“The ultimate mission of the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organizations is to safeguard and strengthen the Voluntary Sector as a main pillar in society and the economy.”
This was said by Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli when he inaugurated the ‘Bl-Oħla Dawl Libbist’ building, the new building that will house the Office of the Commissioner for Voluntary Organizations (OCVO) in Blata l’Bajda.
Minister Farrugia Portelli claimed that in line with the electoral promise, today the OCVO is not simply a regulatory office. She went on to explain that in order for this office to safeguard and empower the sector, a reform was carried out that led to this office today being an organization that offers wider services to the sector while maintaining its regulatory role.
The Commissioner’s Office is also responsible for being a socio-economic partner so that it can deliver social, civil and community benefits. This is done by giving more visibility to the voluntary sector as well as by guaranteeing the transparency and accountability of voluntary organizations in carrying out their important work.
Minister Farrugia Portelli said that as the main regulatory body of the sector, OCVO has full autonomy to enforce the governance of voluntary organizations by monitoring and supervising their activities, while supporting them, by strengthening and protecting them the function of volunteering that leads to the achievement of the greater and common ultimate good.
“Despite the autonomy of this office, the strict collaboration with the Executive Office of the Maltese Council for the Voluntary Sector and also with the Office of the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry will achieve the goal of protecting the common good,” repeated Minister Farrugia Portelli.
During the restructuring process of this office, new directorates, new functions and processes were set up to keep the voluntary organizations at the center of their work. Therefore, as part of this reform, the workers in OCVO will also benefit from: an increase in pay; more defined roles with nomenclatures that match their way of working; more room for career growth with the addition of new grades; increase in the number of salary steps for further advancement in the same grade; and introduction of the qualifications allowance.
Minister Farrugia Portelli also pointed out that in the context of the reform carried out in this office, the strengthening of women in the workplace continued. She claimed that more than half of the workers who have a management degree in this office are women. The office also has support measures for all workers to enable them to achieve a balance between life and work.
Commissioner for Voluntary Organizations Jesmond Saliba reiterated the importance of this office, where in collaboration with other entities, he sees that the sector is safeguarded and strengthened. In this context he explained that various concepts such as Intent and Pre-Enrolment have been developed in the stage before an organization registers itself.
Another concept developed was the Interregulatory Liaision, which among other functions, also serves as a ‘one-stop-shop’ function for voluntary organizations, to reduce bureaucracy for them and also ensure that appropriate standards are established as required by the OCVO and other regulators as applicable.
Mr. Saliba concluded by saying that an extensive process of analysis of the voluntary organizations has just come to an end, where they are being classified in the context of their work and operation, in order to provide an appropriate service and support that is ‘tailor-made’ ‘ for them.
Photo: MIVC
