CHARACTERISTICS AND STRATEGIES OF A HIGH PERFORMING POST: POST MANAGEMENT RESOURCE GUIDE FOREWORD: HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

An integral part of every Volunteers success in the Peace Corps is the leadership provided by overseas staff, who set the vision and manage the operations of Peace Corps posts around the world. As a member of this overseas leadership team, your role is a demanding one that calls upon a broad array of skills to meet the routine, and not-so-routine, challenges that arise daily. To help you carry out your responsibilities, the Peace Corps is pleased to provide you with this Post Management Resource Guide. The Guide is focused primarily on the leadership of the country director, but covers the functions of the programming and training officer, administrative officer, and all senior staff members and will serve as a valuable resource for all of post leadership. It is an attempt to define characteristics of excellence in the Peace Corps overseas operations and to gather in one place information, strategies, and resources that can make you more effective in your job. The Post Management Resource Guide has two parts: Part I identifies the characteristics of a high performance post, and Part II, the strategies for developing those characteristics. Part I is divided into 11 sections, each one describing an aspect of post performance: 1. Program Direction and Leadership 2. Post Management 3. Personnel Management and Staff Development 4. Volunteer Support 5. Administrative and Financial Management 6. Programming and Project Management 7. Training 8. Communications and Support Networks With Subregion, Region, and Headquarters 9. Representation and Advocacy 10. Health and Health-Related Emergencies 11. Safety and Security A set of characteristics makes up each section. The sum of these characteristics reflects what might be called the ideal in overseas post management. We have attempted to make the ideal specific, so it will be instructive and help you and your fellow staff members clearly identify the key leadership and management functions at post. Part II is the core of the Resource Guide. It is a collection of the best strategies, insights, approaches, practices, and resources of past and present country directors and overseas staff. For each of the characteristics presented in Part I, there is a corresponding section in Part II filled with reflective questions, tools, and resources for developing those characteristics. The Strategies part of the Guide can be read straight through or selectively, according to the priorities, interests, or needs at a particular time. It is not expected that any post will achieve at any one moment all the characteristics or strategies contained in this collection. Nor is the Post Management Resource Guide to be considered a prescriptive instrument. Rather, it is intended as a compendium and resource for reflection, self-assessment, and continual improvement in professional and country program operations.

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During Overseas Staff Training (OST) it is expected that each new staff member will have read relevant sectionsand country directors, the entire Guide. Activities and discussions at OST and in follow-up continuum of learning activities will be based on the characteristics and strategies presented in the Guide. At post it should be used as an instrument for regular review of, and reflection on, post activities and a tool for recognizing and setting priorities and planning for improvement in chosen areas. It should also serve as a valuable instrument in preparing for and conducting strategic planning sessions and staff and organizational development activities, retreats, etc. Finally, country directors and all senior staff should benefit from the Guide in self-study efforts, to identify a characteristic to work on, individually or together with post colleagues, to reflect on the Questions to think about, and to try out the practical ideas and strategies in Part II for self-improvement. The Post Management Resource Guide was originally written by David Bellama, a former Peace Corps country director, under the guidance of then-acting Regional Director and OST Trainer Maureen Carroll, also a former CD. He also prepared the present edition, which is a major revision, incorporating new Peace Corps policies, procedures, priorities, and tools in many areas, including safety and security, health, programming, training, and administration. This edition includes contributions from former CDs and OST trainers Dale Mosier, Kate Raftery, and Carl Swartz, and a collection of practices and recommendations gathered from many other former and current country directors, overseas staff, and headquarters personnel by Chuck Needlman, formerly of the Office of Overseas Programming and Training Support. September 2009

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TABLE OF CONTENTS PART 1: CHARACTERISTICS OF A HIGH PERFORMING POST ....................................... 1 1. PROGRAM DIRECTION AND LEADERSHIP .................................................................. 1 2. POST MANAGEMENT ....................................................................................................... 1 3. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT ..................................... 2 4. VOLUNTEER SUPPORT .................................................................................................... 3 5. ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ............................................... 5 6. PROGRAMMING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT........................................................ 6 7. TRAINING ........................................................................................................................... 8 8. COMMUNICATIONS AND SUPPORT NETWORK WITH SUBREGION, REGION, AND HEADQUARTERS ..................................................................................................... 9 9. REPRESENTATION AND ADVOCACY ......................................................................... 10 10. HEALTH AND HEALTH-RELATED EMERGENCIES .................................................. 10 11. SAFETY AND SECURITY ................................................................................................ 11 PART 2. STRATEGIES FOR CREATING A HIGH PERFORMING POST ......................... 13 1. PROGRAM DIRECTION AND LEADERSHIP ................................................................ 13 1.1. Philosophy and Vision.......................................................................................................... 13 1.2. Knowledge and Understanding of the Host Country ........................................................... 16 1.3. The Peace Corps As a Partner .............................................................................................. 19 1.4. Continuity and Change at Post ............................................................................................. 21 1.5. Understanding the Peace Corps System............................................................................... 22 2. POST MANAGEMENT ..................................................................................................... 24 2.1. Management Skills and Style ............................................................................................... 24 2.2. Staff Communication and Team-Building ........................................................................... 27 2.3. Getting Input and Feedback to Post Management ............................................................... 30 2.4. Honesty, Trust, and Respect ................................................................................................. 32 2.5. Customer Service.................................................................................................................. 33 2.6. Knowledge of Day-to-Day Operations ................................................................................ 35 2.7. Delegating Responsibility .................................................................................................... 37 2.8. Cross-Training and Backup .................................................................................................. 39 2.9. Program Resources ............................................................................................................... 42 2.10. Suitable Workplace .............................................................................................................. 43 2.11. Information Management ..................................................................................................... 45 2.12. Monitoring and Evaluation ................................................................................................... 49 3. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT ................................... 53 3.1. Pride, Loyalty, and Morale at the Peace Corps .................................................................... 53 3.2. Personnel Handbooks, Job Descriptions, and Responsibilities ........................................... 55 3.3. Hiring of New Personnel ...................................................................................................... 57 3.4. Performance Appraisal System ............................................................................................ 60 3.5. Staff Development Activities ............................................................................................... 63 3.6. Awards .................................................................................................................................. 65 3.7. Interviews With Staff............................................................................................................ 66 3.8. Diversity ............................................................................................................................... 67 3.9. Social Interaction Among Staff ............................................................................................ 69

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VOLUNTEER SUPPORT .................................................................................................. 70 4.1. Respect for the Volunteer .....................................................................................................70 4.2. Jobs........................................................................................................................................71 4.3. Allowances, Housing, and Other Basic Administrative Support .........................................74 4.4. Health Care and Safety Needs and Emergencies .................................................................77 4.5. The Country Director and Senior Staff as Role Models ......................................................79 4.6. Staff Communication With Volunteers ................................................................................81 4.7. Volunteer Communication With Staff .................................................................................82 4.8. Volunteer Support and Volunteer Self-Reliance ..................................................................83 4.9. Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC) ....................................................................................85 4.10. Helping Volunteers Build Support Structures at Site...........................................................87 4.11. Volunteers and the Peace Corps Office ................................................................................89 4.12. Important Support Roles Volunteers Can Play ....................................................................91 4.13. Site Visits ..............................................................................................................................92 4.14. Volunteer and Staff Communication with Host Country Agencies in the Field .................95 4.15. Contact With Local Administrative Authorities ..................................................................97 4.16. Country Director Contact With Volunteers..........................................................................98 4.17. The Early Termination Rate ...............................................................................................100 4.18. Administrative Separations and Other Corrective Actions ................................................103 4.19. Diversity..............................................................................................................................106 5. ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ........................................... 108 5.1. Post Accountability and CD and AO Knowledge of Financial and Administrative Systems ......................................................................................................108 5.2. Country Director Communication and Relations With the Administrative Officer and Staff ..............................................................................................................................111 5.3. Internal Control Systems and Compliance .........................................................................114 5.4. Posts Resources for Supporting the Volunteers ................................................................116 5.5. Administrative Systems and Procedures Support the Volunteers......................................118 5.6. Administrative Staff Contact With, and Knowledge of, Other Sections ...........................121 5.7. Administrative Staff Contact With, and Knowledge of, Volunteers .................................125 5.8. Country Director and Other Staff Contributions to Budget and Resource Issues .............127 5.9. Participatory Budget Process and Flexibility to Reprogram Resources ............................129 5.10. Staff and Volunteer Role in Developing Policies and Procedures.....................................131 5.11. Administrative Reports .......................................................................................................133 5.12. Cross-Training and Backup coverage ................................................................................135 6. PROGRAMMING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT.................................................... 136 6.1. Action Plan for Project Design and Management (PDM) .................................................136 6.2. Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) .............................................................................138 6.3. Project Plans........................................................................................................................141 6.4. Communication With Host Country Government and Partner Agencies..........................143 6.5. Reporting on Volunteer and Project Accomplishments .....................................................144 6.6 Performance Measures........................................................................................................146 6.7. CD/PTO/APCD/PM Roles and Relationships ...................................................................147 6.8. Distribution of Duties Among APCD/PMs........................................................................149 6.9. Communication and Support Among APCD/PMs ............................................................153 6.10. APCD/PMs Communication With Other Sections and With Volunteers ........................154 6.11. Collaboration Between Programming and Training Staffs ................................................155 6.12. APCD/PMs and Personal Support to Volunteers ...............................................................157 6.13. Funding for Volunteer Projects ..........................................................................................161 6.14. Providing Adequate Information for Volunteer Recruitment and Trainee Information....163 vi Peace Corps

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TRAINING ....................................................................................................................... 165 7.1. Annual Action Plan for Training ........................................................................................ 165 7.2. Training Manager Position ................................................................................................. 169 7.3 Partner Agency and Volunteer Input Into Training ........................................................... 172 7.4. Ensuring Both Continuity and New Initiatives in Training ............................................... 175 7.5. Country Director and Staff Participation in Training ........................................................ 177 7.6. Trainee Participation in Training ....................................................................................... 180 7.7. Trainee Qualification and Assessment ............................................................................... 183 7.8. Training Reports ................................................................................................................. 186 7.9. Other Training Components ............................................................................................... 187 7.10. Resource Centers ................................................................................................................ 189 7.11. Peace Corps Workshops and Conferences ......................................................................... 192 7.12. The Continuation of Service Process and the Third Goal.................................................. 193 8. COMMUNICATIONS AND SUPPORT NETWORKS WITH SUBREGION, REGION, AND HEADQUARTERS ................................................................................ 196 8.1. Subregional Support and Collaboration ............................................................................. 196 8.2. Communications Between Post and the Country Desk Unit (and Region) ....................... 201 8.3. Post and Peace Corps/Washington as a Team ................................................................... 203 8.4. Peace Corps/Washington as a Resource ............................................................................ 204 8.5. Post Contacts With Recruitment ........................................................................................ 207 8.6. Staff Participation in Post Reports and Communications to Peace Corps/Washington .... 208 9. REPRESENTATION AND ADVOCACY ....................................................................... 209 9.1. Relations With Host Country Government and Development Organizations .................. 209 9.2. Peace Corps Relationship With the U.S. Ambassador, Embassy, Other U.S. Agencies, and the American Community ........................................................................................... 212 9.3. Reporting Program Accomplishments to the Host Country and Other Organizations ..... 223 9.4. Organizing Periodic Peace Corps Events........................................................................... 225 9.5. Responding to Inquiries and Providing Information About the Peace Corps ................... 227 9.6. Social Interaction Between the Peace Corps, Partners, and Others ................................... 230 9.7. What to Do in Case of Legal Problems, Disputes, Adverse Publicity, etc. ....................... 232 10. HEALTH AND HEALTH-RELATED EMERGENCIES ................................................ 234 10.1. Post Health Program and the PCMO ................................................................................. 234 10.2. Health Training, Health Handbook, Role Models, and Health Promotion........................ 242 10.3. Plans and Procedures in Cases of Assault, Injury, Accident, Medevac, Emergency Leave, and Other Crises ..................................................................................................... 245 11. SAFETY AND SECURITY .............................................................................................. 248 11.1. The Safety and Security Program....................................................................................... 248 11.2. Working Together to Promote Safety and Security: Committees, Expectations, Policies, Systems, Role Models ......................................................................................... 250 11.3. Monitoring and Analyzing Risks and Keeping Staff and Volunteers Informed ............... 252 11.4. Developing and Delivering Safety and Security Training ................................................. 255 11.5. Selecting and Monitoring Trainee and Volunteer Sites ..................................................... 257 11.6. The Volunteer Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS) ................................................. 260 11.7. The Duty Officer System ................................................................................................... 262 11.8. The Post Emergency Action Plan....................................................................................... 263 APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................. 268 APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................. 270

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POST MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK PART 1: CHARACTERISTICS OF A HIGH PERFORMING POST

1. PROGRAM DIRECTION AND LEADERSHIP

1.1. The country director and staff share a philosophy and a vision for the country program and a plan for achieving the vision. They articulate these regularly, incorporate them in the management of the program, and discuss them with other staff members, Volunteers, development partners, and counterparts. 1.2. The country director and staff demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the host country, including its history; culture; protocol; economic, political, and social structure; and development needs and activities. The country program responds to expressed host country needs and is consistent with Peace Corps philosophy and resources. 1.3. The country director and staff have established the Peace Corps as a unique, serious, and capable partner in the host countrys development process. The post has an up-to-date country agreement with the host government and staff members make effective use of local networks, resources, and activities to support the Volunteers and the projects in which they are working. They combine efforts with other partners and link the Peace Corps with appropriate development initiatives. 1.4. The country director and other American staff serve their tours and move on, but new initiatives and contributions continue after they leave. Capable, trained, self-reliant host country staff are active participants in these initiatives and activities and know how and why to carry them on. 1.5. The country director is knowledgeable about Peace Corps operations, policies, rules, and procedures and actively uses these to support the staff, the Volunteers, and the program. The country director helps Volunteers and staff members to understand the system and work within it constructively. 2. POST MANAGEMENT

2.1. Good management skills are practiced and can be observed in the way business is conducted in the country program and the Peace Corps office. The country director and staff discuss these skills and teach them to others. 2.2. Post staff actively communicate with each other. They work together and trust and help each other. The country director shares information and ideas with the staff, and they, in return, share information and ideas with the country director and with each other. Staff members use a variety of means to share information with Volunteers. The country director insures that program, administrative, medical, safety/security, and training staff and Volunteers are all integral parts of the team.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 2.3. There are recognized avenues for incorporating each individuals input into program management and decision-making. Administrative, programming, training, medical, safety/security, and support staff and Volunteers all have ways to express their opinions to decision-makers. 2.4. Honesty is respected and valued in communications and transactions. Staff and Volunteers have confidence that what the country director and senior staff say is true, and the country director and all staff convey trust in, and respect for, the Volunteers. 2.5. The country director and staff demonstrate, through their actions, that they intend to help the customer, i.e., the Volunteers, host country representatives and beneficiaries, other staff, and any others who have business with the Peace Corps. 2.6. The country director has a broad knowledge of day-to-day post operations and can discuss staff members and Volunteers duties and responsibilities with them. 2.7. The country director appropriately delegates tasks and areas of responsibility to other staff members. Staff members have the authority and resources to carry out these delegated duties and are not burdened by micromanagement, lack of trust, or insufficient support. 2.8. No one is indispensable. Any one persons absence does not stop business and services from continuing effectively. Backup procedures are clearly outlined and there exists a general willingness of staff to fill in for one another. When staff members do not know what to do, they can find guidance by consulting a written job description, a manual of operating procedures, or another person. 2.9. The program has sufficient resources (e.g., staff, vehicles, computers, offices, funds, language skills, training materials) to run efficiently, and these resources are used effectively to support the program. 2.10. Workplaces (offices, training sites, resource centers, etc.) are conducive to work. They are organized, basically comfortable, modest, clean, accessible, and large enough for individuals to get their work done without disruption. 2.11. The country program has a comprehensive information-management system that provides the tools and training necessary to support both staff and Volunteers effectively. An information technology (IT) specialist coordinates support for the IT system and conducts a continuing training program for staff to improve their IT skills and better fulfill their individual responsibilities. 2.12. There are systems in place to both monitor and evaluate the country program in its various aspects. The information gathered is used to improve the program. 3. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT

3.1. Staff and Volunteers express loyalty and pride in working for the Peace Corps. Morale is good. Some factors that work to create this environment: a. The knowledge that the Peace Corps is serving the host country by helping people work to improve the quality of their own lives. The Volunteers and their accomplishments are a source of pride and the host country staff feel they are part of the effort.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post b. Recognition that the Peace Corps is a human organization, in which people are treated with dignity and respect. All membersstaff and Volunteers alikeare important. c. The rewards that come from cultures working together and learning from each other, giving a special quality to the Peace Corps workplace. 3.2. Peace Corps staff know their responsibilities and rights, which are assembled in a readily accessible personnel manual or handbook. All personnel have written job descriptions or statements of work, with practical channels of supervision and responsibility. These are reviewed periodically, and duties and responsibilities are changed or redistributed among staff or sections, as appropriate. 3.3. The country director and staff have a participatory system for recruiting, selecting, and training new hires for country program staff. The system is in compliance with applicable U.S. and host country regulations and makes effective use of staff input, candidate interviews, new hire training, and the probationary period. 3.4. A performance-appraisal system is operating and includes everyone. It serves as an effective avenue for praise, constructive criticism, problem-solving, and work improvement. It documents and supports appropriate personnel actions, both compensatory and disciplinary, including promotion and separation. It motivates and is not perceived by participants as a hindrance, bureaucratic boilerplate, or a waste of time. 3.5. Staff participate in professional training activitiesa continuum of learningwithin the Peace Corps and through other organizations. 3.6. Quality performance is recognized with periodic awards, certificates, and other supportive activities. Initiative and suggestions for improvement are actively encouraged. 3.7. The country director has periodic one-on-one interviews with each staff member, and other supervisors do the same. The country director and senior staff know staff members career development goals and discuss opportunities with them. 3.8. The country director and staff acknowledge country-specific cultural, ethnic, diversity, and other issues that may affect personnel, the office, or the program. They work to balance these factors and make them positive forces in day-to-day Peace Corps life. 3.9. The country director and staff facilitate opportunities for social interaction among staff and between staff and Volunteers. 4. VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

4.1. The Volunteer is respected in the Peace Corps country program. It is recognized in the program and among staff that the Volunteer is the Peace Corps most important resource. 4.2. Volunteers have meaningful jobs that respond to priority community needs at their sites. 4.3. Volunteers allowances and housing meet their basic needs.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 4.4. The Peace Corps is providing for Volunteers basic health care and safety needs and will take care of them in a medical, safety/security, or other emergency. 4.5. The country director and senior staff set the tone and act as role models for both Volunteer support and appropriate Volunteer behavior. They do this primarily by applying the principles of effective communication, respect, honesty, and a clear commitment to the Peace Corps goals in the country. 4.6. The country director and staff communicate regularly and openly with Volunteers through a variety of means. They convey useful technical and program information and policies, and give encouragement, constructive suggestions, and admonitions, as appropriate. They also actively seek input from the Volunteers. 4.7. Volunteers communicate openly with staff. They discuss life and work conditions and issues, and present problems along with ideas for solutions. They offer new initiatives that affect matters ranging from their own jobs and living conditions to the functioning of the entire program. Volunteers believe if they present an idea or a problem the staff will respond constructively and honestly. 4.8. Staff and Volunteers alike recognize the distinction between when staff can and should help Volunteers and when Volunteers can and should help themselves. Staff members are able to act in both cases, i.e., to provide help directly and to help Volunteers help themselves, as appropriate. 4.9. There is a Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC) or some other mechanism that gathers, analyzes, and funnels Volunteer concerns and suggestions to staff. 4.10. Volunteers remain in their sites and absenteeism from site is not a recurring problem. The country director and staff use a variety of strategies to help Volunteers build support networks within their communities and become comfortable at their sites. 4.11. Volunteers are (and feel) welcome at the Peace Corps office, where they have a combination of facilities (resource center, computers, lounge, etc.) appropriate to support them both technically and personally. 4.12. Volunteer support is strengthened by the Volunteers active participation in a variety of country program responsibilities. These might include Volunteer site identification, policy discussion, job preparation, relations between the Peace Corps and host country agencies, preservice and in-service training (PST and IST) design and implementation, information for new Volunteers, reporting to Peace Corps and host country agencies, and general post problem-solving. 4.13. Peace Corps programming staff make regular site visits, and other country staffsenior as well as support staffmake periodic site visits to Volunteers in the field. 4.14. Volunteers (and Peace Corps staff) have ongoing communications with local host country partners and partner agencies in the field, through which Volunteer and program-related issues are handled together.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 4.15. Volunteers are presented to, and remain in contact with, local administrative and security authorities in their areas. Peace Corps staff members visit and/or communicate with these authorities on a periodic basis. 4.16. The country director has frequent personal contact with Volunteers. In addition to informal conversations, the country director conducts at least two formal interviews with each Volunteer in the country (i.e., trainee interview and close-of-service exit interview). Country directors do this to establish and reinforce relationships with Volunteers, assess training and service-related issues, and convey their own messages to Volunteers on a personal level. 4.17. The early termination rate among Volunteers is within worldwide Peace Corps norms. Volunteers basically like the host countries, their jobs, and their lives as Volunteers. The country director and staff work to reduce unnecessary resignations. 4.18. In problems involving Volunteer behavior or performance, a balance is maintained between supporting the Volunteer as an individual and supporting the program as a whole. The country director and staff work to help Volunteers through troublesome situations. Where corrective action or administrative separation is indicated, the country director and staff proceed with proper documentation and clear communication with the Volunteer and with Peace Corps headquarters. The process is transparent and objective. 4.19. The country director, staff, and Volunteers acknowledge the diversity of the Peace Corps and the diversity-related issues that may affect each of them in their relationships and in the conduct of their duties. The post carries out specific activities to include, prepare, support, and properly represent various groups and help make them allAmerican and host countryfull participants and positive contributors to the Peace Corps program and experience. 5. ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

5.1. The country director and the administrative officer ensure complete financial and administrative accountability as described in the Peace Corps Manual, the Overseas Financial Management Handbook, and federal regulations. Both the country director and administrative officer demonstrate strong professional knowledge of post administrative, financial, and logistical operations to meet this responsibility. 5.2. The country director has an effective working relationship with the posts administrative officer and meets regularly with the AO and staff. 5.3. Internal control systems (e.g., cash counts, inspection of receipts, vehicle policies, and segregation of procurement activities) are established, known, and followed by the country director and administrative and other staff. The country director takes responsibility for overseeing, testing, and evaluating these systems periodically. 5.4. The posts use of resources reflects a priority of supporting Volunteers and their project activities in the field. Staff and Volunteers respect the Peace Corps philosophy of moderation.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 5.5. The posts administrative systems, rules, policies, and procedures reflect a priority of supporting the Volunteers and their project activities in the field. These are reviewed periodically and modified to correct burdensome or counterproductive situations. 5.6. The administrative officer and section have regular contact with programming, training, medical, safety/security, and other staff, and show practical knowledge of their activities and issues. 5.7. The administrative officer and staff have regular contact with Volunteers and are acquainted with field conditions through conversations and visits. 5.8. The country director and programming, training, medical, safety/security, and administrative staff all contribute directly to budget and resource planning, allocation, monitoring, and reporting. All staff are aware of and responsible for the planning and allocation of resources for their activities. 5.9. Because the budget allocation and implementation process is transparent and participatory, staff understand the necessary correlation between the IPBS, the Operating Plan, and resource management; this understanding and collaboration allow post to manage change, unanticipated special needs, and new opportunities efficiently and appropriately. Redirecting resources is not an overwhelming or impossible task. 5.10. The country director and administrative, programming, training, medical, and safety/security staff play a joint role in developing and implementing procedures that affect them all. Volunteer input is solicited and included in actions and policies that affect the Volunteers. 5.11. Reports are submitted on time, both internally at post and to Peace Corps/Washington, and they address the issues and objectives they are supposed to address. They are prepared by the persons responsible for the activity and reviewed as a team effort. 5.12. Cross-training plans and backup coverage systems exist and support all administrative staff members so they can go on site visits and take leave. 6. PROGRAMMING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

6.1. The post has an action plan for project development, project management, and project monitoring and evaluation. The plan is consistent with the Peace Corps Programming and Training (P&T) Guidance, and links the Peace Corps development philosophy, host country needs, and available resources. 6.2. Peace Corps and host country partner agencies have cooperative agreements (or memoranda of understanding), which describe and give guidelines for the cooperation between them. The two sides are aware of their responsibilities and are fulfilling them. 6.3. Project plans exist, are based on actual conditions, are updated when necessary, and have meaning to the various participants (i.e., Peace Corps, host government, partner agency, Volunteer, and counterpart). The participants have direct input into the development and monitoring of the plans.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 6.4. The country director, PTO, and APCD/PMs have set up functioning channels of communication and use them regularly and effectively with host country government and partner agencies. 6.5. There is a regular, useful, and practical reporting system that gathers information on project and Volunteer accomplishments and issues and communicates that information to both the Peace Corps and partner agencies. 6.6 The post has identified and uses performance measures for Volunteer and project accomplishments. 6.7. The country director, programming and training officer, and APCD/PMs have devised and follow a system that defines project management responsibilities and each persons role in key areas, such as representation, site development, reporting, communications with Volunteers, and Volunteer support. 6.8. There is an appropriate distribution of duties among APCD/PMs, and strategies are being used to support APCD/PMs in their program responsibilities (e.g., staff development in certain skills, program assistants and programming and training specialists, Volunteer leaders, Volunteer committees, Peace Corps/partner committees). 6.9. APCD/PMs meet regularly, exchange information, and assist each other through cross-training, backup coverage (during site visits, absences, etc.), and general program and project brainstorming and review. 6.10. APCD/PMs have regular communication and meet frequently with the country director, the administrative, training, and other sections, and Volunteers. 6.11. APCD/PMs play an active role in PST and IST planning and activities. The training officer may, in turn, carry out certain program-related duties and even attend APCD/PM meetings in order to increase communications and collaboration between the two sections. 6.12. APCD/PMs are comfortable with, are trained in, and are carrying out the personal support roles they must perform in the area of Volunteer support. They have access to further training resources in these skills. They understand their limitations and know to whom they should refer specific problems. 6.13. Guidelines and resources for funding community projects are explored and discussed with Volunteers during PST and ISTs, and through available materials at post. Volunteers make use of funding resources in a sustainable and responsible manner. 6.14. Useful project information and general information is gathered regularly and transmitted back to Peace Corps/Washington for recruitment purposes and for the information packet for new trainees.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 7. TRAINING

7.1. The country director and staff develop a continuum-of-learning plan for Volunteers during their entire 27 months of service and an annual action plan for training activities. The learning continuum and annual training plan are consistent with the Peace Corps Programming and Training Guidance and include the posts proposed activities and time frames for training needs assessments, resource identification, organization and design of activities, implementation, administration and support, and monitoring and evaluation. 7.2. Whether or not the post has a year-round training center, there is a staff member who functions in a training management position and has year-round responsibility for overseeing and directing training staff, PST, IST, and other training planning, activities, and administrative support. 7.3. Partner agencies, Volunteers, and counterparts play an active role in all phases of training, including planning, implementation, and evaluation of effectiveness. 7.4. Strategies are employed to support both continuity and change in training. The learning and experience gained from one year are successfully applied to the next, and new ideas and initiatives are actively solicited for each new training plan and cycle. 7.5. The country director and staff participate directly in PST and IST activities, as well as staff development (training of trainers) and other workshops. The country director sets the tone for training activities and team-building, and communicates program and training priorities and the Peace Corps philosophy to training staff, Volunteers, and trainees. The country director and staff contribute directly to training designs and implementation. 7.6. Trainees have effective means of participating in, evaluating, and influencing their own training. 7.7. The country director, PTO, and APCD/PMs participate with the training staff in determining trainee qualification and assessment criteria, and they play a role in applying, supporting, and monitoring the application of these criteria. 7.8. All training sections (administrative, technical, language, health, cross-cultural, safety/security, various components of ISTs, small project assistance, etc.) produce useful and usable reports at the end of training events. Reports focus on the future, not the past, emphasizing recommendations (including revised session plans, schedules, etc.) for the next presentation of the same or a similar event. The Peace Corps country program office ensures that reports are distributed and are used by those responsible for producing the next event (e.g., country director, PTO, APCD/PMs, program and training staff, PCVLs, and relevant Volunteers). 7.9. In addition to the principal components of technical, language, cross-culture, safety/security, and health, PST and IST designs include appropriate components and activities to treat such topics as policies and procedures, personal responsibility and support techniques, problem-solving, peer support, and strategies for dealing with stress. 7.10. The Peace Corps office (and possibly regional or branch offices) has a resource center, in which both printed and electronic materials are organized, accessible, and up-to-date. Volunteers and staff are aware of the centers resources and make use of them. 8 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 7.11. The country program holds training workshops that serve as both a Peace Corps contribution to the host country community (e.g., a WID/GAD conference for schoolgirls or a technical IST including counterparts), and an opportunity for the Peace Corps to bring together its own Volunteers, staff, and other groups and call attention to, and improve, its activities in-country. 7.12. Through the continuation of service process, the country programs resource center, and other activities, staff members promote the Peace Corps third goal as an extension of the Volunteers skills, experience, and service into the United States, both during and after completion of their work overseas. The country director and staff participate directly in the continuation of service workshop and process. 8. COMMUNICATIONS AND SUPPORT NETWORK WITH SUBREGION, REGION, AND HEADQUARTERS

8.1. The country director, staff, and Volunteers take advantage of proximity to other posts to create a support network through which they a. Communicate and share knowledge and experience on a regular basis with neighboring programs, staff, and Volunteers. b. Share materials and resources, including planning and coordination of PST and IST designs and activities, security measures, and project activities. c. Plan periodic cross-border activities and meetings with neighboring countries, when possible. 8.2. Communications with the region, country desk unit, and other sections of Peace Corps/Washington serve both the fields and headquarters interests. The region receives sufficient useful information from the country, has a good sense of the country program, and reacts to its requests. The country receives sufficient useful information from headquarters and understands Peace Corps/Washingtons issues and requirements. 8.3. Post staff show an understanding of the Peace Corps as a whole, i.e., beyond just one post or geographic region. There is a team ethic, whereby post and headquarters are on the same side and have a willingness to resolve we/they differences. If staff at post do not agree with or understand a Peace Corps/Washington point of view or policy, they communicate this to headquarters in order to work out the problem. Headquarters, in turn, has the time to devote to the issue and help resolve it. 8.4. The country director and staff know whom to contact at headquarters (the region, placement, General Counsel, etc.) for different needs, and they contact them directly or through the country desk unit, as appropriate. Desk officers are kept informed so that they can assist and carry out effective follow-up. 8.5. Post submits realistic and reasonable trainee profiles and requests to Peace Corps/Washington; sufficient numbers and types of trainees are, in turn, provided by Volunteer Recruitment and Selection (VRS). Where there are problems, post and VRS are able to resolve them through direct communication and negotiation.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 8.6. Staff members contribute, as a team, to the development and timely submission of plans, recruitment documents, reports, and communications to Peace Corps/Washington. 9. REPRESENTATION AND ADVOCACY

9.1. The post has relationships with a broad network of host country, international, nongovernmental, donor, and administrative support organizations. The country director and staff make productive use of these contacts to support program activities and Volunteers; keep well informed on country conditions, development issues, and opportunities for collaboration; and educate others about the Peace Corps, its activities, and its potential as a development partner. 9.2. The country director and staff have a positive relationship with the U.S. ambassador and mission (including USAID, the Public Diplomacy Office, Regional Security Office, and self-help and economic sections), which advances the Peace Corps objectives, supports logical areas of cooperation, and defines and protects the agencys autonomy. 9.3. The country office produces periodic briefing papers and reports on Peace Corps and Volunteer activities for distribution to relevant groups, including the host country government, NGOs, embassy, and Peace Corps/Washington. Material is gathered from activity, in-service, and project status reports, descriptions of service, and other documents and is organized to present topics such as Peace Corps sector involvement, Volunteer primary and secondary project accomplishments, training events, and procedures for requesting Volunteers. 9.4. Peace Corps staff and Volunteers organize and participate in events (workshops, presentations, service days, ceremonies, etc.) that focus on important issues or sectors and present to the public what the Peace Corps is doing in the host country. 9.5. The country director and staff respond in a timely and helpful fashion to inquiries for information and requests to speak from host country organizations, as well as groups visiting the host country from the United States. Responses and presentations are used to provide useful information on Peace Corps activities and communicate the agencys purpose and role. 9.6. The country director and staff facilitate opportunities for social interaction between Peace Corps personnel, partners, and counterparts. 9.7. Staff and Volunteers are made aware that in cases of legal problems, disputes, adverse publicity, or other sensitive situations that could affect the Peace Corps program in-country, the country director has a particular leadership responsibility and must be contacted immediately. The country director knows where to turn for assistance in these situations. 10. HEALTH AND HEALTH-RELATED EMERGENCIES

10.1. The post has a comprehensive health program, managed by a Peace Corps medical officer (PCMO), that supports Volunteers in their health education and health care needs. The PCMO is an integral member of the senior staff and collaborates with all staff in establishing and promoting appropriate health support structures, policies, and practices. Volunteers are comfortable seeking advice and assistance from the PCMO.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 10.2. Volunteers receive effective, hands-on training (at PST and ISTs) in health maintenance and the treatment of illness and injury, so they are capable of taking reasonable preventive measures against disease and injury and know what to do in health-related emergencies. The training is reinforced by a post-specific Volunteer health handbook and related materials and activities that provide information, advice, procedures, and best practices in these areas. 10.3. The post has clearly established action plans and procedures for cases of physical assault, sexual assault, accident, injury, and other traumatic incidents, and for medevacs and emergency leave. Plans include updated Volunteer site locator forms, emergency contact information for all Volunteers and staff, critical host country and other contacts, official requirements, and transportation and communications networks. Staff members are trained and cross-trained in implementing the plans under a variety of circumstances. 11. SAFETY AND SECURITY

11.1. The Safety and Security Program The post has a comprehensive safety/security program in full compliance with Peace Corps Manual section 270 (MS270) and integrated with programmatic operations. The country director provides overall leadership in this program, promoting policies, best practices, and a vision that enhance the safety and security of Volunteers and trainees, and ensuring that all mandates under MS270 are understood, implemented, and practiced by both staff and Volunteers. 11.2. Working Together to Promote Safety and Security: Committees, Expectations, Policies, Systems, Role Models Staff and Volunteers collaborate, using a variety of strategies, to develop and promote safety/security policies and practices. 11.3. Monitoring and Analyzing Risks and Keeping Staff and Volunteers Informed The country director, safety and security coordinator, and country staff regularly monitor and reassess the conditions in which Volunteers serve in-country. They keep Volunteers fully informed of the risks, conditions, and protective strategies through a post-specific safety/security handbook and other materials, communications, and activities that provide information, advice, procedures, support techniques, and best practices in safety and security. 11.4. Developing and Delivering Effective Safety and Security Training Volunteers receive practical and effective safety and security training throughout their service. 11.5. Selecting and Monitoring Trainee and Volunteer Sites The country director ensures that sites are thoroughly inspected prior to trainee and Volunteer arrival, to ensure placement in safe and secure conditions. Written criteria for housing and site selection and monitoring are developed by the staff, under the leadership of the CD, and are consistently applied by the staff throughout the service of the Volunteer.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 11.6. The Volunteer Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS) The post has a practical and effective system for Volunteers to report crimes. The reporting mechanism is clearly understood by both staff and Volunteers, and Volunteers report crimes in a complete and timely manner. Statistical data is compiled, shared with relevant parties, including Volunteers, and used to shape training, develop best practices, and change policies to enhance safety and security. 11.7. The Duty Officer System The post has an operating duty officer system. The duty officer, a trained senior staff member, responds to emergencies and administrative matters that require immediate attention after regular work hours. 11.8. The Post Emergency Action Plan The post has a thoughtful, updated, Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place, which responds to a range of non-medical emergencies. The plan has been coordinated with, and distributed to, the relevant groups (PC/W, embassy, Volunteers, and staff) and is reviewed and tested annually. EAP training sessions are held for both staff and Volunteers, beginning during PST, and both staff and Volunteers know (and have written instructions for) their roles. The plan prepares for worst-case scenarios, where telephone communications and road and air travel are compromised or geographic areas are cut off.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post

PART 2. STRATEGIES FOR CREATING A HIGH PERFORMING POST

1. PROGRAM DIRECTION AND LEADERSHIP

1.1. Philosophy and Vision The country director and staff share a philosophy and a vision for the country program and a plan for achieving the vision. They articulate these regularly, incorporate them into the management of the program, and discuss them with other staff members, Volunteers, development partners, and counterparts. Questions to Think About Is there a Peace Corps philosophy? Can you articulate it? In your opinion, what does it include (e.g., the three goals, sustainability, volunteerism, diversity, reinforcing self-reliance in Volunteers/staff/community members)? List what you would regard as five of the major components of that philosophy. How are the components of the philosophy reflected in what you, staff, and Volunteers are doing every day? Can you give examples for each component you listed? Do staff and Volunteers think about these issues? What do you think their understanding of the Peace Corps philosophy is? How would staffs concepts differ from those of Volunteers? Do staff and Volunteers discuss these concepts? Are they the subject of conversations at PST, at IST, in memos, newsletter articles? In what ways is this philosophy important to staff and Volunteers? Do you and your staff have a vision for your country program? Where are you going, not just in numbers and projects, but in development of the Peace Corps spirit, significance, and way of operating and being in your country? Where do you want the Peace Corps to be when you finish your tour and leave? How shared is your vision? Is it well known and supported by others, including staff, Volunteers, and partners? Have you studied and understood the conditions and the vision that you inherited from the preceding team? Are you sure that, with one swipe of a hand, you will not undo work that may have been based on a worthwhile vision and was built upon slow and steady progress over time? How do you develop and perfect a vision? How do you discuss it with staff and Volunteers? Do you think they have a vision for what they are doing? Do they discuss it? What can you do to help or promote that discussion? Do you have a plan for moving your program toward your vision? Who contributed to the plan, and how was it developed? How is it working? Are you just running to catch up? (A certain amount of thisespecially in the beginning of your touris normal and healthy.) If so, why do you think this isand what can you do to change it? Are youor do you have plans to be ahead of the curve in some matters? What are they? Do others support your plans? Peace Corps 13

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources A philosophy of the Peace Corps and a vision for your country program are both essential to any country operation. They explain and reinforce why staff and Volunteers are there. They are at the base of policies, rules, assumptions, goals, and projects and are key to Volunteers confidence in what the Peace Corps is all about. They lend strength to motivation and commitment. The philosophy and vision should justify the Peace Corps actions, including its controversial policies and rules. These key concepts should be discussed openly by the country director in a variety of forums, including: A country director presentation to new trainees in pre-service training Continuing presentations and conversations at Volunteer meetings Addresses and discussions during in-service trainings (ISTs) Presentations and discussions at staff meetings Observations in the newsletter Thoughtful memos to Volunteers and staff Individual and group discussions with every relevant audience Volunteers often get together and talk about what they are doing and why they are doing it. The country director should be an active contributor to that ongoing discussion, helping to stimulate it, contributing new ideas, even helping correct the course of the discussion when necessary. It is useful and motivational for both staff and Volunteers to hear directly from the country director about issues such as sustainability, self-reliance, and commitment. Such messages, however delivered, are great recruitment tools and they remind Volunteers of the reasons they came reasons that can be forgotten on a cold, gray day when everything else seems to have gone wrong. Country directors themselves should have a clear idea of what the Peace Corps philosophy is. The philosophy may be seen as consisting of a number of basic components, including: Building and spreading peace and understanding Learning the local languages Sustainability of projects and activities Serving the host country population Collaborating with other partners in the development effort Commitment to both the host country and the Peace Corps Capacity-building of counterparts and host country populations

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Developing problem-solving skills and self-reliance among both Volunteers and host country populations Sharing both life and work with the host country populations, participating in their culture, and teaching about your own Achieving results with modest resources and a modest lifestyle Taking the Peace Corps experience and lessons home, i.e., the third goal There are more, probably many more, and next months list may have elements and emphases different from todays, but the core of the philosophy always stands. Much of what was just said about philosophy also applies to a vision and how it should be developed. A vision, however, is concerned with the future. It involves a place and a set of conditions we want to move toward, and includes goals, objectives, opportunities, resources, networks, and ways of doing things that will make sense to the participants and serve the societies we work in and the values we hold. A vision is both a group quest and an intensely individual quest, based on the country directors, staffs, and Volunteers perspectives and points of view; the circumstances, needs, and constraints in the host country; and the people who went before. It should unite, inspire, explain, guide, and improve, all at the same time. Some key questions to consider in developing a vision: What have we been doing so far? Do I understand it? What is the vision that we have inherited? What are good elements of that visionwhat should we not change? And what should we improve on? How do we make changes so they are effective and not destructive? (Are my efforts to change distracting from or subverting some greater priorities?) Where do we want to be in two, three, or five years? How do we get therewhat kind of plan can we, and I, make to achieve this? What should the Peace Corps most important role be in this country? How does what I do as a country director, a programming and training officer (PTO), an associate Peace Corps director/program manager (APCD/PM), or a Volunteer relate to what we are all doing? Where should we be when I am about to leave? How can we ensure the continuation of what we have begun?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Whatever the vision is, the CD should be the leader, animator, and consensus builder. Whatever the vision is, it should help motivate staff and Volunteers alike toward understanding and respecting what has been done before, as well as forming and achieving a set of objectives and a future view of what the Peace Corps and its work should be. Both philosophy and vision should and will change. Perhaps the secret is not in the results, but in the processthe discussions that take place, the ideas and plans that evolve from them, the involvement of the participants, and the importance to them of being a part of it all. It is a critical and worthwhile effort, in which the country director is a crucial player. 1.2. Knowledge and Understanding of the Host Country The country director and staff demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the host country, including its history; culture; protocol; economic, political and social structure; and development needs and activities. The country program responds to expressed host country needs and is consistent with Peace Corps philosophy and resources. Questions to Think About What have been your sources for learning about the host countrys history, economy, social structure, traditions, literature, etc.? Have you been able to compile and read a good crosssection of materials? If not, where can you access them? Have you talked with host country nationalsgovernment representatives as well as regular citizensabout these subjects? Is it considered a positive value among your staff (and Volunteers) to be well versed in the host countrys history, literature, etc.? Are staff members setting a positive example for Volunteers in this regard? In language learning? In knowledge of customs, history, economy? What are you doing in the Peace Corps office and in Peace Corps activities to promote such learning? Have you participated in a homestay? Do you visit your host country staff at their homes and invite them to yours? Have you ever taken a local bus or public transport? Are you mixing and socializing with the host country people? Are you providing a useful role model in any of these areas? Do you have a sense of what the host country governments needs and priorities are? What is it about the countrys history and conditions that make these particular things important to them? What about the host countrys population? Are their priorities and interests different from the governments? How different? How does this affect what you (the Peace Corps) are doing? What are the interests and priorities of the host country agencies you work with? What do they worry about with regard to Peace Corps Volunteers? How does this affect the way you deal with them? Where and how do you get information on these issues? Who worked on the last integrated planning and budget system (IPBS) and project status review (PSR)? Was it a restricted, limited, or hurried exercise, or was it a real opportunity for the staff to consider and truly evaluate what the countrys needs are and what the Peace Corps program is doing? If it was more the former, what plans do you have for changing this? Do you have any Peace Corps projects? What is making them Peace Corps projects and not host country projects? How can you make them host country projects?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources There is little use in having a Peace Corps program if it does not recognize and respond to significant host country needs. The Peace Corps first goal is development assistance, the prevailing reason we are invited to provide Volunteers. We owe it to the American taxpayer, who funds the Peace Corps, and to the host country governments and peoples who request Peace Corps assistance, to do an effective job at whatever our Volunteers are requested to do. To meet the host countrys needs, we must, of course, identify these needs and place them in the correct economic, social, traditional, historic, and development contexts. Staff and Volunteers alike need to know a great deal about the host country, and they must continue the learning process throughout their entire tours of service. This continuous learning should be a strong priority for Volunteers. Plenty of emphasis is placed on language, cultural, and technical components in PST, but learning in these and other areas should be continued through ISTs and other activities later, when momentum is often lost (see section 7 on training). This emphasis is just as important for staff who, unfortunately, do not have the advantage of a country-specific PST with a cross-culture component. American staff must learn an entire package of history, economics, geography, sociology, politics, protocol, development conditions and needs, government and NGO structures, etc., as well as language, all while putting in an eighthour workday and going through an adjustment period. Host country staff may have to learn some of these same things (including language), as well as a whole range of Peace Corps-specific subject matter, which can be a daunting experience. Staff must have both the opportunity and the motivation to learn what they need to know about the country and about the Peace Corps. The country directors role in this process is central. The country director can make sure the opportunities (time, tools, and skills) are available and then promote this learning as a positive value, emphasizing its importance to the programs operation and success. There are few more effective motivational tools than a country director (and other staff members) making visible efforts to learn the language, learn about the local culture (through plays, music, literature, traditions, clothes, etc.), and spend time with host country friends. Such gestures can be meaningful to everyone in the Peace Corps family, staff and Volunteers alike, as well as host country counterparts. Some ways to support the process: Emphasize the importance of language, culture, and knowledge of host country affairs in both PST and ISTs, in retreats, meetings, and indeed, in every possible venue. Make certain that the process continues for Volunteers. Let staff members know it is their responsibility to support and reinforce this effort. Promote interest in these components through articles in the newsletter and memos to staff and Volunteers on, and in, local languages and on cultural, historical, and current events.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Take local language lessons yourself. Even just an hour or two a week will make a difference. Put the language to use, in the office as well as at Volunteer sites. This is not easy, by any means, but the rewards are great. Volunteers are encouraged to do this all the time, but undertaking it yourself gives it a whole new level of credibility. Make language lessons available for staff, including lessons in English for local staff and various local languages for any staff who are interested. An important message can be conveyed when local staff of different ethnic groups are taking lessons at the Peace Corps to learn each others languages. Develop and use the Peace Corps resource center. Gather books, newspapers, and magazines. Promote the centers resources (book of the month, lists and extracts in the newsletter, on the bulletin board or the post website, etc.). The Peace Corps resource center can be a valuable repository of materials on all aspects of the host country. This includes literature and fiction, which can be a great source for learning about the host culture and conditions. Make sure these resources are fully available to Volunteers through the regional offices, provincial or branch collections, and practical lending policies. Spend time with host country nationals (HCNs), government officials, colleagues, neighbors, and new friends. Your other learning efforts will not be very practical if their results are not put to use in the real, local, host country world. Ultimately, this is where the greatest learning takes place and becomes meaningful. And it is the best of all examples for those around you. The IPBS and PSR processes are, or should be, about determining whether your country program is responding to significant host country needs and is consistent with the Peace Corps philosophy and resources. If it is not quite working this way for you, you can still make it happen, starting at the country level by making sure your staff is involved in the process and responsible for the knowledge required to respond to the important country issues. Once the IPBS and PSR are less of an advertisement for the country programs accomplishments and more of a chance for staff to know and learn about the country conditions, and evaluate, analyze, plan, and apply a vision, then the process will be well launched. An essential part of understanding and serving the host country is making sure the host country is a proper partner in what the Peace Corps is doing. The Peace Corps usually refers to its sector activities as projects, e.g., the education project or the environment project, and we refer to project plans and project goals, etc. This terminology can too easily suggest that these are, in fact, the Peace Corps projects, but they are not, or should not be. If we are, indeed, responding to host country needs and being truly consistent with the Peace Corps philosophy and resources, it is not a Peace Corps project, but rather the host countrys project with the Peace Corps, together with others, as partners or participants in that effort. This is an important distinctionone not to forget.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 1.3. The Peace Corps As a Partner The country director and staff have established the Peace Corps as a unique, serious, and capable partner in the host countrys development process. The post has an up-to-date country agreement with the host government and staff members make effective use of local networks, resources, and activities to support the Volunteers and the projects in which they are working. They combine efforts with other partners and link the Peace Corps with appropriate development initiatives. Questions to Think About Does the Peace Corps belong to any groups where different volunteer agencies, NGOs, and HCN government representatives come together to discuss common problems or issues? Or sector groups where agencies and ministry representatives come together to discuss issues or projects and make plans? Is the Peace Corps participating in any projects with other partners where the project partners meet periodically to review progress and discuss progress, problems strategies, plans, etc.? What can and should we be learning from regular exchanges and interactions with these partner organizations? Are there gaps in the groups, sectors, or networks that are not well covered? Are there gaps where communication is not taking place and information is not being shared among development agencies or between agencies and the host government? Who knows what the Peace Corps is and who doesnt? Is the Peace Corps considered an equal partner in its projects and collaborative efforts? Does the Peace Corps staff itself consider the Peace Corps an equal partner with other agencies? Can Peace Corps staff articulate in clear terms the specific and perhaps unique contributions Peace Corps Volunteers have to make to the development process and to particular projects or activities? Have you quantified Volunteer contributions in terms of their worth to the host country, e.g., number of dollars a Volunteer is worth in terms of professional services, preparation, salary, support, etc.? Ideas and Resources The Peace Corps has long represented itself as a contributor of human, but not financial or material, resources. That is, the Peace Corps does not supply project funding or materials to any great extent, but instead provides skilled Peace Corps workers (whom we call Volunteers) who have the ability to live and work at levels and in activities that other agencies or groups cannot achieve as effectively, or at all. This human resource approach has meant that Volunteers work together with partners, whether host country government, NGO, community, or others, to accomplish project goals that have been mutually determined or, at least, mutually agreed upon.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post After approximately half a century of experience in this development effort, one can say the Peace Corps has proven itself. Volunteers have found a variety of roles where they have been effective, often very effective. The Peace Corps has a positive reputation and Volunteers (and the Volunteer experience) are in substantial demand. Yet, in a world of governments that are constantly short of money and resources (including our own), and in a world of donor agencies that are accustomed to giving big packages of those particular resources, Peace Corps staff and Volunteers have sometimes felt they have been placed in a difficult situation. We provide skilled people, but we must rely on someone else for the tools, supplies, structure, and other support mechanisms to enable our people to function. This can sometimes place us in a dependent status that is uncomfortable, particularly when the partner may have agendas that differ from our own philosophy or when the partner does not come through with what was promised. Staff and Volunteers can also become frustrated when they must function without certain resources that they feel they should have or that others have, causing them to search for support in those areas. We encounter this more and more as we become increasingly active in sectors involving advanced technology or resources. This role of the Peace Corps and its Volunteers as a partner working with others (government or nongovernment) in the development process is an issue that must be regularly considered and evaluated by country staff and Volunteers, if only to remind us of the parts we can and cannot play. Peace Corps Volunteers are unique, valuable, andwhen trained and placed appropriately effective players in the development process. Volunteers, with their particular combination of practical communication (both language and other) and cross-cultural and technical skills, are able to perform much needed and valuable services in the development effort. They are uniquely prepared to work directly with the local people and communities, helping them to help themselves, and they serve as a functional link between these people and communities and the multitude of technical and project resources. These are functions that both the communities and the development assistance agencies (including governments) need, yet they are not ones that most organizations can provide, or even find, easily. If the Peace Corps is short on material and financial resources, it is long on human resources and the skills that can be critical to the successes of development activities, particularly those that are community-linked or community-based. The Peace Corps, then, as an equally important development partner, should not be thinking in terms of its less affluent position or its resource shortcomings. Rather, it should be building on its strengths, i.e., the services and roles of its Volunteers to governments, NGOs, and communities. In this partnership, all sides gain through the development of practical collaborative agreements in which Volunteers have appropriate, achievable roles they can carry out effectively, and for which they receive the necessary material and financial support that will help them and their projects succeed. According to its philosophy and programming and training approach, the Peace Corps should indeed be working with partners, complementing other development efforts, and receiving appropriate material, financial, and even human resources, particularly from the host country. We should be doing all of this as a full partner with a valuable contribution to make: the Volunteer.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 1.4. Continuity and Change at Post The country director and other American staff serve their tours and move on, but new initiatives and programs continue after they leave. Capable, trained, self-reliant host country staff are active participants in these initiatives and activities and know how and why to carry them on. Questions to Think About When you arrived at post, what system or practice did you find that seemed particularly valuable or effective? Will it continue after your (or someone elses) departure? Why do you think so? What system or practice did you initiate that you think is particularly valuable or effective? Will that continue after your departure? Why do you think so? What will probably not continue? Why not? What lesson can you learn from that realization? What is it that makes people continue a new practice? What do you think needs to be established or solidified at your post before you leave? Are host country staff playing a role in the development and implementation of new initiatives? Do they have sufficient opportunities to take responsibility? In your country, how effective will they be in carrying on certain initiatives? What can you do to improve this situation? Ideas and Resources This section addresses sustainability, capacity-building, participation, and ownership. One of the responsibilities of leadership is to help identify and establish useful or needed practices, and then help them continue. This does not normally happen when a new country director walks in and begins making changes from the first day, radical or not. Of course, every country director reshapes things, according to his or her own style, and there is a place for this type of change. But the kinds of changes that are based on a persons individual style and preferences tend to last only as long as the tenure of their initiator. It is good to be realistic about this. The really important initiatives are developed over time, with the participation and support of others. To carry something on, others must understand it, invest in it, believe in it, and see value in its continuation. The chances of an initiative continuing are much greater if others are involved in setting it up and making it happen; in other words, if they feel it is theirs, too. Obviously, since American staff come and go, it is the host country staff who are the continuing key players in this process. Whether the changes or new systems involve IPBS, programming, administrative systems, communications with Peace Corps/Washington (PC/W), uses of information technology, budget decision-making, or other issues, they should be written down clearly and host country staff must be skilled in them or they will fade. Moreover, the broader the involvement, the better the chances of success; in other words, a planning group, an implementing committee, or a cross-trained team has a better chance at success than a single person.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Finally, the good ideas come from anywhere, and one of the best things to develop and leave behind is a staff whose members have the confidence and skills to develop their own ideas and put them into action. Some of the principles for helping useful initiatives continue: Making use of teams and committees Providing for on-the-job training, capacity-building, cross-training, country exchanges, and other means to keep staff learning, thinking, confident, and motivated Encouraging understanding and participation Delegating substantive responsibilities and granting the authority to carry them out Using meaningful monitoring and evaluation practices and systems Keeping written records and documentation, and producing procedure manuals and handbooks Actively seeking and encouraging new ideas and change 1.5. Understanding the Peace Corps System The country director is knowledgeable about Peace Corps operations, policies, rules, and procedures and uses these to support the staff, the Volunteers, and the program. The country director helps Volunteers and staff members to understand the system and work within it constructively. Questions to Think About When you need to know something specific about the following, where do you go? Peace Corps personnel policies (job reclassifications, promotions, awards, etc.) Differences between the embassy and Peace Corps systems Differences between direct hires and personal service contractors (PSCs) Hiring guidelines (for PCMOs, local hire personal service contractors, training contractors, casual labor, etc.) Disciplinary guidelines and procedures for staff or Volunteers Records system requirements overseas (e.g., what you keep, how long you must keep it, what you must send to PC/W, what you destroy and when) Procedures for end of tour or transfer to another post or region

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Specific administrative and financial roles and responsibilities of the country director (e.g., lease and contract responsibilities, administrative oversight, budget monitoring, how the budget process works, and how the country director can be involved effectively in resource allocation) Country director responsibilities or authority vis--vis the PCMO (and Area PCMO, if you have one) Relations or liaison with the Office of Medical Services (OMS), Office of Special Services (OSS), i.e., how their systems work and how to use them to help or support a Volunteer or post Relations or liaison with the inspector general (IG) and general counsel (GC); CD preparations for, and responsibilities in, the audit process Volunteer recruitment and selection procedures and Trainee Request (TR) and Trainee Input (TI) systems, i.e., how they work and whom to contact when there are issues or special situations How ICASS works; how the local security guard system works Peace Corps regulations and where to find them, how to interpret them, and what happens when they seem to conflict with needs or circumstances in the field Specific in-country policies that are needed to supplement Peace Corps policies As you look around at your resources in the field (people at post, people in other agencies in your country, people in neighboring Peace Corps posts, etc.), who knows a lot about the Peace Corps, the Peace Corps system, the State Department systems that the Peace Corps uses, etc.? Whom can you call on when you need some advice about the system? Are you making good use of them? Ideas and Resources One of the characteristics of serving 1,500 miles or 15,000 miles from your own headquarters, and being partially administered by a different departments different rules and procedures (e.g., the State Departments), is confusion. It is not easy to know the system or indeed figure out where to find helpful information. Many times it seems you must function without guidance where oral traditions or anecdotes have a way of becoming policy (e.g., the ambassador always swears in the new Volunteers, Volunteers cant be reimbursed for X, You cant use budgeted funds for that.) While it is not an easy task, country directors can provide a critical service to their own staff and Volunteers by preparing and exerting themselves to give helpful, reliable guidance and interpretation when it comes to difficult procedures or policieseven if it consists only of referring someone to the right authority or saying I will get back to you, and doing so. This is one of the most valuable roles a country director can play, and all the preparation time necessary to fill it successfully is worth it.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The Peace Corps Manual has much information in it, including things you will never need to know and things you absolutely have to know. Now that the manual is on the Peace Corps Intranet and can be searched electronically for subjects, it can be used much more easily than ever before. Country directors should make themselves familiar with the manual, how to use it, how to find things in it, what the different sections contain, and which are the most important and immediate sections to be familiar with. Other important sources include guidelines and training manuals put out by OMS, OSS, Volunteer Recruitment and Selection (VRS), the Office of Overseas Programming and Training Support (OPATS), and various other offices and posts. A partial list is attached in Appendix A: List of Critical Materials for Country Directors to Have on Hand. Neighboring country directors and staff members who have been in the field longer than you are also excellent sources of information. Most problems are not new, and there is always someone who can guide you. In Peace Corps/Washington, general counsel, OMS, OSS, VRS, and the CD track facilitator, as well as your own regional director (RD), chief of operations (ChOps), and country desk unit (CDU), are ready and qualified to help (see section 8.4 for more information on PC/W resources). Call, email, or fax them and use them as a resource. The more you learn about the system, the faster you learn it, and the more reliable sources you cultivate, the more valuable you will be to your own people at post. 2. POST MANAGEMENT

2.1. Management Skills and Style Good management skills are practiced and can be observed in the way business is conducted in the country program and the Peace Corps office. The country director and staff discuss these skills and teach them to others. Questions to Think About Do you think your staff and Volunteers could learn some useful management skills by watching you in the office or in the field? What could you do to facilitate this learning? What particular management skills do you feel you demonstrate? How and where did you learn them? If staff and Volunteers can learn these new management skills, will they have opportunities to test them? What can you do to help them have such opportunities? What is at the very heart of your management philosophy or style? (Make a list of the management values and skills you think are the most important.) How do you think these values and skills compare or blend in with the Peace Corps philosophy? Do you think your management style inspires loyalty? Why? Do you think people might want to imitate some of the things you do? Why would they? Can you think of some things you do that people might not want to imitate? Why not? What is the significance of this? 24 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post When you think about your Peace Corps program, what are the things you worry about most? Do you have a sense of what particular staff members are worrying about? What about Volunteersdo you have a sense of what they are worrying about? Why do you get this impression? How does this affect your vision, your management, and your direction? Are you personally accessible? Do staff, Volunteers, and others come to you? What do you do (or what can you do) to get them to come to you? Do you seek them out? Are you learning new management skills? What are some of the specific skills or techniques you are learning and trying out? What would you like to try? Ideas and Resources Managing a Peace Corps operation is significantly different from most other management positions, in that the Peace Corps organization consists primarily of Volunteers, not employees; these Volunteers are the vehicle through which the Peace Corps delivers services and assistance to host country constituencies. As country director and staff, you must exercise a unique type of management and leadership over these Volunteersyou have an oversight responsibility and you must also serve as guides, resources, supporters, consensus-builders, and mentors to Volunteers in the field; however, you do not and cannot supervise them in their work and lives at their sites. In fact, in nearly all cases, Volunteers are responsible to their host country agency supervisorsa school director, an organization head, perhaps a technical person or line supervisor. And yet the Peace Corps staff can play a pivotal role in helping Volunteers succeed (and in helping the PCV HCN supervisor relationship be effective and constructive). The leadership and influence that the country director and staff exert on Volunteers is largely felt through the relationship established, the examples set, and a number of other factors affecting the support and confidence that the Volunteers feel. From observations of posts where programs have been deemed effective and from discussions with staff and Volunteers from a variety of posts, certain management needs and desirable values have become evident. The most universally praised management styles and components in Peace Corps programs seem to include the following: Participatory management, where Peace Corps staff and Volunteers are both included in program management decision-making and implementation A management structure that fully includes host country staff and places the authority for decisions as close to the point of action as reasonable Strong and open communications systems between the various sections of Peace Corps staff and Volunteers A belief by both Peace Corps staff and Volunteers that what the other says is truethat they are being respected and dealt with openly and honestly

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Emphasis on support to the Volunteer and the value of the Volunteera belief in the Volunteer Emphasis on self-reliance, autonomy, and problem-solving (for both Volunteer and staff) Attention to the value of cultural diversity, collaboration, and team-building A practical, flexible, can do approach in the face of conditions or procedures that otherwise would discourage or hinder activities A willingness to work on consensus-building in developing and implementing policies and decisions and confronting difficult issues A recognition that mistakes can be and are made, a willingness to admit and permit them, and a recognition that they are perhaps the most valuable of learning tools The skills to manage up effectively, where needed; to be managed up (equally important); and to understand why this is necessary or needed. (The managing up process is also an aspect of collaboration or team-building and the understanding that we are all responsible for the work.) Participation, open communication, respect, and consensus-building are important in any system where people are valued for their skills and contributions, and where having participants feel part of the team and of the agencys mission is considered a positive attribute. These values are that much more important in an organization like the Peace Corps where the country director and staff manage, but do not really supervise, and where the individuals personal motivation is often such a driving force. The country director and staff must provide support to each other and to the Volunteers, and must have the support of each other and of the Volunteers, if they are to be successful. This does not come automatically; it must be worked for and, in fact, it can be downright difficult when troublesome issues arise. When the CDor any staff membermust make a difficult, potentially unpopular decision, the decision cannot be made in a vacuum and simply imposed on others. Understanding, consensus, confidence, and support are all things that must be sought. In other words, you must get out there in the hallways and the field (among both staff and Volunteers), present the problem, and discuss what must be done and why. It may sound like politicking, but it is really only including and respecting others and acknowledging their importance in the process. It is building consensus and understanding. Most peopleincluding Peace Corps Volunteers and staffare used to accepting things they dont like; they know that some things have to be, and they learn to live with them. On the other hand, most peopleVolunteers and staff, as welldont like being ignored and kept in the dark. If you work at explaining and building a consensus, you have a good chance of getting a measure of understanding and support. Whatever you do get will contribute toward a sense of a team effort, and will help smooth the way for the next difficult decision.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Another important value is the ability to acknowledge and accept a mistake. It has been said that the hardest lesson of all to learn is how to recognize and admit that you have made a mistake. Admitting a mistake says to all the people below you (and those above you, too), I accept that this happens and I can be honest about it and move on. Indeed, I can learn from it and so can you. That is a powerful message. If the manager can do it, then the rest of us should be able to as well. Every manager should want to create an atmosphere where people can be open and honest about their mistakes, but the example must be set at the top. While admitting and learning from your mistakes may be difficult, there is perhaps no more important standard to set. These and a number of the other management approaches listed above are fundamental and will be discussed further throughout this manual. As for resources, there is an almost endless collection of books on management styles, management techniques, task prioritization, time management, communications, organization, supervision, delegation, etc., with new ones coming out all the time. Get some. Read some yourself and try out new ideas. Make them available to staff and Volunteers. Create a small, specialized management library for staff and Volunteers, and lend the resources. Running a Peace Corps office is an excellent opportunity (a multicultural laboratory) to test some of these techniques. Pick a basic management technique or strategy to work on (e.g., delegation, mistake-making, or consensus building). Present it (or have others present it), perhaps at a meeting or in-service activity, and work on it. See how it works and talk about it. Learn some lessons from it, then move on to another one. Finally, in all of the above, one fundamental guiding influence of the country director must be continuous: In the push and shove of day-to-day operations and the struggle of handling difficult problems and conflicting points of view, the country director must still be the mentor, representing justice and fair play and providing a calm, firm presence that can set things right when they seem to go off track. This is a role of the highest importance that both staff and Volunteers need and that every CD must work hard to perfect. 2.2. Staff Communication and Team-Building Post staff actively communicate with each other. They work together and trust and help each other. The country director shares information and ideas with the staff and they, in return, share information and ideas with the country director and with each other. Staff members use a variety of means to share information with Volunteers. The country director insures that program, administrative, medical, safety/security, and training staff and Volunteers are all integral parts of the team. Questions to Think About Among your staff, who communicates with whom, and who doesnt? Where and how does the most successful communication take place between your staff members? Are there any patterns to the situations where good communication occurs? And where it doesnt? Are there problems or difficulties in communications between some staff members that are disrupting the work of others? What are the reasons for the problem(s)? Is there a pattern? What have the negative effects been? What do these staff members have to do to get started talking and working together again? What can you do to help them?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post If you (the CD) are having problems communicating with a staff member, what can you do about it? Take the point of view that you cannot change the other person, but you can change yourself (i.e., it is the leaders responsibility to initiate and maintain the dialogue). What can you do? What is going on that is helping to make a team? What is going on that is working against the team? How would you characterize or assess the level of trust in your office? What clear examples of trust do you see? If trust is lacking, or not what you would like it to be, where does it cause particular problems? What could you do to work on developing it? Do you, as CD, generally share information with your staff? With your Volunteers? What type of information do you share? What do you not share? Do you think your staff generally feels included or excluded in the important things that are going on? Are you setting an example that other staff members are following in terms of information-sharing? Do you see examples of this coming back to you? Are you satisfied with what you see happening? Is the PCMO an active, full member of the team? Does the PCMO participate in all the things the other staff members do? If not, how is he or she treated differently? Is there a physical (or other) barrier between the health unit and the rest of the Peace Corps operation? Who is the most common emotional or personal care giver for staff members? If it is the PCMO (as it often is), who is the caregiver for the PCMO? What about the safety and security coordinator (SSC) and information technology specialist (ITS) are they full members of the team? Ask some of these same questions about them as well. Ideas and Resources In any assessment of what makes a post work, open and successful communications among staff and the existence and feeling of a team are nearly always among the most critical values cited. When staff members are talking to each other and comfortable working with each other and, above all, when they trust each other, then their energy and attention can be successfully turned toward the major purpose for which they are thereto support the Volunteers and the program. Anyone who has worked in an office where there was a major conflict between staff members, or between a supervisor and his or her staff, knows how all-consuming and destructive such strife can be. In such situations, people go home every day feeling drained, and relations between all staff members are ultimately affected. Under these circumstances, people can no longer enjoy the place where they work, much less be effective and do a good job. If the country director can be said to have any responsibility that overrides all others, it is to communicate, get along, and work well with staff, and to do everything possible to see to it that staff members function in the same way toward each other. This can be done by the country directors own example and through a number of strategies that support and facilitate communication, cooperation, and trust between othersin essence, team-building. Some of these strategies include: Sharing (rather than restricting or hiding) information. If information is power, constructive use of that power lies in the ability to share information with others and let it be put to dynamic use. In this regard, sharing or not sharing information is like the difference between saying 28 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post yes or no. Any supervisor can say no to employees requests or initiatives. It doesnt take power, or a manager, to do that. Saying yes is more difficult, and is sometimes even a risk. That requires a manager, and one with management skills, creativity, and the ability to accept the consequences and help make them into something beneficial. Meeting and having regular personal contact with each other. One of the quickest ways to undermine communication and trust is to meet only when there is a problem. Unfortunately, this is the common practice in many offices, where the CD and AO (and many others) meet only when there is a crisis. For communication to take place and trust and cooperation to be established, people must also meet under ordinary circumstances, when they are not under pressure to solve a problem right away. One approach to this is to have regular meetings, both one-on-one and as a group. Regular oneon-one meetings with senior staff, including the AO, programmers, trainers, security coordinator, and especially the PCMO; and regular group meetings, perhaps weekly senior staff meetings and a monthly meeting of all staff, are extremely important. The use of such meetings is cited repeatedly by CDs as an effective technique for promoting good communication and team spirit among the staff. Setting a fixed time to touch base with each other during the week (e.g., every Monday from 8 to 12) when everyone knows that everyone else will be in the office (i.e., not traveling) and can be contacted. This can ensure that issues that need to be discussed and dealt with have an opportunity to be aired in a timely fashion. Setting up and undertaking group tasks. Whenever people must work together on a task, or as a committee, they get to know each other better. This is an effective method for bringing together people who dont communicate frequently or well, or mixing people across section lines (administrative with programming staff, senior staff with support staff, staff with Volunteers, etc.). Once individuals work together they will form an acquaintance or a connection that might not have occurred naturally. Give everyone training in areas such as leadership, facilitating, time management, organization, problem-solving, working with the embassy, working with Peace Corps/Washington, diversity, getting and using resources, etc., and then give them a chance to take on some real responsibility in these areas. This is really staff development, and it creates a fertile ground for increasing confidence, cooperation, and teamwork. Have an individual or a group do research (or attend a course) and then, as the resident experts, make presentations to others on the subject. Establish a system, such as posting and passing around schedules, that lets everyone know where the others are, what theyre working on, and whats going on in general. This can include things like a calendar of events for the office, a monthly travel chart for staff that shows travel, conferences, workshops, etc., a small notice board on each office door for schedules or notes, or simply telling others where you are and how you can be reached. Set up a lunchroom and plan occasional social activities (TGIFs, birthdays, etc.) and other kinds of activities and occasions that get people away from their offices, out from behind their desks and computers, and in contact with each other. (See section 3.9 for a variety of ideas.)

