ivco 2007 peace corps

8/14/2019 IVCO 2007 Peace Corps

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Using Stories to Tell Our Story:

Measuring the Impact of Cultural Exchange

IVCO 2007Montreal, Canada

September 19, 2007


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Christopher Hill,Assistant Secretary of State


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As a Volunteer in Cameroon, I learnedthat what I said is not necessarily what is heard.

-Christopher Hill,Assistant Secretary of State

for East Asian and Pacific Affairs


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Defined B y Our M ission and Goals

Goal One

Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their needfor trained men and women

Goal Tw oHelping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part

of the peoples served

Goal ThreeHelping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the partof Americans

Our MissionTo promote world peace and friendship.


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My service as a Peace Corps Volunteer hasallowed me to look at the world in a new way...

In short, my eyes are a little wider,my vision a little deeper,

and my heart more open.

I have truly become part of a new anddifferent culture, and impacted people

like I never thought possible.

-Peace Corps Volunteer, Nicaragua


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W hy Does Measur em ent Matter?

o As resources become more competitive, the U.S.Government and the American taxpayers seek results.

o Performance measures create greater accountabilityand better evaluation opportunities.


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Establishm ent of a New Strategic Resear chOffice

o Evaluation and Measurement

o Data Management

o Performance Planning and Reporting

3 Key Functions:


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Defining and Measur ing Results

A Tw o-Par t Process:

Frame Results in Sequential StepsWhat are your organizations goals?

What steps show progress toward these goals?

Define Measures of ProgressWhat are the existing measures?

What do you wish you could measure?What is realistically measurable?


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Fram ing Results in Sequential Steps:Creating a Logic Model

PurposeTo logically link our measurable short-term outcomes

to broader agency or organization goals.

From the University of Wisconsin Extension Service


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Seeing this Volunteer using a variety ofmethods and activities in his two-hour

presentation on reading comprehensionhas restored my interest and motivation

in teaching the English language.

-Assistant TeacherFangatono Government Primary School

Tonga


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Key Term s for a Logic Model

InputsThe resources an organization invests or leverages to support itsactivities. Often listed as human, financial, equipment, andcommunity resources.

Example: The annual budget of an organization.

ActivitiesWhat the organization does on a day-to-day basis that produces its

outputs. Often listed as the processes, tools, events, and actions thatare an intentional part of program implementation.Example: Peace Corps Volunteer training


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OutputsA measure of the number of units produced, goods and servicesprovided, and/or people served. Often noted as the organizationsdeliverables, and are usually expressed quantitatively.

Example: Trained Peace Corps Volunteers

OutcomesA measure of the extent to which a service or program has achieved

its goals and objectives or desired impact on its clients or society.

Outcomes are the changes that are intended to happen in a targetaudience. Usually expressed as changes in attitude, behavior, and/orcondition of the program recipient and his/her environment.


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Outcomes (cont.)

Short-TermResults of direct influence, happening within a shorttime period.Ex: Volunteers acquire expertise in local language and culture

IntermediateResults of direct (and sometimes indirect) influence,that the organization expects to see happen.

Ex: Volunteers pursue internationally-related careers

Long-termResults that an organization contributes to; generally,changes in organizations, communities, or systems.

Ex: Critical mass of Americans has international expertise andexperience working in different sectors


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Impact

The net cumulative effect of outcomes, usually expressed as a

statement of condition change.

Ex: Americans have strengthened capacity to work successfully internationally


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The Peace Corps Logic Model

Inputs

Activities

Outputs

Short- and Medium-Term Outcomes

Long-Term Outcomes

Impact and Public Benefit

$319.7 Million for FY07

Peace Corps Volunteer training

Trained Peace Corps Volunteers

Volunteer learns a local language

Volunteer maintains interest in foreign languages and cultures

After service, pursues internationally-related career

U.S. organizations adopt enhancedinternational focus

Americans have strengthened capacity to worksuccessfully internationally

The U.S. Perspective


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Inputs

Activities

Outputs


Long-Term Outcomes


Interested countries

Volunteer collaboration in local communities

Overseas individuals and communities

Overseas individuals/communities gain more accurate understanding of Americans

Overseas individuals/communities serve as cultural translators to dispel myths about Americans

Overseas individuals/communities more willing to trust and work with Americans

Peace and friendship between

people in the U.S. and other countries

The Host Country

Perspective


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W hat Gets Measur ed?

