The Social Service Time programme for young people, (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd MDT), developed in 2018, is monitored by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The Ministry has ordered a research office to monitor the developments of the experimental projects that have started within the frame of this programme. Accordingly, by the mid-2019 it was decided how the social service programme would continue, based on the experience during the pilot projects. The research report of 2021 states three main goals

1. Doing something for someone else
2. Talent development
3. Meetings

These and other data, such as reason to end a MDT project, average age of participants, and number of organizations receiving subsidy are monitored. In addition, qualitative research is carried out to explore some theme’s in depth. In 2021, that was about pressure young people feel. The results are shared in reports, the most recent one is about 2023.

The National Youth Council (NJR) researched the MDT programme and young people’s motivation for doing social service. The research is published in the report in February 2019 entitled 'Behind the motivation of young people for volunteering An investigation in the context of social service time' (Achter de motivatie van jongeren voor vrijwillige inzet Een onderzoek in het kader van de maatschappelijke diensttijd). In the report, two questions were researched:

1. Which young people are motivated to volunteer, and which young people are less so?
2. Which factors determine this and how can you corporate this into the design of a social service programme?

In addition, the Association of Dutch Volunteer Organizations improves the quality of volunteer work by, among other things, offering manuals for the recruitment of volunteers, drafting a volunteer policy and volunteer management to volunteer organizations.