Federal Register has information on Survey of RPCVs by Peace Corps
Further Update: Virgina Burke is the FOIA Officer and when asked about obtaining the survey as well as privacy guidelines,…
Thanks for the ‘heads up’ from Joanne Roll (Colombia 1963-65)
The Peace Corps has posted the following notice in the Federal Register to gather public comment on a proposed survey designed to capture information from RPCVs about their post service life, including health status. Directions on how to post your comment is included in the annoucement. We will try and get a copy of the proposed online survey. Here is the notice:
“SUMMARY: The Peace Corps will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) for review and approval. The purpose of this notice is to allow 60 days for public comment in the Federal Register preceding submission to 0MB. We are conducting this process in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Submit comments on or before September 9, 2019.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Virginia Burke, FOIA/Privacy Act Officer. Virginia Burke can be contacted by telephone at 202-692- 1887 or email at pcfr@peacecorps.gov
Email comments must be made in text and not in attachments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Virginia Burke at Peace Corps address above or by telephone at 202-692-1887.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title: Peace Corps Returned Volunteer Impact Survey. 0MB Control Number: 0420-****
Type of Request: New. Affected Public: Individuals.
Respondents Obligation to Reply: Voluntary. Burden to the Public:
Estimated burden (hours) of the collection of information:
- Number of respondents: 997.
- Frequency of response: 1 time.
- Completion time: 15 minutes.
- Annual burden hours: 249 hours.
General Description of Collection: Information will be collected from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) through an online survey that will be administered by the Peace Corps. As mandated by the Sam Farr and Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018 (22 U.S.C. 2501; Pub. L. 115-256, section l(a), Oct. 9, 2018, 132 Stat. 3650), the Peace Corps will conduct the survey to assess the impact of the Peace Corps on the RPCV, including the RPCV’s well-being, career, civic engagement, and commitment to public service. By measuring and documenting such impact, the agency will have data that allows it to assess the continuing impact of the Peace Corps on American society, through the lives and careers that Peace Corps Volunteers build after they return to the United States from Peace Corps service.
Request for Comment: Peace Corps invites comments on whether the proposed collections of information are necessary for proper performance of the functions of the Peace Corps, including whether the information will have practical use; the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of the information to be collected; and, ways to minimize the burden of the collection of information on those who are to respond, including through the use of automated collection techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information technology.
This notice is issued in Washington, DC, on July 5, 2019.
Virginia Burke,
FOIA/Privacy Act Officer, Management.
[FR Doc. 2019-14718 Filed 7-10-19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6051-01-P”________________________________________________________________________
Here is the section of the Act mandating the survey:
(a) In General.—Beginning not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act and once every 2 years thereafter for the following 6 years, the Director shall conduct a survey of former Peace Corps volunteers.
(b) Scope Of Survey.—The survey required under subsection (a) shall assess, with respect to each former Peace Corps volunteer completing the survey, the impact of the Peace Corps on the former volunteer, including the volunteer’s—
(1) well-being;
(2) career;
(3) civic engagement; and
(4) commitment to public service.
(c) Report.—The Director shall submit a report containing the results of the survey conducted under subsection (a) to—
(1) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
(2) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives;
(3) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
Further Update:
Virgina Burke is the FOIA Officer and when asked about obtaining the survey as well as privacy guidelines, replied promptly:
“First, the best way to request a copy of a proposed survey is to submit a request to the FOIA inbox for a specific proposed survey listed in the Federal Register. We’ll assign it a FOIA case number for tracking purposes, but then provide a copy in most situations.
Please note that anything under review in the Federal Register means it’s a draft until finalized. There may be times I need to consider whether or not releasing a draft version of a survey or form may cause potential confusion for the public. For instance, if I provide a draft version and it then gets posted online somewhere, but in fact we alter the survey or form in response to a public comment. There would then be two versions; the earlier draft version I released would be misleading and inaccurate.
For your second question for getting a copy of the document describing guidelines for protecting privacy – I think you mean the Peace Corps Privacy Act rules, which are published as 22 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) section 308 (22 CFR 308). Or do you mean our internal Manual Section (MS) 297? We are revising/updating MS 897, but I’ll include the 2013 version link below, as well.
22 CFR 308: https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=6661ab32cdaa6ac918b8bbf364c37a89&mc=true&node=pt22.2.308&rgn=div5
MS 897 (from 2013; revision in process):
https://files.peacecorps.gov/documents/MS-897-Policy.pdf?_ga=2.136754037.457883816.1563144193-1671862135.1560528914“