Ex-post evaluation of the EU Aid Volunteers Initiative (2014-2020)

The ex-post evaluation of the EU Aid Volunteers Initiative covers the period 2014 -2020. After a delayed start-up, the Initiative contributed to the capacity of the EU to deliver humanitarian aid, although on a limited scale and mostly short-term, by increasing participant organisations’ capacities, harmonizing standards, enabling new partnerships and the deployment of well-trained volunteers. The Initiative was not sufficiently integrated into the humanitarian aid and development work of the EU, and it was less effective in promoting EU humanitarian principles. By 2019, only 62% of the EUR 115 million initial EUAV budget had been committed. Heavy administrative processes and procedural requirements initially hampered implementation. The management of the Initiative was however cost-effective overall. The security management system ensured volunteer security and limited EU reputational risk. However, it substantially reduced volunteer access to humanitarian settings. The Initiative was designed to improve EU volunteering through a holistic approach, but it lacked clarity on the role of volunteering in humanitarian contexts and on the hierarchy of the objectives pursued. Recommendations suggest clarifying the relationship between design and objectives, revisiting the security management system, strengthening localisation, facilitating learning, reinforcing communications and interagency coordination, developing a “toolkit” addressing the specific needs of partners and volunteers.