RAY SOC » Research project on the evidence-based analysis and monitoring of the European Solidarity Corps
This research project aims to explore a broad scope of aspects of the European Solidarity Corps and to share the research findings with the different actors and stakeholders of the programme, seeking to contribute to the development of projects funded within the programme, the improvement of the programme’s implementation, and the development of the programme at large.
Aims & Objectives
The aim of this research project is to contribute to quality assurance and quality development in the implementation of the European Solidarity Corps, to strengthen evidence-based and research-informed policy development, and to sharpen the understanding of volunteering, working, learning, training and youth activism in the context of solidarity actions of young people.
Objectives are to explore:
- the effects of projects funded through the European Solidarity Corps on the actors involved, in particular on project participants, project leaders/team members, support/supervising persons, but also on their organisations and on the project environments, in particular on local communities;
- the access to the European Solidarity Corps at the level of young people (in particular of young people with fewer opportunities) as well as at the level of organisations, bodies and groups in the field of solidarity movements and action;
- the profile of participants, project leaders/team members, support/supervising persons and organisations/groups/bodies involved in projects funded within the European Solidarity Corps;
- the development and management of funded projects;
- the implementation of the European Solidarity Corps;
- the achievement of the objectives of the European Solidarity Corps;
- the contribution of the programme to the European Youth Goals and to the aims and objectives of the European Youth Strategy;
- the development of the European Solidarity Corps over the programme period (2021-2027), in particular in comparison to the European Voluntary Service/Volunteering in Erasmus+.
Research Questions
General research questions:
- What are the effects of European Solidarity Corps projects on participants, project leaders/team members, support/supervising persons and their organisations/groups as well as on the project environments, in particular local communities?
- What is the environment of European Solidarity Corps projects, in particular with respect to access to the European Solidarity Corps, the development of projects, the profile of actors and organisations involved in the projects, the management of the projects and the support provided by the funding structures?
- How do the projects contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the European Solidarity Corps, to the Youth Goals and to the aims and objectives of the European Youth Strategy?
- How does the European Solidarity Corps develop over the programme duration (2019-2027), in particular with respect to project themes, orientation on societal challenges, applicant/beneficiary organisations, participant profiles and effects on actors involved in the projects and on local communities?
- How could the findings from this study contribute to practice and policy development, in particular in view of the implementation of the European Solidarity Corpsand future EU-programme generations in this field?
Further Information
This initial design for the Monitoring of the European Solidarity Corps is built on the following assumptions:
- The research design will be developed in view of the special characteristics and features of the European Solidarity Corps,
- In particular, the research design will be based on quantitative social research methods: one for project participants and one for persons supporting the implementation of the project activities in personal contact with participants.
A pre-study was conducted in 2019 in order to explore the implementation of the programme during its first year.