Host Projects

Research on the Impact of International Volunteering

Comhlámh received funding from Irish Aid in 2006 to conduct research into the impact of international volunteering on host organisations and communities. Field research into the topic was undertaken with 12 organisations in both Tanzania and India by FRONTERA.
Download a copy of the research summary and findings here:

Research on the impact of international volunteering.pdf

Overview of research

The objectives of the field research were to examine:

The involvement of the host organisations in the establishment and operation of programmes that involve international volunteers;
The effectiveness and value of volunteering projects for the host organisations and the communities they serve;
The contribution of international volunteering to furthering local development agendas;
Ways in which the Comhlámh Code of Practice and Volunteer Charter could be amended in order to reflect the viewpoints of host organisations.

Recommendations arising from the research

Sending organisations should ensure the participatory involvement of host organisations in the selection, recruitment, development education, and training of international volunteers.
Sending organisations should ensure the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of volunteering by developing policies that include standardised processes and evaluation tools, based on the principles and indicators in Comhlámh’s Code of Good Practice and Volunteer Charter. Consultation with the host organisations/communities provides critical input to this process.
Sending organisations should publish case studies of successful volunteering to guide and motivate new volunteers.
Sending organisations should place volunteers with relevant skills as required & refined by the host projects.
Comhlámh should incorporate the findings from the research with host organisations into the Code of Practice and Volunteer Charter.
Comhlámh should facilitate the development of a Code of Practice to be adopted by the host organisations.
Future research should be considered on a number of topics, to increase awareness of all aspects of international volunteering.

Download a copy of the research summary and findings here:

Research on the impact of international volunteering.pdf