Strengths and Weaknesses of the State-Managed International Voluntary Services: A Perspective from JOCV

This study addresses the strengths and weaknessesWeakness of state-managed international voluntary servicesInternational voluntary services (IVS) (SMIVS) by examining the case of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV). It argues that the weaknesses that JOCV suffers from are three-fold: state managementState management and sponsorship, incoherent and multiple purposes of the program, and weak expertiseExpertise of volunteers. The study demonstrates that these weaknessesWeakness have a historical origin in the foundation of JOCV. However, they do not represent problems or tensions to be resolved, nor weaknesses in the program, but rather they are sources of strengthsStrength, thereby contributing to the better performance of the JOCV programJOCV program and the development of local communitiesCommunity. Some implications for other SMIVSState-managed international voluntary services (SMIVS) programs are drawn.