United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office National Security and International Affairs Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-12-19 monographic deposited born digital 24 p. GA 1.13:NSIAD-95-6 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-6 P0b002ee18037adaa f:ns95006 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-6 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-6 NSIAD-95-6 Federal aid to foreign countries Foreign technical aid Americans abroad Educational programs Human resources training Volunteer services International relations Planning Poland Bulgaria Russia Uzbekistan Letter Report NSIAD

Although the Peace Corps has sound policies for planning new programs and preparing volunteers for service abroad, its haste to help former Eastern bloc countries has led the agency to override normal procedures and launch programs prematurely. The programs GAO examined were poorly designed, and volunteers did not receive the guidance, support, or well-conceived assignment that they were led to expect. The Peace Corps suffered a high rate of staff turnover and early returns of volunteers. As a result, the program's developmental impact in these countries was impaired. Peace Corps officials acknowledge the problems and have taken steps to overcome them; however, it is too soon to know how effective they will be. The Peace Corps programs in the former Eastern Bloc were not undertaken at the expense of programs in other regions. Funding and staffing in other countries did not appear to be affected by the new programs. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-6/html/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-6.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-6/pdf/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-6.pdf GAO/NSIAD-95-6 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-NSIAD-95-6 Letter Report GAO/NSIAD-95-6; Peace Corps: New Programs in Former Eastern Bloc Countries Should Be Strengthened; Federal aid to foreign countries Foreign technical aid Americans abroad Educational programs Human resources training Volunteer services International relations Planning Poland Bulgaria Russia Uzbekistan Title 22 Section 2501 22 U.S.C. 2501