Act 10/2011, of 28th November, of Voluntary Action
A Coruña, 17th January 2012
PARTICIPATORY METHODOLOGY
 In order to develop this Act, a Bill drafted by the previous government was taken as a basis.
Necessary modifications were introduced in order to achieve higher technical accuracy, as well as in
order to adapt the Act to the current adverse economic scenario, which forced us to downsize the
previous proposal.
 The foundations laid down by several European Union documents on volunteering are included in the
Act (European Parliament Resolution of 22nd April 2008 on the role of volunteering in contributing to
social and economic cohesion, and the Study on Volunteering in the European Union conducted by
the Education and Culture Executive Agency of the European Commission).
 A participatory approach was taken (public consultation during the summer of 2010 for volunteers
and organisations to make comments).
2
ACT STRUCTURE
 Purposes
 Part I. Preliminary.
This first part mentions the objective of the Act, its scope and the guiding principles thereof.
 Part II Subjects of voluntary action
This second part describes the subjects of voluntary action, such as volunteers, organisations they
work in, and lastly, the beneficiaries of voluntary action.
 Part III. Public Administrations
Part III refers to all aspects pertaining to administrative action.
Chapter I refers to the promotion of voluntary action.
A specific chapter, the second one, to the planning tools for voluntary action included in strategic
planning through the Galician plan for voluntary action and through sector-wise plans and later on
through programmes and projects.
The third chapter focuses on assigning the relevant powers to the Galician public administrations, with
clear reference to the powers of the Regional Government (Xunta) and the local authorities.
The Registry of voluntary action is regulated under chapter four.
Regarding participatory bodies, chapter five regulates the Galician Council for Voluntary Action and
chapter six refers to the creation of the Galician Observatory of Voluntary Action.
 Additional, interim, derogation and final provisions.
3
Part I. Preliminary
OBJECTIVE OF THE ACT
• To regulate and foster the altruistic participation of citizens in
voluntary actions organised by bodies of voluntary action or
directly by the public administrations for the development of
concrete programmes.
• To regulate the relationships that, regarding such activities,
could be established between volunteers, organisations of
voluntary action and the beneficiaries of voluntary action and the
public administrations of Galicia.
4
VOLUNTARY ACTION
Part I. Preliminary (cont.)
CONCEPT OF
VOLUNTARY
ACTION
The organised social participation of individuals in the development of activities in sectors of
general interest through organisations of voluntary action as long as they comply with the
following requirements:
• The decision to undertake such action must be free and cannot entail a duty or legal
requirement.
• The action must be undertaken outside the working, professional, administrative or trade
environment or of any other paid activity.
• The action must be undertaken without any kind of payment, notwithstanding the
reimbursement of costs incurred in during the action.
• The action must take place in concrete programmes, be them fostered by any of the
voluntary action organisations or the Galician public administrations.
5
Part I. Preliminary (cont.).
Any activity being undertaken in Galicia, regardless of where the
organisation of voluntary action has its headquarters
SCOPE
Voluntary action undertaken by the public administrations in
programmes of general interest under their power.
6
Part I. Preliminary (cont.).
Basic principles
1. Participation with the full acknowledgement of personal autonomy
and pluralism of voluntary action.
2. Involvement and participation of citizens to achieve goals of public
interest.
3. Solidarity, altruism and gratuity of the action developed, excluding all
actions aiming at material gain of any kind.
4. Personal freedom and respect for pluralism and the personal options
of volunteers and beneficiaries.
5. Cooperation and complementarity across organisations of voluntary
action and public administrations.
7
Part I. Preliminary (cont.).
Sectors of voluntary action
Included in voluntary action are activities of general interest linked to social
action and services, health, human rights, children, disability, equal rights
for women, education, development aid, fight against poverty and social
exclusion, culture, cultural heritage, science, the promotion of new
technologies, civil protection, prevention of emergencies, protection of
consumers and users, sports, leisure and free time, environmental
conservation and protection, language rights, reactivation of the rural world,
economy or research, the development of associative life, promotion of
voluntary action, as well as all those that, under this Act, may contribute to
accomplish the objectives of voluntary action.
8
Volunteer: Concept
Part II. Subjects of voluntary action.
1. An individual who makes a personal, free and altruistic choice to participate in any
activity of voluntary action through an organisation of voluntary action as long as there
is no labour relationship, of trade or employment between them.
2. People who, without being registered in organisations of voluntary action, take part in
programmes of voluntary action specifically organised by the public administrations in
areas under their powers.
Minors may participate in volunteer programmes and projects specifically adapted to
their characteristics, with express authorisation by their parents, tutors or the institution
responsible for them, always respecting the will of the minor.
Being a volunteer is fully compatible with being a member of the managing board of the
organisations, as long as this task is not paid.
9
Part II. Subjects of voluntary action (cont.).
