What is the Quality Label?
The Quality Label for Humanitarian Volunteering certifies that an organisation is able to carry out high quality solidarity activities in accordance with the principles, objectives and requirements of the ‘European Voluntary Humanitarian Aid Association’ action. Obtaining this Quality Label enables participation in volunteering activities supporting humanitarian operations. Having the Quality Label makes it easier to find partners and form project consortia. Organisations with the label are regularly published on the European Solidarity Corps Portal.
There are two different types of Quality Label. Organisations can choose one role when applying.
Support role : It entails supporting, preparing and/or training participants before their departure, mediating between them and host organisations and/or providing support to participants after they return from their activities. The support role also empowers the organisation to submit project applications and coordinate partnerships for Humanitarian Volunteering projects.
Host role: Encompasses all activities related to hosting a Solidarity Programme participant, including developing a programme of the young person’s activities and providing appropriate guidance and support to the participant at all stages.
There are two different types of quality labelling. Organisations can choose one role when applying.
Applications can be submitted at any time of the year. Applications are assessed at certain times of the year. A quality label is awarded according to the eligibility criteria. After the label is awarded, periodic re-evaluation is carried out. The Quality Label will be valid for the entire programming period and until the end of the last project in which the organisation is involved. The Quality Label is valid for the entire programming period 2021 – 2027, subject to compliance monitoring and periodic re-assessment by EACEA.
What are the Quality Standards?
*Equal opportunities and non-discrimination. Volunteers should be selected in a fair, transparent and objective manner regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, political opinion or disability. No prior qualifications, level of education, specialised experience or language skills should be required. In order to promote inclusiveness, participation in volunteering activities should be free of charge for the volunteer. Activities must respect the principles set out in Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
*Avoidance of job substitution. Volunteering activities should not replace internships or jobs to avoid any negative impact on potential or existing paid employment. The involvement of volunteers should complement the work of paid staff. It should not replace paid staff or be below their remuneration and conditions of service.
*Avoidance of harmful activities. The safety and security of young people, participating organisations and target groups must be ensured. This safety and security should include appropriate authorisation requirements for volunteers working with vulnerable groups in accordance with relevant national laws. Volunteering activities should be implemented taking into account the impact of unforeseen circumstances such as environmental crises, conflicts or epidemics. Activities should respect the principles set out in the EU Guidelines on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of the Child.
*Ensuring high quality, easily accessible and inclusive activities. Volunteering assignments should enable young people to develop skills and competences for personal, social and civic development. Particular attention will be paid to the capacity of host organisations in third countries and the need to place volunteers’ activities in the local context and facilitate volunteers’ interaction with local humanitarian actors, the host community and civil society. The value and benefits of European Solidarity Corps volunteering should be recognised for volunteers through the validation of learning outcomes.
*Adequate training, working and volunteering arrangements. Safe and favourable living and working conditions for volunteers should be ensured. Young people and organisations should sign a volunteering agreement that outlines the rights and responsibilities of both parties and includes a well-defined set of volunteering tasks.
According to the Financial Regulation, beneficiaries must not make any profit from the activities financed by the grants awarded. Furthermore, volunteering should cover participants’ expenses resulting from their participation in such solidarity activities, but should not provide them with a salary or economic benefit.
Advantages for Volunteer
Organisations with the ESC label guarantee that the activities in which volunteers participate comply with high standards and safety measures. They also ensure fair selection regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion, political opinion or disability, thus creating an inclusive environment. Organisations with the ESC Quality Label offer volunteers opportunities to develop personally and professionally and ensure that these experiences constitute an important reference for future job or training opportunities. Furthermore, these associations offer support and guidance to volunteers, thus enabling them to participate in activities in a more confident and informed way. As a result, organisations with the ESC Quality Label contribute to the personal and professional development of volunteers, as well as participating in activities of a high standard.
Individual Volunteering
Individual volunteering is an activity in the humanitarian field ranging from 2 to 12 months, excluding travelling time. This type of volunteering provides young people with the opportunity to perform tasks required to support activities undertaken by the host organisation.
Individual volunteering activities take place across borders, in a country different from the country of residence of the volunteer(s), as detailed in the general eligibility criteria “geographical location” section. Mentor expertise should support individual volunteering activities.
Volunteering Teams
Volunteering teams are activities that enable teams of between 5 and 40 participants from at least two different EU Member States or third countries associated with the Programme to volunteer together for a period of between 2 weeks and 2 months, excluding travel time. Volunteering teams activities take place across borders, in a country different from the country of residence of the participants, as detailed in the general eligibility criteria “geographical location” section. In volunteering teams, volunteers are deployed for a short period of time to carry out a clearly defined activity that can be carried out in a short period of time. Despite their short duration, these activities will be valuable for both the volunteers and the communities that benefit from this service. This format can facilitate the participation of people with fewer opportunities due to the short duration and involvement in a collective endeavour. Special mentor expertise can be included to support the activities of volunteering teams and can be strengthened in situations where young people with fewer opportunities are involved. The advantages of such group activities compared to individual volunteering activities are the following: – Volunteers will carry out the activity in a group. This can be stimulating for young people who do not feel ready to embark on challenging experiences on their own; – The duration of the activity will be shorter. This can encourage the participation of young people who cannot commit for a long period of time due to their education or work but still want to help the local community.
Complementary Activities
Complementary activities are ancillary activities related to the projects and are designed to add value to the projects, provide greater resonance to their results and increase their impact at local and/or regional level. Such complementary activities also aim to raise awareness on the value of volunteering and solidarity at local level and reach out to the local community. Complementary activities that require the physical presence of the volunteer(s) should take place within the time frame of the volunteering activity. Complementary activities can contribute to building the capacities of local organisations and communities to create a sense of ownership by local level actors. In this framework, specific expertise and experienced/professional profiles can be contracted in order to provide more support to volunteers (including those with fewer opportunities) and intergenerational experience sharing. Complementary activities may include meetings, coaching, conferences, on-the-job training, training courses, practical workshops involving local youth, etc.