Federico Moscogiuri

Member Association: Volt United Kingdom

Gender: Male

What strategy would you implement to recruit and retain highly specialised volunteers for the functional teams, for example in communications, policy, or data, over a full Board term? 

It’s firstly important to look at the key functions that we require, in line with an overarching strategy. This should be done periodically, and whenever we feel we need to strengthen key areas of work.
It’s important to have a very clear role description, and clear expectations around time commitment and working patterns, in a way that is consistently applied across different roles.
Recruitment should be transparent. There must be a clear selection process for all roles, even where a strong candidate already exists. This process must be clear, fair, and make clear our commitment to the highest standards of diversity and equal opportunities. There should also be an induction process and a handbook for new starters.
It’s important to invite candidates from across the Volt community. Centrally, we should advertise using all available channels, including social media.
Volunteers will stay with us, and be productive, if they feel supported and get a sense of reward for their work. Success should be recognised and celebrated, and there should be enough opportunities for socialising and team-building. There should also be a periodic review process to discuss performance and identify any training needs. Good communication is key.

Non-executive Board members must both support and challenge the executives. Describe a situation where you would publicly back the Co-Presidents, and one where you would publicly dissent. What guides your choice?

It’s important to firstly prevent situations from getting to a critical stage, and if they do, to take all reasonable measures to avoid disagreements going public, as this would be destabilising for the movement and present a reputational risk for Volt.
I would publicly back the Co-Presidents in most situations if they required it or had asked for it. If they found themselves having to make a statement on a complex issue, for example, I would not hesitate to back them up if the way they approached this was in line with Volt policy and values, justifiable and morally sound - and if they had taken reasonable steps to involve the Board if necessary. The executives should feel that the Board has their back, but they must also ensure that they keep the Board appraised of potential issues in advance, as far as possible. There has to be trust, and this is achieved through good, regular and honest communication.
Publicly dissenting with the Co-Presidents is not something to be done lightly, as it can damage the relationship beyond repair. I would only do so where their actions effectively constituted gross misconduct, were clearly not in line with Volt policy and values, or I felt it important to intervene in order to protect the reputation of Volt – AND where I felt that my view was shared by the rest of the Board. The Board must avoid  splintering. It’s important to regain control of such situations and then manage the messaging once 

What would you do if you believed the Board was making a decision that conflicted with Volt Europa's core values?

There’s nothing more important to any organisation than its reputation, and this has its roots in its values. Especially for a progressive movement like Volt, it is imperative to have clear, strong values and demonstrably adhere to them in practice. Where we fall short of the standards we set ourselves, we must be transparent, acknowledge mistakes and visibly take steps to rectify them, in order to preserve our image and reputation. This is integral to good risk management, which is a key responsibility of any Board. The Board is the custodian of the organisational values.
Therefore, I would not hesitate to express my concern if a decision even risked conflicting with our core values. I would seek to avert or reverse the decision if possible, and I would wish to ensure that we handled this through the right channels. I would not compromise on our values, however: I would be firm, speak plainly and if necessary make my concerns known more widely, depending on the gravity of the situation and the response to it by the rest of the Volt leadership. Some things are red lines: eg cases of sexual harassment, bullying or other misconduct must be handled swiftly and