Evaluation of International Voluntary Services, Inc.

Special evaluation covers the period to 12/81 and is based on document review, site visits to two IVS projects (one in Honduras, the other in Bangladesh), and interviews with U.S. and overseas IVS personnel. The IVS projects are very well managed, the IVS has developed strong managerial and administrative skills, and IVS"s foreign staff is well qualified and dedicated. During the last evaluation, IVS had a large deficit; now that deficit has vanished. Both the Washington and the field staffs said that IVS-Washington has greatly improved its management; all the reports and correspondence between IVS-Honduras and IVS-Washington showed each kept the other well informed. The Village Development and Training Project (VDTP) in Bangladesh has been a success. In Honduras, the IVS"s soybean development project has not yet achieved its full potential; however, the volunteers were highly praised. The IVS Latin American officer was well informed, supportive, and generally aware of all that was being done in Honduras. IVS is in an excellent position to expand its operations; a 50% increase in field staff could easily be handled by the management team. There is room for improvement in impact analysis: IVS should be much more hard-nosed in assessing the cost-benefit ratio. In Bangladesh, they succeeded in transferring both skills and a sense of mission to Bangladeshi co-workers. Both countries receive mixed ratings on the scope of choosing an in-country counterpart who would carry on the work after departure of the IVS specialist. Even though volunteers receive a comfortable income, all respondents to a survey said the term "voluntary" reflected the spirit and dedication of IVS workers" deeper commitment to the community. When offering specific skills or knowledge, IVS"s style is quiet, modest, and unpretentious. Because of this submerged organizational ego, the indigenous institutions are more likely to take control of the project allowing IVS to quietly leave after their contribution is made.