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The ones who often get forgotten in all of this team- and communication-building are the Peace Corps medical officer (PCMO), the area Peace Corps medical officer (APCMO), and sometimes the safety and security coordinator and information technology specialist. These folks may be off taking care of an emergency or closeted away in the exam room discussing confidential issues with Volunteers. They are often handling problems, looking out for others, but no one is looking out for them. It is important to stop every now and then and count nosesmake sure everyone (especially the PCMO) is there, participating in things, talking with and helping each other, and being included in the team. 2.3. Getting Input and Feedback to Post Management There are recognized avenues for incorporating each individuals input into program management and decision-making. Administrative, programming, training, medical, safety/security, and support staff and Volunteers all have ways to express their opinions to decision-makers. Questions to Think About Do you know what the most burning issue or main frustration is for each of the following? (Make a list of what you think it might be for each.) AO ITS APCD/PMs security coordinator PTO PCVLs PCMO rural Volunteers drivers urban Volunteers administrative support staff older Volunteers training officer and/or staff other GSO program assistant/program/training specialist (PA/PTS) How would each group approach you (or someone else) about such an issue if they felt they needed to? Are they doing this? What might be standing in the way? What could you do to get rid of the obstacle(s)? How do you find out if a new (or old) policy or procedure is working? Are you actively checking this? Are there effective ways for Volunteers to give feedback and input to you and the senior staff? What ways are working very well? What ways arent working as well? Is there a recent good example where Volunteer input affected a major decision? How did it happen and why did it work? Do you have a similar example reflecting successful input from support staff? If you need feedback from support staff, or from Volunteers, how do you get it? What methods do you see other staff using to get it?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources Clearly, the same techniques that get information from you to others can get information from others to you. Thus, meetings, written communications, visits, etc., are all useful in encouraging othersVolunteers as well as staffto provide you with their input on various subjects. Here are some approaches that should help communication significantly: Communication With Volunteers: Send open requests for feedback in a memo, letter, text message, or email to Volunteers. Expose the problem, discuss it, and ask for help and input. Youll get it. Continually encourage Volunteers to give feedback or opinions to staff (CD, PTO, APCD/PMs, PCMO, etc.). Assure them that they will be listened to, and then make sure that they are. Make site visits to Volunteers, and be sure you have enough time and opportunity to talk about things with them. (See section 4.13 for techniques). Encourage the establishment of a Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC) if one doesnt already exist. If it does exist, actively engage it. (See 4.9 for further discussion of VACs). Set up Volunteer (or Volunteer and staff) committees or task forces to review or improve certain policies, topics, or issues important to them. Plan a Volunteer conference, or a Volunteer Day at ISTs, at which Volunteers have the opportunity to discuss their Peace Corps-related issues and concerns. Survey Volunteers, asking for input on particular (or general) issues, and make sure you give full feedback to the Volunteers on results. Consider the valuable role PCVLs can play as a conduit for Volunteers input. Communication With Staff: Set up section meetings that provide a regular forum for support staff to raise and discuss issues (e.g., a biweekly or monthly administrative staff meeting chaired by the highest ranking host country national employee, or with a rotating chair, a weekly drivers meeting, and a weekly or biweekly admin assistants or secretaries meeting). Establish committees or task forces to come up with recommendations on particular issues (e.g., What should we do about the lunch room? How can the admin assistants loads be evened out? How about flex hours?). Hold an annual reinvention exercise or change the office (or your job) week, during which staff are encouraged to think about and give detailed input on questions such as: What would you do to make your job, your section, or the Peace Corps office better? or What procedure would you change if you could?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post If you are having trouble getting some staff to speak up (they may be hesitant to speak up in front of their supervisor, or they want to see which way the wind is blowing before they open up), try criticizing your own ideas. Put your thoughts out there and then show that you dont have the answer to a particular question and are truly seeking their input. And finally, give staff members individual time, one-on-one, to talk about things. If you see one of them having a problemor even no problem at allstop by their workplace and ask them how its going, or for input on something. Encourage your managers to do this as well. For staff and Volunteers to provide feedback they must see some evidence that their opinion has mattered and contributed to decision-making and useful changes. Giving concrete examples where this has happened will show that the program is indeed theirs, too, and will encourage them to participate in the future. 2.4. Honesty, Trust, and Respect Honesty is respected and valued in communications and transactions. Staff and Volunteers have confidence that what the country director and senior staff say is true, and the country director and all staff convey trust in, and respect for, the Volunteers. Questions to Think About Do you think Volunteers have confidence in what staff say to them? Do they believe the staffs explanations or justifications of Peace Corps policies and ways of doing things? Have you had a troublesome precedent to deal with recently (i.e., an application of a policy or rule that subsequently caused issues)? How did you deal with or explain it? Did your explanation succeed, or were there problems or mistrust? Why? Can you successfully explain the rationale for those policies that have caused the most problems? (An example would be vacation or leave policies, but there are others.) In essence, what are the real issues at stake? Are Volunteers (and staff) getting the whole story? Does the policy, in fact, make sense and can it be realistically monitored and enforced? If it does not make sense to Volunteers or staff, or if it cant be monitored or enforced, if it appears arbitrary, what can you do? These are crucial questions, as they touch on the fundamental issues of honesty, credibility, and confidence. Have you made a point of stressing honesty to each other and to Volunteers as a sometimes difficult but fundamental value in the program? Have you done the same with trust, dignity, and respect? Is it clear to all that Volunteers opinions should be accepted and given credence by staff? Is this apparent to the Volunteers as well? Is there an example of the opposite, i.e., where a Volunteers opinion or explanation was not respected? Why did this happen? What could be done to prevent this in the future? Are staff being consistent in their treatment of Volunteers? Is the CDs (or AOs or APCD/PMs) favorite Volunteer being treated like other Volunteers? What do you think the Volunteers are seeing?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources Applying a policy of honesty does not mean that others need to know everything. Everyone knows there are certain things that are sensitive, personal, or confidential. What is offensive, however, is misleading, or withholding information or an explanation that easily could and should have been given. This conveys mistrust and encourages a common sensitivity among Volunteers of being treated like children. Purposefully ignoring or even misleading Volunteers and staff can lead to an avoidable adverse reaction. Indeed, the obverse is true: Both groups can be an amazingly supportive and flexible lot, once they know the story and they see that their supervisors have been open and forthright with them. (See section 2.2 for further discussion of honesty in consensus-building and accepting mistakes.) As for trust, dignity, and respect, it is an excellent idea to deliver the following soliloquy to trainees early on in training and then repeat itand live itat every opportunity for the Volunteers next two years in country. This is the Peace Corps. We may represent many values, but above all we must be a human organization, where the values of trust, dignity, and human respect are demonstrated and lived. We must treat each other, and everyone we deal with, with dignity and respect and show that we can be trusted. Above all, we must do this, and I expect it from myself, my staff, and from all of you. 2.5. Customer Service The country director and staff demonstrate through their actions that they intend to help the customer, i.e., the Volunteers, host country representatives and beneficiaries, other staff, and any others who have business with the Peace Corps. Questions to Think About Who are the customers at the Peace Corps office? Have you performed a review recently on how they are being treated when they come in or call? For example: How is the telephone being answered? (Call in yourself and find out.) How are people being referred? What are the conditions in the reception area? What problems are vendors having? Are bills being paid? Are there delays? What is happening when a Volunteer calls and the person he or she wants to talk to is not there? How are Volunteer requests for assistance, reimbursements, materials, etc., being handled? How do Volunteers go about seeing staff members? Do they have to make appointments? What is the general response of staff members when a Volunteer shows up unannounced at his or her door?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are there particular days or times when Volunteers are encouraged to take care of their office business? Is this effective? What happens on weekends? Is there a weekend system for handling problems or business that Volunteers may have in the office (especially if this is the only time they can come in)? Is it working? Is there a limit on Volunteers access to the Peace Corps office (and staff, resource room, regional office)? Does the limit make sense and do Volunteers understand and respect it? If not, what can be done? Ideas and Resources There is nothing complicated about the concept of customer service, yet it is not commonly understood or practiced in many parts of the world, particularly where bureaucracies and offices or private companies may not have a history of being customer oriented. This means it may be useful to devote a certain amount of staff training time to stress both the value and techniques of customer service or the customer first. For the Peace Corps, treatment of customers is a particularly sensitive issue for three reasons: because of our mission of cultural understanding and exchange, because we pride ourselves on being a human organization, and because our customers include our own Volunteers, who are at the heart of our success or failure. Customer service should be reviewed regularly to see how visitors are being welcomed and assisted, how the telephone, text message, and email answering and referral system is working, how vendors are being served, and how Volunteers are being treated and attended to in all areas, including administrative, programming, medical, security, and training, and how routine administrative systems and procedures are working (from reimbursements, to changes in home of record, to requests for mail to be held). Staff can and should be on the lookout for any signs of red tape or deception in their operations, and they should be well versed in both the importance of, and the techniques for, reducing the bureaucracy in everything they do. Customer service training sessions (at ISTs or retreats), awards or commendations (customer service representative of the month or friend of the customer for July), and praise from the customers (letters from appreciative Volunteers or vendors) are all techniques that can help motivate staff members and help them improve their service. It is particularly rewarding to see staff members beam with pride when a visiting Volunteer from another country writes to thank them for the assistance provided to the Volunteer when he or she was sick, was mugged, or was just passing through. The country director and all senior staff should serve as role models in providing good customer service, as in so many other things.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 2.6. Knowledge of Day-to-Day Operations The country director has a broad knowledge of day-to-day post operations and can discuss staff members and Volunteers duties and responsibilities with them. Questions to Think About Have you ever picked up the mail at the post office? Gotten a Volunteer visa renewed or work permit extended at immigration? Tried to get something out of customs? What do you know about these processes? What are the principal problems or frustrations facing each different section of your office right now? (Take the time to make a short list for each one.) In what areas have they made the most progress in the last six months? (List these, too.) What opportunities do you have to discuss the operations and issues of each office section? Are you able to do so on a regular or periodic basis with each one? In which areas of your office operation do you feel you have the weakest overall knowledge of day-to-day activities? What effect does this have on your management of this (or these) section(s) and the way you deal with them compared with the others? What could your section supervisors do to help you have a better knowledge of the duties, responsibilities, problems, and issues in their sections? What could you do? Which of the Volunteer jobs do you know the best? The least? If asked, could you describe the typical days work of a Volunteer in each of your countrys project areas? How did you get this knowledge? What are your Volunteers top three job frustrations right now? What is being done about them? Ideas and Resources No manager can know in detail all the various jobs of the people who work for him or her. Yet knowing those jobs, insofar as it is practical, is important. Such knowledge will lend more credibility to a managers opinions and supervision. A manager well acquainted with others duties will have more practical suggestions and be better able to develop goals, objectives, and standards; allocate resources; and envision how various jobs fit together into the larger picture. The manager is less likely to be misled or intimidated by areas of unfamiliar detail or information. Such knowledge is a demonstration of interest in the staff members work. Most staff will be both impressed and pleased when a senior person takes the time to know and understand what they are doing.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The manager cannot learn all jobs by doing them, but there are other ways to amass a critical knowledge about the duties one must supervise, including: Reviewing job descriptions, task analyses, and performance appraisal standards for each position, and reviewing the manual of operating procedures (MOP) for the job. If the position doesnt have such a thing, maybe it should. (This subject is treated in more detail in sections 2.8 and 3.2). Interviewing each staff member. This is an excellent way to begin a work relationship, either as a new CD or manager yourself, or with a new person coming on. In fact, a good way to keep a finger on the pulse of the operation is to continue those interviews (e.g., once a year), in order to maintain your relationship with each of the staff members and find out where they are with their work. (See section 3.7 for specifics on interviews with staff.). Holding regular interviews or meetings (weekly, biweekly, monthly) with section supervisors and getting reports from them. The information gained should help keep you apprised of section activities, goals, accomplishments, and problems (see 2.2, above). Having each staff member plan out his or her duties and benchmarks over a quarter or a year on a chart, showing month by month what each expects to accomplish, who they will be working with, and what they will need in order to achieve their goals. This can be an extraordinary planning document for the staff member, and an informative coordination or review tool for the supervisor or manager. (See section 3.2 for a description). Performing desk audits, in which staff members review and redraft their job descriptions based on what they feel they actually do. A variation is for all to keep a one- or two-week log in which they mark their activities for every 15-minute or half-hour period. This is an excellent exercise for staff as well as supervisors, as it shows exactly what the day-to-day demands of the job are. The results may often be a surprise. Holding reinvention exercises, in which staff members are invited to state how they think their job should be changed and what kind of additional training they may want or need. Reviewing individual performance appraisals. (See section 3.4 for detailed treatment.). Visiting staff on the job or in their office. These visits are extremely important. They get you out of your office and into other peoples worlds, away from the small circle of senior staff and the isolation of management. Visits should be a regular event in your schedule. You also might occasionally go with a staff member on a round or a particular errand. There is no substitute for going down to the immigration office with the Peace Corps staff member who usually does that, or going out to deal with a vendor, or over to the telephone company to solve a problem. When you come back, you have a practical sense of what the person does and what his or her problems are. The above techniques can be put to good use, as appropriate, in learning what staff members in your country operation do, and, with adaptation to the Volunteers situation, what Volunteers do. Your personal interest in and knowledge of what staff and Volunteers do can be great motivating factors both for individuals and their immediate supervisors.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 2.7. Delegating Responsibility The country director appropriately delegates tasks and areas of responsibility to other staff members. Staff members have the authority and resources to carry out these delegated duties and are not burdened by micromanagement, lack of trust, or insufficient support. Questions to Think About Are you getting involved in too many small program or admin issues? Why? Is it because you are the CD and things seem to be organized that way? Because people at lower levels hesitate or dont feel they have the authority to act? Are there certain staff members or sections to which you are more likely to delegate responsibilities than others? Is this because of different skill or experience levels? If so, what steps might be taken to adjust the skill levels? Also, regardless of differences in skill level or experience, are there responsibilities you could delegate but do not? Why not? What are you waiting for? Are your staff members able to make mistakes and learn from them without feeling that the risk of failure or censure is too great? Are host country staff sufficiently involved in the final drafts of the more important strategic plans and reports for Washington (IPBS, PSR, etc.)? Are your staff members ableand motivatedto propose, plan, and carry out new initiatives, tasks, and duties? Do you think they want new duties and responsibilities delegated to them? How do you know? Do all members of your staff understand how you expect them to manage when you delegate tasks to them? Do they understand what type of feedback you want and how often? Are there any particularly effective steps you are taking to encourage your senior supervisors to work with, train, and delegate more to their own staff and to Volunteers under their responsibility? Can you cite recent cases where responsibilities have been delegated without the necessary authority to carry out the job? What happened? And cases where delegation was carried out very successfully? What happened there? Ideas and Resources Successful delegation of responsibilities is one of the most critical skills in management. It can accomplish two primary objectives: 1) It can take an impossible weight of tasks and responsibilities off you and divide them among people who are qualified (and even eager) to do them. No manager can do everything; but those who try end up constructing a huge bottleneck around themselves, leaving a lot of things undone and many others done poorly. To run an operation successfully, a manager must be able to trust his or her staff and give them the opportunity to accomplish things on their own authority.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 2) It can significantly motivate your staff and, indeed, make them blossom. Being given meaningful responsibilitiesalong with the means to carry them outis probably one of the most motivating things that can happen to a person. To that staff member, it conveys trust and brings such critical elements as confidence, new and interesting things to do, the chance to learn new skills, the exercise of greater responsibility, and tangible recognition from the organization or from management. It is what carries people to new heights and builds loyalties and capabilities that were not there before. The most effectively delegated duties are set up so: The duty or responsibility is meaningful (i.e., not piddling, make-work tasks). The responsibility requires and gives the opportunity for new learning on the part of the staff member, but is not impossible or overwhelming. Sufficient guidelines and training to accomplish the activities must be available, so the person is not (and does not feel) overburdened or set up. On the other hand, these opportunities should not have to be spoon-fed to the staff memberpeople who want new responsibilities will work to learn the skills. The manager (e.g., country director, AO, PTO) supervises in such a way that he or she demonstrates continuing interest in the progress of the tasks and offers assistance or guidance where useful or necessary, but does not micromanage, undermine, or question the staff members control over the activity. The CD (or PTO, or APCD/PM) has an important role as an adviser, mentor, or sounding board, but must also remember that the responsibility has been given to another. The staff member keeps the manager informed and provides him or her with the information necessary to provide a clear sense of what is happening. This is the staff members responsibility, but the manager must see to it that the opportunity and the forum are there for the information to be conveyed, through, for example, periodic meetings, reports, or visits. The delegation of responsibility permits and encourages a certain amount of risk-taking on the part of the staff member. The person must know that he or she can make mistakes and still have the support and assistance of the manager. This means the manager must be prepared to accept the possibility that mistakes will be made and not turn it into a traumatic or humiliating event for the staff member. Examples of the kind of delegation that can contribute to the effectiveness of the team include the following: Assigning, and relinquishing, certain parts of important reports or documents. This is particularly difficult for CDs, PTOs, and AOs to do when they are convinced they could do a better job themselves or the person they are giving the assignment to does not have English as a first language or is not a skilled writer. The resulting draft is often not quite what the manager wanted, and how he or she reacts then becomes critical. The most constructive and confidencebuilding response to this is to acknowledge the positive elements of the draft and find a compromise somewhere between a complete rewrite of the document and the original version (with its imperfections). A middle ground will give recognition to the staff members expertise and existing skills, and help him or her do a better job next time. This opportunity to learn is particularly critical considering the fact that the staff members tenure will probably outlast that of the CD, AO, or PTO. 38 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Acknowledging that an APCD/PMs job is to run a project or program as delegated and supported by the CD and PTO. When an APCD/PM encounters a problem (for example, a Volunteer comes to the CD or PTO with a complaint about a certain action or decision by that APCD/PM), it is important to remember when you respond to the Volunteer that you have delegated responsibility to the APCD/PM. How you involve both the APCD/PM and the Volunteer in the solution is what prepares the APCD/PM to accept and carry out further program management and what prepares the Volunteer for managing and responding to his or her own difficulties. Among the greatest complaints of APCD/PMs are CDs/PTOs who micromanage (including those who intercede with the Volunteer without trying to find a way for the Volunteer to first work through the APCD/PM) and CDs/PTOs who provide no support or guidance at all. The answer lies somewhere in between and involves making the best use of your staff. Senior staff (PTO, AO, APCD/PMs, etc.) must also delegate to their own staff and to Volunteer leaders and Volunteers. How they do this will be based to a great extent on the example set by the CD and the trust the CD places in them and in Volunteers. It is often said in management handbooks that decisions should be made as close to where the action happens as possible, i.e., in the field. This also applies to the CDPTOAPCD/PMPCVLVolunteer continuum and to the CDAOadministrative staffVolunteer continuum. Where is the action? Who should be making the decision and how? And what is the most constructive role and oversight of the manager? 2.8. Cross-Training and Backup No one is indispensable. Any one persons absence does not stop business and services from continuing effectively. Backup procedures are clearly outlined and there exists a general willingness of staff to fill in for others. When staff members do not know what to do, they can find guidance by consulting a written job description, a manual of operating procedures, or another person. Questions to Think About Could someone step in and take over for you tomorrow? Why or why not? What would go smoothly? What would be the biggest challenges or problems that person would face? What would not get done? Why not? What can you do to change this? (Think about this; being acting CD is a special challenge for anyone. What makes it so?) How would you answer this same series of questions for other positions in your office? the AO the PTO the PCMO the training manager the Volunteer support clerk (or equivalent in your country) the general services officer the APCD/PM or PA/PTS the IT specialist the security officer other________

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are there manuals of operating procedures (MOPs) for the above positions that a temporary replacement could turn to for guidance? Is anything written down? Are there written policies in place for particular problems or issues that might come up when a key person is out? Are there persons crossed-trained in the essential functions of each position? What is your PCMO backup plan? Is it satisfactory or are there holes in it? What about emergency communications with the PCMO if he or she is on a site visit? What is your SSC backup plan? (Ask the same questions as for the PCMO.) The last time someone from your office was out suddenly for an emergency or extended leave, what happened? Analyze the case: What specific lessons did you learn from the experience? Are there any positions in your office for which the person truly seems indispensable? What can you do to change that? Ideas and Resources People make themselves indispensable when they Dont delegate or train, i.e., no one else ever does or knows how to do what they do. Dont cross-train or arrange for a backup, i.e., no one is specifically prepared to step in and do what they do. Have no manual, job description, or other written guidance outlining their job and its procedures. Note also that the manual or guidance must be up-to-date and realistic to be useful. Out-of-date, impractical guidance is no guidance at all. The remedies for the indispensable staff member problem are fairly straightforward, though they take time and planning: As a manager or supervisor, the more you delegate and the more you train your staff, the more they will be able to carry out your duties (especially the essential day-to-day ones) when you are away or otherwise occupied. An example is the AO delegating to, and training, the assistant administrator, who in turn delegates to and trains the cashier, the Volunteer support person, the property person, the fleet manager, and the administrative clerk or secretary, etc. If the AO is the only one who knows how to do travel vouchers, the vouchers will not get done when he or she is not there. They may not even get done when the AO is there, depending on how much else there is to do. There are things you can do about this. For American staff, the training aspect is particularly critical. Everything you do must be passed on to someone else. Otherwise, when you go, the know-how may just go with you. From the early days of your tour, you should have a plan laying out how and when you will be training which staff in which aspects of your job.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Cross-training is another aspect of this same process. For some individuals and duties, it is better to train and prepare a subordinate; for others (particularly where there is no appropriate subordinate), cross-training a colleague may be the answer. It often works quite well to let staff choose their own cross-training relationships and set up the process themselves, with the supervisor coordinating the process to ensure it gets done by a certain deadline and all necessary elements are covered. Thus, the Volunteer support clerk may best be backstopped by the administrative clerk-secretary in such areas as Volunteer visas, work permits, and leave authorizations. Obviously, who backs up critical and time-sensitive duties such as the ordering of living allowance checks and vendor payments is extremely important. For certain positions (PCMO, driver, cleaner, secretary, etc.), within-staff coverage may not be enough. It may be necessary to bring in an outside contractor for a certain period. Budget is not a valid excuse for not doing this. If it needs to be done and is not, someone will suffer, usually the Volunteers. For example, if the PCMO is to be gone for a few days (on site visits or out sick) or for a few weeks (on vacation or at a conference), the Volunteers must have someone else to see or call. Arrangements can be made with medical personnel (an embassy nurse or a local private doctor who often treats Volunteers) to be on call and provide coverage during certain hours at the Peace Corps office. Or, indeed, a part-time backup PCMO can be hired and trained over time. This is an excellent solution, if there is a qualified person available and willing. As a part-timer, the person comes in a certain number of hours per week or month, forms a relationship with the PCMO and with the Peace Corps, and takes over when the PCMO is on site visit, at a conference, or out for any other reason. The advantage is, of course, that the backup PCMO comes to know the system, is a regular part of the operation, and is available so the PCMO has more freedom for site visits and other absences. The above example may be different from the case of a driver or secretary, but the principle is the same; there are situations in which an outside backup is the best solution for a gap in staffing. An invaluable part of the training or cross-training process is the development of a manual of operating procedures (MOP). This is different from a staff members job description in the sense that it lays out the procedure for accomplishing a certain responsibility or procedure, not a persons whole job. The MOP may include the roles of a number of people involved in the responsibility or in different phases of the procedure. Areas where written MOPs are particularly critical would include emergency leave and medical evacuations, cashiering, check ordering (especially living and settling-in allowances, but also purchase orders), Volunteer immigration procedures, customs clearance procedures for mail, vehicle preparation for trips, site visit objectives and procedures, duty officer procedures, hurricane or storm tracking, and a number of others. MOPs need not be long and exhaustive, but they must be sufficiently clear and complete for anyone performing someone elses duties for a while, particularly for a part-time PCMO, secretary, driver, receptionist, etc., who comes from the outside. Note also that MOPs need to be easily locatede.g., available on a shared drivein such a way that the backup person can readily find them if the author must suddenly leave with almost no warning.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Finally, the acting CD position is worth special reflection. This set of duties and responsibilities can easily be overwhelming for a staff member who is not prepared. Indeed, CDs should have an orientation or guidance packet ready for anyone delegated to take over his or her position for even the shortest period of time. It should include, for example: A description of current issues occupying the CD or likely to arise A description of the Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS) (process and responsibilities) A list of critical resources and people to turn to or inform in specific cases or situations Any other particular duties, tasks, etc., that the acting CD would not be familiar with (purchase card procedures, budget and other financial tasks, meetings with ambassador, country team, other). This packet should be reviewed with the acting CD and issues discussed to avoid any surprises. Indeed, this is good preparation for any person assuming an acting manager position at post. 2.9. Program Resources The program has sufficient resources (e.g., staff, vehicles, computers, offices, funds, language skills, training materials) to run efficiently, and these resources are used effectively to support the program. Questions to Think About Is your country program suffering from a resource shortage in a critical area? What is the impact of this shortage? Could more thorough and strategic planning at IPBS time have resolved this issue, or resolve it in the future? Do you have sufficient staff? Are some staff members working more hours than they should? Where are you short? As a result, what are you not doing that you feel you should be doing? What is the effect on other staff? On Volunteers? If you could obtain one more staff member, what would you have this person do? Is the present workload distributed evenly and in an appropriate manner? Should it be redistributed? How would you do it? Are you hampered by shortages or support problems in terms of vehicles, computers, or other equipment? What is the effect on staff and their work? On Volunteers? What should you be doing to resolve this problem? Are there activities and duties taking up more time than they should? How can the time (or activity) be reduced and put to a more effective end? What skills (e.g., technical, training, administrative, computer) are lacking in your office? Are there tasks that should be done but are not because staff members do not have the training or skills? Will they get the required training or skills, or do you think thats impossible? Why or why not? What is the solution? 42 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Is there an information technology (IT) training plan and are staff members respecting it and following it? How good are language skills in your office? Among your Volunteers? How good are language materials and language learning resources? What could you do to promote better language skills? Ideas and Resources (Ideas and Resources for section 2.9 are combined with those for 2.10.) 2.10. Suitable Workplace Workplaces (offices, training sites, resource centers, etc.) are conducive to work. They are organized, basically comfortable, modest, clean, accessible, and large enough for individuals to get their work done without disruption. Questions to Think About Is your posts office space large enough? Does each staff member have a satisfactory place to work? What does your staff think of the workplace? Do you have a large enough conference or meeting room? Do you have an adequate place for receiving visitors for interviews or meetings? Are there any physical problems with your office? Security problems? Location problems? Communications or transport problems? (Make a list for each.) What are the effects of these problems on the staff and their work? What are your options for change? Is there space for parking and working on vehicles? Is there sufficient storage space? Where do you keep bicycles? Training equipment? What facilities do you have for PCVLs? Do they have enough working space? Do they have appropriate space for confidential conversations with Volunteers? Do you have a permanent training center, or one that is regularly used? How accessible is it to the office? Are staff (both senior and support staff) able to play a role in PSTs and ISTs and have contact with the trainees and Volunteers? Does your training center situation promote or hinder homestays and rural community-based training activities? Is your health unit large enough? Is it separate from or part of your main office? Is it too isolated from the office? What are the advantages or disadvantages of the current health unit arrangement? Should it be changed? Does it adversely affect medical staff integration into the PC staff team? Does the health unit layout adversely affect medical confidentiality? Is there an appropriate waiting room for patients? Does your office have a resource center? What do the Volunteers think of it? Does it have sufficient and useful technical materials for both Volunteers and staff? Training materials? Country-specific economic, historical, and cultural materials? Country and area literature? Do the different sectors (education, small business, training, etc.) take responsibility to ensure that useful materials for their sectors are placed in the center and are available in hard copy or electronic form as appropriate?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are the materials in your resource center accessible? Are they being used? Is the resource center organized or a mess? Could the whole system be better set up? What would it take? Do you need a resource center coordinator? Do you have (or need) regional or satellite resource centers? Ask the above questions about these regional centers. What do the Volunteers think of the current Volunteer lounge and computer facilities available to them in the office (or in the regional centers)? Are there any ongoing problems? Are there any major issues with the transit house or with lodging for Volunteers in the capital city? In regional centers? Ideas and Resources Issues concerning both program resources (section 2.9) and workplaces (2.10) deal with the basic functional needs of a program. The questions raised here under both topics cover a wide range of resources and facilities that should be examined periodically to see whether they are meeting those needs. Since these elements often involve budget issues or limits imposed by country conditions (shortage of facilities, lack of skilled personnel, troublesome communications systems, lack of parts or repair services, etc.), many programs limp along with serious problems in facilities, supplies, or staff. The assumption that nothing can be done is often false and should be re-examined. Problems can be redefined and creative solutions found, even when there are budget constraints. The main point here is that certain problems should not and do not have to exist. Bikes and boxes cluttering the hallways; crowded rooms shared by people who absolutely need more space and privacy for their operations; the annual shortage of candidates for training staff and problems training new people every year; a disorganized, impractical, or neglected resource center; muggings that occur near the office at night; no place to work on cars; lack of water in the office these are all problems that can compromise work and support for the program. Often these problems will go on for years because they are difficult, solutions are not obvious, or they dont fall within anyones particular domain. A solution comes only when a country director, staff member, committee, or mixed group of staff and Volunteers finally take them on, one by one, if necessary. If there is insufficient storage in the office, then an alternative may have to be found elsewhere. This solution is probably possible, but it may take time and a little money to set up. If rooms are crowded, it will take a toll, and this cannot be ignored without consequences. It may be time to reorganize rooms, or knock down some walls, or build an addition, or set up a branch annex, or move offices completely. A little construction or renovation is often the best short-term solution for those who fear the big move. If qualified training staff are perennially in short supply, it may be time to help organize a local, independent training services company, as several countries have done. This operation can provide training not only to the Peace Corps, but to other NGOs and donor agencies as well.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Of course, any muggings near the office are a serious problem. It may be possible, with the embassys support, to organize a high-level meeting with the police or government to request additional police presence in the area or hold an in-service workshop on security problems and invite the law enforcement agencies as participants. In summary, there are potential solutions to many of these problems. It may just take a fresh look, some new people thinking about the problem, some ideas from neighboring countries, and the determination to finally do something about them. 2.11. Information Management The country program has a comprehensive information-management system that provides the tools and training necessary to support both staff and Volunteers effectively. An information technology (IT) specialist coordinates support for the IT system and conducts a continuing training program for staff to improve their IT skills and better fulfill their individual responsibilities. Questions to Think About Have you lost an important electronic report or file recentlyor had to hunt for a document that you simply could not find anywhere on the server? Why did that happen? When you need a document or file that someone else placed (or should have placed) on the server, do you know where to go? Do you find it? Do you have multiple files on the server with the same or similar names and the same kinds of documents in them? Why? How skilled are staff members in computer usage? Make a list of those who seem strong and those who are still weak. How does it look? What kind of skills and training do they need? Why arent they getting it? How are your own computer skills? What applications or tools would you say youre weak in or could use training in? Do you use SFTP (secure file transfer protocol)? FOR Post (the computerized system the PC uses to record and track post expenditures)? Excel? Databases? Is your IT specialist strong enough to develop staff in IT usage and integration? If not, have you had discussions with PC/Washington about providing training, development, and support for the ITS in this function? Is your IT specialist conducting regular staff development sessions in IT? Are the staff members attending? If there are problems, what are they? Who provides strategic direction to the IT function and ITS at your post? Who actually supervises the ITS? What do you believe is the proper chain of command and oversight for the IT function? Is your ITS part of the management team and attending all the meetings?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources The information revolution of the last few decades has brought about a massive transformation in the management of the Peace Corps. Not that the individual personal experience or motivation of the Volunteer has necessarily changedthat is a subject for another discussionbut what has changed radically are the technology and resources available to both staff and Volunteers in the conduct of their communications, travel, and work. Communications between Peace Corps headquarters and posts, and between posts and Volunteers, for examplewhich once took weeksnow may take minutes or seconds in some cases. And the volume of information and resources available to staff and Volunteersdepending on the access of a particular post or sitecan be virtually limitless. To adjust to these changes, and to put them to the best advantage for Volunteers, staff, and the conduct of Peace Corps business, the Peace Corps has instituted a new and still rapidly improving information technology (IT) system, which at the post level includes satellite/voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephone and electronic connections, vastly improved computer capability, increased IT tools and security, increased resources, improved Volunteer support tools, and an information technology specialist (ITS) position at each post, supported by an IT office at Peace Corps headquarters (Office of the Chief Information Officer) in Washington, D.C. From the point of view of the country director and program, the IT position and system at a particular post serve a number of important purposes: 1. To install, maintain, and improve the communications hardware and software systems that are now essential to Peace Corps operations. These include telephone (landline, cellular, VoIP, and satellite), electronic systems (email, SFTP [secure file transfer protocol], video, access to the Peace Corps Intranet and to the World Wide Web and all its resources), and radio. 2. To support the efficient organization and management of the mass of information generated through these technologies. This includes the record-keeping and filing of electronic information, ranging from the VIDA (Volunteer Information Database Application) and electronic filing and data systems to official correspondence tracking systems, reports, and other documents. 3. To set up and administer the IT security systems and policies necessary to protect the safety and integrity of information flowing through, and stored in, the systems. 4. To motivate and train post staff in the most up-to-date and advantageous use of the IT tools available to them in their work. 5. To set up and maintain a Volunteer computer system, separate from the Peace Corps IT system, but available for Volunteers use (usually in a Volunteer resource center area or branch office). 6. To provide technical assistance to the country director, staff, and Volunteers in the methods and strategies for promoting Volunteer support, staffVolunteer communications (text messaging, warden systems, reporting, use of electronic announcements, memos, newsletters, Web pages, etc.), and Volunteer access to information useful in carrying out their program objectives; and to play an integral role in the posts Emergency Action Plan and other plans for meeting health, safety, and emergency situations involving the Peace Corps and Volunteers.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post In addition to the ITS at each post, the Office of the CIO in Washington is available for assistance that the CD or staff may need in conducting its IT operations and facing information challenges. This handbook is not the place to explain the organization or operations of the CIO or IT systemsthese are important for the CD and staff to know, but they may be gained from other sources. What is important, however, is to point out some of the critical issues and practical questions that may arise around IT operations at the post level. Here are a few of the principal issues that merit special attention: The IT specialists duties and place in the post organization. The IT specialist has a job description based on one developed by the Office of the CIO, which the post may then adapt to its own circumstances. One major question at post is whether the ITS should report to the administrative officer or to the country director. This is a matter of choice, to which you should devote some reflection. It is true that much of the IT operations are related to administrative activities (telephone setups, computer and telephone equipment, billing, radio installation in vehicles, etc.) and AOs in many posts have successfully supervised these operations. On the other hand, IT activities have a fundamental role and important impacts in such varied sectors as strategic planning, program strategies and reporting, Volunteer support and communications, emergency planning, Volunteer and staff training, program and Volunteer filing, and many other program-related activities. As a result, an increasing number of country directors have chosen to supervise the IT specialist directly. Think about it, discuss it with your staff, and consult with neighboring posts about the best approach at your post. In any case, whoever supervises the position and operations, IT planning and implementationas with many operations at postshould have the attention and participation of all sections and managers. Staff motivation and development in information technology and management. One of the greatest challenges at Peace Corps posts is instilling in staff both the motivation and training to turn IT into the advantageous tool it should be in their work. The IT specialist is there to train staff in all levels of computer tools and work, from Outlook calendars to email management, VIDA, Excel, and PowerPoint, online databases, online collaborative tools, searching for information and resources, and many other applications. In summary, the ITS can make communication and searching for and using information much more accessible and effective for post staff. In this, the ITS will have modules, courses, and online activities from HQ that he or she can use on a regular basis to increase staff computer skills both individually and in group work. This is a huge opportunity for the staffs individual development, for collaborative electronic work, and for efficiency in Peace Corps operations that many posts have enormous difficulties implementing. Whether it is because of the crush of work, or the intimidation factor of working with computers, etc., many overseas stafflocal as well as U.S.remain at a skill level far below where they should and could be.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The country director must play a key role in changing this environment and must get involved in the promotion and implementation of a regular program of IT training for staff members. Time must be cleared for IT training sessions, facilities must be made available, staff must be made to understand the importance of these skills and tools and must be motivated to participate and learn, and the CD must lead the way. There are many strategies and techniques for accomplishing this; the first must be for the CD to sit down with senior managers and the IT specialist, survey and analyze needs, plan out a training program and calendar, and enlist managers in seeing to its faithful implementation. The need for the key tools (like VIDA and the Volunteer Reporting Tool) is too basic to the Peace Corps operation and the advantages of the new technologies are too great to be missed. Organization and storage of documents and files. Another of the continuous challenges is the organization and storage of information at post: file management, record-keeping, storage of and access to documents and information, and the use of systems that are already set up (such as VIDA and volunteer reporting). Files, records, reports, working documents, etc., must be managed in a systematic, organized manner so they can be accessed when needed. How much time have you or your staff wasted hunting for a piece of information, a document or file that could not be foundthrough misfiling, mislabeling, or placement in one of three or four files holding the same things, but located in different places? (Or, when a significant amount of good work simply disappears with a personnel change?) IT specialists have tools and techniques for helping to set up file organization and management, and training in the use of the ones that exist. Filing may be a highly individual thing, but it must be brought under control. You simply cannot have a system where, when one person leaves, another cant find what he or she needs; or where a valuable system like VIDA and the Volunteer Reporting Tool (VRT) are significantly underused. And the value and time wasted because of lost files or information is much worse than the time and effort it takes to set up and maintain a system. Again, the CD must play a leading role in this effort or it wont get done. Supporting Volunteers in their need for and access to information. As technology improves, Volunteers have more and more opportunity to bring the advantages of the Peace Corps and the Webs vast store of information and resources to their work. Many of todays Volunteers are of a generation and background that they will do this far more than we can imagine. And one of the most valuable services we can perform as staff is to be right there to support them in this questto get the technologies and access to them so they can do research, build networks, download resources, arrange exchanges, build databases, organize workshops and trainings, assist organizations in grant-writing, and train counterparts and colleagues in the use and value of the same technologies. As staff, with the expertise of the IT specialist, we should be surveying Volunteers, learning what their accomplishments are and what IT needs they have, and what we might do to increase their access to both the information itself and the tools to get it. This can be a creative activity on both our part and theirs, and we should be pursuing it with energy and excitement. There are other issues to pay attention to: Setting up and managing communications and networks with Volunteers for both routine and emergency communications (an accessible post website; electronic newsletters, memos, etc.; the digitalization of forms, reports, and systems for reimbursement, to name a few. One application of this would be setting up systems and groupings for staff to send 48 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post blast emails and notifications to Volunteers. Another would be working with the cellphone company and independent Web providers so text messages can be entered in the computer and sent automatically to various groups of Volunteers and staff. Setting up computer centers so Volunteers will have access to them (not just one Volunteer center in the capital city, but the possibility of branch or transit house resource centers or regional offices). Ensuring that information from ICE, previous in-country Volunteers proposals, training sessions, program reports, income generation activities, etc., are available to all Volunteers in a Volunteer-friendly fashion. Here, the VAC or PCVLs may contribute significantly to the process. It is also desirable to have these materials accessible to Volunteers at places other than the capitalmaybe even at a PCVL site. The establishment of clear and practical IT policies and practices for both staff and Volunteers. The setup and use of radio systems for branch offices, vehicles, and Volunteer leaders. Because the Volunteer Reporting Tool and system are dependent on effective accessibility to IT resources, making sure that each sector is using it as a two-way communication tool with the Volunteer and frequently updating the information to make it serve program and Volunteer needs is vital. The IT specialist provides an important facilitation and capacity-building role in this critical process. These are a few of the issues regarding IT and they will increase as the technologies and possibilities increase. Perhaps the biggest lesson here is, as staffoften from a different generation from many Volunteerswe must not let the grass grow under our feet. We need to be there, up-todate, and supportingeven leadingthe initiatives. 2.12. Monitoring and Evaluation There are systems in place to both monitor and evaluate the country program in its various aspects. The information gathered is used to improve the program. Questions to Think About What kinds of things are you already doing in your country operation that could be considered as monitoring systems (e.g., Volunteer reports, site visits, surveys, meetings)? List them and consider whether there are gaps or important areas are missing. Have you conducted any evaluations in your country? What was evaluated? What has been done with the information gathered in any of the monitoring or evaluations that have been undertaken? Was it analyzed and discussed? Were recommendations made? Were they plugged back into the system? How? Have you seen any results or changes? For example, was there an evaluation conducted of the last PST? What was done with it? Is there a summary? Were recommendations formulated? Who has seen them? Who is responsible for seeing whether the recommendations are followed up or that changes are made in the next PST?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post If you made a list of current operations or activities in your country that could benefit from having a better monitoring system, what would be the top three priorities? What types of monitoring activities would be appropriate? What strategies could you use to make use of the information? What activities in your country operation need a formal evaluation? Why? Who would be best placed to conduct the evaluation? Are there other agencies in-country you could turn to that have undergone or conducted evaluations? What role do performance measures play in your country plan and strategies? In your projects? Are the measures realistic? Are they measurable? Do you, in fact, measure them? Are the performance (output, outcome) measures helping you obtain useful data about your projects? Is it information that you can share with partner organizations and are you sharing it? Are the measures and information gained helping you improve the program? Are they helping you make Peace Corps accomplishments known to others? Ideas and Resources One of the Peace Corps greatest assets has been its flexibility and adaptability, allowing it to change to meet new conditions and needs. New things are being developed all the timenew training concepts, project ideas, organizational approaches, etc., and this does not happen without someone looking at the way things are working and what needs to be done to get them to work better or meet different needs. If the Peace Corps has been successful in changing or adapting some of its activities, it is because it has receivedand reacted tosome valuable ideas from people who had the experience (usually in the field) and the initiative to propose them. The way to encourage and gather good ideas from those who are best placed to provide them is to make sure we are actively monitoring and evaluating what is going on at all levels of the agency, from the Volunteer sites, to the country offices, to headquarters, to all the recruitment offices and operations in the States. Monitoring and evaluation are two different procedures, and both are necessary and important. Monitoring usually consists of input in the form of reviews or snapshots of ongoing activities or procedures, in order to learn how a program or project is functioning now. It can accomplish a number of purposes, including: Indicating whether activities are meeting interim project objectives, performance measures, or benchmarks Identifying specific accomplishments, successes, impacts, issues, and problems at a particular stage of activities Identifying conditions that have changed and adjustments or modifications in activities or course corrections that might be necessary Providing information for reporting, statistics, performance measurement, etc. 50 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Showing whether activities are in compliance with rules, regulations, policies, etc. Indicating whether we are, indeed, monitoring or measuring the right things, i.e., do our monitoring instruments need to change? Monitoring systems can be formal or informal, ranging from brief, unofficial visits, during which spot checks might be made of certain aspects of a project and anecdotal information gathered, to more formal instruments, including interim or periodic questionnaires, surveys, and reports, which concentrate on specific benchmarks or aspects of a program. In summary, monitoring is a snapshot of the ongoing situation at a particular moment. The underlying goal of monitoring is to see if things are moving properly and more or less as expected, to assist in adjustments, and to judge whether a deeper inquiry is needed to assess greater problems and the need for change. Any deeper inquiry would probably be in the form of an evaluation. Evaluations serve somewhat different purposes: They provide the tools to assess whether a program or activity has met its objectives or performance measures at the conclusion of a particular phase or time period, or as the need arises. If the program is to continue, they can tell how successful it has been thus far (compared to determined standards or measures), what problems there have been, and what changes have occurred in the conditions or circumstances of the program. They can be used to suggest changes and modifications that might be considered for the next phase of the activity or another similar program, or even a change in the type of measuring that is being conducted. If the evaluation is for the completion of the whole program or project, it can provide information for the reports and summaries of the activities and impacts, and conclusions, lessons, and recommendations to be drawn from the entire undertaking. Evaluations are usually formal, consisting of detailed questionnaires, interviews, or surveys, all relating to a list of program or project goals and objectives. They represent a more complex picture at the end that may be used to judge the success of the activity or phase and make recommendations for the future. At the country level there are many projects and initiatives that need to be assessed continually, through monitoring and evaluation, to make sure they are doing what they are intended to do, and to determine whether the conditions or ground rules have changed. These would include: Projects in which Volunteers are working. Are they meeting the countrys and communities needs? Have the needs changed? Project status reviews (PSRs) are one type of monitoring instrument, and others should be employed as well, perhaps with the participation ofor conducted bya host country agency or a neutral third party. PSTs and their different components, i.e., language, cross-culture, health, technical, etc. We are used to doing weekly or biweekly monitoring and post-PST evaluations for training, but they are not necessarily productive or objective, and many could use improvement, both in how we conduct them and what we do with the information we gather.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Volunteer support activities. Living allowance and Volunteer surveys are examples of monitoring tools. A number of Volunteer support activities need to be reviewed at different times and lessons learned plugged back into the systems in a timely manner. Small project assistance (SPA) and other independently funded community projects. There is much to be learned about the types of projects Volunteers should and perhaps should not be engaged in, the procedures for proposing, accepting, training for, and administering them, and, ultimately, the effect of these programs and projects on the Volunteers themselves and their communities. Valuable information could be gained through some timely monitoring and evaluation targeted at specific questions, systems, outputs, and outcomes. Trainee assessment in PST. This is a notoriously difficult process, which becomes apparent again and again when we find ourselves involved in early terminations (ETs) later and wonder why they happened, or didnt happen earlier. How could monitoring and evaluation instrumentsboth during and after PSThelp us build a more effective assessment system, and perhaps more relevant Volunteer support activities? Volunteer performance. This can be assessed through site visits, quarterly and annual reports, meetings with supervisors, etc. We sometimes do quite a bit in this area, but are we really learning anything, or putting what we learn to any benefit? Is there any kind of a system? Is it helping us respond to or deal with problematic Volunteer situations or helping new or inexperienced Volunteers become more effective? If not, it should. A whole country program, i.e., weve been in this country for 36 years; should we still be here? How do we judge this and what should we consider? In some of these areas, some kind of monitoring or evaluation may already have been undertaken; in others, there may have been none. What we have been doing may or may not have been telling us much. In any case, it is undoubtedly time to have some new ideas in this area, and to ask if we are doing anything useful with the information when we get it. We may obtain plenty of good information from an evaluation of a PST or a trainee assessment system, but if it isnt used to help change training in some way, or if it doesnt help us with a better decision on a trainees suitability for service, then we havent done much at all. And, if we havent engaged outside resources in our monitoring or evaluation effort, we may be getting an assessment that is far more myopic than desirable. As for the monitoring and evaluation methods, this handbook is not the place to go into detail on types, techniques, or particular instruments. There is much research in this area and there are many resources and ideas available for constructing and using monitoring and evaluation instruments. Look to other partner organizations, other Peace Corps countries, and the Peace Corps itselfthe Office of Overseas Programming and Training Support should be able to provide you assistance and examples for your program. (See also section 6.6 on performance measures.)

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 3. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT

3.1. Pride, Loyalty, and Morale at the Peace Corps Staff and Volunteers express loyalty and pride in working for the Peace Corps. Morale is good. Some factors that work to create this environment: a. The knowledge that the Peace Corps is serving the host country by helping people work to improve the quality of their own lives. The Volunteers and their accomplishments are a source of pride and the host country staff feel they are part of the effort. b. Recognition that the Peace Corps is a human organization, in which people are treated with dignity and respect. All membersstaff and Volunteers alikeare important. c. The rewards that come from cultures working together and learning from each other, giving a special quality to the Peace Corps workplace. Questions to Think About Do your staff members (senior and support staff) know the Volunteers and know what they are doing? How and where do they come to know them? How often and on what occasions do they meet and get together with Volunteers? Are nonprogramming staff members (i.e., administrative, medical, security, IT, and support staff) well acquainted with the goals and activities of the program and the Volunteers? Where do they get their knowledge of the Volunteers work and lives in the field? Could they adequately describe or present the Peace Corps program to a host country group or visiting group, a school class, or a government representative they might meet? Would they do so with a sense of pride and ownership? Do the Volunteers know the staff and what each person does? Do they know them personally? How do they come to know them? How are the qualities of dignity and respect emphasized in your program? Do you think the way people treat each other in the program is a source of pride? Are people of different cultures learning from each other in your Peace Corps program? Americans (staff and Volunteers), from host country staff? Host country staff, from Americans? How does this happen and what are the occasions on which this type of exchange and learning take place? What could you do to promote it? What about exchanges and learning between Americans? Between host country nationals? Is this happening? How and when? What are some of the manifestations of it? What could you do to promote it? Does your Peace Corps program have the esprit de corps you think it should have? If staff in your country were asked to list the things about the Peace Corps that they like or are proud of, what would they include? If you are not sure, conduct a (small) survey and see. What would Volunteers put on their lists?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources The Peace Corps and the Volunteers work to serve the host country population and to help that population improve the quality of their lives. This can be a source of great pride for everyone involved. An important thing to remember is that the local staff who work for the Peace Corps are, at the same time, host country nationals; therefore, they are both serving and being served. These local Peace Corps staff members have family or friends in the field, or, at the very least, fellow nationals who are benefiting from the work of the Volunteers. If the HCNs on the Peace Corps staff are aware of the variety of contributions Volunteers are making, this can be a tremendous source of pride to them, and a reason to appreciate and support the agency and represent it well. To have this pride, staff must, of course, be aware of what is going onwhat the Peace Corps goals and projects are, who its Volunteers are, where the Volunteers are working, and what they are doing. Sharing this information is an important part of helping host country staff feel that it is their program, tootheirs in the sense that they work for it and help it succeed, and theirs in the sense that, when it succeeds, it helps people they know and care about. If it is important that host country staff know as much about the program and the Volunteers as possible, it is equally important to have Volunteers know the staff and be aware of what they do. There are many ways to accomplish this, including some of the following ideas: Circulate program and project documents to all staff, and share IPBS, PSR/TSR, project summaries, job descriptions, site visit reports, and articles on the program or on Volunteer accomplishments with all staff. Have APCD/PMs or PAs give periodic oral briefings to all staff on their projects, Volunteers, site visits, and initiatives, perhaps at a monthly meeting or special session. Print a handbook for Volunteers that presents each staff member with a photo, some personal information, a job description, and a list of those services or needs for which the Volunteer would contact this person. Print a booklet or photo gallery with the same type of information on Volunteers to be distributed to all staff. Give nonprogramming staff the opportunity to perform project-related activities from time to time, or to research and present information on a project to other staff members or a visiting group. Give local staff lots of opportunities to meet Volunteers, including: Local staff visits to, and roles in, PSTs or ISTs (see section 7.5 for specific suggestions) Local staff visits to Volunteer sites (see section 4.13 for different ways of doing this) Social activities that include both staff and Volunteers (see 3.9) An introductory visit to the office by new trainees or Volunteers to meet staff and see where they work. 54 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Host country staff become in some sense a bridge between Americans and the local culture, and they can be an excellent and unique source of advice and support for Volunteers. This doesnt happen automaticallyit requires effort from both sides. But when it works it can be invaluable. One curious aspect of the Volunteerhost country staff relationship is how Volunteers sometimes forget that the staff are host country nationals. Coming in from a long stay in the bush, Volunteers may look upon the Peace Corps office as a place where they can have American expectations, and otherwise forget their sensitivity to the host country culture. It is interesting to see how some Volunteers greet HCN staff members in the office. Some go through the normal host country greeting forms (usually longer or, at least, different from the American); but some fall into American forms, forgetting the courtesies of the local culture, even though they are addressing host country nationals. What does this all mean? It may not come to much, until a Volunteer expects a host country staff member to have understood or done something (which wasnt understood or done) and lets fly with a very American (and locally hurtful) reaction. These situations happen and can shake up an otherwise fairly harmonious relationship, or bring to light some problems that are not being dealt with. The more contact and the more chance for exchange between Volunteers and HCN staff, the less likely an incident like this will grow out of proportion. In summary, there is a need for cross-cultural awareness between Volunteers and staff, and it is useful for the CD to remind people, from time to time, of the dignity, respect, courtesy, and sensitivity that each owes the other. 3.2. Personnel Handbooks, Job Descriptions, and Responsibilities Peace Corps staff know their responsibilities and rights, which are assembled in a readily accessible personnel manual or handbook. All personnel have written job descriptions or statements of work, with practical channels of supervision and responsibility. These are reviewed periodically, and duties and responsibilities are changed or redistributed among staff or sections, as appropriate. Questions to Think About Are any of your staff members doing things that are significantly different from their job description? When was the last time supervisors did a general review of staff job descriptions? How up-to-date are they? Have staff members themselves been asked to review them and suggest changes? Is the organizational chart up-to-date and true? Are the channels of supervision accurately represented? Are they working? Do your employees prepare objectives and timelines for their work and discuss these with supervisors? What misconceptions are there on the part of staff about personnel rules or how the system works? (There usually are some, even where the manuals are pretty clear.) Does your post have a personnel handbook for staff members? If not, what is the available source of information? Is it accessible to staff?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources All members of the Peace Corps staff, whether direct hire or personal service contractors, should have the following: A clear job description or statement of work A clear statement of the channels of supervision A personnel handbook or manual that describes the Peace Corps personnel rules, regulations, procedures, practices, and office policies All staff should know their job requirements, their rights, their responsibilities, and their avenues of recourse, as members of the Peace Corps staff. These are legal, as well as practical, necessities. The need for a clear, up-to-date, realistic, and understandable job description with appropriate and unambiguous channels of supervision should be obvious. A person must know what he or she is expected to do and to whom he or she reports. But in the crush and rush of everyday Peace Corps business, job descriptions inevitably become outdated, and Peace Corps staff members may remain effectively unsupervised or not quite sure who is supervising them. The best time to make sure all these things are complete and in place is before a new person is hired, but it is not the only time. Job situations and organizational requirements change. As discussed in detail in section 2, a manager needs to know what is going on; people need to work as a team (helping and filling in for each other); and the work must correspond to the changing needs of the organization. All of this can happen only if there are regular needs assessments and reviews of the responsibilities of each section and individual. When conditions change, jobs must change with them. Job descriptions, section organization, and channels of responsibility must be reevaluated regularly and brought up-to-date to correspond with the present needs and realities. (sections 2.2 and 3.63.8 discuss a number of specific strategies for doing this.) These changes should be written down, shared with relevant staff members (who presumably will have played a major part in reformulating them), included in revised performance appraisal plans, and attached to relevant contracts. It sounds like a lot of work, but it will be less burdensome (and far more valuable) if the staff members themselves are active participants in the whole process. One very useful tool in the above process is the timeline (also mentioned in section 2.6). This is the staff members work plan for the year (or perhaps half-year or quarter), in which each person plans out his or her duties and objectives for that time period on a grid or chart. The timeline lays out projected tasks or responsibilities, month by month, including columns for other information, such as the who, where, what, and how long of the activity. It is an excellent monitoring tool for the staff member and the supervisor, both of whom can use it to see how close the reality is to the goal. If each supervisor meets with his or her subordinate on a monthly basis to review this plan, it can sometimes become evident how much priorities might have slipped or how a focus slowly shifted away during the period. Thus, timelines can become a way of keeping the whole organization in sync, working on the most important priorities. Finally, all organizations should have a staff handbook that spells out and explains the compensation plans, benefits (leave systems, medical or insurance plans, etc.), requirements and regulations (including contract systems and disciplinary procedures), avenues of recourse (appeal

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post systems), working conditions, and so forth, of the Peace Corps office and system. All embassies have these and, since the Peace Corps system overlaps with the embassys in many cases, an embassy handbook can be a good point of departure. Thus, if you dont have a Peace Corps staff handbook or personnel handbook at your post, you can take the embassys handbook and rewrite it, keeping the relevant parts (which are sometimes exactly the same) and replacing the inapplicable parts with Peace Corps-specific regulations, policies, etc. This is not as big a job as it may sound, and the handbook itself is absolutely necessary. Get a copy of a neighboring PC post handbook as well, to see how they have approached issues and exactly what specific Peace Corps content they have seen fit to include. And have general counsel in Washington review yours, once it is done or revised. In any dispute over conditions, contracts, discipline, leave policy, or practically anything else concerning personnel, if its not written in a handbook or manual and made available to the staff member, it may be contested or have no legal basis. 3.3. Hiring of New Personnel The country director and staff have a participatory system for recruiting, selecting, and training new hires for country program staff. The system is in compliance with applicable U.S. and host country regulations and makes effective use of staff input, candidate interviews, new hire training, and the probationary period. Questions to Think About How many new staff members have you hired since you have been at post? Who managed the recruitment and selection process? Did it work smoothly or were there problems? What were the principal problems you encountered? Did you get the right people for the jobs? What did you learn from the hiring process(es) you conducted? How would you change it the next time? (Are there cultural components or lessons you would pay special attention to?) In hiring for the Peace Corps, what three qualities or characteristics would you consider the most important? How do you attract candidates with those qualities? How do you recognize these qualities during the screening and interview process? How important are (a) direct experience and (b) openness to learning for you? Which is more important? Do you check references and contact prior supervisors? Have you found them useful? Does your recruitment and hiring process ensure that outside people, as well as friends of staff, are being fairly considered? How do you deal with pressure from (a) staff and (b) influential people (government, etc.)? Do you make use of the probation period as a time to (a) improve the skills of the new person, and (b) exercise your right of letting the person go, if he or she does not meet the standards expected? Ideas and Resources Hiring for a Peace Corps country staff is a somewhat unusual kind of event. PC staffs are generally small, with somewhat limited promotion potential (depending on the position). Positions likely have heavy workloads for a customer constituency spread out all over the country, a new and different cultural environment and system for most applicants, and mixed (and somewhat Peace Corps 57

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post confusing) sets of rules (see below). Also, for many CDs and staffs, hiring doesnt happen often, so it is not something you have a chance to practice a lot and develop skills at. It is often a one- or two-time thing that has to be wedged into busy schedules when the staff is short-handed. Yet it is one of the most significant things you doas it has consequences far down the line. Here are a few guidelines and strategies to help you succeed: Hiring should be a group activity. There should be (a) an administrative or human resources person responsible for the necessary advertising, checking that applications are complete, appointments, documentation, and the clearance process through the embassy (this is normally a requirement of local compensation plans conducted through the American mission); (b) a person to lead the actual selection process (review of job description, screening, interviews, reference checks, etc. this should most likely be the supervisor for the position; and (c) a screening and interview committee, a cross-section of relevant people who will lend objectivity and expertise to the process and help with the screening, interviewing, reference-checking, and decision-making. Make sure you are following all the applicable regulations. There are rules and regulations regarding hiringthese come from Peace Corps, the host country government, and the local compensation plan agreement if you have one with the embassy or American mission. Someone on your staff must review these regulations and your process and make sure you are in compliance in all respects. Make use of HR experts on the embassy staff or at USAIDthey know a lot about this. But remember that your system may also be a little different in some respectsfor this aspect, you may also want to consult a neighboring PC program and the GC at Peace Corps headquarters. The job description should be thoroughly reviewed by those who know the position best, so all the important functions and necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) are clearly articulated and up-to-date. After screening of applications has narrowed the candidates to a manageable number (five to six), the interview becomes the key step. An interview committee or panel must be set up to ensure the best insights to understanding the fit for the position and Peace Corps. Make sure HCN staff are strongly represented on the hiring panel and that they feel free to express any misgivings or concerns about candidates and not look to a senior person to express their opinion first. This is essential. In addition, prepare the panel well, with a set of established questions and role-play scenarios, and a thorough system and post-interview discussion period for the committee to express their opinions on the candidate. Finally, take advantage of the interview to ensure that every interviewee receives a clear understanding of what the job conditions and expectations are (including the probationary period). Once you are down to the final few candidatesyou should try to have at least two real possibilities for the jobcheck references. This is a step all too easily left out, especially if the panel is very impressed with a candidate and you are in a hurry to make the hire. Dont neglect it, as it may unearth information you absolutely need. And check references that the candidate did not give you; with some digging you should be able to find these. This can be just as important.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Once a selection is made, give the person a proper orientation and training. There is nothing like no preparation to set a person up for failure. The Peace Corps has a huge learning curve for everyone (remember yours?). You owe it to the new hire and to yourselves to prepare and train the person properly and with care. The supervisor and others must make time for this. Use the probationary period. Make sure (a) That you, the supervisor, and the candidate all understand the probation terms and conditions completely. (b) That the performance requirements for the probationary period are documented carefully and understood by all parties. (c) That the persons performance during the period is then monitored and documented with frequent and proper feedback given to him or her. (d) That, if the person is not performing adequately in the job, you exercise your right under the probation terms to release him or her. (e) That you do all this correctly, in accordance with the rules and regulations (especially local ones). It bears repeating: If this is not the right person for the job, let the person go during the probationary period, when the process is easier. If the new hire is not meeting the requirements, keeping the person on longer (to improve, or just because you are too busy and dont have time to deal with it, or you need a person in the position and cant go through another hiring process) will likely be a huge mistakefor you, the staff, and whoever follows you. They will have to deal with it. Since there are usually few new hires during a typical CDs tour, you need to spend the time and attention to bring on good people. As CD, you need to be involved in this process, without micromanaging it, but ensuring that the appropriate steps are followed and the right people are contributing and making the decisions. Finally, the recruitment and selection for U.S. direct-hire positions (e.g., PTO, AO, APCD/PMs, and possibly the PCMO position, if filled by a U.S. contractor) is coordinated through PC/W, with the region and the Human Resources Office conducting the process. This is, of course, a different operation, but also one the CD can and should be involved in. Contact your CDU and familiarize yourself thoroughly with the process, the steps, and the role you play in it. This is also a choice that has consequences and your input in the decision is essential.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 3.4. Performance Appraisal System A performance-appraisal system is operating and includes everyone. It serves as an effective avenue for praise, constructive criticism, problem-solving, and work improvement. It documents and supports appropriate personnel actions, both compensatory and disciplinary, including promotion and separation. It motivates and is not perceived by participants as a hindrance, a bureaucratic boilerplate, or a waste of time. Questions to Think About Are you living with a performance problem that was bequeathed to you? Are you about to leave one behind? What could an effective performance appraisal process do to help you out of the quagmire? Is there a staff member with whom you have had problems establishing trust or a good working relationship, or with whom communications have not been as successful as they should be? Are there ways a productive performance appraisal process might help the relationship? Do all staff members in your office have current performance appraisals? If not, what is standing in the way? How can you get the process started without disrupting the flow of everyday work? Have you included work plan or career development components in your appraisal process in the past? What were the results? Are all staff members contributing to their appraisals or has it been more the job of the supervisors? What are the supervisees doing as part of the process? What sort of managing-up opportunities are there in the current performance appraisal system (i.e., what opportunities are there for staff members to give feedback to supervisors on the latters performance, management style, etc.)? Should such opportunities be built into the system? Does the appraisal process you are using need to be changed or adjusted? How? List two or three things you think would improve its functioning. Ideas and Resources Of all the management tools there are, performance appraisals are probably among the most misused or underused in any company or system. They have the potential for being a positive, constructive vehicle for work improvement and better communication; but that potential too often goes unrealized. Performance-appraisal systems suffer from a variety of ills, including the following: They often use out-of-date, bureaucratic, impractical, boilerplate job components and standards; i.e., the real work is not being noted and appraised. They are often a completely one-sided process, i.e., the supervisor is stuck with the difficult and sometimes onerous task of preparing them, while the staff member feels completely at the mercy of a system in which he or she does not participate.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post When the work of preparing appraisals is one-sided and often unpleasant, the task is continually postponed until the appraisals are done too late to be effective, or not at all, thereby compromising the supervisors credibility. Rating levels in many systems (outstanding, excellent, above average, etc.) are unrealistic, difficult to work with, or have been destroyed by rating creep, i.e., everyone whose performance is even passably acceptable expectsand getsa high, or the highest, rating. This makes it difficult to place any future rating at a lower, more realistic level. In cases where the supervisor and staff member get along, appraisals can become an automatic, and therefore not very useful, process, with lots of praise and little real substance or meaning. Conversely, if the supervisor and staff member have differences or misunderstandings, appraisals may become yet another cause for disagreement, complaint, or resentment, and not a tool for communication or work improvement, as they could and should be. If appraisals are misused over a period of time, they can seriously undermine future efforts to correct poor performance or carry out disciplinary actions. If a staff member who, for years, has received satisfactory appraisals is suddenly presented with constructive criticism, that person is going to have a difficult time accepting the process as fair, impartial, or useful. (What changed? I am still doing the work the same way. Youre against me!) The Peace Corps redesigned its performance-appraisal system some years ago, making it more uniform and practical and less burdensome on the participants. It revised the cycle and rating system and put together key performance standards for certain direct-hire positions (e.g., CD, APCD/PMs). However, for the remaining positions on the country staff (in most cases, this is the majority: the personal service contractors), you will still need to develop standards. Indeed, for all positions, there is need for a performance-appraisal system that incorporates: The development of individual goals and practical, usable performance indicators specific to the job. A self-appraisal process. A work improvement (or career development) plan. Performance appraisals can and should work; indeed, they can be a great tool for helping and motivating both supervisor and staff member. The Peace Corps materials should provide a jumping off point for your appraisals, but much will depend on how creatively you use them and the seriousness with which you approach the task. What follows is a collection of strategies and suggestions for making performance appraisals a positive force. Job components and performance standards must reflect reality. If a list of standards already exists, as in the APCD/PM appraisals, make sure it conforms to the actual duties and add those that arent included. If there is no list, then both the supervisor and the staff member should create one based on what the supervisee is actually doing. If the supervisor and staff member cant agree on the list, this is obviously the first problem to address. What should the staff member be doing?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post An effective appraisal requires the full involvement of the supervisee in the process. It asks first the staff member and then the supervisor to make a prioritized list of job components as the point of departure in the appraisal. The staff member performs a self-rating and then addresses strengths, weaknesses, areas for improvement, assistance or new skills needed for the job, and then outlines what he or she thinks ought to be done. The supervisor reviews the staff members input, then essentially repeats the process, accepting or suggesting changes in the staff members prioritized list. The whole appraisal is then discussed and finalized. The above is intended to show how both staff member and supervisor can work together on an appraisal. It is meant to remove the albatross from around the supervisors neck and the unknown threat hanging over the staff members head. There are different ways this can be approached, including incorporating some aspects of other systems, but the example and the principles it conveys should be the samethe staff member takes responsibility for a big part of the appraisal process, and the supervisor is no longer overwhelmed by it. Schedule appraisals so you and everyone else know when they need to be done, and plan time for them. If you can get the process moving on a predictable schedule, it will work better, particularly if the first step in the appraisal is not yours, but the staff members. It is important that you, the supervisor, not be the bottleneck in the process. Also, if a new staff member has a probation or trial period evaluation coming up, schedule it, plan for it, and take it seriously. If the new person is not the one for the job, or if there are problems, do not let the probation period just slip away with no action; this is the chance to take concrete steps before the situation becomes much more difficult. If inflated ratings have ruined the system, change or replace the ratings. If you cant change them, hold a meeting and clearly redefine the old system so people know what the ratings really mean. The Peace Corps has already changed the system used in the performance appraisals that have been revised. The ratings outstanding, excellent, etc., have been replaced with meets or exceeds standards and does not meet standards. This takes care of the inflated ratings problem, but it means the narrative you include as part of the appraisal becomes that much more important, as it is the opportunity for you to tell staff members where and how they can make improvements. No staff members performance is completely negative. There is always something that a person is doing well or some attribute or characteristic that can be praised and encouraged. This is the place to start. People need confidence in themselves; and if they have some self-confidence, then they can work on improving. For the problem areas, pick two or three things (not more!) to work on, concentrate on these, and make a work improvement or career development plan. No one is so perfect that there arent areas to work on. Even the best staff members have things to learn and skills to improve, and there are others who need to make a lot of improvements. Your goal in dealing with all staff members is to help them understand what the problem areas are and provide and agree on practical steps they can take to address them. Raising too many problems can be overwhelming, so focus on the two or three most important things first; others can come at a later time.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Give the staff member responsibility in the appraisal process and in the steps for improvement. Obviously, if staff members play an active role (or even lead) in identifying problems or strategies, all the better. They will feel more motivated to develop and carry through an effective improvement plan. In this respect, the Peace Corps Manuals assessment format, plus a strengths/weaknesses/needs approach, is an excellent tool that can be added to any other system. If concrete staff development or on-the-job training steps can be included in a clear work plan, there will be a tangible process to follow, which both supervisor and staff member can monitor step by step. If the staff member wants to take on more responsibilities or other tasks, this is a good forum in which to launch the process. The performance appraisal system is a year-round, ongoing process. If there are problemsor great achievementsduring the year, they should be discussed and documented. There should be interim meetings or reviews (at least one at the half-year mark, definitely more often if needed) to evaluate progress made in the work plan. These reviews will set the stage for the final appraisal and make the whole process easier, especially if there are problems that need to be addressed. Indeed, if the staff member is surprised by the input of the supervisor it only indicates that there has not been adequate communication along the way. The only good time to correct or praise a behavior is as soon as it occurs, not weeks or months later. Whatever you do, dont duck the problem and pass it on to your successor. The idea behind the performance appraisal system is to help staff members achieve satisfactory (or better) results and to get the job done. In spite of the best efforts, however, there are sometimes people and jobs that are not suited to each other. In this case, it is better for all concerned not to drag out the situation. If there is a performance deficiency, the tools are there to correct it. Consult the personnel regulations and the appropriate people you can call on for advice (e.g., embassy personnel officer, general counsel, or your neighboring CDs). Work on it, or get started on it at least, so the next CD wont be compromised by what hasnt been done. As a final point for reflection, performance appraisals can be used for feedback in the other direction as well, i.e., from supervisees to supervisor. Some agencies have adopted management-up or 360-degreeappraisal systems, whereby the opportunity is given to staff members to provide input to supervisors on a variety of subjects, including management or supervisory style and techniques, communication, organization, staff members needs, and so on. It is valuable for supervisors to know what their staff members are thinking, and it might help you and your supervisors to do your jobs better. 3.5. Staff Development Activities Staff participate in professional training activitiesa continuum of learningwithin the Peace Corps and through other organizations. Questions to Think About Is there a way for staff members to let you know what types of skills they would like to develop or what kind of training they might want to pursue? Are they doing this? Do you have an inventory of the staff training materials available in your office? Are staff members aware of them? Are they easy to use? Are staff members using them?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are there local training institutes or schools that provide useful short courses in skills your staff might like to perfect (e.g., clerical, administrative, secretarial, communications, computer, or other business skills)? If so, how could you arrange for staff to take advantage of some of them, even occasionally? Are your staff members improving their computer skills? Are they participating in the IT training modules being provided by the IT specialist? If not, what do you need to do to strengthen this process? (See section 2.11 for more questions and ideas focusing on IT skills.) Would there be a value to organizing in-house language classes for your staff? Customerservice classes? What other types of courses or workshops could you organize? Ideas and Resources One of the most motivating aspects of a job is to be learning new skills and doing new things that help you uncover your potential. These activities build confidence, make the job interesting, and might one day even lead to a better position or more pay. The Peace Corps supports a continuumof-learning approach to staff development, through which it encourages efforts at continuous learning through the duration of a persons employment with the agency. Much of the responsibility for implementing this approach lies with the country program and the individual staff member. Some new skills can be learned at work and some elsewhere. Here are a few ideas and sources for staff development: On-the-job training or cross-training. In this situation, a supervisor or colleague trains a staff member in a practical skill that the person can use on the job or in a backup capacity for another staff person. (See sections 2.6, 2.7, and, in particular, 2.8 for further discussion.) This type of training is especially useful in that it increases the capacity of the staff in practical tasks, builds cooperation, and increases interaction. Indeed, on-the-job and cross-training can and should be going on all the time. There are always new and useful things to learn, such as computer skills, administrative procedures, and program support activities. The performance-appraisal system or job/section review exercises are good opportunities to find out what kinds of skills employees would like toand shouldbe learning. Training opportunities through the Peace Corps. There are periodic workshops, conferences, meetings, and other opportunities that Peace Corps staff can take advantage of at the regional, subregional, or office level. These include programming, training, and administrative conferences, and other types of in-house or subregional activities organized around specific skills or positions. Support staff have a lot to learn from and with each other, whether at an inhouse class, retreat, or workshop on some specific subject or at a cross-border meeting organized with staff from neighboring countries (see 8.1 for more on subregional opportunities). In-house, the PCMO can give an instructive and useful session on health hazards or diseases prevalent in the country and practical prevention measures. And the IT specialist should be conducting ongoing in-service training sessions in computer skills as a regular curriculum, available to all staff (see section 2.11). Language lessons can be organized, or other classes can be offered in practical skills for business, project writing, time

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post management, prioritization, desktop publishing, training facilitation, spread sheets, etc. One post held staffwide classes built around the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. These worthwhile undertakings need not be expensive or complicatedbe creative. The resources are all there. (See section 2.8) Peace Corps training materials. A creative Peace Corps post could set up a whole collection of training and learning materials for its staff, from PC/Washington and many other sources. These can include audio and videotapes or written training materials and other books and publications placed in the resource center or even a special library section for staff. The latter could have books staff might be interested in on management and supervision, business, language, self-improvement, cross-culture, and other skills. Some materials might provide the motivation for a short class (e.g., an hour or a day spent on a specific subject). Training opportunities outside of the Peace Corps. It will depend on the country, but many posts have training courses and classes available through local schools and institutes. Staff will be willing to go out and research these; the opportunities may be surprising, ranging from speaking and writing skills and accountancy, to specific clerical, secretarial, and administrative subjects such as desktop publishing or newsletter organization. In summary, helping staff find ways of improving their skills is an area easily forgotten by busy offices. Each Peace Corps post should look at its own resources to see how much support it might be able to give staff members through learning opportunities and available materials. A small investment in some publications or other materials and occasional support for a short class or workshop can bring great returns in terms of motivation and enthusiasm on the part of staff. One further best practice: Make sure all staff members who attend a class or a development program or visit another Peace Corps post make a presentation to all interested staff members about what they learned and what value this might bring to the post or its staff. 3.6. Awards Quality performance is recognized with periodic awards, certificates, and other supportive activities. Initiative and suggestions for improvement are actively encouraged. Questions to Think About Do you think quality performance, initiative, and suggestions are being sufficiently encouraged and recognized at your post? What are you doing specifically to promote and reward initiative and suggestions? Is there a mission (embassy) awards program at your post in which the Peace Corps participates? Is it enough? Are there any problems with it, as far as the Peace Corps is concerned? Are you also doing something similar? What recognition or award programs do you see being used by other organizations around you, or by Volunteers in their workshops or programs? Could any of these be adapted for use by the Peace Corps?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources There are few people who arent encouraged by a little well-placed recognition and praise. While we are always urged to support the Volunteers in this way, we can be giving the same support to staff, as well. Here are a few ways of doing it: Cash awards. These are obviously attractive, both for the recognition and the financial reward. Embassies have annual or biannual cash award programs, and the Peace Corps can participate. This is a good thing, as long as it doesnt become an expectation on the part of staff, thereby losing its special nature. Also, the embassy or other agencies may have a lot more funds available for this, but that shouldnt stop the Peace Corps from participating, even at its own moderate level. Staff understand Peace Corps limitations and will still appreciate the effort and the gesture. Other types of awards. There is room for lots of creativity in dreaming up awards. They can range from a reserved place at the office lunch table to the staff members picture on the wall in a special place, to a site visit (as a prize), to something material like a book, a free lunch at a restaurant, orwho knows? The possibilities are endless. See what some other posts or organizations are doing. Certificates, given at a special presentation. These are good for acknowledging special achievements, valuable suggestions, or particular services performed over a period of time. There may not be a cash or other award, but the recognition itself can be significant if done right. A framed certificate hanging on the wall is a great permanent reminder. A letter of commendation is another form of acknowledgment that can be particularly prized by staff. Recognition or praise in a staff meeting or other public forum, or in a memo or newsletter. This is always appropriate, when earned. If someone works hard (on a conference, taking care of a Volunteer in trouble, solving an office problem or emergency, or starting up a new initiative), public mention or acknowledgment can be a great motivator. Management books are full of these and other suggestions for acknowledging good work and they are well worth researching. While rewarding a job well done tends to be easily forgotten in the demands of daily work, it is always appropriate to revive the practice. (See sections 2.2 and 2.3 for ideas on promoting suggestions and new initiatives in the office.) 3.7. Interviews With Staff The country director has periodic one-on-one interviews with each staff member, and other supervisors do the same. The country director and senior staff know staff members career development goals and discuss opportunities with them. Questions to Think About Do you (and your senior staff) have a sense of who your staff members are as individuals? Where theyre from? What they do outside of office hours? Their goals? Does your staff know you as an individual? What you did before coming to post? What you do outside the office? 66 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post When was the last time you had a lengthy, one-on-one, personal conversation with each of your staff members? How often do you have the chance to do this? Is it enough? Ideas and Resources This is a simple concept. One of the best ways to get to know and encourage communications with staff members is to have one-on-one conversations or interviews with them. You can use these exchanges to achieve the following: Present yourself as both a Peace Corps staff member and a human being. Tell the person about yourself, your experiences, your ideas, and some of your plans for the post. If you were a Volunteer, or did something similar, tell him or her about it. This will be quality time for the staff member with the director, and your staff member will appreciate it. Get to know the individual both as a staff member and as a person. Find out about his or her background, history, experiences, and personal interests. Ask about career goals and plans, what the person likes to do and would like to learn, and what steps he or she would like to take next. Find out how the job is going, where its going, and what could be done, in the staff members opinion, to improve it. Get across any particular messages you may have on issues such as an open-door policy, personal philosophy, sexual harassment policy, and ideas for the workplace. This is a good, relaxed forum for this kind of discussion, and you have the persons full attention. The ideal time to have these interviews is early on, when either you or the staff member is still new. Having the initial conversation sets the stage and makes it easier to have others. It is a good idea to have these one-on-one exchanges with staff from time to time, maybe once a year, or when you feel the need. It can help you keep your finger on the pulse of the office and re-establish a relationship with staff that may have slipped in the press of everyday business. And if its good for you to do, its even better for your senior staff to do with their own section staff members. 3.8. Diversity The country director and staff acknowledge country-specific cultural, ethnic, diversity, and other issues that may affect personnel, the office, or the program. They work to balance these factors and make them positive forces in day-to-day Peace Corps life. (Note: This section deals principally with diversity within the staff. See section 4.19 for the treatment of diversity as it relates to Volunteers, and to the staffs interaction with and role in supporting Volunteers.) Questions to Think About How are host country regional, ethnic, or religious groupings represented on your staff? Are these important issues in your country? Do you need to worry about representation and balance in these areas? Is diversity reflected by gender or other groupings? Peace Corps 67

