The partners involved in the EVS Activity must ensure that each volunteer participates in:

- On-arrival training

- Mid-term evaluation

On-arrival training

On-arrival training takes place upon arrival in the host country. It introduces volunteers to their host country and their host environment, helps them to get to know each other and supports them to create an environment that support learning and realising own project ideas. Duration is on average seven days.

Mid-term evaluation (only for Services lasting more than 6 months)

Mid-term evaluation provides volunteers with an opportunity to evaluate and reflect on their experience so far, as well as to meet other volunteers from different projects throughout the host country. Duration is on average two and a half days.

Who organises the EVS Training and Evaluation cycle?

EVS volunteers have the right and obligation to participate in these training and evaluation sessions.

Responsibility for organising the EVS Training and Evaluation Cycle depends on where the events are to take place.

In Programme Countries the training/evaluation is organised by the National Agencies (including for those volunteers selected in projects approved by the Executive Agency).

In South East Europe (SEE) and Eastern Europe and Caucasus (EECA) the training/evaluation is organised respectively by SALTO SEE and SALTO EECA Resource Centres (including for those volunteers selected in projects approved by the Executive Agency).

As soon as the acceptance of the projects selected by National or Executive Agency has been notified, the coordinating organisations should immediately contact the relevant National Agencies or the SALTO Resource Centre in order to allow those structures to organise the Training and Evaluation sessions for the volunteers involved in their project.

The granting Agency (National or Executive) may, exceptionally, grant funds to a beneficiary to organise itself all or some of the Training and Evaluation sessions relating to their project, if there is a particular situation duly justified in the application form. In these cases, the EU contribution to carry out the training/evaluation sessions must be requested by the applicant in its application form and must be in line with the funding rules indicated in Youth and Action Guide.

In any case, beneficiaries are always encouraged to provide additional training and evaluation opportunities to the volunteers, even if no specific fund has been allocated within the project grant.

In all other Partner Countries the training is organised by EVS Sending, Host or Coordinating organisations in line with the Volunteer Training: Guidelines and Minimum Quality Standards of the European Commission (see: Commission website). Financial support is provided to beneficiaries that organise these sessions (see funding rules); the additional financial support must be requested in the application form.

All relevant providers of training and evaluation activities in EVS should provide information on Youthpass.