Early Terminations of Peace Corps Volunteers Fiscal Year 2013
Early Terminations of Peace Corps Volunteers Fiscal Year 2013
Peace Corps January 2014
Early Termination of Peace Corps Volunteers: Introduction and Overview The Peace Corps has long recognized the significance of early terminations (ETs). When the service of a Peace Corps Volunteer (“Volunteer”) is terminated early, it represents the loss of a talented American engaged in cultural exchange and grassroots development within his or her assigned community and country of service. It also can have an impact on the relationship the Peace Corps has with the host country, since the unexpected departure of a Volunteer can have a negative effect on the Volunteer’s project and, by proxy, on the goals and objectives established between Peace Corps and the host country. Moreover, it represents a lost investment for the Peace Corps, which devoted its limited resources to recruit and train the individual. Peace Corps Manual Section 284 establishes the policies and procedures governing the circumstances under which a Volunteer’s service may end prior to the projected completion of service date. For the purposes of this report, the term “Volunteer” includes anyone who has entered on duty, i.e., both Trainees and Volunteers. Pursuant to Manual Section 284, an ET occurs when a Volunteer “cannot or should not remain in service until his or her projected completion of service (COS) date.” There are four types of early termination, each discussed separately in this Manual Section: Resignation: A resignation is a decision made by a Volunteer who no longer wishes to continue in his/her Peace Corps service.1 Medical Separation: If a Volunteer has or develops a medical condition that Peace Corps cannot medically accommodate or resolve within forty-five (45) days, the Volunteer will be medically separated. This decision is made by the Office of Medical Services (OMS) in consultation with the Peace Corps Medical Officer and, if needed, appropriate medical consultants.2 Administrative Separation3: Pursuant to the Peace Corps Act, 22 U.S.C. 2504(i), the service of a Volunteer may be terminated at any time at the pleasure of the President. The authority of the President to terminate service has been delegated to the Director of the Peace Corps. Accordingly, the Director, or anyone to whom the Director delegates
1
From Pea ce Corps Manual Section 284, 2.0. From Pea ce Corps Manual Section 284, 3.0 3 Vol unteers i nformed by their Country Di rector that they wi ll be a dministratively s eparated from Peace Corps a re given a 24hour wi ndow to voluntarily resign from their s ervice. If they choose this alternative, they are entered into the database a s a res i gnation. 2
1 |P age
such authority, may separate a Volunteer at any time purely at the discretion of the deciding official and as otherwise expressly provided herein.4 Interrupted Service: A Volunteer may be separated with interrupted service status if the Country Director determines that circumstances beyond the control of the Volunteer make it necessary for the Volunteer to leave his or her present assignment. Because the nature of circumstances leading to interrupted service are beyond the Volunteer’s control, interrupted service should not be used in lieu of administrative separation. 5 The Peace Corps’ 2010 Comprehensive Agency Assessment noted that “[t]he Peace Corps is attentive to ET and resignation rates, has a method for tracking them, and works to lower them.” Familiarity with early termination and resignation data helps inform ag ency decisions. This report presents data on early terminations for fiscal year 2013. As required by the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011, Public Law 112-57, the chart entitled Annual Early Termination and Resignation Rates (see page 3) provides the annual rate of early termination of Volunteers, plus data from the previous six fiscal years. In addition to the annual early termination rate (comprising all four categories of early termination) the chart breaks out the annual resignation rate. As resignations make up the majority of ETs (approximately 70% of the total ETs each year) and represent a voluntary decision to terminate Peace Corps service early, the inclusion of resignation information in this chart tells a more complete story of early termination trends over time. The report also includes annual early termination demographic information (see pages 4-8) for the five demographic characteristics for which the Peace Corps collects data. The Peace Corps is once again pleased to note the downward trend in ET and resignation rates has continued in recent years, and the agency will continue to closely review and compare these rates.
4 5
From Pea ce Corps Manual Section 284, 4.0. From Pea ce Corps Manual Section 284, 5.0.
