The Challenges and Solutions of Managing a Voluntary Group

Abstract

Abstract:Research in Japan has shown that the promotion of collaboration in sustainable management can generate interaction among actors. However, the process of gathering and analyzing cases is still in its early stages. This study will focus on one example case, the Secretariat to Promote the Establishment of Landcare in Japan (SPELJ). SPELJ has been trying to build a network which promotes cross-referencing and collaboration among local volunteer groups working on improving their local environment. The purpose of this study is to identify the management challenges of SPELJ and to generate possible solutions by analyzing and discussing its activities through participatory observation and documentation analysis. As a conclusion, it has been found that there are challenges to ensuring communication both within and outside of SPELJ, and also that this can be solved by promoting sharing information among the members while ensuring clarity in the information in its newsletters and on its website.