Jump to Content or Main Navigation

Community Development

  • V2 Volunteerism Action Guide: Multiplying the Power of Service (PDF)

    This guide is a resource for Volunteers and their community partners to plan, design, implement and assess local service or volunteerism activities. The aim of the V2 Action Guide is to support existing or new host country volunteerism efforts. Applying a service learning approach when possible, this publication shows Volunteers how to add value to their capacity building work by helping participants in volunteer activities identify learning goals and integrate reflection (learning) in their work. Part 1 of the guide is an overview and introduction to the elements of service learning along with important cultural considerations. Part 2 is a step by step guide for creating service learning projects with suggested resources and provides a real life example of the process. Part 3 is a template that can be adapted, translated, and used by local groups or organizations to design their own service activities. This guide references specific helpful resources in many other ICE publications.

  • Participatory Analysis for Community Action (PACA) Training Manual (PDF)

    This revised manual continues to be a core resource for use in pre-service training or in-service training to teach Peace Corps trainees and Volunteers asset-based participatory approaches to community development. As in the original manual, readers learn specific tools like community mapping, transects and seasonal calendars that may be used with groups within communities to help them identify their collective resources, needs and priorities. The book also reinforces a process to ensure community members are not excluded from the planning process due to economic status, sex, age, race, religion and other factors. Trainers will appreciate the updated examples and the suggestions for integrating PACA training with other essential training sessions.

  • DPM Idea Book: Integrating Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation in Your Work (PDF)

    This practical book begins with the human impact of natural disasters, then defines roles Volunteers can play in disaster prevention and mitigation. It presents ideas any Volunteer can implement, and describes specific activities related to agriculture, the environment, health, education, youth, and small business development.

  • HIV/AIDS: Integrating Prevention and Care into Your Sector (PDF)

    This Idea Book offers practical strategies for assessing and responding to the varied needs of communities affected by HIV. Creative and effective activity examples illustrate how Volunteers can empower people living with HIV and AIDS, overcome common obstacles to HIV/AIDS-related work, and adapt other development efforts to lessen the impact of HIV/AIDS on families and communities.

  • Life Skills Manual (PDF)

    The Life Skills program is a comprehensive behavior change approach that concentrates on developing the skills needed for life, such as communication, decision-making and critical thinking. It also helps learners understand the importance of assertiveness, self-esteem, resisting peer pressure and creating healthy relationships. This manual consists of more than 50 different lesson ideas, including HIV/AIDS training sessions, that are particularly useful in working with youth and other vulnerable groups.

  • Microenterprise Training Guide for Volunteers

  • NGO Training Handbook (PDF)

    These modules describe the function of NGOs in civil society and how Volunteers can contribute to their effectiveness and sustainability. Modules discuss the advantages of appreciative inquiry as an approach to NGO development, provide a structured method (NGO capacity profile) to analyze NGO strength, build Volunteer skills in facilitation and training, and explore the role of governance and planning in achieving a sustainable organization. Optional trainer's notes are included.

  • Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Idea Book: Integrating Digital Tools Into Your Projects (ICE No. M0085) (PDF)

    This is a practical reference for all Volunteers who would like to use radio, television, computers or other ICT in their work. After an overview of ICT and the Peace Corps, the book shares examples of Volunteer and community work with ICT by sector, with additional chapters addressing how women, girls, and youth in general are using (or can use) ICT to achieve their development goals.

  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Training of Trainers: Computer and Internet Use for Development

    This publication contains a facilitator guide and participant reference manual. Together they provide a complete outline for the design and content of a basic ICT training of trainers (TOT). The content assumes trainees have a basic knowledge of computers and the Internet, therefore sessions focus primarily on enhancing participants' ability to transfer their knowledge to others. The outline is generic and should serve as a guide for trainers as they select and tailor sessions to their specific situations. At the end of the ICT TOT, Volunteers and others should be able to conduct effective computer technology and Internet training to help others better accomplish their development objectives; understand and apply participatory training methods that are effective in experiential learning situations; and learn how to tailor a training program to the needs of the audience.

  • The Exchange

    The Exchange is a women in development and gender and development (WID/GAD) newsletter published by the Peace Corps for all Peace Corps Volunteers, trainees and staff. Stories, activity ideas and photographs are submitted by Volunteers worldwide, and follow a different theme for each volume. Views expressed in The Exchange are those of the individual writers and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Peace Corps.

  • A Community Economic Development (CED) Training Guide for Peace Corps Volunteers (PDF)

    These self-study materials address how community economic development differs from traditional concepts of economic development, with a focus on helping individuals, families and communities take control of their own economic futures. The content includes helpful examples and useful techniques for increasing and maintaining citizen participation in CED, gathering community information, developing and implementing a CED strategic agenda, and monitoring and evaluating progress and impact. Optional trainer's notes are included.

  • Beyond the Classroom: Empowering Girls (PDF)

    This Idea Book, generated from Volunteer experiences, provides practical advice for empowering young women through every day activities. It promotes the use of workshops, camps, clubs, special events, and friendly conversations, which present opportunities to encourage goal-setting, positive decision-making skills, build confidence, and help girls change their lives for the better.

  • A New Beginning: The Child Health Manual (PDF)

    This extensive manual offers specific information on developing knowledge and skills to address common community-related health problems, carry out appropriate activities, and complete training in the promotion of child health and well-being. It also discusses how specific health conditions can be addressed effectively, with an emphasis on community involvement.

  • Manual de Destrezas Para La Vida

    This is the Spanish language version of the Life Skills Manual.

  • Mwongozo wa Stadi za Maisha (PDF)

    This is the Ki-Swahili language version of the Life Skills Manual.