2 |P age
Annual Early Termination and Resignation Rates Annual Early Termination and Resignation Rates 12% 10.7% 10.0%
10% 8.6%
8.5%
8.3%
8%
7.8%
7.3% 5.9%
6%
7.5%
6.0% 5.3%
4.7%
4%
2% 0% FY 2008
FY 2009
FY 2010
Annual ET Rate
FY 2011
FY 2012
FY 2013
Annual Resignation Rate
Calculation To develop the Annual ET rate, a dataset is created by identifying every Volunteer who served at any point during the fiscal year. The Annual ET Rate is then calculated as the number of Volunteers who separated from the Peace Corps during the fiscal year divided by the total number of Volunteers who served at any time during the fiscal year.
Annual Early Termination Rate =
(
Number of Volunteers Early Terminating in a Fiscal Year Total Number of Volunteers Serving in a Fiscal Year
)x
100
3 |P age
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Gender
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Gender
FY 2013 Early Termination by Gender 1000
10000
800
8000
576
600
7022
6000
4149 4000
400
265 2000
200
0
0
Female
Male
Female
Male
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Gender 100% 90%
80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
8.2%
6.4%
Female
Male
0%
4 |P age
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Age Group
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Age Group
FY 2013 Early Terminations by Age Group 10000
1000
9518
8000
800
663 600
6000
400
4000 2000
200
58
16
40
56
7
1
701
176
297
432
45
18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89
18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Age Group 100% 90% 80% 70%
60%
50.0% 50% 40%
30% 20% 10%
7.0%
8.3%
9.1%
18-29
30-39
40-49
2
0
0
13.5%
13.0%
50-59
60-69
15.6%
0%
70-79
80-89
5 |P age
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Marital Status 6
FY 2013 Early Terminations by Marital Status
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Marital Status
1000 800
10000
9648
8000
669
600
6000
400
4000
200
73
6
11
13
68
2000
71
1
0
761
104
77
500
10
0 Single Planning Married (Never to Marry Servi ng Married) within with One Year Spouse
Married - Widowed Divorced Peace Servi ng or Legally Corps without Separated Marriage Spouse
Single Planning Married (Never to Marry Servi ng Married) within with One Year Spouse
Married - Widowed Divorced Peace Servi ng or Legally Corps without Separated Marriage Spouse
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Marital Status 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 16.9%
20%
10%
6.9%
8.5%
9.6%
10.6%
13.6%
10.0%
0% Single (Never Married)
Planning to Married - Married Marry Serving with Serving within One Spouse without Year Spouse
Widowed
Divorced or Peace Corps Legally Marriage Separated
6
Ma ri tal Status as reported a t the time of submitting an application to s erve or upon a change to marital s tatus during Peace Corps s ervi ce.
6 |P age
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Education Level
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Education Level
FY 2013 Early Terminations by Education Level 800
10000
600
8000
511
6000
400
4000 200
6925
155
119 0
0
2
2
3
34
14
2415
2000
1
2
0
3
16
21
55 424
1169
129
0
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Education Level 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
6.4%
12.5% 0.0%
0.0%
9.5%
5.5%
8.0%
7.4%
10.9% 10.2%
8.3%
7 |P age
12
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Ethnic Code
FY 2013 Early Terminations by Ethnic Code
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Ethnic Code
800 10000
608 600
8000
400
6000
7550
4000 200
70
61
36
2
36
2000
28
1428
No Black, not of Response/ Hispanic Prefer not to Origin respond
Hispanic
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian or Pacific Islander
815
528
0 More than White, not of one of the Hispanic above Origin
16
499
335
0 No Black, not Response/ of Hispanic Prefer not Origin to res pond
Hispanic
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian o r Pacific Islander
More than White, not one of the of Hispanic above Origin
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Ethnic Code 100% 90% 80% 70% 60%
50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
12.5% 4.9%
6.8%
7.5%
7.2%
8.4%
8.1%
0% No Response/ Black, not of Prefer not to Hispanic respond Origin
Hispanic
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian or Pacific Islander
More than White, not of one of the Hispanic above Origin
8 |P age
Peace Corps January 2014
