on volunteering among the students in American high-school, Shelley, Sussman and Crabtree (2009, p143) made a distinction between occupational tangible goals as education or job benefits, and the intangible intrinsic goals of the institution, which include fidelity. Within the healthcare settings, for instance, the moment the volunteers fail to consider themselves as being effective, they lose satisfaction with their experience of volunteering, and this may prompt their disengagement from further volunteering practices in the healthcare facility. As Draper and Claxton (2004, p3) review, it can be seen that the duration within which volunteers participate in provision of healthcare services is partly influenced by whether or not the values of the individual in the organization or group are affirmed. Increasing of the individual’s capacity in their respective line of service would equally involve supporting and managing of the healthcare workers, with the aim of obtaining maximum benefit from them. In this case, the relevant facility must have sufficient investment of resources for management of the workers through ensuring they receive sufficient levels of support and motivation. In a research conducted by Watson-Gegeo (2005, pp 411), it was observed that majority of the managers in health care facilities thought their colleagues were likely to disengage in healthcare improving practices as a result of the concerns regarding the level of support they require in performing their duties There are several controversial issues around the behaviour standards of the healthcare workers at the facilities including the volunteers. For instance, there may be tendencies of inappropriate conduct among them, among which are the issues related to ethical requirements such as values, confidentiality, as well as interference with other people’s social and health care decisions. Swann and Bosson (2010, p604) observe that there may be tension between the healthcare institutions and public sector standards governing the practices of the institution, all of which have a bearing on the manner of behaviour by the workers in the institution. Schaeffer and McMurtry (2004, p120) discovered that certain managers for volunteers demonstrated reluctance towards introducing formal documentation in fear of creating an inflexible or intrusive picture of their organizations. However, the availability of the code of practice has as many benefits for the volunteer as the organization. Methodology Introduction There has been little research carried out in the healthcare sector in Libya, particularly on the role of volunteers in improving the quality of life of people in the region. This study is particularly meant for addressing this issue and in this chapter, the research will provide an outline and a critical insight of the ideal designs and method, selection of sample, as well as the collection and analysis of data (Green and Thoroggod, 2004). Additionally, there will be the ethical consideration description and its necessity for the completion of the study proposed. Study design Design/Proposed method As suggested by Parahoo (2006), the selected design for a research must be among the most suitable in order to obtain the required answers for the proposed questions of the study. In respect to the proposed questions of this study, the research relied on the descriptive qualitative design for research with the aim of exploring the volunteers and staff perception regarding the healthcare service quality in The Libyan Red Crescent. Qualitative research, as observed by Holloway and Wheeler (2002), is a subjective and systematic approach for describing life experiences together with providing meaning for the same. In the case of this research, the qualitative study gives the researcher the chance to explore perspectives, feelings, behaviours, as well as experiences in a deeper perspective, and the complexity and quality of the situation through the holistic framework. The descriptive design is meant to elaborate on the important findings within a rigorous way that cannot be vulnerable to bias and distortion (Brabury,Jones et al. 2010). Making the study descriptive significantly assists in discovery of new meaning, give a description of the current practices, facilitate verification of the rates of occurrences in the organization, as well as categorizing the obtained data and information. The choice to design this study in this manner was for the purpose of facilitating precisions of the actions by the researcher and the ultimate aims, which include identification of issues within the current practices or justifying the proposed practices (Wolff and Hart, 2006). This is a qualitative descriptive survey, and seeks to determine the variables that directly and indirectly influence the quality of care delivered in the setting identified. The strategy in this research will be to develop a survey. The method used for data collection in this research is a questionnaire. Oppenheim (2008, p102) stated that the questionnaire is a very effective way of obtaining information because it saves time and money as well as providing a great opportunity to obtain accurate information, and there is no direct interaction between the respondent and the researcher, which may lead to inaccurate answers when a sensitive question is raised (Oppenheim , 2008). In addition, the use of a questionnaire allows the ability to reach out to respondents who live at widely dispersed addresses or abroad. The collected data will take into consideration the knowledge, attitudes together with the impacts of different managerial aspects of service. Sampling The research aimed at acquiring purposeful sampling through recruitment of staff employees and volunteers in Libyan Red Crescent branch in Zintan city in Libya. According the Cormack (2000), qualitative researchers have preferences for selective samples that are smaller because the study is characteristically in-depth, and also because this is ideal for the data analysis. In order to obtain positive sample, this research exhibited certain inclusions and exclusion criteria requirements, among which is i. The number participant number of participants was 12, and this small number was for the purpose of obtaining detailed accounts for responses as well as providing room for large information amount for analysis. These included the manager of the organization and one leader and 2 major doctors, as well as 3 nurses and 5 major volunteers of the organization ii. A minimum of one year or working in the organization, either as an employee or volunteer, and this was important in enhancing the quality of opinions obtained since iii. Must have been above the age of 18 years The respondents have sufficient exposure and experience working in the organization. Before obtaining the participants’ consent for their participation in the study, the letters that request for the permission to conduct the research in the organization were delivered to the relevant boards. In this case, the certification of the study was sought from the Faculty ethics committee, and upon reception of the permission in order to have access to the participants, the consent of the participants will be sought (Lippke, Schwarzer, Ziegelmann, Scholz and Schuz. 