Sidebar #87 - Monitoring, Reporting, and Evaluation (MRE)

Something that I referenced on a few occasions in my weekly updates is that on occasion, I have to submit project data to Peace Corps. Although my role as a Peace Corps volunteer is pretty ambiguous and flexible, as a Youth Development volunteer, there are certain types of objectives and projects I’m instructed to report. Lots of my day-to-day interactions and cultural exchanges aren’t “reportable”, but my more formal projects, particularly related to “life skills”, are. 4 times per year we are tasked with finalizing data in an online portal (known as the "VRG") for our program team’s review. We describe our projects, the certain objectives related to Youth Development that are being met, and track data points like attendance, age, and gender. This type of data is crucial for Peace Corps reporting to Congress, who funds the agency.

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