COUNTRY: Germany
CLIENT: Federal Office for Family and Civil Society Functions (BAFzA), Cologne
PROJECT DURATION: 01.09.2014- 31.08.2015
OVERALL PROJECT VALUE: 9,351,720.00 €

Background

The IB Voluntary Social Year (FSJ) is an educational and orientation year for youth and young adults (ages 16-27). Young people can volunteer in the social and ecological area as well as in culture and sports – in welfare oriented institutions in all over Germany – for a certain period of time (generally 12-18 months). It supports the transition from school to work and further education and gives the participants the opportunity to reflect their own talents.

The volunteers gather necessary competences, knowledge and professional orientation as well as an insight in teamwork and working life to be better prepared for their professional life. During their voluntary service the volunteers attend 25 days of training seminars. The FSJ is completed on a day-to-day basis as a mainly practical activity in publicly-oriented institutions; in particular in institutions for the elderly, disabled, child and youth welfare services, including facilities for out-of-school youth education and youth work facilities, health care facilities and cultural institutions.

Objective

The IB headquarters receives the total grant from BMFSFJ and distributes the funds to the IB facilities at regional level. Grant management includes supervision, definition of criteria to receive funds, financial administration, quality control, monitoring and evaluation and reporting to client.

Objective of this measure is to support the social and personal development of the volunteers perspective and life planning. Amongst others this measure embraces the following aims:

• promotion of personality development – personal and professional orientation by reflection the activity in the working area
• enabling learn processes;
• promotion of key qualifications
• strengthening the sense of responsibility for common welfare; political education among others by participation in the creation of the voluntary service
• strengthening social engagement
• strengthening of social and ecological care
• education by informal and non-formal learning
• intercultural learning
• tolerance of and contact to other cultures and ways of living
• self-dependent living;
• educational and vocational orientation
• concrete future planning;
• safeguard of material existence;
• social integration in the living environment;
• responsible management of finance and debts

Type of Services Provided

• Grant management, including supervision, definition of criteria to receive funds, financial administration, quality control, monitoring and evaluation and reporting to client;
• Councelling and supervision of volunteers and organisations;
• Socio-pedagogical support;
• Professional guidance in working life;
• Education seminars;
• Complaint management
• Close collaboration with official authorities;
• Support to the livelihood maintenance;
• Support to the integration in the social environment;
• Immediate integration in education measures as appropriate;
• Consultancy for realistic life planning;
• Protection against child endangerment;
• Facility and service management;
• Institutional capacity building;
• Consulting services and advice for the client in close consultation and cooperation with the responsible public authorities, and
• Quality management according EFQM standards.