BGThe aim of the European Voluntary Service (EVS) is to develop solidarity and promote active citizenship and mutual understanding among young people.
European Voluntary Service project
The European Voluntary Service enables young people to carry out voluntary service for up to 12 months in a country other than their country of residence. It fosters solidarity among young people and is a true ‘learning service'. Beyond benefiting local communities, volunteers learn new skills and languages, and discover other cultures.
An EVS project has three phases:
- planning and preparation
- implementation of the Activity
- evaluation (including reflection on a possible follow-up).
Non-formal learning principles and practice are reflected throughout the project.
An EVS project can focus on a variety of themes and areas of intervention, such as culture, youth, sports, social care, cultural heritage, arts, civil protection, environment, development cooperation, etc. High-risk interventions in immediate post-crisis situations (e.g. humanitarian aid, immediate disaster relief, etc.) are excluded.
It is designed to implement one or more EVS Activities.
EVS Activity
An EVS Activity has three essential components:
The Service: the volunteer is hosted by a promoter in a country other than her/his country of residence and carries out voluntary service for the benefit of the local community. The service is unpaid, non profit-making and full-time.
EVS Training and Evaluation Cycle: the promoters involved in the EVS Activity must ensure that each volunteer participates in:
- pre-departure training
- on-arrival training
- mid-term evaluation (for a Service lasting more than 4 months)
- evaluation of the Activity.
All training courses must comply with the Guidelines and minimum quality standards set by the Commission; details are available on the website of the European Commission.
For further information on the EVS Training and Evaluation Cycle, please consult section 'What else should you know about EVS?' under this Action.
Ongoing volunteer support: the promoters must provide personal, task-related, linguistic and administrative support to each volunteer involved in the Activity.
For further information, please consult section 'What else should you know about EVS?' under this Action.
An EVS Activity involving young people with fewer opportunities includes specific elements to ensure that adequate support is provided to the volunteers.
According to the number of promoters and volunteers involved, an EVS Activity can be defined as an Individual or Group EVS Activity:
- Individual EVS Activity: 1 volunteer sent by one Sending Organisation to one Host Organisation
- Group EVS Activity: between 2 and 100 volunteers sent by one or several Sending Organisations to one or several Host Organisations. The distinguishing feature of the Group EVS Activity is that volunteers carry out their Service in the same time frame and the tasks they carry out are linked to a common thematic. A Group EVS Activity can also be linked to a specific event; in this case the Activity requires a solid partnership with the organising body of the event and the volunteers' tasks must all relate to the event.
The EVS Charter
The EVS Charter is part of the Youth in Action Programme Guide and highlights the roles of each promoter in an EVS project, as well as the main principles and quality standards of EVS. Each EVS promoter must adhere to the provisions set out in this Charter.
Promoters decide together - in line with this Charter - how to share tasks and responsibilities and the grant within each Activity of the EVS Project. These divisions are formalised through an EVS Activity Agreement between promoters.
For more information on the EVS Charter and the EVS Activity Agreement, please consult section 'What else should you know about EVS?' under this Action.
EVS is not
- occasional, unstructured, part-time volunteering
- an internship in an enterprise
- a paid job; it must not replace paid jobs
- a recreation or tourist activity
- a language course
- exploitation of a cheap workforce
- a period of study or vocational training abroad
The criteria used to assess an EVS project
Eligibility Criteria
Eligible promoters | Each promoter must be:
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Role of promoters | Promoters involved in the EVS Project perform the following roles and tasks: Coordinating Organisation (CO) of the project, Sending Organisation (SO) in one or several Activities, Host Organisation (HO) in one or several Activities.
