Volunteering in Ecuador and its integration into Public Policies
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- This research examines volunteering in Ecuador and its integration into public policies. It combines both quantitative and qualitative approaches.
- First, 1,000 participants from various public sector and civil society organizations were surveyed to collect data on the type of volunteering, number of volunteers and the economic contributions of volunteering. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a group of selected organizations based in Guayaquil and Quito.
Summary
The research found that volunteering is a means to deliver basic social services and to contribute to the welfare and social development of communities. The challenges for mainstreaming volunteering in public policies include a lack of data and evidence on volunteering, a lack of spaces and platforms to share and collect knowledge and volunteering experiences and a lack of integration of volunteering into government social programmes. The research also suggests that although volunteering in Ecuador is a strong and growing movement, further support is needed to maximize its valuable contributions to society.
The report provides policymakers with insights on how to better integrate volunteering into public policies, highlighting the potential to contribute to social development and to enrich volunteering experiences.
