Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1398/2014Show full title

CHAPTER 4 U.K. STANDARDS GOVERNING THE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN SENDING AND HOSTING ORGANISATIONS

Article 8 U.K. Objective and members of a partnership

1. The partnership between sending and hosting organisations shall set out the arrangements between partners who are applying for and managing projects involving deployment of EU Aid Volunteers in third countries that may also include activities relating to capacity building and/or technical assistance.

2. The members of the partnership shall be sending organisations that comply with Article 10(3) of Regulation (EU) No 375/2014 and hosting organisations that comply with Article 10(4) of Regulation (EU) No 375/2014.

3. When forming a partnership, the sending and hosting organisations may include as partners other organisations specialised in any areas relevant to the objectives or the actions of the projects referred to in paragraph 1 above in order to contribute with their specific expertise.

4. Where projects include activities relating to capacity building and/or technical assistance, sending and hosting organisations that have already undergone a process of certification in accordance with the Commission Implementing Regulation to be adopted on the basis of Article 10(1) of Regulation (EU) No 375/2014 but that have not been awarded certification also qualify as eligible partners provided they have a needs-based strategy for capacity building and/or technical assistance in place.

5. Where projects serve to support emergency response operations, the partnership may be formed from only sending organisations.

Article 9 U.K. Principles of partnership

The activities of the EU Aid Volunteers initiative shall promote transnational partnerships between sending and hosting organisations based on the principles of:

(a)

Equality;

(b)

Shared values and a shared vision;

(c)

Transparency;

(d)

Responsibility, accountability and reliability;

(e)

Mutual trust and respect;

(f)

Complementarity, building on the diversity of the humanitarian and volunteering community with a strong focus on local capacity building;

(g)

Flexibility and adaptability; and

(h)

Mutuality in allocating resources and setting objectives.

Article 10 U.K. Partnership agreement and standards

1. Before sending and hosting organisations enter into a partnership, a needs assessment shall be carried out by the hosting organisations, where appropriate in cooperation with the sending organisations, taking into account the Commission's assessment of humanitarian aid needs.

2. The needs assessment shall include as a minimum:

(a) a vulnerability and risk assessment of the country of deployment, including assessment of security, travel and health risks relevant for EU Aid Volunteers;

(b) consideration of the current capacity of the hosting organisation to host an EU Aid Volunteer;

(c) an analysis of the competences and capacities currently lacking within the hosting organisation and the local community, identifying needs and analysing how they can best be addressed;

(d) an analysis of the expected added value from the EU Aid Volunteer and, where relevant, from the envisaged capacity building support to the hosting organisation and local community.

3. A partnership agreement shall be signed by all partners to ensure compliance with the following minimum partnership standards:

(a) partnerships shall be based on an agreement on shared values and a shared vision, in particular as relates to volunteering and humanitarian aid;

(b) the added value of each partner and their respective roles shall be clearly defined;

(c) all partners shall agree on the common objectives of the partnership and the ways in which the partnership shall be managed, in particular:

(i)

decision-making procedures and working practices;

(ii)

financial arrangements and management;

(iii)

communication channels between all stakeholders; frequency of meetings and field visits by sending organisations;

(iv)

work plan and activities, including timeline;

(v)

task allocation, according to the communication plan of the initiative;

(vi)

monitoring and evaluation of the partnership;

(vii)

book-keeping and documentation;

(viii)

a refinement and finalisation of the needs assessment referred to in paragraph 1;

(ix)

joint formulation and evaluation of EU Aid Volunteers' task assignments;

(x)

roles and responsibilities with regard to candidate volunteers and EU Aid Volunteers over the different stages of their participation in the EU Aid Volunteers initiative;

(xi)

procedures for handling complaints (both those made within the partnership and those from external parties relating to its work) and resolving conflict between partners;

(xii)

policies and procedures for the exit of a partner;

(xiii)

financial implications; and

(xiv)

contractual implications (including as relates to EU Aid Volunteers and the communities concerned);

(d) where relevant, a needs-based strategy for capacity building and/or technical assistance between partners shall be developed and a dedicated budget allocated to this strategy;

(e) partners shall contribute to learning activities and shall commit to carry out actions relating to communication and visibility in accordance with the communication plan referred to in Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 375/2014.