Olympic Games-time volunteers refer to the volunteers who are recruit directly by BOCOG or recruited by other entrusted agencies. They will have Olympic accreditation, perform post-specific responsibilities during the Games, work at the time and places designated by BOCOG, accept BOCOG's management and serve the Beijing Olympic Games without pay.

1. Main Tasks

Adequate staffed and well trained volunteer teams will be set up through mobilization, recruitment, training, public-good practice, stimulation and citation. They will provide quality volunteer services to the members of the Olympic Family, media reporters, spectators and other related personnel.

During the Games, the volunteers will work on the service posts of protocol reception, translation, transport, security, medical service, spectators guiding, articles distribution, communication, competition organization support, venue operation support, press operation support, and cultural activities support.

BOCOG will design the work posts for Games-time volunteers with reference to the Olympic practices and standards and in light of Beijing's practical conditions. It is estimated that around 70,000 Games-time volunteers will be needed.

2. The Sources of the Games-time Volunteers

The Games-time volunteers will come from various sectors, who abide by China's laws and regulations, meet age and other requirements set by BOCOG, have the ability and qualifications required for the designated posts, are willing to provide unpaid services to the Beijing Olympic Games and accept BOCOG leadership and management. They will mainly come from the universities in Beijing. But Beijing residents, people of various ethnic groups from around the country, compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, overseas Chinese and foreign citizens are also welcome.

The volunteers will be divided into two major categories according to the work post requirements: professional and non-professional. BOCOG will establish Games-time volunteer projects in keeping with the following volunteer sources and push forward the work in recruitment, training, assignment and Games-time service according to the principles and rules of project management.

(1) University student volunteers

BOCOG will recruit volunteers among the colleges and university students in Beijing (including those from private universities and Beijing-based university students from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan). The universities will be authorized to recruit volunteers in phases according to the qualification requirements set by BOCOG, and establish corresponding training, organization and management systems. BOCOG will assign tasks to them on the basis of universities.

(2) Middle school student volunteers

BOCOG will recruit volunteers from vocational high schools, polytechnic schools and ordinary middle schools in Beijing. The relevant schools will be authorized to recruit volunteers from their students according to the qualification requirements set by BOCOG.

(3) Social volunteers

BOCOG will recruit volunteers from the public in Beijing. BOCOG will directly accept personal applications, by entrustment and authorization, and through the Internet and other channels. BOCOG will also accept group applications from communities, groups, enterprises and institutions. BOCOG will select and recruit volunteers from qualified applicants.

(4) Volunteers from other provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions

BOCOG will recruit volunteers from other provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across the country. The relevant institutions in those provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions will be authorized to recruit volunteers locally according to the qualification requirements set by BOCOG. The volunteers should receive unified training, evaluation and management arranged by BOCOG, participate in public-good practice activities locally during the pre-Games period, and render voluntary service in Beijing during the Olympic Games.

(5) Volunteers from co-host cities

BOCOG will recruit volunteers from the co-host cities: Qingdao, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao. In accordance with the Principle Agreement in BOCOG signed with the co-host cities, the competition organizing departments of these cities will, in cooperation with the local governments, define the sources of volunteers according to the practical needs of preparing and staging competitions. Relevant volunteer recruitment, training, organization and management systems will be established. The volunteers thus recruited will provide Games-time voluntary services in these cities.

(6) Volunteers from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan

BOCOG will recruit volunteers from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region and the Taiwan region. With the support of the relevant state departments, BOCOG will entrust local institutions to recruit volunteers according to the qualification requirements set by BOCOG and to establish volunteer training, organization and management systems. Volunteers from these places will render Games-time voluntary services in Beijing during the Olympic Games.

(7)Volunteers from among the overseas Chinese

BOCOG will recruit volunteers from among the Chinese citizens residing abroad and Chinese overseas students. With the support of relevant governmental departments, BOCOG will entrust related overseas institutions to recruit, train and manage volunteers in light of the qualifications and requirements specified by BOCOG. During the Olympic Games, volunteers from among the overseas Chinese will participate in Games-time voluntary services in Beijing.

(8) Volunteers from the foreigners residing in Beijing

BOCOG will recruit volunteers from among the foreigners residing in Beijing. With the support of relevant governmental departments, BOCOG will entrust related departments or institutions to recruit volunteers from among the foreigners in Beijing with foreign students as the main source in light of the qualifications and requirements specified by BOCOG. During the pre-Games period, volunteers recruited from among the foreign students in Beijing will play a part in various activities to introduce the languages, cultures, customs and etiquettes of their home countries. During the Olympic Games, they will primarily provide services for delegations, media, spectators and tourists from related countries.

(9) International volunteers

BOCOG will recruit international volunteers from various countries. With the support of relevant governmental departments, BOCOG will entrust local institutions or organizations to recruit volunteers in light of the qualifications and requirements specified by BOCOG, and take charge of training and management work if necessary. During the Olympic Games, international volunteers will participate in Games-time voluntary services in Beijing.

(10) Professional volunteers

BOCOG will recruit professional volunteers from among the above-mentioned nine categories of volunteers as well as from related professional organizations, institutions, enterprises, colleges and universities, and scientific research institutes according to the requirements of professional posts for the Olympic Games and the specified qualifications. The professional volunteers will mainly engage in voluntary services that require a high level of specialization and technical competence. BOCOG will manage, train and deploy the professional volunteers in a unified manner.

