04. Testimony of Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff on S. 732: The Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act: Flattening the Peace Corps



Friedman describes how the world is becoming "flat" through the "Triple Convergence" of computing power, fiber-optic cable (and wireless), and work flow software. He describes a flat organization as one that connects and collaborates with a minimum of command and control. A flat organization is one that is organized horizontally, not vertically, and one that eschews the hierarchy that impedes collaboration, creativity, and individual initiative. A flat organization thrives on listening, learning and adapting. It delegates and empowers. In the 21st Century, the flatter the organization, the better it can function and compete.

04. Testimony of Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff on S. 732: The Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act: Flattening the Peace Corps

Flattening the Peace Corps

A useful context for discussing the reforms, as presented in S. 732, is the flattening of the global economy as described by Friedman in The World is Flat.

Friedman describes how the world is becoming "flat" through the "Triple Convergence" of computing power, fiber-optic cable (and wireless), and work flow software. He describes a flat organization as one that connects and collaborates with a minimum of command and control. A flat organization is one that is organized horizontally, not vertically, and one that eschews the hierarchy that impedes collaboration, creativity, and individual initiative. A flat organization thrives on listening, learning and adapting. It delegates and empowers. In the 21st Century, the flatter the organization, the better it can function and compete.

As Friedman explains, in a flat organization the most valuable individuals are the great "collaborators, orchestrators, synthesizers, explainers, leveragers, adapters, passionate personalizers, and localizers." These are precisely the skills that we see in our fellow Volunteers. We need to tap these special skills to strengthen the Peace Corps.

"[U]ploading" (input from employees to managers) tends to be "the most disruptive" innovation, he states. Quoting one manager of an increasingly flat organization, Friedman says, "The act of participation is like a muscle you have to use and we are so unused to being active participants in the process that even though the [computer/internet] tools are there now, many people don't use them." "There are also still deeply ingrained habits of deference to authority and institutions." Mr. Friedman concludes, "[T]he number of uploaders is still relatively small. But as the tools for individual uploading and collaboration become more diffused, and as more and more people get positive feedback from their uploading experiences, I am certain every big institution or hierarchical structure will feel the effects. You have been warned." (pp 125-6)

The expertise we need to strengthen the Peace Corps lies at the grassroots. No one knows better than Volunteers what staff members are helpful and supportive. No one knows more about what the Volunteers need for their work. No one knows more about training, language and technical needs. No one knows more about what sites work best. No one knows better what programs are effective at the village level. No one knows more about the needs in terms of seed funding and other resources. No one knows more about how to sustain morale. Yet the Peace Corps is often not inclined to listen to Volunteers.

The Peace Corps has the potential to be the most collaborative agency of the Federal government because its principal asset is the Volunteers who serve communities at the grassroots. The Volunteers are the heart and soul of Peace Corps. They determine its effectiveness and they are its natural and most effective leaders. Their job—essentially their only job—is to support the Volunteers in the field, and to empower us to serve our communities better. Their performance should be judged on how well they listen to us, learn from us and empower us. Using the power of the Triple Convergence to connect and collaborate in a flat world, Volunteers can thrive and renew the Peace Corps' mission in the 21st Century.

To the greatest extent possible, the Peace Corps needs to become an organization led from the bottom up by the Volunteers. It's clear that the traditional command and control approach of a middle-aged government bureaucracy is ineffective and counterproductive. It stifles collaboration, creativity, initiative and passion. It kills the spirit of the Volunteer in the field and undermines the Peace Corps as an effective, idealistic, grassroots organization.

Empowering the Volunteers at the grassroots will probably not come naturally to a bureaucracy, especially a government bureaucracy. The Peace Corps is 46 years old, so it's not surprising that it has become entrenched in its ways. Some changes that have occurred make sense—the free-wheeling Peace Corps that we knew in the 60s was not sustainable. The strengthening of security and medical support has been welcome. But reform and renewal is needed to preserve the grand legacy of the Peace Corps.

This is one section from the testimony read into the record on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act by Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff, two RPCVs who are now serving their second tour in Senegal. The rest of the sections can be found by following this link. Their entire report in MS Word format can be downloaded by following this link.

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Headlines: July, 2007; Congress; Legislation; Speaking Out; Peace Corps Bibliography; Peace Corps Countries of Service; Peace Corps Original Sources; Peace Corps Message Board; Recent Peace Corps News

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




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Senator Dodd's Peace Corps Hearings Read PCOL's executive summary of Senator Chris Dodd's hearings on July 25 on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act and why Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter does not believe the bill would contribute to an improved Peace Corps while four other RPCV witnesses do. Highlights of the hearings included Dodd's questioning of Tschetter on political meetings at Peace Corps Headquarters and the Inspector General's testimony on the re-opening of the Walter Poirier III investigation.

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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."

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

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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 .

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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."

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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.

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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.

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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.

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