2007.07.25: July 25, 2007: Headlines: Congress: Legislation: Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Statements by Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff, Peace Corps Volunteers in Senegal

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Special Reports: July 25, 2007: Senator Dodd's Hearings on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act: 2007.07.25: July 25, 2007: Headlines: Congress: Legislation: Senate Foreign Relations Committee: Statements by Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff, Peace Corps Volunteers in Senegal

By Admin1 (admin) (ppp-70-250-75-60.dsl.okcyok.swbell.net - 70.250.75.60) on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 - 8:29 pm: Edit Post

Statements by Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff, Peace Corps Volunteers in Senegal

Statements by Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff, Peace Corps Volunteers in Senegal

We wish we could report that all is well with the Peace Corps, but we regret to say this is not our view. We see the Peace Corps as a middle-aged bureaucracy where hierarchy and rigid controls prevail. Volunteers sit at the bottom of the pyramid where their needs are often ignored. What we need is an upside down hierarchy, an inverted pyramid, in which support of the Volunteers takes precedence.

We have also compared the Peace Corps bureaucracy to the one we knew in the 1960s. In many ways it has become more risk-averse and less responsive. It often fails to listen to, respect or empower the Volunteers. We hear from Volunteers in the field who believe that they succeed despite the bureaucracy, not because of the support that it provides. They succeed by ignoring or resisting it.

Turning now to the specifics of the bill, the key provisions give Volunteers a substantial voice in personnel and program reviews, training curricula, and site choice and preparation. The legislation is premised on the notion that the expertise needed to strengthen and renew the Peace Corps lies at the grassroots, with Volunteers in the field. Volunteers know best who is supportive among staff. They know what programs are working well at the village level. They know what they need in terms of training and seed funding. They know what village sites are best suited to Volunteers. The legislation would have the Peace Corps rely on their expertise in these crucial areas.

Given the problems we'd discussed, you may wonder if we recommend that older persons and RPCVs serve as Volunteers. Our answer is, "Yes, absolutely." Older and second-time Volunteers often have special insights into how to launch and sustain development projects. Also, older Volunteers tend to speak up about the quality of staff support, program design, training curricula and site placements. In our view, the more older Volunteers the Peace Corps recruits, the better—both for development and Peace Corps reform. To be clear, you will substantially strengthen the hand of the Volunteers, the young and not-so-young, and the cause of Peace Corps reform if you enact this legislation into law.


Statements by Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff, Peace Corps Volunteers in Senegal

Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff

Peace Corps Volunteers, Guinguinéo, Sénégal

Hearing Regarding the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act, S. 732

Before the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and

Narcotics Affairs of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

July 25, 2007

Photo: Courtesy of the office of Senator Dodd taken by Adam Wells

Paula: My name is Paula Hirschoff and I'm serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Senegal. I was a Volunteer in Kenya 40 years ago.

Chuck: My name is Chuck Ludlam and I'm serving as a Volunteer with my wife Paula in Senegal. I was a Volunteer in Nepal 40 years ago.

Paula: Chuck and I will testify together, alternating turns.

With this joint presentation, we continue the partnership that characterizes our work in Senegal.

We'll observe the five-minute rule, times two.

Chuck: Paula and I are testifying here today because we are loyal to the Peace Corps and its founding ideals, and we admire the Volunteers' work throughout the world.

We're among the few Volunteers to serve again after a long gap in time, so we're among the first who can report from the Volunteer perspective how the Peace Corps has changed over the last four decades.

We wish we could report that all is well with the Peace Corps, but we regret to say this is not our view.

We see the Peace Corps as a middle-aged bureaucracy where hierarchy and rigid controls prevail. Volunteers sit at the bottom of the pyramid where their needs are often ignored.

What we need is an upside down hierarchy, an inverted pyramid, in which support of the Volunteers takes precedence.

Peace Corps Online

Paula: The Volunteers with whom we serve are much the same as the Volunteers with whom we served in the 60s – idealistic, resourceful, and hardworking. One difference is that they're more mature and wise to the world.

You've been proud of the Volunteers who've served in the past and you can be proud of those in the field today.

The Volunteers can and should be trusted. And they deserve more supportive management.

Chuck: We have also compared the Peace Corps bureaucracy to the one we knew in the 1960s.

In many ways it has become more risk-averse and less responsive. It often fails to listen to, respect or empower the Volunteers.

We hear from Volunteers in the field who believe that they succeed despite the bureaucracy, not because of the support that it provides. They succeed by ignoring or resisting it.

The bureaucratic command and control approach stifles creativity and collaboration.

This management approach works poorly with younger Volunteers and it's anathema to older, more experienced Volunteers.

