An individual entering VISTA service is reimbursed for the cost of
travel from his home of record to the training site, at an average
of $94. He also is given an allowance of $1 a day for the length of
the training period. When reaching his project site, a trained VISTA
volunteer is given an adjustment allowance of $150 and reimbursement
for the cost of travel and shipment of baggage from the training site
to project. These are estimated to average $29 and $33 respectively.

The period of VISTA service is one year. Upon termination, the volunteer is given an allowance to cover the cost of his return trip home, estimated at an average of $94. Should the volunteer elect to reenroll for another term of service, a reenrollment allowance of $125 is provided.

3. Supervision Costs

$2,082,000

Although VISTA volunteers are recruited and paid by ACTION, they are supervised by the sponsoring organization. Each volunteer has a supervisor to whom he must answer and who is directly responsible for his welfare and performance on the job. The ratio of supervisors to volunteers is approximately 1 to 10. The supervisors act in the capacity of leaders, co-workers and providers of technical assistance. In the past, over half of the sponsoring organizations received direct federal support in the form of supervision contracts. The level of support depends on the financial capabilities of the sponsors.

4. Transportation

$1,479,000

There is a substantial amount of daily travel associated with VISTA projects. Volunteers must be mobile throughout the community and often have long distances to travel between projects. Transportation is currently being provided to the volunteers by three methods: (1) reimbursement for usage of privately owned vehicles, (2) GSA cars, and (3) automobiles provided by sponsors.

In fiscal year 1974, it is expected that contracts to sponsors and outside organizations will replace GSA vehicles to some extent. The cost for this on-the-job transportation is $32 per man-month, an increase of $2 per man-month over the rate used in FY 1973.

Funds requested for health and payments to the Bureau of Employment Compensation provide necessary health care for VISTA volunteers. Technical assistance provides funds to cover the costs of technical and professional expertise provided to VISTAS to solve specific problems in a wide variety of areas.

18%,

Cooperative Programs operate on the concept of a pre-established shared-cost arrangement between ACTION and local anti-poverty and volunteer organizations desiring to utilize full-time volunteers in their service. Programs using Cooperative volunteers may be supported by private funds, by state or local governments, or by funds of other Federal Government agencies. This cost-sharing concept is distinct from the goal of partial financial support by sponsoring organizations of VISTA volunteers.

In the cooperative process, ACTION recruits suitable volunteers, orients the volunteer to the conditions of volunteer service, processes all necessary records, and provides administrative support. The participating sponsor provides appropriate training, supervision and evaluation of the volunteers' performance, supplies on-the-job transportation, and contributes approximately $4,300 for one volunteer manyear of service.

Provision has also been made in the Cooperative Programs for ACTION fully supporting a certain number of volunteers for the first year on the condition that the sponsor will pay the volunteer cost for the second year.. Many potential sponsors of highly innovative programs may not have the resources to support volunteers. Thus, start-up funds for grants are provided permitting these organizations to begin demonstration programs to prove their merit. First priority, however, is given to those sponsors who can immediately contribute the required support. Since the cooperative program is new, it is not known exactly which form will be more successful: (1) that in which ACTION pays the first year volunteer cost plus recruitment and placement with the sponsor paying subsequent volunteer costs, (2) that in which the sponsor pays all volunteer costs including the first year.

The Cooperative Program includes projects on environment, administration of justice and for other purposes. These broad objectives permit ACTION to test whether programs centered around specific career-related fields will enable easier recruitment of volunteers, and also to test the capacity for sponsors to pay volunteer costs.