There is only one CO per EVS project, regardless of the number of EVS Activities and promoters foreseen in the project. The CO doesn't necessarily have to be a SO or HO in the project (although it may be). In EVS projects involving only one volunteer, either the SO or the HO acts as CO. |
Number of promoters | Individual EVS Activity: two promoters (one SO + one HO) from different countries, of which at least one is from an EU country. In the EVS project, the number of promoters from Partner Countries does not exceed the number of promoters from Programme Countries. The EVS Activity is not affected by this criterion, as long as this rule is respected in the overall EVS project. |
Eligible participants | Young people aged between 18 and 30, legally resident in a Programme Country or Partner Country. |
Number of participants | EVS project: from 1 to 100 volunteers. Individual EVS Activity: 1 volunteer.
If a project involves Partner Countries, the number of volunteers coming from Partner Countries in the project cannot exceed the number of volunteers coming from Programme Countries. Exception: EVS projects involving only one volunteer coming from a Partner Country. |
Venue of the Service | The Service takes place in a Programme Country or in a Partner Country. The eligibility of the venue depends on the country of origin of the volunteer.
A volunteer from a Neighbouring Partner Country or from an Other Partner Country of the World must carry out her/his Service in a Programme Country. |
Duration of project | Up to 24 months. |
Duration of the Service | Individual EVS Activity or Group EVS Activity involving less than 10 volunteers: the Service lasts a minimum of 2 months and a maximum of 12 months. Group EVS Activity involving at least 10 volunteers: the Service lasts a minimum of 2 weeks and a maximum of 12 months. EVS Activity involving young people with fewer opportunities: the Service lasts a minimum of 2 weeks and a maximum of 12 months.
A volunteer can take part in only one EVS Activity. Exception: volunteers with fewer opportunities can take part in more than one EVS Activity provided that the total duration of the combined periods of Service does not exceed 12 months. |
Service programme | An overview of the EVS project as well as a timetable describing a standard week of Service of each EVS Activity in the project must be annexed to the application form. |
Who can apply? | To be eligible as an applicant a promoter must be legally established either in a Programme Country or in South East Europe.
Applications submitted to the Executive Agency (see below, section ‘Where to apply?'): |
When to apply? | The project must be submitted for the application deadline corresponding to the start date of the project (please consult Part C of this Guide). |
Where to apply? | Applications to be submitted to the Executive Agency:
Applications to be submitted to the National Agencies: |
How to apply? | The application must be introduced in compliance with the application modalities, as described in Part C of this Guide. |
Other criteria | Advance Planning Visit (only for EVS Activity involving young people with fewer opportunities). If an APV is foreseen, it must meet the following eligibility criteria:
Mentor: A mentor must be identified in the Host Organisation. The mentor cannot be the person who assigns and supervises the tasks of the volunteer.
Volunteer selection process: The promoter guarantees the transparency and openness of the volunteer selection process. |
Exclusion Criteria | |
| The applicant must state, when signing the form, that they are not in any of the situations which would prevent them from receiving a grant from the European Union (please consult Part C of this Guide). |
Selection Criteria | |
Financial capacity | The applicant must show that they have stable and sufficient sources of funding to maintain their activity throughout the period during which the project is being carried out and to participate in its funding. |
Operational capacity | The applicant must show they have the necessary competencies and motivation to complete the proposed project. |
Award Criteria | |
Projects will be assessed against the following criteria:
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Relevance to the objectives and priorities of the Programme | The relevance to:
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Quality of the project and methods proposed |
(quality of the partnership/active involvement of all promoters in the project; quality of the volunteer(s) selection process; quality of the preparation phase; quality of the Service and volunteer's tasks; quality of the support and training offered to the volunteer; quality of the evaluation phase of the project; quality of risk prevention and crisis management measures; quality of specific elements foreseen in projects including young people with fewer opportunities)
(compliance with the qualitative criteria of the EVS Charter; active involvement of the volunteer(s) in the Activity; promotion of social and personal development of the volunteer(s); role of the Mentor; intercultural dimension; European dimension)
(impact and multiplying effect; visibility of the project/visibility of the Youth in Action Programme; dissemination and exploitation of results). |
Profile of participants (20%) |
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What else you should you know about EVS
What are the roles of promoters involved in EVS?
