CESES acts as the contract partner on behalf of the Member organisations. Requests for assignments are assessed as to their eligibility and then forwarded to CESES Members for the identification of suitable experts. The best volunteer available will then be proposed to the requesting organisation. On acceptance, an individual assignment contract will then be concluded. Insurances and travel documentation will be arranged by the Senior Expert's home organisation. Requests from other than institutional programmes are handled individually in the same manner.

Recently a Senior Expert assisted a forest nursery in China to keep their tractors running and to source replacement parts.