Volunteer role description template

1.    Introduction to VSO

VSO is the world’s leading international non-governmental organisation that works through volunteers to create a fair world for everyone.

Our work centres on those who are left out by society – those living in extreme poverty or with disability and illness. Those who face discrimination and violence because of their gender, sexuality, or social status. Those who are at risk from disaster, disease, and conflict. But they are not passive beneficiaries of aid; they are the “primary actors” at the heart of our efforts. From their perspective, we define the issues, opportunities, and solutions that drive sustainable, local-led change. These individuals are the key agents of their own transformation.

Our Approach

Our Volunteering for Development (VfD) method supports the most vulnerable and marginalised to achieve their rights and bring about lasting change to create a fair world for everyone. Rooted in addressing the fundamental causes of - marginalisation and vulnerability, our three core approaches – social inclusion and gender, social accountability, and resilience – guide our work in inclusive education, health, and resilient livelihoods. 

Our Volunteering for Development method recognises the importance of relationships in forging a shared understanding and commitment and building collective action to lasting change. With most of our volunteers being national, we build blended teams of community, national, and international volunteers, uniting diverse perspectives, and experiences to generate insight, innovation, and action that tackles the complex issues faced by our communities. This kindles the potential for active citizenship worldwide, encouraging people to step forward and lead the change that fosters a fair world for all.

1.    Project background and contextual information (Please change this information as per project detail and requirement)

The ACTIVE Extension Project is a multi-country programme across Asia & Africa focused on strengthening the capacity of CSGs by fostering volunteerism and civic engagement while simultaneously improving the capabilities of governments and services. Making the system accountable to their collective needs through VfD interventions.

ACTIVE supports CSGs to lead their own development pathways, engage in civic and policy spaces, and build inclusive systems that reflect community priorities. Empower them to foster inclusion, apply participatory practices, strengthen accountability, build resilience, adapt to risks, mobilise resources and secure fundings for sustain the development impacts.

Volunteering plays a role of collective catalyst—where volunteers accompany CSGs in building confidence, fostering peer learnings, and accessing tools and networks. Volunteers do not deliver services but contribute to locally led development by enabling CSGs to organise, collaborate, and advocate—always centring their voice, pace, and leadership. Volunteers support a shift in power through equitable partnerships and mutual respect.

 2.    Role outputs (no more than 5 bullet points)

• Provide climate resilience technical capacity strengthening initiatives that are designed based on the specific needs and aspirations of the CSGs, ensuring they are demand-driven and context-specific.
• Co- design the toolkits and learning resources in response to local priorities and inclusion needs.
• Facilitate the development of climate resilience strategies and action plans tailored to specific community contexts. Support CSG, IPs and Volunteers in the integration of adaptation and mitigation measures into project designs and policy frameworks. 
• Work alongside local CSGs and local government systems to develop and implement locally-led climate adaptation and service continuity plans. Integrate climate adaptation planning into system strengthening approaches.
• Build the capacity of local CSGs to embed crisis modifiers within their operations in order that they are able to adapt practice, advocate, and demand responsiveness from duty bearers and other stakeholders in the event of climate as well as other humanitarian disruptions.
• Strengthen the voice and leadership of youth, women, and marginalized groups in climate actions and mentor them to engage effectively with local authorities.
• Support the adoption of using community risk assessment and crisis modifier tools and leverage Resilience Dashboard.
•  Convene and facilitate collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including government, local authorities, community groups, volunteers, IPs and other CSOs. Foster meaningful relationships based on shared values and common purposes to build collective action focusing on climate resilience, DRR and humanitarian.
• Support CSGs in engaging with local and regional policymakers to influence climate-resilient policies. Catalyse innovation by identifying and supporting challenge awards and small grant schemes for resilience projects by CSGs. 
• Extend the technical support to other countries through cross-country learnings, coaching, mentoring and remote technical accompaniment supports. Collaborate with VSO, partners and other volunteers to ensure coherent support and alignment with CSGs’ strategic priorities. Share insights with VSO to strengthen support for CSG sustainability and local ownership. 

 3.    Experience and skills required for this volunteer placement (no more than 8 bullet points)

• Expertise in Climate Resilience, DRR and participatory methods —with ability to adapt and tailor tools across diverse context.
• Experience in CSGs capacity strengthening, ability to build capacity of CSGs.
• Experience in co-designing and contextualising technical resources, ensuring accessibility for grassroots groups with varied literacy, digital access, and inclusion needs.
• Digital and data literacy, including resilience dashboard, data analysis, visualisation, and integration into advocacy platforms.
• Demonstrated ability to influence system-level change, working across civil society, government, and media to institutionalise feedback mechanisms and accountability.
• Demonstrated ability to support CSGs in building and sustaining climate resilience partnerships across sectors, enabling collaborative governance and collective resilience efforts.
• Ability to facilitate climate resilience strategy development and youth-led action planning, translating capacity-building insights into practical project or policy design. Able to build trust and facilitate learnings, coaching, and mentoring including remote and hybrid settings., with the ability to create safe, inclusive spaces where all voices—especially marginalised groups—are heard, valued, and empowered.
•  Commitment to VSO’s Volunteering for Development approach, mission, values, safeguarding policies, Code of Conduct, and demonstrated VSO behavioural competencies.