The EVS Charter annexed to this Programme Guide describes the role of EVS promoters acting as Sending, Host or Coordinating Organisation. Furthermore, the Charter defines the main principles of EVS and the minimum quality standards that must be respected within an EVS project.
According to the EVS Charter, promoters jointly decide how to share tasks and responsibilities and the EVS grant within each Activity of the EVS project.
This section suggests how such roles and tasks could be shared (in some cases these roles must be compulsorily performed by a given promoter).
Coordinating Organisation
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Sending Organisation
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Host Organisation
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In order to guarantee the smooth and transparent implementation of EVS projects, promoters and volunteer(s) involved in any EVS Activity are asked to formalise their distribution of tasks, responsibilities and share of the EU grant through an internal agreement, defined as an EVS Activity Agreement. This Agreement also lays down the tasks, working hours and practical arrangements as well as the expected learning process and learning objectives of the volunteer(s).
An EVS Activity Agreement must contain the original signature of the legal representative of the Coordinating, Sending and Host Organisations as well as of the volunteer(s) involved in the EVS Activity. All signatories should receive a copy of the Agreement; the Agreement is binding on all of them. Where there is doubt or dispute, the criteria and rules of EVS, as stipulated in the Programme Guide, shall prevail over the Activity Agreement.
The Youth in Action Programme defines the minimum requirements which must be contained in the Activity Agreement, leaving up to promoters and volunteers the choice of format and level of detail of this document. These minimum requirements, as well as the provisions relating to submission and amendment of the Agreement, are described in the application form.
The Coordinating Organisation must send a copy of the Activity Agreement to the National Agency or the Executive Agency which has selected the project.
If the EVS project is implemented through more than one EVS Activity, the Coordinating Organisation must submit a separate Activity Agreement for each planned EVS Activity.
The EVS Activity Agreement must be submitted either with the application form or at a later stage, but in all circumstances, no later than 6 weeks before the start of the EVS Activity.
In the latter case, different payment procedures apply to the grant agreement signed with the beneficiary (please consult Part C of this Guide).
Training and evaluation events must the EVS volunteer attend
Pre-departure training
Pre-departure training gives volunteers an opportunity to talk about their expectations, develop their motivation, and obtain information on their host country and on the Youth in Action Programme. It can also be an opportunity for volunteers to meet and speak to former EVS volunteers. Duration is on average three days.
On-arrival training
On-arrival training takes place upon arrival in the host country. It introduces volunteers to their host country and their host environment, and helps them to get to know each other. Duration is on average seven days.
Mid-term evaluation (compulsory only for Services lasting more than 4 months)
Mid-term evaluation provides volunteers with an opportunity to evaluate their experience so far, as well as to meet other volunteers from different projects throughout the host country. Duration is on average two and a half days.
Evaluation of the Activity
The evaluation of the Activity addresses the realisation of the EVS Activity: aims, objectives, motivation, expectations, and tasks performed during the Service. It brings together the volunteers and their Sending Organisations with the aim of reflecting on what happened during the EVS Activity and assessing the support and communication provided by the Sending Organisations. It also aims to facilitate reintegration of the volunteers into their home country. Duration is on average three days.
Who organises the EVS Training and Evaluation cycle?
EVS volunteers have the right and obligation to participate in these training and evaluation sessions. Responsibility for organising the EVS Training and Evaluation Cycle depends on where the events are to take place.
In Programme Countries the training/evaluation is organised by the National Agencies (including for those volunteers selected in projects approved by the Executive Agency).
In South East Europe (SEE) the training/evaluation is organised by SALTO SEE Resource Centre (including for those volunteers selected in projects approved by the Executive Agency).
The granting Agency (National or Executive) may, exceptionally, authorise beneficiaries to organise all or some of the training/evaluation sessions relating to their project, if there is a particular situation duly justified in the application form.
In all other Partner Countries the training is organised by EVS Sending, Host or Coordinating organisations in line with the Volunteer Training: Guidelines and Minimum Quality Standards of the European Commission (see: Commission website). Financial support is provided to beneficiaries that organise these sessions (see funding rules); the additional financial support must be requested in the application form.
