ERIC Number: ED136007
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1976-Jan
Pages: 53
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
The Volunteers Speak: A World-Wide Survey of Peace Corps Volunteers. ACTION Evaluation.
ACTION, Washington, DC.
A survey questionnaire was mailed to all active Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in the summer of 1975. Based on an internal analysis of the 3,479 respondents (a 66% return), the following findings represent the manner in which PCVs perceive their volunteer experience. Perceived volunteer accomplishments and morale are very high. Volunteers believe they are generally achieving the three Peace Corps goals. Volunteer assessment of four specific program areas (recruitment, training, program development, and program implementation) indicates considerable variations, the most serious problem for most volunteers being their relationships with the host country agencies. Results led to the following recommendations: (1) Program for planned positive impact so that jobs are better developed, sites more carefully chosen, and host country nationals less likely to be replaced, (2) undertake a concerted effort to strengthen the relationship between volunteers and their host country agencies, (3) spend less time providing direct support to volunteers and more time working to be sure that agencies are willing and able to support them, (4) place volunteers only in jobs where adequate supervision by host country agencies is provided and the role of the volunteers clearly understood, (5) provide more specific and accurate preservice information, (6) continue and increase where possible the practice of having trainees live with host country families during training, and (7) carefully review the placement of volunteers who teach English as their primary job. The report includes country-specific data on volunteer achievement and selected areas of programing. The questionnaire and raw scores are appended. (WL)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, International Programs, International Relations, Job Satisfaction, Program Administration, Program Attitudes, Program Development, Program Effectiveness, Program Evaluation, Recruitment, Surveys, Voluntary Agencies, Volunteer Training, Volunteers, Work Attitudes, Work Experience
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: ACTION, Washington, DC.
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A