Enquiries of all interested persons come to IVO
	We sent the application forms to all those who are interested. Candidates are supposed to send the filled forms back to us as soon as possible.
	Telephonic interviews are conducted to shortlist candidates for assessment day in New Delhi. We also speak to non-volunteering partner if they want to come along to the placement country.
	Shortlisted candidates attend a one-day Assessment Day with IVO.
	Candidates must follow up with their referees to submit the Reference Forms to IVO before the Assessment Days.
	Confirmation of selection hinges on medical clearance. IVO's medical adviser in New Delhi is responsible for conducting a thorough physical examination. Police clearance is also required for volunteer placements with children, the disabled, and other vulnerable groups.
	Volunteers are required to attend two training courses. The first, Preparing for Change will explore a range of issues involved in moving to a new environment overseas. The second, Wider Role of Volunteers, discusses practical tools and skills that will prove useful to volunteers in the placements overseas.
	We offer volunteers a placement that would best suit their qualifications and experience. We also send the volunteer's CV to the VSO programme office overseas and the organisation requesting the volunteer. Then they together decide whether the volunteer's qualifications meet their requirements.
	Once volunteers have accepted a placement, we sit down and review what their learning needs are and how best they can prepare to take up the post overseas.
	Language training is organised overseas; all volunteers are required to attend this.
	The whole process from Application to Departure takes about 4-6 months.

It is important that you think through what volunteering means to you. It may help to talk to people who have lived or worked overseas in another developing country, but you should also recognise that each person's experience may be different. Think about how you would cope with the situations they describe, or times when you had to cope with similar situations in the past, and how their accounts affect your intention to volunteer.

It is also important that you share the same goals as we do. For more information, we suggest that you check out VSO's website: www.vso.org.uk.

Currently IVO is not accepting applications from volunteering couples. This decision is up for review in 2008

At this stage, we cannot say where you will be posted. Like other volunteers recruited from all over the world, Indians will be offered placements in Asia (except India) and Africa - it really depends on where there is a request for someone with your background and qualifications.We expect volunteers to go where they are most needed, where their is a demand for their skills and not necessarily where they want to go. Please note that we will not be able to entertain request of going to particular country or region unless we believe that volunteer has a very good rational.

Once you have been selected as a volunteer, we will show you a Placement Description that sets out
	Details about the local organisation: its staff, management, and structure; its programmes, resources, and needs
	The rationale and objectives of the volunteer placement: the volunteer's responsibilities, what you are expected to accomplish over the next two years, and the professional qualifications as well as personal qualities needed to perform the job
	Terms and conditions of work, access to professional support
	The expected accommodation
	Other requirements, e.g., language (language training is provided overseas) or motorbike skills, if specified (motorbike training is also provided pre-departure and in the country of assignment)
	A description of the town or village: socio-economic profile and aspects of local culture; the postal system and facilities for health, recreation, market, worship, travel, and communications; opportunities for social interaction
	Possible sources of information, including current or previous volunteers in the region or from the same sector
Later, we will provide you additional information -- about the country, the local VSO programme, bits of advice from other volunteers in the country, websites you could check out for additional research, email addresses of former volunteers, etc.

Being selected does not automatically assure you a placement overseas. This doesn't happen very often, but it's good for you to be aware of all possibilities. Please don't hand in your resignation unless we advise you so.

We do. We liaise with the VSO programme offices overseas and apply for a visa or work permit with the relevant authorities. Later, we will let you know what documents or certificates you will need to provide so that we can process the papers. Volunteers are responsible for obtaining their own passports and for the costs associated with the same.

The allowancet really depends on where the volunteer is posted. The monthly volunteer allowance is set against the cost-of-living in each country which varies greatly. Whatever the amount, it is sufficient to allow you to

 have a healthy diet
 dress appropriately
 live comfortably in a modest way

The monthly allowance is often comparable to what your local colleagues are receiving; in many cases, it is more than the salary of your colleagues who may have to take a second job to augment their income. However, you cannot expect to save enough to send home on a regular basis. If you have any outstanding debts or if you are supporting dependents at home, we urge you to re-assess your application, because the allowance may not meet your requirements.

It is best to look at the monthly allowance within the entire IVO volunteer support package:

	a pre-departure grant of that you can use to purchase things you need, e.g., clothes, books, supplies, and other things not available in your country of assignment
	pre-departure medical check-up
	the full cost of travel from your state in India to your destination overseas and the airfare to go home at the end of the two years
	training: language training and in-country orientation
	accommodation: see next section
	medical insurance overseas: medicine, doctor's fees, hospitalization, or evacuation if necessary
	grants released every quarter during your period overseas that you can use to subscribe to a life insurance policy, a professional journal to keep you updated on developments in the field, or pay your membership fee to a professional organisation, etc. The money will be deposited into your bank account in India, and you will have to arrange any outlays yourself.
	end-of-service grant to help you re-settle back into India. If you resigned from your previous job, this grant will help to tide you over until you find a new one.

Again, the situation varies across placements and countries. We normally ask the local organisation to provide the accommodation. It could be a house of your own, or you may have to share with a local colleague. Not all houses will have electricity if there's none in the entire village! But we always try to ensure that there's a source of water nearby and provide a water filter. We also provide a small fund to enable volunteers to purchase basic household supplies.

Yes, you can. During each year, volunteers are entitled to 4 weeks of paid holiday leave. However, VSO will not cover your travel, and you will have to cover the airfare yourself.

Wow, you really sound enthusiastic! Yes, many volunteers extend beyond the standard two years. However, the request for extension is initiated by the local organisation who determine whether they need the volunteer to stay on in order to complete the job or to extend its benefits and impact. The VSO programme office overseas then assesses the situation, and a decision is reached by consulting all parties involved, including the IVO office in New Delhi.

If you enjoyed the volunteering experience so much, we could examine other options such as taking another volunteer placement in the same country or elsewhere.