In Eastern Europe and Caucasus, the SALTO EECA Resource Centre provides support for the EVS Training and Evaluation Cycle organised in the EECA countries.
Accreditation of EVS promoters
Accreditation serves to gain access to EVS and to ensure that the minimum quality standards of EVS are met.
Who?
Any promoter from a Programme Country or from South East Europe wishing to send or host EVS volunteers or to coordinate an EVS project must be accredited. Promoters outside the Programme Countries and South East Europe can participate in EVS projects without accreditation.
How?
To be accredited, a promoter must submit an Expression of Interest form (EI) describing their general motivation and ideas for EVS activities (see Commission's webpage http://ec.europa.eu/youth/yia/forms/forms_yia_en.html). This form must be submitted to the relevant bodies responsible for accreditation (see below). The same promoter may request one or more types of accreditation (as Sending, as Host, as Coordinating Organisation).
When?
Expression of Interest forms can be submitted at any time (no deadline). However, promoters are strongly invited to submit their request within reasonable time before the submission of the EVS project application (in principle, at least 6 weeks before). This is in order to avoid the EVS project being rejected by the National or Executive Agency due to the fact that some of the promoters involved in it are not accredited by the time the application is assessed.
By whom?
Accreditation is carried out by:
- the Executive Agency: for promoters that are a) a body active at European level in the youth field; or b) an international governmental organisation or c) a profit-making organisation organising an event in the area of youth, sport or culture)
- the National Agency of the country of the promoter, for all other project promoters located in Programme Countries
- SALTO SEE Resource Centre for all other project promoters located in South East Europe.
Note: The EI form must be completed in English.
What's next?
Ideally, the assessment of the EI and the accreditation process are carried out within six weeks after receipt of the EI. In the case of approval, the responsible bodies will assign an EI reference number and communicate it to the promoter; this number must be mentioned in any application form relating to EVS projects the promoter is involved in.
The accreditation is valid for the period indicated in the EI; however, the maximum eligible duration is three years. After the expiration of the validity period, the accreditation can be renewed by submitting a new EI.
All promoters must apply the principles of the EVS Charter at all stages of the project; this is a basis for accreditation.
The responsible structures may withdraw the accreditation at any time where there is non-compliance with the EVS Charter.
In order to facilitate partner-finding, project descriptions and profiles of all accredited promoters are published in a database of European Voluntary Service promoters. The database can be consulted at: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_en.cfm
How is the volunteer selection process carried out?
Volunteers are chosen regardless of their ethnic group, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion, etc. No previous qualifications, educational level, specific experience or more than basic language knowledge should be required. A more specific profile of the volunteer might be drawn up if justified by the nature of the tasks of the Service or by the project context but even in this case selection on the basis of professional or education qualifications is excluded.
Every EVS volunteer must be enrolled into the Group Insurance Plan for EVS volunteers foreseen by the Youth in Action Programme, which complements the coverage by national social security systems - if applicable.
The Coordinating Organisation, in cooperation with the Sending and Host Organisations, is responsible for the enrolment of the volunteer(s). This enrolment must be done before the departure of the volunteer(s) and cover the duration of the Service.
An insurance Guide including all the information on the coverage and support provided, as well as instructions on the online enrolment process, is available at http://www.europeanbenefits.com/.
Youthpass
Every person who has taken part in a Youth in Action project under Action 1.1, Action 2, and Action 4.3 (Training Courses) is entitled to receive a Youthpass certificate, which describes and validates the non-formal and informal learning experience acquired during the project.
All Youthpass certificates have a common structure, a coherent layout, and contain the following information:
- personal details about the participant
- general description of the relevant Action of the Programme
- key information concerning the project and the activities realised by the participant
- description and assessment of the participant's learning outcome during the project.
Through the Youthpass, the European Commission ensures that participation in the Programme is recognised as an educational experience and a period of non-formal learning and informal learning. This document can be of great benefit for the future educational or professional pathway of the participant.
