32. Closing Procedures

Explanation

The closing phase begins before the volunteer’s final day. A good ending needs preparation because several practical, administrative, educational and emotional processes happen at the same time.

The volunteer may need to close accommodation, deregister locally, receive final reimbursements, prepare travel, finish project tasks, return equipment, complete Youthpass, say goodbye to colleagues and community members, and prepare for returning home. If these steps are left until the final two days, the closing period can become stressful and important learning or reflection can easily be lost.

The organisation should therefore prepare a clear closing timeline, ideally beginning several weeks before departure for long-term volunteering.

Accommodation should be closed properly. This may involve checking the room or apartment, returning keys, documenting damage where relevant, clarifying deposits, closing utility arrangements and agreeing how shared items are handed over. The process should be transparent and should not become a last-minute conflict between the volunteer and organisation.

Administrative closure should include any local deregistration or residence procedures that apply. The volunteer should know what must be done before leaving and what can be completed after return. Documents that may be useful later, such as insurance information, certificates or residence documentation, should not disappear simply because the project is ending.

Financial closure is equally important. Final pocket money, food allowance, transport reimbursement, travel reimbursement and any outstanding project-related costs should be checked. The volunteer should leave knowing whether everything has been paid or, if something is still pending, when and how it will be completed.

The volunteer should also receive clear information about the return journey. Travel arrangements, reimbursement rules and necessary documents should be confirmed early enough to avoid uncertainty during the last days.

Closing the work itself is more than stopping tasks. The supervisor should review what the volunteer achieved, which activities remain unfinished and whether any responsibilities need to be handed over to staff, local volunteers or the next ESC volunteer. Where volunteers developed personal projects, workshops, partner relationships or communication channels, these should be documented so that useful work does not disappear when the individual leaves.

The final supervisor meeting can therefore combine task feedback with handover. It should recognise the volunteer’s contribution, identify strengths and areas of development and give space for feedback about the organisation.

The final mentor meeting has a different purpose. It should focus on the volunteer’s overall journey: adaptation, challenges, personal change, relationships, learning and preparation for leaving. After several months in a new environment, departure can itself be emotionally difficult. Volunteers may feel excitement about returning home but also sadness, uncertainty or a sense that they are leaving an important part of their life.

Youthpass should be completed as part of this process rather than treated as a certificate produced after the volunteer has gone home. The learning reflection developed through mentoring, supervision, diaries and evaluations should now be consolidated into recognised learning outcomes. The earlier EVoly model specifically links final closure with Youthpass, final evaluation and the volunteer learning portfolio.

The project should also include a meaningful goodbye process. This does not need to be formal or expensive. A team meeting, community event, final presentation, dinner or small celebration can help acknowledge the volunteer’s contribution and provide emotional closure for both the volunteer and the host community.

For EVoly, this phase could become a Final Departure Checklist beginning automatically before the project end date. It could track accommodation handover, final payments, return travel, documents, Youthpass, final evaluation, supervisor feedback, mentor meeting, project handover and goodbye activity.

Role perspectives

Organisation: Ensures that the volunteer leaves with the project properly closed administratively, financially and practically. It also recognises the volunteer’s contribution and ensures useful knowledge is retained.

Coordinator: Manages the closing timeline, checks outstanding documentation and payments, organises travel and ensures all responsible people complete their part of the closing process.

Supervisor: Reviews the volunteer’s tasks, provides final feedback and organises handover of unfinished activities, contacts or project materials.

Mentor: Supports reflection on the overall experience, learning and the emotional transition of leaving.

Volunteer: Completes agreed tasks, participates in handover, returns equipment and accommodation appropriately, finalises learning reflection and communicates any unresolved issues before departure.

Differences by ESC model

Long-term volunteering: Closing should begin several weeks before departure because the volunteer may have many relationships, responsibilities and administrative arrangements to close. Emotional preparation for leaving is also especially important.

Short-term volunteering: Closure happens quickly and should therefore be built into the programme from the beginning. Final reflection, reimbursements and Youthpass should not be postponed until participants are already home.

Volunteering teams / group volunteering: Closing is mainly collective. The group may complete a final evaluation, presentation or community event together, while individual travel, reimbursement and Youthpass processes still need to be completed separately.

Questions & answers

When should closing preparation begin?

Before the final week. For longer projects, several weeks in advance is useful so that accommodation, documents, finances, Youthpass and handover can be completed without unnecessary pressure.

What should happen in the final mentor meeting?

Reflection on the overall experience, personal change, learning, relationships, difficult moments and preparation for returning home.

Should Youthpass be completed before departure?

Ideally the reflection and main content should be completed before the volunteer leaves, while the experience is still fresh and the mentor or coordinator is available.

What if reimbursements are still pending?

The volunteer should receive written clarity about what is outstanding, who is responsible and when payment is expected.

Documents for further reading

• ADICE notebook — preparing return, valuing the experience, final reflection and future opportunities.
• Red Salmantica / Plan B learning notebook — competence review and Youthpass.
• EVoly_ESC_Implementation_Phases_Draft_0_1.docx — closing checklist, reimbursement closure and Youthpass completion.
• Sunce monthly/final evaluation materials — final project feedback.
• ePassport participant sheets — competence and follow-up reflection.