These manuals are generally comprehensive and sound and, if followed, should result in effective programs. The Peace Corps’ staff training was also inadequate. Problems in Providing Volunteers With Support and Well-Developed Assignments

The Peace Corps did not provide adequate assignment programming and other support for volunteers in the countries we visited. These problems eventually led many volunteers to change their assignments or leave the Peace Corps early. They said they are taking precautionary measures to ensure better planning and preparation for future programs and actions to address problems in existing programs. Peace Corps’ Expansion Into the Former Eastern Bloc Was Not at the Expense of Other Regions

The Peace Corps’ entry into the former Eastern bloc did not appear to adversely affect staffing and financial resources for programs in the African, Asian and Pacific, and Inter-American regions. Agency Comments

In commenting on a draft of this project, the Peace Corps stated that its programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the states of the former Soviet Union have been a difficult challenge. To determine whether the Peace Corps’ expansion into the former Eastern bloc came at the expense of other regions’ programs, we examined budget and staffing data and spoke with senior Peace Corps officials responsible for managing those programs.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Peace Corps' processes and procedures for starting programs in Central and Eastern Europe and the states of the former Soviet Union, focusing on: (1) the adequacy of the Peace Corps' planning and staffing procedures; (2) whether the Peace Corps provided volunteers with adequate assignments, training, and other support; and (3) whether the expansion into former Eastern bloc countries came at the expense of other regional programs.

What GAO Found

GAO found that: (1) although the Peace Corps has comprehensive, sound written procedures for planning and implementing new programs and preparing volunteers, the Peace Corps did not follow normal procedures in its haste to start programs in former Eastern bloc countries; (2) serious difficulties due to poor design and inadequate volunteer guidance, training, and support limited the new programs' effectiveness in these countries and led to high volunteer turnover; (3) despite these problems, many volunteers believed that they had a positive impact on the people they served; (4) it is too soon to tell if the Peace Corps' actions to correct problems in the Eastern bloc programs will be effective; and (5) other regions' funding and staffing have not been affected by the new programs.