Texas Master Naturalist Volunteer Management System

Getting Started with the TMN VMSMichelle Haggerty, Sandy

Leyendecker, and Brenda Fest

Hill Country Chapter

Tonight’s Agenda• Michelle: History, Rationale and basic overview of

the new TMN VMS

• Sandy: Our Chapter’s planning & process for implementation – Review of projects, AT and codes

• Brenda: Getting started: – New 2015 Class Beta Testers – The nitty gritty--How to use the system to enter your

hours

History of the TMN VMS

• TMN Program funded by a Federal Grant – TMN volunteer hours used as in-kind match • Value of TMN Service = $23 per Hour

• Federal grant and auditors required TPWD to implement a centralized hours reporting system for all volunteer programs in the agency

History of the TMN VMS

• VMS Selected by TPWD for managing volunteer service hours in 2011– TMN pilot tested with 4 chapters in 2012– Specific account/portal set up for TMN program in

2014

• All TMN chapters converting to the VMS by end of the year

What is the VMS?

• VMS is an acronym for Volunteer Management System (the publisher is a company called Samaritan)

• It is web based software consisting of an administrator (eCoordinator) component and a volunteer (eRecruiter) component

• There are no known restrictions on the browser used with the volunteer component

What the chapter has done to date

• Summer of 2015– Chapter begins working with state office on the conversion – Hill Country Chapter VMS Team established • Kristie Denbow, Brenda Fest, Lisa Flanagan, Sandy

Leyendecker, and Liz Ross – Data Uploads prepared – Project & AT lists reviewed – Admin Team trained

• August through October– Data uploads completed – New class trainees begin reporting in the system

What the chapter has done to date

• All chapter members have been uploaded

• All projects have been uploaded – there are several project code changes

• The process for recording ATs has been streamlined. AT categories have been created so that reporting ATs will be easier. (See handout HCMN ATs Revision on VMS.)

Changes in Volunteer Projects

• Sandy Leyendecker, HCMN Data Manager

• Refer to handouts:– Inactive Volunteer Projects• Some projects have rolled into other projects• Some projects are inactive and not listed on VMS

– HCMN Project List

Where we’re headed

• Beginning January 2016 the Hill Country Chapter will begin to use the VMS provided by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

• Rollout in November• Training Sessions and helpful handouts

established • Training sessions in December and January at

local libraries. (To be announced soon.)

VMS Basics• All HCMN chapter members will be issued

usernames and passwords.

• Report your hours to the nearest 0.25 hours.

• All AT must be approved by our Chapter AT Director and shown on our website Calendar.– Travel time does not count for Advanced Training (AT).

VMS Basics• All service projects approved by the chapter are

set up in the VMS – Travel time does count for volunteer service hours.

• Activity should be entered by the day – no lumping of hours on a project/activity for the

month* (Except anything in the Field research category)

• Hours must be entered into the VMS within 45 days of the activity date.

Why the 45 day limit on reporting?• It is a requirement of all Federal and State Grants that

TPWD and the TMN program receive. • The TMN Program is required to report activities on

grants monthly and quarterly. – Hours reported late by members cannot be reported; are

missed opportunities and the conditions of our grant may not be met.

• It provides the best ‘snapshot’ of activity and accomplishments of the members, chapter and program

• Its just darn more efficient! (who remembers what they did 3 months ago?!?)

New Definitions

• Opportunities = Service Projects or AT events.• Survey: Used by members to enter hours• Log book: the record of TMN volunteer hours• TMN Hours: service hours applied to a TMN

event• AT Hours: advanced training hours (TMN)• VMS Web Portal: txmn.org/tmn-vms-users/

Using VMS

• Brenda Fest, New Class Director 2015

• Getting started: – New 2015 Class Beta Testers – The nitty gritty--How to use the system to enter

your hours

Beta Testing

• Members of the Class of 2015 have been using VMS since September to record their hours.

• They can assist others in learning how to use VMS. (See Class of 2015 Roster)

Feedback from Class of 2015• IthoughtVMSwasveryeasytouseandextremelyuserfriendly.I'vehadnoproblemswithit.

• Itwasjustsosimpletouse.Icouldentermyactivitiesatanytime(usuallydiditrightawaysoIwouldn'tforget)andthencheckresultsimmediately.

• Ireallydidnothaveanyproblems.OnceIfollowedtheinstructions,usedthecorrectpasswordandenteredmytimeafewtimes,itbecameeasier.

• Theonlyconfusioniswhensomeprojectshavevariousoptions...makingsurewechoosethecorrectone.

