22. Host Organisation Preparation

Explanation

Preparation is not only something the volunteer must do. The host organisation also needs to prepare itself.

A common project weakness is that considerable effort goes into selecting and preparing the volunteer, while the organisation assumes that its own staff will “figure things out” when the person arrives. The volunteer then enters a workplace where some colleagues know they are coming, others do not, tasks are not ready, the mentor has never met the supervisor and the accommodation still has practical problems.

Host preparation should therefore happen in parallel with volunteer preparation.

The first step is to brief the internal team. Staff should understand who the volunteer is, when they arrive, why the organisation is hosting them, what their role is and what ESC volunteering is not. Chapter 2 already identified the risk of local partner staff treating volunteers like interns or employees when the wider team has not been briefed. The same risk exists inside the host organisation.

The organisation should make sure that everyone who will work directly with the volunteer understands the role boundaries. The volunteer is not there to fill staff shortages, take responsibility for work nobody else wants or immediately perform independently. Their tasks should gradually develop as they learn.

The supervisor should prepare the first tasks and understand how much time they are expected to provide for guidance. The first weeks should normally contain more explanation, observation and feedback than later stages. A volunteer who arrives on Monday should not be handed a full workload on Tuesday simply because the organisation is busy.

The mentor should also be prepared. They should know when the volunteer arrives, the basic project context, their responsibilities, the expected meeting rhythm and the escalation procedure if wellbeing concerns appear. The mentor should not first learn about the role during the volunteer’s first problem.

The workplace itself should be ready. Depending on the project, this can mean preparing a desk, computer, email account, access card, keys, work clothing, materials, software account or other equipment. Practical readiness communicates something important to the volunteer: we expected you and we prepared for you.

Accommodation should be checked shortly before arrival rather than assumed to still be ready because it was arranged months earlier. Utilities, heating, internet, keys, bedding, accessibility and basic cleanliness should be confirmed. If volunteers share accommodation, the organisation should think in advance about room allocation, house rules and how existing residents are informed about the newcomer.

The first-week schedule should also be prepared. The volunteer does not need a fully programmed timetable from morning to evening, but they should know what happens during the first days: arrival, housing orientation, organisation introduction, meeting the team, mentor meeting, local registration if necessary, project-site visits and time to settle.

Internal communication should be clear. Staff should know who contacts the volunteer, who handles administration, who answers housing questions and who is available if arrival is delayed. If several departments or local host partners are involved, they should all know the same basic plan.

Host preparation is especially important for inclusion. Adjustments identified in Phase 10 should actually be in place before arrival. It is not enough to know that a volunteer uses a wheelchair, has sensory-processing needs or requires adapted working hours if the workplace has not been physically or organisationally prepared.

For EVoly, this phase could become a Host Readiness Checklist linked to the individual volunteer. The coordinator could confirm the mentor, supervisor, workspace, accommodation, first-week schedule, accessibility adaptations, staff briefing and emergency contacts before the arrival status changes to “ready”.

Role perspectives

Organisation: Ensures that the whole relevant team is prepared, not only the ESC coordinator. It confirms that the volunteer role, workplace and practical conditions are genuinely ready.

Coordinator: Connects all preparation areas and confirms that no essential element is missing. They organise the staff briefing and first-week schedule.

Supervisor: Prepares meaningful first tasks, orientation and gradual responsibility. They should reserve actual time for onboarding.

Mentor: Understands the volunteer’s support context, meeting rhythm and escalation route and is ready to make contact soon after arrival.

Local Partner / Community Organisation: If the volunteer works partly in another school, youth centre or community organisation, that partner should also receive the role briefing and know who to contact.

Volunteer: Benefits from entering an environment that already understands their role and support needs, rather than being expected to organise the host institution after arrival.

Differences by ESC model

Long-term volunteering: The organisation should prepare for a gradual integration process. Staff roles, mentoring and workspace need to be sustainable beyond the first week.

Short-term volunteering: Host preparation has to be especially strong because there is little time for gradual onboarding. Tasks, materials and staff responsibilities should be ready before the volunteer arrives.

Volunteering teams / group volunteering: Preparation focuses heavily on logistics, facilitation and group management. Accommodation, group spaces, materials, daily schedules, task distribution and safety briefings need to be ready for the whole cohort.

Questions & answers

Who needs to be briefed before the volunteer arrives?

At minimum, the coordinator, supervisor, mentor and staff or local partners who will work directly with the volunteer.

How detailed should the first-week schedule be?

Detailed enough that the volunteer knows what will happen and who they will meet, but not so intensive that there is no time to rest and adapt.

What is a common host-preparation mistake?

Preparing administration but not people. Documents may be complete while staff roles, tasks and mentoring remain unclear.

How can EVoly help?

With a host-readiness checklist, assigned responsibilities, reminders and a first-week schedule linked to the volunteer.

Documents for further reading

• EVoly ESC Models — Chapter 1.docx — internal roles, mentor/supervisor distinction and readiness.
• EVoly ESC Models — Chapter 2.docx — local-partner briefing and inclusion preparation.
• EVoly_Local_Partner_ESC_Briefing.docx — practical briefing for local partners.
• Preparation meeting — Sunce — host-side arrival and onboarding preparation.
• EVoly_ESC_Implementation_Phases_Draft_0_1.docx — arrival and preparation workflows.