These problems undermine the Peace Corps in various ways. Volunteers become demoralized or cynical. Their potential as agents of development is not realized. Drop-out or Early Termination rates are too high.

We believe that many RPCVs from our era would be dismayed to hear how much the bureaucracy of today adversely affects the Volunteer experience.

Paula: Of course, these are generalizations. We know there are many Peace Corps managers throughout the world who provide outstanding service and support to Volunteers. But we believe the problems are prevalent enough to justify enacting this legislation.

Chuck: The legislation is well crafted to address these problems. We endorse it enthusiastically. We believe that our fellow Volunteers join in this endorsement.

The National Peace Corps Association recently conducted an online survey of PCVs and RPCVs on the legislation.

The respondents overwhelmingly favored all of its various provisions.

Paula: Turning now to the specifics of the bill, the key provisions give Volunteers a substantial voice in personnel and program reviews, training curricula, and site choice and preparation.

The legislation is premised on the notion that the expertise needed to strengthen and renew the Peace Corps lies at the grassroots, with Volunteers in the field.

Volunteers know best who is supportive among staff.

They know what programs are working well at the village level.

They know what they need in terms of training and seed funding.

They know what village sites are best suited to Volunteers.

The legislation would have the Peace Corps rely on their expertise in these crucial areas.

Chuck: We'd like to comment primarily on two of the bill's most important provisions: Section 201 (a) and 201 (b).

Section 201(a) mandates that the Peace Corps consult with Volunteers confidentially before renewing or extending the contract of any manager.

In substance, it mandates that Peace Corps institute "360 degree" or "upward feedback" personnel reviews, like those now common in the private sector where employees assess their managers' performance.

In collaborative organizations, these reviews are standard operating procedure. They can be a powerful tool for sensitizing management to the employees' viewpoint and encouraging collaboration toward common goals.

Peace Corps personnel should be judged primarily by how well they support Volunteers because Volunteers are the most valuable asset that the Peace Corps has.

Only by supporting Volunteers can the Peace Corps achieve its goal to serve as an effective agent of development.

Accordingly, we believe that the Volunteer's views should be given "substantial weight" in the personnel review process.

All of the bill's provisions mandate that the Peace Corps bureaucracy listen to, respect, and empower Volunteers. But only Section 201 (a) tells managers that their tenure depends on how well they do so.

Because these reviews might seem to threaten their tenures, Peace Corps managers might not welcome Volunteer participation. Indeed, we believe that Section 201(a) is the provision that the Peace Corps is least likely to implement effectively on its own. That's why enacting this provision into law is so important.

Paula: Section 201(b) is also critical. It mandates confidential consultations with Volunteers on the design and continuation of the country-specific programs in which they serve, such as health, education or agriculture.

Some Peace Corps programs are better designed than others. Some need to be redesigned. Some simply are not working and should be abandoned, thus freeing resources for more effective programs.

Volunteers know first-hand which programs are working. Every day, they see the results in their villages.

Because they are donating two years of their lives, Volunteers deserve to be placed in programs that give them a reasonable opportunity to achieve sustainable results. And of course our host countries deserve sustainable results as well.

We view the First Goal of Peace Corps – to serve as an agent of development – to be its highest priority, and for that, program design is crucial.

Taken together, Sections 201(a) and (b) institutionalize a process for continual renewal of the Peace Corps led from the grassroots.

Chuck: Our written testimony comments in depth on each provision of the bill.

The legislation will strengthen the development role of the Volunteers by providing seed funding for Volunteer projects and overhauling the rules regarding Volunteer fundraising.

The legislation will help the Peace Corps reach its goal of recruiting additional older, experienced Volunteers by removing troublesome disincentives. These include problems with retiree health insurance and the medical screening process.

And, the legislation will confirm and clarify certain Volunteer rights.

The legislation is comprehensive and ambitious. However, this is a good opportunity, so we have proposed that it be amended to address several additional subjects. The most important are recruitment and retention of able staff and reform of the leave policies for Volunteers.

Paula: We are pleased that you do not assume that the Peace Corps management always speaks for Volunteers. In the private sector, management and labor often have different perspectives on the workplace; the same is true of the Peace Corps managers and the Volunteers.

Representatives of management are posted here in Washington so you will hear from them.

It's more difficult for Volunteers to make themselves heard.

Yet this legislation and hearing demonstrate that you are listening to Volunteers. For that we are grateful.

Chuck: Given the problems we'd discussed, you may wonder if we recommend that older persons and RPCVs serve as Volunteers. Our answer is, "Yes, absolutely."

Older and second-time Volunteers often have special insights into how to launch and sustain development projects.

Also, older Volunteers tend to speak up about the quality of staff support, program design, training curricula and site placements.

