§ 1209.3-1 - Sponsor responsibility.

The sponsor is responsible for all programmatic and fiscal aspects of the project and may not delegate or contract this responsibility to another entity. The sponsor has the responsibility to:

(a) Employ, supervise, and support a project director, who will be directly responsible to the sponsor for the management of the project, including selection, training and supervision of project staff;

(b) Provide for the recruitment, assignment, supervision and support of volunteers. Special efforts are to be made toward recruitment and assignment of older persons from minority groups, handicapped and hard-to-reach individuals, and groups in the community which are under-represented in the project. The sponsor will stress the recruitment and enrollment of persons not already volunteering:

(c) Provide financial and in-kind support to fulfill the project's local support commitment;

(d) Establish, orient and support an independent RSVP Advisory Council;

(e) Provide the volunteers with not less than the minimum accident, personal liability, and excess auto liability insurance required by ACTION;

(f) Provide for appropriate recognition of the volunteers and their activities;

(g) Establish personnel practices, including provision of position descriptions for project staff and grievance and appeal procedures for both volunteers and project staff;

(h) Ensure compliance with ACTION requirements relating to nondiscrimination, religious activity, political activity, lobbying, patronage toward persons related by blood or marriage, labor and anti-labor organization or related activities, nondisplacement of employed workers, nonimpairment of contracts, and noncompensation for services;

(i) Maintain project records in accordance with generally accepted accounting practices and provide for accurate and timely preparation and submission of reports required by ACTION;

(j) Develop volunteer service opportunities through volunteer stations;

(k) Negotiate, prior to placement of volunteers, a written Memorandum of Understanding with each volunteer station, identifying sponsor responsibilities, volunteer station responsibilities, and joint responsibilities;

(l) Orient volunteer station staff to RSVP and its activities;

(m) Provide pre-service orientation to the volunteers on RSVP goals and activities;

(n) Arrange for in-service training of the volunteers by volunteer stations or other sources of training as needed;

(o) Provide or arrange for volunteer benefits in a timely manner;

(p) Ensure provision for volunteer safety;

(q) Comply with program regulations, policies and procedures prescribed by ACTION;

(r) Ensure that appropriate liability insurance is maintained for owned, non-owned, or hired vehicles used in the project; and

(s) Develop a realistic transportation plan for the project based on the lowest cost transportation modes.