Canada’s Humanitarian Workforce (HWF) program is designed to enhance disaster response by mobilizing trained volunteers through non-governmental organizations (NGOs). However, my research and a recent study by Public Safety Canada highlight a persistent gap between policy-driven efforts and actual volunteer engagement. Together, these studies provide complementary insights into why volunteer recruitment and retention remain challenges. Examining them side by side reveals the systemic barriers preventing the HWF program’s success and offers solutions to revitalize volunteer participation.
My study, Strategies for Revitalizing the Humanitarian Workforce Program, explores volunteer-level barriers that hinder engagement in disaster response. Using survey and focus group data, I identified key challenges such as time constraints, restrictive policies, training requirements, and a lack of incentives or support for marginalized groups. Many potential volunteers want to contribute but are deterred by inflexible scheduling, bureaucratic onboarding, and personal financial costs. Rural and lower-income volunteers, as well as individuals with disabilities, face additional challenges, further limiting Canada’s ability to maintain a diverse and sustainable volunteer base.
Public Safety Canada’s study takes an organizational-level approach, assessing how NGOs funded under the HWF program are building response capacity. While federal funding has improved training and deployment capabilities, NGOs continue to struggle with recruitment and retention, suggesting that financial support alone does not resolve the practical challenges that volunteers face. These findings align with my research—government investment is necessary but insufficient without structural changes that address accessibility, flexibility, and motivation for volunteers.
Together, these studies offer mutually reinforcing conclusions through triangulation. Public Safety Canada’s report validates my findings that volunteer shortages persist despite funding, pointing to systemic inefficiencies in recruitment and engagement strategies. At the same time, my research explains why NGOs struggle—volunteer barriers remain unaddressed at the individual level, creating obstacles that funding alone cannot remove. The takeaway is clear: Canada’s disaster response capacity is at risk unless recruitment and retention strategies evolve.
So, what’s the solution? Both studies indicate the need for more flexible volunteer roles, improved recruitment strategies, and tiered incentive structures. My research suggests reducing bureaucratic barriers, expanding digital training options, and offering financial or symbolic recognition to make volunteering more accessible and rewarding. Public Safety Canada’s findings indicate that NGOs must adapt their engagement models to reflect modern volunteer expectations, particularly among younger and more diverse demographics.
Strengthening Canada’s disaster response depends on closing the gap between policy design and real-world volunteer engagement. Funding NGOs is important, but volunteer capacity will continue to decline without addressing barriers to participation. By integrating volunteer perspectives into program design, fostering inclusive recruitment strategies, and rethinking traditional volunteer structures, the HWF program can become a sustainable model for disaster response.
Now is the time to bridge the gap between policy and practice—before the next disaster strikes.
References
Beveridge, T. (2025). Strategies for Revitalizing the Humanitarian Workforce program [Master’s thesis, Royal Roads University]. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.16971.91688
Public Safety Canada. (2025, March 7). Advancing a Pan-Canadian Civilian Response Capacity. https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2025-cvln-rspns/index-en.aspx
Tom Beveridge 
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