1. Responsibly identify partner organization
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This section is intended to help tour operators identify social development organization partners for the volunteer component of their tour. For social development organizations offering trips directly to volunteer travelers, the same indicators and questions apply with regard to social development projects and host community relations. (Think of it this way: would you, the tour operator, partner with you, the social development organization?)
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Long-Term Program Sustainability |
- Does the partner organization have a stable relationship with the community?
- Can the partner organization be relied upon throughout the planning and implementation of the project involved?
- Is the project geared toward building capacity within the community to manage its own long-term development?
- Was the volunteer project/ community interaction designed to further progress on a larger goal, which existed before volunteers arrive and will continue after they leave?
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- Has the partner organization developed relationships with community members?
- Has the partner organization set up a monitoring and evaluation system, which involves checks and balances as well as outsider input and assessment?
- Does the partner organization have a deep understanding of local customs and laws?
- Do project leaders speak the local language? If there are select beneficiaries (certain members or families within a community, or one community rather than another) of the program, are the selection criteria transparent?
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Documentation and Reporting Structures |
- Can the partner organization demonstrate reliable documentation, measurement and reporting about its organizational operations? Is the partner organization legally registered in the areas in which it works?
- Are they actively measuring and reporting the short- and longterm effects of their projects?
- Are the financial reports of the organization transparent, both annual and project-specific reports?
- Is the partner organization willing to openly discuss the use of the program budget?
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Ethos and Ethical Alignment |
- Do you share the social, environmental, and development values of the partnering organization?
- Do you have a similar philosophical approach towards community development, and ecological / heritage preservation?
- Do you share the same project goals?
- Is there clear discussion and understanding of any cultural or organizational differences?
- Have you consulted references from your own sources (not only sources provided by the partner), to better understand perceptions and impacts of the partnering organization?
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