Volunteering SA&NT, seeks to advance and encourage research into volunteering in South Australia and Northern Territory to aid the development of methodologies and understandings of volunteering process and practices.

We work to drive the research agenda and develop knowledge and understanding of volunteerism that is relevant to policy makers and those who are involved with volunteers.

Psychological Contracts in Volunteering - partnering with Adelaide City Council.
A psychological contract is the unwritten contract between an employee and his employer that entails their perceptions of the employment relationship and the reciprocal obligations of both parties derived from this relationship. If a psychological contract is breached or violated the consequences may be that the volunteer leaves the job. The reason for this research therefore is to discover the types of psychological contracts that the ACC volunteers have which will enable the Volunteer Managers at the Council retain their volunteers. This is particularly important in the volunteering field as volunteers are a limited resource and therefore anything that helps retention of volunteers is a positive outcome. Research will proceed via questionnaire.

Offender Volunteer Program
This program is based on the premise that engaging in volunteering activities that support the community is an important element in rehabilitation and "re-entry". It is also expected to serve as a bridge to paid employment. The program will offer participants the opportunity to select a volunteer position from a number of identified organizations and to undertake voluntary activities with the assistance of a mentor. The role of the mentor is to assist in the sometimes difficult transition from life in custody to working life in society and to advise the host organization on processes to ensure that the candidate derives maximum benefit from the voluntary activity. We are negotiating a partnership with the volunteer unit of the Department of Corrections for the implementation phase.