Each beneficiary of a Youth in Action grant under the Actions concerned is responsible for:
- informing all participants involved in the project that they are entitled to receive a Youthpass certificate
- issuing such certificates to all participants who request one.
These obligations are specified in the model of grant agreement between the beneficiary and the relevant National or Executive Agency.
Beneficiaries can issue Youthpass certificates by accessing http://www.youthpass.eu/ which is an integral part of the Commission's website on the recognition of non-formal learning in the youth field (http://www.youthandrecognition.eu/).
What support is available?
Within European Voluntary Service, quality and technical support to young people and promoters is provided by National Agencies and the EVS Advice and Support Organisations at national level, and by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency and the Commission at European level.
The core service consists of helping, on request, with the identification of volunteers and EVS Sending, Host and Coordinating Organisations and supporting the matching of volunteer and organisation based on mutual interests, profiles and expectations.
This is mainly intended to help those who want to get involved in EVS, but do not yet have the necessary European or international contacts. In this context, the Internet database of accredited EVS organisations can also be of great help: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/evs/aod/hei_en.cfm
Other services may also be available. Please contact your National Agency or the Executive Agency to find out more.
Furthermore, once the project is selected, additional support can be given by the Youth Helpdesk of the Executive Agency, which provides assistance to all the volunteers participating in an EVS project in crisis/risk situations and assists in visa issues. http://eacea.cec.eu.int/youth/programme/index_en.htm/helpdesk
EVS Advice and Support Organisations
To complement EVS services, EVS Advice and Support Organisations are identified by National Agencies from civil society and the public sector. The EVS Advice and Support Organisations help with the identification of volunteers and EVS Sending and Host Organisations on request. They can also help to match the interests, profiles and expectations of volunteers and organisations and assist with partnership-building. However, the actual recruitment and selection of volunteers remain the responsibility of Sending/Host/Coordinating Organisations and cannot be taken over by EVS Advice and Support Organisations or National Agencies.
In addition to these core tasks, EVS Advice and Support Organisations may also assist in developing the thematic or geographic scope of EVS or in reaching out to a certain target group. The exact set of services is determined by the National Agencies in light of the Youth in Action priorities, the respective capacities and the situation of EVS in a given country. In justified cases, a similar advisory and supportive role may also be conferred on individuals. EVS Advice and Support Organisations may also send, host or coordinate volunteers themselves and receive a project grant for this, provided that they are accredited EVS sending, host or Coordinating Organisations.
EVS Advice and Support Organisations must not take over contractual or financial management responsibility from National Agencies.
Former EVS volunteer structures
Any volunteer may choose to become involved in the activities of the national structures of former EVS volunteers during or after the EVS.
These structures work on youth and volunteering issues. Their activities generally include providing support to EVS volunteers and setting up platforms for communication and networking among former EVS volunteers for sharing experiences.
For details, please contact your National Agency or the Executive Agency.
Examples of EVS projects
EVS Project including 1 Activity (Individual EVS)
A Italian promoter acting as the Coordinating Organisation submits one grant application by the 1 April 2008 deadline to the Italian National Agency.
It includes one Activity: the same Italian promoter sending 1 volunteer to a theatre association in the United Kingdom, for 7 months of Service (07/2008 to 01/2009).
The project involves 1 Sending Organisation (also Coordinating Organisation), 1 Host Organisation and 1 volunteer.
EVS Project including 1 Activity (Group EVS)
A German promoter acting as the Coordinating Organisation submits one grant application by the 1 September 2009 deadline to the Executive Agency.
It includes one Activity: five promoters from Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Hungary, Slovakia sending 12 volunteers to three German associations cooperating with the organising committee of Essen European Capital of Culture 2010, for 1 month of Service (04/2010 to 05/2010).
The project involves 1 Coordinating Organisation, 5 Sending Organisations, 3 Host Organisations and 12 volunteers.
EVS Project including 3 Activities
A French promoter acting as Coordinating Organisation submits one grant application by the 1 June 2008 deadline to the French National Agency.