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Do host country nationals participate in senior staff positions and issues? Has your staff had any past experiences with internal diversity-related issues? Why and how were they important? How were they resolved? Do you see any diversity issues facing your staff right now? Are your staff members (American and HCN) comfortable with the diversity among themselves? Do you think they are providing a positive role model for Volunteers in this area? Do you have materials you can use in staff development sessions or staff retreats to help them understand strategies for benefiting from diversity? Are you encountering any political issues that affect such things as project selection, Volunteer assignment, etc.? Ideas and Resources Diversity can still be an unclear concept for many Americans, who may not be quite sure what it means and what they could or should be doing about it. For the host country nationals, diversity from a staffing point of view may also be unclear, though they may have a great deal of experience with diversity issues from other perspectives. The Peace Corps is committed to making diversity a positive influence in our programs and lives. For this to happen, diversity must be considered and understood by our staffs, both American and HCN. Some of the major diversity-related issues that arise among overseas staff include the following: American staff dominate and HCN staff let them. This does not happen everywhere, but it happens enough, particularly where host country staff, out of natural respect and deference to their guests (and supervisors), do not wish to contradict or confront them. In addition, American culture may seem more task-oriented than some others and Americans may easily forge ahead with things where others might pause or wait for a number of reasons. The result is that sometimes American staff hijack the controls (perhaps without even realizing it) and local staff assume a subordinate position that denies them the ability to be the type of participant in the process the Peace Corps would like them to be. Host country ethnic divisions or tensions affect the staffs ability to function as a team. This can take a variety of forms. One ethnic (or religious, regional, political, gender, etc.) group may dominate, to the detriment or exclusion of another or others. Or there may be an external struggle going on between groupsa struggle that is reflected in their relations with each other in the office. This can be a particular problem if the Peace Corps (including Volunteers) seems to side with or favor (or disfavor) one host country group in some way. This phenomenon is known as clientism in foreign aid circles (where expatriate aid workers ally themselves with the group they are working with, against others in the country) and it happens to the detriment of everyones relations. A lack of understanding of host country diversity issues by American staff or conversely, a lack of understanding of American diversity issues by HCN staff. In either case, this can disrupt communications and team-building among staff and cause painful or embarrassing tensions and conflicts. And it can compromise the staffs ability to support the Volunteers in the field.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Solutions to the above problems lie, first of all, in recognizing what is happening, i.e., figuring out and acknowledging if there is a dominant group, a misunderstanding, a lack of representation, or exclusion. These are not easy things to admit, but it is the way lessons are learned and progress is made. A second step is to recognize diversity for the positive force it can be in any organization or groupthe chance for people of different backgrounds, ideas, and orientations to bring their thoughts to the whole and help educate and broaden each other. There are many strategies for doing this, of which a number are presented in section 4.19 on Volunteers and diversity, and others in section 2.2 on communications and team-building. They range from workshops and retreats to educational materials that can be made available to staff. Since the very essence of the Peace Corps is peace and mutual understanding, this is a critical issue for us all to be aware of and work on. 3.9. Social Interaction Among Staff The country director and staff facilitate opportunities for social interaction among staff and between staff and Volunteers. Questions to Think About Are there regular social occasions at which staff members get together? Are such occasions occurring infrequently due to the demands of day-to-day work? Is it time for another one? Are there some common interests (e.g., aerobics, a sports team) around which you might organize some staff activities? Ideas and Resources Management styles differ, and there can be no single formula for how social activities should be carried out. The Peace Corps does not have a budget for this type of team-building activity, but there is general agreement that occasional social activities help bring staff together, improve communications, cut across cultural lines, reduce tensions, and renew peoples willingness to understand, help, and support each other. Different social strategies include: An occasional TGIF at the office, or a get-together near the end of the day, where you close the office doors and celebrate some event (e.g., end of IPBS, end of training, someones arrival or departure). These need not be expensive or lengthy occasions, just some chipped-in drinks and snacks, music, and a chance to relax and enjoy each other with no office pressures. Inclusion of staff in some of the representational activities that take place, such as the opening or closing ceremonies for PSTs, ISTs, and conferences. These events are already taking place, and its a good opportunity to make staff more a part of things and to meet with them socially. Lunches, dinners, potlucks, picnics, etc. These can be held at someones house, or at a park or restaurant. This kind of activity does involve some cost, but there are clearly ways of doing it economically and making it inclusive. In many cultures, HCNs are used to doing this and have inexpensive strategies for making it happen. See what some of their ideas are.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post A place to have lunch together in the Peace Corps office. This is a good way for staff to mix informally on a regular basis and get to know each other better. A so-called sunshine fund, which provides cakes (or more healthful items) for birthdays or other occasions. Its a definite plus to take 10 or 15 minutes off to get together, have a slice of something and a drink, sign a card and wish happy birthday (wedding, new baby) to a fellow staff member. Again, many HCN staff are used to doing this and may have ideas for you. Staff sports activities. Coordinate the lunchtime walkers, the Peace Corps soccer or volleyball team, or the Wednesday afternoon aerobics or exercise class. 4. VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

4.1. Respect for the Volunteer The Volunteer is respected in the Peace Corps country program. It is recognized in the program and among staff that the Volunteer is the Peace Corps most important resource. Questions to Think About How are Volunteers generally viewed and treated by your staff? If staff members were asked to describe the differences between themselves and Volunteers, what do you think they would say? What are some indications that Volunteers are respected by the staff? What are indications that they are not being respected by staff? What can you as CD do to turn this around? Some questions each staff member should consider and be able to address: What important things do Volunteers do for your country? What important things do you do for Volunteers? How are they important? How do you feel when you look up and see a Volunteer, unannounced, at your office door? Do Volunteers have to wait to see you, even if they have made an appointment? What specific things can you do to make a Volunteer comfortable? Are there any Volunteers with whom communications have broken down? Why? What will it take to repair this? Are there any Volunteers who are being neglected or disdained because of the actions or reputations of others, i.e., judged guilty by association?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources If staff members respect Volunteers and acknowledge their potential contribution, Volunteers will respond and a level of trust will develop. The training of every new staff member, including every staff in-service training or retreat, should probably begin with the idea that we are here because of the Volunteers; if they werent here, we would not have a job. In situations where respect is lacking, one of the most common complaints from Volunteers is that staff treat us like children. This perception often starts in PST, where the environment is usually more controlled than new trainees are used to. If this attitude starts in PST, it can become a fixture in the staffVolunteer relationship. It is a good idea in PST to stop the cycle before it starts. How can respect for Volunteers be shown? By treating Volunteers hospitably when you see them, and demonstrating that you are glad to see them By being interested in them, listening to them, and asking questions about their work and life By striving to look upon them as individuals, with different (and valid) experiences By thanking Volunteers and recognizing them for their work both directly and through memos or in the newsletter By being aware of their individual areas of interest or expertise and accomplishments By seeking out Volunteers opinions or input on important issues, and giving them responsibilities on committees, in training, and in other areas (See sections 4.7, 4.9, and 4.12 for ways to achieve this.) 4.2. Jobs Volunteers have meaningful jobs that respond to priority community needs at their sites. Questions to Think About (This is a good series of questions to go through in considering every Volunteers job situation.) Is there a real job for the Volunteer, or is he or she going to have to create one? Are there a written memorandum of understanding and a job description to turn to in case of problems or disagreements? If so, does everyone interpret them the same way? What is the host organization like? Is it well established or struggling? Does it have a clear role, set of goals, and purpose? Is it political? Does it have sufficient resources to function or is a lack of resources hindering it? Did it request a Volunteer in hopes of gaining access to further material support? How does this affect the way it deals with the Volunteer? Does it have any serious internal personnel problems?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Is there a clearly identified supervisor? What is that person like? Does the supervisor seem interested in the Volunteer and willing to use him or her productively? Does the supervisor have skills for the position? Is he or she regularly presentand if not, is it clear what his or her role is? And who is effectively supervising? Do the supervisor and the Volunteer have a constructive relationship? Do you see a problem between the supervisor and the Volunteer? (Some supervisors dont really know how to use a Volunteer; others may even feel threatened by the presence of a foreigner.) What can the Volunteer do in such a circumstance? What can you do to help? Has a counterpart been identified? (Is the Volunteer expected to select his or her own counterpart(s)?) Are the parameters for the counterpart selection clear and understood by the organization or community? Do the Volunteer and counterpart seem well matched and interested in working together? If there is a problem, how can you advise the Volunteer to improve the relationship and the environment? Has the site been sufficiently visited? Prepared? Do the local partners and community understand what the Peace Corps is and what the Volunteers role and limitations are? Is it clear how the partner organization will support the Volunteer? Is it clear whether the Volunteer can use the partner organization as a platform, e.g., for community or secondary projects? Have you clarified material support issues such as transport, work space, and work materials? Are there unresolved issues regarding the job itself or other support issues that the Volunteer will have to work out? Is it realistic to expect the Volunteer to do this? Is the Volunteer prepared for this? Ideas and Resources Common problems in a job situation that can compromise a Volunteers chances for a satisfying and successful work experience: Unclear or undefined tasks and objectives on the job A position that is not clearly established in the organizations structure An unsupportive, frequently absent, disinterested, unmotivated, or disorganized supervisor or counterpart, or no supervisor or counterpart at all An ill-defined, poorly established organization (e.g., one that is struggling for recognition, definition, mission, or structure, or is experiencing internal personnel problems) Insufficient resources, i.e., inadequate facilities, supplies, or transport to do the work In the Peace Corps, we expect to experience some of these problems (that is, after all, why the Volunteer is there), but, obviously, the fewer there are, the better the Volunteers chances for satisfaction and success.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Staff can help prepare the way for Volunteers in several ways: Negotiations with the partner agency. Require as clear a description of the job and other conditions as possible. Issues that are not resolved before the Volunteer arrives have a way of worsening once the Volunteer is there. Some of the more important issues to resolve in advance are: Who the Volunteers supervisor is and how much supervision he or she will actually provide. Who the Volunteers counterparts will be and the likelihood of this being a successful relationship. Where, specifically, the Volunteer will work. How the Volunteer will get around. If transport is needed, is it there, does it work, and will it adequately support the Volunteers work? Site identification and selection. The management skills of the supervisor or counterpart are one important factor in selecting a site. A supervisor with good management skills (or the openness and interest to learn and improve such skills) will make much better use of a Volunteer. A weak or frequently absent supervisor or counterpart, a chaotic organization, no clear place for the Volunteer to fit into the structure, and counterparts or supervisors with inappropriate or strongly personal agendas are all warning signs of potential problems. Site preparation. Site preparation and development is a critical process; one of the best sources for how to do it well is the Programming and Training (P&T) Guidance developed by the Peace Corps Office of Overseas Programming and Training Support (OPATSsee section 6.1 for a description of this Guidance and further information). Important components of site preparation and development include a Memorandum of Understanding and/or Community Agreement, clear job description, thorough preparation of the partner organization and community, and research and preparation of housing and community conditions, among others. This is, again, a process that should be well planned and understood by all. One technique worth special mention is a workshop for supervisors and counterparts that brings together the trainees and their new supervisors and counterparts for a day or two. This can be immensely useful and can go a long way toward shaping partners and Volunteers expectations of each other, sensitizing each to the other, defining work conditions, addressing potential problems before they happen, and forging links between the Peace Corps and the partner. Such a workshop can be conducted during PST and should be supplemented (preceded and followed) by staff visits to the site to prepare the site and people for the presence of a Volunteer. Trainee site visit. A new trainee who visits his or her future site during training can become an active player in determining site conditions. APCD/PMs and training staff can set the stage for this to happen by establishing specific objectives for the visit. Things like housing, transport, shopping, office and workplace, reporting structure, emergency planning, health conditions, support structures, and job definition can all be dealt with constructively during the trainees visit. Issues uncovered during a site visit can be further worked on at a supervisors workshop, and issues arising at a supervisors workshop can be followed up during a subsequent site visit.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Other Volunteers. Some of the most effective preparations, including liaison with partners, site selection, site preparation, job definition, etc., can be performed by a Volunteer Leader or other Volunteers in the same project. They know the job in the field and they know a great deal about potential problems. In more than one country, interested Volunteers have formed a committee that has played a major role in investigating and recommending (or ranking) potential new sites for the APCD/PMs. Some countries make arrangements to have direct contact with the new trainees before the trainees arrival in-country. Through their efforts they have helped inform new trainees expectations of the conditions they will be encountering. Trainee and Volunteer preparation. Such preparation begins with information packets and communications from country (and from Volunteers) before departure, and it continues through relevant and effective technical and other pre-service training, and practical and productive ISTs, with critical input and participation from Volunteers and partner organizations. For the information packets, participation by Volunteers or a Volunteer committee in the development and updating of the country description, Volunteer living conditions, clothing recommendations, etc., is invaluable and can take a big load off staff, who may not know some of these things as well, anyway. Technology has also made direct contact between Volunteers in the field and prospective trainees very easy and given the trainees a relevant place to go with their questions and concerns (see sections 6.14 and 7.3 for further discussion of information going to new trainees and of Volunteer and host country participation in training). Another key aspect of trainee and Volunteer preparation is the development of realistic expectations on the part of Volunteers: the understanding that the Peace Corps is about Volunteers meeting challenging conditions and using creativity and self-reliance to manage themand as realistic a view as possible of what sites and support mechanisms will be like. They must fully understand that, while the Peace Corps is there to help them, that help will necessarily be limited and they must be ready to help themselves. For this, a whole series of expectations and skills must be an essential part of PST. See section 4.8 (Volunteer Support and Volunteer Self-Reliance) and Chapter 7 (Training) for further discussions of this element). 4.3. Allowances, Housing, and Other Basic Administrative Support Volunteers allowances and housing meet their basic needs. Questions to Think About When was the last living allowance survey performed? Did you have any problems with it? Did you have trouble getting Volunteers to respond? How long did the whole process take, from the time surveys were sent out to the actual change in the allowance? Do you think the survey accurately reflected actual expenses? Did Volunteers, the VAC, or Volunteer Leader(s) help coordinate the effort? How do you (and Volunteers) feel about the whole process? Did you authorize a 10 percent increase while you were waiting for PC/W to respond to your request? How do you know when you need a survey? Do your Volunteers share houses, live in their own houses, live in family compounds, share houses with families? What is your programs philosophy for Volunteer housing? Is it realistic? What are the problems? Have you consulted with neighboring PC programs to see how their housing philosophy has developed or changed? Is it time for you to consider a new approach?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post What is the Peace Corps role in arranging or providing housing for the Volunteers? What is the host country or partner agencys role? What is the Volunteers role? Are these responsibilities clearly laid out or are they evolving? Is the system generally working or are you having recurring problems? If there is a breakdown or weak link, what is it? Is there a system for Volunteer travel per diem reimbursement in your country? Do you know it well enough to describe how it works? Are reimbursements a sore spot with Volunteers? With your administrative unit? What are the areas of dissatisfaction? Reimbursement philosophies range from making it easy and quick for both Volunteers and administrative units, to making it difficult and bureaucratic for all concerned. Where does your country fall on the continuum? Are the paperwork and time requirements for reimbursement really necessary? Are you making it more difficult than it needs to be? How do Volunteers and your administrative staff feel about the whole process? Have you asked for input on how to make it flow more easily? Have you tried travel and per diem advances as a technique for cutting down on paperwork (e.g., a fixed travel/per diem advance for Volunteers, sent out with living allowances, to cover their official or program-related travel for a given time period)? Have the majority of Volunteers been made to suffer an onerous and unfriendly process because a few have been known to get away with things? How many are the few? Is it time for a committee to review the system and make recommendations? What have other countries done about this same problem? Ideas and Resources Allowances and housing issues dont have to be problematic, but Peace Corps posts get themselves into trouble when: They dont address the problem of an inadequate living allowance level. It is a pain to organize a living allowance survey, but its a necessary evil, required annually by Peace Corps policy. Volunteers (or Volunteer committees) can help by compiling lists of basic needs and developing average prices for comparisonwhich can be distributed along with the survey formsbut staff must organize and carry out the survey effort, perform the comparative surveys, analyze the results, get them to PC/W and, in the meantime, raise the allowance to the authorized 10 percent, if appropriate. Living allowance adjustment is one of the highest of priorities. Surveys need to be scheduled every year, or more often if necessary, and they must be conducted systematically and faithfully. The in-country authorization for up to a 10 percent increase should be used when needed. Note that, for increases of up to 10 percent, there is not a required percentage of Volunteers who must respond to the surveyyou can set a reasonable percentage based on given country conditions. For any increase greater than 10 percent however, 75 percent of the Volunteers must participate in the survey. Also, for any increase at all, it is critical that the post work with the regions chief administrative officer (CAO). The post budget mark would not normally include an increase and any exception, whether above or below 10 percent, must be coordinated and negotiated with the region.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post They make reimbursements a struggle for Volunteers. The idea behind reimbursements is to give back to Volunteers money spent on things that contribute to their service (tutoring, security-related upgrades, travel and per diem for workshops, reimbursements for theft, etc.). The money is theirs and they should get it. If they dont get it, they run short. If they run short, it hurts their effectiveness. It also frustrates them and makes them unhappy over what should have been a minor issue. This can be avoided by making reimbursements easy, timely, and clear, and by not nickel-and-diming Volunteers. A number of posts have largely disposed of this problem by including an established pre-set amount in the Volunteer disbursement for service items or costsso that staff and Volunteers dont have to hassle with the load of small reimbursements. Housing these days is more of a security concern than ever, and it is also in critically short supply in many countries. The answer to housing problems ultimately lies with the partner organization or the community. Some posts feel that if the community or organization wants a Volunteer badly enough, they will arrange the housing. One way or another, the partner or community should be involved in finding and preparing the housing. Different options for the partner or community level of involvement include: Having the partner agency provide and pay for housing. (Details should be stated clearly in the agreement or memorandum of understanding.) Having the partner agency provide housing and pay for a part of it with the Peace Corps covering the rest. Having the local community provide, improve, or, at minimum, locate housing. Both the Peace Corps staff and Volunteer must be involved in this effort for it to become a workable, continuing, and dependable process. In Peace Corps site preparation visits and the trainee site visit, housing must be a priority issue. Strategies for helping to ensure Volunteer site safety include: Providing accommodations with families or in family compounds. Raising awareness in the community on Volunteer safety measures and issues (PC staff and local counterparts, together with the Volunteer, can do this). Meeting with community authorities (including law enforcement and district administrator) to focus attention on the Volunteers safety and the communitys responsibility for providing for it. Such a meeting helps formalize the issue and elevate it in importance. The Volunteer can also follow up and ensure the continued interest and awareness of these authorities by visiting them periodically and maintaining an open communication and relationship with them. This is a responsibility and technique that Volunteers should be made aware of and understand the importance of.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Urging Volunteers to take the necessary steps to make the house safe and secure (burglar bars, strong door, etc.whatever is needed). The Peace Corps should have a policy that supports Volunteers in this effort through expedited reimbursementsthis is a question of safety, after all. Under no circumstances should Volunteers be neglecting safety measures because they cannot afford them. Also see section 4.10 for important strategies of turning a house into a home. 4.4. Health Care and Safety Needs and Emergencies The Peace Corps is providing for Peace Corps Volunteers basic health care and safety needs and will take care of them in a medical, safety/security, or other emergency. Questions to Think About Are medical officers (PCMO, APCMO) and the safety and security coordinator (SSC) full members of the regular senior staff? Do they sit in on senior staff meetings? Do they participate in the formulation of policies and procedures, especially those that affect the health and welfare of Volunteers? Do they make site visits? Who is the PCMOs main support person? Who is the PCMOs backup when he or she travels or is out? Who supports and backs up the SSC? Are these backup systems working, or are there gaps when they are gone? Do you meet regularly with the PCMO (and APCMO)? Do you talk with him or her about general conditions and ways to support Volunteers, their own working conditions, their views on the Peace Corps, and not just emergencies or crises? Do you have a relationship of confidence with the PCMO? Can the PCMO trust and depend on you? Do you meet regularly with the SSC? Do you know and talk regularly with the SSC about the safety issues that are most preoccupying Volunteers? Do you regularly brainstorm ways of building and maintaining safety protection and maintenance skills among Volunteers? Are there any areas of concern that just keep coming back again and again? Are the Volunteers coming to the PCMO for treatment, assistance, and advice, or is there some breakdown in the system? If there is, what has caused it and what can you do about it? Are they coming to the SSC about safety concerns? What is the Volunteers general confidence level in the health support system in your country (both PCs and the countrys)? In the medical emergency support system? In the safety support system? How do you know? Do you deal with these areas sufficiently in PST and in subsequent ISTs, as necessary? If the PCMO or SSC is having problems, does he or she (and do you) know where to go for guidance or assistance? If it is a performance problem, do you know what to do? Are the PCMO and SSC routinely involved in site selection and the preparation process? How? Is it an established and collaborative process?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources Lack of confidence in the Peace Corps ability or desire to handle medical, safety/security, or other emergencies, or in the Peace Corps health care system or the medical and security staff themselves, is probably the most unsettling feeling a Volunteer can encounter. In order to function, Volunteers must feel that if they are sick, injured, or in danger, competent people will come to their assistance, and if they have a medical, family, or other emergency, the Peace Corps will react quickly to keep them informed and get them out, if necessary. In such situations, the PCMO and SSC are major resources for help and support for the Volunteer. For this reason, if for no other, PCMOs and SSCs must be visible in PST, on the Peace Corps staff, and in the policy-making process, and must be supported by other staff in their efforts to communicate with Volunteers. In addition, staff must address the question of what to do in emergencies and share plans, recommendations, and directives with Volunteers. (See sections 10 and 11 for detailed discussion of both health and safety/security emergencies and systems.) A linchpin of much of this system is the country directorPCMO relationship. These two players must not only get along, but have genuine confidence in, and respect for, each other and communicate frequently. They must talk about sensitive issues and, at the same time, respect the limits of what they talk about and what they can or cannot share with each other and others. The care and feeding of the PCMO is critical. PCMOs must bear a great deal of emotional and other stress, as they are called upon continually to support everyone around them. But who supports the PCMOs? The answer is most often the country director. The CDPCMO relationship is no place for a power struggle. It is harmful to both (and everyone else around) to vie over who knows what or who knows more. The PCMO will always know things about Volunteers that the CD will not know and that is as it should be. Your role is to provide support to the PCMO and inspire the confidence that will help him or her deal with pressures and guide Volunteers through the difficult issues they choose to share. What are you doing to support the PCMO? Start with a weekly or biweekly meeting, one on one, just to talk about whats going on. If there are problems in your relationship, or communications are tenuous or irregular between the two of you, this should be a high priority for you to work on. Another key person in the emergency system is the safety and security coordinator (SSC). Much of what has been said above should apply also to the SSC. The CD and SSC should have a similar close understanding and relationship, and the SSC should be a visible and active participant in all the same PST, senior staff, policy-making, and other activities and venues. In addition, do not forget the importance of the administrative officer and admin section. None of the actions or responses in an emergency, medical or otherwise, can be carried out without the full and quick response of the admin section. They are the ones who facilitate air tickets, vehicle transport, medevacs, lodging and other costs, etc. They must be full members of the emergency team, in both the preparation and implementation phases. A final, but important, element in the formula for Volunteer confidence is how Volunteers expectations are formed. As discussed elsewhere (in 4.8 and in sections 10 and 11 on the post health and safety/security programs), there are things the CD, PCMO, SSC, and others should do for the 78 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Volunteer in these areas and things Volunteers should be expected to do for themselves. Volunteers expectations of the health care and emergency safety net should be based on fact and reality, not invention or assumption, and should be spelled out early by the CD, PCMO, SSC, and AO in preservice training, and reinforced by veteran Volunteers assisting in training. There is no room for ambiguity in these sensitive and vulnerable areas; Volunteers must know what they can and cannot expect the Peace Corps to do for them and what they must expect to do for themselves. 4.5. The Country Director and Senior Staff as Role Models The country director and senior staff set the tone and act as role models for both Volunteer support and appropriate Volunteer behavior. They do this primarily by applying the principles of effective communication, respect, honesty, and a clear commitment to the Peace Corps goals in the country. Questions to Think About Are you generally comfortable with your and your staffs behavior and performance as role models for Volunteers? Are there areas where you are not so confident? What are the problems and what needs to be done about them? Are there some Volunteers who are made to feel more welcome than others? Why is this? How is it reflected in staff behavior? Do you think the Volunteers themselves can see it? What effect do you suppose it has on them? Are staff treating Volunteers the way they themselves expect to be treated? And does Volunteers treatment of staff reflect the way the Volunteers themselves have been treated? Are you currently enforcing rules or regulations that you or the staff do not understand, respect, or agree on? What immediate steps can and should you take to address this? Do you have moreor more complexrules or regulations than you need? How could you reduce or simplify them? Ideas and Resources a. The CD and senior staff as role models for Volunteer support: No one can demonstrate the concept of Volunteer support better than those who have formal responsibility for it, i.e., the country director and senior staff. If you do it well, everyone else will learn that it is important and required, and they will have your specific actions to use as a guide. This means communicating with Volunteers, spending time with them, knowing them and knowing about them, respecting them, being honest with them, believing in them, giving them responsibilities, having confidence that they can do the job and make decisions, being comfortable with them, and liking them as a group.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The reverse is, of course, that if you do not demonstrate support for or confidence in Volunteers, those around you will also learn from that example. Nothing can undermine Volunteer support as a value more than seeing (or hearing about) a country director or senior staff member criticizing or making sarcastic or disrespectful remarks about a Volunteer, or clearly showing, through body language or other behavior, that certain Volunteers are not welcome, not liked, or not as good as others. Incidents, even blowups, happen. People lose patience and say things they regret, they get into disagreements and even shout. Just remember that when this happens, word travels like wildfire. In your small society, a Volunteer who bears the brunt of what he or she considers to be an injustice will go out and vent to other Volunteers. It is unavoidable, but it doesnt need to be the end of the world. People make mistakes; Volunteers do, and so do staff. If an incident occurs, it needs to be cleared up through open exchanges, and appropriate apologies need to be made. Sometimes an apology can forge a relationship where there was none before. Mistakes, both others and your own, should be forgiven and learned from. b. CD and senior staff as role models for appropriate Volunteer behavior The Volunteers are out there 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Peace Corps staff dont see them very often and cant control their behavior. Volunteers will figure out how they should behave based on what they see around them, what makes sense to them, and what the Peace Corps rules say (if theyve read and understood them). The most effective ways to influence Volunteers standards for how to conduct themselves: Set an example. Deal with Volunteers the way you want them to deal with you. If you want them to talk to you, talk to them. If you want them to be honest with you, be honest with them. If you want them to be interested in and respect the culture, make sure you and the staff are doing somake it a value in the office, in the newsletter, on the bulletin board, and in PST and ISTs. Help them understand why standards, rules, patterns, norms, etc., are what they are. Start in PST, with reviews and ongoing discussions in ISTs. Staff must understand and respect these standards, rules, etc., too, and if they dont, that should be your starting place. Make sure your post has an updated country Volunteer handbook (in addition to the agency Volunteer handbook) that includes clearly stated rules for Volunteer behavior. If leave regulations require certain steps or procedures, Volunteers need to understand what they are, why they are the way they are, and what happens when they arent followed. If Volunteers want certain amenities or a certain level of lifestyle (a car, hanging out with the expats), they need help in understanding why they are there and how their work or objectives could be affected by this approach. If certain things are forbidden (drugs, motorcycles, travel to a certain place), they need to understand the consequences in the country or the history that has led up to the policy. In any case, the rule or norm has a much greater chance of success if it is made transparent and understood by both the Volunteer and staff, and if it is placed in a context and dealt with as something that makes sense, i.e., is reasonable, given the circumstances. Ultimately, the issue of appropriate behavior is a question of understanding, respect, and cooperation, not power. Power doesnt reach everyone all the time, and some people arent affected by it at all. In addition, there is no place for arbitrariness; adaptation to the circumstances (or 80 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post wiggle room) may sometimes be a wise thing, but arbitrariness is not. Whatever you do, however you apply a rule or principle, you must be able to defend it and apply it equally and reasonably to the next person who comes along. 4.6. Staff Communication With Volunteers The country director and staff communicate regularly and openly with Volunteers through a variety of means. They convey useful technical and program information and policies, and give encouragement, constructive suggestions, and admonitions, as appropriate. They also actively seek input from the Volunteers. Questions to Think About How many of the Volunteers in your country would you say you know personally? What could you do to get to know more of them? Do enough Volunteers stop in to see you? What could you do to get more of them to do so? What percentage of your time do you spend on site visits? Are staff members sending emails, text messages, or writing letters (even short ones) to Volunteers? Are you? Are they talking with them on cellphones? Are you? Is your newsletter interesting? Do you think Volunteers read it? Are they involved in producing it? How could you change it to give it some zest and pique Volunteers interest? Do you spend time circulating at ISTs or Volunteer conferences? Do you and your staff do things with Volunteers? Ideas and Resources Staff can use a variety of ways to communicate with Volunteers, including: Site visits, both formal and informal Columns or articles in the newsletter Sector or project newsletters (e.g., Environment, Education, PCMO, Security, Volunteer Leaders, etc.) Frequent or regular memos, blast emails, or letters to Volunteers as a group Emails, text messages, phone calls, or letters to individuals, especially in response to a communication from the Volunteer, to follow up on a site visit, or just out of the blue (even a short one countsits the attention and thought that are important) Talks and meetings, and time spent hanging out at ISTs

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Social get-togethers after hours, by invitation or impromptu, or inviting Volunteers to lunch when you see them Taking advantage of Volunteer presence in the office to sit and talk (not necessarily in your officego make a round of the lounges and see whos there) Extending a word of thanks, in any form (Volunteers can never receive too many of these) Volunteers never get enough mail, and probably never have enough time with staff. Everyone knows you have a lot to do, so any effort you make will be appreciated. This communication is important. It gets business-related information from you to the Volunteers, it is evidence that you are making an effort to support Volunteers, and it shows your human side. It is your chance to share your thoughts and philosophy, make certain policies or issues clear, give a heads-up on problems, or even just talk about your vacation or your own personal experiences or impressions in the country. Mostly, it is your chance to set an example for Volunteers to follow. As one CD put it: Create opportunities to have small, great conversations with Volunteers, find out and talk over what they think, what their expectations are. Let them find out who you are. 4.7. Volunteer Communication With Staff Volunteers communicate openly with staff. They discuss life and work conditions and issues, and present problems, along with ideas for solutions. They offer new initiatives that affect matters ranging from their own jobs and living conditions to the functioning of the entire program. Volunteers believe if they present an idea or a problem the staff will respond constructively and honestly. Questions to Think About Does your staff appear to be interested in the Volunteers? If they sometimes do not, can you identify what it is that makes it seem that way? Does the staff talk critically or inappropriately about Volunteers after they are gone or joke or gossip about them? Do the layout and the procedures of the office make it easy for Volunteers to come see people? Is there a troublesome appointment system? Do you and your staff mix easily with Volunteers who come into the office? Do you get to see them outside your office? A question for each staff member to consider: What happens when a Volunteer suddenly appears at your door? What is your usual reaction? What does your face tell them? Are Volunteers made to feel welcome? Do you drop things to attend to them? Ideas and Resources Volunteers need to be motivated to come talk to staff; it usually doesnt just happen naturally (especially coming to the CD). Volunteers will be more likely to do so if they feel Staff are interested, already know something about the Volunteer, want to hear about his or her life and concerns, and listen. 82 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post What they say wont backfire, i.e., truths wont be turned against the Volunteer, jokes made, and confidences repeated. It is easy and convenient to do (i.e., there are few hurdles such as a bureaucratic appointment process, closed doors, staff seeming rushed, unpleasant surroundings, etc.). You (CD and staff) are comfortable approaching Volunteers. This comfort or ease will help it work the other way around. If you appear comfortable at their site, or approach them easily in the Volunteer lounge, they stand a better chance of approaching you comfortably in your office. That when they ask for an opinion or propose a new idea, your way of responding is helpful or constructive. That doesnt mean you have to say yes. But it does mean providing useful feedback, saying things they understand, helping them with ideas, perhaps just listening; and, if you must say no, saying it in a way that the Volunteer understands and can perhaps do something about. 4.8. Volunteer Support and Volunteer Self-Reliance Staff and Volunteers alike recognize the distinction between when the staff can and should help Volunteers and when Volunteers can and should help themselves. Staff members are able to act in both cases, i.e., to provide help directly and to help Volunteers help themselves, as appropriate. Questions to ask yourself next time a Volunteer requests something: What is the Volunteer really asking for? (Is there something else, underlying this issue, that I am not seeing? Maybe theres not a solution to this problem. Maybe thats not what its about. Does the person just want me to listen?) What can the Volunteer do for himself or herself? What could he or she learn from doing this? How could he or she help me to help? What can I do that doesnt take away the Volunteers chance to help himself or herself? Do we need a system for the Volunteers issue, i.e., is it a general problem that we dont have a response for? Questions to ask yourself once the Volunteer has left: Did I just Blow the Volunteer off? Not take the person or the issue seriously? Take over the problem? (Now its mine, not the Volunteers.) Say no automatically? (Dr. No) Erect obstacles or talk gobbledygook?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources Staff can help Volunteers, and Volunteers can help themselves. These two concepts are not mutually exclusivethere are things you can do and things the Volunteer must do at the same time to make things work. Its worth thinking about the distinction, however, so the Volunteer is not expecting you to do one thing, while you are expecting him or her to do anotheror indeed the samething. As is true of much in the Peace Corps, some basic common sense provides guidelines on this subject: Decisions should not be made at headquarters or in the CDs office when they dont need to be. The field is usually a better place to make decisions and field people are usually better placed to do it. This doesnt mean you shouldnt be informed or consulted about issues and decisions. You should. It does mean you shouldnt make every decision. Volunteers need the skills (and freedom and confidence) to make decisions and take actions in the field, since most of the time there is no one else to do it for them. Based on these principles, when a Volunteer comes with a problem or request, staffs first question would be, What can I do that will result in this Volunteer finding his or her own solution? This is nothing more than the principle of sustainability, and it usually works better, since staff rarely have the answers anyway (as much as we think we should). There are many potential problems: my roof collapsed, my counterpart doesnt want to work with me, my supervisor is sexually harassing me, I need a refrigerator, my school is on strike, I need to make a readjustment allowance withdrawal, or someone stole my money. In every one of these situations there is something the Volunteer can do about the problem that might not only contribute to a solution, but might also prevent a recurrence. You may not even know what that thing is, and the Volunteer might be able to figure it out more quickly than you. In some cases, stress and frustration might prevent the Volunteer from thinking clearly and reaching a solution on his or her own. Your most valuable contribution could be helping the Volunteer get his or her thought processes back on track. One other strategy is something that can be called the start from yes concept. It is worth trying out. When a Volunteer comes in and makes a suggestion, asks for support in something, or proposes a change in the way things are done, too often the staff member is figuring out how to say no before the question is even finished. Instead, start (mentally) from yes. Then, for example, instead of launching into a mental web search for reasons why the thing cant be done, try a different search for how it could be done. Maybe in the end it cant, but your approach will be a lot more helpful, will invoke a lot more credibility, will keep the Volunteer thinking, will keep you thinking, and may help both of you come up with a solution that will be an improvement over the original idea. Some of the best ideas come from Volunteers: new systems for reimbursement; how to make the Internet accessible; how to organize the resource center; how to make sure the Volunteer lounge is cleaned up; how to deal with the security problem at the bus stations; why new trainees should go visit current Volunteers during the first week in country; how the current Volunteers could check out proposed new sites and rank them; how the current business Volunteers could email or call the new business trainees before they come. If we dont give them a chance, a lot of good ideas can go to waste.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post There is one other aspect of Volunteer support and reliance and Volunteerstaff communication to consider here. It is sometimes said that 20 percent of the Volunteers take up 80 percent of the staffs time, and 80 percent of the Volunteers get only the remaining 20 percent of the staffs time. Whatever the percentages, there is always a tendency for a few needy or problematic Volunteers to absorb a significant portion of staff time. It is worth monitoring this tendency and remembering that these needy ones are the very Volunteers who need to develop their self-reliance and confidence. If you can get them helping themselves, then you wont need to help them so much. Turn the questions back on themwhat can you do? In any case, while it is important to deal with these Volunteers, the majority of the CD and staff effort should be focused on the majority of the Volunteers, who are solid, motivated Volunteers probably only lacking experience and liable to benefit considerably from a little direction and support. 4.9. Volunteer Advisory Council (VAC) There is a Volunteer Advisory Council or some other mechanism that gathers, analyzes, and funnels Volunteer concerns and suggestions to staff. Questions to Think About Does your post have a VAC? If not, what can you do to encourage the Volunteers to form (or revive) one? If your post has a VAC (or something along those lines), what is it accomplishing for the Volunteers themselves and for Volunteerstaff communications? Are you getting systematic feedback from Volunteers? Is it fairly representative, useful, dependable, and constructive? What particular problems does your VAC have? Is it not representational enough? Not serious? Too negative? Dominated by certain people? Does it meet too infrequently? Is it not active enough? What can you (and the Volunteers) do about any of these problems? What issues and tasks could your VAC be addressing? Living allowance and settling-in allowance surveys? Security surveys? Transit house guidelines? Assistance with workshops, conferences, PST? Suggestions for better administrative procedures? Help getting Volunteers to understand and follow certain policies and procedures? Make a list of five things that need to be done and consider if the VAC should take some of them on. How does your VAC compare with those in neighboring countries? What are neighboring VACs doing that would be good initiatives to consider? Do you think it might be useful for your VAC to get in touch with a neighboring VAC? Ideas and Resources VACs, Volunteer leaders, Volunteer presence on committees, site visits, conferences with Volunteers during ISTs or in the officeall these things, and others, are necessary and useful in getting Volunteer concerns and input to you. Each of these channels or methods of communication may be more or less effective, depending on the circumstances. Of all of them, the VAC probably has the best chance of reaching the most people, thereby giving the most Volunteers a voice in the messages that get to you.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post VACs can be organized in a number of ways; if you are looking for different ideas, poll the countries in your region or subregion. You will probably find a number of distinct organizational patterns and constitutions. In setting up (or retooling) a VAC, it is best if some representational formulas are built in, so the different project sectors and geographic regions in your country are given sufficient representation. Some useful ideas regarding VACs include the following: Country directors should meet and deal directly with them. Make sure they understand that they are an advisory groupnot a final policy-making body; but let them know that you need and want their ideas and participation. One approach is to have a short session with the VAC before it begins a meeting, then do a windup at the end. For example, if a one-day deliberation is scheduled, have a session with the members at the beginning of the meeting, in which you present or discuss some concerns or subjects you would like them to consider. VACs are great resources for ideas on thorny problems (such as how to organize the branch resource center, how to set up a SPA or PEPFAR evaluation system, and what steps to take to get Volunteers to submit their living allowance surveys). If you give them an issue to consider, you will get ideas back. And if you give them a message to get across to the Volunteers, they can do this, sometimes better than you can. Then, once the group has completed its discussions, you can have a follow-up meeting with them, during which they can present their list of concerns, issues, and suggestions to you. This gives you a chance to respond directly and immediately where you can, ask questions, clarify things, increase their understanding of certain issues, tell them what measures you intend to take, ask for their assistance or participation, and plan for the next steps. The VAC can then write up the results (including your and their responses and the intended actions of both) and distribute them to all Volunteers. Test the idea of having other senior staff sit in on your meetings with the VAC. There needs to be a certain level of trust between all participants for this to work, and the VAC itself may have an idea on this. But give it some consideration. It can be a further tool for increased communication and understanding. For those of you in larger countries or where transport is a problem, regional VACs can be a solution. Each region can set up a VAC and function pretty much on its own, directly with you. Heads of regional VACs can communicate with each other to learn from one other and coordinate the activities and recommendations. It is true that VACs can be problematic: The time they require can take Volunteers away from their work; they may become dominated by factions; they can take on a negative character; and they might not meet often enough to accomplish a great deal on a regular basis. They are, however, probably more representational than anything else and, as such, they have a certain credibility, both with staff and Volunteers. They dont need to take people away from work for very long (an advantage of regional VACs), and different organizational and representational approaches can be tried to avoid the factionalism. Sometimes they are not so serious, and sometimes there is just not much interest in them. It may just mean that its not time to have a very active VAC. The time will come, however, so give the idea support so you dont come in too late. For a new country director, particularly, VACs may be a useful tool to help you grow a constructive relationship with Volunteers. 86 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 4.10. Helping Volunteers Build Support Structures at Site Volunteers remain in their sites and absenteeism from site is not a recurring problem. The country director and staff use a variety of strategies to help Volunteers build support networks within their communities and become comfortable at their sites. Questions to Think About Does your post have a clear Time Away From Community policy in the Country Volunteer Handbook? Is it explained in PST? Is it reasonable and understandable? Is it enforceable? (Who enforces it and who doesnt?) Can it be applied consistently? Did Volunteers have input into it? If some of these are problems, what can you do to correct them and make the policy more workable? Are there Volunteers who are spending too much time away from their sites? What percentage of their time are they spending away? Where are they spending it? Doing what? Have you or other staff or PCVLs made site visits to these Volunteers? What was your impression of the Volunteers living conditions, work, and community life and relations? What are their feelings about their site and community? How are their absences affecting their work and life? Are the absences affecting their relations with colleagues or in the community? Are they aware of this? In your view, what would be the three major reasons these Volunteers are leaving their sites? What strategies have you tried to get them to spend more time at their sites? What have you not tried? Have you tried to gather suggestions or strategies from other Volunteers or the VAC to help with this type of problem? For those Volunteers who seem to be staying at their sites, what is it that makes them stay? What could be done in PST (or ISTs) to help Volunteers create strategies for staying at their sites and developing a home? What can you do now? Ideas and Resources Whether Volunteers stay at their sites depends on a variety of things, including some of the following factors: Problems with their job Problems with their housing or living situation Troublesome personal situation at their site with a roommate, counterpart, or supervisor Safety/security worries; recurring health issues Delays in the process of turning a site into a home (a normal process, which takes time), or encountering more severe adaptation difficulties Project support needs (legitimate ones) that keep them away for long periodslegitimate personal needs as well Peace Corps 87

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Whatever the problem, the appropriate time to talk about it with Volunteers is when the problem is still relatively small. This doesnt mean conducting a witch hunt in the office on Saturday mornings just to see whos in (and shouldnt be), but it does mean having a trusted person talk with a Volunteer if you notice that he or she is starting to be away from his or her site too often. This is a terribly sensitive issue for some (who are really trying to handle other problems, of which this may be only a symptom), and an offensive approach will cause a defensive reaction, which is when Volunteers stop listening. The idea is to help Volunteers understand whether there are things at the site that are making them uncomfortable enough to want to get away on a regular basis, and whether they can do anything about these problems. There is nothing wrong with wanting to get away occasionally, and the Volunteer may need to hear this. It is OK to go into town or go see a friend for some support. But Volunteers need to examine the whole process of turning a house and a site into a comfortable place to be (a home) and forming a support network of friends and interests there, too. That is where they will be spending the majority of their next two years. It is an important investment and there are specific steps that can be taken to move the process along. For example: Something as simple as furniture can make an important difference. It is amazing how many Volunteers skimp and save their settling-in allowance and dont buy the things they need to make them feel at home. A table (for working and eating), chairs (more than just one, so visitors will come and feel welcome), things for the walls, a bookcase, a desk, practical things to make chores easier, security measures, even knickknacks to make the place more personal and welcoming. These things can mean far more than one would think, but, for some reason, some Volunteers just dont invest in them. Staff can provide encouragementnot only that its OK to buy these things, but that its important to do so. And if an insufficient or out-of-date settling-in allowance is at the root of the lack of furniture, this should be recognized and dealt with quickly. Walking around the community. Just walking around and greeting people, getting to be known and recognized, exchanging a few words, becoming familiar and more at ease is a scary thing at first, but it is critical. This is an important step to encourage Volunteers to take. Language lessons or tutoring. This is not just about language, it is a strategy for getting to know someone (the tutor) and taking the first steps in what can, early on, seem an impossible effort of integration into the society. Giving oneself short-term goals. The first months are the toughestoften terribly tough. Just fixing on one week, month, or school term at a time can help get a Volunteer through that first trying period. Saying no matter what happens, I will stay through the end of _____, and heres what I will accomplish can help Volunteers focus on something specific and manageable to help get them through.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post A technical visit. Sometimes the Volunteer is having legitimate job problems, difficulties getting started, confidence problems, troubles with certain aspects of the work. These can often be helped by the visit of a PCVL or a veteran Volunteer for a couple of days, just to help the new Volunteer develop some confidence and a few techniques for getting on track. Another Volunteer or PCVL coming in, observing a few classroom lessons, going out on the job, even doing some aspects of the work as an example or model, can get the Volunteer moving again, once the Volunteer realizes that there were real technical difficulties that could be remedied, and that he or she is not alone. Remembering why theyre there. This can get lost in the overwhelming troubles of the day-today routine, and the difficulties of learning the job and language, adapting, and missing home. But its immensely important, at least for those who really came for a reason, and being reminded about it can help. Simply reprinting the 10 Core Expectations for Peace Corps Volunteers (from the PC website) in the newsletter can be a thoughtful and inspiring message. There are many other strategies, and its good to have a list of them and remind Volunteers, in newsletter articles, during site visits, and in personal conversations, about things they can do to help themselves during the tough times. 4.11. Volunteers and the Peace Corps Office Volunteers are (and feel) welcome at the Peace Corps office, where they have a combination of facilities (resource center, computers, lounge, etc.) appropriate to support them both technically and personally. Questions to Think About Where would you place your office on the continuum between Volunteer friendly and enemy territory? (And your branch or regional offices or resource centers, if you have them?) Can Volunteers get around easily? See the people they need to see? Get their business done? Are you hearing complaints? If there were any, would you hear them or would they go to someone else? (If the latter is the case, go see that person.) Are the Volunteer facilities functioning? The computers? The printer? Do these get repaired promptly or does it take too long? (This is guaranteed to aggravate Volunteers, who will start feeling like their things dont count much.) Are the resource center, library, and files organized and effective? Who is supposed to take care of these things? Are they able to? Do you need a resource center manager but dont have one? Is there enough space and is the resource center or lounge neator is it a jumbled mess? Are your staff welcoming and helpful to your Volunteers? Are they welcoming and helpful to visiting Volunteers from other countries? Ask a Volunteer the next time one comes in. Is there a system for Volunteers to make suggestions to you concerning the setup and function of the PC office?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources In some Peace Corps offices, one feels instinctively that Volunteers are welcome. In others, the opposite is true. Volunteers can sense this (including those visiting from other countries). It comes from the layout of the office, where Volunteers can go comfortably, and how they are greeted and treated by people at their desks, in reception, and in the halls. It has to do with whether they feel that the office and staff are working for them or not. You should consider two separate issues regarding Volunteers in the office: what the Volunteers reasons are for being in the office, and how they are being treated and helped. The first issue has to do with whether and when Volunteers should be in the office. The Volunteers primary work is at their sites. Too much unjustified time in the Peace Corps office means time away from the site and this causes problems for staff members (see 4.10). Just because the staff thinks certain Volunteers should not be in the office or are spending too much time there, however, does not mean the office should become an inhospitable place for everyone. This problem should be handled on an individual basis. If general policies must be made, they should be made in such a way as not to hinder or discourage legitimate, needed support, business, and staff Volunteer communication. Dont make a rule based on the 5 percent who probably wont follow it anyway; it will just penalize everyone else. The second issue has to do with what kind of resources and support the Volunteers need, what the office can realistically and legitimately provide, and how the staff feels about the Volunteers. Peace Corps country offices have traditionally supplied some of the following: Human resources, including APCD/PMs, administrative section, the PCMO, the SSC, the country director, and Volunteer leaders, for technical, administrative, medical, safety, and personal support A library or resource center for technical resources, documents, literature, files on old projects, exams, manuals, a lending library of books and materials, etc. Computers for developing materials, project proposals, correspondence, and other work-related or personal documents and research A lounge, which often serves as a headquarters for shopping, gathering things for site, relaxing, seeing other Volunteers, a bulletin board, meetings, travel information, etc. At some postsstrictly where authorizeda transit house (or hostel) for Volunteers who must have a place to be overnight. This is usually justified by lack of moderately priced, safe facilities available in the capital and is primarily for Volunteers on Peace Corps business, but under certain conditions will be open to Volunteers on personal business. (Another option is a temporary lodging arrangementi.e., an agreement with a local hotel at a reduced price.)

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post What is reasonable and what is not? Should there be a telephone available in the resource center? Is a transit house justified, or is it more trouble than its worth? These are difficult questions that must be considered and decided, and then systems must be set up to provide or facilitate the necessary services in ways that actually work for the Volunteers. What is the bottom line? Dont offer a service or facility and then let it not work or become a source of friction of dissatisfactionor be too difficult for your staff to administer. That can be worse than no service at all. Make a decision and take the steps to see that it works. As for how the Volunteers are treated, this is a matter of respect, which is at the base of just about everything else (see 4.1). 4.12. Important Support Roles Volunteers Can Play Volunteer support is strengthened by the Volunteers active participation in a variety of country program responsibilities. These might include Volunteer site identification, policy discussion, job preparation, relations between the Peace Corps and host country agencies, pre-service and inservice training (PST and IST) design and implementation, information for new Volunteers, reporting to Peace Corps and host country agencies, and general post problem-solving. Questions to Think About What input do your Volunteers have in the development of policies and procedures at your post? What about things like vacation policies and procedures, Emergency Action Plans and preparations, quarterly and annual reporting, and office setup? How is Volunteer input built into PST? ISTs? If you wanted to increase their participation, what steps could you take? Are you getting the right information on Volunteer jobs and living conditions to Recruitment in Washington? Do Volunteers review the Volunteer assignment descriptions (VADs)? What could a Volunteer committee do to improve the information going to VRS and to invitees? How were Volunteers involved in the project plan development? The latest project plan evaluation or revision? The latest PSR? Setting up performance measures? How could their roles be increased? What is someone on staff now doing that could be done (or supplemented) appropriately and better by Volunteers? Ideas and Resources Most overseas staff discover early that they cannot do everything, even everything thats included in their job description. Volunteers, on the other hand, can do a great deal to support themselves, their peers, and their projects and are often much better placed to do certain tasks.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Here are some examples of tasks in which Volunteers can be involved: Site identification and job preparation for new sites Policy and procedure discussion and general program problem-solving. If something isnt working or if you cant figure out a way to make something work, ask a Volunteer. Sometimes Volunteers have an answer you would never think of. Peace Corpshost country agency relations PST and IST design and implementation Volunteer leader selection Developing information for new trainees Developing structures and content for databases on projects, Volunteer activities, reports Information gathering, reporting, and analysis for both the Peace Corps and the host country agency. (While this is not the Volunteers responsibility, they can play an important role.) Project plan development and modification. Both Volunteers and the counterpart agency should be involved in this. Objections may be voiced that thats not the Volunteers job, Volunteers shouldnt be doing the staffs work, and Volunteers shouldnt be taken away from their primary tasks. This may all be true, but it still does not mean Volunteers shouldnt have a meaningful and appropriate contribution to make in all of the above areas, areas that are relevant to their lives, projects, and success. In many of these areas, Volunteers can contribute insights that staff dont and cant have, since theyre not out there doing the job. Finally, Volunteers are supposed to be working with counterparts. If Volunteers are to assist in some of these areas, what should be the role of host country counterparts or supervisors? This is a question that should be addressed as well. How you choose to approach these issues may differ, according to the situation. The main point is that Volunteers (and counterparts) have important contributions to make, and country directors and APCD/PMs should give them the opportunity and motivation to participate. 4.13. Site Visits Peace Corps programming staff make regular site visits, and other country staff senior as well as support staff make periodic site visits to Volunteers in the field. Questions to Think About What percentage of time does your senior staff (CD, PTO, APCD/PMs and PA/PTSs, PCMO, AO, safety and security coordinator, training officer) spend on site visits? Have each staff member calculate this for the last six months or year, make a chart, and see how it looks. What jumps out at you? Who needs to spend more time out? What do you need to do to make that possible? 92 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post If you made a chart showing the number of times each individual Volunteer was visited by staff during the last six months or year, what would it look like? What does this tell you? Do you have a set of site visit guidelines that staff can follow? Do you have different guidelines for the differing objectives staff might have (i.e., programming personnel, AO, security, or PCMOthey are all looking at different things)? Who are the best people to develop such guidelines? What role can Volunteers play in developing them? How long are site visits? Are site visits restricted to working hours, or are staff staying overnight at Volunteer sites? Do your support staff members get out to see Volunteers as well? Are your PCVLs making site visits? Include them on the visit charts above. What kinds of site visit reports are done? What is done with them? Do you have a system or guidelines for follow-up to site visits? Ideas and Resources Site visits are one of the most critical, and should be one of the most enjoyable, parts of any staff members job. They are the staffs principal tool for keeping in touch with and understanding whats going on in the field, what the country is like, what the Volunteers life is like, what the counterparts in the field think, whether projects are working on the ground, and what the Volunteers concerns are. They are important to Volunteers as a time to validate what they are doing, to show off some accomplishment, seek advice, and discuss problems. There are few legitimate excuses for not doing site visits, and country directors should dedicate a consistent and pre-determined percentage of their time to them. But what percentage? Some say 15 percent, i.e., a week and a half out of 10. Is that enough? Should it be one week in five? What percentage do you think it should be under your posts conditions? Are you achieving this? Everyone should go on site visits. It is not just the CDs and programming APCD/PMs job. The AO, GSO, and the financial assistant must go out, as well as the principal people handling Volunteer requests for administrative and logistical support. They are the ones who must devise and follow procedures that will work in the field, and order materials (vehicles, bicycles, etc.) that wont break under field conditions. And, most importantly, if they are going to support the program, they must know firsthand who and what its principal actors, activities, and problems are in the field. Most of this is based on just plain logic and posts already know it. The problem usually lies in getting the administrative and medical staff out, and sometimes, frankly, the country director. The principle to remember is that no one is so important to the office that he or she doesnt need to visit Volunteers. If this means making the necessary backup or cross-training arrangements so the AO or PCMO can be gone for two days or a week, then this should be done. (It should be done anyway, since they do get sick and go on vacations as well.) Dont accept excuses, and dont make any, either. Get them (and yourself) out. The need, by the way, doesnt stop at senior staff level.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Part of working for the Peace Corps is understanding what the Peace Corps does, and this cant be done without seeing it firsthand. It is particularly important for host country support staff to visit Volunteers. Secretaries, Volunteer records clerks, property control officers, and cashiers all need to see how Volunteers live and what they do. It will help them do their jobs better, and perhaps more importantly, it will forge links between Volunteers and staff, and help staff identify with Volunteers and feel a part of what the Peace Corps is doing in their country. These support staff visits can be undertaken in several ways and need not be an expensive venture: They can accompany other staff. This may work well on certain site visits, protocol visits such as awards day or project openings, deliveries by a driver, or other types of visits. They can go themselves, or with a driver. There are a variety of things Peace Corps staff must do in the field, and sometimes a support staff member can do it just as well or better. These could include independent price surveys, housing follow-up visits, serving as a Peace Corps representative at a ceremony or even a theater or science competition, etc. A senior staff member doesnt need to be the one to go. Weekend visits. One of the nicest (and most productive) types of visit is the weekend visit, whereby a Volunteer invites a support staff member to come spend a long weekend with the Volunteer. This is not an official visit with an official agenda. It is a purely social visit and probably the best way for staff to meet the Volunteers friends and see what life is like. Host country support staff learn a tremendous amount from these visits, enjoy them immensely, and make a good friend out of it. They are often willing to take local transport and, since they are staying with the Volunteer, they dont need big per diemsjust enough to cover travel and the extra expenses the Volunteer accrues for food, etc. This is a diversion and an adventure for the staff member that results in lots of good stories and an increased loyalty to Peace Corps. Its worth trying. A few additional points on site visits: It is valuable, where appropriate and feasible, to stay overnight at Volunteers sites. It gives much more time for exchange and discussion. It becomes more than an official visit during working hoursa better chance to share conditions and let ones hair down. Volunteers get a lot more attention from someone who spends 12 to 24 hours at a site, rather than one to six. There is a wealth of collected wisdom on the subject of site visit agendas and protocol. On official visits, whether by APCD/PMs, PTO, CD, AO, PCMO, SSC, or whoever, staff should have clear goals, including carrying out the proper host-supervisor notification, protocol and follow-up, learning, and rendering service to the Volunteer. Many countries have fine examples of site visit objectives and techniques, which can be shared with others. Contact your neighboring country programs or your region or subregion and you should receive plenty of material. And perhaps most importantly, your own Volunteers and counterparts will have ideas and input on what they would like to see accomplished on site visits and how this should be done.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post It is probable that Volunteers who live closer to the Peace Corps office or a provincial capital get a lot more site visitors than those who are a day or more away. This is a consequence of circumstances and its OK; but its worth being aware of this tendency and making sure that visits are spread around as much as possible and especially not concentrating on a few of the more outgoing Volunteers. Site visit reports can be useful and interesting things. In some countries, staff making site visits write up a one- or two-page summary describing the visit, the site, a map with directions, the Volunteers living conditions, the Volunteers work, etc., and circulate it to all staff (senior and support) to read. (Obviously, sensitive issues are not appropriate in this general summary.) This informs staff about different Volunteers activities, situations, accomplishments, issues (soand-so still doesnt have a well...), and includes practical information like driving time, directions, new ideas, etc. It keeps everyone involved in what the Volunteers are doing. Support staff, in particular, are interested in such reports, which help make the Volunteers real to them. Support staff, too, can write summaries of their own visits, particularly weekend visits, which tend to be entertaining and motivating. These can give everyone another picture of Volunteer life and motivate other staff to take part in site visits. In addition to written reports, the immediate oral debriefing is an important follow-up to site visits. It is when the APCD/PM or staff member can quickly summarize the Volunteers situation for those who need to know (CD, PCMO, SSC, etc.) and bring up any particular problems that require immediate action or attention. A final word: Volunteers appreciate a note from someone who has visited them. Some would simply consider this a matter of good manners, but it is more. It is a reminder that the Volunteer is still an important person for the visitor and that the good aspects and personal parts of the site visit have not been forgotten. It can also assure the Volunteer that the issues raised during the visit are being followed up. In the end, it is another important reinforcement of the connection between Volunteer and staff. 4.14. Volunteer and Staff Communication with Host Country Agencies in the Field Volunteers (and Peace Corps staff) have ongoing communications with local host country partners and partner agencies in the field, through which Volunteer and program-related issues are handled together. Questions to Think About Do your Volunteers have an appropriate and realistic concept of host country hierarchies or chains of command and how things work through them at the local level? Is there some document or file in which Volunteers have identified the names of counterpart(s), supervisor, district chief, and various other important players in their host-agency or partner chain of command? Is there any way for you to know whether Volunteers are maintaining the appropriate communications and contact with these officials? How would you find out if they are or are not?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Can any of your Volunteers think of a situation in which they were able to resolve a delicate or difficult problem by working through the local or district chain of command? Would this be useful as an example for others? Is the importance of maintaining these contacts (and using them appropriately) treated in PST? Is it reviewed and discussed in ISTs? Do your APCD/PMs know who these local officials are? Do they know them personally? What types of contact or communications do your APCD/PMs have with them? How regularly? Have there been difficult problems with any of them? What could have been done by the Volunteer or the Peace Corps staff to head these off? Or resolve them? Do you have a recent example of the role this contact with local officials played in an emergency situation? Have any of these people been able to attend a supervisors or counterparts conference with Volunteers and Peace Corps staff? Are there useful written materials that could be distributed to them (and others) describing the Peace Corps, the relationship between the Peace Corps and the partner agency, and the responsibilities of each? Ideas and Resources A lot of emphasis has been placed in this handbook on communications between staff and Volunteers. It is equally important that good communications develop between those two groups and host country partners. From the initial programming contacts, through site selection, supervisors or counterparts workshops, PST and IST contacts, site visits, and especially, regular meetings and contacts, communications must be maintained with the partners representatives at the local level. This is usually where Volunteers problems get resolved before they get big or, hopefully, before they become problems in the first place. The primary responsibility for developing good communications lies with the Volunteer, because he or she is the one on the scene. Staff usually make the initial contacts, set the stage, and present the Volunteer to the appropriate people, but they may not reach everyone involved and representatives can change frequently. Volunteers must be constantly aware of their responsibility to find, communicate with, and report regularly and officially to the appropriate supervisors, district representatives, various delegates, etc. This is necessary to keep channels open and maintain clear expectations concerning roles and responsibilities and steps to take in emergency situations, among other things. The Volunteers role is critical and should be reviewed periodically with Peace Corps staff to make sure it is functioning effectively. Volunteers may at times legitimately struggle in obtaining the proper response from some field people or agency representatives. Staff should make it clear, from training onward, that they know this can happen and that Volunteers should not hesitate to let staff know if this is the case. The contact is important and staff are capable and willing to be of assistance to the Volunteer in such a situation.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Volunteer efforts and contacts should be followed up and reinforced by staff contacts, particularly on site visits, either with or without the Volunteer, but also through correspondence and, when possible, ISTs and other meetings. It is essential that staff, Volunteers, and the local agency representatives responsible for Volunteers all know each other and understand their roles and responsibilities. Finally, communication with agencies in the field is an excellent topic for Volunteers themselves to present in PST (or IST), perhaps sharing the presentation with a host country counterpart. Hearing it from Volunteers and HCNs will lend great credibility to a subject that may at first seem challenging to new trainees. 4.15. Contact With Local Administrative Authorities Volunteers are presented to, and remain in contact with, local administrative and security authorities in their areas. Peace Corps staff members visit and/or communicate with these authorities on a periodic basis. Questions to Think About Do you and your staff understand the organization and role of the territorial administration and law enforcement authorities in the local areas, and how you and the Volunteers should interact with them? Is the safety and security coordinator taking the lead in dealing with these organizations and in communicating with them? Does the SSC fully brief staff and Volunteers on the organizations and protocol involved in dealing with these bodies? Has the SSC prepared written guidelines for staff and Volunteers to follow? Is your office knowledgeable about these organizations communications or transportation capabilities that could be helpful in case of emergencies? Do you know how to contact them for this type of assistance? If the SSC is not present, is there a clear backup plan for other staff to assume this role? Are you currently contacting, visiting, and/or informing them when you place Volunteers, conduct site visits, or have activities in their areas? Are Volunteers making and maintaining contact with them? Do you know what type and frequency of contact would be appropriate? Again, has the SSC outlined what is appropriate for staff and Volunteers? Is this subject currently dealt with in PST? ISTs? What type of presentation or treatment of it would be most effective? Could Volunteers play a role in the presentations? Ideas and Resources In every country there is a government ministry or body charged with administration of the territorial and local entities. This body might be called the ministry of home affairs or interior, territorial administration, local government, or a variety of other names. Under it are the provincial, state, district, municipal, county, or rural administrators, often linked directly with the law enforcement agencies (police or gendarmes) who are charged with being aware of whats going on in their local areas and keeping the peace. Peace Corps 97

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Peace Corps Volunteers (and expatriates) are, indirectly, their responsibility and are important to them, particularly if there is a problem. While they do not monitor Volunteers, they want to know who is in their jurisdiction and what they are doing. They often have the quickest means of communications, such as radio links with the capital, and will want to be informed and perhaps involved if there is an emergency situation. Above all, they do not want to be blindsided by some crisis or problem, or find out that an American Volunteer (about whom they had never been informed) is in some difficulty. On the other hand, they can be of great help in these same emergency situations. And if the Peace Corps office needs to contact Volunteers quickly, they will be far more amenable to helping if they know the people involved. Consequently, these are important people for the Peace Corps to meet and maintain some kind of contact with. The safety and security coordinator should take the lead in this, working closely with the CD and APCD/PMs. Protocol in different countries will dictate the type of relations, and the Peace Corps needs to find out what it should do. In many places, this will involve a courtesy visit by Peace Corps representatives during site selection and safety/security survey trips and an explanation of the Peace Corps and what it might be doing in the area. Or perhaps it would be advisable to send a letter beforehand or be accompanied and presented by a government ministry or host agency representative during the trip. Administrative officials should be informed of Volunteers being posted in the area and have the Volunteers presented to them. Again, which officials are important to know and who should do the presenting will differ from place to place and will need to be determined by the SSC and CD. In some countries it will be appropriate for Volunteers to maintain a personal contact with the official(s) and stop by from time to time, just as Peace Corps representatives might occasionally do on visits to the area. The SSC should set this up, of course, but the Volunteer has a role and responsibility to continue it. This is an important step, which becomes critical in times of emergency. SSCs should work closely with Volunteers on this strategy and treat it thoroughly during PST and ISTs. 4.16. Country Director Contact With Volunteers The country director has frequent personal contact with Volunteers. In addition to informal conversations, the country director conducts at least two formal interviews with each Volunteer in the country (i.e., trainee interview and end-of-service exit interview). Country directors do this to establish and reinforce relationships with Volunteers, assess training and service-related issues, and convey their own messages to Volunteers on a personal level. Questions to Think About As country director, how would you assess your personal knowledge of individual Volunteers? How many do you personally know? How many of the Volunteers would say they know you or had a substantive personal conversation with you? How do you thank or express appreciation to Volunteers for their service in your country?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources This characteristic is a corollary to 4.6 (Staff Communication With Volunteers) and merits special mention. One of the country directors main strategies for knowing what is going on is to make a sustained effort to communicate frequently and directly with Volunteers. This involves personal discussions in the office, on-site visits, contact in the lounge, at events, etc., as well as personal interviews. One approach to this contact is to conduct at least two interviews with each Volunteer during the time he or she is in country, i.e., an entrance interview and an exit interview. The entrance interview provides an opportunity to establish initial personal contact with each Volunteer and ideally is conducted somewhere toward the end of PST and swearing-in, before the new Volunteer goes out to post. It is a chance to talk a little about the Volunteers impressions of training, his or her first visit to post, etc., but mostly it is an occasion to do some of the following: Begin the process of getting to know the Volunteer on a personal level Present yourself as a human being who cares about Volunteers and what they do Find out how ready the Volunteer feels he or she is to begin service Find out about and discuss any special issues the Volunteer has Provide feedback to the Volunteer on what has gone on so far Convey any other special messages, such as My door is open, I want you to stop and tell me how you are doing the next time you are in town, or Please carry my special greetings to your school director; she has been particularly helpful to the Peace Corps in the past. The exit interview is an integral part of the Volunteer experience. It comes right at the end, during the final COS procedures, when the Volunteer is about to leave the country. It is a summing up between country director and Volunteer, a chance to put two years into a few final words, and is often a highly emotional experience. It is something not to be missed, because you get to ask some of the following questions. At this point, Volunteers have reflected quite a bit and are likely to be especially open and honest; the answers can be fascinatingand touching. Of all that you have done here during two years, what are you proudest of? Why? What will you miss the most? Why? What was the hardest thing you faced in your time here? How do you think youve changed? From your experience here, what do you want to take back with you and carry on in your life in the United States? Did it turn out the way you expected it would? Was it all worth it? Would you recommend the Peace Corps to people back home? What final advice do you have for us? Peace Corps 99

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post For most Volunteers, this is not a time to dwell on the negative; rather, unless they are harboring some particularly bitter issues, it is a time to sum up the positive aspects of their experience and talk about their own learning and development. It is also a time for you to cite their accomplishments and thank them for all that theyve done, perhaps single out some particular contributions or qualities that theyve shown, and express your personal appreciation. It will mean a lot to them. There are always exceptions, and these will have to be handled a little differently, but for most the end is a wistful time when dwelling on the positive can be both appropriate and important. Again, be sure to thank them, on behalf of the American people, the Peace Corps, and yourself. If this sounds a little corny, it will not seem so to them at all. The exit interview is also a good time to present any tokens or remembrances. Some countries give certificates to outgoing Volunteers; others perhaps a flag button (the U.S. and host country flags crossed) or a book on the country with best wishes signed by all the staff members. There are different things that can be done, and all will be appreciated. As for other interviews, e.g., at midterm, these can be arranged, but the beginning and the end should not be forgotten. 4.17. The Early Termination Rate The early termination rate among Volunteers is within worldwide Peace Corps norms. Volunteers basically like the host country, their jobs, and their lives as Volunteers. The country director and staff work to reduce unnecessary resignations. Questions to Think About What was your early termination (ET) rate among Volunteers last year? If you were to make a list or a chart, how would your ETs within the last year (or two) break down by time in service and primary reason? Do you see a correlation between these two factors? What were the most vulnerable times and other most common reasons? Is there a concentration in a particular sector or geographic area or language area? How prevalent were problems of adaptation among the reasons for ETs? Is there a time frame during which these adaptation ETs seemed to occur? How prevalent were job-related problems or job dissatisfaction among the reasons for leaving? How important were unrealistic expectations, either on the part of the Volunteer or the host country counterparts? In the opinion of staff, PCVLs, etc., were there some ETs that should not have happened? Make a list: How many ETs were the right solution and how many might have been prevented? What specific strategies can you and your staff, PCVLs, and Volunteers come up with to help prevent unnecessary ETs in each category? How important do you think peer support from other Volunteers is in helping Volunteers make decisions and weather the difficult times? What specific strategies can you come up with to facilitate this peer support?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Have you lost or are you in danger of losing any staff early? How would you respond to the above questions about Volunteer ETs when applied to staff? Go through the departure cases, one by one. Do Volunteers and American staff like and respect the host country? Do they feel comfortable? Are there specific problems, such as Size of the Peace Corps program? Unusual physical problems (distances, climate)? Particular cultural problems (apartheid history; strong sexist attitudes; racial, cultural, or religious hostility)? Crime or aggressive harassment (hassle factor)? Alcoholism? Potential of violence or other threats to safety/security? Political instability? Particular difficulties or lack of support for certain groups among the Volunteers (older Volunteers, minorities, etc.)? Are medical separations occurring on an unusual scale? If so, what might be done to reduce them? Brainstorm this with your PCMO and senior staff. What are some of the things staff, and especially you, can do as role models to respond to some of the problems that have been identified as causes for ETs? Ideas and Resources Volunteers are a huge investment, in both personal and monetary terms. Once they are at their posts, a host of entities, including the Peace Corps, the partner agency, and the community, develop a whole range of expectations around them. Consequently, it is not, and should not be, easy for Volunteers to go home early and for us to let them go, whether through resignation, medical evacuation, or even administrative separation. As a basic principle, the CD and staff should work to keep Volunteers. On the other hand, in the words of one CD, Do everything you can to hold on to a Volunteer, but if its time for them to go, help them on their way. According to Peace Corps statistics, most voluntary ETs (including some categorized as medical separations) can be traced back to one of the following major causes: 1. Adaptation problems. This does not necessarily happen because the country is a hardship post. Volunteers stay, and even extend, in plenty of hardship posts. Rather, it happens because Volunteers (and staff) are not comfortable in their new surroundings and the hoped-for adaptation process does not proceed as normal. Homesickness and other baggage from home (unresolved involvements and other personal issues) as well as fears of the culture, sickness, or

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post safety concerns are getting in the way and sapping the Volunteers energies. This can lead to increasing preoccupation with issues back home that werent fully dealt with before coming, which can end up driving a person away, whether or not the reasons are valid. The challenges are two: find out which problems at home are valid and deal with them; and identify the adaptation problems in-country and plan a strategy to work on them. 2. Job problems. The job isnt working, or the Volunteer (or staff member) doesnt really want to do this job. This is often when you hear something like, Well, I really wanted to work in agriculture, but my recruiter said Id better take this teaching position or I wouldnt be able to get into the Peace Corps. Again, determining how realistic this complaint is may be the challenge. (See 4.2 for specific discussion of Volunteer job problems.) 3. Volunteers (or staff members) expectations were unrealistic. This may be related to adaptation or job issues, or can involve complaints like, Its more modern (or westernized, isolated, socially conservative, religious, etc.) than I thought it would be, or I thought I would be doing X, but Im doing Y. What can you do? Maybe not much. Maybe the best thing is for the person to go home. If that is the case, you must help the person and support him or her in making that decision. Its not easy. Sometimes it seems that the real problem is that enough time hasnt gone by, that the Volunteer hasnt given it a chance. If only he or she would stick it out a little longer, beyond the first month or two or three, and get past the most difficult stretch. The first thing to do may be to pay a little special attention to the Volunteer, open the dialogue so you can help the individual wade through the fears of failure and embarrassment and, perhaps, get to where some of the real issues can come out. Then, hopefully, together you can determine what the right course is and what to do about it. Some of the techniques discussed in section 4.10 for helping Volunteers stay at their site are the same ones that will help them get over the threat of a much more drastic movean ET. This might include developing some concrete short-term objectives, a more inviting house, connections and involvement with the community, or job assistance. Your efforts may help the Volunteer stay or they may help him or her leave. In either case, if youve helped make the decision a more informed, confident one, youve performed a great service for a Volunteer whose troubles were real. Another strategy is to help the Volunteers help each other. Surveys show that Volunteers are far more likely to turn to other Volunteers for counsel and assistance with this type of soul-searching, than to go to a staff member. They have more in common with other Volunteers, who are going through (or have gone through) similar experiences. Hence, sensitizing Volunteers in general to the support role they can play, and legitimizing and encouraging it (telling Volunteers they can seek out this kind of help, and should give it freely in return) are important messages for staff to communicate. This is where a Volunteer peer support network can be helpful. There are plenty of models for such Volunteer networks in different countries, specific guidelines and training materials from OSS, and usually no shortage of Volunteers willing to learn the necessary skills and play a peer support role. Look into it: Contact OSS and some neighboring posts, if you are interested in the idea. Often a peer support network will set up a specific support plan for new Volunteers during their first year. It can be quite a valuable strategy.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post One final comment on the Im just not happy justification for early termination: Sometimes it helps to remind Volunteers that the Peace Corps never guaranteed that they would be happy. Its not necessarily a part of the deal. Even the Constitution doesnt guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. Why should it be different in the Peace Corps? People get depressed and overwhelmed and forget why they are there and what it is all about. It may help to remind them. They may not be happy at home, either. 4.18. Administrative Separations and Other Corrective Actions In problems involving Volunteer behavior or performance, a balance is maintained between supporting the Volunteer as an individual and supporting the program as a whole. The country director and staff work to help Volunteers through troublesome situations. Where corrective action or administrative separation is indicated, the country director and staff proceed with proper documentation and clear communication with the Volunteer and with PC/headquarters. The process is transparent and objective. Questions to Think About Do you have a Volunteer performance and behavior philosophy in your country program? Can you clearly articulate it? Would you classify your philosophy as fairly strict or flexible? Is your point of view closely linked with host country standards or conditions? What particular problems have you run into with your philosophy? Have you been thinking that it might need to be changed? Do you have a system for documenting incidents, conversations, and behavioral issues that may affect Volunteers ability to continue service? Is it working? If not, what are the problems? What is missing or not happening? Do you have a trainee assessment and documentation system for PST? Is it doing what it should, or are there inadequacies? Can you think of Volunteer problems that came up during service that might have been avoided with a different approach during PST (and IST)? How could you change your system? This is a subject for serious discussion during a retreatwith the participation of staff, training staff, and Volunteers. It is not an impossible challengethere are systems that work. In your experience, of the following, what is the most difficult link in the chain of corrective action or administrative separation: Defining behavioral limits and expectations (and getting staff and Volunteers to understand and agree on them)? Finding out what really happened? Getting productive feedback to Volunteers? Finding out what the host country or partner agency thinks or wants? Adequately documenting incidents and exchanges?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Developing possible alternatives to address misconduct, such as issuing warnings, or letters of reprimand, requiring apologies or discussions among the Volunteers, the CD and the Volunteer community? Setting up corrective action plans or recommendations for improvement? Other? If any of these are causing particular problems, what could you do to resolve the situation? Are there some training activities staff members could undertake to improve their ability to handle these problems? What are some specific techniques you might use to help develop behavioral common sense among Volunteers? Who are the people you are likely to call or contact to seek advice on a potential administrative separation or corrective action? Are you calling them? Can you think of a case in which an administrative separation or corrective action precedent has gone wrong (i.e., has forced you into a corner or made it more difficult to handle a subsequent one)? What lesson(s) could you learn from that case? Ideas and Resources As mentioned above, Volunteers are a huge investment, around which the Peace Corps, the embassy, the American taxpayer, the host country partner agency, the local counterpart(s), and the community have all developed considerable expectations. It is worth making a significant effort to hold on to them, even in cases of behavior issues. It should also be no surprise that the strategies for keeping Volunteers are really no different from those for helping Volunteers depart when the appropriate time has come. The objectives are the same: to do what is best for the program, and to do what is best for the Volunteer, because ultimately each must depend upon the other to succeed. These strategies range from the normal types of Volunteer training and support to some specific things like Making sure job descriptions, performance standards, expectations and regulations (as well as consequences!) are all clear and understood, whether they are the host countrys or the Peace Corps. Keeping communications functioning from all sides, keeping the host country agency in the loop, and staying aware of the Volunteers conditions. Not ducking or postponing problems in which Volunteers are involved (or are causing). Getting honest, constructive, timely feedback to Volunteers. Facilitating peer support strategies and opportunities. Recognizing and working to resolve Volunteer issues with partner agencies. 104 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Documenting events and conversations. Making sure perspective, on both program interests and Volunteer interests, is never lost. The strategies themselves are fairly straightforward. Making decisions and implementing the strategies is the difficult part. Inappropriate behavior can take a number of forms, ranging from the concrete (drugs, unauthorized absence) to the less tangible (troublesome cultural actions, questionable but not unsatisfactory performance, alcohol abuse, risky sexual behaviors). Posts must do their best to define what is acceptable and what is not, ensuring a minimum of ambiguity for the Volunteer. This cannot always be done ahead of time, and must be done on the spot or after the fact in some instances. It must be done, however, and questionable actions must be discussed and dealt with, so Volunteers know and understand consequences. Some basic underlying principles: There cant be rules for everything and there shouldnt be. Instead, there is a basic philosophy (or common sense) consistent with the Peace Corps that can and should serve as a guideline for most things. Volunteers should be able to apply this common sense and figure things out for themselves; and they should understand that, as representatives of the Peace Corps, they are expected to do so. Mistakes can be made, but where this luxury exists (and it does, in most cases), the Volunteer must demonstrate that he or she has learned from the mistake. If the Volunteer does not learn or cannot apply appropriate common sense, then the risk of repeated or escalating problems can become too great. The most difficult task for staff seems to be defining and agreeing on standards (including policies, philosophy, norms, and what constitutes common sense), emphasizing their importance, pointing out problems, giving clear feedback to Volunteers, and documenting events and conversations. Staff members say they just dont have time for all this, but they must be made to understand that they will have even less time if trouble starts. A few additional tips: There can be difficult, sticky problems. Seek advice along the way. Talk to neighboring CDs, and where potential administrative separations are involved, talk to PC/W, especially your General Counsel (GC) and Special Services (OSS) representatives. They can support you a great deal and you will need their support. Where ETs are concerned, your responsibility for supporting the Volunteers doesnt stop once the decision is made. Whether voluntary or not, an ET is a terribly difficult thing for a Volunteer and is almost always viewed as a failure in his or her own eyes. A Volunteer needs your support and help all the way to the airport, and sometimes beyond. Everything that happens with one Volunteer (or something similar) can happen again with another. Your actions and decisions must be able to stand up as reliable precedents for the next time around.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post In some ways the whole issue of early termination, whether administrative separation, medical, or resignation, is the same. As mentioned, staff and Volunteer alike are searching for a) what is best for the program, and b) what is best for the Volunteer. These must be observed objectively, documented, matched against definable standards or effects, and discussed by the parties all along the way, and the chance to learn must be built in, as much as possible. 4.19. Diversity The country director, staff, and Volunteers acknowledge the diversity of the Peace Corps and the diversity-related issues that may affect each of them in their relationships and in the conduct of their duties. The post carries out specific activities to include, prepare, support, and properly represent various groups and help make them allAmerican and host countryfull participants and positive contributors to the Peace Corps program and experience. Questions to Think About How is diversity reflected in your Volunteer program? And in the different components of the program? (PST, VAC, PCVLs, committees, regional distribution, etc.)? Are the Volunteers learning from and about their own diversity? What would you see as some of the specific diversity-related issues confronting them at this moment? What particular experiences have they learned from? Are your staff members (both American and host country) comfortable with the concept of diversity among Americans? Do they understand what it is and how they might support all the Volunteers? Are they comfortable with the diversity issues among themselves and how they can support each other on the staff? Are there activities you can do to help them in both of these efforts? Are you able to provide preparation and support to different Volunteer groups for their Volunteer experiences? (and staff for their staff experiences?) Is it enough? Or is there something more or different you could do? Are there any troublesome diversity-related issues you have not been able to address? Do you have adequate training materials or sessions on diversity that you can use in PST or IST? Are you able to use them properly or effectively? If there are problems, what type of assistance or resources do you need? In terms of diversity, how do you think your Volunteers have changed when they are ready to go home after two years service in your country? Are there specific things you or the Peace Corps could do to help them prepare for going home and for contributing to the positive understanding and development of diversity in the United States? Ideas and Resources The Peace Corps is committed to making diversity a positive and inclusive factor in the experience of its Volunteers and in their programs. For this to happen, Volunteers and staff must develop an understanding of both what diversity means and what they can do to support it.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post For the Peace Corps, diversity means Recognizing and respecting the different ethnic, racial, sexual orientation, age, gender, and other identities that make up the organization and programs. Making sure that these groups have equal and sufficient opportunity to benefit from and contribute to the experience that the Peace Corps affords. Helping representatives of the different groups understand each other better so they can provide effective support to each other in the experience that follows. Providing them with information and training in how to furnish that support to each other. Some of the specific steps that posts can take in promoting and supporting diversity would include: Making whatever efforts possible to ensure a diverse representation on the Peace Corps staff, among Volunteers, and on the bodies, committees, training staffs, etc., that are set up to do business and conduct training. This is necessary for both the message it conveys and the input it then permits and encourages. For example, if there is a shortage or lack of women on the Peace Corps staff or on a particular committee, this sends a certain message about the likelihood of particular perspectives and issues being raised, understood, and addressed. Conducting PST, IST, and staff development activities on diversity. These could include specific activities directed at helping Volunteers and staff To identify the different groups and backgrounds that are a part of their program. To hear and understand the issues people of different backgrounds and perspectives may face. To identify and practice ways in which diverse Volunteers (and staff) can establish communications and networks with each other and support each other. To sensitize themselves to the types of statements, language, attitudes, and generalizations that may disrupt understanding, exclude individuals, or cause alienation. To apply these diversity principles to functioning in the host country context, with a diverse host country population, and with certain host country beliefs or practices that may not be consistent with the Peace Corps approach. Making diversity-related materials available to Volunteers and staff through such methods as the distribution of appropriate articles and features in the newsletter, opinion pieces by representatives of different groups, and the establishment of an American cultures section in the posts resource center that includes the literature (novels, nonfiction) of different American groups. (This is an excellent tool for Volunteers who wish to make the connection between what theyve learned in the Peace Corps and how they can apply it when they get back home.) Recognition of accomplishments and milestones of different groups (such as African-American history month).