  • Les Practiques D'Une Vie Saine (PDF)

    This is the French language version of the Life Skills Manual

  • Camp Glow: Girls Leading Our World (PDF)

    This handbook documents how to plan and conduct a Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) leadership camp. Camp GLOW helps young women define and prepare for their futures by building self-esteem and confidence, and developing skills in goal setting, assertiveness, and career and life planning. Details about organizing the camps, creating schedules, and lessons learned are shared from Volunteer experiences. The content of many camp sessions may be found in Choices: A Teen Woman's Journal for Self-Awareness and Planning by Mindy Bingham, et al, Advocacy Press, Santa Barbara, CA. 1993.

  • Promoting Powerful People (PDF)

    This manual promotes a process for helping people to help themselves, and focuses on skills Volunteers need to communicate effectively with community members. Although the manual uses nutrition as an example, most sessions require little or no adaptation to be used In other technical areas. Sessions are cross-referenced to PACA: Participatory Analysis for Community Action and Culture Matters Trainer's Guides.

  • The New Project Design and Management Workshop Training Manual (PDF)

    This manual uses an assets-based approach to project design and describes the process of helping communities identify existing resources and collectively prioritize their needs. Interactive training exercises show how to engage different groups within communities in the planning, design, and implementation of local development projects.

  • El Nuevo Manual de Capacitacion en Diseño y Manejo de Proyectos (PDF)

    This publication is the Spanish language version of the New Programming and Training Manual.

  • Le Nouveau Manuel de Formation sur l'Elaboration et la Gestion des Projets (PDF)

    This publication is the French language version of the New Programming and Training Manual.

  • DPM: Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation (Pre-Service Training) (PDF)

    This training manual introduces Peace Corps Volunteers to the impact of natural disasters, an understanding of the disaster cycle, key actions needed at each phase, personal safety during natural disasters, and community risk analysis and planning. Skills training includes field work. There are substantial resource materials on a variety of natural disasters.

  • DPM: Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation (In-Service Training) (PDF)

    This manual contains sessions and a trainer's guide for delivering disaster preparedness and mitigation training to Peace Corps Volunteers. Topics include resource and strengths mapping, analysis, and developing family and community preparedness plans. While there is some duplication of Pre-service training material, this manual provides more in-depth information about the ways that community Volunteers and counterparts can be useful before, during and after a disaster.

  • Peace Corps Programming and Training Manual

    This resource is used in Peace Corps staff training on project design, revision, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Combined, the series of booklets lead the reader through Peace Corps' programming and training philosophy and standards.

    • Booklet 1: The Basics (PDF)

      This booklet provides an introduction to the Peace Corps' international development strategy and an overview of steps that lead to good development work. It can be useful for anyone interested in: the Peace Corps approach to development; how the agency implements its development approach; how the agency designs, implements, and assesses its development projects.

    • Booklet 2: How to Design or Revise a Project (PDF)

      This booklet presents the four major steps in the cyclical process of project design and revision: Where are we now? Where do we want to go? How will we get there? How will we know when we get there? It also includes guidance for putting together the results of the design process, which is documenting the project plan.

    • Booklet 3: How to Integrate Second and Third Goals into a Project (PDF)

      This book explains the Peace Corps' three goals and how they are reflected in its work.

    • Booklet 4: How to Assess a Project (PDF)

      This booklet describes how to plan and implement monitoring and evaluation (M&E) by building on and improving current Peace Corps M&E practices. It contains examples, sample instruments and a glossary that defines monitoring and evaluation terms within the Peace Corps context.

    • Booklet 5: How to Implement a Project (PDF)

      This booklet focuses primarily on the "how to" of the four major areas for implementing a project. This includes: planning and budgeting; identifying and selecting sites and placing Volunteers; training and supporting Volunteers; and communicating with stakeholders. It also contains a 64-page collection of reference materials such as Volunteer site evaluation forms, a sample community agreement, a supervisor's handbook and many more tips from field.

    • Booklet 6: How to Integrate Programming and Training (PDF)

      This book describes how programming and training intersect and notes information and ideas on how posts can increase their effectiveness by linking programming and training in planning and actualizing Volunteer assignments and support. Sections address task analysis and competency development, training design and implementation, planning and budgeting processes and challenges of integrating programming and training, among other issues.

  • Using Participatory Analysis for Community Action Idea Book (PDF)

    Once Volunteers are trained in participatory analysis for community action (PACA) techniques and processes (see the PACA Training Manual [ICE No. M0053]), they can use this Idea Book to further their knowledge of PACA and begin to implement the concepts with their communities. This book describes how Peace Corps Volunteers can maximize the Peace Corps' capacity-building approach to development by using participatory activities to better understand the impact of gender roles and relations in community development. Most importantly, this book gives concrete ideas and examples to help Volunteers put the analysis gained from the activities into action.

  • Small Project Assistance Program: Supporting Sustainable Community Development Idea Book (PDF)

    This Idea Book is based on the Small Project Assistance (SPA) Program, a partnership between the Peace Corps and USAID that provides small grants to communities in support of their development goals. Sections discuss the program; address developing and managing a community project; and present real project stories, tips and photos submitted by Volunteers and staff - organized by programming sector.

  • Working with Youth: Approaches for Volunteers (PDF)

    This comprehensive publication for Volunteers addresses the different needs and circumstances of orphans, in- or out-of-school youth, refugees, and working youth. Volunteers' roles are discussed in working directly with youth, and enhancing the effectiveness of youth focused NGOs. Chapters lead the reader through planning, implementing, and evaluating youth activities; using appropriate tools, techniques, and games; and applying many health, education and leadership activities for youth submitted by Volunteers working around the world.

Last updated Mar 18 2009

Get Acrobat

Documents on this page are available as PDFs and require the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.

What's It Really Like?

Don't just take our word about what Peace Corps is really like. Listen to the Volunteers themselves!