Agency  officials note that the reason for this may be attributable to a number of  factors, including agency efforts to improve data collection and volunteer  reporting. The Peace Corps has used its data analyses to gain insight into  the characteristics of assaults against volunteers and to shape volunteer  training programs. To address this commitment, the agency has  adopted policies for monitoring and disseminating information on the  security environments in which the agency operates, training volunteers,  developing safe and secure volunteer housing and work sites, monitoring  volunteers, and planning for emergencies such as evacuations. Monitoring sites and volunteers and responding to safety  concerns and criminal incidents. Planning for emergencies. Volunteers are generally satisfied with  the safety and security information and training they receive. Peace Corps Showed Mixed Performance in Developing Safe and Secure Housing and Work Sites for Volunteers

Although many volunteers are provided with housing that meets Peace  Corps standards and well-defined work assignments, some volunteers do  not have this experience. (Appendix IV  describes Peace Corps provisions for responding to criminal incidents.) Peace Corps Initiatives May Enhance Volunteer Safety and Security

In May 2002, the Peace Corps informed us of a number of initiatives that  the agency had already taken or intended to take to improve its current  safety and security practices. Moreover, the Peace Corps has not indicated what action, if any, it intends  to take in addressing the issue of staff turnover. Reported rates of nonassault crimes, in contrast, have remained essentially  unchanged since 1990.
What GAO Found

About 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers now serve in 70 countries, often living in areas with limited access to reliable communications, police, or medical services. Moreover, as Americans, they may be viewed as relatively wealthy and hence good targets for criminal activity. The Peace Corps has reported rising numbers of assaults against its volunteers since it began collecting data in 1990. However, the Peace Corps' record is mixed when it comes to developing safe and secure housing and worksites for volunteers, monitoring volunteers and responding to security concerns or criminal incidents, and preparing for emergencies. To reduce risks to its volunteers, the Peace Corps has adopted policies that address monitoring and disseminating information on the security environment; volunteer training; development of safe and secure housing and work sites for volunteers; monitoring volunteers and responding to incidents and concerns; and planning for emergencies, such as evacuations. Volunteer surveys and GAO visits to five overseas ports indicate that volunteers are generally satisfied with agency training programs and other efforts designed to emphasize safety and security awareness. The agency is not certain, but officials have stated that efforts to improve its system for collecting crime data may have led to higher reported rates. In May 2002, the Peace Corps told GAO of several initiatives to improve current safety and security practices. Although these initiatives are directed at many of the obstacles to improved performance, they do not address staff turnover.