U.S. Peace Corps awards first-ever PHL response program evaluation

On September 16, Peace Corps Philippines Country Director Jenner Edelman signed a contract to independently evaluate the impact of the American volunteer organization’s unique “Response Program.”  The contract was awarded to Agnes Quilinguing, an independent research consultant with over 15 years of project management, monitoring, and evaluation experience with the Asian Development Bank, other international organizations and government agencies, and academe.

First launched in 2007 to support the Philippines in recovering from super typhoons, Peace Corps Philippines’ Response Program has placed 200 highly experienced American volunteers with LGUs, state universities, and other Philippine institutions seeking specialized technical assistance for short-term assignments of up to one year across the Philippines – in disaster risk reduction and management, environmental management, education, and youth development.

“This is the first time Peace Corps Philippines has hired an external evaluator to assess the effectiveness of our Response Program in helping our partners bridge specific technical gaps and build lasting capacity.  This evaluation will provide valuable insights into what is working and what we can do to better support partners across the Philippines when our Response Program volunteers return post-pandemic,” said Country Director Edelman.

Peace Corps Philippines’ Response Program complements the volunteer organization’s less-specialized, two-year programs in education, youth, and coastal resource management.  The evaluation is slated to finish in February 2022 and will yield lessons learned that may benefit other Peace Corps Response Programs worldwide.

The Peace Corps is the U.S. government’s premier volunteer service organization and was founded in 1961 by former U.S. President John F. Kennedy in 1961.  Since then, more than 240,000 Americans have served in over 140 countries worldwide, seeking to make a lasting impact and achieve Peace Corps’ mission of world friendship and peace.

As the agency’s second-oldest program globally, Peace Corps Philippines is celebrating its 60^th anniversary this year and the more than 9,300 volunteers who have served alongside host communities across the Philippines over six decades.