1) Kick-off Meeting – Online
M.I.L.E. Project Successfully Launched with Global Online Kick-off Meeting
February 2025
The M.I.L.E. (Measuring Impact of Long and medium term Engagement) project was officially launched with a successful online Kick-off Meeting.
The event brought together key stakeholders from around the world to initiate the project and ensure a shared understanding of its goals, activities, and participatory approach.
The main objective of the meeting was to provide clear and updated information about the project’s workflow and to ensure all partners were aligned on the aims and expected outcomes.
A key focus of the discussion was the practical application of resources from the “Decolonise IVS” project. Participants reviewed Decolonisation Guidelines, Self-Assessment Tools, and educational materials, discussing how these could be integrated into the project’s research phase. The meeting also served to introduce the impact measurement tools that will be updated and used to assess LMTV programmes.
The event saw active participation from a diverse group, including the CCIVS Director, the project’s Impact Measurement Expert, Francesco Volpini, members of the CCIVS Youth Committee, and representatives from partner networks such as SCI, Alliance, ICYE, and NVDA. This collaborative start ensures that networks are committed to contributing to the project’s goals.
The Kick-off Meeting laid a strong foundation for this next phase, ensuring that the project is well-prepared to develop effective tools and gather meaningful data on the impact of long-term volunteering.
2) MILE – Measuring Impact in Long-term Exchanges: Training in Germany Builds Tools for Decolonised Research
From 8–12 April 2025, young volunteers and activists from across four continents gathered near Bonn, Germany, for the MILE Training on Impact Measurement and Decolonisation Tools, hosted by SCI Germany and coordinated by CCIVS and co-financed by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe.
This international training brought together 15 participants and 4 facilitators to explore one of the core challenges of the International Voluntary Service (IVS) movement: how do we know our projects make a difference—and whose perspective is shaping the answer?
The MILE training took that question seriously, focusing on two key pillars: social research and decolonisation.
Over five intensive days, the group navigated key concepts in participatory evaluation, qualitative research, and justice-centered approaches. They learned how to design and conduct interviews, develop meaningful indicators, and apply a decolonial lens to long- and mid-term volunteer projects (LMTV).
Learning in Practice
Sessions combined self-reflection, role-plays, peer interviews, group work, and a hands-on approach to social research. Participants created their own interview tools, practiced conducting them, and received detailed guidance on analysing and presenting data. The final day was devoted to preparing for the next phase of the project: field research in their own LMTV contexts.
While the original plan included an external site visit, the team pivoted smoothly to simulate interviews onsite—an adjustment that was met with enthusiasm and allowed participants to test multiple roles as researchers and interviewees.
A Space for Global Reflection
Beyond research skills, the training offered a rare and necessary space to reflect on power, knowledge, and perspective in global volunteering. Participants explored what decolonisation means in their work, questioned inherited narratives, and drew connections between social justice and IVS practice.
This work was grounded in tools developed through past CCIVS initiatives and enriched by the diverse backgrounds of the participants, who came from Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.
Laying Foundations for Change
The MILE training marked a key turning point in the project’s timeline. It followed the online kick-off meeting and laid the groundwork for participants to conduct interviews in the coming months. These interviews will later inform a collective impact analysis and help shape future advocacy, promoting the impact of Long Term volunteering on volunteers and on the communities where they work.
A number of participants even volunteered to continue supporting the research coordination, offering time to assist with data analysis and content development—clear proof of the motivation and commitment within the group.
Next Steps
In the months ahead, participants will carry out their field research, using the tools and methods developed during the training. Their findings will feed into the broader MILE work plan and contribute to building more inclusive, evidence-based, and decolonised IVS practices across the network.
For more updates, stay tuned to ccivs.org and follow us on social media.
3) Impact Measurement in Action (May–October 2025)
Your Attractive Heading
Updates coming soon
4) Presentation & Online Conference (November–December 2025)
Updates coming soon