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post A number of materials and session plans have been developed to help posts provide training to both staff and Volunteers in this important area. Diversity workshops have already been piloted in the field for Volunteers and staff, and posts are urged to contact their country desk units and PC/W training support sources for more information on these materials. 5. 5.1. ADMINISTRATIVE AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

Post Accountability and CD and AO Knowledge of Financial and Administrative Systems The country director and the administrative officer ensure complete financial and administrative accountability as described in the Peace Corps Manual, the Overseas Financial Management Handbook, and federal regulations. Both the country director and administrative officer demonstrate strong professional knowledge of post administrative, financial, and logistical operations to meet this responsibility. Questions to Think About How would you, as country director, describe your role as the person ultimately responsible for the legal and effective operation of the Peace Corps in your country? What does this mean for you? Do you feel that, at present, you are sufficiently knowledgeable about agency and federal regulations to truly evaluate the compliance of post financial and administrative policies and procedures? As the person ultimately responsible, are you satisfied with your knowledge of the following? The post Operating Plan (Op Plan). Do you have a good understanding of the plan? Do you know the most important line items? Do you know how much is allocated for each purpose code and how much (roughly) for the major activities? Do you know how these amounts were arrived at? Which ones are the most problematic? Which ones are the posts priorities? FOR Post Reports (Post Authorization Summary, Budgeted Funds Used, Obligation Details) How comfortable are you with FOR Post? Are you able to use it to tell you where youre spending and what shape youre in at any given moment? Or are you heavily dependent on the AO and admin staff to interpret whats going on? Spending. Who is making the spending decisions at your postis it one person or is it a coordinated effort? Is your spending according to plan? Are the section managers who are requesting goods or services knowledgeable of their own budgets and remaining funds? Is the system working, i.e., are the right decisions being made for all the different sections and operations? Would the AO and section managers agree with you? Budget Reviews. How often do you conduct formal budget reviews? Informal ones? Who participates in the reviews? Do you know where things are tight and where they are more comfortable? What strategies and controls are you using in the tight areas? Who is developing these strategies? What activities or items are most in danger of being cut (or have been cut), and what would you add if you had a little more funding? Do you maintain a prioritized list of items or services that you would add, if you had the funds? What are some specific areas of 108 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post potential savings? How has the quarterly plan varied from the original plan? Why has it changed? If there is a lack of appropriated funds to support an important activity, are there host country or partner contributions that could support the shortfall? Host country contributions (cash and in-kind). What do the host country contributions consist of? Do you know how much are they worth? (Are they specifically directed to an item or service, i.e. living allowances?) Do you have problems obtaining them from the host country? Do you think they will be increasing or decreasing in the future? Are they covering some things, such as training of HCN counterparts, you could not take care of out of the Peace Corps appropriated funds? When was the last time you met with host country representatives to review or adjust these contributions? Do you think a meeting might be due and useful? FOR Post and the accounting systems handle HCC funds differently than appropriated funds. Many posts have had fraud problems with their HCC funds. Do you have the right checks and balances with the collection and disbursement of HCC funds? Vehicle fleet. Do you have enough vehicles to support the Volunteers and the program? Are they being used strategically or could some major changes be made in their usage? Are they being well taken care of? If not, what is the problem? If you are short on vehicle support, what rationale would you have for defending a ceiling increase? Personnel. How are office or training salaries being determined? Are salaries competitive; are you getting and keeping good people? How do benefits compare with other sectors or companies? Are office and personnel policies and procedures clear and written down somewhere and are they accessible? (Do you have an office or employee handbook? If not, should you write one?) If you asked staff members what their biggest problem or challenge is, what would they say? ICASS (the International Cooperative Administrative Support Services agreement with the embassy). What does it mean and how does it work? Who attends the ICASS meetings? Who reviews the work counts and other reports? Are you being over-assessed? Reports. What are the major post reports that are required? Who prepares them and when do they go in? Are they being done well? Are they useful? Do you have a report calendar? Other administrative functions and oversight responsibilitiesleases and contracts, procurement authority, purchase card and centrally billed card responsibilities, delegations, imprest fund verification, medical supply controls, signatory duties. What is your role in each of these? Are you comfortable with how each is operating and the part you are playing? Did you know that you have personal liability to ensure that contracts are administered? Day-to-day operations. Do you have a good sense of the basic, day-to-day duties of the administrative officer? Of the distribution of work in the administrative section, i.e., who does what and who reports to whom? Of the responsibilities and duties of the different admin subsections? How much overtime are the AO and staff putting in? Are any of them spending too much time in the office on evenings and weekends? Who seems overloaded and who does not? What could you do about this?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Modeling behavior. Do you model compliance in financial and administrative matters? Do you occasionally ask staff to make a questionable expenditure for something in your house? Do you occasionally ask a driver or another staff member to do something personal for you? Would you be embarrassed if everyone knew everything you requested? Ideas and Resources This characteristic focuses on two critical points: (1) As the CD, you bear the ultimate responsibility for the legal and efficient operation of the financial and administrative activities at your post. (2) As the CD, you must have sufficient professional knowledge of administrative and financial principles and operations to provide leadership in those operations at post and evaluate whether they are in compliance with the rules and regulations and meeting the objectives of your program. These two points are at the basis of all administrative and financial activities at your post and are worth serious reflection on your part. For the first point, Peace Corps administrative and financial management is governed by agency and federal regulations, as well as agency policy. These regulations and policies must be followed and it is the CDs responsibility, with the assistance of the AO, to see that they are. The regulations, policies, and procedures are found in documents such as the Peace Corps Manual, the Overseas Financial Management Handbook, the Federal Acquisition Regulations, and a series of other agency and federal sources. And, whereas the administrative officer is the technical specialist in this area, whose duty it is to manage the day-to-day admin and financial operations, the CD is vested with the legal responsibility for compliance and performance. Again, this is a legal responsibility, which cannot be taken lightly or passed on. The second point is about how you carry out this responsibility. As the CD, you must provide leadership and direction to the administrative officer and section, as to all of the program. To provide that leadership and direction and ensure the compliance and effective operation of administrative and financial affairs, you must have a sufficient mastery of the subject matteri.e., the budget, spending, financial procedures and regulations, administrative rules and activities, internal controls, the administrative staff and organization, day-to-day operations, and reporting. The administrative officer may serve as your technical specialist in these areas, your chief of staff in financial and administrative matters, to whom you may delegate the day-to-day management, but you must be sufficiently and professionally knowledgeable and active in these areas, so that you know well what the principles, objectives, issues, and challenges are. So, how much detail do you need to know about procurement rules, contracts and leases, imprest fund management, vehicle policies, questionable and prohibited expenses, and day-to-day issues? The more the better. Certainly enough for you to work comfortably and collaboratively with your administrative officer and staff in determining and reviewing budgets, spending, systems, and policies. The more you know and the more familiar you are in administrative and financial matters, the more confidence you will inspire and the more leadership you will be able to provide to all of your staff. There is no doubt: The learning curve in admin and financial matters in the Peace Corps is a steep oneit is steep for admin officers, as well. But it is worth all the time and effort you put in to climb it. 110 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post In the Questions to Think About section above, provide a good general list of areas you should know about. Can you answer these questions? Peace Corps, through its Overseas Staff Training curriculum, regional meetings, technical specialists, and a growing collection of training materials, has placed much emphasis on helping CDs learn the admin and financial aspects of post operation. Knowand studythe reference materials: the financial management and report checklists, the IPBS and PBR instructions and content, the vehicle policies, the procurement and acquisition principles, lease requirements, general property policies, the key manual sectionsand know the people to consult for help. The AO should always be able to explain his or her proposed decisions or actions in terms of the regulations and policies. And you should be able to explain them as well. If you are not sure about an action, do the research and discuss it with the AO. If you and the AO are unsure of, or have differing interpretations of, a regulation or policy, look it up, and do not hesitate to consult the technical experts at HQyour regions chief administrative officer (CAO), the OGAP (Office of Global Accounts Payable), chief or FMO (Financial Management Officer), your budget manager and analyst, procurement and acquisition specialists, your General Counsel representative, etc. Thats what they are there for and they want to support you. Again, it is not possible for you to know each and every regulation in detailno one is expecting that. Nor does the AO know every regulation in detail. But you both must have a sufficient understanding of proper financial and administrative management to provide the leadership, guidance, and oversight to achieve and maintain compliance in your operations. And you must know the tools available and have a successful working relationship. These are dealt with further in sections 5.2 and 5.3, which follow. 5.2. Country Director Communication and Relations With the Administrative Officer and Staff The country director has an effective working relationship with the posts administrative officer and meets regularly with the AO and staff. Questions to Think About Do you have a smooth relationship with your administrative officer? Would you call it a trust relationship? Why or why not? Do you meet regularly with your AO (once a week, or once every two weeks)? Do you and the AO regularly strategize together about budget, spending, and administrative policies, procedures, and practices? As CD, you bear the ultimate responsibility for the legal and effective operation of the Peace Corps in your country. How do you carry out this responsibility? And how do you share the responsibility with the administrative officer? Is this arrangement working smoothly? Would you change anything? How would the administrative officer describe his or her role in sharing this responsibility? Have you had this discussion? Ask your AO.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Do you and your AO discuss nonfinancial administrative issues, such as programming, training, medical, safety and security, Volunteer support, and the state of Peace Corps in your country? Judging from your exchanges with the AO, do you think he or she could describe the major current programming, training, Volunteer, etc., activities and issues at post? And could you, the CD, describe the status of the budget and other significant financial and administrative matters? Do you think your AO would say that you micromanage? Or that you dont pay enough attention to (or know enough about) administrative and financial matters? Are you comfortable with your level of involvement with the AO and in admin and financial matters? Is your AO comfortable with that level? How do you knowhave you and the AO discussed the role of the CD in admin and financial functions, and are both of you satisfied with the working relationship? How do you evaluate the performance of the AO? When was the last AO evaluation you conducted? Were you satisfied that it was a productive process? Why or why not? What changes, if any, might you make in the approach or process for the current evaluation period? Do you ever meet with the administrative section as a group? On a regular or occasional basis? What is the purpose of the meetings? What do you do or discuss? How do you get feedback from them on work conditions, job issues, or what their problems or satisfactions might be? Are administrative duties appropriately delegated? Are admin staff doing too much or too little to support the administrative officer? Are you, as CD, doing too much or too little to support the AO? Ideas and Resources If there is anything as important as your and your administrative officers mastery of administrative and financial matters, it is how the two of you work together. There is perhaps no more important working relationship on the Peace Corps staff, because the two of you, working as a team, provide the platform and resources upon which everything else is built. You are, in many ways, the role models for all staff, American and host country alike, and how you function together can shape how everyone else relates to you and to each other. At the same time, this relationship is fraught with all the issues common to any relationship between supervisor and employee, manager and technical specialist. It can be very intimidating if you (or the AO) dont know what youre talking about, or feel that the other doesnt, and that is another strong reason for both of you to have a solid mastery of your subject matterand confidence in the other. The CDAO relationship cannot be a power struggle or one based on miscommunication or misunderstandings, or where one person feels threatened by the othersuch things will be destructive for both the work and the relationship. You depend on each other too much, and you need to have a high level of trust in each other and work smoothly together. If this is not the case, then improving the relationship should become a very high priority for both of you.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Here are some strategies for a smooth and successful working relationship between the CD and AO: Respect. So much is about respect. The CD needs to have the admin officers respect, and the AO needs to have the CDs respectand that respect must be clearly demonstrated. This is not just a respect that comes with age or position, but a respect that is earned and willfully given because both the CD and the AO see worthy, valuable, and helpful partners in each other. How does the CD encourage this? By being thoughtful, open, fair, interested in the AO and his or her work and staff, by being competent in the subject matter (including leadership, management, and admin and financial issues), by asking the AOs opinion and being open to the AOs ideas, and by being valuable and genuinely helpful to the AO. If an admin officer feels the CD is there to help him or her, give valuable advice, ask good questions, show reliable leadership, and have confidence in him or her, then the AO will come to the CD willingly and be glad to be a part of a positive, professional association. From the other perspective, the AO must be helpful to the CD, provide the information the CD needs and wants to know, help the CD master the subject, ask the CDs opinion on admin and financial matters, and discuss genuine problems with the CD. Neither side should have any interest in withholding information or seeing information as power. This is not helpful to the relationship or the work. What is helpful is a competent partner, who can share the burden and the trust. Sections 2.6 (Knowledge of Day-to-Day Operations), 3.7 (Interviews With Staff), and 5.1 (Financial and Administrative Accountability) discuss the important knowledge areas and techniques for keeping well informed about whats going on. Meet often. As CD, make sure you and the AO are not just talking about crises and problems every time you get together, as that can too easily shape the pattern of your communication and, ultimately, your relationship. Meet regularlyonce a week, or every two weeksat a prescribed time and talk about a variety of things, such as the organization of the administrative section, plans for training, site visits, staff morale, how the Volunteers are doing, new procedures, working with the embassy, the budget, staff development, the program and your vision for it, leave plans, your Volunteer experiences, his or her Volunteer experiences, etc. There is much you can discuss that will end up being useful and valuable and it can all raise the level of trust and confidence between you. Support the AO and staff. The CD must show an interest in the administrative staff and systems and support them in both words and practice. As CD, you need to respect the rules and procedures; recognize the AOs and admin staffs achievements in front of Volunteers and other staff; and make sure they know youre on their side and that you value their work. It is easy for the administrative officer and staff to think that otherse.g., APCD/PMsdo the glamorous work and get all the glory while the admin people get stuck with the bureaucracy and the reputation as the bad-guy enforcers of the rules. You can and need to show them otherwise. The AO and staff as enablers. As CD, make sure the AO knows that you see the administrative section as key people in supporting the Volunteers and enabling them to achieve their goals. Let the AO and section know that that they can be a source of creative thinking that helps

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Volunteers and other staff accomplish new and useful things in support of the program. Too often, an AO and admin staff can get tagged as rules enforcers and Dr. Nos. The admin folks need to have permission to concentrate on how the rules and systems can and should help maybe a procedure or policy needs to be interpreted or viewed a little differently, or a thing cant be done this way, but it could be done that way. Or maybe a procedure needs to be changed and the AO or an admin staff member has a good idea for doing that. These are things they can do and do well, if given permission. The CD should ask for their opinions and help in this effort to make the support systems positive and constructive. And, in the end, if there is no way around a problem, rule, or procedure, support them. As for the AO and admin staff, one way for them to stop being tagged as naysayers is not to say no. When the CD or another staff member (or a Volunteer!) comes in with a question or an idea, the AO or admin staff should do a little research and reflection, instead of defaulting to reasons why it cant be done. They can say, Ill get back to you, then go look into it, discuss it, see what can be done, what could be changed, or how the idea might be altered to get the outcome the CD or other person is looking for. If you can succeed in having the AO or staff do this, the work will benefit and so will the relationship. If, in the end, the thing just cant be done and the person making the request gets a good explanation why, he or she will appreciate having been heard and responded to, and will better understand the circumstances. Other involvement, outside of administration. Finally, the CD should get the AO and other administrative staff involved in other aspects of the program and not just admin and finance. Make sure theyre a part of the whole picture and that they are familiar with and feel a part of the Volunteers activities and the agencies programs. This is important. They need to get out, see, and understand the results of their work. The sections below, especially 5.6 and 5.7, will give more strategies about connecting admin staff with other parts of the program. 5.3. Internal Control Systems and Compliance Internal control systems (e.g., cash counts, inspection of receipts, vehicle policies, and segregation of procurement activities) are established, known, and followed by the country director and administrative and other staff. The country director takes responsibility for overseeing, testing, and evaluating these systems periodically. Questions to Think About Have you completed an Administrative Management Control Survey (AMCS) at your post? If so, what did you learn from it? What areas would you single out for improvement or change? If you have not filled out an AMCS yourself, have you found one at post that you could use to learn about post activities? Have you requested the latest edition from the region? When was the last time you Performed a cash count? Reviewed imprest fund receipts? Inspected vehicles and safety and emergency equipment?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Reviewed Volunteer files? (Make a list of two or three essential documents or pieces of information in the PCV files and go look for them.) Reviewed the emergency locator forms? Checked time and attendance documents to make sure they are being used correctly and the system is accurate and working? Reviewed three quotes on a contract, lease, or purchase? Reviewed a lease? A personal services contract (PSC)? Checked the performance appraisal system and schedule to see if supervisors are conducting interim review sessions and staff members have work plans and are following them? Reviewed vehicle logs for appropriate use of vehicles and completeness of information? Checked Volunteer leave or other information in VIDA to see that it is up-to-date? (Make a list of several selected pieces of information for each Volunteer and go looking for them.) If you had a question about administrative requirements, controls, or compliance, would you know where to look or whom to ask? Does your post have an administrative or office handbook that provides administrative and office rules and regulations for staff? (For example, vehicle and driving regulations and policies, IT policies, performance appraisal system and appeal procedures, time and attendance procedures, etc.) Have you consulted other posts to compare your handbook and systems with theirs? Ideas and Resources Internal control systems exist, among other reasons, to protect the interests of the agency and the staff who work for it and to facilitate the flow of business. They accomplish this by guarding against acts or errors that would result in the misuse or loss of public funds or property, or that would be detrimental to Volunteers, staff, or programs. While the major source documents for internal controls are the Peace Corps Manual, the Overseas Financial Management Handbook, and the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), perhaps the most readable and comprehensive checklist of these controls is found in the AMCS, the Administrative Management Control Survey. The AMCS is available on the Intranet (under Core Activities) as an aid to posts in evaluating their compliance with administrative (and many other) policies, procedures, and regulations. The survey includes a complete list of policies and procedures and lets you estimate your posts level of success in carrying them out. Among administrative and financial matters, it includes, for example, imprest fund management and cashier operations, safekeeping, fleet control, information management, recordkeeping, accounting and reconciliation, SPA, PCPP and PEPFAR funds management, property management, procurement, guard service, contracts and leases, and many other things. It is an excellent educational tool and instrument for review, particularly as it is not used as an enforcement device, but rather as an instrument to help posts identify areas in which they need to improve and how they might do so. It is strongly recommended that overseas staff particularly CDs and AOs, but also PTOs, APCD/PMs, PCMOs, SSCs, and ITSs (there are programming, training, medical, security and IT sections, too)carry out a serious review of the Peace Corps 115

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post posts activities and compliance based on the AMCS. Having staff (including yourself) carefully fill out the pertinent sections of the AMCS, then reviewing the result, is a particularly useful exercise for new country directors, but is useful for any CD at any point in his or her tenure. A follow-up review and discussion with staff can bring great value to this exercise, especially if done together in an open, constructive manner. Mistakes, lost property or funds, corruption, and fraud all happen. Cases of organized systems of kickbacks, falsified receipts, artificially inflated prices, etc., have been found to be going on for years before being unearthed. Those who dont have the time or patience for administrative controls will find that mistakes, losses, fraud, or corruption will take up a whole lot more time, undermine your other success, and ruin your operation. Its far better to take steps to prevent such an occurrence, but if something does happen, follow the right procedures in reporting it to your regional director, chief administrative officer, general counsel, and inspector general in PC/W right away. These things cant be ignored; they dont go away. Another valuable idea is to review the semiannual reports from the Office of the Inspector General (IG)and the last couple of IG audit reports for your post (it doesnt matter how far back they go). Both of these sources will give you a good sense of the kinds of issues the IG encounters (and is looking for) and the problems your own post has experienced in the past. Look these over and discuss them with members of your staffthis can be an excellent review and reminder for all of you of areas of your operations that need particular attention. 5.4. Posts Resources for Supporting the Volunteers The posts use of resources reflects a priority of supporting Volunteers and their project activities in the field. Staff and Volunteers respect the Peace Corps philosophy of moderation. Questions to Think About If you had to cut $10,000 from your country program budget, what would be the first items to go that would not affect the level of support to Volunteers? Why would you choose these? Are there projected expenditures in your posts budget whose necessity or appropriateness you are not sure of? What are they? Why do you question them? What changes might you make in these areas? Are there any disagreements among your staff members about what they should and shouldnt have (in terms of housing, office facilities, travel practices, or site visit amenities, etc.)? How are these questions being decided? Are they, in fact, being decided? Are there things (facilities, materials) you feel Volunteers should have but dont? What is the problem? Are there alternate ways to obtain them? Are there things some Volunteers feel they should have about which you (or other staff) dont agree? How is this being resolved? Are there great discrepancies? Overall, do you think the level of Volunteer support is sufficient, based on past experience and staff and PCV feedback?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Could you realign resources to improve Volunteer support, through budget adjustments or more efficiency in some procedures? Does a team of staff members (including admin, programming, medical, security, etc.) participate in determining appropriate Volunteer support levels (housing, travel, supplies, etc.)? In the absence of consensus, how do you determine the appropriate levels of support? In the end, are there levels of Volunteer support that you would like to improve, but are unable to? What are the constraints and how could they be overcome? What strategies would you use to discuss this with the region? Do Volunteers provide direct input to staff regarding PCV support? Does the post employ surveys, VAC meetings (or equivalent), and training events to solicit input? Are you getting clear and consistent suggestions on some issues? Ideas and Resources There are two main points to this characteristic: (1) The use of Peace Corps resources must be clearly linked to the principal objectives of the programi.e., the Volunteers projects and accomplishments; and (2) The Peace Corps philosophy of moderation is understood and practiced by all. To ensure that these principles are being respected, CDs should carry out a regular reality check on country program resources. The Peace Corps provides for a range of facilities, materials, and staff at overseas posts, including direct Volunteer support items (Volunteer housing, supplies, allowances, bicycles, resource centers, training funds, materials and sites, etc.) and indirect Volunteer support items (i.e., operational items: staff offices, office furniture, computers, vehicles, staff travel funds, and facilities such as storage rooms, office kitchen/lunch areas, parking areas, and U.S. staff overseas housing). The primary purpose of all these things is to support, and to enable staff to support, the Volunteers and their work in the host country. Our intention should not be to reproduce America or American conditions, but to facilitate the most appropriate and effective mix of U.S. and host country resources in support of the Volunteers and their project activities. Program resources (staff, materials, and facilities) must be sufficient to support Volunteers. Volunteers must have what they need to accomplish their work, both in primary and secondary projects. If there are competing needs in the program budget, the benefit to the Volunteers work should be the deciding factor. At the same time, Peace Corps staff and Volunteers are not diplomats or highly paid technical assistance experts, and appearances or impressions that their work and lifestyle are supported at that level can be disruptive to the Peace Corps mission. This applies to staff as well as Volunteers and pertains to such varied elements as housing, with whom you work, what you buy, and how you travel. In setting and validating an appropriate path to support the Volunteer and program, it is the country director who must take the lead in ensuring that the Peace Corps philosophy of acting with discretion and moderation is fully understood and practiced. It is the CDs responsibility to be a role model and provide interpretations and examples to the rest of the staff and Volunteers regarding what is too little and what is too much, what is a necessity and what is not.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post A review and examination of how resources are being used should happen periodically, with input from both staff and Volunteers. Things should be questioned, not to the detriment of the Volunteers and the program, but to establish levels of need and appropriateness. The AO should be an important adviser in this process, as he or she is charged with keeping the country director informed and making recommendations regarding resources at post. But, again, the CD must take the lead and make sure that resources are being used appropriately and that Volunteers are being supported. In helping with these judgments, neighboring CDs in the field can be valuable sources of opinion on what is appropriate and what is not. Peace Corps rules and policies also tend to reflect a spirit or suggest common sense guidelines that can be applied to other questions. But perhaps the most valuable test resides in the Volunteers themselves: If you think it would be difficult justifying something (or the lack of something) to the Volunteers in general, there is probably a reason. (See also sections 2.9 and 2.10 regarding program resources and the workplace.) 5.5. Administrative Systems and Procedures Support the Volunteers The posts administrative systems, rules, policies, and procedures reflect a priority of supporting the Volunteers and their project activities in the field. These are reviewed periodically and modified to correct burdensome or counterproductive situations. Questions to Think About How often do you re-evaluate and update post policies and procedures? Who participates in the re-evaluation? Is it a systematic effort or more of an ad hoc process? How do you assure yourself that systems are working in support of the Volunteer and the program? That policies and procedures are doing what they are supposed to, and not making things more difficult? If you want to check up on a system or a policy, what do you do? Are there some systems, rules, policies, or procedures that are getting in the way? Are there things you need to do for the program or Volunteers but cannot, because of the system or policies? What could you do to remedy this? Are there policies that force the Volunteer to leave site to comply? Could you rectify this (e.g., could compliance be achieved by another meanscellphone, for exampleor is the policy necessary)? How do you communicate and explain policies and procedures to staff and Volunteers? Who does it and how often? Are the messages that are going out clearand consistent? How do you know? How do you make sure they have been understood? Are there useful steps you might take to improve the presentation of policies and procedures? Administrative approaches can range on a scale from making procedures easy and quick for both the staff and the Volunteers, to making them difficult and bureaucratic for all concerned. Where does your country operation fall on this continuum? Are current paperwork and time requirements necessary? Are they more difficult or complex than they need to be? How do the Volunteers, administrative staff, and staff in other sections feel about various policies and procedures? (Think of three examples.) Have you asked others for direct input on how to make things flow more easily? What would be a quick and productive way to obtain this feedback?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Do you arrange periodic opportunities for Volunteers and staff to get together to discuss administrative policies and procedures? How often do these exchanges occur? Do you have a method for acknowledging staff and PCV input and advising them of any subsequent decisions to change or keep a policy or procedure? Do Volunteers demonstrate an understanding of post administrative policies and procedures? Do they feel they are applied evenly and transparently? When a Volunteer expresses dissatisfaction with an administrative requirement, does he or she have an avenue of complaint that will elicit a response from staff? Have the majority been made to suffer with a difficult and unfriendly process because of someones bad experience or because a few were known to get away with things? How many were the few? How do you change this situation? Have you (or other staff) been forced into an unfortunate decision because a policy or process did not have any flexibility or adaptability built into it? How can you avoid such a situation? Ideas and Resources In every Peace Corps country, there are administrative systems that exist to guide and support the Volunteers and the program, organize resources and people, and ensure that everything is done in compliance with the law. These include a wide variety of policies, procedures, rules, and practices that have become the norm in country operations. Many of these are locally developed to meet Peace Corps or local requirements and may include, but are not confined to, such things as Volunteer reimbursement systems and definitions of reimbursable situations. Procedures for distributing living allowances. Property forms and systems. Procedures for renting Volunteer housing. Peace Corps arrangements with local banks that serve Volunteers. Volunteer leave and travel policies and procedures. Resource center, branch office, andwhere applicabletransit house systems and procedures. Presumably, a number of these were originally put in place by senior or admin staff, perhaps based on recommendations by Volunteers or support staff. Probably some have been reviewed, but many have notthey just keep going, even though technology or other considerations may have changed. Unfortunately, feedback is not always forthcoming, or listened to, and problems can arise before appropriate steps are taken to adapt or change a system. The point of this characteristic is to remind staff that there needs to be a regular or periodic review of administrative systems so they remain practical and relevant. This is not a case of fixing something that is not broken. Rather, its an effort to make sure that things are not breaking (you might not know) and to keep them working for those theyre intended to serve. In the discussion on living allowance surveys and reimbursements in section 4.3, the idea was presented of measuring your system on a continuum of the ease or flow of service. This same approach can be applied to many systems: i.e., how easyor how difficultare you making things for the people who must receive the service and the people who must administer it?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Here are several tests that might be applied to your systems or rules: Are the systems (policies, etc.) clearly understood and practical? If they are complicated or difficult to follow, the tendency will be to use them incorrectly, or not use them at all. As a consequence, they will be difficult to enforce or depend on. Can you monitor your systems? Ask your staff members who do the monitoring about this. If you cant tell whether the systems are working, is it right to insist on or enforce them? And, in any case, do you think you can enforce them fairly (and not arbitrarily)? Have your systems and procedures been propagated through communication and understanding, or by edict? People will follow rules and procedures if they understand the need for them, and if they understand how the systems will benefit them in the end. This works better than laying down a rule or procedure you cant implement or enforce (or even justify) and then saying, Do itits my way or the highway. In fact, people do have a choice; they can ignore it or go around it, and thats what many will do, whatever the consequences. Are your systems based on common sense, reality, and simplicity? If so, they will have a better chance of success. Management experts say, The fewer the rules, the better the operation. Did those who are controlled by the system have a hand in its design? The more input they have, the more they will be invested in making it work. Did those who must implement the system day-to-day have a hand in its design? They are the ones who will probably know more readily where the weak or burdensome points are and what might be done to correct them. Below are several ideas for reviewing systems to determine whether they are clear, practical, sensible, and enforceable: Ask the users (Volunteers and staff) what systems, policies, procedures, etc., ought to be changed and how they should be changed. If you already know some problem areas, inquire about them specifically. Ask for solutions and new ways of doing things. You can address an open memo or survey to Volunteers in general, or turn to the VAC or a committee of Volunteers or staff. Or, consider a short, clear written survey at an IST, MST, or COS; tally the results quickly and take the time to discuss them with the Volunteers in a session. Whatever approach you use, it should provide some interesting feedback. Ask administrative and other staff members who manage or administer the systems to rate their effectiveness. They know what works, what is burdensome, and what users react badly to. They could have some simple and very workable suggestions for improvement. Have a re-invention week, especially with the staff. Tell them this is a time for them to identify obstacles and suggest easier ways and solutions. The spirit of a combined effort may motivate some people who normally wouldnt speak up. If you make changes for improvement based on staff and Volunteer suggestions, tell them. Let them know there is a desire to make things better and that their feedback is contributing to change. And if the Volunteer or staff input does not result in change, explain that, too, and tell

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post them why. Transparency in policyand in decision-makingwill improve both the trust and communication between staff and Volunteers. It shows you are listening to them and, if you cannot make the change they suggested, you are taking the trouble to explain the reasons and other factorswhich may include health or safety and security concernsthat had to be considered. They will appreciate this. Finally, some problems seem virtually impossible to resolve by local changes, because the underlying system or rule is not a local initiative, i.e., perhaps it is prescribed in the regulations or in the Peace Corps Manual. The manual can be very specific on some issues, including Volunteer leave outside the country of service, what can and cannot be included in the living allowance, when per diem can and cannot be given, how reimbursements for stolen property must be handled, and what authorized funds can and cannot be used for. In cases where something needs to be done or addressed and you are controlled by these rules, there may still be ways of finding constructive, alternative strategies to solve the problem. Dont give up. Consult with the experts, in the region or in HQ. Let them know the problem you are facing. This discussion may be useful for them and for you. They may be able to tell you how other posts have handled the issue. And talk to fellow CDs as well. Overseas posts face a lot of common challenges and they may have some suggestions for you. Remember through it all that your job is to comply with the law and policy while making the system function most effectively and efficiently for those doing the work. Sometimes creativity and new ideas will provide you the best solution. (Also see section 1.5 on Understanding the Peace Corps System; section 4.3 on Allowances, Housing, and Other Basic Administrative Support; and section 5.10 on Staff and Volunteer Role in Developing Policies and Procedures.) 5.6. Administrative Staff Contact With, and Knowledge of, Other Sections The administrative officer and section have regular contact with programming, training, medical, safety/security, and other staff, and show practical knowledge of their activities and issues. Questions to Think About Does the admin officer have an effective, professional working relationship with the APCD/PMs? With the PTO? With the PCMO? With the SSC, training manager? If not, what seems to be standing in the way? Does the AO meet with these other section heads and staff members on a regular basis? Or does their contact focus mainly on specific problems that arise? Do they ever go to lunch together? Travel together? Do administrative staff members deal directly with the PCMO, APCD/PMs, SSC, or training staff? When does this happen and is it working? If it doesnt happen, when could it? Can members of the administrative staff explain the Peace Corps program in the host country and describe the different projects? Can they describe the APCD/PMs job in support of the Volunteers and projects?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Can administrative staff members describe the PST schedule and how PST works? Could they describe the methods and values of Peace Corps training to a non-Peace Corps host country national? Do other staff members recognize the needs the AO and admin section have for accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of information? How are you (the CD) doing as a role model in carrying out administrative procedures and supporting the AO and admin section? What could you do to increase or better demonstrate that support? Ideas and Resources The programming, training, medical, and safety/security sections must rely heavily on the administrative section for much of what they do. They all need funds, supplies, vehicles, communications support, and workable, practical procedures to carry out their operations. But it is easy for these sections to feel misunderstood or neglected by the admin section if there is not adequate exchange or communicationthat is, if they feel theyre not getting what they need, when they need it, they may feel tempted to think that the admin office does not appreciate the seriousness of their job and challenges in supporting the Volunteers. Administrative staff, on the other hand, may find that other sections dont take their concerns or requirements seriouslyor appreciate their hard work and contributions, especially if admin folks are encountering compliance problems from other staff and feel left out of the programming and training activities in the field. Administration must have continual input and feedback (and appreciation!) from the other sections if they are going to provide the right kinds of support. Interoffice relations and teamwork are a critical ingredient of a well-functioning post. The kind of relationship you (as CD) want with the AO and his or her staffone of cooperation and a feeling of working on the same sideis exactly what others should have as well, whatever the section. To respect the activities of and give support to the other sections, and provide them with creative assistance or solutions, the administrative section must know what the problems are, what is needed, and how things are done. Programming, training, etc., on the other hand, must see the administrative sections side of things as well, understanding that they must have certain information and requirements (forms, reports, procedures, regulations), and that admin needs to be included in the whole picture. The answer, of course, is to promote steady contact and communications and a spirit of cooperation between administrative folks and the other sections. Here are some techniques to help you: Of course, the administrative officer should always be a full participant in all senior staff meetings, where post policies, plans, strategies, and actions are discussed and decided. This regular senior staff interaction and discussion will keep all section managers up-to-date and help them understand the current issues and initiatives of each office (executive, admin, programming and training, safety and security, and medical). It will also improve communication and coordination and build an esprit de corps among the core team at post.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Indeed, it is a good idea to consider whether other members of the admin section should also be regular attendees at senior staff meetingse.g., the financial specialist or general services officer. Their roles and activities may be so integral to overall post operations that their presence at the meetings may be valuable to all and help contribute to a stronger team. For example, this would be the opportunity for the general services officer to present a revised travel request form or review the travel schedule for the next month. Such interaction would help build the confidence of the admin staff member, allow him or her a forum to explain policies and procedures, and provide other staff an opportunity to ask clarifying questions. And it is an opportunity to build host country staff capacity and be clear that important responsibilities go beyond the American staff. This approachregular or perhaps periodic attendance at the meetingsmay vary according to individual CD style or preference, but it is worth serious consideration. The country director should schedule the AO (and other members of the financial management team, as appropriate) to present major milestones in the budgetary cycle to senior staff, in order to explain the process for each, solicit input and questions, and provide a clear picture of post resources and requests to headquarters. Presentations should take place early enough in the cycle to allow staff time to consider and provide input that could affect budget requests and decisions for that milestone. By making the budget process more transparent and participatory, the AO can promote a more coordinated and effective resource allocation; and all post sections should gain a better understanding of the work of the admin section, the different sections needs, and available resources. It will allow major budgetary decisions to consider the post as a whole as opposed to a collection of separate entities in competition for limited resources. The AO (and/or key admin staff) should meet regularly and separately with the managers of the other sections. They should do this for the same reason the country director does itto exchange information and form a relationship based on something other than problem or crisis management. This doesnt mean a series of long, oppressive meetingswho has time for that?but rather brief, periodic conversations, where those involved tell each other what they are doing and what they can do for, and need from, each other. This should happen between administration and programming, administration and training, administration and medical, administration and safety/security, and it should happen perhaps once every two weeks or perhaps once a month. They should plan things together (site visits, ISTs, etc.) and even do some of those things together (e.g., administrative staff members should visit Volunteers and go to training events). This type of communication will help everyone see other perspectives and the bigger picture and work accordingly. The country director should support the AO and members of the administrative staff in their attempts to go into the field and see the fruit of their work. This includes official or unofficial site visits to Volunteers, visits to and participation in training (including both PSTs and ISTs), presence at Peace Corps events, ceremonies, and conferences, and participation in social and other activities that other staff are involved in. Sometimes this means reminding other staff (APCD/PMs, SSC, etc.) to include them, as well as actively encouraging the administrative staff to participate in outings. See sections 2.2 (staff as a team), 4.13 (site visits), and 5.7 (contact with Volunteers) for specific ideas on getting administrative staff involved in other sector activities.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The country director should demonstrate clear support for the AO and admin staff in making sure that admin staff get what they need from other sections. To do their job effectively, the AO and staff must have specific information, input, and cooperation from other sections. Examples would include (to name just a few): Travel vouchers filled out completely and correctly and submitted on time Medical, programming, safety/security, and training section budgets compiled and submitted on time Travel schedules and travel needs prepared and submitted ahead of time Conscientious performance of administrative oversight duties by non-administrative staff (e.g., APCD/PMs and PCMOs must carefully check Volunteer reimbursement requests for content before approving them and passing them on to administration for accounting and procedural review). Staff in other sections have a variety of these administrative responsibilities: duties they must perform so the administrative section can provide appropriate support. These are areas where communications commonly break down and problems arise, when non-admin staff dont respect the rules, procedures, or deadlines, or carry out requirements incompletely or incorrectly, thereby making life difficult for administrative staff. The CD can provide a clear, positive role model by demonstrating the importance of fulfilling administrative requirements correctly, and make the AO and admin staffs jobs much easier and more effective. Finally, the country director should generally encourage the active exchange of information across sections, so that everyone has a better idea and more knowledge of what the others are doing and how it all fits together. There is a variety of ways to do this, including sharing of program documents, reports, and correspondence, briefings from section managers on activities (for example, a briefing from the PCMO on a particular illness and preventive techniques that Volunteers are being encouraged to follow), and staff participation in field activities. These ideas are covered in several sections, including 2.2 (staff as a team), 3.1 (pride and loyalty), and 4.13 (site visits), among others. And if administrative staff should be educated about the activities of other sections, the reverse is also true. Programming, medical, and other staff need to know about the activities of the administrative section, what the members of the section do, and why it is important. This can be accomplished through exchange of information at staff meetings, brief summaries by administrative staff members of their activities, clear presentations to all staff (and Volunteers) of systems, rules, policies, etc., tools such as the staff directory (see 5.7, below), and staff retreat activities.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 5.7. Administrative Staff Contact With, and Knowledge of, Volunteers The administrative officer and staff have regular contact with Volunteers and are acquainted with field conditions through conversations and visits. Questions to Think About How are administrative staff members and Volunteers (or trainees) introduced to each other? When and where do the introductions take place? How often and when do they have subsequent contact with each other? Do you think there is a smooth relationship between the admin staff and the Volunteers? Do Volunteers easily approach the AO and his or her staff for assistance? Do Volunteers consider the AO and staff to be helpful? Could relations between these groups be improved? What could you, as CD, do to support understanding between the two groups? How would you characterize the AOs and administrative staffs personal knowledge of the Volunteers? Do the staff know the Volunteers names? Do Volunteers know the staff? What do admin staff know about Volunteers primary and secondary projects, their day-to-day lives and living conditions? Do administrative staff have sufficient experience and contact with Volunteers to understand their situations and problems? Do administrative staff members visit training sessions (PST and ISTs)? If so, what do they do there? Do they ever play a direct role in training events or are they involved in a training support capacity on-site? Do you feel there are any assumptions or misunderstandings that could get in the way between the admin staff and Volunteers? For example, Volunteers are just trying to get more money out of us, or Admin treats us like were trying to get away with something. What are you seeing and what could you do about it? Is there some form of Volunteer representation or forum (e.g., the VAC or a committee) that meets with the AO, or through which the AO can regularly receive input and feedback concerning problems or issues and explain administrative policies and procedures? What is the level of trust between the administrative section and Volunteers? How did it get where it is? What are some of the things that have helped it? What are some things that have hurt it? Have there been some particularly valuable lessons learned by staff with regard to that trust level? What happened? Ideas and Resources Section 5.6 presented reasons and techniques for getting administrative staff involved in and knowledgeable about what other staff, and the country program as a whole, are doing. It is equally important to make sure the administrative staff are in contact with and know the Volunteers. This means promoting and encouraging admin staffVolunteer interaction, which can be accomplished in a number of ways. Here are some suggestions:

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Make sure Volunteers know the administrative staff and their assigned responsibilities. This can be done through presentations and reminders in PST, in ISTs, and in the newsletter. It can be laid out even more clearly in a post booklet containing a picture of each of the staff members, along with their names, some personal information, a brief job description, and a summary of their function (e.g., See Marie if you have questions about per diems). Get the administrative staff and Volunteers together early (starting at PST), often, and in situations where they learn about each other not only in a job capacity, but also in a cultural and personal sense. Staff should come to PST and be introduced, but they should also spend time getting to know Volunteers. They can be excellent candidates for certain roles in training activities (cultural, geographic, security, language) and using them in this manner can strengthen the relationship between Volunteer and staff member. (See section 7.5 on staff participation in training, for more specific training ideas.) This same principle should be applied to ISTs and other Volunteer meetings. Get administrative staff out there. These are great opportunities for the admin staff to conduct admin business, present new policies and procedures, circulate drafts of other changes being considered, and receive direct input from the Volunteers on many issues. Their presence and contribution will reinforce their roles on the staff and in the Peace Corps family, increase their own personal knowledge and interest in the Volunteers, and assure the Volunteers that staff are interested in their perspective and want to hear their ideas. Take advantage of the newsletter. Do a profile of a different staff member each issue. Let the Volunteers know the human side of the person, where he or she is from, and what his or her background and interests are. Further, admin staff articles and columns can reinforce Volunteers understanding of office roles and responsibilities, as well as add a human voice to the discussion or presentation of an issue or procedure. Emphasize (to both groups) the administrative staffs role as helpers to Volunteers in a broad range of areas. Administrative staff have seen lots of Volunteers come and go, and they know a great deal about cultural, educational, language, and other areas, including technical. (For example, admin staff can be effective mentors for Volunteers in SED or income generation activities.) Reinforce this idea with Volunteers in memos and in the newsletter. Make sure admin staff members receive lots of information on the Volunteers, i.e., what their programs are, what they are doing, where they are, etc. As appropriate, pass around Volunteer lists, reports, correspondence, site visit summaries, secondary project pictures, and anything else that will let staff know about the lives and activities of the Volunteers. Many posts provide staff with a booklet or handout of photos of the Volunteers, with each persons name and program. Get the AO and admin staff out to visit Volunteers, preferably with a member of the program staff. While some admin staff may not have a direct role in site support, a personal contact and experience with the work and lives of the Volunteers can inform and inspire any staff member. See sections 2.2 (staff as a team), 4.13 (site visits), and 5.6 (contact with other staff) for specific ideas on getting administrative staff involved in other sector activities.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Be a role model. Let both the Volunteers and the administrative staff know that you think the admin staffs work is important. 5.8. Country Director and Other Staff Contributions to Budget and Resource Issues The country director and programming, training, medical, safety/security, and administrative staff all contribute directly to budget and resource planning, allocation, monitoring, and reporting. All sections are aware of, and responsible for, the planning and allocation of resources for their activities. Questions to Think About Are you (as country director) playing a guiding role in budget and resource management at your post? In what way? How are long-range strategic planning, resource prioritization, annual budget planning, and spending decisions arrived at by your staff? What part do you, the PTO, the AO, and other section managers and staff play in the decision process? How are you monitoring the use of funds and resources? What steps and tools are you using (again, how are you making use of FOR Post)? How often and how closely are you carrying out this monitoring? From your monitoring of resource usage, what are three or four major factors that seem to cause spending reality to be different from the budget plan, and why? Is this different in different sections? Do you discuss this with the AO and other section managers? How are section managers (e.g., PCMO, training, programming, etc.) planning and monitoring the use of their funds and resources? If youre not sure, ask them. Are all sections submitting appropriate budget and resource inputs for the post plan? Do they have an adequate sense of whether real spending and resource use correspond to their projections? How do they find this out? Are they working directly with the AO? What could section managers do to increase their participation in and understanding of the budget process? What could the AO do to help them? (For example, do the PTO and training manager review and manage the approved PST budget (Purpose Code 16) and understand how it supports the PST that they planned?) What happens when you have a budget crunch? How is this communicated to staff? What are the next steps? How are priorities set? What measures are taken, and by whom? What happens when there are some extra funds available (e.g., at the end of a fiscal year)? Do you maintain an ongoing wish list to work from? How are priorities set and decisions made? Ideas and Resources One way to isolate your AO and admin staff from you and everyone else is to make them solely responsible for things like the IPBS budget, enhancement and reduction decisions, the Operating Plan, monitoring of post spending, re-programming of line item budgets, living allowance surveys, and any number of supposedly administrative things. Of course, these are not just administrative responsibilities, but if others do not participate, they become so, to the detriment of all.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Indeed, the AO alone cannot really know whether the amount budgeted for medical supplies and activities is sufficient or effective. The PCMO must be involved. Otherwise, by default, last year will be the basis for budget decisions and last year may have no bearing on this year. At the very least, relying solely on the previous budget to formulate a new one perpetuates mistakes made in the previous year; but it also erects barriers against new ideas and improved ways of doing things. The same is true for PST and program development. If training and programming staff are not figuring needs for projected activities, the measure again becomes not something post wants or needs to do, but what post was able to afford last year. APCD/PMs know a lot about how Volunteers spend their money and what they need, and about how many site visits or programming trips they will need to make in the coming year. Training staff know whether the homestay costs will go up and if new language books will need to be written, printed, or purchased. Medical staff know what medicines they used last year, what the trends and indications are in Volunteer care, and whether changes will be necessary in the coming year. And the AO and admin staff all know whether and how many of these goods and services were obtainable and what they cost in the pastand what the guidelines and regulations are for budget formulation. And, while the CD bears the ultimate responsibility for managing the planning and use of resources to support the Volunteers and achieve the programs goals, and it is the admin officers job to conduct this function on a day-to-day basis, everyone needs to be involved in the process. The senior staff should have input into the monitoring and evaluation of whats been done before, how it is reported, and how it should be done the next year. And they all need to be guided by the AO and his or her staff to put their needs into a resource management perspective. These managers should all work openly together to prioritize the use of resources, with the AO serving as the technical advisor and the CD functioning as a consensus-maker, or court of last resort when necessary. This is an approach that can work in many planning, strategizing, and decision-making activities, and one that can contribute a great deal toward strengthening the senior staff as a creative, cooperative team. Here are a few specific techniques for getting and keeping senior managers involved in the budget and resource management process: Section managers should help determine and then manage their own budgets. Programming, training, medical, and safety/security should all have clear, budgeted amounts for their activities, which they have helped develop, and then have responsibility for monitoring and managing those budgets during the year. Section managers should have technical assistance in this management: i.e., they should have periodic meetings directly with the AO and relevant admin staff (once a month?) to go over the sections budget performance, needs, changes, and issues. Section managers need advice and help from the technical experts in financial matters, and the admin staff need direct input from the section representatives so they can know and see the challenges the sections face, and any changes that may need to come about (e.g., shifts in events or expenditures from one quarter to another). See section 5.6 about techniques for promoting admin staff communications and contact with other sections.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Section managers should be trained and involved in the budget planning and monitoring process from the beginning to the end: i.e., they have critical and integral roles to play in the IPBS, annual Operating Plan, and periodic budget reviews. They should be trained in the IPBS planning process and, through a retreat or similar exercise, should have an opportunity for in-depth reflection and direct input into these all-important planning and budget documents. They should receive updates and training for all of the important milestones in the budget process, so they are always informed and prepared for the next steps. They should participate in and fully understand the monthly and quarterly reviews and should be aware of quarterly budget, obligation, and actual spending numbers for their areas, so all funds are spent on activities that bring value to the post and yet are balanced so there is no need to return funds at the end of the year. Finally, the CD, working with the AO, should monitor, promote, and lead this coordinated process closely, conferring often with the AO and with section managers, to make sure each manager is on top of his or her budget and monitoring situation. In summary, the management of resourcesplanning, use, and monitoringshould be an inclusive, integrated process that involves all sections at post. Such an approach will greatly increase administrative staff understanding of post programming, medical, training, and security requirements and enlighten budget management. The same inclusion and integration will help nonadmin staff to appreciate resource and financial considerations in their planning and activities. In posts that have not achieved this level of cooperation, country directors should make a special effort to encourage the administrative officer to share more information at staff meetings, work directly with section managers, and hold training sessions during IPBS season (v-year chart, operating plan, enhancement/reduction requests) to draw in other staff. On the other side, the CD may have to actively encourage non-administrative staff to participate in budget planning and monitoring activities. 5.9. Participatory Budget Process and Flexibility to Reprogram Resources Because the budget allocation and implementation process is transparent and participatory, staff members understand the necessary correlation between the IPBS, the Operating Plan, and resource management; this understanding and collaboration allow post to manage change, unanticipated special needs, and new opportunities efficiently and appropriately. Redirecting resources is not an overwhelming or impossible task. Questions to Think About Have any of your staff or Volunteers come up with a program idea or new opportunity this year and asked for resource support to carry it out? What was the result? If the request was not acted upon, what were the reasons or problems? Was another outcome possible? Have you supported similar activities in the past? Do section managers and staff understand the relationship between the Strategic Plan (IPBS), the Operating Plan, and budget activities throughout the relevant fiscal year? Do they participate fully in all three phases?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Does budget execution correspond fairly closely to the Operating Plan? How great are the variances? Are the variances due to unforeseen circumstances, inaccurate assumptions, or new initiatives or ideas? Are you and your staff learning lessons from these variances? Are the lessons being incorporated into the periodic budget review process? Can you think of some positive examples of lessons learned and applied? Do you think your post is generally flexible or fairly rigid about reprogramming funds for new activities on short notice? Why do you think this is the case? Have you missed any great opportunities? Does your post have a priority list of activities that could benefit from additional funding if such funding becomes available? If so, how is this list created and maintained? Are all staff aware of the priorities and do they contribute to resource allocation decisions and to this list? Ideas and Resources In any well-managed post, there should be a strong correlation between the long-range strategic plan (IPBS), the approved budget plan for the year (the Operating Plan), and the way that budget is finally used. There should also be a broad participation on the part of section managers in the formulation and implementation of all these plans and activities. Managers (and admin staff) will have reflected on potential problem areas, areas for growth, new initiatives, and hopefully included these in their planning, and others will be aware of them. This is, of course, the ideal; but the more this kind of thinking and planning can be done, the more it is possible to consider reprogramming when it becomes necessary. Start the planning process early and provide opportunities for staff training, input, and collaboration all the way through budget formulation, execution, review, and reprogramming. This will help all involved gain a better understanding of the relationship between budget (the Op Plan) and post activities and how resources might be allocated differently in the future. If the Op Plan is well thought out and understood by all, it will be easier for managers and staff to put their initial assumptions in perspective and consider the value of changes. An Op Plan without broad staff participation may not bear much relation to the activities that staff members would like to see. If the assumptions in the Op Plan were not shared or understood by all, reacting to change and reallocating resources becomes a much more difficult process. All that being said, even with the best planning, conditions still change, as every manager and budget officer knows. Expenses come up and anticipated costs vary from assumptions, but also, new, possibly great opportunities arise. Characteristic 5.9 is a caution and an entreaty to CDs, AOs, and senior managers to be open and ready for new opportunities, particularly those that will add quality to a program or meet a critical need. New ideas often come from Volunteers who, in the course of their work or project development, see the great value of an unplanned workshop or exchange, or perhaps a new collaboration, or some creative addition to a project or investment in a Volunteer support activity. While, in the end, some of these proposals may not be feasible, they need to be listened to and considered; for great ideas have surely come out of some of them, such as annual gender development workshops for rural schoolgirls; new and valuable collaborative in-service training opportunities; sudden chances to boost the sustainability of a project, or do something definitive 130 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post about a crucial need, or increase cooperation with partners or host government officials. Thus, though there may not be extra, identifiable funds for these late entries, this is a strong exhortation to CDs, AOs, and posts to hear and consider the proposals and be prepared to re-evaluate priorities for resources to support them. Some new ideas cannot wait, as the window of opportunity is there and, with delay, will be missed. Try to find a creative approach or solution. Perhaps other planned activities can be put off to a later budget cycle. Or maybe some things can be combined, or delayed into another quarter. Or a small pilot might be begun this year that can test the waters and lay the groundwork for the next one to two yearsand you wont miss the chance. There may also be opportunities in turning to other sourcespartnersfor collaborative assistance. It is easy to forget that partners or other parties may also see enough value in an undertaking to want to contribute to it as well. In summary, reprogramming resources to support a new, unplanned idea should not be a forbidding or impossible task. The Peace Corps, itself, was just such a new idea that had been in no ones plans or on any radar screens until late in the game. We should be ready for the new and, indeed, be enthused by it. Some of the best initiatives have started this way. 5.10. Staff and Volunteer Role in Developing Policies and Procedures The country director and administrative, programming, training, medical, and safety/security staff play a joint role in developing and implementing procedures that affect them all. Volunteer input is solicited and included in actions and policies that affect the Volunteers. Questions to Think About Pick a system, rule, policy, procedure, or practice and run it through the following series of questions. For example, you might choose one of the following: (1) Reimbursement to Volunteers for official travel (2) Away from community policy (3) Whereabouts reporting system (4) Policies concerning Volunteer blog sites (5) Or pick another one you are having concerns about 1. Who are the primary managers or administrators of the system and who is most affected or managed by it? 2. Do you think the interests of both groups (managers and those being managed) are being served by the current system or policy? Do you think both groups understand the reasons for the policy? 3. Can the system or procedure be satisfactorily managed or administered in its present form, or are there problems? 4. Can the people being administered by it live with it? Are they complying, or are they trying to get around it? 5. Is it arbitrary or onerous in any wayto either the managers or those being managed? 6. Were both sides consulted when the system was set up? Peace Corps 131

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 7. Has the policy been seriously reviewed? How long ago? Do you think either group would have something to say about it today? 8. How would you go about conducting a review? 9. Who should be involved in rewriting or redesigning the policy or system? Ideas and Resources This characteristic is a corollary to section 5.5 (that systems, policies, and procedures must support the program and the Volunteers). The primary purpose of this additional characteristic is to reinforce for CDs, AOs, and section managers that, if these policies are going to succeed, stakeholders need to have a say in developing those that affect or govern them, or which they themselves must enforce. The Questions to Think About listed above are a good test to run policies and systems through to see if they meet the criteria. This process can be applied to new policies, procedures, etc., or those already in place that need review. Here are some further sample policies and systems and how they might affect various constituencies. These different perspectives must all be heard from and taken into consideration. Again, run these policies through the questions above and think about the comments below each one. Cashier hoursAn issue like cashier hours affects the cashier, the people who support the cashier, and those who must be served by him or her. A number of factors need to be considered, including who the cashiers customers are and when and how often they need to come in. How easy is it for them to come (think about Volunteers)and if they cant come, what are the consequences? Can a Volunteer get approvals and receive funds from the cashier all in one morning so that he or she can return to site the same day? If not, should the process or hours be changed? What other duties does the cashier have? How much time does the cashier need to dispense cash and how much does he or she need for other duties? Does he or she need particular blocks of uninterrupted time? What would be the best way to determine the optimum cashier hours? Who should be involved in the discussion? Vehicle reservationsVehicle reservation procedures involve not only the GSO but also the mechanics, drivers, and every staff member who might need a vehicle for official business. What is the procedure? How much advance time is required? Is that period of time realistic for the person needing the vehicle? What about for the persons preparing or being scheduled to drive the vehicle? Is the current system working? What about last-minute or emergency needswhat happens then? Medical billsProcedures for payment of medical bills affect not only the admin section, but also the PCMO, the patient and his or her rights of confidentiality, relations with providers, and often access and quality of service. How are these procedures working? Who set them up? Are there particular problems with providers? PC office hours and access(a) Office hours have an impact on everyonestaff, Volunteers, and customers. What is the history of office hours at your post? Why were they set up that way? What are the embassys hours? What about host government hours and those of other 132 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post organizations? Do these affect what the Peace Corps does? How is lunch time handled? Can people realistically go home for lunch? What do they do? What about flex time? Are there problems or suggestions for changes? How do you find all this out? (b) What about Volunteer access to the office and the resource center? Are there restrictions? What about during afterhours times and on weekends? Are there issues and creative ways to resolve them? Special cash needsThe need for large amounts of cash arises before PST or in other special circumstances. But there are risks involved in maintaining large amounts of imprest funds. What system do you have for cashier authorizations for a short pre-determined length of time? What is the procedure? How much advance time is required? Is everyone involved with PST or the special situation aware of this procedure and how much in advance it needs to be started? How long can you keep these extra funds? Most importantis it working? Or are there problems that need to be worked out? In summary, you (the CD) or the AO do not have to develop all these policies and systems. Nor could youyou cant know all the circumstances of those who must implement them or are affected by them. But you can be instrumental in making sure that the right peoplestaff, Volunteers, othersare consulted, and in fact are an integral part of the process. This means listening to them when there seems to be a need for a system or policy, encouraging their ideas and input as to how the system should work (or putting them on a committee to design the system), checking out draft procedures with them for smoothness and practicality and, finally, eliciting feedback from them as time goes on and conditions change. Committees of staff and Volunteers can get excited about a chance to design their own world. And when it is theirs, it is not just a rule anymore. 5.11. Administrative Reports Reports are submitted on time, both internally at post and to Peace Corps/Washington, and they address the issues and objectives they are supposed to address. They are prepared by the persons responsible for the activity and reviewed as a team effort. Questions to Think About Which are the major reports that come from the administrative section and which are the more routine ones? Who reviews and who signs off on them? Is this system working? Are they meeting Peace Corps and federal regulations? As CD, are you familiar with the subjects and information in the reports? Are there some that could be made clearer or that admin staff could brief you on? Who prepares these reports? Are administrative senior staff doing things that support staff could be doing? Is anyone working too hard and long to get them done, i.e., into evenings and weekends? Are administrative staff members having any problems obtaining necessary information or parts of reports from other sections?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Do you know the agencys reporting requirements and submission schedule? For planning purposes, is there a general timeline or schedule that lists the various reports, their due dates throughout the year, and the persons responsible for preparing, contributing to, and reviewing reports? Are administrative reports generally meeting deadlines? If not, what could be done to help meet deadlines? Are the various reports useful to the country program? Are you and others learning anything by completing the reports and reviewing the content? If not, could you? Do you have any feedback for PC/Washington on the usefulness of the reports? Ideas and Resources Two principal purposes of reports are to compile and organize information on an activity or situation, and to provide an opportunity (to both the preparers and the reviewers) for study, analysis, learning, and further planning and action on the activity or situation. For these purposes to be served, the reports need to be generated by the right peoplethose in a position to provide the information, and analysis if appropriateand submitted within a practical time frame. The administrative section is responsible for a wide variety of these reports, from major budget reports such as IPBS budget and fiscal year close-outs, to periodic budget reviews, personnel, vehicle status, imprest fund, host country contributions, lease, property, purchase, collections reports, and many others regarding Volunteer payments and other issues. These reports are a heavy burden on the administrative staff. Here are a few techniques the AO and CD can use to facilitate the reporting process and perhaps relieve or redistribute that burden: Delegate and distribute the work as much and as appropriately as possible. Administrative support staff can be doing a large part of this work, and people from other sections (programming, training, etc.) should be doing their part. Reporting can be both a learning experience and an opportunity for review, which, if shared, will spread these benefits among the greatest number of people. Establish a timeline or schedule that will serve as a continuous reminder of what is due, who is responsible for preparing it, who contributes, who reviews, and when each component must be done. The idea of setting up a timeline and duty roster can be applied to matters other than reports, serving as an organizational tool for the administrative section (and other sections) in a whole variety of matters. The important feature is that the people involved are able to take the initiative without the need for the AO or someone else to remind them. The timeline should be posted somewhere and reviewed on a frequent basis, at senior staff and section meetings. Work with staff to plan methods of record-keeping that will make completing the reports easier, e.g., keeping logs that track activities or transactions during the quarter so that completing the report is mostly a matter of retrieving the information from the log. In some cases, these logs or records already exist (on FOR Post, for example). Make sure staff members are completing and using these logs appropriately.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Conduct frequent, brief administrative staff meetings, which can serve to prioritize tasks and share information on current activities and progress. At some posts, admin sections hold these once a week, for example, first thing every Monday morning; some have five-minute prioritization meetings at the beginning of each day. Check reports carefully to establish and reinforce the expected standard. Where corrections need to be made, make sure the staff member knows why, and how and what to do the next time to avoid the same problem. Some reports have been discontinued, because they are no longer needed or the information is now being taken directly from the source. i.e., FOR Post. Be aware of these so you and your staff do not continue investing time in them. Monitor communications from HQ on report submissions. 5.12. Cross-Training and Backup coverage Cross-training plans and backup coverage systems exist and support all administrative staff members so they can go on site visits and take leave. Questions to Think About Is there backup coverage in place for all the major and regular tasks in the administrative section? Are operating systems and backup arrangements recorded in written form (manuals of operating procedure or handbooks, task analyses or job descriptions) so that responsibilities are clear, people know what to do, and reminders are unnecessary? Do the backup plans comply with agency and federal regulations, including employment status (e.g., FSN or USDH for alternate cashier duties), delegations of authority, and separation of duties? If the backup coverage is not complete at present, are there plans to complete it? Who is currently cross-training whom in the section? How were these choices made? Do cross-trainees get the opportunity to review and practice their skills from time to time? How is this accomplished? Are administrative staff taking their vacations and using their accrued annual leave? Who is and who isnt? What are the problems? Are any administrative staff consistently losing their accrued annual leave at the end of each calendar year? What about this yearwill all administrative staff be able to take leave this year? Are plans for backup in place, either through cross-training or hiring additional support? Are there any administrative staff members whose absences still cause particular hardship to the office? What can you do to resolve the situation? Is the AO conducting site visits to Volunteers? How often? Is it enough or should he or she go more often? Is lack of backup coverage a problem in this? What steps could be taken to increase the number of site visits?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are other administrative staff visiting Volunteer siteson formal site visits, accompanying other staff, or on some kind of weekend site visit program? Is lack of backup causing a problem in getting these staff out on visits? Ideas and Resources See section 2.8 for a full treatment of backup and cross-training. No one is so indispensable that his or her duties cannot be fulfilled sufficiently by another staff person for a limited time. This subject is particularly applicable to administrative staff, which is why it is included here as a separate characteristic. 6. PROGRAMMING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT

6.1. Action Plan for Project Design and Management (PDM) The post has an action plan for project design, project management, and project monitoring and evaluation. The plan is consistent with the Peace Corps Programming and Training (P&T) Guidance and links the Peace Corps development philosophy, host country needs, and available resources. Questions to Think About Are you following a consistent plan and schedule for project design and management activities at your post? Do you have a written timeline for this years activities? Where are the plan and schedule or timeline keptcan everyone refer to them as needed? How did you and your staff develop the plan and timelinewhat process did you use? Did the process work? Did you get the right input from the right people? Was the process inclusive? Did you get active and sufficient participation from everyone who needed to be a part of it? If not, why not, and what can you do about it? Are you using the Peace Corps Programming and Training (P&T) Guidance? When was the last time you reviewed it or sections of it? Are there sections or parts you have found especially useful? What would you say are the top two or three challenges your post is experiencing in the area of programming? (The site development process? Productive collaboration with partners? Effective integration of PCVs into the organizations? Others? List them). Have you used the P&T Guidance as a resource for meeting these challenges? Have you used the P&T Guidance as a method for supervising or providing guidelines for your APCD/PMs activities? Have you used it in planning timelines for projects? Do you know whether and how much your APCD/PMs themselves are using the P&T Guidance? Have the IPBS and PSR processes been useful for you in your project implementation? Why or why not? Were there problems at your end? What can you do about them? Were there problems with the feedback you received from headquarters? What can you do to change that?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post How much are your posts project plans linked to lessons you have learned from the PSRs? Were your programming goals and strategies in the IPBS and PSRs realistic ones? Have you been able to work toward or accomplish them? Do your project plans, the PSRs, and the IPBS fit together, or are they disjointed? What would you need to do to make all of them more integrated and useful tools in the programming process? How has each project corresponded with Peace Corps development principles, host country priorities, and effective use of available resources? Do you have projects in which the relationship among these elements has become tenuous? Do you review this at least once a year? Ideas and Resources This characteristic is an exhortation to country directors, PTOs, and APCD/PMs to set up a thorough plan for programming, based on the IPBS and PSR processes, and in doing so, to make full use of the Peace Corps Programming and Training (P&T) Guidance (formerly the P&T Booklets). This guidance is a valuable, practical, comprehensive resource for all aspects of project and training development, management, and evaluation. It is not just a how-to tool for APCD/PMs and training managers, but useful and necessary guidelines for CDs and PTOs as well, whether you are just entering a new environment (and thus facing systems and plans that are already in use) or have been on site for some time and want the tools to start new systems and plans, or to evaluate and improve the current ones. The P&T Guidance is divided into the following materials: Introduction and Overview (this guide): an introduction to Peace Corps programming and training principles, and philosophy, and an overview of Peace Corps programming and training systems (intended for all Peace Corps staff). Project Design and Evaluation: guidelines, strategies, and techniques for revising existing or developing new Peace Corps projects, including descriptions of each basic step in project design (primarily for programming staff). Training Design and Evaluation: guidelines for analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation of Volunteer training, such that Volunteers gain required knowledge, skills and attitudes for service (for all staff involved in training). Management and Implementation: guidelines on programming and training planning and budgeting, staff development, teamwork and communication, site identification and preparation, supporting trainees and Volunteers, and managing training (for all programming and training staff). A central part of any programming system and plan is a schedule or timeline for the country director, PTO, APCD/PMs, TM, AO, PCMO, SSC, and others to sit down and develop the action or activity plan for the year. They then put it into a schedule reflecting all activities, responsible parties, partners, and times (e.g., planning meetings with ministries, site visits, ISTs, report deadlines, project plan drafts, recruitment documents, etc). A sample format would be: Month / dates Activity Responsible party Partners Place Follow-up

