As the United States Peace Corps receives the highest single-year increase in spending in its nearly 50 year history, that National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) and its MorePeaceCorps Campaign has released the findings of a survey on how to improve and embolden the Peace Corps to meet key challenges in the 21st century.



A key overriding message from the survey centers on the need to improve volunteer projects and programming. Survey participants consistently gave high rankings to survey questions and categories that dealt with matters such as training, improving the quality of volunteers, better matching volunteers to projects and making sure those projects meet local community needs.



While there was strong support for expanding collaboration and partnerships with other federal agencies, development and humanitarian NGOs and indigenous organizations, survey respondents also stressed the importance to maintain the independent nature of Peace Corps in relation to broader foreign policy objectives.



“The recent announcements of Peace Corps’ intention to return to Indonesia and Sierra Leone and the continued growth of applications from volunteers are exciting indicators of the opportunities to expand the number of volunteers in the field”, said NPCA President Kevin Quigley. “As we begin to grow Peace Corps once again, it is particularly important that the growth of volunteers is coupled with plans to improve the quality of the Peace Corps experience, enhance its impact and develop ways to engage fellow global citizens all around the world.”



Conducted last October, the Better, Bolder Peace Corps Survey drew responses from more than 4,500 participants representing a broad cross-section of the Peace Corps community. Nearly 40% of survey respondents identified themselves as volunteers who served in the past decade. There was strong consistency in the responses of these individuals with other participants who served in the earlier years of Peace Corps.



An executive summary and full report from the survey has been posted online and can be accessed by visiting www.peacecorpsconnect.org/advocacy/betterboldersurveyresults.