Muongozo wa kujitolea serikalini katika utumishi wa umma 2026

Guidelines for Volunteering in the Public Service (Muongozo wa kujitolea serikalini katika utumishi wa umma 2026)

(Scroll down to read the guideline in swahili in the document below)

Issued by the Office of the President – Public Service Management and Good Governance, United Republic of Tanzania (Dodoma, June 2025). It is based on the Public Service Employment Policy (2008) and the Public Service Act (Cap. 298).

Purpose and Background

The guidelines establish a uniform national framework for public institutions (ministries, independent departments, agencies, regional secretariats, local government authorities, and public corporations) to recruit and manage volunteer graduates. These young people (not employees) gain practical skills and experience while awaiting formal employment. Volunteering is explicitly not a pathway or guarantee of permanent public-service jobs.

Previous informal practices caused inconsistencies, favouritism, unequal allowances, unclear rights/duties, variable durations, weak supervision, and complaints. The document aims to ensure fairness, transparency, consistency, capacity-building, and efficient service delivery.

Specific Objectives

• Standard procedures for identifying, recruiting, placing, and managing volunteers.
• Clear funding arrangements and minimum allowance standards.
• Policy, legal, and operational consistency across institutions.
• A national database of volunteers.
• Promotion of a culture of volunteering and patriotism among graduates.

Key Definitions

• Volunteer (Kijana wa Kujitolea): A graduate (certificate, diploma, or degree level) aged 18+ who freely offers time, skills, and knowledge to a public institution without expecting more than a modest allowance for basic living costs.
• Graduate (Mhitimu): Someone who has completed recognised formal training and has no prior public-service employment or relevant experience.
• Other terms cover contracts, coordinators, mentors, supervisors, monitoring, and public-service institutions.

Current Challenges (Chapter 2)

• No national recruitment system → favouritism or informal placements.
• Widely varying allowances and benefits.
• Inconsistent durations (1 month to 10 years) and attempts to convert long-term volunteers into permanent staff (contrary to policy).
• Unclear rights, duties, performance management, discipline, and completion certificates.
• Weak monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.

Qualifications and Recruitment (Chapter 3)

Eligibility:

• Tanzanian citizen, aged 18–35.
• Graduate of a government-recognised institution with authentic certificates.
• Two public-servant guarantors + local-government introduction letter.
• Willingness to serve in the required area.
• No criminal convictions, good character, and no prior public-service employment since graduation.

Process:

1. Institutions identify genuine needs during the establishment and salary budget process (based on Human Resource Assessment; gaps that cannot be filled by permanent recruitment).
2. Approval by the relevant authority (management, board, or full council + Regional Administrative Secretary for local authorities).
3. Open advertising (notice boards, websites, social media) specifying cadres, education level, number of posts, duration, and deadline.
4. Screening and interviews by the Special Employment Committee under the Public Service Regulations 2022.
5. Final approval of selected names by the relevant authority.
6. Selected candidates sign a formal volunteering agreement and begin service.

Principles: transparency, fairness, non-discrimination, skills matching, and priority consideration for persons with disabilities where applicants exceed available places.

Terms and Conditions of Service

• Duration: Maximum 12 months, renewable for up to two further periods. Explicitly stated in the agreement. Institutions have no obligation to extend or convert to permanent employment.
• Probation: 60 days, followed by a performance review.
• Working hours: Minimum 8 hours per day, 5 days a week (or as agreed). Leave follows public-service rules for continuing volunteers.
• Duties: Limited to entry-level job descriptions. Volunteers may not act in leadership posts, perform permanent staff core duties, or handle personal tasks of supervisors. Mentors are assigned for capacity building.
• Office facilities & tools: Provided or shared; access to institutional ICT systems granted under rules; all items returned at the end.
• Accommodation: Institutions have no obligation to provide it.
• Health clearance: Required where the job demands it, before starting.
• Uniforms & temporary ID cards: Provided where necessary; returned at the end.
• Confidentiality: Volunteers sign a secrecy declaration under the National Security Act; they may not handle secret files.
• Professional work: Only if the volunteer holds a valid licence/registration.
• Conduct: Must obey all public-service laws, regulations, and codes of ethics. No unauthorised media statements, external agreements, or actions that could harm the institution.
• Gifts: Prohibited without written institutional approval; any offered gift must be reported.
• Absenteeism: Full attendance required. Planned absence needs 5 days’ notice; emergencies require notification within 24 hours.
• Discipline: Severe misconduct or criminal acts can lead to immediate termination without notice; involvement in criminal matters may result in suspension.
• Dispute resolution: First attempt at departmental/unit head level; if unresolved within one month, escalate to institutional head (decision final).
• Intellectual property & losses: All work products belong to the institution. Volunteers must report and compensate for negligent or intentional loss/damage of property.
• Termination: Possible for security threats, excessive unauthorised absence (>5 days in a month), ethics breaches, poor performance, or health issues preventing work. Volunteers may resign with 14 days’ notice if they obtain full-time employment elsewhere, or by written application for other reasons.
• Completion: Volunteers submit a final performance report and receive a completion letter/certificate signed by the responsible officer.

Important condition: Volunteering is solely for skills and experience. It is not a criterion or pathway for permanent appointment. Performance and experience gained may, however, count as an additional qualification in future public-service job applications.

Allowances and Benefits

• Institutions must budget for volunteers before engaging them.
• Starting minimum monthly allowance: TZS 250,000 for transport and food (subject to periodic review by the Public Service Management Office according to economic conditions).
• Official travel outside the duty station: half the subsistence allowance payable to an entry-level officer in the relevant cadre (only when necessary).

Institutional Roles (Chapter 4)

• Office of the President – Public Service Management: Overall oversight, technical guidance, promotion, coordination, national database, biannual report collection, evaluation every two years, and annual implementation reports.
• Ministry of Finance: Facilitates funding for institutions without own revenue sources.
• Public institutions: Plan and budget, advertise and recruit, orient and supervise, mentor, maintain local databases, provide post-volunteering job-search skills training, and submit biannual reports.
• Ministry responsible for Labour: Issues workplace environment guidance.
• Heads of Administration/Human Resources: Run recruitment, ensure orientation and support, update plans, and report.
• Supervisors/Mentors: Set goals, train, assign duties, provide daily supervision and tools, report misconduct, create an enabling environment, monitor performance, give feedback, and address challenges.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Review (Chapter 5)

• Continuous follow-up by the Ministry and institutions.
• Institutions evaluate results and conduct research twice a year.
• Biannual implementation reports submitted to the Public Service Management Office using a prescribed form.
• National database of volunteers maintained.
• Guidelines reviewed every three years (or as needed) to reflect policy, legal, or environmental changes.

Annexes

1. Standard Volunteering Agreement Form (personal details, duration, working hours, orientation, supervision, confidentiality, conduct, termination clauses, and explicit statement that completion does not create a right to permanent employment).
2. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting Form (volunteer details, institution, challenges, and recommendations).

The guidelines emphasise that they do not create a legal employer–employee relationship; they provide practical direction to improve fairness, capacity building, and service delivery while preparing graduates for the labour market.

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