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Formats can differ, but whatever the form, it is an invaluable tool, not only in helping all know what theyre supposed to be doing and what others are doing, but also in making sure the necessary components of quality programming are being included and carried out. This timeline should be a central document for all staff and should be referred to consistently in programming meetings throughout the year. Finally, Peace Corps countries differ in that some have programming and training officer (PTO) positions and some do not. Obviously, for those that do have them, the PTOs will normally carry out the day-to-day management and supervision of the programming and training staff and thus have first line responsibility and a guiding role in conducting the programming and training activities in the country. In this case, the questions, resources, and strategies that follow in this section will serve them directly in these duties. As has been discussed in the prior sections on leadership and program management in this handbook, the CD must strike an effective and judicious position, leading, supervising, effectively delegating to, and motivating the PTO in this management role, while maintaining a thorough day-to-day knowledge of the workings and success of this most important area of operations. In countries without a PTO, the questions, resources, and strategies that follow should serve as direct, practical guidelines for CDs in carrying out the management and supervision of programming and training operations. Of course, PTO or not, the CD is ultimately responsible for the expectations presented in these characteristics. 6.2. Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) Peace Corps and host country partner agencies have memoranda of understanding, which describe and give guidelines for the cooperation between them. The MOU sets out the roles and responsibilities between the parties. A standard placement MOU template is available for your use. You may access the template on the Intranet. Questions to Think About Do you have an MOU for each project in which you have Volunteers working? Do you have community agreements or MOUs with sites? When was the last time you reviewed these MOUs and agreementswith partners and with Volunteers in the projectsto see if theyre still accurate and relevant? Have you had any difficulties with partners or communities over Volunteer rights, responsibilities, or duties? Has the MOU or agreement been of use to you in resolving these? How could it be made more useful? Have you reviewed the MOU template with the Office of General Counsel (OGC)? Have you looked at sample MOUs and agreements from other agencies and other posts? In addition to the project MOU(s) and community agreements, would it be helpful to have agreements at a ministerial, department or regional level?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources As a matter of both guidance and protection for the Volunteer, as well as for the Peace Corps and the partner agency, there needs to be a formal memorandum of understanding (MOUalso sometimes called a project agreement) signed by the country director and the responsible authority from the government ministry or partner agency that is accepting or sponsoring PC Volunteers. It is important to consider the organization and person with whom you are concluding the agreement: It will be different if it is with a ministry, national department or large organization for a whole project or with an NGO or a community for the placement of one or several Volunteers. The MOU or agreement should clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the cooperating parties and serve as a basis and source of reference for the cooperative relationship established between the two (or more) parties. There are various formulas for agreements, and in working with a partner organization to design an appropriate one, a post should contact OGC for suggestions and samples to use as a starting point. Country conditions and relationships between the parties vary, and it is useful to review sample agreements provided by other posts, as well as the kinds of agreements current in the country or in use by the partner agency. The P&T Guidance: Management and Implementation has specific information on the potential elements for inclusion in an MOU and is a valuable resource, especially when used together with some of the sample documents referred to above. Whatever the format, the MOU or agreement should probably contain the following components: A statement that this is an official agreement or MOU between the named parties and that the undertakings of the parties is subject to their respective statutory authority, regulations, policies, programming priorities, and the availability of funds. The purpose of the agreement, i.e., the goal of the cooperative relationship. This usually means a statement that the Peace Corps will provide Volunteers to the partner agency over a certain number of years to participate in a specific project, program, or activity, together with a description of the objectives and operations of that project and title(s) of the Volunteer positions. Job description(s) for the Volunteers, usually attached to and, therefore, incorporated into the agreement. A list of the responsibilities that the Peace Corps agrees to fulfill in support of the agreement. This usually covers as much of the following as is applicable: Volunteer recruitment, transportation to and from the host country, medical support, pre-service training, medical and security evacuation, in-service training, living and other allowances, housing, certain job support materials, and emergency transportation. A list of the responsibilities that the partner ministry, agency, or community agrees to fulfill in support of the agreement. This usually covers many of the following issues, as applicable: work supplies and materials; suitable workplace; work-related transportation expenses or means; living arrangements; clarification of status and rights of a Volunteer attached to the ministry or organization; contributions to and support of Volunteer training (PST and IST); support in customs clearance, visa, and work permit arrangements; and other formalities, as applicable.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post A description of and reference to legal status, rights, and protection of the Volunteer in the host country (e.g., Volunteer has X number of leave days, may be called to the Peace Corps for meetings and conferences, is exempt from certain taxes, is subject to certain laws and restrictions, but not subject to other particular regulations). These clauses usually indicate the nondiplomatic status of Volunteers, the right of the Peace Corps to remove the Volunteer, the right of the partner to ask that the Volunteer be removed for good cause, etc. Other specific elements, such as particular rights of each partner within the relationship (e.g., inspection of worksites), reporting requirements (annual or quarterly reports), chain of command, specific communications guidelines or requirements, evaluation requirements or plans, length of agreement, process for extension, procedures to be followed in case of disputes, etc. The above list is not meant to be exhaustive or necessarily prescriptive, but to serve as a sample of the types of things that would usually be included in MOUs and project or community agreements. Probably the most important thing to remember in crafting such an MOU or agreement is that the agreements are not supposed to create trouble; they are supposed to help all involved avoid it. That means that all important aspects, rights, and responsibilities of the relationship must be clearly spelled out with no ambiguities. If youre not sure about the areas of responsibility for an important issue, the MOU or agreement is the place to make it clear. If it is not clarified at the point the agreement is drawn up, it may never be. A few final points about MOUs and project agreements: Share the MOUs or agreements with the Volunteers. Since the Volunteers are going to work under these agreements, they need to read and understand them. Conditions change, and so should the agreements. To change important procedures or practices and not reflect these changes in the MOU or agreement may be a flirtation with the fates. Ministry and partner officials come and go (like Peace Corps staff) and systems and changes in systems need to be documented, or they may be conveniently forgotten, misapplied, or overruled at the wrong time. If the responsibilities contained in the agreement are not being carried out and need to be, it is time to sit down with the partner agency or agencies and clarify things. This may have to be done diplomatically, but it still has to be done. The agreement provides a basis for just this kind of discussion. You may have a formal MOU or project agreement at the project level, and then also individual site or community agreements for the placement of the individual Volunteers. This is a common and useful pattern and there is a standard placement MOU template available for your use. MOUs and project agreements are different from country agreements, though sometimes the former may repeat or refer to items contained in the country agreements. For more on country agreements, see section 9.1.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Verify what types of reviews may be useful or required in signing agreements. For an official project level MOU, you need OGC approval from HQand for any kind of agreement, you may want that review. They are there to help you and have had experience with many types of agreements. If you use the standard placement MOU template and do not make any substantive changes to it, you do not need to get OGC approval. Otherwise, send it to OGC for review and approval. This is true of any agreement template that you may use. Again, make use of the P&T Guidance: It is an invaluable source. 6.3. Project Plans Project plans exist, are based on actual conditions, are updated when necessary, and have meaning to the various participants (i.e., Peace Corps, host government, partner agency, Volunteer, and counterpart). The participants have direct input into the development and monitoring of the plans. Questions to Think About Are your project plans playing a useful role or do they mostly sit on the shelf until the time for PSRs and VADs rolls around each year? If they have been used, what aspects of the plans were especially useful? If the project plans havent been used, why not? What problems have you had with your project plans? Were these problems internal to the projects or did they have outside causes? Who developed your project plans? Who contributed to them? Do you think the contributions and result were representative of participants real thoughts and opinions and reality on the ground? Are they still representative of those opinions and reality? Are the plans being reviewed or updated? Do partners and participants contribute to the process? How could you improve that contribution or participation? From your point of view, what purpose or purposes are the plans now serving? What are they not doing that, in your opinion, they could or should do? Is there a project monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system built into your plan(s)? Is it actually being carried out? Is there a significant input coming from sources outside of the Peace Corps? Is the M&E system contributing usefully to the review and revision of the projects? If not, why not? Has your post set up performance measures for you projects? Are they reachable and practical? Are you using them? What are they telling you about your projects and Volunteer accomplishments? With whom do you share them? Finally (and important!), while good project plans are valuable, is there too much focus being placed on the paperwork side of a project? Is there enough focus on the practical work that a new and, perhaps, still inexperienced Volunteer can perform that will yield real benefit to the host country community?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources The step-by-step development of project plans is given extensive treatment in the P&T Guidance and does not need to be detailed here. CDs, PTOs, and APCD/PMs will find the Guidance a fundamental resource, from the initial research, analysis, and interaction with participants, through the project framework (purpose, goals, and objectives), task analyses, resources, site selection, site development, monitoring and evaluation, training, and the various other aspects of the plan. The Guidance can also be used in reviewing, evaluating, and changing an existing plan. Project-plan development is really project development. It is the process itself of developing the plan that is critical. The plan is a reflection or summary of what is actually being learned, talked about, and what will ultimately be put to use in the field. In carrying out this process, some of the important elements to remember include the following: The host countryincluding both the partner organizations and communitiesmust have sufficient and ongoing input into the detailed development of the project. This means the people you will be working with and for, i.e., ministry and NGO representatives, local leaders, local participants, and beneficiaries. Without their input, the goals of sustainability, capacitybuilding, and response to real needs run a serious risk of being lost. This is sometimes the most difficult challenge of all as it disputes the old practical maxim, If you want something done right, do it yourself. Ministry people are busy, resources are short, and sometimes people you are working with dont have the experience or skills to fit into the project-plan development progression that you feel you need. But the project must involve all the stakeholders in both the planning and the implementation phases. If the Peace Corps develops the plan on its own, then it will belong only to the Peace Corps. It is better to slow down and work with an imperfect plan, if necessary, to make sure everyone is involved and has an opportunity to participate. The goals, objectives, and performance measures that are set out must be realistic, practical, and meaningful to participants and, of course, they must come from the field and be designed to respond to the field. They should not be someones concept of what the field ought to be wanting or doing, some format imposed from above, or something that can be done simply because there are sufficient money and resources for doing it. Objectives are, obviously, an important part of any project and plan. Objectives include both the activities Volunteers will carry out with counterparts and the outcomes of those activities. If they seem unrealistic or bureaucratic, then they probably are. It is worth taking a critical look at goals, objectives, and measures to make sure both you and the field participated in creating them and are still happy with them. There can be no project without identifiable resources and commitments, and the plan is the place to identify these, i.e., who is going to provide training, transport, housing, materials, counterparts, etc. If something is needed, it should be included. The Volunteers jobs, too, must be realistic, practical, and useful; their need must come from the field, and their value must go to the field. This requires field input, task analyses, site surveys, viable work conditions, counterparts, practical, recognizable results, and a continuous discussion about whats happening and what should happen.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The Volunteer qualifications needed must be obtainable, i.e., the Peace Corps must be able to recruit and train Volunteers who can do the job. Projects sometimes fail because the numbers of qualified recruits just arent there, and that is a big waste of everyones time and resources. APCD/PMs must plan and negotiate with both the host country agency and VRS to make sure the Volunteer profile is realistic and the Volunteers will be forthcoming. Indeed, for most Peace Corps projects worldwide, the pool of applicants consists overwhelmingly of recent college graduates with little or no real hands-on experience, for whom the Peace Corps must provide the training, resources, and support to have an impact on their community. Program Advisory Committees (PACs) have become increasingly important, as more emphasis has been placed on planning and achieving outcomes and impacts in the community. It is important to establish these with sufficient outside representation to provide realistic, constructive input into the process. For further information on PACs, refer to the P&T Guidance: Programming Design and Evaluation section. Finally, while important, the project plan itself is not the critical thing. It is only a reflection of what is critical. If too much emphasis is being placed on the plan itself (Is it complete? Is it in the right format? When will it be in a final form or officially approved?), it may be time to step back and look at what is critical and make sure those involved are keeping the plan in its proper perspective. Plans always have flaws and need adjustments to circumstances, but any plan well implemented, with midcourse corrections, can be far better than an excellent plan poorly carried out. Dont let planning overtake action in importance. 6.4. Communication With Host Country Government and Partner Agencies The country director, PTO, and APCD/PMs have set up functioning channels of communication and use them regularly and effectively with host country government and partner agencies. Questions to Think About Are you and your staff meeting regularly with your project partners (ministries or nongovernmental organizations) to monitor and discuss the ongoing activities and progress of the project? Are you meeting often enough? With the right representatives? Is there enough local or community input at the meetings? Is anyone missing from the communication? Who should be there who is not? Do you feel there is sufficient communication and agreement on the project that problems can be handled expediently? If not, could a change in the frequency and type of meetings improve the situation? In addition to holding meetings, what else could you do to improve communication with your partners? Do you go on field trips and site visits together with partner representatives? Are your partner representatives helping to design and revise the project? Are they helping to design and participate in PSTs and ISTs?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources Some development assistance organizations have become amazingly competent at building and operating their own parallel infrastructures and, consequently, their own parallel projects, whose connection and relationship with host government structures can be tenuous. Host country needs may be so great, and skills, expertise, and resources so lacking, that international development agencies find it easier and more effective to build and run their own shows (projects, support systems, etc.), which then operate alongsideand may even dwarfthe host countrys own structures. In a development world where the emphasis is increasingly on certain types of tangible results in order to leverage funds, this is an easy trap to fall into. It can be a painless way to get the numbers up, whatever those numbers or measures are. To prevent this from happening with the Peace Corps or anyone else, there must be someone who represents the interests of the participants and beneficiaries, and the channels of communications must be such that they have the forum and encouragement to speak up. As with internal staff dynamics, there is much value to setting up a regular communications network with the counterpart agency (ministry, NGO, or community organization), so that consultation, exchange, and understanding take place on a steady basis, outside of the realm of special problems and crises. This means, in addition to reporting systems (see section 6.5), some type of regularly scheduled meetings or contacts are needed that will serve to monitor activities and bring participants together to analyze project accomplishments and relations. These will be the opportunities for ongoing troubleshooting and lessons learned and they are important, not only for the appropriate parts of PSRs and for IPBS strategy sections, but also for the mutual process of project supervision, capacity- and sustainability-building, and organizational development. It is also both a protection and a support for Volunteers in the field who, if their supervising organizations are meeting and communicating on a regular basis, will receive much more coherent and consistent direction concerning the projects objectives and activities. What this really means is having meetings and building relationships. There can and should be letters, periodic reports, action plans (definitely!), and telephone calls, but there must be opportunities for organizations to sit down together and monitor what is going on. If such meetings are not taking place, then there are probably some important things happening, or not happening, that one side or the other doesnt know about. It is never too late to start these, if they are not taking place now. 6.5. Reporting on Volunteer and Project Accomplishments There is a regular, useful, and practical reporting system that gathers information on project and Volunteer accomplishments and issues and communicates that information to both the Peace Corps and partner agencies. Questions to Think About Are Volunteers submitting periodic reports (quarterly, semester, etc.)? Are they making use of the Volunteer Reporting Tool (VRT)? Do the reports go through the Volunteers supervisor? Do they also go through or to the partner agency? Are they official within the partners system?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are you having trouble getting Volunteers to submit their reports or put serious effort into them? Why do you think this is happening? Is the problem with the format or content of the report, i.e., could the report itself be made more relevant or meaningful? Is the problem that staff are not providing feedback to the PCVs on the reports submitted? Would making it part of the host country agency reporting process make a difference? Are you receiving copies of host government or partner agency reports and official documents relating to the project? If so, is this happening regularly or irregularly? Do you produce an annual report on your Peace Corps activities in the host country? For whom is it prepared? How do you compile the information? Could you accomplish more or different things by changing the focus of this report? Ideas and Resources This section is a companion to section 6.4, as it concerns the reports that lay the groundwork for and provide the follow-up to the communications between agencies on project and Volunteer plans, accomplishments, and reviews. There are several types of reports that can contribute to informing both the Peace Corps and the host agencies: Volunteer periodic (quarterly, monthly, etc.) reports. The P&T Guidance provides a discussion of Volunteer reporting, and neighboring programs may be a fertile source for examples, especially programs in which a technologically savvy staff person has formatted the reports to facilitate automated data-gathering. Peace Corps/Washington, too (with substantial help from the field), has put considerable effort into developing a computer-based Volunteer reporting system and a Volunteer Reporting Tool (VRT). As the need for data to justify resources grows, these automated reports become more and more critical and it is well worth the search and the effort to set up one of these and use it. Volunteers may do their reports individually or together with counterparts or supervisors. They may base them on work plans, objectives, and performance measures previously established. And they may submit them to the Peace Corps through supervisors or with a copy to supervisors. Involving the supervisors seems an essential element. Doing so can help to strengthen the Volunteersupervisor relationship. It can provide monitoring of the Volunteers activities through the objectives and measures of the host country agency and project. And it can increase the responsibility and involvement of both sides (supervisor and Volunteer) with each other. Some posts have incorporated input from the supervisor or counterparts as part of the Volunteer reporting process, even having them write it in a host country language. This must be coordinated by the Volunteer. The supervisors involvement in the reporting can also be a useful tool in resolving potential trouble areas, such as supervision problems and recurring absences from post. It is worth emphasizing that problems between a supervisor and Volunteer are often largely caused by the fact that the supervisor just doesnt know what the Volunteer is doing. Partner agency reports that are written and submitted under the normal practices of the agency. These might include counterpart and supervisor quarterly reports, work evaluation reports, or other requirements that could be useful and informative to both the Peace Corps and the Volunteer.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Volunteer and host country surveys or needs assessments that ask for input on specific aspects of the project, such as support problems, training, the Volunteers role, counterpart functions, transport issues, community relations, or participation. In addition to post or partner agency surveys, note that PC/W now does the All-Volunteer Survey annually to provide greater input to post and for direct incorporation into the IPBS post performance evaluation and improvement plan. Written reports on site visits performed by the Peace Corps or the partner agency (such as class observations carried out by visiting pedagogical advisors). An annual Peace Corps report to agencies (and to the host government in general) that summarizes the overall accomplishments, activities, and challenges of the Volunteers in each project or sector area for the year, as well as the PSTs, ISTs, and workshops being conducted during the same period. Such a report can easily be compiled by Peace Corps staff using descriptions of service, Volunteer periodic reports, Project Status Reports (PSRs), SPA reports, PEPFAR reports, etc., as sources. It may highlight primary project accomplishments, numbers (of students taught, of ponds constructed, etc.), committees or groups worked with, extracurricular activities carried out, secondary projects undertaken, etc. Such a report, presented in the form of a list of accomplishments (perhaps three or four Volunteers per page), can be an excellent overview of the accomplishments of Volunteers in the field during a certain period and the range of Volunteer activities, which often go well beyond narrow primary project focuses. These reports are, by the way, useful not just to the host country, but also to PC/W, where they may be put to good use by VRS or in public relations or congressional presentations. (See section 9.3 for further detailed discussion on the types of reports posts can produce and the purposes they may serve.) Whatever the report and channel of submission and distribution, the idea is to informto let the Peace Corps and partners know what is going on, who is doing it, what challenges are being encountered, what types of ISTs are being carried out, etc., all in the hope of increasing understanding and soliciting both support and new ideas. 6.6 Performance Measures The post has identified and uses performance measures for Volunteer and project accomplishments. Questions to Think About In what areas are you using performance measures? Are you using measures for both output (accomplishment) and outcome (impact)? Are you using appropriate assessment tools for each? What has been your experience with the measures and the assessment tools so far? Try asking some of the following questions about each type of measure: Are the measures you are using practical and achievable? Are they observable? What kind of system have you set up to gather input on them? Are the criteria, in fact, measurable?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Have they been useful? (Are they the right ones?) Who developed them? Were the right people involved in developing them? Who should have been involved, but wasnt? What do you do with your performance measures? Are they serving as a part of your IPBS, your PSRs, your project plan adjustments, your Volunteer and project reporting formats? Have you, your APCD/PMs, and other staff learned lessons from them? How are the lessons being incorporated into programs and post management? Ideas and Resources With the ever present strain on resources and the need to justify budget requests, performance measures have become an important technique for evaluating the accomplishments and impacts of programs. This characteristic goes hand in hand with section 6.5 on Volunteer and project reporting. It is strong counsel to CDs and country staff to devote the time and undertake some serious research on what kind of performance measures would serve your program and help you (and potentially others) understand what your Volunteers are accomplishing and what added value your projects are bringing to communities and the host country. This is informationif you can gather it and analyze it reliablythat you, the Volunteers, the project partners, the host country, the Peace Corps in Washington, the U.S. Congress, and the constituency of American taxpayers need to know. It can be useful in evaluating and improving your projects and in generating support and resources for your work. This guide is not the place to enter into detail on types, techniques, or uses of performance measurement. It is a much thriving and important area of research and study and there are plenty of resources available for developing and using measures. Peace Corps/Washington has developed tools and guidelines that are directly relevant to PC programs, and a number of Peace Corps posts (and other partner organizations) have had considerable experience with performance measures. Look into the topic seriously and consult some of these resources for ideas and instruments that will benefit your program. 6.7. CD/PTO/APCD/PM Roles and Relationships The country director, programming and training officer, and APCD/PMs have devised and follow a system that defines project management responsibilities and each persons role in key areas, such as representation, site development, reporting, communications with Volunteers, and Volunteer support. Questions to Think About Can you summarize how project management responsibilities are divided between CD, PTO, and APCD/PMs? Who is doing what? What are you (the CD and PTO) responsible for? Is it working or are there some ambiguous areas where the division is not clear? How has that shown itself and what has been the impact? Are there some areas or responsibilities you (the CD) have held on to that the PTO or APCD/PM thinks should probably be his or hers? Why have you held on to them? Do they understand your reasons and has this been discussed with them?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post What happens when a Volunteer comes to see the CD or PTO on an issue that he or she could probably just as well see the APCD/PM about? Has this been an area of conflict between staff members? As a team, do you have an understanding about how to handle this? Is there any evidence of a good guy/bad guy system operating at your post? How did it come about? Is there a tangible difference in the way you and one of the APCD/PMs (or PTO) interprets or enforces certain policies or rules? Why did this happen? What constructive steps could you take to change that? Do you think, if asked, your APCD/PMs would describe you (or the PTO) as supportive of their efforts to run their own areas and increase their skills and responsibilities? Can you give some examples where APCD/PMs have learned and tried new things and increased their areas of responsibility? Did you feel comfortable with this process or was there some reason for hesitancy on your part? How has the PTO role in the various programming activities developed at post? Is it in need of review? Ideas and Resources The principle behind this characteristic is that the CD (and/or PTO) and APCD/PMs must work out a relationship that permits each to work in support of the program and complement each others contributions, without stepping on the others toes or throwing up obstacles. In other words, they must work as a team; their roles and responsibilities must be clearly distinguished and practically and fairly distributed and not be the subject of rivalry or turf battles. This is worth emphasizing, particularly for new CDs (and new PTOs and APCD/PMs), as the potential areas for friction are many, and the tendency to fall into conflict multiplies when one or the other is feeling insecure about his or her functions or position. Here are three difficult areas that need to be addressed and made smooth: General Peace Corps representation to, and contact with, project partner agencies. Who does what, when? When does the CD or PTO represent the Peace Corps and when does the APCD/PM? Who goes to which meetings? Who presents the ideas; who signs the letters? Who makes which kinds of decisions regarding the project? Who launches new programming initiatives? Whom does the host agency call when it has a concern or wants to meet or discuss something? Is this all clear? Relations with Volunteers and support of Volunteers. This one can get sticky, particularly when a Volunteer doesnt like what one staff member says or doesnt get along with someone and goes elsewhere, or just likes to go higher in the chain of command. CDs, PTOs, and APCD/PMs must sit down and figure out what kind of message to give Volunteers and how to treat and support them without undermining the other staff members. This means generally establishing a pattern for Volunteers to follow, without making it unnecessarily rigid or bureaucratic. CDs and PTOs should make an effort to let APCD/PMs take the initiative in helping Volunteers resolve problems.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post On the other hand, Volunteers should feel they can go see the CD anytime they want to. So where is the middle point? The country director, PTO, and APCD/PMs must talk about this and set up a system they all support and feel comfortable with. For example, CDs can certainly welcome any Volunteer, listen to his or her problems and provide support, and still refer the Volunteer to the APCD/PM for assistance (or additional assistance) and follow-up. This can be done in such a way as to be supportive to both the APCD/PM and the Volunteer. There are many ways to handle these situations and preserve the roles and responsibilities of all sides, and this must be the ultimate goal in whatever system is established. Interpretation, application, and enforcement of policies, rules, and regulations. Simply stated, a good guy/bad guy system will always cause harm. The CD, PTO, and APCD/PMs must take responsibility for a consistent approach to, and application of, the way things work in the country program. If APCD/PMs are going to have authority, they must take responsibility for even the more unpleasant aspects, such as enforcement. And though CDs are a kind of court of last resort, they must be a fair court that supports all constituencies, including their own staff. Country director and PTO support for APCD/PMs is a key element, and it is the CDs job to see that this support is provided. If the problem is that APCD/PMs arent very good at knowing or applying the policies, then its the CDs and PTOs job to educate them. In conclusion, CD/PTO/APCD/PM relations are, to a great extent, a question of good leadership and program- and personnel-management skills, and CDs bear the responsibility for taking the lead in establishing a smooth relationship and a working team. Sections 1, 2, and 3 of this handbook present a wide range of tools for leadership, staff support, and team-building, including important techniques such as communication, delegation, honesty, knowledge of operations, cross training and backup, performance appraisal, staff development, use of resources, and support for diversity. 6.8. Distribution of Duties Among APCD/PMs There is an appropriate distribution of duties among APCD/PMs, and strategies are being used to support APCD/PMs in their program responsibilities (e.g., staff development in certain skills, program assistants and programming and training specialists, Volunteer leaders, Volunteer committees, Peace Corps/partner committees). Questions to Think About Does your programs Volunteer and project configuration lend itself to an equitable and manageable distribution of duties among APCD/PMs? If it does not, what are the causes of the imbalance? What are you currently doing to adjust it? Is it enough? Are there any areas where one of your APCD/PMs lacks training, experience, motivation, or confidence to take on the required duties? How does this manifest itself? Is it an issue between the APCD/PMs? What might you do to help the APCD/PM become more skilled, active, and confident in the area? Has this deficiency been pointed out to the APCD/PM and have any plans been made to work on it and train for it? Do you see any imbalances in the way Volunteers approach the APCD/PMs for assistance? Why do you think this is happening? What strategies could you pursue to help correct the imbalance?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are there training or skill development opportunities available to APCD/PMs in the areas where they need them? What are some of those areas (e.g., communications, crisis management, counseling, active listening, training and facilitating, admin and logistics, materials development, English or host country language skills, writing)? If you cannot find anything locally, what could the subregion or neighboring countries do for you? What could PC/W do? Are you using program assistants (PAs), program and training specialists (PTSs), or Volunteer leaders (PCVLs) to assist APCD/PMs in their activities? Where is this working particularly well? Where does there still seem to be an overload or inequity? Could the PA, PTS, or PCVL eventually help in this more effectively? Have you discussed any of these problems with the relevant APCD/PM(s)? What kind of ideas have they offered? Ideas and Resources The APCD/PMs job description includes such varied duties as agency representation, negotiation, supervision, administration and logistics, technical expertise and support, personal support and counseling, conflict resolution, cross-cultural communication, project planning, report writing, and training, among others. It includes a wide range of skill areas and a shifting number of people to work with, and, like many other overseas staff positions, if it is not balanced it can be overwhelming. One of the country directors and PTOs major responsibilities is to watch what and how APCD/PMs are doing and work with them to make sure that: Their jobs are balanced Task distribution is realistic, practical, fair, and effective They have the resources, support, and assistance necessary to accomplish what they need to do They are able to carry out their duties without spending endless evenings and weekends working There is no routine formula for achieving balance, equity, and efficiency among APCD/PMs. Posts have different requirements and APCD/PMs have different skills and interest areas. But overworked, frazzled, or unhappy APCD/PMs cost posts tremendously, with detrimental effects in staff teamwork, planning and reporting processes, training activities, and particularly in Volunteer morale and Volunteerstaff communications. APCD/PMs must work directly with Volunteers and their self-esteem depends a lot on how those Volunteers react to them and whether they feel they are meeting the Volunteers needs. The CD and PTO must keep a close eye on this aspect in particular, to ensure that APCD/PMs are sharing the load and helping each other, and that one APCD/PM is not having to field all the Volunteer counseling needs, pick up after anothers lack of performance in report writing, or carry the IST or PST planning load. Again, some APCD/PMs have a knack for one thing or another and take the lead, but the fine line between reasonable distribution of overall load and resentment because another is not pulling his or her weight must be watched carefully. APCD/PMs must have a viable amount of work and the time, skills, tools, and encouragement they need to get the job done.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Among the strategies for monitoring APCD/PM job distribution are: Keep a watch over numbers. Numbers do not tell everything, but they may be a partial indicator of how Volunteers, projects, ISTs, trips, etc., are distributed per APCD/PM. If there are 50 education Volunteers and 10 agriculture Volunteers, is it reasonable to assign the 50 to one APCD/PM and the 10 to another? Can any APCD/PM adequately cover 50 Volunteers? Should the rural development APCD/PM support some of the education Volunteers? If so, how many, and how should they be allotted? (For example, should the APCD/PM/RD also cover the teachers in certain provinces where the agriculture Volunteers are predominant?) What other considerations are there, i.e., is there new programming being done? Is there a new training design being done for Ag? Or perhaps a major revision of the old training design for Ed? Obviously, there can be many factors influencing and counterbalancing numbers and they need to be taken into consideration. If the numbers are unequal, however, there must be a rationale and that rationale must be clear to those involved. Help APCD/PMs obtain the skills they are lacking. If the work is unequal because one APCD/PM cannot (and lacks the confidence to) carry the load in Volunteer counseling, report writing, planning, or ISTs, the only answer is to get him or her training and build confidence to take on more of that load. It is part of the job and the staff member needs to know how to do it. Host country APCD/PMs who have trouble with English as a second or third language need to work on it, and CDs and PTOs should give them the opportunity and resources to do so. Such APCD/PMs need to practice their English skills by writing (and perhaps re-writing) sections of reports, and taking other steps to improve their language, with the ongoing, constructive support of the CD and PTO. APCD/PMs who are hesitant to take on some of the personal support aspects of the job need to work on this as well. It is a part of the job; indeed, it is an extremely important part. Where consistent with policies and conditions, use PAs, PTSs, and PCVLs to increase project and Volunteer support. Country programs have become extremely resourceful in their use of PAs, PTSs, and PCVLs to supplement the work of the APCD/PM and meet the needs of the Volunteers. Indeed, PAs, PTSs, and PCVLs are a valuable and frequently underused resource in many PC posts. Make sure you and your staff have thought creatively about the enhancement that both can bring to a program: Program Assistants (PAs) or Program and Training Specialists (PTSs) Can do many of the tasks for which APCD/PMs are responsible (especially if they are APCD/PMs in training, as is often the case), including site visits, site development, meetings with partners, PST and IST preparation, technical research and writing, report preparation and coordination, and administrative responsibilities, such as processing of forms and requests. Can provide direct support to Volunteers, extended participation in PST, materials development, and work with committees and partner groups (such as PEPFAR and NGO committees). Can be effective at linking what is happening at training, especially PST, to what is or should be happening at the Volunteers site.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Can take program-wide responsibility for certain activities that apply to all Volunteers. As an example, one PA or PTS could be responsible for coordinating grant activity and another could be responsible for IRC coordination. Can help build your program. If there is a desire or opportunity to grow the program, consider budgeting for another PA or PTS position; perhaps two PA/PTS positions could make the expansion feasible without adding another APCD/PM. PCVLs As Volunteers themselves, they have the ability to meet PCVs on a common ground of understanding, which APCD/PMs or PA/PTSs can rarely achieve. Hence, listening and personal support are natural areas of performance for PCVLs. Can also provide excellent and extended technical assistance. For example, where an APCD/PM or PA/PTS can spend perhaps only a day or so at a Volunteers site, a PCVL might be able to spend two or three full days helping a Volunteer directly in various aspects of the job and life in general. Sometimes a visit of several days is the thing that will carry a Volunteer through a difficult time. Can devote time to specific materials development, based on their own experience and extended observation in the field, and can improve and develop the resource center and project files. Can participate directly in training, and for periods of time that might not be available to the APCD/PM. Can provide feedback to APCD/PMs, PA/PTSs, and other staff on areas of Volunteer or program support that need attention or action. This can save a lot of wasted time and frustration trying to figure out what is wrong Can work with Volunteer or Volunteer/host country committees on projects, workshops, or other special activities, thus increasing Volunteer and host country participation and representing the Peace Corps and the APCD/PM. Can coordinate certain aspects of Volunteer field activities, assist in site development, and interact with government agencies or partners. (Note: there are specific agency policies that describe the roles and responsibilities that PCVLs may and may not assume. Make sure you are thoroughly familiar with these and talk over with neighboring CDs how they have properly and creatively used PCVLs.) In summary, PAs, PTSs and PCVLs can do a great deal to assist and complement the program staff, particularly in the critical area of direct support to Volunteers. They also are, or can be, highly motivated since their positions can give them exposure to new responsibilities and the chance for professional growth. PA/PTSs and PCVLs are a source of support widely used in the Peace Corps and one that should be investigated by countries that currently do not use them. CDs and PTOs are strongly urged to contact other countries and regions for ideas on how these positions can be creatively, positively, and properly used. 152 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Finally, another potential resource of assistance in programming activities is the training staff, who may do many things that help both programming and training simultaneously. See section 6.11 (Collaboration Between Programming and Training Staffs) for further ideas and discussion on this resource. 6.9. Communication and Support Among APCD/PMs APCD/PMs meet regularly, exchange information, and assist each other through cross-training, backup coverage (during site visits, absences, etc.), and general program and project brainstorming and review. Questions to Think About Are your APCD/PMs working constructively and effectively with each other? How and how often do they communicate with each other? Are their work styles very different? Does this seem to pose problems or get in the way? Do they collaborate sufficiently in setting up site visit schedules, PST and IST visits and sessions, data-gathering and report writing, secondary project evaluation? Do they cover for each other satisfactorily? Do they help with each others Volunteers when needed? Is one of your APCD/PMs senior to the others? How does this affect their relationship and work routines? Is there a negative side to this? How is it dealt with? Do your APCD/PMs brainstorm well together? Can they problem-solve and devise and implement new strategies together? If there are any apparent problems or issues among them, what are they? What are some of the techniques you might use to increase their collaboration with and support of each other? Ideas and Resources The issues of information exchange, cross-training, backup coverage, and general team interaction and support have been covered in other sections of this guide (see below for references). This characteristic is largely a reminder that the same kind of team initiative and support that should be present among all staff is critical among APCD/PMs as a group. These APCD/PMs cannot operate in a vacuum, or separately from each other, or with built-up resentments over issues. They must collaborate and depend on each other for far too many things, including: Coverage of each others project issues and Volunteer support while one or the other is out (e.g., on leave or on site visits) Development of programming systems, protocols, reporting formats, monitoring systems, and action plans Consistent application of regulations, policies, practices, and assistance to each other in solving problems and handling difficult situations

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Cooperation in development and implementation of training designs (PST and IST) and SPA programs; and, collaboration and mutual support in the creative aspects of project management, including brainstorming and implementing new ideas APCD/PMs are a team within a team and must be in constant communication, sharing and comparing ideas, covering and helping each other, and making plans together. They should meet with each other frequently and on a regular basis, and meet with the PTO (or CD) regularly as well, as a team, to discuss programming issues and plans. The PTO and CD must make sure they are getting along and working together, and not letting issues of seniority, ethnic or gender factors, work style, or competition get in the way. There is no room for these elements in the kind of cooperation that must take place and the CD and PTO must both, through effective management practices and personal example, lead the way toward mutual communication and support. Again, see sections 2.1 on management style, 2.2 on team-building and communication, 2.8 on crosstraining and backup, 3.5 on staff training, 6.7 on roles and relationships between the CD, PTO, and APCD/PMs, and 6.8 on distribution of duties among APCD/PMs themselves. 6.10. APCD/PMs Communication With Other Sections and With Volunteers APCD/PMs have regular communication and meet frequently with the country director, the administrative, training, and other sections, and Volunteers. Questions to Think About Does there seem to be a we/they attitude between APCD/PMs and any other sections? Are there any specific issues that have proven divisive? Do the different sections meet with each other on a regular or periodic basis? Are programming staff representatives briefing other staff and keeping them up-to-date on programming and project activities? How and when are they doing this? Specifically, how are programming relations and contacts with training? With the health unit? With administrative staff? Do you see programming staff making an effort to inform and include others? What techniques for improving this could you suggest to them? Ideas and Resources The programming section is responsible for overseeing the Volunteers roles in the field and for the direct technical, personal and, to some extent, even administrative support Volunteers receive from the Peace Corps. The APCD/PMs cannot do this in a vacuum. They must depend on others for far too many things, including administrative support for everything they and the Volunteers do (e.g., transport, funds, materials, lodging, allowances), training support for PST and ISTs, medical and safety/security support when problems and conditions call for it, and coordination with the country director on program goals, objectives, policies, representation, and much more. In addition, they must maintain solid and effective communications systems with the Volunteers in the field, in order to know the conditions, needs, performance, problems, and desires of the Volunteer population they are supposed to be guiding, supporting and overseeing.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post As a consequence of all these duties, the APCD/PMs are usually the principal and most regular link between the Volunteers and the rest of the Peace Corps staff in-country. They (and the PTO) must maintain regular contacts with all of these staff members, through periodic meetings (perhaps once a week or every two weeks with the country director and at least monthly with training and administration), briefings on programming activities and issues in staff meetings, sharing of reports and documents, and frequent sharing of input from the field with all staff. With regard to the Volunteers, APCD/PMs must find an effective combination of site visits, correspondence, ISTs and workshops, coordination with PCVLs, personal contact with individual Volunteers, and everything else that is required to gain a full understanding of the Volunteers activities, conditions, problems, needs, and points of view. Indeed, these same communications strategies are generally recommended for all Peace Corps country staff, not just programmers. As such, they are presented and treated in detail in a number of other sections, including 2.2 (staff teamwork and communications), 2.3 (obtaining feedback and input from staff and Volunteers), 4.6. and 4.7. (staffVolunteer communications), 4.13 (site visits), and 5.7 (AO and admin staff communication with Volunteersa good resource for APCD/PMs, as well). Still, as the communications and liaison role is a particularly important one for programmers, it is included here, as a separate characteristic. Country directors and PTOs can guide and assist APCD/PMs in setting up these networks and relationships and ensure that they are helping to meet program needs and contribute to overall program team-building and information sharing. 6.11. Collaboration Between Programming and Training Staffs APCD/PMs play an active role in PST and IST planning and activities. The training officer may, in turn, carry out certain program-related duties and even attend APCD/PM meetings in order to increase communication and collaboration between the two sections. Questions to Think About Make a list of all the training activities APCD/PMs and PA/PTSs performed in the last year. Are there any areas that seem under-represented or absent? What are they and why do you think this is so? Are APCD/PMs and PA/PTSs Designing training sessions and materials? Leading or facilitating training sessions? Participating directly in technical, cross-cultural, language, personal support, safety/security, health, and secondary project training activities? Participating in training evaluation activities and debriefings? Participating in training of trainers (TOTs)? Meeting regularly with training staff? Discussing and planning training activities with host country agency representatives?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post What is the relationship between programming staff and training staff? Do they seem to be working together or in separate spheres? Do you see any changes in this relationship that might be useful? What strategies and activities can you think of to bring the two sections closer together? Ideas and Resources 1. Programmers direct participation in all phases of training (PSTs, ISTs, TOTs, COSs) is a critical element of the programming job. At PSTs, it provides programming staff with an excellent opportunity to establish relationships with the new trainees and set up the communications and trust networks necessary to provide them quality support during their tours of service. It is also an opportunity for the APCD/PMs, as guides and technical supervisors of the Volunteers, to contribute to the shape of their training, to bring host country partner representatives into that process, and to see how that training then serves the Volunteers in the field. At ISTs (including special activities, such as SPA, PDM, GAD, and PEPFAR workshops, etc.), it gives programming staff a forum to further strengthen contacts and relationships with Volunteers, receive direct feedback from them on jobs and conditions, contribute to providing supplemental training in needed areas, and integrate host country partner representatives into all of these processes as well. At TOTs, it integrates programmers with training staff and materials and gives them an opportunity to strengthen their own training and facilitation skills and experience and test the link between training and the reality of the field. Roles that programming staff should be encouraged to play in the training process include: Planning. This should include active participation in planning meetings, on training committees, at TOTs, and in the training-design and materials-development process. This is not just a trainers function. As APCD/PMs and PA/PTSs are often specialists in certain technical areas, they are valuable resources in the development of materials and sessions in those sectors. And whether they are specialists or not, one of their important functions is making sure that what they see in the field is reflected in the preparations for the next round of PSTs and ISTs. Facilitation of and participation in training sessions; interviews and meetings with PCTs/PCVs. These are the APCD/PMs Volunteers and this is job and life preparation (whether PST or IST) for the Volunteers. The APCD/PMs and PA/PTSs need to be there, in front of and among the Volunteers. This is a chance for APCD/PMs and PA/PTSs to train Volunteers in specific topics, emphasize certain behaviors or skills, communicate messages, help the Volunteers process experiences, learn things about and from the Volunteers themselves, and fulfill their role as the link between Volunteers and Peace Corps staff.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Coordination and integration across PST, through the first three months in the field, ISTs, MST, and special trainings. Training is a continuous process through the entire service of the Volunteer. It must be coordinated so the right material is provided at the right time in sufficient depth to enable Volunteers to be effective within their job assignments. The APCD/PM must understand and oversee this critical balance and provide guidance to other staff in their roles and responsibilities in achieving it. The country director and PTO can be an important influence in ensuring that programming staff participate fully and productively in training activities. Indeed, many of the activities mentioned above would be valuable for CDs and PTOs to experience as well. (See also section 7.5, CD and Staff Participation in Training.) 2. As suggested in the title of this characteristic, the link between programming and training is a critical one for Volunteer success, and the participation of the training manager (TM) and other training staff in programming activities is clearly of equal value. Strategies for this include some of the following: Direct site visits to Volunteers by training staff as follow-up to training and as a planning tool for future training events (PST or IST) Inclusion of the training manager in programming meetings and programming strategy sessions; and frequent meetings between the two sections. This is done to include the training manager and other training staff in program planning, analysis, strategizing, and problem solving Direct performance by the training manager of programming duties. This can be applied in a number of ways, but the intention is to give the training manager the perspective of a programmer, which he or she can then carry into the training process. Training managers can be cross-trained and serve as extremely useful backups to APCD/PMs while the latter are away or on site visits. In other cases, TMs have been given a small project or a provincein sum, a Volunteer population to handle on their ownand in that sense have functioned as both trainers and programmers. Some CDs have reported that this experience has been invaluable in helping the TM and training staff properly understand and represent programming issues in training. In a similar vein, dont overlook the potential of using other training staff (full or part time) in some of the support roles for selected Volunteers, especially if your post structure allows retention of some of these trainers during other parts of the year. 6.12. APCD/PMs and Personal Support to Volunteers APCD/PMs are comfortable with, are trained in, and are carrying out the personal support roles they must perform in the area of Volunteer support. They have access to further training resources in these skills. They understand their limitations and know to whom they should refer specific problems. Questions to Think About Do you think your Volunteers are receiving sufficient personal support from the staff? Who are the primary providers of that support? List them.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are your APCD/PMs (and PA/PTSs, as applicable) providing a satisfactory level of this kind of support to their Volunteers, or are there legitimate complaints or imbalances with regard to what they seem to be giving? If the latter, is it causing problems in the trust levels or relationships between staff and Volunteers or between the APCD/PMs themselves? What particular strengths do you see in the APCD/PMs and PA/PTSs personal support skills? In what areas or activities might they improve their skills, understanding, and confidence? What could you do or help them do, specifically, to improve in any of these? Have you spent time in retreats, TOTs, and other staff-development activities exploring and discussing some of the more difficult aspects of personal support to Volunteers and strategies for handling them? Are there local resources or materials staff might take advantage of to improve skills in this area? Can the PCMO help in this regard? One of the major personal support strategies is to help Volunteers build self-reliance skills and set realistic expectations for their lives and service. Are the Volunteers developing these skills and expectations sufficiently? Are the staff able to provide help in building them? Are APCD/PMs (and PA/PTSs) aware of the kinds of problems they probably should not be trying to resolve, and who they should turn to for assistance or as referrals? Again, can the PCMO help in clarifying this understanding? Do you have any particular strategies or techniques for dealing with the age-old problem of a few Volunteers demanding a great deal of time, leaving others who might like help but arent getting it? Ideas and Resources In addition to their many other functions (technical support, project planning, relations with host country partners, project management, etc.), personal support to Volunteers must figure as one of the most constant, and most challenging, duties for programming staff. It is a service that is expected by Volunteers and can be of great value to them, but is not always provided to their satisfaction (rightly or wrongly). (Note that PA/PTSs are often called upon to provide many of these support functions as well, and while the discussion below revolves around APCD/PMs, it should also be applied to PA/PTSs, wherever applicable.) Personal support can range from fairly straightforward assistance with procedures, to productive listening, to in-depth conversations about culture and life experiences, to helping Volunteers with problem-solving and confidence-building, to something bordering on counseling. Volunteers have a wide range of personal issues: adaptation problems, homesickness, relationship issues, harassment problems, personal interests and wants, happiness and unhappiness issues, and just the whole experience of learning in such a new environment and the bumps that go with it. They often come in wanting to discuss personal issues with staffespecially APCD/PMs (and PCMOs). Not all Volunteers need this sort of support, and some who need it go elsewhere, but many do show up at the programming staffs doors, as all APCD/PMs know.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Yet, not all APCD/PMs are comfortable with every situation requiring them to provide personal support, and the consequences can be difficult. Some common situations that arise include the following: Often what Volunteers are looking for is someone culturally comfortable for them. This may be because many of their issues are culturally based, or perhaps its just because it is easier for American Volunteers to bring their problems or concerns to someone from their own culture. Whatever the reason, the result is that host country staff get bypassed and American APCD/PMs (PCMOs, PTOs, and CDs as well) get a flood of Volunteers coming to them with their issues. This can cause the American APCD/PM to feel overburdened, or feel that the host country APCD/PM is not pulling (or worse, cannot pull) his or her own weight, and it can make the host country APCD/PM feel that he or she is being left out for reasons that can appear ethnic or racial. The potential consequences of this type of situation are self-evident. Another pattern is that the host country APCD/PM, being from a different culture, does not feel prepared or competent to deal with American Volunteers cultural or personal issues, which, unfortunately, may also include some serious concerns, such as sexual harassment. Volunteers may be quite willing to go to the host country APCD/PM, but may become discouraged if that person seems hesitant to respond or get involved. Then, as happens, the word gets around that so-and-so doesnt give much support. A third situation is where the APCD/PM, of whatever culture, is really not able or trained to deal with the problem presented by the Volunteer. There are plenty of casesmedical, psychological, or even some much simpler issueswhere we just dont have the skills to provide what is needed. Either we need to learn the skills, if this is appropriate and possible, or someone else needs to be called in. The problem is compounded when we dont recognize this and do the wrong thing, or dont know where to send the Volunteer and do nothing. Other problems may involve the age-old frustration of APCD/PMs losing their patience with Volunteers after seeing the same few time-takers coming back again and again and monopolizing the APCD/PM with what seems like a lot of hand-holding. Below are a few strategies for dealing with some of these problems: First of all, it may be most useful to realize whats going on and sit down and discuss it with the APCD/PMs. These things happen for cultural and other reasons. The problems or issues do not mean that one APCD/PM is better than another, but they do mean that things are out of kilter. A discussion about why Volunteers are flocking to the American APCD/PM will help both the American and host country APCD/PMs understand that there may be something all of them (and you, the CD or PTO, as well) can do to help balance the situation. You can discuss this openly and make a plan that involves everyone. Where the host country APCD/PM lacks confidence to deal with Americans personal issues, it is appropriate to point out that this is an area (i.e., personal support of Volunteers) they should, and can, become competent in. Part of the problem is simply a question of HCNs being unfamiliar with Americans, and this can be dealt with. There are many ways of helping host country staff learn more about America and Americans, and the HCNs can enjoy doing it. This is the stuff of staff retreats, language and culture classes, participation in PSTs and ISTs

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post (particularly cross-culture components), and special training activities, where possible. Modules and opportunities exist for training in communications, handling personal emergencies, and dealing with emergency situations. A great deal can be done at post with a little planning and creative use of resources. Another aspect is a question of responding to the particular personal issues brought up. Some may be strange or culturally unfamiliar, or even specifically difficult for HCNs to deal with. In some cases, this must be respected and cannot be circumvented. But in others, the host country APCD/PMs can and will truly stretch themselves, if helped, and will become good at the skill or area in question. Again, there are training resources and activities that can be sought for some of these skills and it is worth making the effort to find and implement them. If Volunteers come to you, or to the wrong APCD/PM, try to respond to them, but gently nudge them back in the direction of the person they should be seeing. It doesnt hurt to explore a problem with a Volunteer for a while, then say, I think you ought to bring this up [or continue this discussion] with your APCD/PM. He [or she] knows about this [or has experience in this, or is in a position to help you].... Make a special effort to remind Volunteers in memos or meetings to whom they should go first, that their own APCD/PM has responsibility for them and knows more about them and their situation. Sometimes this may make a difference; some Volunteers never think much about the appropriate person to see first, and when reminded will try to go to the proper person. In other cases, the reminder, plus an increased understanding and effort on the part of the APCD/PM, may also make a difference. Do not forget the importance of helping Volunteers build their own problem-solving skills, confidence in themselves, and a realistic set of expectations. This is actually the first step to take, in PST and continuously, before the problems come up or turn serious. PCVs are mostly on their own anyway, and they need these skills. Helping them develop them is probably the greatest service we can provide them. See especially sections 4.8 (Volunteer Support and Self-Reliance) and 4.10 (Helping Volunteers Build Support Structures at Site) for more strategies in this effort. In addition, PCVLs and other PCVs can be of great assistance in helping Volunteers manage their problems and weather difficult times. See sections 4.12 (Important Support Roles Volunteers Can Play) and 6.8 (on the distribution of roles among programming staff) on this topic. In cases where the problem or issue is something that requires resources we dont have, it is imperative that we know our own limits and to where we should turn and have the Volunteer turn. There is no definitive list of solutions in this area, as much depends on local resources and the particular situation. It is wise to sit down as a staff and brainstorm problems and resources, including medical, psychological, local Peace Corps, PC/W, and others that can be turned to or referred to and how it should be done. A game plan, and the knowledge that other assistance is there, gives everyone a little more confidence. Wherever increased training or research can help prepare staff, this should be supported. There are plenty of good materials on the types of personal issues Volunteers have and a raised consciousness on the part of staff can only be an advantage.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post As for the few Volunteers who take up a disproportionate amount of time, there is probably no easy answer or we would have resolved this long ago, but there are strategies to help such Volunteers gain confidence, develop more self-reliance, and begin to need less attention. Some of this is discussed in section 4.8 (Volunteer Support and Volunteer Self-Reliance) and more generally in the whole of section 4. Other answers will be the product of staff brainstorming, as is always the case, or through discussions with fellow CDs or OSS. Again, this is not a new problem. Finally, what happens to PCVs may also happen to APCD/PMs and the problems just get a little overwhelming. This may be a case of APCD/PM burnout (temporary, we hope) and it happens to everyone. People need vacations; they need to get away. They may also just need the situation brought to their attention, along with a little help, attention, and discussion. It is not something to ignore or wait out. This is a case where the country directors constructive attention and assistance can be useful. 6.13. Funding for Volunteer Projects Guidelines and resources for funding community projects are explored and discussed with Volunteers during PST and ISTs, and through available materials at post. Volunteers make use of funding resources in a sustainable and responsible manner. Questions to Think About Are Volunteers in your program significantly involved in assisting communities with project fund-raising or grant-writing efforts? What are some of the major problems or frustrations they have encountered? List them. (If you are not sure, find out.) Does the CD lead the discussion or session during PST on the role of the Volunteer in development? Do you explore guidelines, advantages, and hazards of Volunteer involvement in community project funding and/or fundraising efforts? Are the different funding sources for community-initiated projects available through the Peace Corps adequately presented to Volunteers and understood? Is there someone on the Peace Corps staff with the responsibility to serve as the resource or go-to person for Volunteers questions on project funding? Do you conduct a Project Design and Management (PDM) IST for Volunteers and counterparts at some point in the first six months of Volunteers service? Are some Volunteers bringing in or generating funds for their communities on a personal basis? Do you have problems with Volunteers not finishing a project (for which they obtained funding) before COS? Ideas and Resources The potential of becoming involved in a funds-generating, grant-writing, or managing role for a community project is one that confronts almost every Volunteer in the Peace Corps. Volunteers have skills, connections, and access to resources that local people appreciate and want to benefit fromnot that they dont respect the Volunteer for who he or she is; but they are realists, too. This is a great opportunity for the community and they dont want to miss it. To ensure that the process Peace Corps 161

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post is done right and that dependencies arent created, Volunteers must understand how to generate resources and promote activities as a project or community enabler, rather than as the means to a gift that the organization or community begins to rely on or expect. This should be discussed initially during PST and then during an early project design and management (PDM) IST that will provide detailed training on how to help a community access resources and how a PCV (working with counterparts) can help build the capacity of people, organizations, and communities in project design and management skills. There are multiple sources of funding available for Volunteers through the Peace Corps and the American mission: the Small Project Assistance (SPA) program, the Peace Corps Partnership Program (PCPP), the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the Ambassadors Self-Help Fund, USAID special programs, and others, depending on the country. And there are many other sources available through NGOs, international organizations, Peace Corps Friends of Togo [or wherever], donors, etc. It is important that Volunteers be trained and clear in how to work with the community to develop proposals, apply for funding, and then carry out the appropriate project management, documentation, and reporting, including closeout before the Volunteers COS, if this is a necessary condition. The important points to make in this fundraising, proposal-writing, and project management process are the following: 1. These need to be the communities projects, not the Volunteers. The Volunteer can and should help with needs assessment, project planning, design, research, proposal writing, budgetany of thisbut the project must belong to the community and its representatives. The community must gain skills, experience, and responsibility through the process. If it is just the Volunteers project, thats all it will ever be and the rest will never happen. 2. Volunteers get overloaded with these projects. They take on too much, too early; they tackle things they dont know enough about; and they get involved in promises they cant handle or get out of. There should be some kind of guideline or timeline for Volunteersthat they undertake no proposal or project involvement for the first X months (perhaps six), and that they attend a PDM workshop (along with a counterpart) to develop the necessary development, budget, and management skills before any project is designed and proposal submitted. Of course, this will need to be adapted to local calendars and circumstances, but the principle is still valid. Volunteers need to know what they are doing, or they will be teaching the wrong things and grooming projects (and themselves) for failure. 3. Dependencies must not be created. This is probably the greatest principle of all. The process must be sustainableskills, activities, benefitsthese must be able to continue after the Volunteer is gone. Some projects (particularly Peace Corps- or embassy-funded projects) may require that activities be complete before the Volunteers COS. This is fine. Get it donebut in such a fashion that the lessons, activities, follow-up, and benefits continue. That is the idea behind it all. 4. Finally, there are regulations in the Peace Corps about Volunteers generating private funds on their own and there are problems with Volunteers using their own or their familys and friends money. Be sure these subjects are explored with Volunteers before they begin to experience 162 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post their own problems. The pressures are greatPCVs need help on this. (The Office of Private Sector Initiatives (OPSI) in PC/Washington can be of assistance in thisthere are viable options for PCVs who want to seek outside donations.) 6.14. Providing Adequate Information for Volunteer Recruitment and Trainee Information Useful project information and general information is gathered regularly and transmitted back to Peace Corps/Washington for recruitment purposes and for the information packet for new trainees. Questions to Think About What information do current Volunteers think they should have received, but didnt, before coming to country? (If you dont know this, it is a good question to ask at an IST, or have the VAC research, or put in a memo or Volunteer survey; they may list some surprising and useful things.) What is in the information packet that you send to PC/W for new invitees? Does it have some of the following? Letters or vignettes from a representative cross-section of Volunteers (e.g., projects, gender, age, ethnic group, year of service, section of country) Descriptions of some typical workdays (in different projects, places) for Volunteers Description of a cross-cultural incident or relationship Language materials (specific information on languages used in-country; lists of phrases; downloadable files, lessons, and recordings; referrals to useful language resources, books, and electronic materials; description of a poignant incident involving language use) Descriptions of secondary projects or community activities An account of a particular difficulty faced Photographs or postcards List of recommended books and other resource materials (history, current conditions, novelsthis is a good tool!) List of Volunteers (with email addresses) who have agreed to be contacted by invitees with questions about service in your countrymake sure it is a good cross-section Specific information on safety and security Have you collected some frank descriptions, recommendations, or vignettes from specific groups or for particular situations (e.g., African-American Volunteers serving in Africa, or specifically in former apartheid areas; country attitudes toward gays and lesbians; particularly strict dress or behavior standards; strong religious codes or norms)?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and resources This characteristic is primarily an exhortation to posts to review Volunteer assignment descriptions (VADs) and information packet materials for useful, practical content, realism, frank description of special circumstances, and, basically, everything that can be useful to candidates in helping them understand the job and conditions in the host country before they come. Providing such information allows prospective Volunteers to spend their energy constructing useful expectations and then preparing accordingly before they come, rather thanonce they are therebattling against erroneous prior assumptions they have constructed. It is certainly no fun for staff to deal with Volunteers who come and find their expectations are unrealistic, but you can imagine that it must be even more difficult for the Volunteers themselves. They have sold their cars, said goodbye to their friends, and set themselves up for an admirable, valuable experience, based on certain assumptions. To fail in this is miserable and, for some, even Earth-shattering. Try to put together a variety of materials. There are lots of useful possibilities, including VADs, country information packets, up-to-date lists of what to bring, newsletters, letters and vignettes from Volunteers, documents from the government or counterpart agency, site descriptions, Volunteer action plans and quarterly reports, other reports, newspaper articles, country websites, descriptions of housing and living conditions, task analyses, and so on. With ever better technology, you can make so much of what is available that was impossible to convey just a few years ago. Remember, though, that the VADs are the primary document used by recruitment and it is critical that they are up-to-date and put the countrys and the positions truest foot forward. In preparing materials, pay special attention to the following: Give the truest and most realistic possible description of the job, i.e., not just what it should be, but also what the job is, with its various tasks, aspects, and problems. In this day of great specialization, it makes a difference whether a business Volunteer will be providing direct consultations to rural small businesses or training leaders of medium-size businesses in an urban context. And it makes a difference whether they will have access to a vehicle or use public transport or a bike, and what that will be like. With email communications, it is possible to have more detailed contact with potential Volunteers about what their jobs and lives will be like, and all efforts should be made to make this possible. Be up-front about particular issues or circumstances. Religious, cultural, ethnic, gender, security, and other circumstances and attitudes can be extremely important. Volunteers can adapt to a lot of situations that do not cause them direct conflict, but where they have a need or a value that is especially important to them and this is threatened, it can be a difficult situation. In this context, it pays to address gender attitudes, questions of religious limitations, racial histories or circumstances, lifestyle attitudes, and other specific issues as much and as thoroughly as possible. Statements from current Volunteers are useful. Forthright discussion of previous problems or challenges is valuablethose issues show some of the struggles that Volunteers face and can help the potential Volunteer consider whether this is an acceptable price to pay, and how to prepare for it. Reference to publications (including fictional works) can also be helpful in providing the Volunteer-to-be with a snapshot of what he or she might face. Above all, if youre worried about an issue, or theres an issue thats been a problem or a concern for Volunteers, recruits should be given the opportunity to learn and think about it from the beginning.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Have a discussion with current Volunteers about their blogs. This is an important issue. Many PCVs start posting blogs once they get in-country and tend to put a great deal of personal information, thoughts, opinions, and judgments on these sites. The Peace Corps cannot (and could never) regulate all these blog sites. But the Peace Corps can attempt to instill a sense of responsibility (along with some common-sense guidelines) in those PCVs who post the blogs. Remind PCVs, starting in PST and continuing through ISTs, newsletter articles, etc., that these blogs are widely read by prospective Volunteers (as well as moms and dads, congresspersons, and host country nationals). Of course, the blogs can be a great and valuable source of information for prospective PCVs and everyone elsebut they can also be harmful and misrepresentative in many ways, and Volunteers bear the responsibility for thatand for consequences that follow. If the blogs are not going to be password-protected, Volunteers must think carefully about what they say and the effects it may have. Finally, it may be useful to have the VAC or another Volunteer committee (some countries may have a sector-specific committee, such as a business advisory committee or education committee) put together specific materials or even contact the invitees in person by email or telephone (if feasible) to answer questions. The period before arrival is a high-interest time and a good occasion for making certain points that may be lost on the Volunteers later on. 7. TRAINING

7.1. Annual Action Plan for Training The country director and staff develop a continuum-of-learning plan for Volunteers during their entire 27 months of service and an annual action plan for training activities. The learning continuum and annual training plan are consistent with the Peace Corps Programming and Training Guidance and include the posts proposed activities and time frames for training needs assessments, resource identification, organization and design of activities, implementation, administration and support, and monitoring and evaluation. Questions to Think About Do you design a continuum-of-learning plan for Volunteers during their 27 months in-country, including specific training events, follow-up activities, materials, and self-study strategies? Do you draw up a post schedule of training activities (PSTs, ISTs, workshops, COS, etc.) that are planned for the coming year and distribute it (e.g., to the host country and partner organizations, to all staff, and to Volunteers)? Would it be useful to give the Volunteers at swearing-in a two-year schedule of the major training events so everyone can plan ahead for vacations, etc.? Who participates in making decisions and developing the continuum-of-learning plans and the annual training plan and schedule? Who is in charge of the continuum-of-learning plans? Of the annual plan and schedule? Of the planning for individual events? Who is in charge of researching training sites, making reservations, hiring staff, organizing content, developing materials, gathering and purchasing supplies, organizing transport? How do you, the CD, keep track of what is going on, i.e., whether the planning is being done, and if plans are being followed or changed?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post What is the division of responsibility among the CD, the PTO, and the training manager (TM) or training director (TD) in the planning and management of training? Can you draw up a chart that shows how this division of responsibility applies to PST, different types of ISTs, COSs, and other events and activities? Is this division of responsibility working? Are there gaps or areas of ambiguity or problems? If you could change two major things about the distribution of responsibility, what would you change? When was the last time you looked over the P&T Guidance: Core Programming and Training Guidance? What about the P&T Guidance: Training Design and Evaluation and Management and Implementation? (These were formerly the P&T booklets.) Have you used these materials for your training plans and activities? Who on your staff has used them? What have they been using them for? What do you think is the weakest area of your continuum-of-learning plans? What is the weakest area of your training right now? If you were to launch a major initiative to improve each, what would you do and what do you think you could accomplish? When was the last time you tried something radically new to make training more relevant or practical? What was it? Did it work or not? What lessons did you take from it and what changes did it bring about? What two dramatically new things would you like to try in training (PST or IST)? Why not go ahead and do them this year? Is your country staff involved in training? Who is and who isnt? Why? How could they be more involved? How many intakes of trainees do you have each year? How was that determined? How much of the year is the staff getting ready for and implementing training? Should you reconsider this calendar? Is the list below (under Ideas and Resources) being taken care of by your staff, or are there things falling through the cracks or being only partially done? Ideas and Resources For many country programs, in-country pre-service training is about the most burdensome thing that comes along during the Peace Corps year. PSTs are demanding, complicated, long, with lots of crises, seemingly always unsatisfactory in some aspect (and always being complained about), and generally disruptive to other established routines and support systems in the country program. For all these reasons and probably a few more, there is a great temptation for CDs and other staff to have as little to do with training as possible, and to let the training people (the training director and staff or a contract organization) handle it. All the CD and staff have to do is be relieved when it is over and things can get back to normal.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Training is also about the most important activity of the Peace Corps year. For a country program to achieve excellence, it must all start in PST. If it doesnt start there, its difficult to regain that lost opportunity. The jobs, the collaboration, the conditions, the support, the trainee profiles, and the host country attitude and welcome may look good on the surface (though usually everythings not that perfect), but we all know of cases where, if the PST didnt go well, the group was troubled from that point on. This characteristic is a reminder of the need for the country director and country staff To be actively invested and involved in training, beginning in PST and continuing through the entire 27 months of each groups service. To sit down together and create a general continuum-of-learning plan for each Volunteer group and a specific post action plan for the coming training year. These steps help to ensure that training does what is needed, that qualified people conduct it, that the staff as a whole are involved in it, and that it reflects the vision and values that the country program holds most strongly. The continuum-of-learning plans and the annual training action plan dont need to be long, complicated, or a burden. Developing them is mostly a question of sitting down together, reviewing the different groups progress and the prior years training results, recognizing the lessons learned, and making decisions about the key areas for each Volunteer group and for the coming training year. Making these decisions is important, as is setting up a schedule of who will carry them out, when, and roughly how. Some of the issues needing decisions and planning would include: Project plans, goals and objectives. Volunteer job descriptions, task analyses, competencies. Do any of these need revising or changing (consider them one by one)? Who should do it? Needs assessments for training. What do Volunteers on the job need and how do we find this out (e.g., Volunteer surveys, PSR, TSR, other)? Training philosophy, goals, and strategies. What is going to guide us this year? What are the central values of training and what new things are we going to do? How do we make the trainee experience in PST as similar as possible to their future Volunteer service? Identification of training events and sites. What will we do and where (e.g., TOTs, PSTs, ISTs, MSCs, COSs, in-house, contracted out)? Identification of responsible people. Who will they be, and how will responsibilities be divided? Tentative scheduling/timeline. Plan the calendar for the whole year. This is the chance to see how it fits in with everything else going on (site visits, incoming and departing groups, important host country dates and activities, etc.). Identification of resources (e.g., trainers, materials, funds, contractors). Are we making the best use of local resources, leadership, skills, facilities?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Designs and sessions. Who, when, and how? What about language materials? Technical materials? Others? Do these need to be revised or new ones need to be written? Who will do it and how much time will it take? Administrative and support plans. Are sites getting identified and reserved, and systems set up in time? Staff identified? Contracts signed? Materials purchased? Who is doing what? Trainee assessment. What are the skills and skill levels needed and how do we evaluate them? Did last years assessment system work? Were any lessons learned from last year? What do we need to change? Is there agreement on this? Monitoring and evaluation. What is the training event supposed to accomplish? How do we make sure it is doing this? Make sure evaluations are clear and practical in their recommendations and that training doesnt swing to opposite sides of a norm based on this years feedback. Follow-up. How is the training being followed up and supplemented in the field? Are there guidelines and expectations for self-directed learning by the Volunteer, especially in the first three months at site? Are ISTs and supplementary materials being designed to follow up on PST and respond to needs at site? In undertaking planning for the training year, the Programming and Training Guidance (described in section 6.1) will provide an excellent point of departure, outline, and resource for the country director, PTO, APCD/PMs, TM, and training staff. All the materials concern training in some way, but the most directly relevant include these P&T Guidance sections: Core Programming and Training Guidance; Training Design and Evaluation; and Management and Implementation. These provide a full description of the Peace Corps Training, Design and Evaluation (TDE) System, with much direct practical information on planning, implementation, and evaluation of training events. The P&T Guidance, together with past country plans, reports, and sample plans and ideas from other country programs, should provide a fertile collection of resources for CDs and country staff to develop a solid continuum of learning for Volunteer groups and a quality plan for the coming training year. This planning period is the time for innovation. One good principle for training is to have a major new theme each year in what you intend to accomplish (and change). Together with your staff, identify an area for concentration or improvement for the year (e.g., cross-culture year, language improvement year, or the year to improve technical training) and devote major effort and resources to that initiative. Pick the area that needs it most and get everyone (staff, Volunteers, counterparts) involved. By the end of the year, you can be quantum leaps ahead of where you were. In addition to this general theme, talk to your staff about picking something else dramatically new (a new technique; a new system; a different, modified calendar) and try it. This could be A major launch into homestays and community-based training (CBT). (If you havent been doing much of it, now is the time. Try it!).

