4. Programme Information & ESC Rules

Explanation

This phase ensures that the organisation understands the ESC framework before it designs a project or makes promises to volunteers and partners. ESC has its own rules, roles and quality standards. Organisations need to understand the difference between host, support and lead roles; the function of the Quality Label; eligibility of participants; activity formats; funding logic; YOUTHPASS and the European Youth Portal; volunteering agreements; insurance; travel support; inclusion support; Youthpass; the Training and Evaluation Cycle; and reporting obligations. Without this shared understanding, mistakes appear later as unclear expectations, missing documents, wrong communication with volunteers or weak partner coordination.

This phase should not mean that every staff member reads the full ESC Guide in detail. Instead, EVoly should help translate the programme rules into practical internal knowledge: what the coordinator must know, what the mentor must know, what the finance person must know, what local partner staff need to understand, and what the volunteer must receive in simple language. It is especially important to explain that ESC volunteers are not employees, interns or cheap labour. Their tasks must be meaningful, supervised, safe and connected to learning.

The ESC Guide has legal value for grant selection and awards and is addressed both to organisations willing to organise activities and to young people wishing to get involved. It also separates general programme information, supported actions, quality/support measures and financial/administrative provisions.

Host, Supporting/Sending and Lead Organisations

One of the first things an organisation needs to understand in ESC is the difference between the main organisational roles. These roles define who is responsible for the volunteer before, during and after the activity.

The host organisation is the organisation where the volunteer carries out the daily volunteering activity. It is responsible for the local project environment, task planning, supervision, practical onboarding and integration of the volunteer into the organisation and local community. The host organisation makes sure that the volunteer has meaningful tasks, safe working conditions, clear working hours, support from the team, and a person responsible for daily guidance. In practice, the host organisation is the place where the volunteer experiences most of the project.

The supporting organisation, often still called the sending organisation, supports the volunteer before departure, during the project and after return. It should normally be located in the country where the volunteer lives or comes from, so that it can provide preparation and follow-up in a context that is close to the volunteer’s reality. Before the project, it helps the volunteer understand the ESC programme, the project expectations, practical arrangements, insurance, travel rules, cultural preparation and possible challenges of living abroad. During the project, it should remain available and regularly check in with the volunteer, especially around well-being, learning, practical difficulties, conflicts, doubts, crisis situations or possible early return. After the project, it can help the volunteer reflect on the experience and transfer the learning into future studies, work, volunteering or civic engagement.

The lead organisation is the organisation that carries the main project responsibility towards the National Agency or funding body. It is usually responsible for the application, grant management, budget coordination, partner communication, quality assurance and final reporting. In some projects, the lead organisation is also the host organisation. In other cases, the lead organisation coordinates several host organisations or local partners. Because of this, it is important that all partners understand who is responsible for administration, payments, agreements, reporting, communication and problem-solving.

These roles can overlap. One organisation can be both lead and host, or both supporting and lead. What matters is that the responsibilities are clearly agreed before recruitment starts. If these roles are unclear, volunteers may receive different information from different partners, practical arrangements may be missed, and conflicts may become harder to solve.

Key ESC Rules, Documents and Quality Requirements

The Quality Label is a basic condition for participation in ESC volunteering. It is not only an administrative status, but a confirmation that the organisation has the capacity, motivation and structures to host, support or coordinate volunteers according to ESC quality standards. EVoly should help organisations understand what their Quality Label allows them to do and what responsibilities come with it.

The European Youth Portal / PASS system is the official place where many ESC opportunities are published and where organisations can search for or contact potential volunteers. However, the survey evidence shows that organisations also rely heavily on trusted partners, old networks, social media, Eurodesk, SALTO events and recommendations. EVoly should therefore present the Portal as an important official tool, but not as the only recruitment channel.

The volunteering/activity agreement is one of the key documents before the activity starts. It should clarify the project dates, roles, tasks, working time, holidays, learning support, accommodation, food/pocket money, insurance, travel rules, mentoring, conflict response and practical expectations. EVoly should help organisations avoid vague agreements by turning this into a checklist.

The programme information should also explain that organisations have obligations regarding living conditions. Accommodation, food allowance, pocket money, local transport, insurance information and emergency contacts must be communicated clearly and early. These details are not just logistics; they directly affect trust, motivation and safety.

Mentoring is a quality requirement, not as an optional extra. The mentor is not the same as the task supervisor. The mentor supports reflection, learning, well-being and personal development, while the coordinator or supervisor usually manages tasks, schedule and project implementation. EVoly should help organisations divide these roles clearly.

Risk management and crisis response is introduced already in this phase. Organisations should know who reacts in case of conflict, illness, mental health concerns, safety issues, dropout, accommodation problems or serious incidents. The detailed crisis workflow can appear later, but the basic responsibility must be understood from the start.

The organisation also needs to understand ESC obligations around visibility and dissemination. Projects should communicate that they are supported by the European Solidarity Corps and the European Union, use the correct logos where required, and share project results in a respectful and realistic way. Visibility should not only be social media posting, but also local communication, volunteer stories, community events and partner communication.

Finally, this phase should explain the importance of record-keeping and reporting. Organisations should keep track of agreements, attendance, travel documents, reimbursement proofs, insurance information, mentoring/reflection records, activity outputs, evaluation results, participant reports and visibility materials. Good record-keeping protects the organisation, supports reporting, and helps future teams learn from previous projects.

Role perspectives

Organisation: The organisation must understand ESC rules before designing or promising activities. It should know the difference between lead, host and support roles. It must ensure that all project decisions follow ESC principles and funding rules.

Coordinator: The coordinator translates ESC rules into checklists, workflows and simple explanations. They brief staff, partners and volunteers on what matters in practice. They also track deadlines, agreements, insurance, PASS, training and reporting obligations.

Volunteer: The volunteer does not need to read the entire programme guide. They do need clear information about rights, responsibilities, money, insurance, tasks, support and learning. Rules should be explained in simple and practical language.

Community / Partners: Local partners need to understand what ESC volunteers can and cannot do. They should know that volunteers are not employees, interns or free labour. This prevents wrong expectations and protects project quality.

Differences by ESC model

Long-term volunteering: Long-term projects require stronger knowledge of residence, insurance, mentoring, Youthpass and mid-term evaluation. The volunteer needs ongoing explanation because rules become relevant at different moments. The coordinator must track many administrative and support steps over time.

Short-term volunteering: Rules must be communicated quickly and clearly before arrival. There is less time for gradual explanation, so the infopack and preparation must be strong. The focus should be on eligibility, tasks, safety, money, support and evaluation.

Volunteering teams / group volunteering: The rules must be adapted to group logistics, shared activities and common schedules. The coordinator must explain group expectations, safety, accommodation, working hours and team responsibilities. The project should be understandable for the whole group, not only individual participants.

Questions & answers

Which document is the main reference?

The current European Solidarity Corps Guide.

Do volunteers need the full guide?

No, but they need the parts affecting their rights, tasks, support, finances and responsibilities.

Who explains rules to local staff?

The coordinator or lead organisation should brief staff and local partners before the activity begins.

Documents for further reading

• European_solidarity_corps_guide_2025.pdf — main ESC rulebook.
• Simplest ESC Guide for Beginners & Practical Activities_compressed.pdf — beginner-friendly ESC explanation.
• SALTO-YOUTH - About the Training and evaluation cycle (TEC).pdf — TEC overview.
• Volunteer_Chatbot_QA_Starter_Set.xlsx — FAQ-style explanations for coordinators and volunteers.
• EVoly_ESC_Implementation_Phases_Draft_0_1.docx — EVoly phase architecture.