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Review of New Country Entry Guidance for Conflict-Affected Countries

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number
IG-19-05-SR
Report Type
Review
Component
Agency-wide
Description
The Peace Corps works in countries with histories of civil wars, ethnic clashes, cross-border conflicts, rebel incursions, foreign occupations, genocide, violent protests, and repressive dictatorships. These conflicts often have on-going impacts. This review evaluated the adequacy of Peace Corps guidance on new country entries and re-entries in conflict-affected environments.We found that the Peace Corps needed to more fully assess the conflict status of countries under consideration for opening, re-opening, or expanding a Peace Corps program. The agency should also address gaps in the current “New Country Assessment Guide” and the “New Country Entry Guide” to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the agency’s processes and procedures for opening posts in conflict-affected environments.
Participating OIG
Peace Corps OIG
Agency Wide
Yes (agency-wide)
View report on Oversight.gov

Recommendations

Disclaimer: Open/Closed recommendations are updated semiannually.

We recommend that the associate director of the Office of Global Operations establish a procedure to determine whether a new country entry, re-entry, or expansion should be assessed as a conflict-affected environment.

We recommend that the associate director of the Office of Global Operations adapt the country assessment process to more fully assess the implications of conflict on Peace Corps operations in conflict-affected environments.

We recommend that the associate director of the Office of Global Operations provide guidance regarding the use of internally and externally available data sources to understand the conflict context during assessments.

We recommend that the associate director of the Office of Global Operations create additional new country assessment guidance that furthers a trauma-informed approach in conflict-affected environments that addresses: • Local capacity for supporting Volunteer resiliency/post-traumatic stress disorder awareness training; • Strategies for providing additional mental health support and enhanced self-care; and • Effects of the conflict and trauma on host communities and implications for site management.

We recommend that the Associate Director of the Office of Global Operations establish specific criteria for selecting and training new country assessment team members to ensure that they have the appropriate experience and skills to identify issues and concerns which are unique to post-conflict/traumatized environments.