The EVS project includes three EVS Activities:
- Activity 1: Two Polish promoters sending 2 volunteers in an orphanage in France. The volunteers are hosted by one French Host Organisation and they carry out their Service for a period of 8 months (02 to 10/2009).
- Activity 2: Four French promoters sending in total 20 volunteers to 20 caring centres for young people with disability located in Albania, Belgium, Greece, and Romania for 6 months (09/2009 to 03/2010).
- Activity 3 (Inclusion Activity): One French promoter sending 1 volunteer with fewer opportunities (for instance, a young person facing social difficulties because s/he dropped out of school) to a social and leisure centre for young refugees in Finland for 12 months (04/2009 to 03/2010).
In total, 1 Coordinating Organisation, 7 Sending Organisations, 22 Host Organisations, and 23 volunteers would be involved in the project.
The graphic below illustrates the main steps of this project example:
How to develop a good project?
The 'Award criteria' table in this Action lists the criteria against which the quality of a project will be assessed. Here are some advices which may help you to develop a good project.
Quality of project design
- Quality of the partnership/active involvement of all promoters in the project
Smooth and efficient cooperation between the Sending, Host, and Coordinating Organisations and the volunteer is a vital element for the successful development of a project. Promoters must demonstrate the ability to establish and run a cohesive partnership with active involvement of all partners and with common goals to be achieved. In this respect, the following factors should be taken into consideration: the level of networking, cooperation and commitment of each promoter in the project; the profile and background of promoters when the nature or target of the Activity would necessitate the possession of certain qualifications; a clear and commonly agreed definition of roles and tasks of each promoter involved in the project; the capacity of the partnership to ensure effective dissemination of the results achieved through the Activity. Group EVS Activities linked to a specific event require a solid partnership with the organising body of the event.
- Quality of the volunteer selection process
The general openness of EVS for all young people and the spirit of the Programme are reflected in an accessible and transparent selection process.
- Quality of the preparation phase
The preparation phase is of crucial importance for the success of an EVS. Proper preparation of the EVS Activity together with the volunteer(s) is ensured by the Sending Organisation in cooperation with the Coordinating and Host Organisations and National Agencies. Promoters should reflect on division of responsibilities, timetable, tasks of the volunteer(s), practical arrangements (venue, transfers, accommodation, linguistic support), etc.
Moreover, once the volunteer(s) are identified, frequent contact and exchange of information between the promoters prior to the Service period enables them to fine-tune the project's design according to the profile and motivation of the volunteer(s).
- Quality of the Service and volunteer's tasks
The programme of the Service should be clearly defined, realistic, balanced and linked to the objectives of the project and of the Youth in Action Programme.
Effective matching between tasks and volunteer profiles should be targeted. Their tasks should, as far as possible, reflect their individual abilities and desires. Volunteers should not carry out tasks of professional staff, in order to avoid job substitution and/or excessive responsibility for the volunteers. Routine tasks should also be limited to the maximum extent. The tasks of the volunteers include contact with the local community. EVS volunteers may not carry out tasks which serve to support another EVS project (i.e. may not be responsible for project management or for the selection or training of other EVS volunteers).
- Quality of the support and training offered to the volunteer
Proper support to the volunteer(s) should be provided in all phases of the project. More precisely, each volunteer should receive personal, task-related, linguistic and administrative support. The personal support is reinforced by a Mentor, whereas another person, with significant experience, should be in charge of the task-related support.
As EVS involves young volunteers staying in another country for long periods of time, it is of the utmost importance for adequate levels of training to be provided to them at all stages of the project. Each volunteer participates in the EVS training cycle, which consists of pre-departure training, on-arrival training, mid-term evaluation and evaluation of the Activity. Volunteers should have the opportunity to exchange, share and evaluate the EVS experience. Language training is also provided to the volunteer(s) and included in the regular Service timetable. The format, duration and frequency of linguistic support can vary depending on volunteers' needs and abilities, the tasks and the capability of the organisation.
