1. 1
AlanJohnson August17, 2014
CommunityHealthPCV RevisedFebruary1,2015
Madagascar 2013-2015
A Data Collection and Community Mobilization Strategy for Madagascar PCVs
I have some ideasfora strategyto help Peace CorpsVolunteers(PCVs) inCommunity Healthmultiply the impactof their
effortsandcollect projectdatathroughmobilizedcommunitymembers. Because itcaninvolve alevelof financial
investmentandcommitment,itwouldbe astrategythatindividualPCVscouldelecttoadopt. Certainelementsof the
strategymightbe applicable anduseful forall PCVs,but Ithinkthe limitedinvestmentandcommitmentIam talking
aboutcan be valuable tools toleverage muchgreatercommunitycontributioninpursuitof HealthProjectobjectivesand
goals,and more broadly,communityhealth.
My thoughtscome largelyfromthe book No MoreThrow-Away People:TheCo-Production ImperativebyEdgarCahn
(2004). While Cahnprimarilycritiquesdynamicsin the UnitedStates,histhesistouches onthe kindof workPCVsare
tryingto do developingpeopleandcommunities whilealsoidentifying failuresandnegative externalitiesof common,
oftenwell-meaningapproachesto community development.
Below, Istart witha little contextregardingPCV datacollection,describeapotential strategy toaddresscurrent
shortcomings intheoryandpractice,andfinally expand uponthe logic. BecauseIfindhispointsinteresting,butalso
because theyinformthe logicforthe strategyI describe,Ihave includedexcerptsfromCahn’sbookatthe end along
withcomments.
There are real opportunitiestoimprove PCV effectivenessand toactivate communities,butthese ideas stillneed alotof
developmenttoworkout theirpotential applicabilityforPCVs. If anything, Ithinkthisdiscussionmighthelpsome PCVs
come to a betterunderstandingof the dynamicsof communitydevelopment,maygive contexttopastexperiences,and
may leadtoideasfor future approaches. Throughhonest,critical evaluationof how we interactwithourcommunities
and of the sustainabilityof ourefforts,we will improve notonlyourabilitytoserve the Malagasypeoplebutalso the
Peace CorpsMadagascar programitself.
PCV Data Collection& Reporting
Many PCVsface difficultywiththe practical necessityof datacollection,andwe are at a pointinPeace Corps’history
whenthe agencyis increasinglypursuing quality datafromthe field.We doso muchat our sites,yetwe struggle
capturingthe bulk of ourimpact. Data collectionisnecessarynotonlyforreportingtocongressandevaluatingprogram
performance,butalsoforPCVsthemselvestoexamine the cumulativeoutcomesof theirwork.PCVsneedregular, real-
time feedbackontheirefforts tobe able toidentify hiddenfailuresandtomake improvements. Alltoooftenwe realize
errorsin hindsight, atthe endof projectsor at the endsof ourservice,whenitistoolate.
Currently,strategiesforPCV datacollectionare underdeveloped andthe qualityof reporteddatacan be questionable.
Evenwithdevelopedcriteriaforprojectindicators,the burdenof datacollection may stilltemptPCVstogenerate their
data from“gut-feeling”estimates,if theyreportdataat all.PCVswhoestimate the outcomesof theirwork may,in
effect,be evaluating(andinsome casesconstructing) theirfeelingsabouttheireffortsratherthan honestlyappraising
theirprojects.Partof the reasonforestimationmightbe that PCVslackreasonable andeffectivedatacollection
strategiesandtools.
The current guidance forPCVsinMadagascar isthat it isokayto report small,realisticnumberstoencourage themto
take more care in data collectionandtoimprove the qualityof overalldata. While goodadvice,thisisacoping
mechanismthatdoesnotaddressthe underlyingissueswithdatacollection.Itdoesnotimprove the processbutmakes
it more manageable forPCVsgiventhe current limitationswith strategiesandtools. If reliabledatacanonlybe collected
and verifiedwhenthe PCV ispresent,whenthe PCV pushesformeasurement, andwhenthe appropriatetoolsare used,
thena lot of quantifiableand qualitative PCV communityoutcomes will gounrecorded.

2. 2
Projectsummarydata forthe revised Peace CorpsMadagascarHealthProgramin itsfirstfiscal year (ended September
30, 2014) showsthat PCVsare notreportingonoutcome indicators.Asof the writingof thispaper,the HealthProgram
has 35 reportingindicators—12are outputsand 23 are outcomes.7 outof the top 10 mostreported indicatorsamong
PCVsare outputs,while 9outof the top10 leastreported indicatorsare outcomes.Five-yeartargetswere setforeach
reportingindicator,butafterone year, 13 of the 15 indicatorsnoton track to meettargetsare outcomes.Manyof these
outcome indicatorsare significantlybelow the targetedpace.
