Mobilizing Volunteer Engagement through Technological Advancement (MVETech)

<< Background >>We applied for the MVETech project based on an internal needs analysis in our organizations in Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria. The main need identified was the lack of an efficient digital solution for volunteer management and the bureaucratic difficulty in attesting their volunteering activities.Through the consultation, we found among the responses received that:- there are difficulties in effectively managing volunteers and validating their activities- young volunteers state that they lack a clear and quick tool to demonstrate their volunteering experiences to educational or professional opportunities in their local NGO- youth workers and NGO coordinators were spending considerable time on administrative tasks, to the detriment of direct activities with young peopleIn addition, the European context and national policies - such as the European Youth Strategy 2019-2027, respectively the strategic documents in RO, TR and BG - emphasized the need to accelerate the processes of digital transformation in the youth sector and increase the active participation of young people. The need to recognize the efforts of volunteers quickly, accessible and standardized was central to the project.<< Objectives >>Through the implementation of the MVETech project we aimed to achieve the following main objectives:- Strengthening the capacity of 3 partner organizations in the management and recognition of volunteer work through digital solutions, by organizing 2 international working meetings of 3 days each (one in Bulgaria and one in Turkey), with the participation of two key members from each organization.- Technological advancement, through the development of a mobile application dedicated to the optimization of volunteer management, ensuring an accessible, transparent and efficient system for both NGOs and volunteers, including the automatic generation of certificates of participation in activities.- Competence development for 15 young people (5 from each partner country) through an international learning mobility organized in Iași, Romania, based on knowledge exchange and practical testing of volunteer management concepts during a local music festival.- Exchange of knowledge and best practices by establishing an international network of collaboration between partners to share challenges, innovations and solutions in the field of volunteer management, materialized also through the elaboration of a small guide with lessons learned.<< Implementation >>Within the MVETech project, we have successfully implemented the following main activities (in order):1) 2 international working sessions in Bulgaria and Turkey, 3 days each. Both sessions involved study visits to local youth organizations and youth centers. More:- The first meeting took place in BG and was dedicated to the creation of the concept for the mobile app Volunteers Factory. The participants (2 coordinators from each partner NGO) worked on defining the basic functionalities of the app and planning the next activities.- The second meeting took place in TR, where we analyzed the created prototype, adapted the design of the app and added functionalities. 2) Mobile app development:Based on the ideas and specifications resulting from the working sessions, we worked with an IT development team to create the app, which allows: managing volunteering activities, automatic issuing of participation certificates and more. The app was tested internally, iteratively improved and officially launched for Android and iOS with free access.3) 7-day international mobility to Iași, RO - interactive sessions on volunteer management at a local festival and non-formal learning experiences + app testing.<< Results >>- Development and launch of the volunteer management mobile app for organizations, called Volunteers Factory (tested locally multiple times + disseminated through local events), available for free on:➡️ Android - https://apkpure.com/volunteers-factory/com.volunteersfactory.app➡️ iOS - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/volunteers-factory/id6742145543 User tutorial: https://youtu.be/ynUWWgOfXEZ4- Organizing 2 international working sessions (in Bulgaria and Turkey) with project partners- Organizing a 7-day international mobility to Iași, RO, with the participation of 15 young people and 3 youth workers from each partner NGO, where young people learned non-formal hands-on non-formal learning about volunteer management during the ROCK'N'IAȘI festival, testing also the app in real time- Creating and disseminating a PDF guide with activities, best practices and lessons learned- Realization of photo-video content and over 20 promotional posts on the social networks of the partners, using the project hashtag #MVETech