Early Termination of Peace Corps Volunteers: Introduction and Overview The Peace Corps has long recognized the significance of early terminations (ETs). When the service of a Peace Corps Volunteer (“Volunteer”) is terminated early, it represents the loss of a talented American engaged in cultural exchange and grassroots development within his or her assigned community and country of service. It also can have an impact on the relationship the Peace Corps has with the host country, since the unexpected departure of a Volunteer can have a negative effect on the Volunteer’s project and, by proxy, on the goals and objectives established between Peace Corps and the host country. Moreover, it represents a lost investment for the Peace Corps, which devoted its limited resources to recruit and train the individual. Peace Corps Manual Section 284 establishes the policies and procedures governing the circumstances under which a Volunteer’s service may end prior to the projected completion of service date. For the purposes of this report, the term “Volunteer” includes anyone who has entered on duty, i.e., both Trainees and Volunteers. Pursuant to Manual Section 284, an ET occurs when a Volunteer “cannot or should not remain in service until his or her projected completion of service (COS) date.” There are four types of early termination, each discussed separately in this Manual Section: Resignation: A resignation is a decision made by a Volunteer who no longer wishes to continue in his/her Peace Corps service.1 Medical Separation: If a Volunteer has or develops a medical condition that Peace Corps cannot medically accommodate or resolve within forty-five (45) days, the Volunteer will be medically separated. This decision is made by the Office of Medical Services (OMS) in consultation with the Peace Corps Medical Officer and, if needed, appropriate medical consultants.2 Administrative Separation3: Pursuant to the Peace Corps Act, 22 U.S.C. 2504(i), the service of a Volunteer may be terminated at any time at the pleasure of the President. The authority of the President to terminate service has been delegated to the Director of the Peace Corps. Accordingly, the Director, or anyone to whom the Director delegates
1
From Pea ce Corps Manual Section 284, 2.0. From Pea ce Corps Manual Section 284, 3.0 3 Vol unteers i nformed by their Country Di rector that they wi ll be a dministratively s eparated from Peace Corps a re given a 24hour wi ndow to voluntarily resign from their s ervice. If they choose this alternative, they are entered into the database a s a res i gnation. 2
1 |P age
such authority, may separate a Volunteer at any time purely at the discretion of the deciding official and as otherwise expressly provided herein.4 Interrupted Service: A Volunteer may be separated with interrupted service status if the Country Director determines that circumstances beyond the control of the Volunteer make it necessary for the Volunteer to leave his or her present assignment. Because the nature of circumstances leading to interrupted service are beyond the Volunteer’s control, interrupted service should not be used in lieu of administrative separation. 5 The Peace Corps’ 2010 Comprehensive Agency Assessment noted that “[t]he Peace Corps is attentive to ET and resignation rates, has a method for tracking them, and works to lower them.” Familiarity with early termination and resignation data helps inform ag ency decisions. This report presents data on early terminations for fiscal year 2013. As required by the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011, Public Law 112-57, the chart entitled Annual Early Termination and Resignation Rates (see page 3) provides the annual rate of early termination of Volunteers, plus data from the previous six fiscal years. In addition to the annual early termination rate (comprising all four categories of early termination) the chart breaks out the annual resignation rate. As resignations make up the majority of ETs (approximately 70% of the total ETs each year) and represent a voluntary decision to terminate Peace Corps service early, the inclusion of resignation information in this chart tells a more complete story of early termination trends over time. The report also includes annual early termination demographic information (see pages 4-8) for the five demographic characteristics for which the Peace Corps collects data. The Peace Corps is once again pleased to note the downward trend in ET and resignation rates has continued in recent years, and the agency will continue to closely review and compare these rates.
4 5
From Pea ce Corps Manual Section 284, 4.0. From Pea ce Corps Manual Section 284, 5.0.