2010). This was done through distribution of the invitation letters to all volunteers and staff of the LRC requesting for their participation in the study. Within the invitation letter, there was a brief explanation comprising of the study aims, a brief description of the exact tasks required of the participants, their participation rights, the confidentiality discussion, as well as the addresses and phone numbers of the research personnel for the purpose of enabling participants to seek clarifications on arising queries. Accompanied by the invitation letter was the consent form that was read by the respondents, signed, and then returned to researcher by the convinced participant demonstrating their willingness to partake in the research. The selection of the final research participants occurred two weeks following the obtaining of consent, and this was conducted using the appropriate criteria, ensuring that adequate time is available to facilitate consideration of the participants’ decision (Denscombe, 2007). This was important for the purpose of allowing time for consultations and asking of queries by the participants, as well as allowing sufficient amount of time for all the participants to read carefully and make decisions on the invitations sent. Data Collection: It has already been indicated that the research herein is a qualitative type of research and in order to accomplish this, there was need for questionnaires (Oppenheim, 2008). The questionnaire consisted of numerous questions that are uniquely developed targeting different categories of respondents for the study. Every interview lasted for between 60 and 90 minutes. It should be noted, however, that the structures provided together with the time approximates were merely for guidance and not strictly what the interview should do. The response of the respondent is of critical importance and will be considered the key factor in determining the length and direction of the interview (Morse, Mayan, Olsan and Spiers, 2002). The participants were kept updated of their rights, particularly the voluntary termination of the interview or withdrawal from the research study any time they felt like doing so. For the purpose of ensuring privacy and anonymity for the participants in the course of study, there were negotiations with the management of the organization so that the study is carried out in the private rooms of the organization. The period during which the interviews were conducted was at least five days, with the time being sufficient for the researcher to conduct a reflection on the collected data and make necessary adjustments. Instrument development The instrument for use in the study was the healthcare service sustainability questionnaire. The survey was constituted by several components aimed at acquiring information from the respondents regarding their personal views on the different issues under study in an institution (Munhall, 2001). There was a conclusive statement that reflected the summary of the respondent concerning the research question. To encourage respondents to reply the questions provided to them, a sealed reply-paid self-addressed envelope was used, and this assures the respondents’ confidentiality. The questionnaires returned were then filled into a database for eventual data retrieval following the permission of both the management unit and the local ethics committee. Data Analysis and Results Data analysis, according to Polit and beck (2008), is meant for organization, providing structure to, as well as eliciting a comprehensible meaning from the collected research data. In this study, the analysis of data continued together with the data collection process. This means that the process occured simultaneously with that of interviewing, synthesis of the gathered data, interpretation and eventual communication to give it the meaning. Based on the observation by StreubertSpeziale and Carpenter (2007), analysis of qualitative data takes place in three phases that include description, the analysis stage, and data interpretation. The researcher transcribed the analysis and verbatim of the interview and transcript analysis in line with the Winter and Munn-Giddings (2001) version. For realization of absolute data saturation, comprehensive reading and re-reading is important in order to make sure that all the information that is recurring and other notable variations are noticed, and only when no more new information is obtainable can this be achieved (Polit and Beck 2008). There were volumes of data collected although the process of data collection which needed the researcher to undertake the completion of data reduction through categorization and identification of similar themes in order to enable easy interpretation of findings. The questionnaires were set differently for the manager, volunteers, and the organization staff. This means different response was expected from the different categories of the respondents, particularly the staff with job experience, from those of volunteers who had no experience in the work (Morse, Barrett, Olsan and Spiers, 2002). The analysis of the results would thus be done separately, and varied recommendations made for the different categories of respondents, all aimed at enhancing the efficiency of each group in providing quality services. Pilot Study: A pilot study was important in assisting further study development. For instance, it should be used for the purposes of testing the study measures, interview estimations, evaluating the validity of the tools used, as well as approximating the outcome variables (Bradbury-Jones, Irvine and Sambrook, 2010). The researcher stands to benefit from the execution of the pilot study before the main research study is done since it enables the identification of any possible weaknesses in the planned study as well as allowing time for making necessary rectifications and amends prior to conducting the real study. In most circumstances, it is recommended that the pilot study be done before the main study by use of 10 percent of the real sample size. But since the study herein is a qualitative one aiming to use 20 respondents, only 2 participants will be used for the pilot study. The pilot study in this case will be used in testing the frameworks and tools’ reliability, trustworthiness, the location of the interview, the sound in audio recording, as well as the time frames. It will be expected that it facilitates the identification of flaws within the current plan of data collection, while equalling enabling sufficient time for rectification of these prior to the main research. Ethical Consideration In any research study, there are numerous moral and ethical dilemmas that should be well identified and promptly addressed before conducting any research study, and this is for the purpose of protecting the participants in the study from possible harm. In the same