It couldbe arguedthat in the firstfiscal yearof the revised HealthProgram, itwouldbe expectedfor reportingoutputs
to be highwhile outcomesdevelopedslowly.However,the firstgroupof HealthPCVshadalreadybeenatsite 5 months
whenthe fiscal yearbegan,andthe projectsummarydata seemstoshow that evena yearlater,veryfew PCVsare
reportingon outcomes.PCVsinthe firsthealthgroupcouldhave attemptedtoevaluate arange of outcomesseveral
timesoverby the endof the fiscal year.In a HealthProgramwith roughly30 PCVs,nomore than 4 PCVsreportedonthe
outcome indicatorsrelatedtoacute respiratoryinfections,diarrhea,andmalariacare seeking.The numberof PCVs
reportingcouldbe lessthan4 if the same PCV reportedonmultiple indicators.Becausepneumonia,diarrhea,and
malariaare the leadingcausesof childmortalityinMadagascar,mostHealthPCVsshouldbe devotingalotof effortto
achievingthose outcome indicators. Sinceoutcome reportinghasbeensignificantlybelowthe expectedpace andsince
so fewPCVshave actuallyreportedonoutcomes,itdoesnotseemthatPCVsare measuringlow numbersof community
members achievingoutcomes,but ratherthatPCVsare not measuringoutcomesatall.
My firstattempttoaddressdata collectionissues wasa“PCV Outcome Tool”(May 2014). I was tryingto come up witha
wayto measure behaviorand care-seekingoutcomeswithoutaPCV havingtotrack downeachindividualwhoattended
a trainingor sensitizationevent. Suchextensivefollow upwork placesaheavyburdenonPCVs.They mustworkslowly
and methodically.Itwouldbe unfairtoshiftthatburden,evenpartially, ontoalreadystressed communityhealth
workers(CHWs). Withthe tool, I wasthinkingthatincertaincases, rural healthclinic(CSB) staff andCHWscouldhelp
PCVsverifyif peopleseekingcare hadattendeda PCV event.The datacollectiontool would nothave requiredCSBstaff
or CHWs to track downpeople,butitstill wouldhave involvedanadditionalburdenof questioningandpaperwork for
them.
I nowrealize that itis problematicwhenlookingfora solutiontotryto squeeze more outof CHWs and CSBstaff. If we
try to squeeze more andmore capacityoutof CSBs,CHWs, and PCVs,isthe product of our efforts necessarilyimproved
communityhealth? We maygetburnout,frustration, anda decrease in the qualityof care,butwe cannot gethealthy
communitieswithoutthe significantcontribution of ordinary communitymembersthemselves. Inmyexperience asa
PCV,I have observedthatmanyMalagasy are knowledgeable abouthealth,butthe failure oftenoccursinactingupon
that knowledgeineverydaylife.AnexperiencedHealthPCV toldme thatduringa trainingfor CHWs ona certainhealth
topic, she discoveredthatherCHWs hadalreadyreceivedtraining andstill rememberedit.She hadassumedthatthe
problemwaslackof CHW knowledge,wheninfactthe issue wasthatherCHWs were not activelyusingtheirtraining. A
USAID staff memberfromthe Antananarivo office made the same observation tome ona visitto mysite inAugust
2014, reflectingonthe deficienciesof pastprograms. To motivate andmobilize CHWsandevenordinary community
members asproducersof healthratherthan justconsumers orobservers,we needastrategythatincentivizes small,
feasible,internal contributionstopublichealth.
A Strategy to Induce CommunityMemberContributions
A PCV can create incentivesfor the groups withwhomhe orshe works to conduct publichealthoutreachandcollective
healthmonitoringandcare seeking. The strategycentersonearningpoints, credits,orwhateveryoumightlabel them.
For example,aPCV conductsa baseline surveyanddiscoversthatproper handwashingisnotpracticedin a community.
The PCV then trainsCHWs,school teachers,communityleaders/mobilizers,orevenordinarycitizens onthe topic,as
needed.Toearnpoints,aparticipantof the trainingmusttrain a designatednumberof otherpeople onwhatthey
learnedfromthe PCV.Theygetnamesandsignaturesfromthe people theytrainedandthensubmit the documentation
to the PCV.The PCV thentravelswiththe trainerto visitthe people whosignedhisorherlist.If a certainpercentage of
those people meetthe criteriathroughverbal assessmentordemonstration,thenthe trainerearnspoints.Becausethe
people theytrainmustdemonstrate knowledgeand/orbehaviors,the trainersthemselvesmustutilizeordevelop
informationeducationand communicationand behaviorchange communication(IEC/BCC) skillsinthe process.