Example: Language and Culture

Short-term (during training):

In the Dominican Republic, use indirect communication to refusesomething.

The Peace Corps issues the ACTFL (a standardized language proficiency test

issued by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) to

gauge the level of language skills of each Volunteer at the beginning and endof service. From this, we provide country and global statistical analysis basedon performance.


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Medium-Term: Number and percent of Returned Peace CorpsVolunteers (RPCVs) in the Foreign Service (foreignlanguage required).

Number of RPCVs in senior positions ininternational NGOs.

Numbers and types of Third Goal RPCV projects.


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Long-Term: % of RPCVs reporting a broader perspective because ofPeace Corps

% of Host-Country Nationals reporting increased

skills acquisition as a result of interactions with thePeace Corps

% of Host-Country Nationals reporting increasedunderstanding of Americans, of American culture, or

friendships with Americans as a result of interactions

with the Peace Corps


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Our Impact

75% of host-country nationals in a content-analysis study in Ukrainereported that the Peace Corpsbroa dened their perspective

73% of host-country nationals in this same study reported abetterunder standing of Amer icans, of Ame rican culture, orfriendships w ith Am ericansbecause of the Peace Corps

91% of Bulgarians ages 18-29 in tow ns w ith Peace CorpsVolunteers repor t a favora ble view of the U.S. , comparedwith 55% nationwide


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Bu ild On Existing Resear ch

Draw on others research where possible; this can help to link what wecan measure and the logical outcomes we hope to achieve.

Examples: 2000 World Bank Report about teaching ina primary language

Institute for Marketing and Social Surveysstudy in Bulgaria


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Quantifying the Qualitative:The Ukraine Case Study

Quantitative information: Mainly outputsEasier to measure

Number of latrines builtNumber of books distributedNumber of students taught

Qualitative information: Mainly outcomesHarder to measure

Quality of teachersBehavior change among studentsIncreased community awareness of an issue


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Inputs

Activities

Outputs


Long-Term Outcomes


Interested countries

Volunteer collaboration in local communities

Overseas individuals and communities

Overseas individuals/communities gain more accurate understanding of Americans

Overseas individuals/communities serve as cultural translators to dispel myths about Americans

Overseas individuals/communities more willing to trust and work with Americans

Peace and friendship between

people in the U.S. and other countries

The Host Country

Perspective


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The Process

Step One: Collecting the Data

Step Two: Examining the Data

Step Three: Analyzing the Data


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The Process

Step One: Collecting the Data

The Structured ConversationOpen-ended


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The Process

Step Two: Examining the Data

Inductive v. Deductive ReasoningUncovering the themes: what outcomes andimpacts are revealed?

Themes must connect to a statement in theinterview, not a general sense from theinterview, to maintain maximum objectivity


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The Process

Step Three: Analyzing the Data

Keep it simple: use an Excel spreadsheetKeep track of variables

Gender

AgeLocationRelationship to Peace Corps


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The Process

Name Age Gender Data PointIncreased

understandingof Americans

Increasedincome

Zhanna 35 F

Working with the volunteers has mademe look at Ukraine with different eyes,and I learn a lot about America. Prior toworking with Peace Corps, I thought ofAmericans as a stereotype. Now I knowthat Americans are individuals.

x

Variables Data Point Themes/Impacts


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Weaknesses of the Model

Reliance on interviewer training and quality

Quality of the English abilities of the interviewers andinterviewees

Quality of the translations, if applicable

Can be labor-intensive, though computer programs existthat can facilitate the process


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Why This Model is Useful

Easy to implement and replicate

Allows organizations to incorporate anecdotal orqualitative data into their assessments in a concrete way

Provides a more holistic perspective of the organizationsimpact or progress

Can provide policy guidance


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You can have a great impact. I have neverforgotten the Volunteers I knew as a child;

they are imprinted on my memory.

-Former Prime Minister of St. Lucia


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The Peace Corps.

Since 1961.

www.peacecorps.gov

ivco 2007 peace corps

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