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.

Project background and contextual information

The ACTIVE Extension Project is a multi-country programme across Asia & Africa focused on strengthening the capacity of Civil Society Groups (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 volunteering for development interventions.

ACTIVE supports CSGs to lead their own development pathways, engage in civic and policy spaces, and build inclusive systems that reflect community priorities. 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 organize, collaborate, and advocate—always centering their voice, pace, and leadership.

• Support CSGs to co-design and implement influencing strategies aligned with community priorities, co-create tools for policy analysis, policy tracking, stakeholder mapping, and documentation of policy implementation.
• Provide technical inputs, coaching and mentoring to CSGs for developing influencing materials including strategic plans, policy briefs, key messages, reports, and stakeholder-specific content, enable them to develop joint advocacy strategies with local government actors.
• Facilitate the development of feedback mechanisms for partners in respective areas of operations (Bugesera, Nyagatare & Gasabo) districts
• Working closely with youth networks, groups of women/youth with disabilities supported by VSO to increase their incomes and savings through income generating activities.
• Capacitate groups of youth, women and PWDs on financial literacy and records bookkeeping to ensure effective financial governance.
• Monitor and coach the youth, women and PWDS under VSO, CSGs partnership on how to run their income generating business or activities

• Experience in working with Civil societies Groups / women collectives / disability associations) through sharing of lived experience in workshops, meetings and etc
• Understanding of Civil Societies Groups capacity for locally led development, equitable local partnership, sustainability and rights-based approach.
• Ability to apply participatory tools and link youth networks to relevant technical support based on needs and contexts (familiarity with inclusive governance, participatory planning, adaptive management, citizen-led monitoring, community-led advocacy, resilience risk mitigation, will be an advantage).
• Skilled in facilitation, coaching and mentoring, able to create safe and inclusive spaces where all voices feel heard and valued and ability to apply inclusive digital tools for development action.
• Experience facilitating participatory self-assessment processes, enabling CSGs to identify priorities and lead their own capacity strengthening plans.
• Digital and data literacy, including competence in integration of digital platform for organizational strengthening.
• Commitment to VSO’s Volunteering for Development approach, mission, values, safeguarding policies, Code of Conduct, and demonstrated VSO behavioral competencies.
• Working collaboratively with a diverse team
• Commitment to VSO’s mission, values, People First principles and core approaches (Social Inclusion and Gender, Social Accountability, and Resilience).

• Experience in working with Civil societies Groups / women collectives / disability associations) through sharing of lived experience in workshops, meetings and etc
• Understanding of Civil Societies Groups capacity for locally led development, equitable local partnership, sustainability and rights-based approach.
• Ability to apply participatory tools and link youth networks to relevant technical support based on needs and contexts (familiarity with inclusive governance, participatory planning, adaptive management, citizen-led monitoring, community-led advocacy, resilience risk mitigation, will be an advantage).
• Skilled in facilitation, coaching and mentoring, able to create safe and inclusive spaces where all voices feel heard and valued and ability to apply inclusive digital tools for development action.
• Experience facilitating participatory self-assessment processes, enabling CSGs to identify priorities and lead their own capacity strengthening plans.
• Digital and data literacy, including competence in integration of digital platform for organizational strengthening.
• Commitment to VSO’s Volunteering for Development approach, mission, values, safeguarding policies, Code of Conduct, and demonstrated VSO behavioral competencies.
• Working collaboratively with a diverse team
• Commitment to VSO’s mission, values, People First principles and core approaches (Social Inclusion and Gender, Social Accountability, and Resilience).