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post A different configuration of training components. (Do nothing but language the first four weeks, then start technical and other components; or do a dramatic new integration of components, perhaps around a different theme each week and organize it differently.) Scheduling visits to Volunteer sites right after arrival in-country. (From the plane to the Volunteers sitesgive the trainees a look at reality right away.) Reduction of the number of PST weeks. (Take the extra stuff out and bring people back after three or four months to pick up what they need in a second phase.) Having Volunteers and counterparts take the initiative to design an entirely new on-the-job component. Having trainees and counterparts develop a job-related project. (Try a research project or a practical one.) This list could go on, as there are endless new ideas. Your neighboring PC posts have probably tried some of them. The training specialists in OPATS can suggest many new ideas they have seen in different countries. Your own staff or Volunteers and counterparts could come up with some original and valuable initiatives. Look for them, and then, together with your staff, pick one and try it. Why not? Make sure it has strong staff support and involvement. It will add interest and enthusiasm to your training, and it may turn out to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. Finally, as already discussed in section 6.1, Peace Corps countries differ in that some have programming and training officer (PTO) positions and some do not. Obviously, for those that do have them, the PTO will normally carry out the day-to-day management and supervision of the training component and thus have first line responsibility and a guiding role in conducting the training activities in the country. In this case, the questions, resources, and strategies that follow in this section will serve the PTO directly in these duties. As has been discussed in the prior sections on leadership and program management, the CD must strike an effective and judicious position, leading, supervising, and effectively delegating to, and motivating, the PTO in this management role, while maintaining a thorough day-to-day knowledge of the workings and success of this important area of operations. In countries without a PTO, the questions, resources, and strategies that follow should serve as direct, practical guidelines for CDs in carrying out the management and supervision of training managers and operations. Of course, PTO or not, the CD is ultimately responsible for the expectations presented in the characteristics. 7.2. Training Manager Position

Whether or not the post has a year-round training center, there is a staff member who functions in a training management position and has year-round responsibility for overseeing and directing training staff, PST, IST, and other training planning, activities, and administrative support.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Questions to Think About How is responsibility for your in-country training (PSTs, ISTs, and other) currently organized? Is there one person in charge of all or is the responsibility shared? If you use a contracting organization, how is the responsibility set up? Who oversees it? Do you have a PTO? What is that persons role and relationship vis--vis the training manager or training director? Do the training and programming staff understand the TDE process? Is it being followed? Go through the duties listed below (under Ideas and Resources) one by one. Who on your staff is currently carrying out each one? Are there some that are not being carried out effectively? Which ones are they, and what have been the consequences? Who would be the most logical person to do those particular things? Do you have other full-time training staff, such as a language and cross-culture coordinator (LCCC)? If you do not, how are other functions managed during the year (development and improvement of technical, cultural, and language materials, field research and support to Volunteers continuum-of-learning activities)? When was the last time you used a USPSC (U.S. Personal Services Contractor)? What did the person do? Will you need another USPSC for the same (or a different) function? In your experience, what have been the advantages and disadvantages of USPSCs? What about choosing an experienced local-hire training (or technical) person in your subregion or your country and training him or her as an investment for future years? Who prepares and conducts your TOTs? Are they preparing both your country staff and training staff sufficiently? (Are both involved in them? Are you involved in them?) How are team-building and team coordination working among your training staff and between training staff and remaining country staff? Ideas and Resources Peace Corps posts differ considerably in their approach to pre-service training (e.g., one, two, or more PSTs a year, a training contract, a part- or full-time training center, community-based training (CBT), third-country training), but there is still not that much difference in training functions. PST is still PST, and there are TOTs and ISTs to prepare for and conduct, COSs to do, and perhaps a SPA/PDM, a language workshop, an MSC or a WID/GAD conference, and many materials and follow-up activities in the field to promote and coordinate. Training is still one of the most important things the Peace Corps does and it has a role year-round. Therefore, it should have a person responsible for it year-round. If there is any doubt whether a training manager (TM) has enough to do, it is useful to review a typical TM job description, which is largely a list of the training support activities any Peace Corps post must carry out: Collaboration with the country director and programming, health, safety/security, and administrative staff to assess the prior years training activities, design the Volunteers continuum-of-learning plan, and develop and manage the annual training plan

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Regular individual meetings with the CD, PTO, APCD/PMs, AO, SSC, and PCMO to gather training feedback and assess needs, coordinate training activities, andimportantlyadvance the functioning of a Peace Corps team with training as an integral component Visits to and meetings with Volunteers in the field to observe directly the results of training and obtain input for future programs and activities Coordination of the design, preparation, implementation, and evaluation of PSTs, including coordination of the TDE process, development of competencies, learning objectives, etc. (see P&T Guidance: Training Design and Evaluation), as well as ISTs, MSCs, COSs and other training events such as project development and management (PDM) workshops and other conferences Development and support of interim training events and activities in the field (language tutor program, language and technical workshops in the field, training exchanges between Volunteers, counterparts, groups or projects (see section 6 for more discussion of this strategy) Identification, selection, hiring, supervision, and assessment of training staff Development of training job descriptions, and identification, selection, and leadership and guidance of training committees Coordination of the development of training philosophy, goals, standards, and strategies Conduct, analysis, coordination, and use of training needs assessments Identification and preparation of training sites, training homestays, and collaboration with SSC and PCMO to meet all health, safety, and security standards Together with AO, management of administrative and logistical support systems for training Together with AO, management of training contracts Together with AO, development, administration, and monitoring of training budgets Coordination and development of training materials and resources Coordination and preparation of pre-training materials and packets Coordination, writing, and use of training reports Design and conduct of TOTs Development of competencies, qualifications, and procedures for trainee assessment Liaison with country staff (CD, PTO, APCD/PMs, AO, SSC, PCMO, support staff, Volunteers, partner agencies and representatives, field) and with PC/W Overall accountability for training activities

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post This is an impressive list and it may still not be complete for your country program. Take some time to see whether there are special issues that need to be included in the training managers responsibilities and included in your country training plan. Here are a couple of additional questions to reflect on, in managing your training operation: If your post has a PTO, how is the relationship between the TM and PTO? How are duties distributed and responsibilities worked out? How is the coordination of training with the programming and other sections? If your training managers role seems to be largely responsibility for PST and not much else, are you getting the right balance of training between PST and other training activities (IST, workshops, MSC, etc.)? What concrete steps do you need to take to improve this balance and make sure these other functions are being addressed sufficiently? Can the TM carry out all of the duties in the above list? Many countries also have a full-time language and cross-culture coordinator and perhaps even other positions. Do you need to consider this? If so, what would you need and how would you justify it to your region? Do you frequently use outside hires (including USPSCs, local or subregional PSCs, shortterm consultants) for injections of expertise or implementation of certain technical or other duties? What steps can you and the TM take to incorporate sustainability into this system of part-time hires? Whatever the arrangement, the training management job itself must be recognized as a year-round responsibility, and the person responsible must be able to concentrate on the ongoing needs of current Volunteers while coordinating and leading the process of preparing for those in the next groups. The training manager must provide leadership, continuity, and the development of increasing expertise in the training sector and the continuum of Volunteer learning. If training is to receive the attention it needs, the training manager must be able to advocate for it and push it forward during the whole cycle. If not, it gets left behind. The Peace Corps cannot afford for that to happen. Again, if there is to be excellence in the country program, training is where it starts and the continuum of learning is what keeps it going. 7.3 Partner Agency and Volunteer Input Into Training Partner agencies, Volunteers, and counterparts play an active role in all phases of training, including planning, implementation, and evaluation of effectiveness. Questions to Think About What kinds of needs assessments is your post doing for PST? For ISTs? Are you getting useful information? Are you getting it from both Volunteers and partners and counterparts? Who is not providing such information, but should be? What strategies and tools could you be using to get it? Are Volunteers in the field able to influence what is happening in training activities? Are they actually designing and conducting any of the activities?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post What has been your posts view on Volunteer participation in PST? What would be (or have been) the advantages and the disadvantages of Volunteer participation in training? Brainstorm a list and consider it, in light of changes you could make. Is it time to re-examine your position? What could you do to increase Volunteer input and involvement? Are partner agencies and counterparts attending training events (PSTs, ISTs)? Are they helping to design and conduct training events? Who is paying for their participation? Are they? If they are not, are you able to find funding to support them? If you are having trouble in this area, what might you do about it? What process are you using for designing training (PSTs, ISTs)? Do you conduct training planning workshops or training preparation activities? Are you using ISTs to help prepare for upcoming PSTs? How is Volunteer and counterpart input being plugged into this process? Are host country agencies or other development organizations offering training that Peace Corps could participate in or contribute to? Ideas and Resources Since the Volunteersand their counterpart agencies and communitiesare the ultimate consumers of training, they need a say in what is going on and whether it is working. You can help this happen in a number of ways: Evaluations and surveys, directed to Volunteers and partner agencies. These can be done at the end of PST, six months down the line, and in specific preparation meetings (e.g., at, or for, an IST). They can be used to focus on particular aspects of training or, more generally, to gather input, ideas, and summaries of needs for future programs. Committees and workshops for training planning and implementation for PSTs or ISTs. One way to design a training event is to put out a call for a training planning workshop, which can be conducted as a separate event, or along with another previously scheduled one (even in the provinces). Volunteers and counterparts who are interested can be invited to join in a review, planning, and design effort. For IST planning, this can even be as little as a half-day, one-day, or weekend meeting, where priorities for the IST can be decided, committees formed, an approximate schedule made up, lists of resources compiled, assignments given, session planning begun, deadlines set, etc. This has the major advantage of having the agenda and activities established and controlled by the field. An APCD/PM, PTO, training manager, PA/PTS, PCVL, or Volunteer can function in a coordinating role and make sure logistics, schedules, resources, letters, etc. are being taken care of. Obviously, the more those in the field are involved, the more they take on responsibility for the trainings success or failure, and the more it is, ultimately, theirs. In a much larger sense, the same approach can be used for PST, using a training planning workshop for components of the training, or even for the whole training itself. A call can be put out to Volunteers, counterparts, and Peace Corps staff involved and interested in the new PST

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post to assemble for two or three days for the design stage. Philosophy, goals, strategies, sites, schedules, etc., can be discussed and committees formed to design the different components or aspects of the PST, such as: Technical (education, business, etc.) Language Cross-cultural issues and homestays Trainee site visits Personal health Safety/security Community projects Sustainable development A scheduling and logistics committee You can start at the beginning with a big empty schedule on the wall and end, three days later, with all or most of it filled in with sessions identified, resources suggested, responsible people put forward, deadlines set, and lists of necessary materials compiled. Schedules can be set up for Volunteer and counterpart visits and direct input into particular sessions of training, the organization of site visits, and on-the-job training components. Many things may still change as the pre-training process moves forward, but an enormous planning step has been taken, based on direct input from the field. This type of meeting has been an effective and inclusive method for PST planning, and many countries now make it a regular event. Post-PST training activities in the field. Obviously, if one if the major goals of training is to prepare people for the field, then conditions that closely approximate the fieldor take place in the fieldwill be the most effective. Community-based training (CBT) models, community action projects, and the homestay experience are valuable approaches during PST. After PST, follow-up on-the-job training, self-directed learning syllabi, and such things as weekend language ISTs and technical mini-ISTs (both of which can be held at Volunteer sites, or at local levels) all have the advantage of placing Volunteers in practical, realistic environments and training them through hands-on experiences. Volunteers will ask for some of these if they know they have a chance of getting them. And if they ask, they can be expected to help set them up and run them. For example, a language IST at a Volunteers sitewhere five or six Volunteers from the same district come for a one and one-half or two-day weekend of language workcan be organized by the Volunteers and cost little. A PST language trainer might go out and help them, or the language and cross-culture coordinator may provide materials and even train a community member for a series of these weekend immersions. This can be a tremendous shot in the arm to Volunteer language motivation and also send a unique message to villagers at the Volunteer site to see these Volunteers spending the weekend in the bush working on the local language. Indeed, Volunteers and host agencies are well placed to set these up. They can be exciting undertakings for countries that have not tried them and can be filled with learning and valuable insights. For any country looking for something to rev up training and get the host country agencies and communities involved, this kind of activity may be ideal.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Training by or with other agencies. Take a look at what host agencies and other partner or development organizations are offering as training for their own members or projects. Could Peace Corps Volunteers participate or join in any of these? Co-hosted with the Peace Corps or entirely conducted by the host agency, these can also be an excellent opportunity for Volunteers to gain skills and strengthen collaboration with other groups, and for the Peace Corps to maximize resource use. One final point to consider: You will need resources for some of the above, particularly where you wish to build in a workshop or increase the participation of host country representatives in the training process. For some of the costs for host country representatives, appropriated Peace Corps funds cannot be used directly. Under the current regulations, posts appropriated funds may be used to support HCN participation in PC training-related events if, in your judgment and with proper justification, their participation enhances the training of Volunteers. This generally means you can use Peace Corps funds to bring in HCNs as trainers or for PST counterpart/supervisor workshops to meet new trainees and Volunteers. Note, however, that there are other funding sources that can be used to support HCN participation in training-related activities (see SPA, PEPFAR, and other special funds). You may need to undertake some creative resource gathering; but it can be done and is well worth it. PC/W, neighboring PC posts, and organizations in your own country should be able to help you find and use resources in this way. 7.4. Ensuring Both Continuity and New Initiatives in Training

Strategies are employed to support both continuity and change in training. The learning and experience gained from one year are successfully applied to the next, and new ideas and initiatives are actively solicited for each new training plan and cycle. Questions to Think About Name two or three practices that have proven particularly valuable in your training (they can be in any areaactual training methods, organization, staffing, technical, language, admin support, training planning). What have you done in order to promote or continue these practices and improve upon them? What factors have supported the continuity of good practices in your training? Why have these factors operated the way they have? What have been the biggest obstacles to continuing or improving good practices in your training? Have you lost any of these valuable practices through failure of institutional memory or other reasons? How did it happen? What tools or measures could you use to promote or reinforce the application of lessons learned in your training? What new ways of doing things or what useful changes did you try out in the last year? How did they come about? What factors are helping this kind of useful change to happen in your program? What hurdles are standing in the way of new ideas and useful change in your training, and what can you do about them? What kind of cross-fertilization contacts have you had with other training programs or other PC posts? What could you do to further promote this type of exchange? Peace Corps 175

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources In any country with less than full year-round training activities or staff, there is always a risk that the connection will be lost between one cycle and the next. People come and go, learning fades, and materials and practices get lost. In this kind of situation, a program must make a special effort to support continuity, institutional memory, and lessons learned. Some of the strategies for reinforcing learning and continuing what works include: Year-round training staff (at the very least, a training manager and any other positions possible). Clearly, having the same person responsible for training throughout the year and from one year to the next greatly increases the chance for good practices to be continued and replicated and the less than successful ones to be recognized as such and improved upon or abandoned. In addition, other key trainers and support staff (language and cross-culture coordinator, homestay coordinator, language instructors, etc.) who can be retained in some measurefull time if possible, or through some combination with other functionswill also strengthen the program. Sending the same people to workshops for Peace Corps training managers and for language and culture increases the pool of experience. Whatever a post can do to support this key group (help them find contracts with other NGOs that need training, help them set up their own training services company, use them in other needed Peace Corps capacities) so that they will remain available to the program will be to the Peace Corps great advantage. Institutionalized training planning activities, workshops, collaborations, positions, sites. Annual training planning and training staff development activities, workshops, and other established, regular training practices help guarantee that things get done each year. If it is the practice, for example, that PCVLs, extendees, or counterparts lead the efforts in technical training or that partner agencies contribute certain trainers, then the procedures are in place to support continuity. Look for these sorts of arrangements and support them. Training, mentoring, and preparing future staff. If you are using a USPSC or a departing Volunteer (or anyone else who wont be back) in a key position, always be asking the questionsWho will lead this effort next year? Who will do this?and take advantage of the persons presence to mentor and prepare a replacement for the future. Careful preservation and use of training reports, designs, and materials. Having an organized system of documentation and filing, and making sure that people see and study the reports, session plans, and materials will make sure these materials are retained and put to productive use. (See section 7.8 on reports.) The flip side of continuity must also be respected, i.e., there must always be the motivation for new ways of doing things and to assure the country training program does not fall into a rut. This can easily happen where too much remains the same (same site, same people, same training contract, little Peace Corps staff involvement). There must always be the willingness to take risks and try new things to achieve new goals. Some techniques for achieving this injection of newness include: New people. Some people move forward with new ideas and some dont. As is recognized by the Peace Corps five-year rule, most folks need to move in, up, and eventually out. There is always a place for new people, with new ideas and perspectives. Some old and some new is a good formula for most things, including training.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Conscious changes. Make some changes on purposefor the sake of change. Look for new ideas and try them. Together with your staff, identify the one or two areas that need improvement and set out on a concentrated campaign to change them. Try the innovation approaches described in section 7.1. Cross-fertilization with other programs: training exchange. Keep in close contact with non-Peace Corps programs in your country and neighboring Peace Corps posts. Send members of your training staff to visit and learn new things from them. Fertilize your program with the experiences of others. Invite others to make exchange visits to your training and make observations. Trade materials, sessions, and reports. Take advantage of the new modules and materials coming out of PC/W. Note that training exchanges can be done inexpensively. If staff are on board with the idea, a bunch of them can pile in a vehicle and go over to the next country for a couple of days. See if they can stay with training staff over thereand make the same offer in reverse. Where this has been tried, it has been the source of great excitement. These are people who dont normally get these learning opportunities; when they do, they prize them and use them. Volunteer jobs change, and training must change with them. Keep up with what the Volunteers are doing. Make sure the task analyses, learning and training objectives, and competencies are up-to-date. Training is supposed to prepare Volunteers for the real thing. For this to happen, the design needs to be checked continually for validity, and Peace Corps programming people and field people (Volunteers, counterparts, communities) must be involved. 7.5. Country Director and Staff Participation in Training The country director and staff participate directly in PST and IST activities, as well as staff development (training of trainers), and other workshops. The country director sets the tone for training activities and team-building, and communicates program and training priorities and the Peace Corps philosophy to training staff, Volunteers, and trainees. The country director and staff contribute directly to training designs and implementation. Questions to Think About What is your (the CDs) normal role in PST? How often do you go to PST? What do you do? Do you conduct sessions? Which ones? What else do you do? How do you get to know the trainees? By the end of PST, do you feel you know themeach onewell enough? Do you think they know you? What specific steps could you take to improve the contact and your knowledge of each other? What do you do at the Training of Trainers workshop? This is the chance for the philosophy, standards, and tone of training to be established, discussed, and understood. Is this happening? What is your role in this process? What is your follow-up or ongoing contact with the training staff? Do you have regular meetings (or other kinds of contact) with them during the PST? Do you know enough about what is happening at the PST? What are your main sources of information? Are your training philosophies, priorities, and strategies being communicated and followed?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post What are your senior and key staff members (PTO, APCD/PMs, PA/PTSs, PCMO, SSC, ITS, AO and certain admin staff) doing at PST? How often do they go? Are they getting to know the trainees? How? Is it enough? Are the trainees getting to know them? To trust them? What could they be doing that they are not doing? What about ISTs? Are you and your staff an ongoing presence at ISTs? What roles are you playing? Is it enough? What are some of the ongoing themes and concerns in your country that could or should be reinforced by staff presence as a regular function of ISTs? Do your local support staff in the office and your Volunteers in the field know each other? When and how do they meet? What is their normal pattern of contact? Is there room for improvement in their relationships? Can PST and ISTs be useful tools in this effort? What specific steps would be practical at your PSTs and ISTs to get support staff and Volunteers to know each other better? Ideas and Resources The country directors direct participation in training is essential. Here are some of the critical roles for the CD to fill: Promoting the development of a training philosophy and training values for the country program (e.g., collaboration with host country partners, respect for local cultures, sustainability, professionalism, self-reliance, self-directed learning, a particular approach to assessment) and ensuring their successful implementation. Make your own listthese are the principles of your country program and this is your chance to make sure they are understood by your training staff and your newest group of Volunteers-to-be. Helping staff determine programming and training priorities for the year and translating them into practical training goals and strategies. Helping staff decide on new and novel training initiatives and motivating staff and Volunteers to buy into them. Providing motivation through direct presentations to staff and participants at PSTs, ISTs, TOTs, etc., and through meetings with training staff, Volunteers, and traineesto convey and reinforce philosophy, values, and priorities, and set the tone for training. In this effort, be sure to role model the Training Design and Evaluation (TDE) process (see the P&T Guidance), by sharing your presentations and designs with staff and seeking their input. Promoting team-building efforts among country program and training staff (including APCD/PMs, PCMO, SSC,, PCMO, etc.) and monitoring the success of the team approach as training continuesand where there is a need, actively working alongside the training director or manager to construct and solidify collaboration among staff members. Assisting programming and training staff in the selection of trainee assessment procedures (including self-assessment) for PST; working and brainstorming with training staff on a variety of tools and the application of the procedures.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Note that if you have a PTO on your staff, this is one more member of senior management who can help you make sure these functions are being achieved and the need for excellence in training is being emphasized. But a PTO should not be a substitute for the CD in carrying out these important roles. The CD must be an active presence in trainingit is a one-time opportunity that cannot be missed. Country staff as a whole also has an essential part in supporting, lending validity to, and carrying out training. The philosophy, values, priorities, and initiatives presented by the CD must be echoed and supported by other staff as well, and integrated into everyday life as part of the fabric of training. Of course, the training manager (or training director) manages the process day-to-day, but country staff members all have key roles to play in the training process, including: Direct participation (and even leadership) by the PTO, APCD/PMs, and other staff members in both the design and implementation of PST and IST components. The exact roles will depend on individual skills and experience, of course, but it is extremely important for the PTO, APCD/PMs, AO, PCMOs, SSC and various other country staff to be seen at training, in a training role, and to be involved in the preparations for it. Participation in training is the staff members first opportunity to meet and get to know new trainees, and their continuing opportunity to strengthen knowledge of, and relationships with, Volunteers in the field. Staff who do not take advantage of this opportunity (in PST or IST) have missed a unique chance to be a part of trainees and Volunteers lives. Staff members presence also strengthens and validates their credentials as technical, personal, administrative, or other support persons for the Volunteers. If the relationship begins in training, it has a much better chance of continuing and flourishingdown the road. Support for and modeling of the team-building process. A strong country staff team all working together is perhaps the best guarantee for a smooth and positive training process. This approach will support the creative efforts and the problem-solving abilities of the staff as a whole and provide a positive model, as well, for trainees and Volunteers. Involvement in and support for the trainee qualification and assessment process (see section 7.7). This is important in that it lends validity and support to training staff members in what is already a difficult process for them, and it is a process that must continue after training and become the country staffs role anyway. But the level of program staff involvement must be appropriatenot too much (to the point of micromanaging) and not too little (copping out because its hard). The CD, PTO, training director, and programming and training staff must work together during PST planning to find an appropriate level of participation in this area. Finally, it is important for all staffnot just APCD/PMs and program peopleto be a presence in training and to have contact with the trainees (and with the Volunteers, in the case of ISTs). This is particularly important at PSTs, as it is the first experience of the trainees in the country and it is the beginning of a relationship with a staff whose job it will be to support the Volunteers for the next two years. If no relationship develops, clearly the support stands to suffer as it is harder to provide support for someone you dont know. It is in the programs interest to create opportunities for office staff (cashier, assistant administrative people, Volunteer support personnel, secretaries, clerks, etc.) and trainees to get together, meet each other, learn about each other, learn each others first names, and build a relationship. Section 5.7 (Administrative Contact With and Knowledge of Volunteers) provides a number of strategies for this, including using a staff booklet and the potential roles of support staff in PSTs and ISTs. Peace Corps 179

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post By far, one of the most effective methods, if feasible, is a gathering or retreat to bring together all the office staff and trainees for a day or two just before or during PST. If this is possibleit can be held at the training site, or even at a boarding school or recreation siteit can do wonders. A series of meetings and discussions, team-building events, a few cross-cultural exercises, some recreational or sporting activities, a little social interactionspaced over one or even two uninterrupted dayscan bring everyone together in a way that would otherwise be difficult for people who will never live in the same town, yet must rely on and trust each other. Once they know each other, they will be much more likely to help and support each other over the next 27 months. The relationships that develop can be reinforced by periodic get-togethers at ISTs, in the office, or through support staff visits to Volunteer sites (see section 4.13. for site visit ideas for support staff). Some such gathering, in whatever form you can manage, is well worth the effort and investment. 7.6. Trainee Participation in Training Trainees have effective means of participating in, evaluating, and influencing their own training. Questions to Think About In the last PST, what were the major trainee complaints or suggestions? How did you find out about them? Pick out the two or three most important and ask the following for each: What were you and the training staff able to do about them? What seemed to work and what didnt? Do you feel the trainees were able to exert some influence or direction over certain parts of their training? What parts were they? How did this happen and what were the results? What parts of PST seemed to motivate the trainees? What was it about those activities that proved effective? How were the trainees first introduced to the local culture and society? To families and communities? What aspect or activities were particularly successful in this? Do you think the trainees began to gain a realistic sense of local culture and language from their experiences? Did they gain confidence? What were the most successful elements in culture and language and how could they be built upon or improved in the next PST? What didnt quite work? Why and what will you do about it? Were there any issues with trainees over time and scheduling at the last PST? What were the problems and what were the consequences? As an exercise in planning, what practical steps could you take in the next PST to Put the trainees themselves in charge of certain elements (which ones?) of training? Increase the community-based activities? Increase the amount of time spent in families? In rural environments? Using the local language? Provide for more free time? Get more constructive feedback from trainees on what they are doing or would like to do?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources There is a scene in the classic movie Frankenstein in which the peasants, unhappy and fearful about what Dr. Frankenstein has created, arm themselves with torches and weapons, surround the castle and threaten to attack it. It is a striking mob scene that should be burned into the minds of the country and training staff before every PST. Trainees, like peasants, can become very unhappy and unruly and, if they dont like what is going on and feel they are not being listened to, they can burn the training down. Some common complaints include: We are being treated like children; staff members dont listen to us. There is too much theoretical and classroom stuff; not enough real, practical experience. Sessions are boring, not useful; we are not getting what we need or want. We arent getting out where the real people are. Training is too controlling, regimented; Im not used to thatreal life isnt like that. Training is too long; we need to get out of here. Theres too much to do; we dont have time to absorb it; theres no free time to process things or get away. My homestay family treats me like a baby. Or I dont get along with my homestay family. The list of common trainee grievances is not too long, but it is strikingly similar throughout the Peace Corps world. The solutions, which are logical, can also be applied across the board: If trainees feel like they are being treated like children, treat them like adults. If trainees think sessions are theoretical, boring, or not useful, get them out doing real things, doing what they think is useful, and what they themselves want to do. If training is too controlling, de-control it by passing some of the control to the trainees; if its too long, shorten it; if theres too much to do, do less; if they dont have any free time, make sure they get some. Listen to trainees. What they have to say is important. These solutions are not meant to be simplistic. This is a serious problem. Peace Corps country and training staff often squabble about hours and sessions as if training is the last chance for preparation before the poor trainees descend into the jaws of doomthat if they dont get it in training, trainees will go out ill prepared for the job and life. Its not true. Training doesnt prepare trainees for life or the job, theres just too much to do. If training does anything useful, it helps them learn how to prepare and how to learn, and helps them get confident and acclimatedat least a littleto their new environment. The rest they will have to do when they are on their own. Most of the preparing and learningand thinkingthey do themselves. We need to help them learn to help themselves, and we need to listen to them when our efforts to do so fail. Peace Corps 181

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Here are a few principles to reflect on in considering training philosophies and approaches: The 20-percent principle. Trainees probably absorb only about 20 percent of what is going on around them in training. There is a lot happening to them already (new environment, new life, stress) and they can only deal with so much. When we pack more and more in, we dont really increase learning, we mostly just increase the stress. The boredom factor. Whats being taught may be an important concept or fact, but if it bores them, it wont get through. (If I see another flip chart or break into another small discussion, Ill go crazy.) Trainers need to make things interesting. How? There are plenty of ways and one is to ask the traineestheyre sure to have some useful suggestions. The point of diminishing returns. Training (and sessions) can be too long. There is a point of diminishing returns beyond which it is counterproductive to go, in weeks or even minutes. There are countries that have changed to a shorter initial PST, followed by an intensive IST after a certain period outsay, seven weeks of PST, eight weeks out, and then three weeks back in (IST); and there are programs that have moved to completely free afternoons during language training (you have to go out and talk sometime!). Take a look at your combination and consider how you might change it. See what the current PCVs think about this possibility. The element of confidence. A major function of training is to help trainees acquire confidence and feel comfortable. This comes with having experiences and dealing with things; learning from them, and enjoying some of them. These experiences are what get people ready (and selfconfident) to take on more and learn more on their own. Are the trainees getting this in training? The effect of control. Control comes from having some say in decisions that affect your life, and experts say decision-making should be as close to the action as possible. Trainees need some control here; they feel out of control in so many other ways. The reality principle. If training is to help prepare people for service, it needs to model service. Things like training centers, dormitories, classrooms, group activities, and full-time peer support among Volunteers dont usually correspond to what their lives will be like. Think of the trainee who performs well throughout training (even deals well with the homestay), then goes out to his or her site, and resigns a week later, saying he or she cant stand the isolation. (It happens.) What went wrong? Community-based training. CBT is a model that makes incredible learning opportunities available to trainees and gives them valuable experience in designing, pursuing, and benefiting from that learning. A full CBT may not be entirely practical for your situation, or you may not be ready for it, but that doesnt mean you cant do parts of it, or do it part of the time, or try something similar the next time around. Maybe this should be your mystic leap. It is worth the effort.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Listening to trainees. What techniques can you use to listen to what trainees have to say? Here are a few: Feedback notebooks. These are class or activity books. Trainees write in them after activities to tell you right away what they did and didnt learn, what they didnt do enough of, and what they want to do the next session. Not every trainee has to complete onejust a couple, or as many who want to. Whole language programs have been conducted based on the daily entries in these books (both in the classroom and in the community), and they worked better than anyone ever expected. The trainees learned what they wanted or felt they needed, and it was practical. Above all, their interest and motivation remained high. Trainee participation in the ongoing training design. There may already be a design, but in any good program, things are evaluated and changed along the way, often through ongoing coordination and planning meetings. This is an excellent opportunity for trainee input and participation. If trainees are given a copy of the Volunteer task analysis (or if they go out and spend time on the job and make their own), they may come up with a different list of priorities or job skills than what you have. Interviews. Staff have information and feedback to pass to trainees, and trainees have information and feedback to pass to staff. This works if both sides listen and respect what the other has to say. It doesnt work when one side controls and doesnt think there is anything to learn from the other. Trainee management of certain functions. Some things are better run by trainees than by staff. Trainees can sometimes do a better job, especially in influencing fellow trainees committees, presentations, components of training, activities (cultural, social, sports, technical)many of these can just be handed over to them, with staff serving in a limited, mentoring position. The above lists are meant only as a sampling of some of the concepts that should shake us out of old patterns, old assumptions, and too cautious ways of doing things. Peace Corps service involves risk-taking, if it involves anything. Training is where it all begins and training is where we all trainees and staffshould be starting to take risks. With any of these ideas, they should be well thought out and discussed thoroughly with staff. Staff need to fully understand them and buy into them as well. Training is also where the good things must begin. It is where trainees should start genuinely liking things about the culture, developing motivation and enthusiasm for the job, and enjoying their small forays out with the language. It is where positive patterns like these are set, and whether they are indeed happening is a good indicator to trainers of the success of their programs. 7.7. Trainee Qualification and Assessment The country director, PTO, and APCD/PMs participate with the training staff in determining trainee qualification and assessment criteria, and they play a role in applying, supporting, and monitoring the application of these criteria.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Questions to Think About Have you ever found yourself saying, How did Volunteer X qualify to be sworn in? He [or she] is just giving us a bad image in this country! What kind of assessment system did you use in your last PST? Did it lean more toward staff doing the assessing, or was it a trainee self-assessment system? Were there weaknesses? What were they? Were there recommendations for improving it for the next PST? Do you have plans for implementing those recommendations or for trying a different type of assessment next time? In your view, what is the most difficult aspect of trainee assessment (or where is the weakest link)? What specific ideas do you have for improving or strengthening this particular component? If you are using an approach that has staff doing the assessment, what role do the trainees play in it? If you are using more of a trainee self-assessment approach, what role do the staff play in it? How are the results of the assessment documented? How can this component be made easier, smoother, and more reliable? Do you meet with the training staff during PST to specifically review the difficulties of some trainees and define the correction path? Ideas and Resources One of the most challenging areas of the Peace Corps training process has always been trainee qualification and assessment. Country and training staff sit down every year with the best of intentions and draw up an exhaustive list of knowledge, skills, aptitudes, competencies, behaviors, etc., that trainees must demonstrate in order to qualify and be sworn in. Drawing it up is difficult enough; implementing it and making it work are even harder. The whole process is difficult. Responsibilities easily become divided; standards get diluted, and people are naturally loath to apply them diligently. Trainers and staff are busy, and proper documentation doesnt seem to get done. In the end, everyone qualifies. We hope it wont come back to haunt us, but sometimes it does. The conclusion to be drawn from all this is that most training programs take an honest stab at the qualifications and assessment process, but end up falling short. They are fairly good at the qualifications part, defining the skills, etc., needed for the job, but then they usually fall back on trainee self-assessment for the rest. Trainee self-assessment has its merits indeed, it should be an essential part of any assessment systembut it, too, must be used in a thoughtful fashion, not assumed as a default position. A trainee assessment system can be set up and conducted successfully. Here are a few important elements to make it work: Staff agreement on and support for the criteria and procedures. Staff members need to be on board. If staff doesnt agree on it and support it, the trainees never will. Assessment systems take commitment and cant be supported halfheartedly or only by some.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Trainee understanding, acceptance, and willingness to participate. This sounds like a big risk, but it is not, as long as the process makes sense. Clearly, a system that combines elements of both staff input and trainee self-assessment has a better chance of gaining the respect of trainees, but whatever the system, it must be transparent, fair, impartial, and reasonable. Measurable or, at least, observable assessment criteria. This is not at all impossible, and it is necessary. Training components have objectives for trainees to achieve, and these need to be presented in such a way that staff and trainees can recognize what to do to accomplish them, when they have been accomplished, and when they have not. Criteria can be technical, linguistic, cultural, even behavioral. If they are clear, written, achievable, and recognizable when achieved, they can work. An assessment process, that states clearly who does what, and when. People must know the steps and how they work (i.e., written objectives, training tasks, technical projects, interim tests or observations, feedback interviews, trainee files, improvement periods, final tests and interviews, etc.). Clarify what is being assessed, when, what happens with the information obtained, and what the steps, time frames, and consequences are. Observers or measurers who are willing to do their part. Staff members must commit to the process and carry it out. They must be able to measure or observe the criteria, make the assessment, and provide feedback. Trainees must understand the criteria and feedback as part of the process and know what to do with both. Well-defined documentation requirements that are followed conscientiously. This is a key part of the process and must be shared with trainees. A clear decision-making system that has given the trainee sufficient feedback and opportunity for improvement. This system must be carefully spelled out, understandable to both staff and trainees, fair and impartial, and consistent with the relevant regulations. To work, it must be accepted, and then followed impartially. If a decision is made not to qualify a trainee, the trainee must have had an understanding that this was a real possibility and why. It cannot be a surprise. Recognition that there will still be subjective evaluations. The decisions need to be made with good discussion among appropriate staff members and recognition that the CD can use discretion when trainees dont live up to minimum expectations. The above describes the necessary ingredients for any type of assessment system, whether staffrun, trainee self-assessment, or a combination. If the system you use leans more toward selfassessment, there must still be clear, observable criteria, feedback, a process to analyze and apply all this, and a formal decision based on achievements. Otherwise, the trainee is left to make a decision that may be based on self-interest, and may ignore what other people think. Assessment systems vary, and posts can have combinations of one kind or another, but they need something that reinforces the notion of a standard of qualifications. And, they need to work at it. There are numerous experiences with assessment and some good sources to turn to for ideas and experiences. This characteristic is a witness to the importance of making the effort to do it well.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 7.8. Training Reports All training sections (administrative, technical, language, health, cross-cultural, safety/security, various components of ISTs, small project assistance, etc.) produce useful and usable reports at the end of training events. Reports focus on the future, not the past, emphasizing recommendations (including revised session plans, schedules, etc.) for the next presentation of the same or a similar event. The Peace Corps country office ensures that reports are distributed and are used by those responsible for producing the next event (e.g., country director, PTO, APCD/PMs, program and training staff, PCVLs, and relevant Volunteers). Questions to Think About For both PSTs and ISTs, are you receiving satisfactory reports from the various committees and trainers responsible for their components? Do the reports contain all the elements listed below (under Ideas and Resources)? What parts, if any, are missing? Are the reports genuinely useful to the people responsible for conducting the event the next time? Is there enough specific information for someone who has never done it to coordinate the event from scratch? Are there specific recommendations and guidelines for improvements? Are there detailed session plans and materials attached? Is there a sufficient administrative and logistics report that would enable a new person to put on and support the event? Are there samples of documents, contracts, agreements, schedules, prices, meals, etc.? Does your office have a system for preserving the reports and making them available to the right people? Are you also collecting and making use of other relevant training materials (handbooks, reports from other posts, OPATS and other PC/W training modules, resource materials, etc.)? Ideas and Resources There is really only one good reason for writing training reports: to provide people with all the necessary and appropriate information to replicate the training event and do it better the next time around. These reports are the how-to handbooks, and if you cant use them to run another event and run it better, then they are not worth the tremendous effort it usually takes to produce (and read) them. As how-to resources, they should contain the following parts, with recommended changes for the next go-around: A clear statement of the purpose, goals, objectives, and norms of the training A timeline for preparation, implementation, and wrap-up of the event, and a recommended time frame for completion of each step. The timeline indicates the persons responsible for activities and the particular site and materials needed. This is a diagram or checklist for the training that the next trainers should be able to use as a frequent and valuable guideline. 186 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post A training schedule, showing the training sessions, activities, times, places, etc. This is different from the timeline. The timeline shows the flow of everything, from the first preparation meetings to the last report. The schedules show the training sessions (the five-day TOT or the 10-week PST) laid out by week, day, and hour. A complete set of session plans for each activity, including objectives, staff, materials needed, time, site, and specific recommendations for doing it the next time An administrative and logistics timeline and report of activities and support structures, including all the specific administrative and logistics activities and components necessary to carry out the training (food, lodging, purchases, storage, staffing, compensation, contracts, leases, etc.). Copies of actual documents are extremely important in this report. Staffing pattern and job descriptions, i.e., statements of work Description of the qualification criteria and the assessment process Evaluation system and summary of evaluation results A specific section on lessons learned and recommendations, which summarizes the major changes required and important insights gained from the experience and detailed recommendations for the next time An executive summary, with the major recommendations summarized All components of training should follow the same approach and outline, including the appropriate parts. There should be a cross-culture report, a health report, a homestay report, a language report, various technical reports, an administrative and logistics report, a safety/security report, a training directors report, etc. There are plenty of examples of these available, but they are often inadequate for conducting the whole event again the next year. That should be the test. When the training staff members sit down for the first time to begin the planning and design for this years event (PST, TOT, IST, SPA, COS, WID workshop), they should be able to start with their appropriate component reports as the beginning point and guideline and then make changes and improve from there. They should begin with practically everything they need to know so they never make a mistake that was made before. That is the goal. Another goal, of course, is to do new things and make the training better. 7.9. Other Training Components In addition to the principal components of technical, language, cross-culture, safety/security, and health, PST and IST designs include appropriate components and activities to treat such topics as policies and procedures, personal responsibility and support techniques, problem-solving, peer support, and strategies for dealing with stress. Questions to Think About How do you introduce Peace Corps and country program policies and procedures to new trainees? Who does it and when is it done in PST? Do you think new Volunteers are going out with sufficient knowledge of these and a common sense about how to apply them? What do you think would make trainees and Volunteers more self-reliant in their understanding and application of policies? Peace Corps 187

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Is safety/security a particular problem in your country? When are security-related issues presented to new trainees? Is that early enough? Are the right people doing the presenting, i.e., are they the ones with both an understanding of the problems and credibility with trainees? Did last years presentations work? What could current Volunteers add to make them more effective? What are you doing to build personal responsibility and problem-solving skills among trainees? What ideas do the current Volunteers have for developing these in training? How could these ideas be integrated and reinforced throughout the PST? And in ISTs? What are the principal Volunteer self-support and peer-support strategies in your program? How are these introduced and treated in your PST (and subsequent ISTs)? Are there Volunteer committees or bodies that take a lead in these areas? Do they have a role in PST (in the design and implementation)? How have you dealt with stress among trainees in past programs? If you could add one new idea to help handle stress in the next PST, what would it be? Where could you go for new ideas and strategies to deal with stress in training? What ideas do the Volunteers and trainees themselves have for handling stress? What about strategies for handling stress at their postsis this treated in PST? Who does it? Ideas and Resources If one of trainings major roles is to help trainees prepare and start the learning process for what they will encounter in their lives and jobs in-country, there are certainly more than just the five principal components to cover. A checklist of some of the other components or skill areas could include the following: Problem-solving, self-reliance, personal responsibility. These are what life in the Peace Corps is all about and should be a part of everything thats done in training. Perhaps every activity should be checked for its quotients in problem-solving, Volunteer self-reliance, and personal responsibility, just to ensure that training is providing trainees all possible opportunities to develop these skills in their new environment. This is not just about work; its about housing, language, getting settled, counterparts, personal livesindeed, nearly everything. Trainers should be doing all they canin all their other presentationsto emphasize trainee development and resiliency skills in these areas. Sustainable development and collaboration with host country partners. This, too, is at the very heart of the Peace Corps. It is a major issue in any technical training, as well as secondary projects (SPA, PEPFAR, etc.), activities promoting women, community needs assessment, Participatory Appraisal for Community Action (PACA), etc. Dealing with stress. This is a potentially important issue in training and a fundamental skill for trainees to develop for their service. When stress builds up in training, what do you do? Strategies include sports or other physical activities, a change of pace, and providing free time at the right time. What else? And what about at post?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Personal support, peer support, and survival techniques. Current Volunteers have important contributions to make in assisting trainees in these areas. What can be done in the training process? If you have a peer support network or other Volunteer committees working on these issues, they will have important contributions to make to PST (and ISTs). Policies and procedures regarding drugs, appropriate behavior, absence and leave issues, emergency leave, publication of articles, per diem and allowances, property, marriage, accidents, theft and reimbursement, host country and Peace Corps ID cards, legal problems and issues, early termination grounds and procedures, and many others (see the Volunteer Handbook for a menu of subjects). This is a presentation the country director should make to trainees, with support and additional treatment by the AO, APCD/PMs, PCMO, and others, as appropriate. Finally, safety/security, evacuation plans, and sensitive legal or other issues. Under the guidance of the SSC, current Volunteers can play a major role in preparing trainees for issues concerning safety and security; they are the experts on the types of problems one encounters and the steps to take. The country program should also have support materials available for trainees and make these known during PST (see sections 10 and 11 for treatment of these topics). The country evacuation plan should have a critical place in PSTs and be repeated in ISTs. In addition, trainees should be well sensitized to the types of legal or other sensitive problems they may encounter and appropriate responses and strategies (see section 9.7. for examples and suggestions). 7.10. Resource Centers The Peace Corps office (and possibly regional or branch offices) has a resource center, in which both printed and electronic materials are organized, accessible, and up-to-date. Volunteers and staff are aware of the centers resources and make use of them. Questions to Think About Put your country resource center (including branch centers) through the following test questions. If you dont know the answers, conduct a small survey and find out. If asked what useful things are available to them in the resource center, what would Volunteers say? What do Volunteers use the resource center for? What kinds of materials do they tend to use? What about staff? Are they aware of the center? Are they making use of the resources in it? For what? Do they contribute materials to the center? Do you know whats in the center? How often have you used it and what have you used it for? Do you place things in it? Do you know whats in the regional centers? Can you find things easily in the center (e.g., printed or electronic materials, books, reports, documents, secondary project materials, novels by local writers, country-specific resources, sector resources)?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Is there a system for checking things out of the center and returning them? Do materials get reshelved or re-filed or do they just sit there? How are electronic materials organized in the center? Is the organization practical and userfriendly and can you find things you are looking for? Is your center just a center or library, or does it double as something else (lounge, storage area, other)? Is this a problem? Why? Is the center fairly neat and usable, or is it a mess? Why? What specifically is needed to change this situation? What size is your center? Is there enough space? Can more than one or two people work in it? Is there a place to work in it? Is it in a convenient place or is its present site not very useful? Who is responsible for organizing, running, and cleaning the center? For re-shelving materials? For chasing down overdue materials? For overseeing the electronic files and organization? For checking whether things are broken and repairing them? Is this person able to do all these things, or does he or she have conflicts due to other duties? Be sure to apply these same questions to each of your centers, if you have others in the regions or provinces. Ideas and Resources The test of a country programs resource centers is whether they are being used. To be used they must Be accessible, not tucked away in an area that is hard to get to, uncomfortable, difficult to use, or locked away. Have useful, retrievable, organized materials. If the user must claw through a bunch of old, out-of-date things to find something useful, if books or folders are badly organized or never refiled, or if they are borrowed and then sit out at Volunteer sites for two years until COS, or if electronic files are disorganized and difficult to navigate, Volunteers wont be motivated to use the centers. Be publicized. If Volunteers or staff never know about the centers or whats in them, it wont occur to them to use them for anything. Here are a few tips for organizing resource centers, gleaned from country centers that look well used. There needs to be a simple yet functional system For organizing materials (books on the shelves; journals and magazines in an ordered, accessible place; documents in labeled files; electronic files organized and easily retrievable on computers or CDs, etc.). A country or regional resource center does not need a complicated shelving or filing systemit may not be the place for Deweyjust something that all can easily understand and use to find what they want (health, agriculture, TEFL, youth, etc.).

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post For taking things out and getting them back. The system needs to make it easy to take things out and worthwhile to bring things back. It needs to be simple to use, practical (given Volunteer site distances, etc.), and permit follow-up by someone tracking down missing books or materials (e.g., a tickler file and a reminder form after one month). For re-shelving, re-filing, and cleaning up. This must be done. If unshelved books or folders sit in a pile, the table gets loaded down with unfiled magazines, and Volunteer backpacks and provisions are all over the place; it becomes a storeroom, not a resource center. For access. The center should be easy to get into, i.e., in an accessible place that Volunteers will go to; it must be open as much as possible (some centers have combination locks that Volunteers can open after hours); and it must be large enough to use practically. Electronic files must be accessible, user-friendly, and secure, and systems for contributing, filing, and organizing materials must be easy and intuitive. For staying up-to-date. The center should acquire new, useful things and be continually publicizing what it has. What do Volunteers want in the center? Ask them. They may want secondary (SPA, PEPFAR) project files and templates, old exam files and samples (for teachers), gardening files, books and resources on women and youth, a host country novel section, or copies of syllabi or key documents from ministries. If so, these are good things to have. Also, inform and remind people about the center all the time. Have an area on the posts Web home page, and a column in the newsletter (or a regular memo to Volunteers and staff) that features a section of the center every time (e.g., a list of new language books in the resource center, summaries of some outstanding host country works of fiction, or templates for a new project resource). For maintenance. If there is a computer, printer, copy machine, etc., there must be clear instructions and policies for using them and they must be maintained in good working order. Otherwise they will be a huge source of frustration, to both staff and Volunteers. For staffing. Someone needs to be responsible for the center(s) and have the time and skills to do what needs to be done. The problem with many country resource centers is that the person assigned to it is doing it only as an add-on job and doesnt really know what to do to make it work. It may or may not be a full-time job (depending on size and funds), but the person who does it should be trained (PC/W sponsors resource manager training that can be arranged) and must have enough time to perform the duties and functions listed above. Volunteer committees can also do a great deal to help this person and shape the center the way they would like it; the resource center manager should not neglect to involve PCVs in the process. For electronic access to the center and to online resources in general. This is no longer the future. PCVs are used to online resources and there are many available. As technology becomes more available in Peace Corps host countries, PCVs must gain access to all the electronic resources the resource center and the Internet have to offer from their sites or nearby Internet cafes or centers. This should be a critical part of the posts information technology strategy (see section 2.11, Information Management).

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 7.11. Peace Corps Workshops and Conferences The country program holds training workshops that serve as both a Peace Corps contribution to the host country community (e.g. a WID/GAD conference for schoolgirls or a technical IST including counterparts), and an opportunity for the Peace Corps to bring together its own Volunteers, staff, and other groups and call attention to, and improve, its activities in-country. Questions to Think About What conference or workshop activities have you been able to sponsor (or co-sponsor) in your country? (See the list below under Ideas and Resources for samples.) How did they begin? How have you managed to afford them? What have been the major benefits of holding them? From the list below (or activities you know other country programs are doing), are there activities you would be interested in pursuing? What (if any) obstacles would you need to overcome? What potential funding sources could you turn to and what organizations might you be able to share the workshop with? Have any of your Volunteers conducted (or wanted to conduct) local workshops for groups in their districts? Ideas and Resources One of the Peace Corps principal activities is capacity building among host country counterparts and community members. Volunteers do this on a day-to-day basis as a part of their jobs: teachers work with fellow teachers, business advisors with business owners or fellow advisors, health Volunteers with fellow health workers in the communities or clinics, and so on. The Peace Corps often complements these effortsor carries out separate onesthrough training workshops or conferences held for specific groups from the field. Common events include: Supervisor or counterpart workshops that bring in either or both of these groups to meet with the new Volunteers who will be assigned to them. Here the two sides work on setting up and discussing expectations, establishing relationships, job familiarization, action planning, etc. These are often conducted as a part of the PST process. Workshops for underserved groups, such as women, youth, or rural populations, to promote educational opportunities, expand awareness, and develop particular skills in project organization or income generating activities. These may also include community analysis exercises such as community content-based instruction (CCBI) or PACA and sport camps for youth. Small-project design and management (PDM) workshops for host country counterparts interested in starting small community projects (through SPA or other mechanisms). Technical ISTs for Volunteers and their counterparts in education, health, business, or whatever sector they are working in. Small-business skills workshops to teach and practice business startup and management skills among host country entrepreneurs.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Countrywide programs in which each Volunteer might nominate one or two young people to go to a two-week summer education camp for the best rural students or to a one-week girls workshop to motivate, expand awareness, and teach skills to rural young women who are most likely to succeed. Local workshops of any type, where Volunteers in a district help organize and conduct a workshop for a host country group (counterparts or community) at that geographic level. PEPFAR countries have a host of opportunities for relevant training of HCN groups, at the local or higher levels. There are many examples of these activities throughout the Peace Corps world, including ISTs coproduced by the Peace Corps and a partner NGO, and service activities (see section 9.4 for this particular approach). All of them, while promoting skills acquisition or learning among the participants, can also serve another important purpose: that of increasing information and knowledge in the host country of the Peace Corps organization and its activities. Through these, the Peace Corps can expand the range of people benefiting from its activities, and also raise the level of consciousness of Peace Corps programs and possibilities that may ultimately result in further contacts, support, or potential activities and projects for the Peace Corps. This can happen through the participants, as well as any publicity or follow-up activities generated by the conference or workshop. As noted in section 7.3, this is an area which, in some cases, cannot be funded directly out of the Peace Corps appropriated country budget. It is, however, an extremely useful and valuable effort for Peace Corps programs to promote. PC/W has access to funds, such as USAID Participating Agency Services Agreements (PASAs), which can support some of these activities, and many NGOs and donor organizations may be interested in sponsoring workshops and conferences that will increase capacity-building opportunities for host country populationsparticularly those in the more underserved categories. PEPFAR funds are also a valuable and versatile source of training funds, in that AIDS relief can be related to so many ancillary activities, including income generation, gender education, nutrition, and many others. Posts that make the effort and go networking will find funding sources and be able to bring about and participate in some interesting and worthwhile activities. For more ideas, it would be a useful exercise to canvass other programs in your subregion to find out what they are doing, with whom they might be working, and how they are supporting or funding the activities. (You might direct the same inquiry to other organizations in your own countrythe Peace Corps is certainly not the only group that does this kind of thing.) You will no doubt hit upon some interesting possibilities and perhaps some new funding sources as well. 7.12. The Continuation of Service Process and the Third Goal Through the continuation of service process, the country programs resource centers, and other activities, staff members promote the Peace Corps third goal as an extension of the Volunteers skills, experience, and service into the United States, both during and after completion of their work overseas. The country director and staff participate directly in the continuation of service workshop and process.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Questions to Think About How important is the close of service (COS) workshop in your programs list of priorities? Are the appropriate staff members attending it? Are the COSing Volunteers going to it? Do you have up-to-date COS session plans and resource books? Do you have a country-specific COS handbook? (Many countries have developed these; if yours hasnt, call around and get one to work from and adapt it.) Are you evaluating the COS workshop? What is the weakest area of your COS workshop? Have you been able to make improvements to successive workshops, based on the evaluations and feedback from participants? Do you have many Volunteer parents, relatives, friends, etc., visiting your country? Do you meet with them or do anything special with them? Do you have a country booklet or briefing paper for them? Do you have sections in your resource centers on post-Peace Corps activities, Peace Corps Response, domestic Volunteer and service programs, such as AmeriCorps, VISTA, Senior Corps, Teach for America, service-learning programs, conservation corps, etc., and crosscultural and diversity issues or aspects of life in the United States? Does your Peace Corps country have a Volunteer country organization in the States (e.g., Friends of Guatemala)? If so, do you work with it? Do you share newsletters with it and receive information from it? Ideas and Resources The third goal can be thought of as the Peace Corps in the United States. It is the logical extension of the Volunteers (and staffs!) work overseas into the United States both during and after their service in the host country. It is a vitally important part of the Peace Corps mission insofar as we think the values and the work of the Peace Corps are applicable at home as well as overseas, and support for the Peace Corps in the United States is worth building. Staff and Volunteers could spend some useful time thinking about this aspect of the Peace Corps and working in some of the following ways to participate in and reinforce the third goal: The COS process and workshop are serious undertakings and the country director and country staff should validate and strengthen them through their active encouragement and direct participation. The work that is accomplished in the COS process, at the COS workshop, and through the final procedures and interviewsthe summing up of two years, the beginning of a fitting and meaningful closure in-country, the lessons learned, preparation for re-entry, the practical re-adaptation skills, the reinforcement of values, discussions on the third goal, and the meaning it can all havecan contribute to another dimension of the Peace Corps role and value in many peoples lives. (Note: COS officially means close of service in Peace Corps terminology, but at times is extended to mean continuation of service in recognition of the ongoing opportunities for continued Peace Corps service, once one has returned to the United States.)

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Volunteers (and American staff, as well) share their experiences with people at home in many ways (letters, articles, blogs, pictures, tapes, telephone calls, and personal presentations while they are at home on leave). These can be extremely positive contributions to the Peace Corps experience by relaying aspects of the Volunteers experiences in their adopted culture to another culture and continent. Mission and staff can encourage and support this effort, while providing any necessary guidelines (e.g., for publishing articles, blogs). A panel of COSing Volunteers sums up their work and lives in their communities and presents their thoughts on their Volunteer service to interested people from the embassy, USAID, and othersto give the Volunteers recognition and provide listeners a glimpse of the Peace Corps, the Volunteers accomplishments, and the circumstances in which they serve. The country director and staff share Volunteer experiences and successes with headquarters offices to help promote understanding of the Peace Corps, aid in the recruitment of new Volunteers, and enhance Peace Corps ability to articulate our important mission and document our accomplishments and impact throughout the world. The country director and country staff may have the opportunity to meet and welcome visiting parents and friends and speak to visiting groups of educators, etc., from the United States (the embassys public diplomacy office and service clubs sometimes sponsor these groups visits). These are excellent chances to help explain and spread the Peace Corps message to people who will be impressed by what they see and go home and spread it further. Ultimately, recruitment may be a beneficiary of such efforts. The lessons Volunteers learn in the Peace Corps can be applied at home as well. Volunteers acquire a great deal of knowledge of, and sensitivity to, cultures in the host country and learn useful service and community action skills. Many are then primed to devote the same interest to cultures, diversity, and service in the United States. This is fertile ground for the countrys resource centers: a section on cultures and another on service opportunities in America, with materials ranging from novels to interesting articles on cultural and other subjects in the United States, to service opportunities through AmeriCorps, VISTA, Senior Corps, and a host of other Volunteer organizations that exist in the United States. It is an interesting way for Volunteers to become aware of, and prepare for, cultural and other issues at home. Volunteers can also make presentations to U.S. schoolchildren to share their experiences and encourage participation in programs of World Wise Schools. Finally, a special word on the COS workshops. These are immensely meaningful to Volunteers who are leaving, and they should be for staff as well. For the Volunteerswho have come in together; weathered the difficult days of training, language-learning, adjustment, and job challenges; and experienced the enormous personal growth that many PCVs dothis is a very special time for them. It is a chance to reflect with their closest friends and staff on all that they have lived through and done, how they have changed, what they have learned, and where they are going. It is a time for some deep life reflection for someeven manyof them; for others it may be a chance to help them understand and work through feelings that this has been a difficult experience, that they may not have accomplished very much, that they dont know where they are going, or are worried about the future; and for all it should be a time of celebration and recognition of two years of service to the host country and their own nation. A good COS curriculum and a well-prepared, well-run workshop, with the presence of the people important to the Volunteers Peace Corps 195

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post (including the CD, who lends importance to the event by his or her participation), is one of the greatest services the Peace Corps can provide to Volunteers who have come and served their two years. Country directors would do well to look into the COS design and materials and get involved. This is a valuable learning and personal experience for all who participate, staff included. 8. COMMUNICATIONS AND SUPPORT NETWORKS WITH SUBREGION, REGION, AND HEADQUARTERS

8.1. Subregional Support and Collaboration The country director, staff, and Volunteers take advantage of proximity to other posts to create a support network through which they a. Communicate and share knowledge and experience on a regular basis with neighboring programs, staff, and Volunteers. b. Share materials and resources, including planning and coordination of PST and IST designs and activities, security measures, and project activities. c. Plan periodic cross-border activities and meetings with neighboring countries, when possible. Questions to Think About Do you know your neighboring country directors? Have you consulted any of them for an opinion on a thorny issue (an administrative separation, a staff relations problem, a rule or policy application issue)? Was it helpful? How? Do you call, email, or even meet with your neighboring CDs from time to time for ideas or opinions? Do they call or email you? How often do you talk or communicate? Is it enough or could it happen more often? Do your staff members (PTO, APCD/PMs, AO, TM, PCMO, SSC, cashier, GSO, etc.) know their Peace Corps counterparts in neighboring countries? Have they had occasion to meet them or to visit a neighboring country operation or project? How did it come about? Was it beneficial? If so, how? Have you borrowed materials or models from a neighboring post (e.g., Volunteer handbook, safety/security manual, per diem policy, leave policy, project plans, training designs)? Is there a basic handbook, manual, policy, or design lacking at your post that you could get from another post? What have you developed in your country (e.g., a system, handbook, or practice) that you feel neighboring posts could benefit from? What would be the best way to share it with them? Are any of your Volunteers or Volunteer committees working or exchanging information or ideas with Volunteers in a neighboring program? Have you thought about (or held) any cross-border or multicountry meetings or workshops for staff or Volunteers? 196 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources It was not so long ago that country programs were far more isolated than today and country directors felt very much on their own. Contacting Washington and other posts for any sort of substantive exchange or traveling to a neighboring country was a difficult, expensive, and unpredictable undertaking. For many posts, this is changing rapidly or has already changed. Satellite telephone and fax systems, better travel opportunities, and the advent of email have dramatically improved communications with the United States and other Peace Corps posts. As a result, there are greater opportunities in the Peace Corps for subregional support and networking than ever before. In some areas, geographic or subregional networks have sprung up, formally or informally, bringing CDs and posts together through periodic meetings, combined activities, and substantially increased communication and sharing. These contacts and exchanges have benefited posts tremendously, reinforcing for them that they have a great deal in common. It is a rare problem that someone else hasnt dealt with or doesnt have a useful perspective on. Indeed, the subregion is often the most logical basis for support, since countries in the same area are more likely to share similar conditions, situations, and resources, and also to have developed solutions and ideas that can be of practical value to each other. Subregional or geographic collaboration can takeand has already takena number of forms: Subregional country director meetings. Held periodically, i.e., once a year or even every six months, these can be extremely productive and still be low-key, informal, and inexpensive. They can be just a day or two in length, held at one of the subregional posts (it is always instructive to see how they do things at another post), with open agendas. Normally, a host CD might obtain a list of discussion topics from fellow CDs and compile and circulate them before the get-together. Country directors always have issues, whether or not they submit them in advance, and a rough agenda can usually be set and prioritized on a flip chart at the opening session. Typical meeting topics might include: The country presentation, i.e., a summary of numbers, projects, big events, changes, new ideas and initiatives, particular problems, etc., from each country. This will bring everyone up-todate on each posts activities and get specific issues on the table. PST/IST summaries, including new components, problems, best practices, lessons learned from the last go-around and plans for the next one, resources, needs, requests and ideas for help, collaboration, etc. The potential for concrete exchange and sharing on the topic of training is particularly great. Personnel and staff development issues (e.g., staff burnout and motivation, retreats, in-service and on-the-job training, staff involvement and integration with each other and with Volunteers), creative performance appraisal approaches and uses, staff exchanges and cross-training, office organization, and distribution or redistribution of duties. Volunteer support issues, such as site selection, site development, and site visit techniques, creative roles for Volunteers, behavior issues (guidelines, policies), early terminations or administrative separations, crises or emergencies and ways of handling them, encouraging

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Volunteer self-reliance and commitment, VACs and other ways of building communications and accountability, Volunteer performance assessment and feedback, Volunteers and HCN counterparts, and secondary projects. Programming strategies and issues, including recruitment, placement, underfills, new project ideas and development, MOUs, job preparation and development, sustainability issues, reporting strategies and models, collaboration with USAID, PEPFAR, and/ NGOs, APCD/PM, PA/PTS, and PCVL roles and relations, resources, and supervisor and counterpart issues. Troublesome policy and administrative issues. These are many and varied, and never seem to go away. Ideas from others are always useful. A few possible areas for discussion include: Budget and resource issues; the many uses of FOR Post New and creative administrative ideas Volunteer leave issues, policies, and strategies Per diem systems, policies, levels, living (and other) allowance problems Bicycles, vehicles, and related issues and policies

And, finally, other important issues, such as: Medical issues such as roles of, and relations with, the PCMO, APCMO, and health program, and strategies for up-country medical support, medical confidentiality, and confidentiality in general Diversity issues among staff, Volunteers, and HCNs PC/W issues such as resource problems, policy changes, communications, support issues, and organization Shared materials. One of the most useful aspects of periodic meetings (and improved communications networks in general) is the direct exchange of materials. Lists can be compiled of materials that seem useful to share between posts; CDs need only show up with (or send) copies of these, either hard copies or diskettes or flash drives, ready for reproduction. From these sources, countries can borrow and adapt whole manualsnot to mention many shorter documents, forms, etc.benefiting from the research of others and saving a lot of duplicated effort. A brief list of some of the many things that can be shared includes: 198 Country Volunteer handbooks COS manuals (procedures, forms, etc.) Safety/security manuals Emergency evacuation plans Medevac plans and systems Project plans Monitoring/evaluation forms PST/IST/COS designs and session plans Volunteer conduct policies and guidelines Sample MOUs, community agreements, PASAs, IAAs, and contracts Administrative forms (per diem, reimbursement, leave, property, quarterly reports, etc.) Volunteer reporting forms Country program reports to host country government and counterpart agencies Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Trainee assessment guidelines SPA handbooks, systems, and procedures PEPFAR plans and project designs TOT designs Supervisor and counterpart workshop designs Staff retreat and team-building exercises Site selection and site visit forms Transit house policies and systems PCVL job descriptions and guidelines Post foreign service national (FSN) personnel handbooks

Shared activities. Once subregional contacts and networks are begun, it becomes easier and more natural to organize multicountry and cross-border initiatives, workshops, and exchanges. The following are examples of subregional activities that have been held in various locations: Subregional P & T workshops (including both programming and training, PTOs, APCD/PMs, PA/PTSs, and training managers) Subregional administrative workshops (including AOs and financial specialists/assistants) Subregional general services workshops dealing with inventory control, vehicle scheduling, etc. Personnel exchanges or on-the-job visits from one country to another. These can involve a variety of staff: APCD/PMs, training managers, language and cross-culture coordinators, SSCs, ITSs, PCMOs, clerical or administrative staff, and drivers, and include visits to offices, training sites, ISTs, and Volunteer sites and projects. Multicountry Volunteer workshops on subjects that include specific sectors or projects, languages, diversity, and PCVLs. Volunteer cross-border exchanges and visits, particularly those involving members of similar projects, such as environment, business, education, etc. The above activities are extremely valuable to staff and Volunteers for the same reasons country directors find visiting colleagues posts and sharing with peers so useful. The motivation, learning, and cross-fertilization achieved during such shared activities have generated a number of welcome new ideas and have revitalized projects, training designs, and other areas that were in need of a boost. A STAFF EXAMPLE: A P&T WORKSHOP One productive example of the motivation that can result from this type of exchange was a crossborder meeting of P & T staff organized recently in one subregion. Nearly all the programming and training personnel from seven countries attended. They organized their own travel, by vehicle as much as possible in order to keep expenses down. They got themselves to and from stations and airports, shared rooms, and were given lists of inexpensive places to eat. They did not bother with tourist outings, souvenir folders, or a prepared agenda. They came with laptops, planned everything in an initial open-space session, and then spent their time in what was unanimously called an outstanding and invaluable three days of exchange.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Staff in attendance included training managers as well as APCD/PMs (and some PA/PTSs) from environment to education with two months to nearly 20 years experience. They were inspired by what they learned from each other, and by the possibilities they saw in working together: sharing designs, materials, and an occasional Volunteer; trying out things that others were working on; and setting up networks for future cooperation. The attendees set up and took care of the meeting at minimal cost, and there was little effort required by the host country to prepare for it. This experience could be easily replicated on a small budget. A VOLUNTEER EXAMPLE: A DIVERSITY WORKSHOP Perhaps one of the most important aspects of cross-border communications, especially by Volunteers, is the encouragement Volunteers themselves feel in proposing and then carrying out initiatives they see as needed. One example was a cross-border Volunteer diversity workshop. This meeting, which brought together a true rainbow representation of Volunteers in the field, addressed real and timely issues of recruitment and support for the broad spectrum of Volunteers that the Peace Corps should be and is attempting to recruit. Specific strategies to help the Peace Corpsstaff and Volunteers alikewere formulated and a next step, a staff training in diversity support issues at post, was tried soon after in one of the participating countries. This was an important effort involving an important issue. More significantly, it came entirely as an initiative from Volunteers, who proposed it, organized it across borders, and carried it through to conclusion on a small budget. They showed staff members the way, and staff members were then able to assist them and learn from them as well. Volunteer meetings have been organized on other topics as well, including sectoral and Volunteer peer-support workshopsagain, Volunteer-proposed and Volunteer-organized. They can be inexpensive (Volunteers are specialists in this), and they can be set up in such a way as to not interfere with or remove Volunteers from their primary work. Volunteers can understand and work with this. In summary, direct visits, meetings, and exchanges of both staff and Volunteers are taking place in subregions. Contacts and networks have sprung up, accompanied by the knowledge that there are others with similar experiences to turn to when one needs something, even just ideas, strategies, or a sounding board. A vast and valuable amount of the exchange has begun to take place via telephone, email, and electronic meetings, and through exchange of electronic or hard copies of handbooks, session plans, policies, guidelines and ideas sent electronically, by mail, or carried by an individual. New technologies have made possible what was unthinkable a few years ago, and they will continue to become more widespread. Of course, there are not endless resources for these subregional activities. If they are to take place, they need to be done creatively and inexpensively, and they can be. As noted above, meetings do not have to be held in expensive places. Travel costs can be cut down, including the use of incountry per diems instead of high international per diems. Special materials do not have to be provided. It does not take much to have a productive meeting. Volunteers are perhaps the most creative in all this: They have been willing to set up meetings and visits on their vacations and forgo reimbursements for many things. For them it is a unique opportunity, and, if encouraged, many will be excited to take advantage of it.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 8.2. Communications Between Post and the Country Desk Unit (and Region) Communications with the region, country desk unit, and other sections of Peace Corps/Washington serve both the fields and headquarters interests. The region receives sufficient useful information from the country, has a good sense of the country program, and reacts to its requests. The country receives sufficient useful information from headquarters and understands Peace Corps/Washingtons issues and requirements. Questions to Think About Does your country desk unit (CDU) have a good sense of your programs issues and priorities? Is the CDU serving successfully as a representative, advocate, and liaison at headquarters? If not, what can you do to improve the situation? How are you conveying information to PC/W on day-to-day (or perhaps week-to-week) activities and issues at your post? Do you think you are sending useful information? Describe the regular communications pattern between you and the CDU, regional director (RD), and chief of operations (CHOPS). Is it sufficient or satisfactory? What changes would you propose to make it more productive? Have the IPBS and PSR/TSR processes been useful for you? Why or why not? Were there problems at your end? What can you do about them? Were there problems with the feedback you received from headquarters? Whom can you contact and what can you do to change that? What concrete steps would you recommend to improve communications and understanding between your post and headquarters? Ideas and Resources With most country directors posted thousands of miles from their regional director, timely and meaningful communication becomes the essential ingredient for good support (in both directions) and a successful relationship. When there is a problem between post and headquarters, lack of communication is nearly always a major factor. With the distances involved, physical as well as cultural, both sides must put forth a special effort to make sure that communication doesnt fail and that messages are sufficiently frequent, complete, clear, and relevant. To avoid communications problems, here are some things country directors and posts should be doing on a regular basis: Provide frequent, useful information to the CDU and through them, to the RD, CHOPS, and CAO. This means some form of regular reporting or summary to the CDU/RD/CHOPS/CAO on the issues and activities in the country. Posts and CDUs can decide how this should be done, but scheduled telephone conversations (telcons) should be a principal part of it. Notes of the conversation (telcon notes) can then be compiled by the CDU, quickly sent out to the CD for review and updating as necessary, then distributed to the relevant parties (RD, CHOPS, CAO, and others). Another approach is to write a formal or informal periodic summary of issues and activities and email it in, then let telcons be a further amplification. Whatever the forms, the reporting needs to give the CDU, RD, CHOPS, CAO, and others a good sense of the country context and current issues so that they can quickly understand and place in context whatever might come up.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Make sure the CDU, RD, CHOPS, and CAO are not blindsided. This is so important! Supervisors and managers do not like to be hit by surprise with a crisis or problem; the more serious the problem, the more intense their dissatisfaction. It should be a country directors unfailing goal to make sure the CDU, RD, CHOPS, and CAO are aware of problems or potential problems before they come to their attention in any other way. Indeed, any time a CD has an issue arising and knows that a request for assistance or support will likely follow, it is a wise idea to summarize the situation beforehand to the relevant parties, so there are no surprises and so the subsequent request may meet with a more understanding environment. Submitting up-to-date, reliable, and complete program and project documents, i.e., IPBS strategies, PSRs, periodic reviews, project plans, etc. People at headquarters read these documents for information. These documents must be done seriously, with the intention of informing and presenting things in a complete, truthful light. Here, in turn, are some things posts should be able to expect from headquarters: Communicating directly with the country on a regular basis. This goes not only for the CDU, but also the RD, CHOPS, CAO, and others. It is a case where the region can and should serve as a role model for CDs. If the folks in the region communicate frequently and show an interest in, and knowledge of, what is going on in-country, CDs will be encouraged to make the dialogue a useful and frank one. When this happens there is an excellent chance for communication to develop that is supportive in both directions. When it is not happening, too often CDs just chalk it up to PC/W being too busy for us and let their dissatisfaction rule the relationship. This is a sure formula for trouble down the line. It is the CDs right and responsibility to say, You are not communicating with us enough. If you dont speak up, youre part of the problem. Responding satisfactorily and in a timely manner to post requests. Another post complaint, at times, has been: We ask for things but the requests disappear into the ozone. If the requests are clear and reasonable ones, post has a right to expect a response. The response may be either yes or no, but it, too, should be reasonable, i.e., it should be explained by HQ so that it makes sense, and it should be conveyed within a reasonable amount of time. Again, if this is not happening, it is the posts right and responsibility to speak up. Reading reports and giving useful, timely feedback. Posts put a lot of work into their IPBS, PSR, periodic reviews, etc. To labor over them and get nothing back, or perhaps worse, to get a superficial reaction, is discouraging. These are the fundamental descriptions and planning documents for post activities. If the post does a good job on these things, it has a right to expect headquarters people to read them, educate themselves about the posts activities, ask relevant questions, and give useful feedback. Again, if this is not happening, the post has a right and responsibility to say so. The country desk is probably the best place to start discussions on any of these communication issues. A few words on the postCDU relationship: CDUs are like a lifeline to country directors in the field, who can feel isolated and helpless about a lot of the things taking place in, or coming out of, headquarters. Hence, CDUs are important to posts, and relations between post and CDUlike staff relationsrequire care and feeding to keep them functioning smoothly. Communications must be frequent, requests must be clear and reasonable, and people must treat each other with honesty, 202 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post respect, and courtesy. This is the same approach you would hope for in any staff relations. If you are holding up your end, you have a right to expect a certain level of support and performance from the other side. If you are not getting it, if there is a breakdown in communications or the relationship, you should apply the same care as you would give to a problem on your staff, including, as necessary, working with and through the RD and CHOPS. CDCDU problems must be resolved. 8.3. Post and Peace Corps/Washington as a Team Post staff show an understanding of the Peace Corps as a whole, i.e., beyond just one post or geographic region. There is a team ethic, whereby post and headquarters are on the same side and have a willingness to resolve we/they differences. If staff members at post do not agree with or understand a Peace Corps/Washington point of view or policy, they communicate this to HQ in order to work out the problem. Headquarters, in turn, has the time to devote to the issue and help resolve it. Questions to Think About Have you had difficulty over a policy or point of view or a particular we/they situation with headquarters during the last year? What was it and how did it come about? Did you take any steps to learn more, discuss it, or provide input or feedback on it? What was the outcome? Were there some communications that should have taken place but didnt? How would you handle it the next time? Where would you place your own post staff on a teamwe/they continuum regarding PC/W? How would you account for where they are and how they feel? How did this happen and what has caused or facilitated it? What steps could you take at post to reinforce the team ethic with Peace Corps/Washington? What steps could you take to let PC/W regional staff know where you see them on the continuum? What suggestions would you have for them? To whom would you make these suggestions? Ideas and Resources We really wanted to continue the project, but Washington cut the budget. I cant really rule on this; were going to have to consult Washington. There are probably always some cases where it is handy and appropriate to refer to Washington to explain away unpopular decisions and perhaps save face. And, to some extent, thats what bosses are forto take the heat sometimes when you need that kind of support. If you start to trot this out too often, however, it is time to back up and remember who you are. Country directors work for the Peace Corps. Consider these scenarios: If there is a Peace Corps policy or action you do not understand or strongly disagree with If there is a sensitive or delicate situation concerning Volunteer activity or behavior, or in relations with a counterpart host country agency If there is a disagreement or policy difference between the Peace Corps and another U.S. agency Peace Corps 203

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post If there is evidence of fraud or corruption in local PC operations If, in general, there is a situation in which the Peace Corps country program must take some responsibility and some heat you must remember that you are the direct representative of the Peace Corps in your country and you must act in the best interests of, and with appropriate consultation with, the Peace Corps. It is all well and good to settle problems locally, and this is certainly a general policy to follow. It is why the Peace Corps has country directors. Problems of a certain magnitude or seriousness, however, need to be reported to headquarters, and you must be a good judge of when this is appropriate. If in doubt, call. This does not mean that you cannot have input in a decision, or critique a Peace Corps position. There is, however, a time and place for discussion and critique, and not much good can come from adopting a we/they approach. If, for example, the embassy strongly wants a joint health unit, and you also think it would be a good idea, PC/W needs your input on the issue. Or, as another example, headquarters has announced a policy you are opposed to and you feel you have something important to say about it. Call or communicate your input, but do it appropriately. A message back to HQ strongly expressing your views, co-signed by you and the ambassador, is not the way to do it. A line in the sand should never be drawn separating you from the Peace Corps in Washington. That is also your Peace Corps. 8.4. Peace Corps/Washington as a Resource The country director and staff know whom to contact at headquarters (the region, placement, General Counsel, etc.) for different needs, and they contact them directly or through the country desk unit, as appropriate. Desk officers are kept informed so that they can assist and carry out effective follow-up. Questions to Think About If you need advice or assistance with any of the following problems, is there anyone at PC/W you could contact? A sexual assault on a Volunteer A staff member whose performance is unsatisfactory Missing PC funds or property A court case threatened against a Volunteer or a staff member Civil unrest and possible steps to consolidate or evacuate Volunteers A vehicular accident involving Volunteer injuries or death A vehicular injury involving an HCN A potential drug problem with a Volunteer Computer problems Development of local language materials Hiring of a training contractor Hiring of a new PCMO

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources If you are having a particular problem with a Peace Corps Volunteer and you think there is a possibility of an administrative separation, it is time to contact General Counsel (GC). There have been problems with cases in the past that have hindered the Peace Corps from taking the proper and appropriate steps. In order to permit the Volunteer to retain his or her rights and still apply the appropriate standards to Volunteer service, you must see to it that specific procedures are followed and requirements met. General Counsel will assist you to do what you should do. There are any number of offices at PC/W that can provide support for you in specific circumstances. As with the Peace Corps system mentioned in section 1.5, it pays for the CD to get to know the headquarters menu, i.e., who does what and whom you can and should contact for what. Your CDU can help you become familiar with the different offices and assist you in making contact with them. Examples of some of the offices you might need to consult include: Your regions administrative, programming and training, and safety/security resource people country-specific budget, administrative, programming, training, and safety/security issues General Counsel (GC)overseas Volunteer and staff legal issues; support in cases involving assault and sexual assault; guidance on rules and policies; discipline or unsatisfactory performance issues with staff or PCVs; administrative separations Office of Medical Services (OMS)Volunteer health-related issues and advice; health training materials and support; assistance with physical and sexual assault issues; assistance with the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) information and issues Office of Special Services (OSS)assistance in emergency leave situations; Volunteer emergencies at home; traumatic incidents, disasters, Volunteer accidents or death; Volunteer consolidations or evacuations; Volunteer counseling; liaison with Volunteer families; safety/security issues; early terminations Office of Information Technology (OIT)responsible for all computer issues, information security, IT training, policy, and initiatives. Your IT specialist is in regular contact with these folks. Office of Overseas Programming and Training Support (OPATS)for sector-specific, language, cross-cultural, training, and a host of other resources and experts Regional Assistance Unit (RAU)for short-term staffing assistance (e.g., a training contractor) Information Collection and Exchange (ICE)manuals, technical materials for the field, support for country resource centers U.N. Volunteersposts may be responsible for certain support functions for Americans who are U.N. Volunteers. This section will help you with these.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Office of Inspector General (OIG)fraud, theft, missing property or funds, audit issues Office of Private Sector Initiatives (OPSI)Peace Corps Partnership and gifts-in-kind programs Peace Corps Fellows Programgraduate school opportunities for COSing Volunteers Coverdell World Wise Schools (CWWS)pen pal and cultural-exchange program between PCVs and classrooms in the U.S. Returned Volunteer Services (RVS) (COS materials, domestic programs) Office of Acquisition and Contracts Management (OACM)questions on contracts, leases, training contracts, procurement Office of Human Resource Management (HRM)personnel issues, benefits questions, staff disciplinary issues, retirement information Overseas Support Branch/Managementsupplies procurement stateside American Diversity Program and Equal Opportunity Counseling Programdiscrimination complaints, advice, counseling Volunteer and Staff Payroll Services Divisionliving and readjustment allowance issues, staff salary questions Volunteer Recruitment and Selection (VRS)PCV recruitment and selection issues (see section 8.5) The above list is not complete and is meant only to provide an idea of the types of services available and the PC/W offices that can support you in those areas. Note that names, acronyms, and personnel may change from time to timeyour CDU and your Peace Corps headquarters telephone directory (on the Intranet) can help you keep up-to-date and find the resource office and person you might need to talk to on any given issue. The important thing is to establish the contactand it is worth saying that communications with these PC/W resources is much easier than it used to be and getting easier every day. These people are there to help you with the many things you cannot do yourself, ranging from professional counseling to contractual legalities, to recruitment. They can often help a great deal, but you must contact them first. And finally, keep your CDU in the loop on whatever you do with these offices, so they can follow up on services or materials that need to be provided (copy them on all emails). (See section 1.5 on knowing the Peace Corps system; Appendix A: List of Critical Materials for Country Directors to Have on Hand; and Appendix B: List of Peace Corps Acronyms and Abbreviations.)

