International Citizen Service (ICS) is a global volunteering programme. It is aimed at young people, and sees volunteers from the UK working alongside volunteers from the developing world.
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ICS works with projects that have specifically requested help, with emphasis placed on measures that combat poverty.
Funded by the Department for International Development, ICS is led by VSO, in partnership with a number of development organisations.
Prime Minister David Cameron has said the programme was inspired by the Peace Corps. The forerunner programme to ICS was Platform2, which was initiated under the previous Labour government.
ICS and ICS Entrepreneur are led by VSO in partnership with a group of development organisations.
Volunteers to the ICS are asked to fundraise, and receive support to help them meet their fundraising goals.
ICS consortium
The ICS consortium are a group of organisations that aim to use their experience in running overseas volunteer programmes to work towards the Millennium Development Goals.
Collectively, the ICS agencies work directly with around 3000 international volunteers every year and have partnerships in over 60 countries.
The volunteer sending agencies in the consortium are:
Criticisms
Some people have questioned whether the International Citizen Service is good value for money. DfID's stated goal is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty", and questions have been raised as to whether paying for the flights, visas, accommodation, food, insurance, a certain amount of living expenses and training of untrained teenagers (approximately £7,633 per volunteer) is really the most cost-effective use of £15.75m of DfID money.