Volunteers of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Ambassadors of Future to Achieve Exceptional Edition

Volunteers of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Volunteer Strategy Manager at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Nasser Al Mogaiseeb confirmed that the strategy of the volunteering program focuses on achieving two main goals. The first goal is short-term, represented in the success of hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and the second is long-term, represented in building a database of qualified volunteers who are capable of providing support to the State of Qatar in various events after the World Cup, considering that the volunteers will be the best ambassadors for the State of Qatar in the future.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Mogaiseeb said that since its launch in 2018, the volunteering program was based on a strategy on societal and heritage needs, explaining that the strategy aimed to provide volunteers for the World Cup and prepare a database of volunteers that helps Qatar's programs after the World Cup locally, regionally, or globally.

One of the most prominent things that were launched to support the strategy of volunteering to serve the World Cup is the preparation of a joint committee that brings together all voluntary institutions in the State of Qatar to support the country's efforts in organizing an exceptional version of the world's most prominent football event, and then preparing a sustainable legacy for the State of Qatar after the World Cup, he added Al Mogaiseeb explained that the committee includes a large group of institutions and organizations, such as the Qatar Voluntary Center, the Red Crescent Society (QRCS), Qatar Charity, Tomoh for Community Development, the Volunteer Department at Qatar Museums, the Volunteer Department at Qatar University, the Olympic Committee, Qatar Foundation (QF), and the Qatar Football Association (QFA), highlighting that this committee was officially launched among all institutions after continuous thinking and planning for a long time. These institutions are now partners with SC in various events and play a distinguished role in providing volunteers during various event, including the World Cup, he noted, adding that they have contributed to the preparation of strategies and standards that help the development of organizing the volunteering process in the State of Qatar and making it part of the culture.

The Volunteer Strategy Manager at SC considered that the challenges faced by the Volunteer Department were of two types, explaining that the first of which relates to field operational processes, such as integrating the work of volunteers and how to reach, prepare and train them in the right manner, while the second relates to the strategic aspect of the community and institutions' demand for a culture of volunteering. SC has made great efforts in overcoming these challenges and was able to provide large numbers of volunteers from the beginning of the volunteering program until the number reached 5,000 volunteers in the last FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, and now are seeking to prepare 20,000 volunteers, he added.

He stressed that the strategy of the volunteering program is based on achieving benefits for all parties, as the volunteers themselves will benefit in terms of skills, experiences, or new cultures and community service. As for the World Cup organizing committee, it will benefit from the capabilities, experiences, and cultures of volunteers in organizing the event, he added, pointing out that the State of Qatar will also provide a so-called economic value of volunteer work and that the volunteers will be the best ambassadors for the State of Qatar in the future.

Regarding the process for selecting volunteers, Al Mogaiseeb explained that it has several stages, as the process starts with filling out a form, participating in an induction game, booking an appointment for the personal interview with the volunteer, then distributing roles to volunteers. He continued explaining the remaining stages of the process, which consisted of training, selecting shifts, receiving the uniform and identification card, and finally providing support during fieldwork.

The Volunteer Strategy Manager noted that the most important conditions for volunteering are that the applicant be over 18 years old, as well as having a passion for volunteering without having previous experiences, while those with previous experiences will have leadership roles in the volunteering process. The English language test will be considered an efficient tool for determining the places where volunteers can perform the service efficiently, he added, noting that all these matters are a filtering stage for selecting 20,000 volunteers out of 100,000 expected volunteers from a database of 460,000 volunteers from different countries.

As for the training of volunteers, Al Mogaiseeb revealed that the training program for volunteers was designed according to the main needs required by the World Cup, adding that after building experiences, a specialized training program consisting of three types of training has been prepared. The first is related to general training in which the volunteer learns about the tournament, safety procedures, and some skills, which will help them communicate with other cultures, while the second is related to specialized training, where there will be more than 33 specializations present during the World Cup in more than 45 facilities in the State of Qatar, whether at stadiums, airports, or media centers, in addition to specialized training for each type, he explained, adding that the third type is related to field training, in which the trainee will learn about their fieldwork, in addition to a different type of training that will be for volunteer leaders only.

The Volunteer Strategy Manager at SC pointed out that the program will provide backup volunteers of 10 percent in the event of the inability of some volunteers to complete their mission during the World Cup or any emergency circumstances.

(QNA)