3. Operational Plans

(1)Communications Operational Plan

Within the framework of BOCOG's overall communications plan, the significance, relevant knowledge, work planning, work progress and demand information about the Games-time volunteer work will be released to the public at different stages via such media as radio, television, newspapers and periodicals and Internet. The objective is to expand the dissemination of relevant information, increase the rate of public awareness, concentrate human resources from the society and enhance the capacity of social mobilization.

The Communications Operation Plan will be implemented in four stages. From June 2005 to July 2006 is the stage of preliminary communications, which mainly involves popularizing Olympic knowledge, spreading the concepts of voluntary service, advocating the spirit of dedication and friendship, and briefing the society on the overall arrangement of the Olympic volunteer work. From August 2006 to April 2008 is the recruitment promotion stage, which involves publicizing the significance of participating in Olympic voluntary services, providing information on the methods of recruitment, relevant qualifications and requirements, and the posts and working areas of the service, and mobilizing the public to actively sign up for the Olympic voluntary projects. From April to July 2008 is the stage of pre-Games promotion, during which information about the progress of the volunteer work will be released, so as to further raise the attention of the society to the Games-time volunteers. From August to September 2008 is the stage of Games-time promotion, which mainly involves reporting on the outstanding performance and excellent work of Games-time volunteers.

(2) Recruiting and Selection Operational Plan

The general procedures of Games-time volunteers recruiting include: applicants entry, personal information verifying, job pre-assignment and interviews, post preliminarily assignment, admission notices, mission accepting, and background verifying, etc.

The recruitment of Games-time volunteers for the Olympic Games will be a combination of targeted recruitment with public recruitment, collective admission with individual admission, and internet application with written application. A highly efficient and convenient recruiting mechanism will be established and the recruiting work will be carried out by stages and by application groups through relevant procedures.

In principle, Games-time volunteers should meet the following criteria: abiding by Chinese laws and regulations, being enthusiastic for public welfare undertakings, possessing basic knowledge about sports, being able to communicate in foreign languages, and satisfying BOCOG's requirements on working time and being qualified for the posts they apply for. As for professional volunteers, apart from meeting the fundamental demands listed above, they should also possess the professional skills and expertise required for the specific posts.

The recruitment of Games-time volunteers will be launched at the end of August 2006 and completed in April 2008.

(3) Public-good Activities Practice Operational Plan

The Operational plan on the practice in the public-good activities is intended to combine routine voluntary services with Olympic Games voluntary services through public-good activities, so as to popularize voluntary services in everyday life, increase the volunteers' experience and improve their service skills to satisfy the requirements of the Olympic Games. According to the progress of the preparation for the Olympic Games, a theme will be defined for the public-good activities each year. To facilitate their practice activities, a number of practice bases will be set up for the Olympic volunteers, and voluntary service activities to promote urban construction and social development will be conducted in the themes of environmental protection, science promotion and culture.

(4) Training Operational Plan

Trainings provided for the Games-time volunteers are mainly divided into three categories: generic training, professional training and job-specific training. In this aspect, efforts should be made to give full play to Beijing's advantage in education resources and win the support of all circles of the society.

Generic training will focus on the knowledge of Olympic Games, the situation of China and Beijing, Chinese traditional culture, etiquettes and norms of conduct, rights and obligations of volunteers, and dealing with emergencies. BOCOG will organize a number of experts and scholars to compile textbooks and multi-media teaching materials, and training will be delivered by means of long-distance education via Internet or classroom lectures.

Professional training will focus on the professional knowledge and skills of the volunteers in light of the requirements of the specific posts. Professional training will be organized by BOCOG or designated training institutions with face-to-face teaching as the main form.

Job-specific training is primarily intended to describe basic situation of the post, specific missions for the volunteer, service procedures and venues for the posts, as well as measures to handle emergencies and management of the volunteer teams, etc.

(5) Motivation and Retention Operation Plan

BOCOG plans to adopt the measures of citation and rewarding to ensure a relatively stable volunteer team. With spiritual encouragement as the principal instrument, such measures are aimed to work up the volunteers' enthusiasm, stimulate their initiative in the voluntary work, and enable them to have a valuable and pleasant working experience with the Olympic Games. Encouragements will be given primarily on the basis of the service time and service results of the volunteers. Right-protection hotlines and psychological consultation hotlines will be opened for the volunteers in order to protect their legal rights and interests. Special awards will be granted to groups or individuals with outstanding performance and remarkable contributions and excellent voluntary service projects. After the Olympic Games, activities will be held to appraise and commend the volunteers in commemoration of their participation in this grand event.

(6) Posts Operational Plan

Posts, tasks and designate contact persons will be signed to the volunteers on the basis of the specific requirements of each post during the Games. Personal interest, professional skills and performance in public-good activities of the Games-time volunteers will be taken into consideration, so as to ensure that their posts and responsibilities are correctly defined, their posts are appropriately assigned and job transitions are smoothly made. The volunteers should receive trainings as required by their posts.

(7)Games-time Operational Plan

During the Olympic Games, BOCOG will be responsible for commanding and deploying the Games-time volunteers. The command system will be established and operation management system will become venue-based. Management work will be effectively conducted on different levels in terms of duties execution, work attendance check, shifts changing, performance appraisal, etc. Effort will be made to achieve effective command, quick response, rapid action, smooth communication, good cooperation, and powerful guarantees. Various venues and functional areas in need of volunteers should designate special liaison persons to provide prompt and accurate information on the demand of volunteers according to their own missions, and establish a mechanism to properly match volunteers with posts and assign the tasks.