EVI-DEMS “Enhancing Volunteer Impact – Developing European Management Standards” is a 24 months project, financed by Erasmus+ cooperation partnerships in higher education. The project is being coordinated by Rotterdam School of Management – Erasmus University (Netherlands) and implemented in partnership with the Centre Europeen Du Voluntariat (Belgium), the Vytauto Didziojo Universitetas (Lithuania), the Univerza V Ljubljani (Slovenia), the Hrvatski centar za razvoj volonterstva (Croatia) and OTB Europe (Portugal).
This group of partners understands that Europe needs to ensure quality standards regarding the training of volunteer managers and that there are big gaps and needs in terms of recognition of volunteer managers as a profession and in general.
Thus, EVI-DEMS aims to gain a greater understanding of the current situation regarding the training and the context of volunteer managers around Europe and develop a High Education learning programme for existing and future volunteer managers. Proper training at HE level and a recognized qualification, based on common European standards, will serve to ensure that volunteers across Europe are managed effectively and in a more ethical way, avoiding exploitation, instrumentalization and job substitution.
Course materials will also include a “European Code of Ethics for Volunteer Managers”, a “Guide to Volunteering, Solidarity and European Values”, a “Guide on the role of volunteer managers in facilitating inclusive volunteering” and a “Guide to managing volunteers contributing to disaster prevention, preparedness and recovery”.
The 1st Transnational Partners Meeting of the project took place on the 18th and 19th of May 2022, at Rotterdam. All 6 project partners were present and could start discussing collectively the general milestones and quality management of the project.
The 2nd TPM will take place in Faro on the 14th and 15th of December, hosted by OTB Europe.