• Aftersomeguidance,theVMSsitewaseasytouse.• Intuitive&easytolearn,easytouse.• IloveVMS!IcanlookateverytrainingIhavegoneto,andseeallmyhoursinneatrows.Ithinkitiseasyandfuntouse.

Getting Started – Go to TMN Website- Chapter Resources -VMS

All HCMN members already have an account.

Enter your username and password

Write your NEW login and

password down!

45 Day Limit

Your User ID and Password• When your profile was uploaded you were

issued a user ID and password (if not already in the system)

• The password is case sensitive• Passwords must be at least 8 characters long

and include at least one numeral• You may change your password by “editing

your profile”

Once logged in, Update your Profile• Change your volunteer password• Change/Update your personal information in

the system• Make sure your email address is up to date!• Get assistance on your password; if you forget

it, you can have it emailed to your on file email address

• Agree to all the forms & waivers (same as when you initially applied to the chapter)

Select “Report my Service” on the Dashboard to report volunteer and AT hours

This will take you to the drop down menu listing AT opportunities and Service Projects.

Volunteer projects and AT opportunities have been uploaded into this system.

Report Service• Select a survey from the drop down menu.• Complete the fields requested as they pertain

to your work on the opportunity for that date • The date that appears automatically defaults

to today’s date; change the date to the actual date of your service on the calendar icon.

• Surveys ask for a category of service performed, advanced training, service project or chapter administration. Be sure to select the one most appropriate for what you did.

Report Service• If you worked/attended multiple days for the same

opportunity, do NOT lump your hours for multiple days together.

• Report the hours for each day by day (that is, if you worked a multi-day opportunity on January 10 for 3 hours and on January 12 for 2.25 hours, you would complete the survey twice (once for 3 hours on January 10 and once for January 12 for 2.25 hours).

• Except for Field Research opportunities. These may be combined over multiple days. –CoCORaHS–Cornell Nest Watch

Reporting ATs• We have streamlined the way AT hours will be listed on VMS.

Here’s how to enter an AT into VMS.

• In the VMS drop down menu AT categories are listed. These AT categories will be also included in the calendar listing of each AT event. Enter the date and hours in the survey. Under the description, enter the title and number of the AT as shown on the HCMN calendar.

• Remember if the AT is not on the HCMN calendar then it will not be approved. Also, if you do not list the Title (from the HCMN calendar) and location (if necessary) in the description portion of VMS, then your hours for the AT will not be approved.

Select AT Opportunity from Drop Down Menu on VMS

Here is an example

of AT:

Report Volunteer Hours – Select Opportunity from Drop Down Menu

Here is an example of volunteer service.

Note: It is Field

Research.

Here is another

example of volunteer service.

Note: It is not Field Research.

Impact Information• Unless you are the project coordinator,

click on “No” for the three questions at the bottom of the survey. If you click yes, a new set of questions will pop up for you to respond to. • If several chapter members are working

on a project with impacts, to avoid double-counting, the leader is the only person that reports the impact information

Impact Information

• Direct Contact – Number of people who received actual teaching in the classroom or field with a captive audience.

• Indirect Contact – Number of people reached while giving out information (not instruction), for example, manning a booth or display.

• Acres Impacted – Total acreage impacted through a new project.

• Trail Miles – Total number of new trail miles initiated for the first time, accurate to the nearest tenth of a mile.

Impact Information

Approval of Hours

• By clicking on “OK”, your hours will be submitted to the program administrator or to the approver for final review and approval.

• The hours you submit may be edited only until the approver has approved or rejected them.

• Be careful to select the correct opportunity title from the list and to select the correct opportunity type on the survey (Volunteer Service Hours or Advanced Training).

Viewing Your Service Hours

• Once your hours have been submitted, you may view them at any time.

• Log in using your volunteer user ID. Once you are logged in, you will see the volunteer dashboard.

• Click on “View My Log Book” to view your TMN service and AT hours.

• Please note, the hours in the upper right hand corner of the dashboard are NOT TMN hours but are TPWD program hours.

Select “View My Log Book” on the Dashboard to view volunteer and AT hours

You can edit or delete a record if it has not yet been approved.

Log Book Summary

Log Out When completed.

Training Opportunities

• Hands-on workshops for HCMN at libraries and nature centers that have wifi

• Available at TMN VMS Helpdesk:– VMS Volunteer Guide– Training Videos• Logging in as a Registered User & Changing Password• How to Report Service & View Your Logbook• FAQs

Help Desk – Helpful videos etc.