In our view, the more older Volunteers the Peace Corps recruits, the better—both for development and Peace Corps reform.

To be clear, you will substantially strengthen the hand of the Volunteers, the young and not-so-young, and the cause of Peace Corps reform if you enact this legislation into law.

Paula: In conclusion, the Peace Corps has had a powerful and positive influence on our lives. In the four decades since we first served, we have never stopped thinking of ourselves as Peace Corps Volunteers.

And we love serving again, despite the difficulties discussed here. Serving together is a special joy.

It's been very difficult for us to go public with these criticisms. But because we still believe in the Peace Corps, we had no choice.

The legislation gives us great hope.

With enactment of these reforms, we believe that Volunteers will work more effectively with their local partners, promoting development and cultural exchange in a spirit of peace and generosity, and ensuring that the Peace Corps will thrive for decades to come.

Thank you for supporting Peace Corps Volunteers, past, present and future.

We are happy to answer your questions.

Contact Information: Chuck.ludlam@gmail.com, 00221-452-9599 (Senegal); PHirschoff@gmail.com, 00221-452-9608 (Senegal). July 23-27, 2007 only: 202-364-6021 (home), 202-297-0537 (Chuck cell phone), and 202-297-0730 (Paula cell phone)




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: July, 2007; Congress; Legislation; Peace Corps Bibliography; Peace Corps Directory; Peace Corps History; Bulletin Board; Peace Corps Headlines





When this story was posted in July 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:


Contact PCOLBulletin BoardRegisterSearch PCOLWhat's New?

Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Dodd issues call for National Service Date: June 26 2007 No: 1164 Dodd issues call for National Service
Standing on the steps of the Nashua City Hall where JFK kicked off his campaign in 1960, Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd issued a call for National Service. "Like thousands of others, I heard President Kennedy's words and a short time later joined the Peace Corps." Dodd said his goal is to see 40 million people volunteering in some form or another by 2020. "We have an appetite for service. We like to be asked to roll up our sleeves and make a contribution," he said. "We haven't been asked in a long time."

Peace Corps News Peace Corps Library Peace corps History RPCV Directory Sign Up

July 9, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Date: July 10 2007 No: 1172 July 9, 2007: This Month's Top Stories
O'Hanlon says "soft partition" occurring in Iraq 9 Jul
Eric R. Green writes on coming oil crisis 8 Jul
Why Dodd joined the Peace Corps 5 Jul
Jim Doyle positioned for third term 5 Jul
Michael Adlerstein to direct UN Master Plan 3 Jul
Shalala says Veterans report will be solution driven 1 Jul
Blackwill says: No process will make up for stupidity 30 Jun
Allan Reed creates a Diaspora Skills Transfer Program 29 Jun
State Dept apology ends hold on Green nomination 28 Jun
Call for stories to celebrate PC 50th Anniversary 25 Jun
Michael Shereikis is singer and guitarist for Chopteeth 25 Jun
Christopher R. Hill Visits North Korea 22 Jun
Tschetter at JFK Bust Unveiling Ceremony 21 Jun
Kiribati too risky for PCVs 17 Jun
James Rupert writes: US calls for free Pakistani elections 17 Jun
Colin Cowherd says PCVs are losers 7 Jun
Tony Hall Warns of Food Shortages in North Korea 7 Jun
Youth Theatre performs Spencer Smith's "Voices from Chernobyl" 7 Jun
Ifugao names forest park after Julia Campbell 6 Jun
Anissa Paulsen assembles "The Many Colors of Islam" 5 Jun
Obituary for Nepal RPCV Loret Miller Ruppe 2 Jun
Forty PCVS to arrive in Ethiopia 2 Jun

Public diplomacy rests on sound public policy Date: June 10 2007 No: 1153 Public diplomacy rests on sound public policy
When President Kennedy spoke of "a long twilight struggle," and challenged the country to "ask not," he signaled that the Cold War was the challenge and framework defining US foreign policy. The current challenge is not a struggle against a totalitarian foe. It is not a battle against an enemy called "Islamofascism." From these false assumptions flow false choices, including the false choice between law enforcement and war. Instead, law enforcement and military force both must be essential instruments, along with diplomacy, including public diplomacy. But public diplomacy rests on policy, and to begin with, the policy must be sound. Read more.

Ambassador revokes clearance for PC Director Date: June 27 2007 No: 1166 Ambassador revokes clearance for PC Director
A post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision. On June 8 the White House announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Latest: Senator Dodd has placed a hold on Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania.

