International Victim Advocate Exchange Project - Apply to become a National Coordinating Agency

Apply to become a National Coordinating Agency

We need your help to make the Project work!

The Project seeks to make use of pre-existing formal and informal networks of contacts and communications which victim service agencies and organizations form as a matter of their day-to-day business. By joining the Project as a National or Regional/Specialized Coordinating Agency for your country, your organization or agency can help provide the contacts victim advocates will need to locate and arrange Visits or Exchanges.

A National Coordinating Agency is defined as: A victim service agency, organization or academic institution within a specific country, possessing extensive networks of contacts with other victim service related agencies and organizations within said country. A Coordinating Agency volunteers to use their networks of contacts and communications to help match foreign advocates with hosting agencies, within the Coordinating Agency's national boundaries.

A Regional/Specialized Coordinating Agency is defined as: A victim service agency, organization or academic centre within a specific country, serving a specific region or population/clientele of that country, possessing extensive networks of contacts with victim service agencies/organizations within said region or service population. A Regional/Specialized Coordinating Agency volunteers to use their networks of contacts and communications to help match foreign advocates with hosting agencies within the Agency's region or service population.

There may be more than one National or Specialized/Regional Coordinating Agency within each country.

It is the hope of the Project that we will grow to have Coordinating Agencies around the world. If you would like more information, please feel free to write us through our contact form. If you would like to apply to become a Coordinating Agency, please read over the following non-binding Memorandum of Understanding and, if you agree with the terms, click on the "I Agree" button. This will take you to a secure application form where we will ask for pertinent information on your organization/agency.

Non-Binding Memorandum of Understanding between IVAEP Administration and Voluntary Coordinating Agencies

This Memorandum of Understanding is entered into by the International Victim Advocate Exchange Project Administration and agencies/organizations applying to become voluntary Coordinating Agencies.

Hereafter the International Victim Advocate Exchange Project Administration will be referred to as IVAEP Administration. IVAEP Administration -- including manpower, technology, and management services -- is provided by Victim Assistance Online, solely in a voluntary capacity.

Purpose:

The purpose of this MOU is to define and expand a framework for voluntary cooperation between IVAEP Administration and Coordinating Agencies to aid in developing an international victim advocate exchange and visitation project, henceforth known as the Project. This MOU is not legally binding.

Statement of Voluntary Association:

The parties to this MOU agree to act in voluntary cooperation and association. As a voluntary project, any party, including IVAEP Administration, can cancel participation and responsibility in the Project at any time without warning and without penalty. No party can incur debt in any form for any other party to this MOU or the Project as a whole.

Statement of Mutual Benefits and Interests:

Benefits to IVAEP Administration include gaining access to the voluntary services of national/regional organizations and agencies globally for this specific purpose, and through them locating hosting and exchange agencies which are required to make this project function.

Benefits to Coordinating Agencies include, for this project only: access to technology; management services; online hosting and a single-point-of-contact. In addition, a private, secure web forum will be provided to representatives of Coordinating Agencies, where they can discuss issues relevant to the Project, assist in locating/connecting advocates and agencies, etc.

Mutual Benefits include increased levels of communication and cooperation between agencies/organizations in different countries, as well as serving the national victim service/assistance community by aiding the sharing of information, education and learned/shared experience through Exchanges and Visitations.

Statement of Management and Administration:

IVAEP Administration shall perform all Projects management and administration functions. IVAEP Administration shall review applications to become Coordinating Agencies, and may contact all, some or none of provided references. While desiring to operate in a spirit of collegiality and in consultation with participating agencies and organizations, IVAEP Administration reserves the final and sole right to approve and/or remove agencies or organizations from the position of Coordinating Agency with the Project as it sees fit. It also reserves the right to cancel the project at any time, without notice or penalty.

IVAEP Administration Shall:

Provide technology and management services to oversee the Project;
Act as a single-point-of-contact for the Project, through the Project web site;
Maintain a secure database of requesting advocates/agencies, each identified through an assigned tracking number;
Provide Coordinating Agencies with advocate and hosting agency requests, including information pertinent to matching each request as well as request's tracking number, but excluding identifying personal information;
When made aware of a potential match, contact the two matched advocates/agencies and seek authorization for sharing their personal contact information with the other. Only when express permission to share this information has been received shall their contact information be passed on to the potential match.

Voluntary Coordinating Agencies Shall:

Act as a national/regional agent for the Project;
To the best of their ability, seek to match the requests of an advocate/agency with potential hosting agencies/organizations within their boundaries or service populations;
Inform IVAEP Administration of the status of any requests on a regular basis;
Provide feedback from advocates/agencies within their national boundaries on the Project and/or issues relevant to the Project;
Hold IVAEP Administration and Project communications, including: private e-mail, web forum and other Internet-based communications, telephone conversations and fax documents, as private and confidential.

Statement of Privacy Issues:

The staff, services, equipment, servers and other technology to run and maintain the Project are all geographically located within the national boundaries of Canada. All parties to this MOU agree that data collected and used by the Project falls under Canada's Personal Information Privacy and Electronic Documents Act, as well as Canada's Privacy Act, and that IVAEP Administration has full authority to selectively release Exchange/Hosting request information in keeping with these Acts.

Modification:

Modifications within the scope of this instrument can be made at any time. Parties to the MOU will be consulted on and informed of all changes, and will be asked to re-verify their agreement with the MOU. Failure or refusal to re-verify within a stated period of time will be taken as a cancellation of participation in the Project, and the agency/organization will be removed as a Coordinating Agency.

Participation in Similar Activities:

This MOU in no way restricts any participating party from taking part in similar projects of any nature whatsoever.