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 8.5. Post Contacts With Recruitment Post submits realistic and reasonable trainee profiles and requests to Peace Corps/Washington; sufficient numbers and types of trainees are, in turn, provided by Volunteer Recruitment and Selection (VRS). Where there are problems, post and VRS are able to resolve them through direct communication and negotiation. Questions to Think About Are you having trainee input (TI) problems in any of your sectors? Are they a recurring problem? What exactly is making the recruitment process difficult? Do Volunteers in the field have any ideas on how requirements might be modified or recruitment changed to make the fill rate increase? Have you, your CDU, and VRS or the Placement officer discussed any possible new strategies for increasing the fill? Have you given VRS personnel a clear idea of what you really need in the field? If so, have they come up with any suggestions for modifying the profile and requirements? Have you been able to go back to the requesting agency with ideas for changing the trainee requirements in order to increase the fill? Are there problems from the host agency side that you cannot seem to resolve? What options do host country requirements leave you? Ideas and Resources A Peace Corps program cannot run without Volunteers. If you are participating in a project that is experiencing recruitment problems, something must be done. If the fill rate is too low, or the process of obtaining qualified recruits is too cumbersome or problematic (e.g., the host countrys requirements are difficult to meet), the country staff, CDU, and VRS Placement representative(s) will need to communicate directly, figure out what the problem is, and take appropriate steps to resolve it. A direct contact (e.g., a conference call arranged by your CDU) can often result in a better understanding by Placement of what you want and will accept, a better understanding by you of what Placement can and cant do, and a better understanding in general about how the process can be modified to find an approach that can work. For example, fill rates can sometimes be substantially increased through a small modification in the VAD requirements or the willingness to consider certain kinds of almost matches. There are many cases where educational requirements are difficult to meet, but experience in the field can be substituted, opening it up to other candidates who could do the job. Or, perhaps, where a five-year experience requirement is hard to fill, making it threeand expanding it to include other relevant kinds of experiencemight make a substantial difference. Placement is familiar with these and other strategies and can suggest options to you, which you might then be able to discuss with your host country requesting agency. You and your agency, in turn, by describing in more detail what you need and why, can help Placement devise creative alternatives that would fit what you need for the job. Placement appreciates this type of exchange, as they, too, are interested in meeting field requests. The CDU can play a valuable role by following up on the progress of the new arrangements on a day-by-day basis, sending out CVs and almost matches, contacting recruits, etc. CDs in the field who have initiated discussions with their Placement representative(s) and worked out such new approaches have often seen the benefit in increased trainee input. Peace Corps 207

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 8.6. Staff Participation in Post Reports and Communications to Peace Corps/Washington Staff members contribute, as a team, to the development and timely submission of plans, recruitment documents, reports, and communications to Peace Corps/Washington. Questions to Think About Who on your staff contributed to the last IPBS? Who did what? Were there individuals who should or might have contributed but did not for some reason? What process was used to assign parts and prepare for the IPBS? Did you have coordination meetings, discussion meetings, or a staff retreat? Were the Volunteers brought into the process? Were host country partners consulted or included? How? Were there new goals, initiatives, or strategies in the last IPBS? Where did they come from? Do you have an action plan and a monitoring process for accomplishing the new goals? Who is watching over this, and how often is it reviewed? Have this document and process been useful to your post over the year? Have they meant something to people? How and what? If not, what is the problem? What would you change in the process for the next IPBS? Apply this same list of questions, as appropriate, to the PSR and VADs and see how you might change the process for the next time around. Ideas and Resources As many overseas staff members have found out the hard way, the IPBS, budget, PSRs, etc., are far too much for one or two persons to do. In addition, the fewer people who do them, the less relevance and importance they have for everyone else (including the Volunteers). They just become a huge job for the CD and a couple of select senior managers and a meaningless mystery for all others, who know theyre probably a big deal, but cant really understand why and dont feel a part of it. This is hardly a productive formula for a document and a process that are supposed to guide the country program and all its members for the next several years. For many people, it is probably just a big, irrelevant interruption. In order to get these things done in a reasonable fashion and time frame, more people need to participate. For these reports to be done well and be useful to both post and headquarters, they need to be a combined effort, including Volunteers and host country partner participation. The IPBS, for example, isor should bethe posts primary planning document for the next several years. It is a chance for staff members to take a fresh look at what they are doing, what they could or should be doing, and how they might change things. It should incorporate a retooled look at goals, programs, needs, directions, use of resources, potential reductions, numbers of Volunteers, PST variations, new ISTs, how the health unit is doing, safety/security issues and initiatives, staff job descriptions and organizational chart, staff development activities, and everything else that is important.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The programming and training staff, AO, PCMO, SSC, IT specialist, and support staff should all be involved in budget and resource planning; they all need budgets and resources to do their jobs. The program needs to have input concerning their needs, and these folks need to know how the process works. Some posts approach the completion of big reports through a retreat or workshop of some sort. If reports are going to be truly important documents, produced through a meaningful process, a retreat or a workshop is a useful way to get everyone away from interruptions and fully involved in the process. It is a fitting strategy that complements other post efforts to educate staff about all aspects of the program and give everyone some sense of ownership. What goes for the IPBS (strategy, goals, budget, projections, etc.), applies to other documents and communications, as well: PSRs, VADs, responses to headquarters requests for special submissions or opinions on special topics, country information packets for new trainees, etc. A guiding principle should be that since the real action is what is happening in the trenches (the Volunteer trenches, as well as the office, host country, and training trenches), then the information and communications should be based there, on what the people doing the work have to say. And a countrys strategy should be to get that information from the source to those who need to hear it (e.g., each other, country staff, headquarters). Another guiding principle is that since you and other American staff will be at post for only a limited time, host country staff need to know their responsibilities and know what to do to carry out the process and produce quality results. The annual IPBS and PSR processes need to include, as a critical component, on-the-job training for HCN staff in how to organize and prepare these reports. You wont be there to do it the next time, but they will. Finally, if everyone contributes, everyone has the rightand responsibilityto see the results. The IPBS, PSR, VADs, etc., are supposed to be important, living documents. They talk about the posts (i.e., staffs and Volunteers) accomplishments, challenges, and plans and goals, which people should feel a part of and be proud of. The reports should be accessible, with coverage in the newsletter or memos to staff and Volunteers, and they should be discussed by all. 9. REPRESENTATION AND ADVOCACY

9.1. Relations With Host Country Government and Development Organizations The post has relationships with a broad network of host country, international, nongovernmental, donor, and administrative support organizations. The country director and staff make productive use of these contacts to support program activities and Volunteers; keep informed on country conditions, development issues, and opportunities for collaboration; and educate others about the Peace Corps, its activities, and its potential as a development partner. Questions to Think About Do you have a network of contacts in the host country and among development organizations with whom you talk fairly often? Where and how do you meet and communicate with them? Would you say your network of contacts is fairly restricted or is it broad? Does it go beyond the people you work with directly? Could your network be broader? What would it take on your part to broaden it? Could it be better maintained? What could you do to improve it?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Do you have contacts in local service clubs? The private sector? Higher education? Other cities? Rural areas? Local NGOs? The big international organizations (U.N., World Bank)? Do you have active Project Advisory Committees for each of your projects? Are you and your staff keeping them informed? Are you making good use of them? Do your staff members have their own networks? (Have each staff member describe his or her network to you.) What are they doing that is particularly successful and that you or others could learn from? What are you doing to assist them in their networking? Are you learning things about the host country and about particular development issues through your network? Do you have a source that is especially knowledgeable about host country history? Economics? Politics? Development approaches? Possibilities for collaboration? Do you ever just hang out (e.g., have lunch or coffee) with host country people you dont normally work or socialize withjust to see whats going on, or to do something different? With whom? What do you talk about? Ideas and Resources An important part of the country directors and senior staffs jobindeed, everyones job to some extentis to get out and meet people who represent the many aspects of the host country and others who make up the various elements of the development community. This means a wide variety of people, including: Host-government officials and ministries you work with directly (or indirectly) at the national, intermediate, and local levels Development-assistance organizations, the U.N., World Bank, international NGOs, donor agencies, other volunteer-sending agencies, local NGOs, and anyone who has a role or an interest in development activities Local service clubs and community organizations, local leaders The private sector: the markets, shops, companies, professionals People on the street and in the neighborhoods all around the country This type of socialization is supposed to be a principal component of our Peace Corps involvement. It means getting out and meeting people, learning about them, telling them about us, learning about their culture and their views on development challenges, working together with others on projects, speaking local languages, and generally mixing in and getting to be comfortable, wherever we are. The Volunteers do it and so should staff, especially if staff members are to serve as any kind of role models and representatives of the organization. We also do it because it should generally be fun. It is one of the reasons we join the Peace Corps and go overseas, as staff or Volunteers. If it is not fun, then maybe we should be asking ourselves why it isnt and what that means.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post There are several practical objectives for this type of mixing and networking: Relationships, contacts, networks, and collaborative events can all provide invaluable input, assistance, and support to Peace Corps activities and to the Volunteers in the field. Whether it is financial or material assistance from a group, training, direct collaboration, personal support on the job, facilitation of procedures, provision of transport, project guidance, assistance during a difficult or sensitive series of events, or any number of other forms of input and exchange, the Peace Corps and its Volunteers stand to benefit greatly from working with others and, at the same time, significantly increase the effectiveness and sustainability of their own contributions. None of the Peace Corps three goals can occur in a vacuum. They are achieved only through cultivated and sustained contact with others. Books, magazines, and other media are necessary and useful, but host government, NGO, and community representatives are critical primary sources for up-to-date information on country conditions, development activities and issues, and opportunities for collaboration with others. With a steadily maintained network of colleagues and counterparts, we are able to test the waters, continually evaluate what is going on, be aware of major host country and development issues, and keep ourselves and our programs focused on the most relevant concerns. Through our contacts, relationships, and activities, we can educate others about the Peace Corps, its activities, and its potential as a development partner. This is where both development programs and the accompanying cultural exchange begin. If the country and the partners know what we can do, we have a better chance of doing it with them. Some of the principal techniques for constructing and maintaining relationships include the following: Calling, and calling on, people. As a new country director, an essential first step is to go around and see people, i.e., get your network up and running. (Principal project partners and Project Advisory Committees are a good place to start.) As an experienced CD, it is essential to maintain that network and make sure it doesnt languish for lack of attention. This means making up a list of people you think you should know, establishing contact and a relationship with each, keeping the relationships active, and reviewing, adding to, and changing your list as time goes on. Lists will vary, but should include a range of people such as that given in the first paragraph of this section. As for the actual contact, visit those in your network on a periodic basis, call them, look for areas of mutual interest or assistance, keep up a dialogue on country issues or development subjects, and preserve an individual relationship with each one. Keeping others informed. Put your network members on your mailing list and send them brochures, annual reports, periodic mailings and summaries, informing them of your activities, Volunteer assignments and jobs, secondary project areas, etc. Send them whatever you feel will be interesting and useful to them and, of course, appropriate for them to know (this will vary, according to the person or organization). If you do it, it will encourage them to do it in return. (See sections 9.3 and 9.5 for ideas on types of appropriate reports, presentations, and additional means of keeping others informed.) Keeping yourself and your staff informed. Ask for information from otherslists of volunteers and projects from other volunteer agencies, annual reports, summaries of activities, etc., and share these with your staff. These sources will be helpful in increasing your understanding of

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post what others are doing and will also show them you are interested in their activities. It may even help in such practical matters as adjusting your Volunteer assignments so as not to duplicate efforts already undertaken by another organization, or identifying an opportunity for collaboration or another development effort that could usefully supplement what you are doing in a particular region or sector. Organizing events, workshops, panel discussions, etc., and inviting others. Workshops, meetings, conferences, opening and closing ceremonies, and appropriate social events are excellent occasions for keeping up networks and relationships with other organizations and contacts. Indeed, some country programs organize and hold an annual meeting with all their stakeholders to discuss the state of projects, launch planning efforts, and share information. Design an outreach plan at various levels: CD at the national level PTO and APCD/PMs at the national (especially with partner ministries), regional or sector levels APCD/PMs, PA/PTSs and Volunteers at the community level Note that other staff, too, may have important contacts at all levels (national, regional, sector, or community) that can work much to the PCs advantage This is an excellent subject for a senior staff retreat. Set it up and follow it. Refer also to sections 9.4 and 9.6 for strategies on types of networking, section 1.2, Knowledge and Understanding of the Host Country, and section 1.3 on NGO forums and other group meeting opportunities. 9.2. Peace Corps Relationship With the U.S. Ambassador, Embassy, Other U.S. Agencies, and the American Community The country director and staff have a positive relationship with the U.S. ambassador and mission (including USAID, the Public Diplomacy Office, Regional Security Office, and self-help and economic sections), which advances the Peace Corps objectives, supports logical areas of cooperation, and defines and protects the agencys autonomy. Questions to Think About How would you characterize your relationship with your ambassador? Do you feel you have his or her full confidence, or are there aspects of the relationship that could be better? What have you done in particular that has inspired his or her confidence in you and the Peace Corps? (At some posts, the CD may work more closely with the deputy chief of mission [DCM]. Apply these same questions to your relationship with the DCM. What goes to the DCM vs. directly to the ambassador?) Is your embassy (the American mission and community) large or small? How has this affected your interaction and relations with the ambassador and embassy?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Do you meet regularly one-on-one with the ambassador or DCM? What types and levels of involvement do the ambassador and DCM have with Volunteers? What types and levels of involvement would be most beneficial for your Peace Corps program? Do you have that involvement from them? Have you read the various guidelines on Peace CorpsDepartment of State relations? (See paragraph b, below, under Ideas and Resources.) When you need further guidance on what to do in particular situations with the American embassy or mission, where do you go? Whom could you call on for advice? Do you feel you are receiving adequate support or cooperation from embassy offices? What do they do that is particularly helpful? Are there any specific relationships that could be improved? How could you go about it? What kind of information on Peace Corps activities do you provide to the ambassador and DCM? To the embassy and the community in general? Is it the right amount? What are you not doing in this area that you might be doing? How much regular contact is there between Peace Corps staff and the American community? Where does most of it take place? Are there any problems that you see? What are they? What could or should you do to influence or change the situation? How much contact do Volunteers have with American families and others in the American community? Does it seem too much, or perhaps too little? What could you do to affect this pattern? What kind of role model is staff providing in terms of contacts with the American community? Do you think the staffs example in this area is affecting what the Volunteers do? How are Peace Corps contacts and relations with USAID? The Public Diplomacy Office (formerly USIS)? The regional security officer (RSO)? CDC? PEPFAR? Other agencies and sections? Are there any particular problems or any agencies you need to work on/with? To whom could you turn or what steps might you take to improve relations with them? What involvement has your post had with (a) military humanitarian activities in-country, (b) activities carried out by religious groups that come to do missionary work, (c) university programs, or (d) other groups coming in-country to do short-term special projects? What are the pros and cons of working with any of these groups? Who else should be informed if you are going to do so? Do the ambassador and other embassy staff visit Volunteers? What are the pros and cons of these visits? How do you prepare for the visits? What is the attitude of the American community in your country toward the Peace Corps and the Volunteers? What influence do you have over this? How does it affect you? Do you have special relations with, or do anything special for, the RPCVs who are in-country? Could they help extend the posts supportive network?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources Part IRelations with the ambassador There is great complexity in the country directors relationship with the ambassador and the Peace Corps relationship with the embassy. Each must interact and work effectively with the other; yet, in the words of former Secretary of State Dean Rusk in the early days of the Peace Corps, to make the Peace Corps an instrument of foreign policy is to rob it of its effectiveness in promoting our foreign policy goals. In fact, the relationship between ambassadors and CDs is, typically, a positive, supportive, mutually helpful one. Ambassadors generally respect the Peace Corps work and its autonomy and want it to succeed, and country directors demonstrate respect for, and cooperation with, the ambassador. Here are some of the key principles to consider, as CD, in developing your relationship with the ambassador: a. You have a reporting relationship with the ambassador, yet your immediate supervisor is your regional director (RD) in Washington. You are responsible to the Peace Corps for managing the program and administering the budget in accordance with Peace Corps policy and guidance. However, as a U.S. government employee and an official American representing an official agency at post, you owe the ambassador the respect inherent in his or her role as the presidents official and direct representative, responsible for all official actions and persons in the host country. b. You should carefully read all the guidance the Peace Corps provides you concerning the official relationship between the Department of State and the Peace Corps, and between ambassadors and Peace Corps country directors, and you should discuss this thoroughly with your regional director, in overseas staff training (OST), and with fellow CDs in the field. Key background documents include the current Presidents Letter to Chiefs of Mission, the Cable from the Secretary of State to Chiefs of Mission regarding Peace Corps-State Department Relations, the Embassy/Department of State Relations: Guidelines for CDs (reproduced below in the Addendum to this section), and administrative directives contained in ICASS guidance cables. Check with your CDU to verify that you are in possession of the latest guidance on these subjects. c. As the presidents representative and the ranking American official in the country, the ambassador can request that you carry out certain activities (attend meetings, serve on committees, provide briefings, attend social occasions). Peace Corps participation is entirely appropriate in the vast majority of these activities, but there are certain activities where the Department of State has recognized the need for greater separation so as not to compromise the Peace Corps mission. (For example, a request to you or a member of your staff to serve on the embassys human rights or democracy and governance committees or as embassy duty officer would not be appropriate. It is also inappropriate for the Peace Corps to participate in mission meetings or activities where the subject is foreign policy objectives or is of a political, intelligence, or military nature.) The boundaries are not often crossed, but if you have a concern, you must satisfy yourself that you are making a proper decision. That may mean consulting your regional director, your OGC contact, and perhaps experienced CDs in your subregion.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Work on forming a relationship from the beginning that acknowledges the ambassadors rank, role, position, and experience, yet establishes your own competence, responsibility, and autonomy in managing the Peace Corps program. d. Ambassadors are ultimately responsible for all the Americans assigned to the Peace Corps in their country; accordingly, they have an interest in the activities and comportment of the Peace Corps staff and Volunteers and a right to know whats going on. Furthermore, they are responsible for evaluating the effect of American activities (policies, etc.) on relations with the host country and for guiding those relations. The Peace Corps is often a very positive element in that interaction and ambassadors will want to help the Peace Corps and see it succeed. For these reasons, they need information from youenough to assure them that what you are doing is proper and is being conducted competently and safely, and does not conflict with the bigger picture. You must supply this information and satisfy your ambassador. The sharing of such information can take several forms: Country team meetings. These usually take place once a week when you and other agency heads and embassy senior staff meet as a team to exchange information on happenings in the country and issues in the American mission. This is an occasion for you to provide a brief summary of Peace Corps activities for the ambassador and other representatives. Keeping colleagues informed on Peace Corps matters of general interest and relevance helps them carry out their duties and helps you to build the support and confidence you may need. Country team meetings are generally not forums for lengthy presentations or problem-solving about matters internal to the agencies represented. One-on-one meetings with the ambassador. A periodic, individual meeting (e.g., once a week, or every two weeks) with the ambassador is usually a good idea. This will give you an uninterrupted forum and the ambassadors undivided attention. It is a chance to make an individually tailored presentation, convey the information you want, and establish a personal and professional relationship. If the ambassador does not suggest such a regular meeting, you would be well advised to propose it yourself. Reports, briefing papers, activity summaries. Ambassadors differ in what they want and CDs differ as well in the kind of documents they like to prepare. CDs commonly give copies of the completed IPBS country strategy to ambassadors, and perhaps a few excerpts from other selected documents. Most ambassadors probably dont want a lot of lengthy documents and would prefer a certain amount of brief summary information on Peace Corps projects and Volunteer achievements, as this gives them a sense of practical accomplishments in the field. Some CDs prepare periodic briefing papers or short activity reports, and some ambassadors like these, especially when they are returning from time away from post. On the required side, ambassadors (and consuls) must have lists and locations of the Volunteers in-country and they need to know immediately about things such as assaults, accidents, sensitive incidents, and legal issues. There are specific Peace Corps policies outlining the information you should provide to the ambassador and the regional security officer (RSO) in cases of assaults, rapes, accidents, and other traumatic incidents; you need to be fully familiar with these and scrupulous in carrying them out.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Here are two main principles to remember in providing information to the ambassador: The value of sharing appropriate information with the ambassador (and embassy, USAID, Public Diplomacy Office, and other sections or officials) is that it earns their support for, and interest in, the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps is often one of the best things going on at the post and they should, and usually want to, know about it. You will most likely get that support if you take care of your own bailiwick, i.e. dont let your problems cause problems for the ambassador and his or her people and, above all, dont blindside the ambassador. If there is a problem or potential problem he or she needs to know about, you need to be the one to bring the news, not the grapevine, the morning paper, or a concerned host-government minister. Ambassadors do not like surprises. e. One final observation on the relationship with ambassadors: Many CDs ask ambassadors to perform special representational duties for the Peace Corps, for example, give speeches at opening or closing ceremonies for PSTs or ISTs, host receptions to mark special occasions such as swearing-in, close-of-service, or conferences, and perhaps actually swear in new groups of Volunteers. What you ask ambassadors to do can vary considerablythere is no set Peace Corps recommendation or design for thisand it will probably depend on the history of your own program and the management styles of both you and the ambassador. The ambassadors presence raises the visibility of the event, of course, and in some countries, if you want a host-government minister to come talk, you may need to request the participation of the ambassador. (Again, protocol varies on this from country to country.) The presence of the ambassador may also emphasize the link between the embassy and the Peace Corps, and that is an element to consider. An increasing number of ambassadors are returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and this fact can add a special quality to an ambassadors comments and presence. In summary, the ambassadors role in Peace Corps activities can and should vary; it is a decision to think over carefully, and to base on a number of considerations, including the following: What does local protocol require or recommend? What are the effects at your particular post of emphasizing a connection between the Peace Corps and the embassy? How busy is the ambassador? How supportive? How interested? How could duties be divided, i.e., CD does swearing-in, ambassador gives major speech? Who else might come, or even substitute for the ambassador if he or she cannot come (e.g., someone else from the American community, the DCM, public affairs officer, U.S. commercial attach in the case of a business IST, an RPCV in the embassy)? Also, note that it is nowhere prescribed that ambassadors must swear in new Volunteers. Of course, they may do it, but actually, it is the country directors job. In deciding who will perform this function you should, as usual, seek to strike the right balance in relations between the Peace Corps and the embassy, i.e., mutual support, tempered by autonomy, while conveying the desired and proper message to the host country. 216 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post One additional note regarding the deputy chief of mission. The DCM is the second-incommand and, as such, the day-to-day manager of the embassy and its business. He or she effectively serves as the ambassadors representative in all things and is the official diplomatic charg daffaires when the ambassador is absent. In some posts, the DCM may be directed to liaise with the Peace Corps and he or she may be your principal contact at the embassy. Whether or not you work more directly with the ambassador or DCM, maintaining close communications with the DCM and keeping him or her knowledgeable about, and as an advocate for, the Peace Corps is essential. Always keep the DCM in the loop. f. As for other types of contacts, including social interaction, much will depend on individual stylesyours and the ambassadorsand on the size of the post. For example, small posts tend toward greater interaction between the embassy and the Peace Corps and between ambassadors and CDs, as there often isnt much else going on. At large posts, people are frequently busy enough with their own affairs and there tends to be less contact, though there may be more American community activities. Whatever the size of the post, there is a place for ambassador CD and embassyPeace Corps contact, such as receptions, dinners, sports events, celebrations for the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving, etc. In these interactions, it is a good idea to keep two ground rules in mind: Although you are a member of the official American community, you do not have diplomatic status and are not expected to lead the life of a diplomat. You are the leader of a volunteer organization that operates at the grassroots level and values cultural integration and modest lifestyles. Remember who you are and whom you represent. You must be an appropriate role model for your Volunteers. Part 2Relations with other U.S. mission sections and agencies and the American community Apart from the ambassador, there may be several U.S. agencies and even a sizable American community for you to consider in shaping your relations with the American mission. Here are some points to think about: Relations with other U.S. mission sections and agencies (e.g. ,the American Consulate, USAID, Public Diplomacy Office, Self-Help Fund, the RSO, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the military). American agencies can and do help each other. As an example, the consulate is an important entity for the Peace Corps. It is the agency directly responsible for protecting American citizens rights, processing official documents, ensuring safety, and a host of other things. As such, the consulate will help Volunteers and American staff with lost passports and other documents, voting questions, legal problems (to an extent), accidents and deaths, information on visas, and many other official matters and requirements. They also prepare the embassys evacuation plan and operate the embassys warden system for U.S. citizens upcountry; and you should coordinate the Peace Corps evacuation plan with theirs. In turn, you will no doubt be of assistance to them when they need to help a visiting Peace Corps Volunteer from another country who has approached them with a problem (accident, lost money, assault, stolen documents).

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post USAID is a large organization with considerable resources. It has supported Peace Corps programs in many ways, through such mechanisms as the Small Project Assistance (SPA) program and Participating Agency Program Agreements (PAPAs), both of which have been sources of funding for a variety of Peace Corps projects and training activities. USAID (along with the CDC) has also been a major partner, in recent years, in the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has become an important program initiative at a number of Peace Corps posts. Indeed, over the years, the Peace Corps has had some very positive collaborative experiences with USAID. As an agency, however, USAID is closely linked with the embassy and with U.S. foreign policy objectives and operations in a way that the Peace Corps is not, and it possesses and uses a level of resources that the Peace Corps does not have and, many argue, should not get used to relying on. The level and kinds of PCUSAID collaboration are an ongoing topic of discussion within the Peace Corps community and the subject of strong feelings and distinctly different points of view. This topic can only be introduced here, but it certainly should be discussed and considered further as you evaluate your posts situation and your own views. Also, consult your region as the staff may have specific guidelines for you in this area. The embassys Office of Public Diplomacy, formerly the U.S. Information Service (USIS), serves overseas to provide information about the United States and promote cultural exchange, English language teaching, and a number of other initiatives. Programs include sending U.S. educators, journalists, and cultural groups overseas and arranging trips and scholarships for selected foreign applicants to travel and study in the United States. Through its particular interests in the media and in things American, the Public Diplomacy Office can support Volunteers (especially teachers) with materials, including interesting publications and tapes, and it can make contacts with local news media for you (at swearing-in time or a conference or workshop, for example). As with USAID, given the embassys foreign policy role, it is well advised for CDs to weigh and discuss those areas in which the Peace Corps might or might not want direct participation in public diplomacy activities. You should consider the difference, for example, between embassy assistance in promoting the Peace Corps through the local media and the distribution of democracy and governance materials or the recruitment of candidates for study in the United States. The Ambassadors Self-Help Fund is a source of project money administered by the embassy (often coordinated by the embassys political section) to provide grants for projects submitted by host country individuals and communities. Many Volunteers, working with local groups, have found this a useful source of support for local project activities. In most embassies, a selfhelp committee reviews and recommends proposals for support. The Peace Corps usually has a staff member on this committee, to assist in selecting the proposals to be funded and, to an extent, represent the Peace Corps and Volunteers interests in the selection process. The embassy regional security officer (RSO) is charged with overseeing and protecting the safety and security of embassy and other government-supported agencies and Americans in the country. While the standards and conditions under which the Peace Corps operates differ considerably from those of the other official agencies, problems with thefts, assaults, muggings, etc., both in the capital city and outside, will naturally concern the RSO. The country director should be the primary Peace Corps liaison with the RSO, though the PC safety and security coordinator should have a day-to-day working rapport with that office. The CD and SSC must

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post set up an appropriate relationship and reporting system with the RSO to deal with such incidents, as the RSO must compile information on such incidents and include it in reports to Washington on a periodic basis. Also, you may legitimately turn to the RSO for help in approaching the host government to request law enforcement-related support to meet certain safety needs (e.g., addressing muggings or other safety problems around the Peace Corps office or affecting Volunteers upcountry). It is generally not appropriate for the RSO to be involved in the Volunteer site selection or site development process, though in an unusual and special case of safety and security issues, the RSOs advice might be sought. Finally, the RSO is responsible for conducting background checks on new staff for any U.S. agency (including the Peace Corps) and for investigating improprieties by staff (e.g., security or computer violations, potential fraud cases, etc.). See section 11 for further discussions on the relationship with the RSO regarding safety and security issues. The Community Liaison Office (CLO) at the embassy has an important role in the diplomatic community, with a particular focus on families and reinforcing a sense of the American community. It is charged with promoting events to bring the American community together, raise morale, and generally help people settle in and enjoy themselves. The CLO does support U.S. direct hire Peace Corps staff in a limited way by helping with schooling arrangements for U.S. dependents and in a few other areas. Beyond that, its emphases and activities may not be very relevant to other Peace Corps staff or Volunteers, whose lives and focus are extremely different from the American diplomatic communitys. CLOs are generally helpful, but efforts to integrate Volunteers into the American community (adopt-a-Volunteer programs, softball leagues, etc.) may not be adaptable to the Peace Corps activities or mission. There are, of course, exceptions (e.g., during Christmas or other holidays), but in general the Peace Corps and the CLO follow different paths. Contacts and relations with the intelligence community. The Peace Corps should remain separated from some agencies and activities (intelligence, political reporting, military) in every way. Peace Corps legislation and policy are clear on this subject, though the manual and other sources do not detail their everyday application. Obviously, you can know these people, greet them in the hall, and attend a Fourth of July picnic where they are present, but care must be taken so that contacts or links do not go beyond the most casual, occasional, and general of circumstances, and that activities like the gathering of political information do not take place in fact or even in appearance. Intelligence, embassy, military, and other staff should know this, but if you find that some of them act otherwise it is important for you to meet with that person or have a brief meeting with a supervisor to clarify the relationship and have him or her remind staff members of the policy. It is particularly important that these individuals be in full compliance with the policies of separation, given that Volunteers will probably not know who works in a capacity in which contact with Peace Corps should be limited. It is equally important to make the policies clear to Volunteers, and not to encourage opportunities for such contacts to be misused or misinterpreted.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Visits by embassy or other American officials to Volunteers at site. This is an issue worthy of some reflection. The ambassador or DCMor another embassy or U.S. agency representativemay indicate some interest in visiting a Volunteer at site; or you may even see value in such a visit and invite the official to make the visit. Some points to consider in setting up or approving these visits would include the following: Is the visit work-related? Work-related visits, of course, have intrinsic value and will normally require specific preparations, objectives, and notifications. What is the rank of the visitor and what effect will the visit have on the local officials and community? This is an important question, especially where a high ranking person like the ambassador or a visiting U.S. official from stateside is making the visit. These visits may require briefing papers for the visitor(s) and careful scripting of the visit itself. Consult with the Volunteer and his or her organization as to what activities might be included in the visit. A basic principle in this type of visit: The more the event is scripted, the less room there is for problems. What prior notifications or permissions are necessary? This will often depend on the rank of the visitor and whether the visit is work-related. Consult with the Volunteer and your staff (and embassy staff, if a U.S. official is involved) about the required protocols, from both the U.S. and host country side. Of course, the Volunteer and his or her organization should always be notified and prepared for any type of visitthis is a matter of both courtesy and propriety. What about informal visitsembassy staff dropping by on the way to or from a visit elsewhere? These visits should always be cleared with the Peace Corps office, the Volunteer should be consulted beforehand (if possible), and aspects such as how often the Volunteer is visited, the effect on the community, etc., should be considered. However, these visits are often welcomed by Volunteers, who like to see visitors and show them their work, perhaps receive some mail and some rarely seen magazines or goodies, and be treated to a meal. Visits by congressional delegations (Codels), congressional staff delegations (Staffdels), and U.S. government VIPs and officials. A regular feature of embassy life is the visit of a congressional delegation, staff delegation, or a representative of a U.S. agency (State Department, Commerce, Agriculture, HHS, the White House, etc.). The embassy sets up control officers and committees, involving all the U.S. mission (the Peace Corps included), to organize, script, and prepare the visit. Draft agendas are drawn up, visits to various sites proposed, and the mission goes into high gear to respond to and make the most of these important, high-profile visits. The Peace Corps may be called upon to play a greater or lesser role (or no role at all) in the visit, depending on the delegation. Obviously some of these visits will be important to the Peace Corps, and the CD should be willingindeed, even proactive in offering to participate in the visits activities. This is particularly true of Codels and Staffdels, but also visits by certain VIPs (of which the Peace Corps director might be one). There is an entire science to making the best use of Codels and Staffdels, etc., and PC/W will be quick to help any CD prepare and play an active role in one. Codels and Staffdels are always interested in Volunteers from their members constituencies, and the Peace Corps should take advantage of that interest. This guide is not the place to enter into the details of Codels, etc.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Suffice it to say that, should there be any mention of a Codel, Staffdel or VIP visit to your country, contact your region immediately and get in touchthrough the regionwith the Peace Corps congressional liaison and public relations offices at HQ, both of which have many useful tools to help you respond to and make the most of the opportunity. Peace Corps Volunteers and the American community. Like you, Volunteers mayat their own levelscome into contact with other Americans in the host country (missionaries, business people, Fulbright scholars, government contractors, private citizens, etc.). There is a certain value in that contact when it informs Americans of what the Peace Corps is doing and even results in a certain understanding of, and support for, the Peace Corps. Those Americans are, after all, a part of the Peace Corps constituency and they have the right to be informed. On the other hand, like you, but even more so, the Volunteers primary business is with the host country. When contact with, and participation in, American-run activities begins to deflect Volunteers attention away from their main objectives, it stops being positive. Thus, an occasional volleyball game, party at the recreation center, dinner or overnight with an American family, or a little help to a visitors project can all be acceptable and even positive; but this is an area where the best principle is clearly moderation. You are not the Volunteers parents and you do not have the authority to regulate their free time, but it may not be in the Peace Corps best interests to be organizing American family host-a-Volunteer programs or more than the very occasional volleyball game, or lining up Volunteers to help on a visiting organizations project (see next section, below). Many CDs find it useful to discuss this issue with Volunteers during PST to avoid misunderstandings at a later date. Requests or invitations to work with special groups from the United States. Finally, you may get requests or invitations to work with (or have Volunteers work with) military humanitarian activities in-country, religious groups that come to do missionary work, university programs (semester abroad, or special projects), short-term humanitarian activities, or even visiting groups needing help and interpreters. These can differ greatly in their connection to the host country and their development efforts and also in potential conflicts of interest that may arise. Some important questions include: Does the Peace Corps have a pre-existing relationship or agreement with this group? What are the pros and cons of working with the group? Who makes the decisions in the activity? How does the work or activity fit in with Peace Corps values and goals in the country? How will this affect the Volunteers job and purpose in being here? Who needs to be informed?

The decision could go different ways, but the cases need to be examined carefully.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post ADDENDUM TO SECTION 9.2 The following document, Embassy/Department of State Relations: Guidelines for CDs, from Peace Corps/Washington, should help you better understand the type of relationship to set up and follow with the ambassador and embassy counterparts. Embassy/Department of State Relations: Guidelines for CDs (rev. 6/2009) Remember that the chief of mission (COM) has the Presidents Letter to Chiefs of Mission. Keep COM informed of all significant activities of the Peace Corps. COMs are responsible for the overall security arrangements of USG facilities and employees; the country director (CD) is responsible for the day-to-day security of the Volunteers (PCVs). Note, however, it is the position of the secretary of state that [i]n the absence of overriding security concerns, the Peace Corps is responsible for determining what Volunteers will do and where they will be located in-country. The CD is generally free to visit host country government officials, as necessary, to further the Peace Corps program in the host country. The COM should be advised in timely fashion of ministerial level meetings. Meetings with heads of state should be discussed with the COM in advance. The CD is responsible for hiring of foreign national employees (FSNs), consistent with the Mission position classification procedures and local compensation plan, entering into personal services contracts, and the supervision and evaluation of the FP (U.S. Direct Hire) staff at post. NSDD-38 requires COM approval for numerical levels of permanent, direct-hire staff positions (FP or FN) in a Peace Corps country program. Provide COM with copies of IPBS submissions. They are not subject to COMs prior approval. Peace Corps participation in the Mission Strategic Plan (MSP) process is intentionally limited to preserve separation from foreign policy. Follow the PC Directors specific guidance on appropriate contribution to the MSP. Peace Corps applies to State for waivers and does not co-locate facilities with the embassy or other USG entities and does not enter into joint medical units or motor pools, etc. The CD is authorized to swear in PCVs or have the ambassador do so. The Peace Corps regional director, not the COM, conducts official performance evaluations of the CD. The Peace Corps welcomes input from the COM during the evaluation process.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 9.3. Reporting Program Accomplishments to the Host Country and Other Organizations The country office produces periodic briefing papers and reports on Peace Corps and Volunteer activities for distribution to relevant groups, including the host country government, NGOs, embassy, and Peace Corps/Washington. Material is gathered from activity, in-service, and project status reports, descriptions of service, and other documents and is organized to present topics such as Peace Corps sector involvement, Volunteer primary and secondary project accomplishments, training events, and procedures for requesting Volunteers. Questions to Think About How do you routinely inform or educate people about the Peace Corps in your country? Do you have a printed brochure or information sheet? What do you give to people who ask about the Peace Corps? Are there particular groups you would like to send something to but you dont have anything appropriate at hand? Do you have an annual or end-of-year report that you send to the host government or ministries that sums up Peace Corps or Volunteer accomplishments? What does it contain? Does it cover Volunteer numbers and assignments? Secondary project activities? Workshops and conferences? Training? Future plans? To whom do you distribute it? Is it adequate, or would you like to make some changes? Do you routinely exchange documents with other agencies that send volunteers, and with NGOs? Ideas and Resources As noted in sections 9.1 and 9.2, you might want or need to keep a variety of individuals and organizations informed about your programs activities. Some of these include: Host government ministries and officials you work with; others you might be interested in working with; some you think ought to know about the Peace Corps; new people you go to see Other development assistance organizations, including NGOs you collaborate with or that are working in similar sectors or areas; your Project Advisory Committees; other volunteer-sending organizations; organizations you might be approaching for support; a general umbrella group linking NGOs or development organizations, if such a thing exists in your country The embassy, the Public Diplomacy Office, USAID, and other American organizations Neighboring Peace Corps posts Peace Corps/Washington, including Volunteer Recruitment and Selection (VRS) (especially for the recruiting process) Visitors to the country office

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Posts already produce several reports, such as the IPBS country strategy and the project status report (PSR). These are useful documents for PC/W and possibly for a collaborating partner and the embassy or USAID, but probably not suitable for other audiences. Here are three other ideas for documents that are not too difficult to produce, and are more appropriate and practical for other groups: An annual project report, giving numbers, statistics, and accomplishments for each project, often organized according to the projects goals and objectives. The information on the different projects may be combined into one report, to which pictures, graphics (charts, etc.), and vignettes may be added. The data for this report may easily be obtained from quarterly reports and PSRs. This is a useful update for partner ministries and organizations, giving them relevant statistics and information on Volunteer accomplishments and progress in relation to project goals. A special summary of Volunteer accomplishments for each outgoing group of Volunteers, which can be taken from COSing Volunteers descriptions of service (DOS). This type of document can provide, in bullet format with perhaps three or four Volunteers to a page, a summary of individual Volunteers achievements. Using education Volunteers as an example, the information provided could include the Volunteers name and assignment, subjects taught (including levels, numbers of students), administrative or committee positions held, assistance to clubs or sports groups, secondary projects (library development, SPA or PEPFAR projects, tutoring, community work), functions in workshops or training, and any other accomplishments that would be interesting to your target audience. This can be compiled easily (the information is all in the Volunteers DOS) and can provide a fascinating glimpse for host-government officials, especially as it shows the broad range of Volunteer activities. It is also easy to read, can be quickly paged through for an overview, and therefore works well with busy officials. By the same token, it provides lots of specifics for recruitment or public relations purposes. Short summaries of Peace Corps training activities (PST and ISTs) can easily be added to give a sense of that aspect of the Peace Corps work and the host countrys participation therein. This document can be sent to partner ministries and NGOs at the end of the cycle and given to other organizations, the embassy, USAID, etc., as an informative glimpse of the Peace Corps country program. A country briefing paper or brochure. This is a different kind of document, usually intended for potential collaborating agencies, officials you might meet in the course of site visits, visitors to the office, or briefing presentations to groups. It can take the form of a one- or two-page description of the country program, including a short history, a list of sectors, programs, collaborating partners, numbers, and sample activities, conditions of service, Volunteer profiles, training activities, and procedures for contacting the office and discussing the possibility of requesting Volunteers. The document can lean more toward an informative briefing paper for visitors, or a guide for contacting and working with the Peace Corps for potential collaborating organizations. These are only three examples and there is much room for variation in between. The important thing is that there are people who would be interested in what the Peace Corps is doing if they knew more, and whose knowledge of, interest in, and potential support for the Peace Corps could be valuable to you and your program. It is definitely worth the effort of putting together a set of informational materials for this purpose. (One final recommendation: Go through each report and make sure it is free of PC jargon. The reports are meant to inform, not confuse.)

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 9.4. Organizing Periodic Peace Corps Events Peace Corps staff and Volunteers organize and participate in events (workshops, presentations, service days, ceremonies, etc.) that focus on important issues or sectors and present to the public what the Peace Corps is doing in the host country. Questions to Think About What kinds of events does your country program normally sponsor or participate in during the year (workshops, conferences, openings, closings, ceremonies, special days)? Make a list, then apply the following questions to each: (1) Who are the people and organizations invited, and who participates? (2) Who is missing? (3) Who could be participating more? (4) What kind of press have you generated around the event? (5) Should or could you be generating more or better publicity? How? (6) How could you make better use of this event? What other types of events could you be sponsoring or participating in? What have you been wanting to do but have just not had the opportunity to organize? What resources (time, funds, materials, talent) could you devote to such events? Who on your staff could be really good at this work? Ideas and Resources The expression Peace Corps events is intended to include the following types of activities: Workshops or conferences (e.g., in-service training workshops or conferences for Peace Corps staff, Volunteers and counterparts, or for special audiences or sectors, such as youth development, small-project assistance training, small-business skills training, and the like) Meetings, presentations, exhibits (e.g., get-togethers of NGOs or partner organizations, or groups with a common interest, often with a presentation or panel, followed by discussion). This could also include presentations or exhibits in recognition of special days like Earth Day, Volunteer Day, etc.; or it could be a planning or evaluation workshop on a project or activity. Ceremonies (e.g., opening or closing ceremonies for PSTs or ISTs, swearing-in or awards ceremonies, end-of-service events) Service days (e.g., activities or days organized around a tangible service to the community, such as a neighborhood or city cleanup day, an environmental project (for Earth Day), a oneday construction or repair of a community center, etc.)

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post IST workshops and conferences have been presented and discussed in other sections of this guide and should be referred to again (see in particular section 7.11 on training). The intent of this section is to look at all types of events (training events, meetings, ceremonies, service days, etc.) and emphasize the representational role these activities can play in strengthening the Peace Corps network, providing service, and presenting the Peace Corps message and accomplishments to others. Post staff should sit down once a year, evaluate the opportunities for representational and service events and activities in the upcoming period, and devise a plan for putting them to the best use. Steps and questions to consider in formulating the plan might include the following: Inventory the events that will occur ordinarily, i.e., the ISTs and other workshops, conferences, meetings and ceremonies that are planned, and the opportunities that they will provide, and apply the following series of questions to each: How might the post put this event to better representational use? What sectors, partners, organizations, groups, and issues are already included and what others might be added? What could the various groups or participants contribute to the event that would interest others, promote the objectives of the event, and raise consciousness about specific issues and about the Peace Corps role or potential for assistance? Who should speak or present? What follow-up might there be (e.g., documents, reports, further meetings, plans for specific activities or collaboration)? What is the Volunteer (and counterpart) role in each event? Should it be more? In conducting your inventory, did you notice a gapan area or sector where you might be doing something but are not? Is this an opportunity for a separate event or could it be a part of something already planned? Consider the possibility of specific service-related activities that would provide some direct and immediate benefit to a community or a group. What tangible service activities could be undertaken? Are there activities related to specific recognition days that you might be carrying out (e.g., Childrens Day, Volunteer Day, Literacy Day)? Is there an activity or service that could be added to an already planned event or would it be better to plan a separate activity or day? Who should be involved (sectors, partners, individuals)? What is the Volunteer (and counterpart) role in the event(s)? What follow-up could or should be planned?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Consider the idea of a panel, round-table discussion, or other type of exchange or event that you would like to see happen around a certain subjectsomething relevant to what the Peace Corps is doing, or could be helping within your country. Examples might be Community volunteerism or Organizing boys and girls clubs, or Helping develop business skills and opportunities in the community. What could you organize that would interest partners and other groups and serve to reinforce your relations and networks with these entities? Finally, what are the Volunteers doing? Are they organizingor hoping to organizean event, meeting, or activity that you could get behind and help out? A summer sports camp? A boys or girls club or gender workshop? Indeed, Volunteers are some of the most creative designers and organizers when it comes to special events. All of the above events or activities are a great opportunity for Volunteer and partner involvement. Events also provide an opportunity for some out-of-the-ordinary collaboration, involvement, and accomplishment, and a chance for some immediate and tangible gratification that might otherwise be scarce. 9.5. Responding to Inquiries and Providing Information About the Peace Corps The country director and staff respond in a timely and helpful fashion to inquiries for information and requests to speak from host country organizations, as well as groups visiting the host country from the United States. Responses and presentations are used to provide useful information on Peace Corps activities and communicate the agencys purpose and role. Questions to Think About What types of inquiries or requests for information do you receive? What do you do with letters or other communications asking about the program? Do they get answered or do they sit around and eventually become forgotten? Do you have a country program brochure or information sheet you can use in responding to inquiry communications or letters? Do you (or does anyone on Peace Corps staff) go out and give speeches or talks about the Peace Corps? Who does it? Could more of the staff (and Volunteers) be involved? What would it take? Do you have a general briefing outline to help people give presentations? Who represents the Peace Corps at awards ceremonies? At project openings (ribbon-cuttings)? At other Volunteer (or non-Volunteer) ceremonies or occasions? Do you miss some events because you (or another senior manager) cant go? Could you expand the number of staff members who could represent the Peace Corps at these events? Do you have a map somewhere in the office with pins or markers showing where all the Volunteers are located? Do you have an information sheet you can give out that shows the approximate geographic distribution and sectors of Volunteers in-country? What do you do for visiting relatives or parents of Volunteers? Do you meet with them? Provide them with materials?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources In the typical overworked Peace Corps post, many opportunities are missed for providing information to those who might be interested in Peace Corps activities and opportunities. These come primarily in the form of letters, phone calls, emails, or local direct requests from people or organizations asking for information; requests for a Peace Corps representative to attend or speak at ceremonies or meetings (school awards days, project completion ceremonies, service organization meetings, church groups, groups of U.S. teachers visiting through an embassy travel program); and encounters with visitors to the office (Volunteer parents or relatives, representatives of organizations, or anyone passing through who would like to know more). To default on these requests or respond inadequately can mean missed chances for support or collaboration, and also leaves an overall bad impression. One of the Peace Corps great strengths is supposed to be its relations with people and groups, and we especially should not be failing in this department. Some ideas and strategies for performing more satisfactorily in this area include: Inquiry letters or emails. Most of these inquiries just sit there because no one with enough general knowledge of the program has the time to respond to them properly. A combination of four strategies can help in improving responses to written inquiries: Delegate responsibility for handling such inquiries to a staff member (or members). Pick someone whose job it will be to receive and read the inquiries and draft responses. This need not be a senior staff memberit can be a secretary, clerk, or program assistant if he or she is armed with the right tools and resources. Appoint an adviser to help. The drafter(s) will need someone to go to with questions, and for a review of the completed responses. This can be a senior staff member, perhaps on a rotating basis so different people can share the load (and their knowledge). Provide samples. Drafters should have several sample or model responses to typical letters, which they can use as guides, both for the language and for content. These can be compiled over time in a notebook or in a computer file for easy reference. Prepare a Peace Corps brochure or briefing paper (as discussed in section 9.3) to enclose with responses. Telephone calls and visitors with questions. Staff should also be able to give helpful responses to inquiries made over the telephone or in person. Not all such inquiries need to be referred to the director or a senior staff member. Again, delegating the task to specific people and a little preparation can help a great deal in the process of triage and response. A list of sample questions and answers, copies of the office brochure or briefing paper, a good knowledge of who does what in the office, and a knowledge of the program itself (including Volunteers activities) should prepare any staff member to cover a broad range of questions. Rotating the responsibility can increase staff members learning, provide motivation to do the job well, and generally prepare them for a variety of situations in which a good knowledge of the Peace Corps and its in-country activities will serve them well. The brochure or briefing paper can also be given to the visitor, or sent to the caller with a brief accompanying letter.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Even for visitors who come to meet with the CD or a senior staff member on business, there should be a program brochure or briefing paper (historical data, numbers, geographic and project distribution of Volunteers, procedures for requesting a Volunteer, etc.) to hand out in the course of the exchange. Visiting Volunteer relatives and parents should be accommodated when possible. It is worth spending some quality time with these folksthey have come a long way and they have a strong personal interest in the Peace Corps. They can be wonderful promoters of the Peace Corps third goal. The more they know, the better they will represent the Peace Corps on the home front and, of course, the more satisfied both they and the Volunteer will be about their treatment in the office. Requests for the country director or other Peace Corps representative to attend or speak at meetings or ceremonies or to groups. This is a great opportunity. If it is for a school awards day, a project completion ceremony, or something directly involving a Volunteer, it is especially important, both to the Volunteer and to his or her community. It is a chance to support Volunteers and their work; to contribute to their satisfaction and recognition; to support, praise, and strengthen relations with the community; to reinforce valuable messages (sustainable development, environmental conservation, the importance of education); and to witness directly and learn from what is happening in the community. If it is a request from a host country service club, a local community or church group, an NGO, or even a group of teachers from the United States visiting your country through a Public Diplomacy or Rotary Club program, it is an excellent chance to educate them about the Peace Corps and the Volunteers, to create and strengthen relations, and to learn about the visiting group or community at the same time. In the case of groups visiting from the United States, these are the constituencies from which Volunteers come and to which they return. It is important to take time with them, as they can take your message home, perhaps to potential recruits who would otherwise be less accessible to Peace Corps recruiting efforts (e.g., minority groups). (See section 9.2 for comments on visiting congressional and other delegations.) A few strategies can be helpful when it comes to giving speeches: Rotate the responsibility of going out to awards events, ceremonies, science or theater competitions, etc. This can be a burden if you have to do it all the time, but is an enjoyable learning experience if done less frequently. Consider the various members of staff who could do it, i.e., CD, PTO, APCD/PMs, PA/PTSs, AO, PCMO, SSC, financial assistant, cashier, general services officer, PCVLs, etc. Dont just include senior staff, but support staff as well (more than one person can go). HCNs can be particularly effective representatives to other HCNs. Set up and maintain an open file of program information and speeches for these occasions. Information on the country (history of the Peace Corps in the country, numbers of Volunteers since the beginning, numbers of current Volunteers and in which projects, approximate geographical distribution and a rough map (be sure staff is aware of security concerns and limiting knowledge about exact PCV locations), particular accomplishments, etc.). This information will be helpful for everyone who has to go out and represent the Peace Corps in a public forum.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 9.6. Social Interaction Between the Peace Corps, Partners, and Others The country director and staff facilitate opportunities for social interaction between Peace Corps personnel, partners, and counterparts. Questions to Think About What types of social interaction do you have with host-government representatives? With other partners? Other NGOs and organizations? Do you feel it is too little or too much? What might you do to modify it? What is your staffs attitude toward social interaction with partners and government representatives? If it is not so positive, what could you do to help change that attitude? Are you taking advantage of occasions for informal social contacts? What special issues concerning social interaction do you need to be aware of in your country? Issues involving alcohol consumption? Particular social norms and practices? Are the Volunteers aware of and respectful of local dress expectations? Ideas and Resources In many parts of the world, the social side of work relations is as important as the work side and, if you want to succeed, you must pay attention to both. Just how this operates in your country is something you must investigate, gather perspectives on from others, and understand. In some places, formalized social events, such as parties and dinners, may be more common or usual than in others, where there is less contact expected outside of the workplace. It is a good idea to know what the CD who preceded you did, how other Volunteer agencies and NGOs operate, what the host government and partner agencies do, and what expectations there are in traditional vs. more urban or modern societies. Applying what you learn, you can use a certain amount of flexibility in managing the social side according to your own style. As a basic principle, it is useful to have some social, i.e., non-work-related, exchange with the people you work with, including government officials, partner agency representatives, and work counterparts. Such interaction reminds us that we are all human and helps us see others in a different light. This goes for your staff and Volunteers as well as you; they, too, should have opportunities for this kind of contact, and you can help facilitate it. The following is a description of several types of social interaction you may find useful: Brief receptions or social occasions following official ceremonies (closings, openings, at PSTs, conferences). These are extremely practical, in that they afford a social contact for many in a work context, and do not require much time or extra planning. Host government representatives, counterparts, and Peace Corps staff and Volunteers can all be accommodated at a reception following a ceremony. Lots of people can be invited and the cost need not be great.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Larger (or longer) receptions, parties, and smaller lunches or dinners. This depends largely on style and resources. In some countries and for some people they are a great hit. The costs can be higher and the Peace Corps has virtually no budget for this (representational funds are limited, and frankly, most CDs just use personal funds for much of this), but some CDs and staffs like to have them, even if only occasionally. Sometimes ambassadors will host an event for the Peace Corps or go in with you on one, and there may be a place for this. If you do put on such events, it is important to know for whom you are doing it and make sure you do not put people in situations where they dont mix well. Also, in some societies, these events are not common, or they have certain restrictions (for example, spouses are not included, weekends are avoided because people go to their villages, no alcohol or pork is served, etc.). It is important to be knowledgeable about these kinds of issues so you dont invite 50 people and have five show up, or serve entirely the wrong things when they do. Be sure to consult with a knowledgeable resource (an experienced HCN staff member; perhaps the HCN protocol person at the embassy) to learn about these cultural issues in advance. Invitations to the training site or to an IST with lunch (or a chance for informal mixing) included. This is usually good for the officials or partners and good for you and the trainees and Volunteers. It gives everyone a chance for informal exchange and a more personal experience. Obviously, a longer participation in training activities (government official or counterpart participation in a three-day IST or for several days at a PST) affords a great deal more opportunity for social and informal contact as an adjunct to work agendas. Personal meetings. Periodic meetings in person, at your office or theirs, are better than just phone calls (or no calls). This is true whether it pertains to you and a government head of service or a Volunteer and a local official. There is time for personal contact and some informal conversation (before, during, or after the meeting, with perhaps some small refreshments thrown in), all of which can be helpful in maintaining a relationship with, and an understanding of, the other person. It is well worth stressing this to Volunteers and staff alike, and remembering it on site visits when you are tempted to skip a stop or hurry on to the next place. Volunteers should be visiting people and so should you, and, when you can, you should do it together. In all these social events and activities, it is important to remember the programs policies and philosophies on appropriate fraternization, alcohol, and role modeling. This is not a time to compromise expectations and norms that have been carefully built up. That said, there are many opportunities for appropriate social contact. Where and how you might be able to take better advantage of these possibilities is important and worth thinking about. Done properly, they create opportunities for interesting highlights of a Volunteers service.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 9.7. What to Do in Case of Legal Problems, Disputes, Adverse Publicity, etc. Staff and Volunteers are made aware that in cases of legal problems, disputes, adverse publicity, or other sensitive situations that could affect the Peace Corps program in-country, the country director has a particular leadership responsibility and must be contacted immediately. The country director knows where to turn for assistance in these situations. Questions to Think About What are some examples of delicate or sensitive situations you or your staff have encountered in the last year? Note three cases and answer the following questions for each of them: Were you notified in time to take any action? Did you know what to do and where to turn? What was the fallout? Are there consequences you are still dealing with? What was your principal learning from this experience? How could it have been different, with a little more time or preparation? What could you do in PST or IST (or in other ways) to help Volunteers know what they should do in such situations, and how they might avoid them in the first place? Do you have an in-country lawyer, legal contact, or adviser to turn to if you need one? Have you developed a set of procedures for various situations (e.g., accidents where a Peace Corps staff member has hit someone when driving, school strikes, protestssee the list below for additional examples)? Where are the key sources or documents to inform you about legal procedures in your country? What do you and your staff and Volunteers know about the Protect Act? Ideas and Resources In the normal course of a program, the staff and Volunteers of the Peace Corps can face a wide range of challenging, sensitive problems: Accidents and injuries that may result in claims or a popular reaction against the Peace Corps (e.g., staff or Volunteer in a vehicle that hits and injures a pedestrian; crowd and media react) Volunteer or staff accused of involvement in sensitive political issues, leading to hostile reaction from authorities (e.g., Volunteer or staff blamed for contact or connection with opposition figures, groups, or actions) Volunteer or staff dispute with host country national supervisor, or other important individual

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Adverse publicity about the Peace Corps or a particular Volunteer (e.g., media attack on real or alleged Peace Corps or Volunteer action brought to attention of newspapers and loudly criticized) Volunteer linked (or alleged to be linked) to school or work protests (school strikes) and alienates authorities Legal claim brought against Volunteer or staff (e.g., for theft, libel, nonpayment of debts, illegal currency activities, drugs, improper public behavior, paternity, improper behavior with a minor [see Protect Act]) Arrest and imprisonment of Volunteer or staff Legal claims brought by Volunteers resulting from assault, rape, accident, theft In any of the above circumstances, the country director must be informed immediately, preferably before the situation gets anywhere near a critical stage, so he or she can begin appropriate protective and corrective measures. Staff and Volunteers must be strongly advised of this need to contact the CD about appropriate issues, and in a timely manner. The consequences, of course, can be as serious as deportation, physical harm, or even imprisonment of a Volunteer, and can have a disastrous effect on the Peace Corps program. No one, host country or the Peace Corps, wants these things to happen. It is essential to devote time in PST (and ISTs, as well) to present some of these scenarios to trainees and Volunteers and impress upon them the importance of communicating any of these potential problems to a staff member, not to mention doing ones best to avoid such situations altogether. The CD and staff, meanwhile, must be ready for such occurrences, even as we hope that few will occur. Here are a few steps to take in preparation: Brainstorm a list of possible problems. In doing so you can turn to experienced staff, the PCSSO, neighboring CDs, and the general counsel in Washington. They will come up with some surprisingbut very possiblesituations. Then lay out steps to take in each case. This is a worthwhile session in a staff retreat or strategic planning meeting. Once done, there will be guidelines and strategies in place for staff training, planning, and, most importantly, for the events themselves. Make a list of your network of contacts, both in Washington and locally, for the scenarios. This will likely include the ambassador and RD, as appropriate, the CDU, the RSO, the general counsel, a good host country lawyer, law enforcement, etc. There can be others; it may vary. Be ready. Bring the Peace Corps staff well into this process and train them, as you will need a group effort; these things have a way of happening whether or when the country director is not around to handle them. (See section 2.8 on Cross-Training and Backup. These are possibilities an acting CD must be prepared for.) Finally, see sections 10 and 11 for specific health- and emergency-related situations and procedures. These things have a way of all being related.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 10. HEALTH AND HEALTH-RELATED EMERGENCIES

10.1. Post Health Program and the PCMO The post has a comprehensive health program, managed by a Peace Corps medical officer (PCMO), that supports Volunteers in their health education and health care needs. The PCMO is an integral member of the senior staff and collaborates with all staff in establishing and promoting appropriate health support structures, policies, and practices. Volunteers are comfortable seeking advice and assistance from the PCMO. Questions to Think About Is your PCMO a full member of the country senior staff, or not quite? Do you think your PCMO would say that he or she is fully included? If not, what may be the problem? (Address these questions to the PCMO and see what answers you get.) What could you do to strengthen the PCMOs inclusion or participation? Where is the health unit located and how is it set up? What are the advantages and disadvantages of its location and setup? Are there any changes you might consider that would reinforce PCMO and health unit interaction with the rest of the staff? Are there any particular strains in the relations between you and the PCMO? Between the PCMO and any staff members? If so, what is causing them? What steps or strategies could you use to get people communicating about the problem(s) and seeking solutions? Are there any contract issues or problems that are cause for dissatisfaction by the PCMO? Is there a compensation problem? What can you do? Have you turned to any resources (region, Office of Medical Services, other CDs) for advice or assistance in solving the problem? What about PCMO relations with the Volunteers? Do Volunteers readily come to see the PCMO? Are there any particular obstacles? What practices could the PCMO (and you) adopt to improve communications with Volunteers and get a better understanding of their issues? In the past year, how many Volunteer sites did the PCMO visit? Did the PCMO take vacation? Were the site visits and vacation enough? If not, what was standing in the way? Were you supporting the PCMOs attempts to get out of the office? What specific steps could you take to encourage the PCMO to get out on site visits and take leave? How are health criteria for Volunteer site selection and housing determined? How are they implemented or checked? Who does it? Are Volunteers asking or expecting unreasonable things from the PCMO or health unit or calling at unreasonable hours for things that could wait? What are they expecting from the PCMO and what makes it unreasonable or impractical? Why do you think this has happened? What steps could you and the PCMO take to adjust Volunteer expectations or dependence and make them more realistic and practical? Could the VAC help you?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post In the past year, have any Volunteers become upset because, in their opinion, a confidentiality was revealed improperly? Did this, in fact, occur? What actually happened? Was the issue resolved with the Volunteer, or is it ongoing? Did other Volunteers get involved or upset as well? Have you processed and discussed this incident to learn lessons and explore ways to prevent it from happening again? In the past year have you had any medical supply problems or shortages? Any problems with insufficient administrative support for the health units operations? Have you found the causes of the problem(s) and figured out how to avoid or resolve them in the future? Does your PCMO prepare his or her own budget plan and submit it to the AO for discussion? How does the budget get worked out, and how is spending monitored? If there has been a history of shortfalls in the medical budget, what are the causes of these? Ask your PCMO. Your AO. Does your PCMO promote generic drug substitutions for medications to cut costs? Ask your PCMO where there might be opportunities for savings in the next budget plan. If you asked the PCMO for three changes in the way the office or anything in the program is run, what would they be? (Ask the PCMO.) Have you read any of the OMS Technical Guidelines? Are you, as CD, satisfied with the level of medical confidentiality generally extended to you to deal with Volunteer support and other issues? Ideas and Resources A post health program that meets Volunteers basic health education and health care needs is one of the most fundamental requirements of a Peace Corps country program. Volunteers must feel confident that their PCMO and staff are providing them with the essential tools (information, education, supplies) to maintain their health, and will take care of them in a medical or other emergency. The whole fabric of the Volunteer support system depends heavily on this confidence and runs a serious risk of unraveling if Volunteers do not feel safe. In establishing and evaluating the post health program, here are some of the most important ingredients for the country director to watch for and consider: PCMOs must be treated as full members and an integral part of the Peace Corps country senior staff; they should not be considered or treated differently or forgotten when the staff get together. They have a direct interest, and can provide valuable input, in the very same things that concern CDs, PTOs, APCD/PMs, SSCs, AOs, and administrative staffthe welfare of the Volunteers and the success of the program. They should be full participants in staff meetings, planning processes, resource decisions, policy discussions, post problem-solving, Volunteer issues, training, contact with Volunteers, social interchange, and just about anything else that is important to the program.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The CD and PCMO need to have a special trust relationship. These two individuals are critical to the Volunteers fundamental well-being and confidence. They must work to get along with each other, and communicate and cooperate in their efforts to support Volunteers. This means meeting regularly, one-on-one, sharing concerns and strategies as medical confidentiality permits, supporting each other in front of staff and Volunteers, and promoting each other as persons for Volunteers to talk to and share appropriate things with. Both CDs and PCMOs bear a special responsibility for Volunteers and can come under a great deal of stress. It is particularly important that they lend support to each other and not add to each others problems. Volunteers and staff alike must know and have confidence in the PCMO. PCMOs are on staff because of the specific services they can perform in support of Volunteers; but they cannot perform these services if Volunteers will not come to them. Volunteers must feel comfortable in approaching the PCMO and confident that the PCMO will be able and willing to help them. In the same vein, staff must also have confidence in the PCMO and be willing to refer Volunteers, for appropriate reasons, without hesitation. The CD, in presenting the PCMO as an important member of the country staff, can do a great deal to help establish and support the medical officer in the eyes of both Volunteers and staff. The PCMO, in turn, by taking advantage of training events and opportunities to communicate with Volunteers and staff, can play a visible role in Peace Corps activities and reinforce his or her position. If communication or confidence between the PCMO and others is suffering, the CD must do his or her best to quickly understand the problem and help get relations back on a positive track. The CD should pay special attention to PCMOAO relations. This is another important relationship that needs to work, but there are built-in tensions that, if not tended to, can make it rocky. Budget and supply struggles, the stresses of emergency situations, and problems over minor administrative requirements can put these people on a wrong course. The solution is, in part, communicationa sustained effort at keeping the two in contact, meeting regularly, talking to each other, and working out problems before they happen. This is something the CD can facilitate, and it will go a long way toward making the relationship a smoother one. Volunteer expectations of the PCMO and the health program need to be practical and realistic. If the Volunteers are led to expect levels of service or conditions that the health program cannot provide, they run the risk of becoming frustrated. This can easily happen in a cross-cultural environment where so much is new and strangeeven frighteningto the Volunteer; it is tempting to let the blame fall on others (PCMO, staff) in cases where ambiguity has led to disappointment. It is important for the PCMO and staff to make the health program clear to Volunteers, to establishfrom PST onwhat the responsibilities of the Volunteer are in health maintenance, and what the PCMO and Peace Corps office can and cannot do. The PCMO and staff must make an effort to leave as little room for ambiguity and false assumptions as possible. This includes the use or abuse of the medical duty officer and the 24-hour call system. By the way, staff expectations may also become an issue, if there are expectations on the part of staff that the PCMO is available to assist or treat them medically. Treatment of staff is absolutely prohibited by all the regulations: PC medical officers may not treat staff, or any nonVolunteers for that matter (the lone exception would be if the PCMO is substituting for the Embassy Health Unit under a formal Memorandum of Agreement and treating U.S. direct hire 236 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post personnel in a backup capacity). PCMOs are hired to treat Peace Corps Volunteers and no one else. (A good question to ask your PCMO is whether he or she has set boundaries or is having any problems with staff expecting medical care or supplies.) The post, i.e., PCMO, CD, staff, and Volunteer representatives, must work together to establish a comprehensive set of criteria, policies, guidelines, practices, and recommendations for country health issues. These should cover the following areas (among others): Volunteer site selection Volunteer housing, living, and working conditions Training site selection, setup, and administration, including host family selection and housing approval and medical support arrangements Office and Medical Unit layout and conditions General health promotion and illness- or injury-prevention strategies Health risks or problem areas needing special attention (e.g., malaria, schistosomiasis, HIV/AIDS, STDs, certain seasonal or contagious illnesses, etc.) and clear policies regarding prophylaxis requirements and risky behaviors Scheduling of immunizations and medical examinations (so as to supportnot interfere withother Volunteer duties) Protocols for Volunteer absence from site for medical reasons. That is, who must approve absences, who notifies supervisors, what are the means and time frames of notifications? Responses to these issues will often involve a synthesis of PC/W (OMS) and country program policies. These issues belong to everyone, not just PC/W and not just the PCMO. Although PCMOs might take the lead on some specific issues, programming, training, administrative, safety/security, and health representatives must all participate actively in problem-solving and negotiation of appropriate guidelines and solutions for country health issues. PCMOs must be accessible. They must have published office hours and be available to Volunteers. Volunteers must know how and when to contact them, routinely and in emergencies. This may involve a combination of regular office hours, medical duty officer hours, call-back hours as needed, emergency communications networks (cellphone or other), weekend or other clinics, and PCMO presence at PSTs and ISTs. The intention is not to overwork the PCMO, but to make sure he or she (and the medical staff) is where the Volunteers are. In finding the right coverage combination, CDs and PCMOs are urged to consult PC/W and other posts for sample plans, scenarios, and job descriptions (and appropriate contract clauses). PCMOs need to take leave. They bear an immense, unceasing responsibility and it is stressful. They must be able to get away. This means having a backup and an emergency communications system that works and retains the Volunteers confidence. See section 2.8 for an exploration of different approaches to cross-coverage and backup. Peace Corps 237