June 1, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Date: June 1 2007 No: 1141 June 1, 2007: This Month's Top Stories
Returned Volunteers and Staff honor Warren Wiggins 15 May
Tom Seligman curates "Art of Being Tuareg" 26 May
PCV Marilyn Foss dies in China 25 May
Poet Susan Rich writes: The Women of Kismayo 22 May
Christopher Hill considers visit to North Korea 18 May
Peter Hessler talks about time in Fuling as PCV 18 May
Murder charges filed in death of PCV Julia Campbell 17 May
David Pitts claims JFK offered PC to Lem Billings 16 May
Niki Tsongas announces candidacy for Congress 16 May
James Rupert writes: Pakistanis talk of Musharraf's departure 16 May
Chris Matthews writes: Jerry Falwell's Political Legacy 15 May
Ron Tschetter visits volunteers in Botswana 14 May
Which assignment to take? Africa, Europe, or Central Asia 14 May
Willy Volk writes: New way to keep mosquitoes at bay 14 May
Jim Walsh takes special interest in Nepal 13 May
NPCA offers podcasts of social entrepreneurs 10 May
Gaddi Vasquez showcases food aid work in Central America 10 May
Donna Tabor dreamed up Cafe Chavalos 8 May
Tom Bissell writing book about Jesus' 13 Apostles 8 May
Jody Olsen praises PCV blogging 7 May
PC responds to missing volunteers in 2001 and 2007 2 May


Peace Corps Funnies Date: May 25 2007 No: 1135 Peace Corps Funnies
A PCV writing home? Our editor hard at work? Take a look at our Peace Corps Funnies and Peace Corps Cartoons and see why Peace Corps Volunteers say that sometimes a touch of levity can be one of the best ways of dealing with frustrations in the field. Read what RPCVs say about the lighter side of life in the Peace Corps and see why irreverent observations can often contain more than a grain of truth. We'll supply the photos. You supply the captions.

PCOL serves half million Date: May 1 2007 No: 1120 PCOL serves half million
PCOL's readership for April exceeded 525,000 visitors - a 50% increase over last year. This year also saw the advent of a new web site: Peace Corps News that together with the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps serve 17,000 RPCVs, Staff, and Friends of the Peace Corps every day. Thanks for making PCOL your source of news for the Peace Corps community. Read more.

May 2, 2007: This Month's Top Stories Date: May 3 2007 No: 1128 May 2, 2007: This Month's Top Stories
Tschetter flew to Manila to support search for missing PCV 15 Apr
Michael O'Hanlon writes: A ruthless foe 24 Apr
Dodd calls for 'surge of diplomacy' on Iraq 13 Apr
Tony Hall works with Opportunity International 22 Apr
Mark Gearan Calls for Service, engaged constituency 20 Apr
Timothy Obert sentenced in molestation case 20 Apr
Moyers indicts news media on Iraq reporting 19 Apr
Chris Matthews to moderate May 3 GOP debates 18 Apr
Garamendi votes to kill LNG terminal 10 Apr
Scheper-Hughes receives William Sloan Coffin Award 7 Apr
Petri outraged at Student Loan Corruption 6 Apr
Dodd wants to expand Peace Corps to 100,000 4 Apr
John Sherman's opera "Biafra" now on web 2 Apr
Peter Navarro writes "The Coming China Wars" 30 Mar
Carl Pope writes: 2% solution for global warming 28 Mar
Philippe Newlin lectures on wine 28 Mar
DRI launches program to improve Healthcare in Ghana 26 Mar
Gabriela Lena Frank's Compadrazgo debuts in Columbus 26 Mar
Reed Hastings appointed to Microsoft Board of Directors 26 Mar
Shays supports National Public Service Academy 23 Mar
Margaret Krome writes: Peace vigil appropriate response 21 Mar
Al Kamen writes: Clinton fired Prosecutors too 21 Mar


Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Date: April 27 2007 No: 1109 Suspect confesses in murder of PCV
Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences .

Warren Wiggins: Architect of the Peace Corps Date: April 15 2007 No: 1095 Warren Wiggins: Architect of the Peace Corps
Warren Wiggins, who died at 84 on April 13, became one of the architects of the Peace Corps in 1961 when his paper, "A Towering Task," landed in the lap of Sargent Shriver, just as Shriver was trying to figure out how to turn the Peace Corps into a working federal department. Shriver was electrified by the treatise, which urged the agency to act boldly. Read Mr. Wiggins' obituary and biography, take an opportunity to read the original document that shaped the Peace Corps' mission, and read John Coyne's special issue commemorating "A Towering Task."

The Peace Corps Library Date: July 11 2006 No: 923 The Peace Corps Library
The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps Date: September 23 2006 No: 996 Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps
Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments.

He served with honor Date: September 12 2006 No: 983 He served with honor
One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor.


Read the stories and leave your comments.






Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: Senate Foreign Relations Committee

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Congress; Legislation

PCOL38369
04


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: