Consider these thorny issues which go beyond policy statements:

• Do you need to specify where tutoring activities will take place? Should you specify where students and tutors should or should not meet? Can you monitor these autonomous relationships? How do you balance the need to protect learners, tutors and the agency with the desire to offer a needed service in the homes of students who would not otherwise undertake literacy training?
• How much detail is required in recording all volunteer activities? Are tutors expected to report on their lesson activities and if so, will the reports ever be reviewed? Who is legally allowed to see those student records? Who is authorized to pass judgement, assess and make qualified entries to the learner’s progress file?
• Where does the work of the Volunteer Coordinator stop and the work of the Volunteer Tutor begin? Who makes assessments and evaluations of the learner’s progress? If the tutors are important decision-making partners, how are their skills and credentials evaluated? Who evaluates those who evaluate others?
• Can you refuse a volunteer? Can you “fire” a volunteer? And if so, what constitutes unsatisfactory performance of duties? Should you honour the request of a learner to work with a certain type of tutor even if it means discriminating against certain groups of people?

Challenges such as these are unique to community-based literacy agencies. Discussions on these important questions are worthwhile exercises for your organization. Considering and balancing your key values will guide you in writing your policies.