2 |P age
Annual Early Termination and Resignation Rates Annual Early Termination and Resignation Rates 12% 10.7% 10.0%
10% 8.6%
8.5%
8.3%
8%
7.8%
7.3% 5.9%
6%
7.5%
6.0% 5.3%
4.7%
4%
2% 0% FY 2008
FY 2009
FY 2010
Annual ET Rate
FY 2011
FY 2012
FY 2013
Annual Resignation Rate
Calculation To develop the Annual ET rate, a dataset is created by identifying every Volunteer who served at any point during the fiscal year. The Annual ET Rate is then calculated as the number of Volunteers who separated from the Peace Corps during the fiscal year divided by the total number of Volunteers who served at any time during the fiscal year.
Annual Early Termination Rate =
(
Number of Volunteers Early Terminating in a Fiscal Year Total Number of Volunteers Serving in a Fiscal Year
)x
100
3 |P age
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Gender
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Gender
FY 2013 Early Termination by Gender 1000
10000
800
8000
576
600
7022
6000
4149 4000
400
265 2000
200
0
0
Female
Male
Female
Male
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Gender 100% 90%
80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
8.2%
6.4%
Female
Male
0%
4 |P age
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Age Group
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Age Group
FY 2013 Early Terminations by Age Group 10000
1000
9518
8000
800
663 600
6000
400
4000 2000
200
58
16
40
56
7
1
701
176
297
432
45
18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89
18-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Age Group 100% 90% 80% 70%
60%
50.0% 50% 40%
30% 20% 10%
7.0%
8.3%
9.1%
18-29
30-39
40-49
2
0
0
13.5%
13.0%
50-59
60-69
15.6%
0%
70-79
80-89
5 |P age
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Marital Status 6
FY 2013 Early Terminations by Marital Status
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Marital Status
1000 800
10000
9648
8000
669
600
6000
400
4000
200
73
6
11
13
68
2000
71
1
0
761
104
77
500
10
0 Single Planning Married (Never to Marry Servi ng Married) within with One Year Spouse
Married - Widowed Divorced Peace Servi ng or Legally Corps without Separated Marriage Spouse
Single Planning Married (Never to Marry Servi ng Married) within with One Year Spouse
Married - Widowed Divorced Peace Servi ng or Legally Corps without Separated Marriage Spouse
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Marital Status 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 16.9%
20%
10%
6.9%
8.5%
9.6%
10.6%
13.6%
10.0%
0% Single (Never Married)
Planning to Married - Married Marry Serving with Serving within One Spouse without Year Spouse
Widowed
Divorced or Peace Corps Legally Marriage Separated
6
Ma ri tal Status as reported a t the time of submitting an application to s erve or upon a change to marital s tatus during Peace Corps s ervi ce.
6 |P age
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Education Level
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Education Level
FY 2013 Early Terminations by Education Level 800
10000
600
8000
511
6000
400
4000 200
6925
155
119 0
0
2
2
3
34
14
2415
2000
1
2
0
3
16
21
55 424
1169
129
0
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Education Level 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%
6.4%
12.5% 0.0%
0.0%
9.5%
5.5%
8.0%
7.4%
10.9% 10.2%
8.3%
7 |P age
12
Annual Early Termination Demographic Data – Ethnic Code
FY 2013 Early Terminations by Ethnic Code
FY 2013 All Volunteers by Ethnic Code
800 10000
608 600
8000
400
6000
7550
4000 200
70
61
36
2
36
2000
28
1428
No Black, not of Response/ Hispanic Prefer not to Origin respond
Hispanic
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian or Pacific Islander
815
528
0 More than White, not of one of the Hispanic above Origin
16
499
335
0 No Black, not Response/ of Hispanic Prefer not Origin to res pond
Hispanic
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian o r Pacific Islander
More than White, not one of the of Hispanic above Origin
FY 2013 Annual Early Termination Rate by Ethnic Code 100% 90% 80% 70% 60%
50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
12.5% 4.9%
6.8%
7.5%
7.2%
8.4%
8.1%
0% No Response/ Black, not of Prefer not to Hispanic respond Origin
Hispanic
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian or Pacific Islander
More than White, not of one of the Hispanic above Origin
8 |P age