Voluntary action organisations
VOLUNTARY ACTION ORGANISATIONS: CONCEPT
Those public or private non-profit organisations, legally registered and with their own legal status that, in an
organised and stable manner, undertake specific programmes related to activities of general interest set forth
in Article 5 of this Act.
RIGHTS OF VOLUNTARY ACTION ORGANISATIONS
• To draft their own internal operating standards in light of democratic and participatory principles.
• To select volunteers according to the nature and characteristics of the tasks to be develop and in
accordance with the norms set forth in their internal operations standards.
• To stop cooperation with volunteers who do not fulfil with their commitments.
• To take part in the measures to foster volunteer action established by the public administrations or private
bodies.
• Any other right acknowledged by the remaining legal framework related to voluntary action.
10
Part II. Subjects of voluntary action (cont.).
Voluntary action organisations
 Relationships between volunteers and voluntary action organisations
COOPERATION AGREEMENT
The relationship between volunteers and organisations in which they take part must registered in writing, through a
cooperation agreement.
IDENTIFICATION
The document showing that a person is a volunteer must be issued by the voluntary action organisation and shall
include, at least, personal data and identification of both, and the name of the programme or programmes developed in
which the volunteer takes part.
Volunteers must be covered by insurance for accidents and liability arranged by the voluntary action organisation
or the public administration responsible for the volunteering programme.
11
Part III. The Public Administrations (Cont)
Promotion of training
Training of volunteers must be done by
people with proved experience preferably
linked to the management of voluntary action.
By law, training programmes for
voluntary action shall be established
with different levels – introduction, basic
and advanced
The tasks of those managing the voluntary action
organisation, shall be supported, namely those of
technicians who are in charge of coordinating
voluntary
action,
guiding
volunteers
both
individually and as a group regarding the project
they are participating in, according to their profile,
availability and preferences, taking also into
account the needs of the organisation and society
at all times.
12
Part III. Public Administrations (Cont)
PLANNING TOOLS
• THE GALICIAN PLAN OF VOLUNTARY ACTION AS A STRATEGIC PLAN.
Strategic planning in the region is channelled through the Galician Plan for Voluntary Action, which is
an administrative tool to determine the planning and coordination criteria of the planned actions in the
field of voluntary action.
• SECTOR-WISE PLANS DRAFTED BY LOCAL BODIES ON DEMAND BY THE REGIONAL
GOVERNMENT.
Sector-wise planning shall include plans that, in the framework and the development of strategic
planning, may be passed by the different departments of the regional administration or local bodies.
• PLANS AND PROJECTS DRAFTED BY ORGANISATIONS OF VOLUNTARY ACTION
The Plan for Voluntary Action is the tool through which the plans of voluntary action organisations are
developed and made concrete.
Projects of Voluntary Action are tools for the execution of a plan.
13
Part III. Public Administrations (Cont)
Registry of Voluntary Action of Galicia
This is a single and public body to
undertake all functions related to
qualification,
registration
and
certification, and shall be linked to the
department having the powers over
voluntary action.
• The registry includes two sections:
the registry of voluntary action
organisations and a registry of
experiences of volunteers..
Registry of Voluntary Action Organisations
Inscription in the Registry of voluntary action of Galicia, must be requested by the organisation through a formal
application, and is a pre-requirement for organisations to received funding from the public administrations in Galicia and
to sign agreements with them.
Registration shall entail submitting an application and the documents requested in the appropriate regulations.
14
Part III. Public Administrations (Cont)
Galician Council of Voluntary Action
 The Galician Council of Voluntary Action is created as the most important body in terms of participation,
coordination, guidance and advice in matters pertaining to voluntary action.
 The most important functions of the Galician Council of Voluntary action are to provide advice and submit reports
on topics related to voluntary action, as well as to be a meeting point for the Galician public administrations and
organisations of voluntary action.
 Seats:
 Presidency
 2 Vice-presidencies
 Secretary
 Members: 11 from the regional administration
4 FEGAMP (Municipalities)
1 Galician Youth Council
3 of the most important business associations and 3 trade unions
3 of Galician universities
9 of organisations of voluntary action
15
Part III. Public Administrations (Cont)
Galician Observatory of Voluntary Action
• Administrative body to develop actions pertaining to research, training, as well as the creation and
establishment of computer assisted and documentation systems.
• The Galician Council of Voluntary Action shall report on its activities, and it shall pass its annual plan
and its strategic lines.
• The Galician Observatory of Voluntary Action may technically guide municipalities in the development
of their sector-wise plans for voluntary action and they may cooperate with the universities in R+D+I
projects and with similar bodies and other public administrations.
• Members include:
President, the person in charge of the department having the powers over voluntary issues.
Vice-president, the person belonging to the directive body having the powers over voluntary issues.
Members:
-A representative of the Galician Institute of Statistics.
-A representative of each of the three Galician Universities.
-Two representatives of voluntary action organisations designated by the Galician Council of Voluntary Action.
Secretary, a civil servant of the directive body having the powers over voluntary issues, with the position of sub-director, with a
voice but without a vote.
16