- Quality of the evaluation phase of the project
In order to make the project and its results more sustainable, promoters and volunteers are expected to include a final evaluation process. The evaluation phase addresses the actual fulfilment of the project (they may include several different Activities). It aims to assess whether the objectives of the project have been achieved and the expectations of the promoters and volunteer(s) have been met.
Besides the final evaluation, evaluation sessions before, during and after the Activity are carried out to ensure the smooth running of the Activity.
Regular meetings with the coordinator and the mentor should be organised. These on-going evaluation sessions are important in order to receive feedback from the volunteer(s) and to adapt the Activity accordingly.
- Quality of risk prevention and crisis management measures
The promoter makes sure that issues of risk prevention and crisis management are addressed in the project. Appropriate mechanisms are foreseen in order to enable young people to make their learning experience in a reasonably safe and protected environment.
- Quality of specific elements foreseen in projects including young people with fewer opportunities
Projects including young people with fewer opportunities should be embedded in a process before and after the actual project and not remain an isolated event, and they should involve project promoters with strong pedagogical competence and/or experience in inclusion.
When preparing and implementing these projects, particular emphasis needs to be put on the analysis of the profile and special needs of the young people and a corresponding tailor-made and supportive approach. These projects should consciously include young people with fewer opportunities as active participants.
Advance Planning Visits to the Host Organisation prior to the actual Service are encouraged since they facilitate the establishing of a solid partnership and the active involvement of young people with fewer opportunities.
Reinforced mentorship might be foreseen to increase personal support of volunteers with fewer opportunities on the sending and/or hosting side; it is shared between the Sending and Host Organisations according to their responsibilities.
Quality of project content and methodology
- Compliance with the qualitative criteria of the EVS Charter
The qualitative elements set in the EVS Charter are to be developed in the project, as they cover essential aspects such as the partnership, the principles of EVS, quality standards measures, information and recognition.
- Active involvement of volunteer(s) in the Activity
Volunteer(s) should be actively involved in the preparation and evaluation phases of the Activity.
- Promotion of social and personal development of the volunteer(s)
The project should enable the volunteer(s) to acquire self-confidence when they are confronted with new experiences, attitudes and behaviours; to acquire or cultivate skills, competences and knowledge contributing to social or personal development.
The project should also ensure the character of EVS as a ‘learning service', i.e. providing non-formal and informal learning opportunities to young people. To this end, the expected learning outcomes and learning processes should be described in general terms in the grant application.
Therefore, the number of volunteers carrying out simultaneously their Service in a given Host Organisation should be as low as possible, and be proportionate to the nature of the EVS project, as well as the capacity of the Organisation to offer valuable learning opportunities to several volunteers at the same time.
Group EVS Activities ensure that learning takes place not only on an individual basis, but also in the group. Joint meeting(s) and contacts between the volunteers are foreseen.
- Role of the mentor
The mentor is responsible for providing personal support to the volunteer(s) and for helping them to integrate into the local community. The mentor has also an important role in discussing the learning achievements with the volunteer at the end of the Activity in view of the Youthpass certificate. The volunteer(s) can turn to the mentor in case of problems.
- Intercultural dimension
The EVS should increase young people's positive awareness of other cultures and support dialogue and intercultural encounters with people from different backgrounds and cultures. It should also help to prevent and combat prejudice, racism and all attitudes leading to social exclusion and to develop sense of tolerance and understanding of diversity.
- European dimension
The project should contribute to the young people's education process and increase their awareness of the European/international context in which they live. The European dimension of a project could be reflected by the following characteristics:
- the project fosters young people's sense of European citizenship and helps them to understand their role as part of the present and future Europe
- the project reflects a common concern for issues within European society, such as racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, drug abuse
- the project's theme is linked to EU topics, such as the EU enlargement, the roles and activities of the European institutions, the EU's action in matters affecting young people
- the project debates the founding principles of the EU, i.e. the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law.
