Volunteering Policy

1. Purpose and scope

This policy sets the rules for volunteering at the Tunisian Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (TIPCS): Byrsa Field Volunteers, Punic Voices Translation Volunteers, Utica Campus Ambassadors and Megara Skills Volunteers. It applies to every volunteer, coordinator, supervisor and Board member involved.

Volunteering is open only to adults of 18 or older and always starts with a TIPCS account (/members/apply). TIPCS does not promise volunteers a visa, admission to any institution, a job, a fellowship, an internship, a diploma or a certificate recognised by a state, or any language or skill level.

2. Definitions

• Volunteer: an adult who freely gives time and skills to TIPCS without remuneration and without an employment relationship.
• Role description: the written brief stating purpose, tasks, hours, supervisor and expected output.
• Volunteer agreement: the written agreement between TIPCS and the volunteer; it is not an employment contract.
• Agreed expenses: costs reimbursed only because TIPCS agreed in writing beforehand.
• Certificate of volunteering activities: a TIPCS statement of what the volunteer did and for how long; not a diploma and not recognised by any state.
• Safeguarding focal point: the person who receives concerns in confidence.

3. Principles

TIPCS takes inspiration from the principles of United Nations Volunteers and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, as general good practice only; the text here is TIPCS’s own and does not claim to implement either body’s rules.

• Voluntariness: no one is obliged or pressed to volunteer, and no benefit depends on it.
• Complementarity: volunteers never replace staff, researchers, interns or contracted professionals.
• Safety and dignity: volunteers and the people they meet are protected.
• Recognition: contributions are recorded and acknowledged.
• Inclusion and neutrality: open to all adults without discrimination; TIPCS is non-partisan.
• Accountability: published standards, a complaints route and annual reporting.

4. Rules and procedure

The Board approves this policy; the executive administration manages volunteering and signs the documents. Any spending linked to volunteering needs three different signatures: the President or Executive Director, the Treasurer or Finance Manager, and the senior officer in charge. Nobody signs twice or signs their own request.

• Intake: volunteers apply through their TIPCS account at any time; the track coordinator checks fit and capacity.
• Role description: a written role description exists before any assignment starts.
• Agreement and briefing: the volunteer signs the volunteer agreement and attends a briefing on values, the code of conduct, safeguarding, data protection and health and safety.
• Code of conduct: volunteers respect people and property, stay neutral in TIPCS’s name, do not speak for TIPCS unless authorised, and do not accept gifts in return for any favour.
• Expenses: no salary, fee or allowance is given. Expenses are reimbursed only if agreed in writing beforehand, under rules and a fund set by the Board [amount to be set by the Board with funders]. No volunteer pays a fee to TIPCS.
• Insurance: cover for accident or illness is confirmed in writing before any task with physical risk.
• Supervision: each volunteer has a named supervisor, with a check-in after the first assignment and each term.
• Recognition: a certificate of volunteering activities on request, a reference where deserved, and public credit only with consent.
• Exit: a volunteer may pause or stop at any time without giving reasons. On exit, access is closed, materials are returned and an exit conversation is offered. TIPCS may end an assignment at once for a safeguarding or confidentiality breach or serious misconduct.

5. Roles and responsibilities

6. Rights and obligations of the person concerned

The volunteer has the right to a written role description, an induction, a named supervisor, a safe and respectful setting, reasonable hours, access to the complaints route, recognition of the contribution, and the freedom to stop. The volunteer is not an employee.

The volunteer must perform the agreed tasks with care, follow the code of conduct, keep non-public information and data confidential, use TIPCS channels only, declare conflicts of interest, and report concerns. Texts, translations and images produced for TIPCS belong to TIPCS or are licensed as the agreement states, with the volunteer credited where appropriate.

7. Legal framework

This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current text before relying on any of these.

• Decree-Law 2011-88 on associations: TIPCS may involve volunteers as a non-profit association; its funds and accounts must be transparent.
• Organic Law 2004-63 on personal data: volunteer data is collected for a stated purpose and kept for a limited time.
• Code of Obligations and Contracts: the volunteer agreement is a contract in good faith.
• Labour Code (Law 66-27) and Social Security Code (Law 60-30): general frameworks; the line between volunteering and employment is to be verified by counsel.
• Law 2000-83 on electronic exchanges and commerce: electronic signature of agreements.
• Law 94-36 on literary and artistic property: rights in translations, texts and images.
• Organic Law 2017-58 on violence against women, Organic Law 2016-61 on trafficking in persons and Organic Law 2018-50 on racial discrimination: shape the safeguarding duties.
• Law 2017-10 on reporting corruption and protecting whistleblowers: protects those who report.

8. Data protection

TIPCS processes volunteer data under Organic Law 2004-63; its declaration to the INPDP is in progress. Only the data needed for the role is collected; volunteers use TIPCS channels and never copy personal data to private devices or accounts. Volunteers who handle personal data receive a data induction. Retention periods: [period to be fixed by the Board after the INPDP declaration]. Volunteers may ask for access, correction or objection at Contact@tipcs.org. Volunteers do not process sensitive data (health, legal, beneficiary files) unless the role description says so and the supervisor has authorised it.

Controller: Tunisian Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (TIPCS), registered office Avenue Mahmoud Bourguiba, Monastir 5000, Tunisia; contact Contact@tipcs.org. Under Organic Law 2004-63 you may ask to be informed about how your data is used, to access it, to have it corrected, to object to its processing and to have it deleted, within the limits of that law, by writing to Contact@tipcs.org. If you are not satisfied with our answer, you may complain to the National Authority for the Protection of Personal Data (INPDP), www.inpdp.nat.tn.

TIPCS does not request criminal-record or health data from candidates.

9. Safeguarding, non-discrimination and conflicts of interest

The ratified TIPCS Safeguarding policy and Conflicts of interest policy apply in full. Volunteers are adults, are never left alone with minors or vulnerable persons, and report concerns the same day. They treat everyone without discrimination on any ground. A simplified declaration of interests is signed on arrival, and volunteers declare any political office or party role that could affect TIPCS’s neutrality. Field work is led by a staff member.

10. Complaints and whistleblowing

Volunteers may raise a concern with their coordinator or the safeguarding focal point, or in confidence by writing to Contact@tipcs.org with the subject “CONFIDENTIAL – Concern”. The ratified Whistleblowing and complaints policy applies and Law 2017-10 protects good-faith reporting. No one suffers retaliation for a concern raised in good faith.

11. Review of the policy and version control

The Board reviews this policy at least once a year, using the programme’s indicators and volunteer feedback, and checks it against the current published documents of United Nations Volunteers and IFRC. Each version carries a number and date. Version: Draft 1.0, 8 Nov 2026.