The manual addresses various topics that concern the voluntary work and are usually dealt with in different books. The chapters, however, can be used se-parately from each other and specific topics can be worked with on their own.

What content do you expect to find in this manual?

Everything from a single source

This manual represents a compendium of topics that are usually dealt with separately. It seemed to be useful to unify these topics in one book because of the various interrelations between the topics.

Practice-oriented

The manual is meant for practical use. Therefore checklists, guidelines and various materials were produced that can be used for your own voluntary work. Practitioners and volunteers have critically examined the manual and offered valuable advice.

Livened up

Working with the manual should be fun - that's what the project partners agreed on. The comic figures Mr. and Mrs. MoQuaVo lead you through the manual and point out important statements, hints and checklists. There are further graphic elements and figures that help to liven up the text.

Using the manual

At first glance the manual seems very extensive as it encompasses several themes. The chapters, however, can be used separately from one another and specific topics can be studied individually.

People who wish to use this book for non-commercial purposes and voluntary work may copy material and individual sections and provide these to volunteers. The value of this manual is in disseminating the knowledge that is contained within it.

Motivation

Which motives have people nowadays to offer their voluntary services in the field of drug addiction prevention?

Over the last decades, a change in volunteering has been noticed: Volunteering is no longer only a selfless act, but is based on the principle of reciprocal giving and taking. Thus it is not possible to increase volunteers' motivation and the value of voluntary work without taking the needs and motives of the volunteers into account when designing and organising the voluntary work.

Accordingly the motivation chapter discussed various aspects which take influence on the volunteers' motivation, for example

• recruitment of volunteers
• organisational structures and basic resources
• communication and group processes
• public relations
• recognition
  

Also the methods and advantages of a needs assessment will be elaborated.

Qualification

The volunteers' motivation as well as the quality of their work is closely linked to the match between the person and the voluntary position. The demands of the work and the individual?s skills should match. If additional competences are required, adequate resources need to be available to enable the volunteers to acquire new knowledge and skills.

The qualification chapter of the manual deals with

• training contents,
• the ascertainment of training requirements,
• different phases of volunteer training,
• designing and organising trainings,
• potential instructors,
• as well as the evaluation of training.

The limits of volunteer qualification will be discussed.

Evaluation of voluntary work

Volunteers need feedback on the impact of their work. The greatest reward for volunteers is to know their work is a success and to see the gratitude of the target group.

It is not always easy to identify what impact the voluntary work has, especially in the field of addiction prevention. Therefore documentation, monitoring and evaluation are helpful methods to make the effects of voluntary work visible and to adapt and improve the activities. In addition to this, they are important aspects of quality assurance.

The manual focuses on:

• Methods of documentation: minutes, progress reports, photographs, oral reports
• Instruments and data sources of monitoring: statistics, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups
• Intentions and advantages of evaluation

Questionnaires and creative methods of evaluation are provided for practical use.

The Charter for voluntary work in the field of addiction prevention

The Charter for voluntary work in the field of addiction prevention is based on the agreement between the members of the MoQuaVo project. The Charter is based on the Universal Declaration on Volunteering (IAVE, 2001) as well as on further declarations on voluntary work. The Charter describes what is meant by volunteering, its importance for society and which guidelines are important for voluntary work.

The Charter comments on the following topics:

• What is voluntary work?
  
• The importance of voluntary engagement
  
• Fundamental principles of voluntary engagement
  
• Principles of the organisation
  
• Principles of the volunteers
  

The main statements and guidelines are explicated after the Charter.

Games and exercises for groups

Games and exercises are tools that can relax participants during a workshop or training session, stimulate concentration and build a sense of team spirit. Games can also be used to deal with issues concerning addiction prevention.

Accordingly the manual presents a selection of games and exercises for the following occasions:

• Games for the start of a session or for use with a new group (creating a warm atmosphere, learning names, getting to know each other, building team spirit)
• "Fun breaks" to relax a session
• Methods of feedback
• Closing a meeting