way, the commencement of this study will only occur following comprehensive consideration of all the potential ethical or moral concerns that could arise in the course of the research. The compliance of the study with the set standards of ethics will be approved by the research ethics committee. The principles of ethics that will be considered prior to the study include: a. Beneficence and Non-maleficence According to this principle, it is expected that the findings of the study have no or least harm on the participants and the general society. To fulfil this, the researcher focuses on unravelling the different factors that could help in enhancing the quality of healthcare service provided in the LRC, which is a centre that offers health services to the society. The study is thus of great importance to the participating organizational staff considering that the outcome of the study, if endorsed, will help in streamlining the organizational practices and improving the quality of service and easing unnecessary burdens from the workers. On the other hand, the society will benefit from the study if the research study succeeds and the findings are put in practice in improving the healthcare quality provided in the organization. b. Autonomy: The research will demonstrate sufficient respect for free choice and human right through ensuring that the participants complete the informed consent prior to their participation in the interview. In addition, the researcher plans to have constant review of the specific details that the participants have given their consent to and ensuring they are carried out effectively. This is termed as the procedure of consent that enables researchers to redo negotiation of consent form features as derived from the changing inquiry description (Munhall, 2001). The study will ensure that all the participants in it are sufficiently reassured of their choice to withdraw from the study at any time of their choice with no repercussions or penalty for doing so. According to Kelly and Simpson (2001), researchers are expected to maintain very close inclusions and consultations with all participants all through the time of the research since there could be some people who develop the feeling of being impervious to change. All the resultant results and findings will represent the actual facts as described within the interview. All the perceptions and experiences of the participants will be demonstrated same way it has been in the interviews, with no false accusations or information reflected in the final report of the study. Ethical considerations demand that the data collecting tools causes the least harm as possible to the individuals participating in it. Any discomfort on the part of the participants, especially in giving certain information should render them relieved from giving the specific or overall responses (Kelly and Simpson, 2001). On the other hand, the tools used in the research for the collection of data will maintain the anonymity of the respondents for confidentiality purposes. Similarly, the study will seek to capture other details related to the respondent’s demographics including their sex and age, and this is done for the purposes of descriptive statistics. Other measures will be applied where necessary in order to ensure absolute safety, rightful application of the collected information and confidentiality. The proposal will receive the approval of the ethics committee in the university prior to the commencement of the study. Results Manager rating Project management-8 Communication with staff- 8 Feeling part of the project-9 Importance of his work to organization -10 Suggestions to improve the management of the project - Ensure sufficient supply of resources; both material and human resources, to facilitate better service provision in the organization. Volunteers All the volunteers had never worked in the same capacity before They had all received field-related training before assuming their responsibilities Two volunteers rated the training at 6. Others rated it at 5, 4 and 3. The organization manager cited lack of support from the civil society organizations and the government as among the challenges faced by the organization. In addition, lack of equipments to be used in providing good services was an issue that hampered the practices of the organization. The team leader says that there are no plans for any good work to be done as well as most of the team members do not have sufficient experience which help them to reach the desired goal, and that there was no any courses or any incentives for the development of all elements of the team fillies. All doctors stressed that all the equipment available in the pit of the organization is to provide a good service, high quality and they do not have any experience in the past to deal with any disasters may occur and they need several sessions to develop their professional As regards nursing that their answer was also similar saluting, said that there are no possibilities to help them provide good services to victims of disasters, wars, and they have not received any training to develop their abilities and there are no any incentives encourage them to work hard. Volunteers who are involved in this questionnaire were their answers that they do not have any experience in the field of voluntary work in the past and they do not have a good connection between them and the team work and that there was no clear plan of action can be relied upon during the work and they need training courses to develop their skills Discussion and conclusion From the results, it is evident that lack of resources constitutes the major challenge faced by the organization in its efforts to deliver quality healthcare services to the society. Being a non-profit oriented organization, there is much reliance on governmental and non-governmental organizations and other well wishers to support the services offered. However, the limited resources at their disposal means the organization cannot perform to its target in offering services. Additionally, the lack of proper staffing and insufficient training offered given to the volunteers, means the organization can hardly realize its targets. Proper management skills would be vital in enabling the organization maximizes on the human potential at its disposal. Such skills include communication between management and staff and volunteers, regular training and workshops to enhance competitiveness among healthcare providers, and mobilization skills. References Ardichvili, A., Page, V. and Wentling, T., 2003. Motivation and barriers to participation in virtual knowledge-sharing communities of practice.Journal of Knowledge Management, 7(1), pp. 64–77. Bradbury-Jones C., Irvine, F. and Sambrook S., 2010. Phenomenology and participant feedback: Convention or contention. Nurse Researcher. 17(2), pp. 25-33 Denscombe, M., 2007.The Good Research Guide for small-scale social research projects,3rd Ed, Open University Press: London. Draper, D.A., and G. Claxton, G., 2004. 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