Quality of project reach
- Impact and multiplying effect
The impact of an EVS project should not be limited just to the volunteer(s), but also bring the concept of ‘Europe' to the local communities involved. For this, the Host Organisations should try, as much as possible, to involve other people (from the neighbourhood, local area, etc.) in the Activity. The possibility of combining different EVS Activities within one project as well as the introduction of the concept of group EVS offer plenty of opportunities for the above structuring elements, which altogether should serve to maximise the effectiveness and impact of EVS.
If several volunteers are involved in a project or Activity, structuring elements should be ensured wherever possible, in particular through a coherent or complementary thematic approach, reciprocity in the sending and hosting of volunteers, complementarity of Activity areas and tasks, regular meetings and networking opportunities for volunteers etc.
The project should be framed within a longer-term perspective, and planned with a view to achieve a multiplying effect and sustainable impact. Multiplication is obtained for instance by convincing other actors to host or send volunteers. Promoters should identify possible target groups that could act as multipliers (young people, youth workers, media, political leaders, opinion leaders, EU decision makers) in order to spread project's objectives and results.
- Visibility of the project/visibility of Youth in Action Programme
Promoters should commonly reflect on measures aimed at enhancing the visibility of their project and the visibility of the Youth in Action Programme in general. The creativity of promoters and volunteers offers additional potential for spreading information about the EVS, the activities of the promoters, as well as the opportunities offered by the Youth in Action Programme. Visibility and measures mainly occur before and during the implementation of the EVS. Such measures can be divided in two broad categories:
- Visibility of the project
Promoters and volunteers should ‘publicise' the project - as well as its aims and objectives - and spread the ‘youth message' throughout the implementation of their project. In order to raise awareness of the project they could for example: develop information material; do a mail shot or SMS mailing; prepare posters, stickers, promotional items (t-shirts, caps, pens, etc.); invite journalists; issue ‘press releases' or write articles for local papers, websites or newsletters; create an e-group, a web space, a photo-gallery or blog on the Internet, etc.
- Visibility of the Youth in Action Programme
First, the organisations and volunteers involved in the project should be made aware of their participation in EVS. Then each EVS project should highlight the grant and provide information on the Youth in Action Programme to the outside world.
As well as the compulsory use of the official logo of the Youth in Action Programme (please consult Part C of this Guide), each project should also act as ‘multiplier' of the Youth in Action Programme in order to increase awareness about the opportunities offered by the Programme to young people and youth workers in Europe and beyond. Promoters are invited to include information about the Programme (for instance, information on the Programme Actions, or its objectives and important features, target groups, etc.) in all measures undertaken to increase visibility of the project (see examples above). Promoters could also include information sessions or workshops during the Service of the volunteer. They could also plan participation in events (seminar, conferences, debates) organised at different levels (local, regional, national, international).
- Dissemination and exploitation of results
Each promoter should put in place measures to disseminate and exploit the results of the EVS.
- Standard dissemination and exploitation measures
Standard dissemination and exploitation measures may have the same format as visibility measures indicated in the section above; the main difference is that dissemination and exploitation measures focus on project's results, rather than on the Service itself. More specifically, the dissemination and exploitation of results of an EVS can be the transfer of knowledge acquired during the Service; for instance, a volunteer who carried out a Service of 6 months in a care centre for elderly people could go to other centre or interested bodies to explain good practices or methods that s/he used or developed when working with certain target groups. For this reason, dissemination and exploitation measures occur mainly after the Service has taken place. These measures should actively involve the volunteer.
- Additional dissemination and exploitation of results
As well as the standard dissemination and exploitation measures, promoters could set up additional measures to spread and highlight the value of their project's results. The Youth in Action Programme offers a further financial incentive for such measures (please consult the Funding Rules of this sub-Action).
Examples of additional dissemination and exploitation measures: organising public events (presentations, conferences, workshops...); creating audio-visual products (CD-Rom, DVD, short-movies...); setting up long-term collaboration with media (series of radio/TV/press contributions, interviews, participation in different radio/TV programmes...); developing information material (newsletters, brochures, booklets, best practice manuals, etc.); creating an Internet portal, etc.
