Strategy on volunteering is drafted and adopted only at the level of RS – Strategy for the Improvement and Development of Volunteering in RS 2019 – 2023 (Strategija za unapređenje i razvoj volontiranja u RS). It is not a specific youth volunteering strategy. However, youth volunteering is covered.

Overall goal of the Strategy is providing support to sustainable promotion and development of volunteering, and increasing the volunteering engagements in RS.

This overall goal will be achieved by strategic directions and its objectives that are the following:

1. Legal framework for volunteering

Strategic objective: Established harmonised and adequate legal framework of volunteering that on effective and adequate way to support continuous and sustainable promotion and development of volunteering in RS.

2. Volunteering infrastructure

Strategic objective: Defined and established adequate and effective volunteering infrastructure at local and republic level that enables conditions and possibilities for continuous and sustainable promotion and development of volunteering in RS.

3. Volunteering in formal and non-formal educational systems

Strategic objective: Established frameworks and methodologies for transfer of knowledge, experience and information on volunteering in systems of formal and non-formal education, as also clearly positioned role of volunteering in processes of long-life learning in RS.

4. Volunteering promotion

Strategic objective: Knowledge, possibilities, examples of good practice and other relevant information on volunteering continuously promoted in a qualitative and adequate way by existing and available electronic, written and other media, as well as through other promotional activities.

Each strategic direction and its overall objective are followed by set of measures/activities which implementation and achieved expected results will contribute to achieving of overall objective. Nevertheless, the Action Plan for implementation of the Strategy clearly define indicators, timeline, funds, responsible body, and result for each defined measure/activity. Total financial value of the Strategy is EUR 455.050.

For purposes of qualitative implementation of Strategy, the RS Volunteer Service  (Volonterski servis RS) has been established in 2014. It is established as a network of 12 local volunteer services that operate in RS. The RS Volunteer Service is a main partner to the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sport in the RS Government (Ministarstvo porodice, omladine i sporta Vlade RS) for the implementation of the Strategy.

The main obstacles in the Strategy implementation processes relate to the lack of funds. In period 2014 – 2017, only EUR 75,000 has been secured for the Strategy implementation by the RS Government. Furthermore, a huge contribution from foreign donors was planned that was not secured at all. The main reason is that volunteering is not recognised and supported as a priority for BiH.