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post PCMOs should be conducting site visits. If they do not, their own knowledge of the Volunteers situations is incomplete, and they may not be reaching certain Volunteers who do not come in. In addition, they have an important role to play in site selection and development and in knowing and evaluating local health conditions and local and regional medical resources. These are important functions to carry out; yet some PCMOs hesitate to leave the office for fear that emergencies will arise while they are gone. This is all the more reason for having a smoothly functioning backup system. PCMOs need to get into the field, Volunteers need to see them in the field, and CDs need to help make this happen. Medications and other medical supplies must be sufficient and should not be past their expiration dates. Being told that they need a medication and then not being able to get it, or getting an expired one, will quickly shake a Volunteers confidence in the health unit and the PCMO. There must be a system for ordering and receiving supplies that gets the new ones in before the old ones run out or expire. PCMOs and AOs (CDs as well) will need to work on this harmoniously and often relentlessly, as supply systems in the parts of the world where the Peace Corps operates are frequently problematic. There should be a backup plan for alternate sources, through which medications and supplies can be obtained quickly in emergency situations. MS 734 outlines the inventory, procurement, shipment, and receipt of medical supplies at posts. Your PCMO and AO may have this well covered, but as CD, you should review this manual section and then discuss these issues with them to see how these systems work and what problems they might be experiencing. Additionally, CDs need to fulfill their requirements in verifying the narcotics inventory and storage. This is a practice that should be worked out with PCMOs early on and adhered to. An important part of the PCMOs job is oral and written communication with the Volunteers. This includes personal interviews and consultations; telephone consultations; oral presentations, starting with training and continuing through the Volunteers service; health memos, health-related columns and advice in the newsletter; articles on relevant subjects (e.g., HIV and AIDS studies, malaria protection) from journals; and personal correspondence with Volunteers. An ongoing exchange of letters, text messages, or emails with the PCMO can often be one of the most effective supports for certain Volunteers. PCMOs should be aware of the value of this written communication as a follow-up to personal meetings or conversations or on its own. CDs, for their part, should encourage this type of written communication (indeed, on the part of all staff), but also understand that it takes time. Health unit space must be sufficient and appropriate for the PCMO to do his or her job. This usually includes: An office space conducive to carrying out consultations and completing patient documentation in confidentiality. A secure medical storeroom so medical supplies and narcotics are being stored in compliance with the Peace Corps Manual. Access to a secure computer, fax, telephone, etc., for private and confidential communications. A dedicated patient waiting room, where possible. Safe water supply, running water, toilets, appropriate waste disposal. 238 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Sick room facilities where Volunteers can be accommodated and observed (day and night). A health unit that is not isolated from rest of the office and staff. The PCMO must have adequate administrative, logistical, and secretarial or clerical support for carrying out his or her duties. This means a secretary, clerk, or medical assistant trained in the support tasks the PCMO needs, sufficiently available to carry them out, and cognizant of confidentiality requirements. It also means support from the administrative unit in the processing of documents and respect for confidentiality concerns. Finally, it includes access to a vehicle and a driver, as needed, for transport needs and emergencies. The post must work with the region and the Office of Medical Services (OMS) in Washington in following correct hiring, contractual, and performance appraisal procedures for a PCMO, in order to protect both the Peace Corps and the PCMOs rights. For these areas, OMS has developed a set of hiring guidelines, a job description, and a performance appraisal system, all of which need to be followed carefully and supplemented by direct contacts with the region and OMS. The selection of a qualified and appropriate person and the establishment of proper working and contract conditions are critical to the relationship and support that must follow. The process must be pursued carefully, fairly, and correctly. There is no room for contract recriminations or bitterness later on. Where there are serious performance problems, the appraisal system must be used and OMS and the region brought into the matter in a timely fashion, not when its already too late. No one is interested in having a problematic PCMO situation, but OMS and the region cannot help (or even sympathize) if they dont know whats going on. (See section 3.4 on performance appraisals.) The PCMO must research, cultivate, and maintain an up-to-date network of necessary and qualified referrals to support and supplement the health care program for Volunteers. This network must be recorded, so staff and backup health personnel know what the resources are, and it should be reviewed regularly. Indeed, per OMS, this information must be documented in the Country Health Resource Survey (CHRS) and updated, at least annually, by the PCMO. The CHRS is accessible via the Intranet. Also, CDs should be willing to assist the PCMO in establishing this network by playing a representational role in the process, as needed, and should let PCMOs know of their willingness to do so. The CD, AO, and PCMO must all have a full understanding of the strategies and effectiveness of health support coverage throughout the areas in which Volunteers serve, i.e., the means of communication, local facility and treatment options, means of supply and medication delivery, means of updating prophylactic injections, and local medical treatment and support options for Volunteers in any given part of the country. With the improvement in medical facilities and availability of trained practitioners in many places, the Peace Corps has found it possible and desirable to set up contracts or arrangements with these persons and places, to serve as a local resource for assisting and treating Volunteers, where appropriate. CDs should discuss and understand these arrangements fully with the PCMO and AO and ensure that Volunteers needs are being met in the most advantageous and cost-effective manner to Peace Corps. These are arrangements that require a certain creativity on the part of all concernedsometimes out of the old traditional box thinking. Health support and medical costs are complicated, expensive matters and neither can be compromised.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post The CD should also discuss early on the relationship between the Peace Corps Health Unit and the Embassy Health Unit. Often there are agreements for backup assistance or coverage between the two units. For liability and other reasons, these must follow certain guidelines worked out between the Peace Corps and State Department. The CD should review the relationship and the written Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and ensure that these are in compliance with agency policies. And if there is no such backup coverage, should there be? This is a topic to discuss with your PCMO, OMS, and region. The PCMO must conduct adequate training in health maintenance and illness or injury prevention and reinforce that training with a post health handbook for Volunteers (discussed in detail in section 10.2). Last, but hardly least, is the issue of medical confidentiality, an extremely important and sensitive issue. Volunteers must feel that what they say to the PCMO will be kept in the strictest confidence. This is not only an expectation on the part of Volunteers, it is also a legal requirement. PCMOs are well aware of the terms of medical confidentiality, which are set out in the MS 268 and Technical Guideline 150, and should make sure that other staff and Volunteers are as well. The few exceptions in which the PCMO may or must extend medical confidentiality to the CD should be clearly communicated and understood, and the point well made that the CD will also carefully respect the rules of this confidentiality. As clear as this policy might seem, some things still manage to make their way through the grapevine, making Volunteers understandably upset. This is how it may happen: Scenario 1: The Volunteer tells the PCMO something and also tells someone else (e.g., a close Volunteer friend), and that someone else repeats it. It does happen and the Volunteer forgets that he or she shared the problem with someone besides the PCMO (or doesnt want to believe the friend repeated it). This is a relatively common occurrence and PCMOs get blamed and criticized, unjustly, for breaking confidentiality. Obviously, true or false, it is an accusation that can hurt relations with, and confidence in, the medical officer. Since this does happen, it is wise to raise and address the possibility from the beginning, at PSTdescribe how this can happen and why, and stress that confidentiality is not only the PCMOs responsibility, but everyone elses as well, including all staff and Volunteers. Once this scenario has been discussed at PST, should it then occur it would be appropriate to raise it again and reinforce the need for respect for confidentiality on everyones part. Scenario 2: Volunteers say something to a nonmedical staff member, not officially in confidence, and the staff member repeats it. This is similar to the first scenario, but it merits special emphasis since a staff member is involved. Volunteers get upset when staff members repeat things about themespecially to other Volunteers. It is a break in trust and it may take a great deal of repair work to fix once it happens. Staff must pay special attention to this sensitivity on the part of Volunteers, and exercise their own strict confidentiality policy about all matters, not just medical.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Scenario 3: The PCMO does repeat a confidence to someone. It may be an outright error or a completely inadvertent slip; someone puts two and two together and repeats it and the damage is done. If this happens, the PCMO must make a personal effort to repair the damage. A frank conversation with the Volunteer is often the only way, difficult as that may be. In a case like this, the CD may or may not need to be directly involved, but he or she must be supportive of both parties. It is not a time for recriminations from the CD there will already be enough of those. People make mistakes and others get hurt, but they still need to live together and depend on each other. The CD has a special responsibility to help both sides, if appropriate. Some of the above issues are also treated in other sections of this guide and in other documents. For more information, please refer to the following sections or sources: 2.2 on intra-staff communication, team building, meetings, CD support for PCMO 2.6 on CD knowledge of day-to-day operations, techniques for learning more about the PCMOs job 2.8 on setting up cross-training and backup systems for supporting the PCMO 3.4 on the performance appraisal system 4.4 on the importance of the health program and emergency support to Volunteers, establishing Volunteer expectations 4.13 on site visits OMS Technical Guidelines (TG)available on the Intranetespecially TG 110 (Volunteer Health Program), TG 200 (Overseas Health Units), and TG 150 (medical confidentiality), but also many others OMS supporting memos on medical confidentiality (contact OMS or ask your PCMO) NOTE: The OMS Technical Guidelines (TG) are, indeed, largely technical in nature, referring to protocols and procedures PCMOs must follow in specific medical instances. They also include guidelines of a more general nature, with which CDs should be familiar. It is a good idea for CDs to look through the table of contents and read particular guidelines that may interest them or be particularly relevant. Examples include the TGs on medical confidentiality and medical evacuation procedures.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 10.2. Health Training, Health Handbook, Role Models, and Health Promotion Volunteers receive effective, hands-on training (at PST and ISTs) in health maintenance and the treatment of illness and injury, so that they are capable of taking reasonable preventive measures against disease and injury and know what to do in health-related emergencies. The training is reinforced by a post-specific Volunteer health handbook and related materials and activities that provide information, advice, procedures, and best practices in these areas. Questions to Think About Are you and your senior staff familiar with the OMS Pre-service Health Training Modules? Have you seen any of the OMS training video materials? Do you know how the modules and materials are being used in your program, i.e., are they all being done in PST, or some in PST and some in ISTs, or are some being left out? Have you attended any of the health training sessions (at PST or ISTs)? Did you have any recommendations for the PCMO on how the sessions were conducted? Should you have? Is the PST health training component presented as equally important as the other PST training components (technical, cross-cultural, language)? How many hours were devoted to health training in the last PST? (Note that TG 310 defines the number of hours mandatedcurrently 25.) Was the training practical enoughwere there sufficient hands-on activities and experiences? What were the principal recommendations from the trainee evaluations? Will these be implemented? Are you (or will you be) conducting community-based training in your country? How will health training be conducted under the community-based circumstances? Discuss with your PCMO the challenges that CBT poses for health trainingsafe immunizations, PCMO travel, and medical office coverage, among others. What can you, the CD, do to directly support the effectiveness of health PST and the lessons from that training? Do you have a health component in your ISTs? What kinds of things have been done? How were subjects or activities chosen? Is there a health topic or area where training is needed and is not being done? What has been standing in the way? What can you do about it? Could your PCMO benefit from more stand-up training or facilitation skills? Where could he or she get them? Have you and your staff read your countrys health handbook? In what health topics are your country staff members serving as positive role models for the Volunteers? In what areas are they less successful in this respect? Do you think this makes a difference for Volunteers? How might you influence or change the staff members behavior as role models?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Does your program have any health promotion policies (i.e., general policies or practices that actively encourage appropriate health practices, such as smoking cessation)? Does your PCMO regularly provide a session at COS workshops informing PCVs of their postservice benefits and the close-of-service medical process? Ideas and Resources Perhaps the most critical element in a Peace Corps post health program is the quality of health training provided to Volunteers. Indeed, for all the facilities, site visits, clinics, etc., the fact remains that Volunteers are still at their posts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, essentially on their own and far from the PCMO and the health unit. They must be trained effectively and prepared to take the necessary measures to preserve their own health and to respond to health problems. This training should include: Pre-service health training component. As mentioned earlier in this guide, if there is to be excellence in a Peace Corps program, it must begin with training. The health component is not an add-on, to be fit into PST wherever, and if, convenient; it must be an essential part of the PST, with sufficient opportunity and effort devoted to covering all key subjects and issues. The training content should include the health training modules and materials furnished by OMS, supplemented by appropriate materials and adaptations for country-specific circumstances. Topics covered should include: Disease prevention Injury prevention Health knowledge and understanding Health maintenance Appropriate first aid and emergency responses Peace Corps health policies (prophylaxes, immunizations, behavioral policies, exams, requirements) Volunteer support techniques (from self, peers) Emergency procedures Communications What Volunteers can expect from the Peace Corps, and what they must be responsible for themselves OMS has provided a number of excellent training modules and materials for PST, including, notably, HIV/AIDS and peer counseling materials. CDs and other country staff should read and become familiar with these modules and the policies and practices contained therein.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post IST health training components. Health training should be an ongoing activity in ISTs as well, even if it does not necessarily have a major block of time. Some subjects that are introduced in PST absolutely require follow-up in IST. HIV/AIDS is one of these, but there are others, such as seasonal or special problems that need emphasis (e.g., malaria, schistosomiasis, flu, STDs, risky behavior issues). PCMOs can survey Volunteers for appropriate issues to cover, or take their cues from the types and frequencies of problems that are occurring. Volunteer Health Handbook. Every Peace Corps country program should have an up-to-date Volunteer Health Handbook, which serves as a basic country-specific guide for Volunteers on health issues and procedures. PC/W (OMS) has many examples of these and they are an excellent subject for cross-fertilization among countries in the field, especially in subregions where issues and problems may be quite similar. If your country does not have a health handbook, start with someone elses and have your PCMO adapt it to local conditions. If you do have one, annual updating is an important task. Many PCMOs are developing handbooks with self-study components that can be done outside the training classroom. Memos, newsletter articles, blast emails, text messages, Web postings, letters, materials in the resource centers, supplementary materials on specific issues. All of these techniques, used by both the PCMO and other staff, add to the effectiveness of health training by increasing knowledge and keeping certain subjects on the front burner. Not everyone is interested in the same problem at the same time. What concerns one Volunteer in January may not concern another until May, when suddenly the topic seems timely and important. It is essential to keep the health information flowing, particularly for those who, for whatever reason, didnt see the relevance or didnt get it the first time around; and it is important for Volunteers to see that health issues are talked about by more than just the PCMO. If the CD mentions malaria prophylaxis, it can help reinforce the message. Staff (and Volunteers) as role models. It does little good to have the PCMO (and others) preaching and educating about a subject, while certain staff members or influential Volunteers are undermining the value of that education through their own unfortunate examples. If it is a health value worth educating about, the entire staff should make a concerted effort to support it through their own words and deeds. This goes for HIV/AIDS, smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, various prophylaxes, diet, exercise, stress, risky behaviors, and many other things. It is useful for the PCMO and CDand indeed the whole staffto brainstorm, list the areas in which staff can have an effect, and then discuss them in staff meetings to increase awareness. If staff members make an effort to demonstrate and support certain behaviors, it will be an invaluable contribution to the program and to Volunteer support. Health promotion policies and practices. PCMOs and staff can actively promote health behaviors by instituting and following certain policies and practices in the country program. This not only means using the agency as an official role model (e.g., no smoking or alcohol in the Peace Corps office), but also supporting or even inducing behaviors by making them visible, acceptable, easier or more interesting in some way (e.g., promoting sunscreen and vitamins and then making them available or reimbursable; providing smoking cessation support or counseling; providing training or materials on subjects like exercise and stress; compiling materials on the use of local foodstuffs in a healthy diet). (See safety promotion measures in section 11.2.)

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Any PCMO can come up with a long list of behaviors worth promoting, and the country staff should consider what they can do to promotethrough a policy or examplewhat they know is positive for the Volunteers. 10.3. Plans and Procedures in Cases of Assault, Injury, Accident, Medevac, Emergency Leave, and Other Crises The post has clearly established action plans and procedures for cases of physical assault, sexual assault, accident, injury, and other traumatic incidents, and for medevacs and emergency leave. Plans include updated Volunteer site locator forms, emergency contact information for all Volunteers and staff, critical host country and other contacts, official requirements, and transportation and communications networks. Staff members are trained and cross-trained in implementing the plans under a variety of circumstances. Questions to Think About Has your post experienced one of the above traumatic incidents in the past year? Pick one and ask the following questions. What were some of the most significant effects? Have you recovered from it or are the effects still being felt? What are some of the lessons you feel you and others at post learned from the experience? At present, which of the above listed crises do you feel your post is most prepared to handle? Which are you least prepared for? What should your next steps be in getting ready for the others? Are your Volunteers conscientious about filling out emergency information or emergency site locator forms? Where are they kept? How up-to-date are they? When is the last time you reviewed them? Do they have dependable maps and clear instructions for finding the Volunteers sites and houses? For contacting someone who will know where a Volunteer is if he or she has gone away for the weekend? For getting an emergency message to a Volunteer? Do you have a quick, dependable way of contacting staff members (APCD/PMs, administrative staff, drivers) if there is an emergency need for them at, say, 2 a.m.? How is your duty officer system working and how up-to-date are your duty officer materials? What is your plan for access to the necessary offices, persons, and documents in the case of a sudden medevac? (If a Volunteer gets into an accident and requires immediate evacuation, but doesnt have his or her passport along, what is your plan of action?) Ideas and Resources This characteristic is included in the health section, because many of these incidents involve the Volunteers health, and the PCMO often figures importantly. But many more than the PCMO are involved in the majority of these cases; other staff have key roles as well. This section should be read together with section 11.8 (The Post Emergency Action Plan) and discussed by all staff and sections who might even remotely be involved in any of these incidents. These would certainly include the CD, the AO, the PTO, APCD/PMs, the SSC, the PCMO, PA/PTSs, and specific members of the admin section. Above all, the plans, procedures, backup, and training mentioned below should be firmly in place and well known and rehearsed by all.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Assaults, rapes, injuries, accidents, deaths, riots, strikes, natural disasters, medevacs, and emergency leave situations are traumatic to everyone, and are not a time for people to be unsure of what they are doing. To cover each of these cases, posts should have a point-by-point action plan, which outlines the steps to be taken, when, by whom, and how, with the appropriate forms, materials, regulations, policies, and methods of communications clearly identified. The plans should be printed, then distributed to and studied by all the relevant participants on staff (including PCVLs). The principal players, of course, will be the AO and admin staff (for documents, transport arrangements, passport and visa concerns, funds and allowance issues), the PCMO (for Volunteer support, health-related issues, liaison with OMS, insurance information), the CD (for leadership, coordination, and Volunteer support roles), the SSC (for liaison with law enforcement, airport, and other security personnel and offices, and EAP overlap), and APCD/PMs, PCVLs and other staff (in a range of roles, including logistical support, Volunteer support, and critical backup). The CD should be very familiar with the regulations, policies, and proceduresenough so as to be able to direct or carry them out himself or herself, if need be. These may have some overlap with sections of the EAP, but they are not the same. This is not a country consolidation or evacuationthis is more often an individual case, not for safety/security reasons, but for health, injury, or other emergency reasons. In preparing your action plans, the Post Emergency Action Plan (section 11.8), the Peace Corps Evacuation Support Guide, the Rape Response Handbook, OSS crisis management materials, and particular policies and regulations on medevacs, assaults, emergency leaves, etc., will be useful resources for ideas and checklists, as will any plans you may be able to obtain from other posts. It is also extremely important that a variety of staff be involved in the development and implementation of your plans, because chances of the assault, accident, medevac, or emergency leave happening when all key staff members are in town are low; indeed, most posts would say that it almost never happens that way. When medevacs are needed, the PCMO is out on a site visit or the AO is on leave and someone else has to take care of these things. Be ready for it. Have the plans and timelines prepared and know who will do what; if theyre not there, know who will do it in their place. Make the plans available to all key staff, include them in the duty officer binder, train the players in all their roles, test the plans, review them regularly, and keep them up-to-date. People forget, and things change all too fast. Components of the action plans should include: The types of incidents covered and who has the role of coordinator in the response. A timeline showing, chronologically, the steps that must be taken, who is responsible for each step or procedure (with backup persons identified), whom they must work with or contact in carrying out that step, how they will do it, and what they will need. Accessible updated emergency information forms (or emergency site locator forms) for each Volunteer and site, including maps to the Volunteers site and house; emergency communications means and contacts; possible modes of transportation; nearest clinic, airfield and police post; and various other site-related information. Different countries have different versions of these forms; these are good to gather and compare, to make sure you have everything you might need on yours. Volunteers should fill out the forms the first time they go to post and should keep updating them regularly for two years, as should staff every time they visit the Volunteers site. 246 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post A list of, or reference to, all the rules, regulations, and guidelines governing these emergency situations. As part of your plan and preparation, you and all staff members should already be familiar with these, but since you dont necessarily use them every day, it is wise to have them listed and available for immediate reference when needed. Among these, the relevant Peace Corps Manual sections, OMS Technical Guidelines sections, the EAP, and the Rape Response Handbook should certainly be included. A list (with a sample) of each form and document that is needed (e.g., for medevac or emergency leave: travel authorization form, allowance forms, insurance information, instructions for actual arrival in Washington or the United States, medical or administrative instructions, etc.). A list of emergency contacts and support offices (with telephone numbers) in Washington and other locations, as necessary. There are several offices in PC/W whose job is to assist and support you in these types of emergencies. They include OMS, OSS, GC, and, of course, your region, which should serve as mission control or the coordination point. As part of your preparations, you should know who these resources are; what they do; what kind of guidance, materials, and support are available from them; and what kind of information they need from you in an emergency situation, i.e., what kind of reporting to them you should be doing. As for other countries, if you are dealing with an APCMO or a regional medevac or transfer point, you will need information for that location as well. Country staff residential telephone numbers, emergency contact information, maps to staff houses, and PCV warden telephone numbers. If you need help quickly, you will have to know how to reach staff, day or night, and possibly PCV wardens. This information should all be included in the duty officer binder, with copies given to key staff who might be coordinating emergency responses. (See section 11.7 for specific information and strategies on the duty officer system.) Important host country contact. These will include medical practitioners and resources, designated in-country sexual assault examiners (if appropriate), hospitals, airport and immigration authorities, airlines, air evacuation service, travel agency, trustworthy legal counsel, and others. This list needs to be brainstormed by staff, expanded as necessary, and regularly updated to keep up with changes. Relevant transportation schedules (international and domestic, air, sea, and land), so you have the alternatives in front of you and can plan quickly. Alternate communications networks (both internal and external) in case the principal ones fail. Volunteers should be supplying you with these on their site locator forms and you should be supplementing them with knowledge from your own research. Testing and training strategies, i.e., plans and techniques for testing the viability of the plans and training people in their roles. This is an excellent subject for a staff retreat or a day out at the office (when youre actually in, but rehearsing the plans) and for a session at PST or IST, to teach and prepare Volunteers. The OSS crisis management module can be a useful resource in preparing people for crisis situations.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Volunteer support strategies. What can you do to help get the Volunteer through this difficult time? This is a good area to brainstorm ahead of time, so plans and resources will be ready. Again, OSS has training materials to help with this, including the Volunteer support training and peer counseling modules, among others. Contact OSS for ideas and assistance in being prepared. A list of types of instructions you must obtain (if possible) from a Volunteer before he or she is evacuated, e.g., Whom should we contact? What should we say? (Supervisor, counterparts, fellow Volunteers will all want to know whats happeningdo you want to tell them anything? Do you want us to tell them anything?) Are there any concerns or instructions regarding the Volunteers site, house, work, belongings (in case the Volunteer cant return to country)? As a final note, this is an incredibly serious subject. It touches Volunteers about as deeply as they can be touched, and it can affect nearly all in the country program, whether or not they are directly involved in it. Some of our intense feelings in emergency situations come from our deep concern for the Volunteer and some of it, undoubtedly, is the unexpected reminder of our own vulnerability when we see a Volunteer seriously hurt or suddenly gone from country with little or no explanation. You must be as ready as you can for every aspect of such situations, from the accident, assault, or medevac itself, to helping others respond and do their part, to picking up the pieces and helping put things back together when its all over. This is where you will be called on to do your very best. It is among the greatest services you can provide to the Peace Corps and the Volunteers. 11. SAFETY AND SECURITY

11.1. The Safety and Security Program The post has a comprehensive safety/security program in full compliance with Peace Corps Manual section 270 (MS 270) and integrated with programmatic operations. The country director provides overall leadership in this program, promoting policies, best practices, and a vision that enhance the safety and security of Volunteers and trainees, and ensuring that all mandates under MS270 are understood, implemented, and practiced by both staff and Volunteers. Questions to Think About Is your post in full compliance with MS 270not just on paper, but in practice? Are there areas where you have questions or doubts? Review MS 270 and answer this question again. Do your staff members clearly understand their individual roles as they relate to MS 270 and the safety of Volunteers and trainees, or do they need additional training (e.g., on duty officer, site selection, or reporting responsibilities)? What are the three most serious safety/security problems in your country? Ask the following questions for each of the problems: What steps are you taking to prepare Volunteers and trainees for avoiding the problem or managing it if it happens?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Do you think these preparations are working? If not, what else are you thinking of trying? Have you consulted other posts or agencies on their approach to this same problem? When was the last time you checked your phone tree or your system for contacting staff members (APCD/PMs, administrative staff, drivers) if there is an emergency need for them after hours? Is it available in the duty book and in the vehicles? Has your post experienced a traumatic safety/security incident in the past year, such as a civil riot or disorder, a school strike, a natural disaster (flood, earthquake, cyclone, pandemic threat), or similar event? Were you prepared for it? What were some of the most significant effects? Have you recovered from it or are the effects still being felt? What are the lessons you feel you and others at post learned from the experience? What will you be working on or changing as a result of that experience? Ideas and Resources Volunteer and trainee safety and security have been named the Peace Corps highest priority. Major safety/security issues include: Assaults, including muggings, pickpocketing, and armed attacks Home invasions, robberies, burglaries Civil or political unrest, strikes, riots Sexual assaults and harassment Natural disasters (cyclones, floods, earthquakes) Vehicle accidents involving automobiles, bicycles, boats, and public transportation Accidents and injuries in the field, at work, at home, or even on vacationexplosions, fire, environmental problems, falls (while hiking, climbing), animal bites, etc. When safety and security practices are developed and carried out effectively at post, all other aspects of the program benefit, including, most importantly, Volunteers job satisfaction, effectiveness, and their confidence in staff and community support. But if safety and security appear compromised and Volunteers feel at risk, everything can be quickly and easily undermined. Volunteers cannot do what they came for when they feel threatened. There is perhaps no more important job of the country director and Peace Corps staff than to keep the Volunteers safe and feeling safe. Safety and security policy is fully described in Peace Corps Manual section 270; this manual section presents the fundamental components of the Volunteer and trainee safety support systems that each overseas post is required to develop and maintain and identifies the individuals or offices responsible for each component. Each post must establish systems that ensure risks are monitored Peace Corps 249

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post at post; ensure that PCVs and PCTs are kept informed about such risks; and make sure they receive relevant safety training. MS 270 also requires that Volunteers and trainees be placed at sites that have met established criteria; that staff continue to monitor these sites; that each post has a detailed Emergency Action Plan; and that protocols are established and followed for reporting and responding to all safety and security incidents. As a central component of the program, the position of safety and security coordinator (SSC) has been established at each post to focus and increase support and provide expertise for safety and security matters. However, the SSC position cannot and does not bear all safety and security responsibilities. This needs to be made clear to all concerned. From the CD to the clerks and drivers, all staff are expected to play a role in the safety and security of Volunteers and trainees. Their individual job descriptions should include and clearly outline their own safety- and securityrelated responsibilities as described in MS 270 and the posts safety/security systems and Emergency Action Plan. In promoting safety and security in the program, the country director must provide overall leadership and play a pivotal role. The CD is responsible for establishing and maintaining the Volunteer and trainee safety support systems of MS 270. Under the country directors leadership, senior staff members at post (PTO, APCD/PMs, PCMO, AO, SSC, etc.) work together with Volunteers and trainees to develop both overall-mandated and post-specific policies and procedures. As with much else in the Peace Corps, where there is a group effort with all sides participating, protocols and measures will be more readily understood, accepted, and carried out. Additionally, as an agency head in the U.S. mission, the CD is responsible for maintaining regular contact with the U.S. Embassy on safety and security matters. As such, country directors must participate in country team meetings at the embassy and Emergency Action Committee meetings, both to stay abreast of safety and security concerns and to give feedback or insight that provides a more accurate view of the safety and security climate in country. The country director must also ensure that the embassy regional security officer (RSO) is informed about crimes against Volunteers in a complete and timely manner. 11.2. Working Together to Promote Safety and Security: Committees, Expectations, Policies, Systems, Role Models Staff and Volunteers collaborate, using a variety of strategies, to develop and promote safety/security policies and practices. Questions to Think About Do you have a post safety committee? Who is on it and what does it do? Do Volunteers participate in and advise the committee? Is the committee producing results? What else could it do to be more effective? How would you describe the Volunteers general attitude toward safety and security policies and protective measures in your country? Do you think they are integrating safety/security into their everyday lives?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are your staff members serving as appropriate role models for safety and security issues? For example, what are the typical driving speeds of Peace Corps vehicles? What other issues are there? Are Volunteersparticularly those in leadership positions (at PST, VAC, etc.)also serving as appropriate role models? What issues might there be? Ideas and Resources Volunteers and staff must work as partners to promote safety and security. Strategies in this collaboration may include the following: Post Safety and Security Committee. Safety and security concerns have reached such a level worldwide that every Peace Corps post should consider a Safety and Security Committee, which would include staff (both senior and support staff, Americans and HCNs), Volunteer representatives, and, where possible, local resource persons. Under the coordination of the SSC, the Safety and Security Committee can take the lead in developing a practical approach to safety/security that identifies the real safety/security problems and issues, recommends policies or standards, proposes strategies and plans, and designs and implements training sessions and materials. Participants from all parts of the Peace Corps spectrum need to be actively involved in all aspects of this work. Volunteer Safety Advisory Group. As a sub-group and aid to the Safety and Security Committee, post should also consider having a Volunteer safety advisory group, possibly consisting of the PCV safety wardens (see section 11.3) or a sub-group of the VAC. This is one of the most effective means of promoting practical approaches and Volunteer buy-in on safety and security issues. This group should be tasked and consulted regularly to raise and address issues that impact Volunteer safety. They are the best placed to understand what the real problems are for Volunteers in the field, what causes them, and to propose practical measures that will make sense and be accepted and supported by Volunteers. The group should work closely with the SSC and can be instrumental in the development of safety and security materials, training sessions, and guidelines on critical issues. The group will also be well placed to research and propose strategies for the sensitive issues of inappropriate behavior, alcohol abuse, risky behaviors, and transportation safety, which plague every post. Establishing expectations from the beginning. It is critical that the country director be clear about the Peace Corps expectations of the Volunteers from when they first arrive as trainees, and then reinforce the message throughout the year and throughout their service. Staff, including PST contractors, need to talk the same talkprovide clear and consistent messages about safety and security from the start of pre-service training through COS. Volunteers must be remindedand must understandthat they represent the Peace Corps and their nation at all times during their tenure in country; that they are expected to provide useful service to their host agencies and communities; and that they may be required to modify their behavior in order to perform effectively and to continue in the program. They must understand that behavior is inextricably linked to safety, security, and success. Making policies that promote protection and prevention. The post must help Volunteers through specific policies, practices, and recommendations that encourage Volunteers to take protective steps and preventive measures. For example, if safety after dark is an issue in the cities, a policy

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post urging Volunteers to take taxis and a reimbursement incentive under certain conditions may help Volunteers to avoid dangerous situations. Likewise, office suggestions and support for security improvements on houses (deadbolts, burglar bars, etc.) can increase Volunteers consciousness of the problem and willingness to undertake repairs before incidents happen. Other approaches would include bicycle safety policies (they are not required by PC/W, but you can promote them) and training; policies for highway travel, speed limits, and travel after dark for Peace Corps vehicles; training in the use of potentially dangerous equipment such as gas burners, etc. There are numerous ways in which safety/security can be promoted through policies, reimbursement incentives, practices, and training. The safety committees can explore these and develop a number of useful recommendations for the program to follow. Staff as role models. Clearly risk-taking or irresponsible behavior by staff can undermine a programs safety/security efforts quickly. Staff must model behavior in ways that convey the right message. Thus, they should not be tooling down the highway at inappropriate speeds, or swimming in waters likely to lead to schistosomiasis, or conveying the wrong message with alcohol; and there are many other such examples. But staff members are human and if they do something without thinking it through, they may need to be quickly reminded of the effect such a choice may have on Volunteers and fellow staff. This can be a delicate matter and the Post Safety and Security Committee can play an important role by developing a set of sensitive areas and specific recommendations for practical behaviors that staff should demonstrate and support in order to reinforce the message for Volunteers. Obviously, the CDs active support of this initiative is essential. If you are clearly supportive ofand are yourself demonstrating the right behaviorsyour staff will be far more likely to follow in your footsteps. 11.3. Monitoring and Analyzing Risks and Keeping Staff and Volunteers Informed The country director, safety and security coordinator, and country staff regularly monitor and reassess the conditions in which Volunteers serve in-country. They keep Volunteers fully informed of the risks, conditions, and protective strategies through a post-specific safety/security handbook and other materials, communications, and activities that provide information, advice, procedures, support techniques, and best practices in safety and security. Questions to Think About When is the last time you reviewed your countrys Volunteer safety/security handbook? Are there parts of it that need updating? Who reviews it and updates it? Did the PCSSO contribute to it and review it? Are the Volunteers involved in the process? Does the handbook lay out all the safety and security policies and procedures for Volunteers and trainees? Are they clear? Are there areas of ambiguity that need to be clarified? Does the handbook have a section with information and tips on travel to various sections of your country? On public transport? On safe lodgings in different places? On areas to avoid? On tips and practices for safe travel? On safety in the markets and bus stations? On safety/security measures around the house? On behavior issues? Have you studied any other posts handbooks for further information, sections, tips you might include? Have you shared these with other members of the safety committee and Volunteer advisory group?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Ideas and Resources The country director is responsible for establishing written procedures for the ongoing monitoring and assessment of the safety and security environment of Volunteers and trainees during their service. Working with the SSC, the CD must lay out the steps and procedures through which the Peace Corps staff continually update and re-assess the conditions in which Volunteers are living and working, the challenges and risks they are facing, and the strategies, tools, best practices, etc., for maintaining their safety and security. Again, these procedures must be written, with specific responsibilities described in them and in the job descriptions of relevant staff. In carrying out this monitoring and assessment, the CD and SSC must rely on all valid sources, including Volunteers themselves, staff, host country sources, embassy reports, and international sources (there are excellent government sources and websites for weather-related information, particularly valuable for tracing the history and progress of storms, etc.). The SSC, and the PCSSO, as available, may be called upon to carry out periodic safety and security assessments of particular areassites being considered for new Volunteer placement within a country, or areas where an updated assessment is particularly needed because of past problems. Other staff, too, can and should be mobilized to check out certain areas or situations in the course of their travels and site visits. As the coordinator of safety and security issues, the SSC should continually make use of all these sources, consolidate and analyze the information, and review it with the CD in regular meetings. As this information is gathered and analyzed and assessments are made, relevant results must be communicated to the proper people: to the Volunteersthroughout their period of service; to incountry staff; and to the PCSSO, RSO, and the region in PC/W, all as needed. The more country staff know and are a part of the information-gathering and analysis process on security issues, the more they will be able to recognize and contribute valuable information and insights, and the more they can be relied on to support the safety program and advise both the CD and SSC and Volunteers themselves. In other words, make use of the staffAPCD/PMs, PA/PTSs, PTO, PCMO, admin staffthey are all a part of it. As for the other partiesthe embassy RSO, the ambassador, the PCSSO, the region, and your safety and security desk officer (SSDO) and CDU in Washingtonthere are two principles to remember. (a) These people are all there to help you in an emergency, or in preparing for an emergency. But they cant be of much help if you dont keep them informed. Share your learnings and concerns with them and dont hesitate to ask for their advice and opinions. (b) People in supervisory positions hate being blindsided. If an issue or emergency arises and suddenly they find out about iti.e., you didnt give them any heads-up or advance info or warningthey will be very unhappy and so will you; and such a rift or misunderstanding can compromise later steps or support. Think about these security issues and conditions and think about whom you should tell about what. If youre unsure what to share, call a fellow CD and get his or her advice. Finally, the most important people to keep informed and to keep in contact with are the Volunteers; they are the ones this is all about. Following is a list of resources, tools, and strategies for keeping Volunteers knowledgeable about safety/security conditions and protective strategies, and for building and maintaining this all-important, two-way network with them.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post A country-specific Handbook on Volunteer Safety and Security. The Volunteer safety and security handbook should be the compendium of all useful information, policies, best practices, and guidelines you can provide for Volunteers that will help them know what the conditions are and what they can do to keep safe. It should be developed by the SSC, working with the Safety and Security Committee, with direct input from experienced Volunteers (the Volunteer safety advisory group) and liberal borrowings from any and every good source, including neighboring Peace Corps program handbooks and PC/W safety and security materials. You can access these materials through the safety and security desk officer (SSDOin each region) and the Office of Safety and Security in PC/W. The handbook should be made available in print and online, updated frequently, and referred to often. It should contain country-specific policies, warnings, and safety information, preventive and protective measures, best practices, tips on traveling to particular parts of the country (especially cities and tourist areas), guidelines for housing and work safety, support information and procedures, and safety/security resources and recommendations. Whatever conditions, places, and possibilities that could pose safety and security issues for Volunteers should be treated in the handbook. Thats what its for. It should be distributed and discussed at PST, and frequently reviewed and referred to throughout the year, at all possible ISTs, and other venues. Again, many countries have good, practical safety/security handbooks, which should be consulted for ideas, and the post safety committee and Volunteer safety group should regularly review and update the handbook for consistency, practicality, changing conditions, and new ideas. Personal contact through site visits, workshops, meetings, etc. Wherever and whenever staff meet Volunteers, in groups or one-on-one, it is an opportunity for exchanges and reminders on safety/security issues. New information can be passed to Volunteers concerning growing problems or changing conditions, and information can be gathered from Volunteers based on their own observations, personal experiences, and best practices. And whenever a staff member visits a Volunteer site, it is always time for an update of the emergency site locator form. See section 11.5 for more specific information on site visits. Constant communication on safety and security through memos, newsletter articles, letters and emails, text messages, blast emails, Web postings, a regular column by the SSC and safety committee, posters, etc. As with any other issue, providing regular printed and electronic materials will help keep safety/security consciousness up and bring attention to new and urgent situations and problems. With improved technology, there are more and more ways to communicate with Volunteers and more and more ways to make sure theyand youare upto-date on security issues. Providing regular newsletter or email updates or text messages from the SSC that focus on trends in crimes against Volunteers, or give advice on high crime areas, lets them know that their safety is a priority. In addition, it gives them an incentive to report new information so that they may help keep others safe. Messages through the warden system. Technology is making it more and more possible to keep in steady contact with Volunteers. One method for getting information out to them quickly is through the Volunteer warden system, which is a component of the Emergency Action Plan (see section 11.8). These Volunteer wardens, appointed geographically through the country, have the duty of gathering, coordinating, and distributing safety/security information, as needed, among the Volunteers in their assigned districts. They have established communications plans for their Volunteers (for example, text messaging or 254 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post sending messages with drivers or bush taxis) and can pass a message from the SSC to all PCVs in their districts. Or, as in a best practice from one country, the wardens have a regular check-in day once a month, on which Volunteers send status reports in to the wardens, who then report to the SSC that all PCVs are in contact and accounted for. Educating and informing Peace Corps applicants. As a matter of routine, safety and security information should be provided to Peace Corps applicants even before they decide to accept an invitation to a specific assignment. This information should be included in the VADs, as well as the Welcome Book, and should present an overall assessment of potential safety and security risks to Volunteers, any country-specific conditions that will require Volunteers to adjust their lifestyle, the types of support that Volunteers can expect to receive from the Peace Corps staff regarding their safety, and the types of support they will be expected to supply for themselves. This is a matter of preparing potential Volunteers for what they might encounter and beginning the process of establishing realistic expectations on their part. Educating and informing Volunteers traveling from other countries. These Volunteers come into your country on leave, often with little or no specific knowledge of the safety/security conditions or problems in your country. Countries and regions have set up systems whereby: (a) Emails are sent from one post to another informing them of the names, contact information, travel dates, and itineraries of Volunteers traveling to that country (this is all information that the SSC in the country of origin should have on all Volunteers traveling out of his or her country). (b) Regular emails are sent from one post to all neighboring posts for distribution to traveling Volunteers, containing updated travel conditions, warnings, and extracts from the safety/security handbook in the destination country. (c) Notices may also be placed on Volunteer bulletin boards and at embassies informing visitors of issues, risks, and helpful advice. These are all useful practices that can inform visitors and help them (and you) avoid problems. Finally, effective and relevant safety and security training is, of course, one of the principal means by which staff inform Volunteers about safety risks. This is covered in the following section. 11.4. Developing and Delivering Safety and Security Training Volunteers receive practical and effective safety and security training throughout their service. Questions to Think About Who presents safety and security training at PSTs and how many sessions are there? What components are covered? Are there any important areas missing? Have the sessions been lively and interesting or is there room for improvement? What have been the major safety/security incidents in recent PSTs? What issues and concerns have come up specific to training? Have there been lessons learned and new strategies to meet these incidents and issues? Have they worked?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Have your safety committee and Volunteer safety advisory group been involved in designing and implementing training at PST? At ISTs? Have safety and security issues been integrated into other PST curricula and activities (language, technical, culture, etc.)? Think of a safety issue that you have responded to with particularly effective training (at PST or IST). What made the training effective? Have you exchanged safety/security training designs with neighboring countries (for PST or ISTs)? Has your SSC had an exchange visit with the SSC in another country? Has he or she visited a safety/security training session in that country? Has the PCSSO reviewed the program and provided input? Ideas and Resources All Volunteers should receive training that prepares them to develop culturally appropriate lifestyles, alerts them to risky behavior and situations, helps them prepare protective strategies, and enhances their personal safety and security. Safety risks can be wide ranging and your PSTs and ISTs should cover all relevant risks: physical assault, sexual assault, petty theft, intimidation, harassment, civil disorder, and natural disaster, as well as travel safety, housing safety (including carbon monoxide, propane, and fire safety), safe integration into ones community, water safety, safe hiking, preparing and responding to emergencies, reporting crimes, etc. In addition, special sessions should be conducted (a) At the beginning of PST to alert trainees to safety/security issues and measures for homestays and in the training environment. (b) Toward the end of PST to present the Volunteer safety and security handbook, Volunteer safety/security policies and procedures, and the Emergency Action Plan. PST staff and contractors should play a major role in engaging trainees in modifying behavior that might be placing them at risk (such as being out late, wearing inappropriate clothing, communicating unintended messages). These training staff members must reinforce what is taught and expected, both verbally and by role modelingbecause they spend a great deal of time in the company of trainees. They also play a key role in shaping the trainees mindfulness about important safety and security issues. While regular staff will routinely develop and deliver safety and security training (the SSC, PCMO, and CD), Volunteersparticularly seasoned or third-year Volunteersshould play an integral part in both developing and delivering safety and security sessions. Indeed, Volunteers probably know more than anyone else about many of the practical aspects of safety and security. They live, work, and travel in their country of service. They are the ones encountering the day-today challenges and conditions in the field and they have developed strategies for many situations: the bus stations and vehicles, urban centers, markets, housing protection, etc. They are often the ones initially supporting and counseling each other and dealing with problems when they occur. A group of experienced Volunteers, working with the SSC and safety group, can put together excellent activities on safety/security risks and strategies through skits, discussions, and panels, 256 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post all of which will have a great deal of immediacy and credibility. SSCs may also find cofacilitating a session with Volunteers to be useful, particularly if the SSC is new in his or her position, or has little prior training experience. One particular question that may arise in PST is the role of the embassy regional security officer. Asking the RSO to attend or participate in a safety and security session may be expected and can gain good will and increase support for the Peace Corps post within the RSO staff and embassy community. This is a personand an officeyou must keep informed and cooperate with on many matters of Volunteer security. However, it is best if the RSOs role remains more of a secondary one in the session, and that he or she is briefed beforehand on the Volunteer culture, living conditions, and crime environment as Volunteers experience them in country, particularly if the RSO has not previously worked in a Peace Corps country. (The Peace Corps Internet site has a good summary of the tenets of Peace Corps safety and security for Volunteers that you might want to print and share with the RSO.) Finally, safety and security training doesnt stop with the end of PST. Indeed, new (and many old) problems keep arising, requiring new techniques for handling them, and it is a good idea for the SSC, safety committee, or a representative group to prepare and present a safety/security component for every IST event that takes place. For all in-country safety and security training efforts, there is a collection of helpful training resource materials that has been developed by OSS, OMS, and the Office of Safety and Security in PC/W. Examples of these materials include modules and videotapes on: Sexual harassment and sexual assault Peer counseling Personal safety Managing risks For further information, including a list of titles, see Appendix A, List of Critical Materials for Country Directors and Staff to Have on Hand. 11.5. Selecting and Monitoring Trainee and Volunteer Sites The country director ensures that sites are thoroughly inspected prior to trainee and Volunteer arrival, to ensure placement in safe and secure conditions. Written criteria for housing and site selection and monitoring are developed by the staff, under the leadership of the CD, and are consistently applied by the staff throughout the service of the Volunteer. Questions to Think About Do you have a set of written site selection criteria and an approval process that all staff agree on? Have you reviewed and discussed it recently? Have there been disagreements among staff over the selection of certain sites for Volunteer assignment (e.g., programming has strongly supported a site, which safety/security has questioned as unsafe)? What happened? What were the true issues at stake? Was the disagreement resolved successfully? How? Were there lessons learned from the experience? How would you approach such a disagreement the next time?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Are the APCD/PMs paying adequate attention to health and security issues in their site selection criteria? Do you think they understand the criteria? Are the SSC and PCMO getting out to see prospective new sites? Are they able to adequately judge the appropriateness of each site from health and safety standpoints? What is the role of partner organizations, local authorities, and communities in promoting and preserving Volunteers safety and security? What are staff doing to promote and secure this cooperation from them? Ideas and Resources Site selection and preparation are not new concepts and have already been presented as critical components of Volunteer Support (see section 4). There are probably no greater ingredients for a Volunteers success than the viability of the assignment and the safety and security of the Volunteers living and working conditions. Thus, it is an essential job of Peace Corps staff to identify safe and viable assignments (from the PST site to the Volunteers permanent site) and then monitor them throughout the service of the Volunteer. This requirement is raised again here because of the growing importance of safety and security in the site assignment and site monitoring process. Because of increasing safety issues, site selection and development are no longer the nearly exclusive responsibility of the programming and training sectionsif they ever were. Site identification must be a collaborative effort, including programming, administrative, health, and safety factors and participation, and it is the country directors duty to lead in and ensure this collaboration. The CD, working with the SSC, PCMO, PTO, APCD/PMs, TM, and AO, must develop a set of written criteria for site identification, preparation, and monitoring. This blueprint must include the following necessary components: Programming (job definition; job quality; characteristics and support of the partner organization; etc.) Health (housing health standards; access to food, water, medical care, transport and communication in emergencies; host family selection and training, etc.) Safety and security (safe housing location and structure; safe worksite; civil circumstances; availability of communication and transport in both emergency and non-emergency circumstances; host family selection and training; etc.) Administration (availability of banking and postal services; affordable housing upgrades or repairs; viable transportation and communication for site visit access or administrative or financial issues; evacuation; etc.) Training (homestay selection and preparation; communications, transport, and safety issues during training; etc.) The process must then be carried out with the full participation and buy-in of all the relevant sections. This is not always easy, as an attractive siteand even one deemed necessaryfrom a programming point of view may be fraught with risks from a security standpoint. The job and host country organization may be great, but if floods isolate the site six months out of the year, or there

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post has been a history of civil disorder or criminal activity, or there is no safe or reliable public transport, these factors must be weighed and all staff must take responsibility for all aspects of the selection criteria. Hence, the CDs job is to lead staff in a process of determining and agreeing on the written site selection criteria, but also in a further process of helping each section understand and even internalize the concerns of the others in their own site determination approachand then continue this approach through the selection stage and into the regular monitoring stage, through the duration of the Volunteers service. Staff members must be allies with each other in this effort, which is ultimately to help the Volunteer succeed. Some strategies in achieving this collaboration will include an integrated planning procedure, which includes not only the criteria themselves but also the means to verify them. For example, how does the PCMO inspect houses and markets for health standards, and how does the SSC check for transport problems or civil threats? These questions can be better researched if staff members work together, collaborating in the planning and conduct of site development and site visits and in documenting what theyve learned, along with potential problems. The country director must thus ensure that staff make regular visits to each Volunteer site; that those visits are tracked and documented; and that safety and security (health, programming, administrative, and other) concerns expressed by Volunteers regarding their sites are shared and addressed in a timely manner. Site visits are an essential ingredient in helping staff get a better idea of how Volunteers are adjusting, and of the challenges or difficulties they are facing at their sites. Site visit reporting forms that include a safety and security componentas well as health and all the other areaswill better ensure that the staff has made a comprehensive evaluation of the site. All of the following information can and should be made accessible to relevant staff members, if they are to work together and make informed decisions: shared site visit reports, regularly updated emergency site locator forms and site history files, Volunteer reports, reports or input from Volunteers in the area, information from Volunteer wardens, articles or reports in the press or from the government or other organizations, and crime incident reports. As for the host agencies and communities, they have an important part in Volunteer safety and security. PC staffAPCD/PMs, SSC, CD, PTO, and othersshould be working with community representatives and counterpart agencies from the beginning, to educate the community on the role of the Volunteer in that community and the role the community itself should play in supporting the Volunteer throughout his or her service. This process can be started during site development, through meetings and written materials, job descriptions, and memoranda of understanding or community agreements, continued through the supervisors or counterparts conference at PST and the supervisors handbook (which should outline those responsibilities and provide useful strategies and best practices), and be reinforced through continuing PC staff visits and meetings during the PCVs service. As an example of staff collaboration, if the SSC takes the lead in establishing contacts with the local law enforcement officials in the community, programming and other staff can support this effort by paying a courtesy follow-up call to officials or verifying that the Volunteer is doing so, if appropriate, from time to time. Volunteer safety concerns should be shared and discussed with partner organizations and community representatives, again as appropriate, so that colleagues, community representatives, and supervisors will remain sensitive to safety issues, be monitoring situations, and be open to strategies for responding to potential

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post problems. The safety and security of Volunteers are very much the concern of the host communityno local community or authority wants there to be problems in this areaand PC staff must and can do a lot to help them in this effort. 11.6. The Volunteer Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS) The post has a practical and effective system for Volunteers to report crimes. The reporting mechanism is clearly understood by both staff and Volunteers, and Volunteers report crimes in a complete and timely manner. Statistical data is compiled, shared with relevant parties, including Volunteers, and used to shape training, develop best practices, and change policies to enhance safety and security. Questions to Think About What are the major crimes against Volunteers that have occurred in your country recently? Has your SSC developed a statistics report for the last quarter showing types of crimes, conditions, geographic areas, times, etc.? Have you been able to make use of this report? Are there any trends from the quarter or previous six months? Are you and your SSC comfortable using the CIRS system? Do you need any further technical assistance in implementing it and getting the most value from it? Do you have trained backups (acting CD and acting SSC), if one or the other is out of town? Do you think Volunteers are reporting crimes in your country? Do you think some crimes are going unreported? What kinds of crimes? Why is this happening? What can you do about it? Ideas and Resources The Peace Corps safety and security program and the Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS) are intended to help Volunteers avoid criminal incidents and harm through thorough information gathering and analysis of the crime environment, quality site selection and development, staff support, community preparation, and Volunteer training and preparation in preventive measures they themselves can take. To help achieve this, the Peace Corps must be knowledgeable about the crime environment Volunteers facebut the agency cannot be if the Volunteers do not report crimes. Thus, fundamental to an effective safety and security program for Volunteers is a successful system of crime reporting by the Volunteers themselves. If they are victims of or witnesses to a crime, they must report it, and they must provide information that will be helpful in responding to the crime, and in preventing and protecting them and their peers from like crimes in the future. Whether the Volunteers do report crimes may depend on how well they understand the reporting process and, importantly, whether they feel the reporting will serve a useful or, indeed, a counterproductive purpose. Why would they not report a crime? They may think that reporting it will reflect poorly on their host families, counterpart, or community members, or indeed on their own performance as a Volunteer. They may be embarrassed or ashamed by a mistake or lapse in judgment on their part. More seriously, they may be afraid that they will have to change sites, or that because of policy violations when the incident occurred, they will face possible administrative separation. As a result, a number of serious incidents may go unreported.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post These can be very sensitive situations, especially where improper risks or possible disciplinary action play a part. For the CD, SSC, and other staff, it is essential to gain the Volunteers trust that you have their interests and welfare at heartand to make it clear that, if Volunteers report a crime incident, they will be helped immediately, there will be a response, and the information will be of important value in efforts to help keep other Volunteers out of harms way. And, finally, if there is a policy violation at issue, they will be treated fairly and not arbitrarily, and they will receive important personal support that they need. Volunteers have to feel confident that the Peace Corps is not in the business of getting rid of Volunteers, but helping them stay, if at all possible. The Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS) is a critical part of the Peace Corps safety and security strategy, and both staff and Volunteers must fully understand the procedures and importance of that system. Hence, the CD must present early onin staff meetings and training sessions for the staff, and in a PST session and subsequent ISTs for Volunteersand emphasize that the Peace Corps own ability to help prevent crimes and respond to the victims hinges on the staffs knowledge of the threats, conditions, and environment Volunteers experience. Volunteers must report crime incidentsand any other safety and security related informationdiligently and in a timely manner, and they must understand that the Peace Corps will respond. As for procedures, the country director is responsible for setting up the incident response protocol, which includes not only the timely provision of support to victims, but also post procedures for gathering crime information, routing it to the proper officials, and then reviewing and evaluating statistics to track trends and make the best use of the information gained. For example, using this information, SSCs can produce a summary of crime statistics in your country, showing different geographic areas, conditions conducive to certain crimes, trends, weak points, and other characteristics that can be instrumental in developing response measures and strategies to help keep Volunteers safe. The incident response procedures must ensure that staff are prepared to evaluate and monitor safety and security risks, to allocate resources to ensure that measures are taken to minimize those risks, and to support affected Volunteers in the most effective and appropriate manner. This guide is not the place to present the CIRS system procedures in detail. Each CD and SSC has a tutorial for setting up and using the system, and the Crime Statistical and Analysis Unit within the Office of Safety and Security (PC/Washington) can provide additional guidance in completing the incident and reporting forms, and constructing, analyzing, and making the best use of statistics. It is important that the CD, SSC, backups, and other staff become fully familiar with the Crime Incident Reporting System so that recipients are notified in a timely manner. Finally, CIRS procedures include the notification of a number of necessary partners in the response to crimes, including the embassy RSO (and, in certain cases, the ambassador directly, as well), the PCSSO, and various officials in PC/Washington, including regional officials, such as the RD, and safety and security desk officer. It is important that all these parties be notified in a timely manner and with all necessary critical information. They are our allies in responding to crimes against Volunteers and in devising strategies for prevention in the future.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 11.7. The Duty Officer System The post has an operating duty officer system. The duty officer, a trained senior staff member, responds to emergencies and administrative matters that require immediate attention after regular work hours. Questions to Think About Do you have a duty officer system in place? Is it working? Is there a regular (rotating) schedule of duty officers? Who serves in this capacity and how are they chosen? Is there a duty officer handbook or binder? What does it contain? Do you think it covers what it needs to? Is it up-to-dateis staff and critical host country contact information (airports, immigration, evacuation services, etc.) correct? Have you read it? Have other senior staff read and checked it for completeness (e.g., the PCMO, AO)? Is there a duty officer orientation and training? What does it consist of? How often does it occur? How do Volunteers, staff, and others (e.g., the embassy) contact the duty officer? Is this system working? Are there mix-ups? Is the system being abused or used for situations that arent appropriate? Ideas and Resources Peace Corps country posts must have a system through which Volunteers, staff, the embassy, Peace Corps/Washington, and anyone else who needs to, can contact the Peace Corps country office in any kind of emergency situation. This coverage must be operative seven days a week, 24 hours a day, so that at any time, should an emergency occur, a person in need can get word to the Peace Corps. This is often accomplished through a formal duty officer system. Systems may vary from place to place and under different conditions, but essential elements of an effective duty officer system include the following: A duty officer roster, i.e., a list of senior staff among whom the duty officer service rotates. This roster should include all senior staff, both U.S. and HCN, but not normally the PCMO, who must serve as his or her own medical duty officer. A duty officer schedule, revised regularly (usually weekly) and distributed to all staff and others who may need it (e.g., the embassy RSO, ambassadors office, CDU). A published cellphone number through which the duty officer can be reached, 24/7. For most people, it is not necessary to know who the duty officer is at any given moment, just how to reach the duty officer immediately. A clear protocol for contacting the duty officer. For example: (a) Call the office first for emergencies during regular work hours; call the duty officer for situations after hours or if you cant get through to the office.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post (b) At some posts, separate systems have been established for Volunteers to inform the office and staff of travel plans, i.e., a separate call-in numberthe duty officer number is not used for this. (c) Separate instructions may also be given to Volunteers in case of medical-related emergencies (e.g., call the PCMO or medical duty officer for these, not the duty officer). These protocols are set up so as not to burden the duty officer with issues that are not actual emergencies or are better handled by another staff member. The protocols need to be worked out according to a posts individual conditions and made clear to all Volunteers and staff. A duty officer resource bookoften referred to as the duty officer binder or duty officer handbook, which contains all the information needed for the duty officer to contact essential people and launch the systems and steps necessary in an emergency. See section 10.3 for a menu of other important information, plans, etc., which you may want to place in or summarize in your binder. With this binder, the duty officer must be able to startwithout delayan effective response to any emergency situation. It is important that the SSC review and update the book regularly. A duty officer orientation and trainingso that any senior staff member who assumes the duty officer role knows what to do and how to do it. This training should be updated through continuing education from time to time, just to make sure duty officers are up-to-date with changes and new circumstances. Appropriate duty officer access to the office and certain files (keys, combinations), as well as appropriate transportation means for emergency situations. Again, conditions vary from country to country and office to office, and the above is not a definitive or complete list. The duty officer system should be set up to respond to emergencies that occur outside of office hours and should be regularly reviewed by key staff (AO and admin staff, PCMO, CD, SSC, etc.) to make sure there are not gaps in the coverage. 11.8. The Post Emergency Action Plan The post has a well-thought-out, updated, Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place, which responds to a range of non-medical emergencies. The plan has been coordinated with, and distributed to, the relevant groups (PC/W, embassy, Volunteers, and staff) and is reviewed and tested annually. EAP training sessions are held for both staff and Volunteers, beginning in PST, and both staff and Volunteers know (and have written instructions for) their roles. The plan prepares for worst-case scenarios, where telephone communications and road and air travel are compromised or geographic areas are cut off. Questions to Think About When was the last time you fully reviewed the EAP? Have there been any significant changes in conditions that would affect the plan (e.g., changes in the embassys plan; turnover in Volunteer groups or changes in Volunteer sites; changes in the Volunteer warden system; changes in international transport schedules or services; changes in domestic travel or communications systems; signs of problems in a particular place or part of the country)?

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Has your post experienced a civil disorder or natural disaster in the past year? Did you carry out any actions under the EAP (alert, stand-fast, consolidation)? What happened? What lessons do you feel you and others at post learned from the experience? Did they cause you to make adjustments in the EAP? When and what was the last test of the EAP that you carried out? What lessons did you learn from it? What are the next aspects of the EAP you need to test? How are the Volunteers trained in the EAP? Is it enough? Are EAP warning systems set up and trip wires reviewed and understood by Volunteers? By staff? Do you have solid alternate communications plans in case the telephones or cell system go down? Have you tested them? If direct communications fail, will Volunteers know to look for the alternate warnings? Do you have alternate travel networks, in case certain roads, areas, or borders become offlimits? Have you tested them? Are there any sections of the EAP that still seem weak or tenuous to you? What can you do about them? Where could you go for help in resolving the problems? Are there any ambiguities or problems that remain in communications and coordination with the embassy plan and the RSO? Have you coordinated and exchanged plans with neighboring Peace Corps posts? Ideas and Resources The Peace Corps has conducted enough emergency country evacuations in its history for everyone to realize the importance of planning for this possibility. Indeed, country evacuations happen; they happen with little notice; they happen in places where you would never expect them to (...but this country has been so quiet and stable!); and they can be life-and-death matters. They also may happen when key staff members arent in the office; and they often involve breakdowns of the cellphone lines and telephone systems, electricity and water losses, closures of main roads and borders, and disruptions of international air traffic. With principal people and networks gone, you still have to figure out how to get all your people notified, assembled at gathering points, and out of the country, if necessary. It is not easy. The best strategy is to think of the complications ahead of timein every possible combinationand make plans for every possibility and then some. As outlined in section 10.3 (plans and procedures for assault, injuries, accidents, medevacs, emergency leaves), the best strategy for dealing with potential emergencies is planning, and that is the message of this characteristic as well. Make a thorough plan, distribute it, train everyone in it, rehearse it, test it, coordinate it with other organizations, review it, and keep it up-to-date.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post In fact, manual section 270 requires that every Peace Corps post have a detailed Emergency Action Plan (EAP) in place. The plan should follow the standard EAP format and set out the detailed procedures that staff and Volunteers must follow when responding to non-medical emergencies incountry, up to and including country evacuation. The following resources and templates will provide thorough guidance in the development or revision of your country EAP: The Peace Corps Evacuation Support Guide, and the compendium EAP Standard Operation Procedures (SOP). These two documents provide exhaustive information on the development of the EAP, including an EAP template, and discuss many issues that may arise during the crisis or emergency, such as evacuation options, support sources, Volunteer, trainee and staff considerations, health issues, administrative procedures, training and reassignment matters, the evacuation workshop, and many others. The SOP actually walks you through the development of an EAP and the Support Guide includes a bulleted list of the expected actions that HQ and post should be taking when dealing with an emerging crisis. Peace Corps MS 270. This is the source document on safety/security in the Peace Corps Manual and contains the official Peace Corps policies and guidelines on EAPs and evacuations. The U.S. Embassy evacuation plan. This is the embassys Emergency Action Plan for evacuating all official Americans, which include Peace Corps American staff and dependents, but do not normally include Volunteers. You (the Peace Corps) are responsible for working out the plan for Volunteers and coordinating it with the embassys plan. Hence, you must be well acquainted with the embassys plan, networks, phases, and procedures, in order to make the two plans fit and work together. Other posts EAPs. Other post plans are an excellent resource for shaping and improving your own plan. Emergency Action Plans should be a recurring point of discussion and exchange among subregional neighbors, so that each can learn from the changes and improvements made from year to year. The above resources will not have all the answers; you must come up with the rest. For this effort, the coordinating group within the Peace Corps should be the Crisis Task Force, (sometimes also called the Emergency Response Action Committee), which should include the key members of your staff who will mobilize automatically to respond to this type of emergency. This group will normally include the CD, SSC, PTO, AO, PCMO, APCD/PMs, and others, as you may determine, along with automatic backups for those who may be absent. Development or revision of the EAP should be a collaborative effort of the Crisis Task Force, together with Volunteer wardens, VAC, embassy representatives, and local resources and experts, to guarantee the pooling of expertise, to integrate all parties who may be involved in the execution of the plan, and to ensure that the plan is realistic and achievable, and has taken into consideration realities in the field and not just the capital and outlying areas. This part is hard work. Above all, you must find solutions for some of the most difficult evacuation problems that have challenged programs all over the globe. These will include issues related to: The organization and training of staff (the Crisis Task Force), including backups, so everyone is prepared and everything is covered, even if key members are absent.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Warning systems that will reach all Volunteers in the country. The ability to quickly locate and communicate with Volunteers and trainees is critical in an emergency. Updated emergency information forms (or site locator forms) for each Volunteer and site, including maps to the Volunteers site and house, emergency communications means and contacts, possible modes of transportation, the nearest clinic, airfield, and police post, and various other site-related information, all need to be documented early and often. Volunteers must fill out a site locator form the first time they go to their site and must update it regularly. Staff and drivers should take a copy of Volunteers site locator forms with them whenever they visit sites to confirm that the map, names of contacts, and details are current and clear. One reminder: Dont forget Peace Corps Response Volunteers and American U.N. volunteersthey are also your responsibility. The organization of the Volunteer warden system, preparation of points of assembly (consolidation points), and alternate plans in case some of these break down. The warden system is fundamental. Responsible Volunteer wardens must be selected geographically throughout the country and tasked to play a major role in locating and communicating with Volunteers, not only when an EAP goes into action, but also as a routine measure or in distributing important information or updates on conditions. Ensuring that they receive warden training is critical. Samples of warden training can be found on the Peace Corps Intranet. A list of emergency contacts and support offices (with telephone numbers) in Washington and other locations, as necessary. There are several key offices in PC/W whose job it is to assist and support you in these types of emergencies. They include the Office of Medical Services, Office of Special Services, Office of Safety and Security, and, of course, your regional director and his or her representative, who will serve as the emergency response coordinator. As part of your preparations, you should know who they are, what they do, what kinds of guidance, materials, and support are available from them, and what kinds of information they need from you in an emergency situation. Under the direction of the CD and SSC, the Emergency Action Plan needs to be reviewed and tested annually. This exercise will help demonstrate potential problems and needed revisions. You should test, at minimum, the adequacy and reliability of the in-country communication networks (cellphones, landlines, radios, taxi-relayed messages, etc.) and any other facet of the plan you wish to explore. While a countrywide consolidation of Volunteers is expensive and may be disruptive, selecting a limited number of Volunteers in a particular area, or an area that is prone to flooding or storm activity, may be a more realistic test exercise. In addition, major political and natural disasters can, and have, occurred at all stages of a Volunteers service; running a test of the communication network during a PST is beneficial and alerts trainees and training staff early on that communication capability is critical. One additional note: Area PCSSOs will have knowledge and experience of plans and tests in a number of countries, so CDs and SSCs should make good use of the PCSSO in designing and carrying out emergency training exercises. Communications plans and networks, along with alternate communications networks (both internal and external), in case the principal ones fail. Volunteers should be supplying you with these on their site locator forms and you should be supplementing them with knowledge from your own research.

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post Relevant transportation schedules (international and domestic, air, land, and sea), frequently updated, so that you have the viable alternatives in front of you and can plan quickly. Contact information for and liaison with necessary host country authorities, including police, immigration, airport and border authorities, etc. This is a network that must be set up and maintained, as names change over time. The SSC and embassy can be of much help in keeping this active. Safety and health plans (supplies, water, food, medications, safe lodging). Moving large numbers of Volunteers and staff aroundand out ofthe country is no easy task and requires complicated and thorough logistics planning, on the part of both staff and Volunteers. There are emergency steps staff must take (e.g., having a stock of emergency medications ready) and Volunteers must take as well (keeping an emergency fast travel kit ready at all times, knowing where the consolidation point is, and how to get there, keeping lines of communication and transport up-to-date). Documents, passports and visas, health cards, required formalities. (Lists of Volunteers, staff, and pertinent information for border authorities, copy of country agreement, other key documents.) What is needed and where is it? What formalities must be followed for Volunteers and staff to move about or leave the country? Money. What funds will you need for your emergency actions, how will you access them, and how will you pay for necessary services? Volunteers, too, will need funds. Many EAPs recommend that PCVs have an emergency fast travel kit (noted above), always packed and ready to go, with personal effects and a minimum sum of cash in it. Supporting and helping Volunteers in traumatic circumstances. This is, of course, one of our greatest responsibilities. Be in constant contact with OSS, if you canthey are the masters in this area. Remember, too, that Volunteer leaders, VAC, and wardens can help. GPS coordinates. With todays low cost technology, it may be reasonable to have GPS coordinates of every Volunteers site and possibly key points for their site, such as the best helicopter landing point close by. In the future, this can be more valuable and if you have the drivers start gathering this information, it would be helpful. All these considerations and more are essential to a posts ability to react quickly to emergencies of this scale, evaluate and monitor safety and security risks and alternate actions, provide direction and support to affected Volunteers, and allocate and prepare the necessary resources so that effective measures can be taken. The above is just a partial listagain, the EAP resources cited will be your most reliable guidelines. As is obvious, this section and section 10.3 (plans and procedures in cases of assault, injury, accident, medevac, emergency leave, and other crises) have a great deal in common and should be reviewed together. Many of the issues, procedures, and resources are the same or overlap, and your responses may be similar, with variations for specific situations. Whatever your programs approach, and whatever the crisis, the key is to have the plans, make them workable, and train people in their use. This is one of the most serious situations you will encounter and you and the staff must be at your best in responding to it. It is among the greatest services you can provide to the Peace Corps and the Volunteers. Peace Corps 267

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APPENDIX A LIST OF CRITICAL MATERIALS FOR COUNTRY DIRECTORS AND STAFF TO HAVE ON HAND Unless otherwise noted, all are available on the Peace Corps Intranet. Some of these materials are large files and may best be obtained through your post IT specialist. 1. Peace Corps Manualthe primary source for policy guidance. Policy & Reference Peace Corps Manual 2. Administrative Management and Control Survey (AMCS) from OCFO Corps Activities AMCS http://inside.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?branch=676 3. Overseas Financial Management Handbook (from OCFO) Policy & Reference Overseas Financial Management http://inside.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?viewDocument&document_id=15442&filetype=htm 4. Programming and Training (P&T) Guidancecompletion of Intranet version2009 These are available at post via the SFTP network: a. Core Programming and Training Guidance b. Programming Design and Evaluation c. Training Design and Evaluation d. Management and Implementation 5. Medical Technical Guidelines (from OMS; each PCMO has a complete set of these) Policy & Reference Medical Technical Guidelines http://inside.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?viewDocument&document_id=2794&filetype=htm 6. Volunteer SafetyOverseas Safety and Security Topics, including Emergency Action Plan (EAP), Crime Incident Reporting System (CIRS) Policy & Reference Peace Corps Manual Volunteers Volunteer /Trainee Safety and Security (MS 270: Volunteer/Trainee Safety and Security) http://inside.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?viewDocument&document_id=198&filetype=htm 7. Volunteer Support Training for Overseas Staff (OSS training modules) Check with OSS for latest versions, which can be provided by way of SFTP 8. Peer Counseling Training Modules (examples from Zambia and Botswana) Offices & Units Chief of Staff/Operations Volunteer Support Office of Medical Services Programming & Training Training Materials Peer Training http://inside.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?viewDocument&document_id=15418&filetype=ht m 9. Pre-Service Health Training Modules for PCVs (from OMS and Regional P&T staff) Offices & Units Chief of Staff/Operations Volunteer Support Office of Medical Services Programming & Training Training Materials Pre-Service Health Training Modules (on right side of screen) http://inside.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?viewDocument&document_id=18922

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Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post 10. A Slice of life: Coping With Unwanted Attention (video & training; manual, OSS) Offices & Units Chief of Staff/Operations Volunteer Support Office of Medical Services Programming & Training Audiovisual Materials A Slice of Life http://inside.peacecorps.gov/archives/videos/slice_oflife.wmv (Video) http://inside.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?viewDocument&document_id=18954&type=pdf (Training Manual) 11. Come Back Healthy (HIV prevention training video, OMS) Offices & Units Chief of Staff/Operations Volunteer Support Office of Medical Services Programming & Training Audiovisual Materials Come Back Healthy http://inside.peacecorps.gov/archives/videos/come_back_healthy.wmv 12. Serving Safely: Sexual Assault (PCV training video, OMS) Offices & Units Chief of Staff/Operations Volunteer Support Office of Medical Services Programming & Training Audiovisual Materials Serving Safely http://inside.peacecorps.gov/archives/videos/serving_safelyall.wmv 13. Peace Corps Sexual Harassment; It's Not Just Courtesy, It's the Law (Training video) 14. The Returned Volunteer's Guide to FECA Benefits (FECA handbook and video) Offices & Units Chief of Staff/Operations Volunteer Support Office of Medical Services Post-Service Unit Post-Service Health Benefits Resource Guide (on right side of screen) http://inside.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?branch=369 15. The Health of a Volunteerannual report on health risks and assaults among PCTs and PCVs (from OMS) Offices & Units Chief of Staff/Operations Volunteer Support Office of Medical Services Epidemiology Health of the Volunteer (on right side of screen) 16. Country Health Survey (annual survey of Peace Corps countries, from OMS, used to guide staff on PCV accommodations criteria) Offices & Units Chief of Staff/Operations Volunteer Support Office of Medical Services Highlights Country Health Survey (on right side of screen) 17. Trainee Request Handbook (from VRS, Placement Office) Offices & Units Chief of Staff/Operations Volunteer Recruitment & Selection (VRS) Placement Office Trainee Request Handbook (on right side of screen) 18. Program Information Exchange Guide (from VRS, Placement Office) Not on Intranet 19. The Rape Response Handbook (Office of Safety and Security, PC/W) Not on Intranet 20. Core Expectations for Peace Corps Volunteers http://www.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/PDF/about/pc_core_volunteer_expectations.pdf 21. ICE Materials (see ICE Catalog): http://inside.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?branch=12&type=41. Some of the key ICE materials include: a. The Roles of the Volunteer in Development: Toolkits for Building CapacityReference T0005 b. Culture Matters: The Peace Corps Cross-Cultural WorkbookReference T0087 c. PACA (Participatory Analysis for Community Action) Idea BookReference M0086. The manuals are at M0053 and M0054. Peace Corps 269

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post APPENDIX B LIST OF PEACE CORPS ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AMCS administrative management control survey AO administrative officer APCD associate Peace Corps director or program manager APCD/AO associate Peace Corps director for administration APCD/P&T associate Peace Corps director for programming and training (also PTO) APCMO area Peace Corps medical officer B&F budget and finance CBO community-based organization CBT community-based training CCBI community content-based instruction CD country director CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDU country desk unit CHRS country health resource survey ChOps chief of operations CIO chief information officer CIRS crime incident reporting system CLO community liaison office COM chief of mission COS close of service (sometimes used unofficially for continuation of service) DCM deputy chief of mission DOS description of service EAP Emergency Action Plan EMA Europe, Mediterranean, and Asia Region ET early termination or early terminee FAAS foreign affairs administrative support FAR federal acquisitions regulations FECA Federal Employees Compensation Act FMH Financial Management Handbook FN foreign national FP foreign personnel FSN foreign service national GAD gender and development GSO general services officer GC general counsel HCA host country agency HCN host country national HRM Human Resource Management IAA inter-agency agreement IAP Inter-America and Pacific Region ICASS international cooperative administrative support services ICE Information Collection and Exchange Unit (Peace Corps library) ICT information and communication technologies IFO international financial operations IG inspector general 270 Peace Corps

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post IPBS integrated planning and budget system IRC Information Resource Center IST in-service training IT information technology ITS information technology specialist KSA knowledge, skills, and abilities (in federal applications); knowledge, skills, and aptitudes (in Peace Corps training) LCCC language and cross-culture coordinator M&E monitoring and evaluation MOA memorandum of agreement MOP manual of operating procedures MOU memorandum of understanding MS manual section (e.g., MS270) MSC mid-service conference MSP mission strategic plan MST mid-service training NGO nongovernmental organization NSDD 38 National Security Decision Directive 38 OACMOffice of Acquisitions and Contract Management OCFO Office of the Chief Financial Officer OCIO Office of the Chief Information Officer OGAP Office of Global Accounts Payable OMS Office of Medical Services OPATS Office of Overseas Programming and Training Support OpPlan annual operations plan OPSI Office of Private Sector Initiatives OSD overseas staff development OSIRP Office of Strategic Information and Resource Planning OSS Office of Special Services OST overseas staff training P&T programming and training PA program assistant PAC Project Advisory Committee PACA Participatory Analysis for Community Action PAPA Participating Agency Program Agreement PASA Participating Agency Services Agreement PATS programming and training system PBR periodic budget review PC Peace Corps PC/W Peace Corps/Washington PCMO Peace Corps medical officer PCMS Peace Corps Manual section PCPP Peace Corps Partnership Program PCRV Peace Corps Response Volunteer (formerly Crisis Corps Volunteer) PCSSO Peace Corps safety and security officer PCT Peace Corps trainee PCV Peace Corps Volunteer PCVL Peace Corps Volunteer leader PDM project design and management Peace Corps 271

Characteristics and Strategies of a High Performing Post PEPFAR Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief PM project manager PP project plan PSC personal services contract/contractor PSR project status review PST pre-service training P&T program and training PTO programming and training officer PTSprogramming and training specialist PVO private voluntary organization QBR quarterly budget review QTRS quarterly trainee request submission RAU regional assistance unit RD regional director RPCV returned Peace Corps Volunteer RSO regional security officer SFTP secure file transfer protocol SLF site locator form SOP standard operating procedure SPA Small Project Assistance SSC safety and security coordinator SSDO safety and security desk officer S/S safety and security STD sexually transmitted disease TA trainee allocation TCN third-country national TDE training, design, and evaluation telcon telephone conversation TG technical guidelines (medical) TI trainee input TM training manager TO training officer TOT training of trainers TR trainee request TSR training status review UFR unfunded request USAID U.S. Agency for International Development USDH U.S. direct hire USPSC U.S. personal services contract/contractor VAC Volunteer Advisory Council VAD Volunteer assignment description VIDA Volunteer Information Database Application VoIP voice over Internet protocol VRS Volunteer Recruitment and Selection (Dept.) VRT Volunteer reporting tool VS Volunteer Services (Dept. includes OSS and OMS) VSC Volunteer Safety Council V/Ts Volunteers and trainees WID women in development 272 Peace Corps