3. 3
CHWs have toldme that some communitymembersare disinclinedtoinvitethemintotheirhomesandspeakwiththem
because theybelieveCHWsare gettingcompensatedfortheirtime andeffortsandthere are feelingsof jealousy. Asa
potential waytomitigate uncooperativeorjealousfeelingsamongcommunitymembers,the outreachstrategy
describedabove couldbe implementedincombinationwiththe collective healthmonitoring andcare seekingstrategy
describedbelow. Combiningthe twobyfocusingonparticularvillagescouldfostercooperationbyofferingeveryone the
opportunitytobenefit.
The strategy couldbe usedto incentivizeand measure care-seekingoutcomes asa resultof PCV trainingsaswell.For
example, agroupof mothersattendsa trainingonmalaria.Withinafew weeksof the training,achildof one of the
mothersgetsa fever.The mothertakesthe childimmediatelytoaCHW or CSB fora RapidDiagnosticTest (RDT).The
mothercan have the CHW or a memberof the CSB staff signor stamp a slipof paperindicatingtheysought treatment
(andcompletedtreatmentforRDT(+)) and depositthe paperintoa PCV drop box at the CHW’s office orthe CSB,to be
reviewedlaterbythe PCV. Toearn points,the onusison the participanttoget documentation,notonCHWsor CSB
staff. Thismethodwouldhelp the PCV distinguishfromthe general publiccare-seekerswhoattendedPCV sessions. For
care seeking,because(hopefully)individuals willnotgetsickoftenenoughtoearnample points toreach rewardlevels,
maybe ratherthan havingindividual accounts,there couldbe grouporvillage accounts sothateveryone can earn
rewards forcollective healthmonitoringand effort. Incentivizingcollective healthmonitoringwithinavillage will
increase awarenessof publichealthissuesandstrengthensocial tiesaswell. Ratherthanreinforcingselfishbehaviorat
the expense of community, thisstrategyclearlylinks individual gaintocollective gain.
Ratherthan a PCV tracking down every participant of training events to see if they haveachieved certain outcomes,this
strategy encouragesachieving participantsto identify themselves. Toillustratewhatacrucial difference thisis,consider
yourself in the above scenariosbutwithoutthe strategyineffect.Inthe firstscenario,youtrainedagroupof trainers.In
orderto measure theiraccomplishments,youwouldhave toseta date to visiteachtrainer.Until youtrackeddowneach
of them,youwouldnotknow whoattemptedthe taskandwho didnot,or whocompletedthe taskandwho still needed
more time. Trackingdownpeople cantake time,andmuch time will be wastedtrackingdownthose whodidnoteven
attempt. Some mayhave beenbusywithpersonal commitments andwere still workingtocomplete.Youwouldhave to
setaside more time to followupwiththem. Withoutapointsystemandincentives,participantshave little reasonto
conduct outreach comparedtohow theymightotherwisespendtheirtime,andevenif theydid,therewouldbe no
urgencyfor themtoreport back to you.Aftera certainamountof time,theymightjustforget. Withoutastrategyin
place,collectingdataonoutcomescanbe an inefficientandwearyingprocess.
Nowconsiderthe secondscenarioaboutcare seeking. Youface a more dauntingchallengeinfollowingupwith
participantsandevaluatingoutcomes. Youhave totrack themall down,youhave to determine if anyone intheir
familieshasbeensick,andyouhave toconfirmif theyactuallysought care and completed treatment.Wouldyoutrust
whattheyreport? Unlike the outreachscenarioabove,youcannotschedule whensomeonemaygetsick. Youhave no
choice butto survey,andre-survey,andre-surveyeveryone. Withoutastrategy,the burdensof datacollectionseverely
limitthe reachof PCVs.
Anothercrucial benefitof the strategy emergesfromthisdiscussion: achievingparticipantsdonotjust identify
themselves tothe PCV,but they each identify themselvesatthe momentthey are ready.Because pointsare onthe line
and because participantswantrecognition,theywill promptlycontactthe PCV orsubmittheirdocumentation. When
the evaluationof project outcomes inacommunity isbasedonschedulesordeadlines setbyaPCV (or byany outsider),
it imposes aproblematicframeworkoncommunitymembers. Outputindicatorsare inmanywaysaboutthe PCV:What
didthe PCV do? How manypeople were trained?How?Where?When?PCVshave ahighdegree of control overproject
inputs,activities,andoutputs.But PCVshave significantlylesscontrol overprojectoutcomes becausethey are notabout
PCVs,theyare about community members:Whatdidcommunitymembersdo?How?Where?When? Outcome
evaluationstrategies thatdonotrecognize the central role of communitymembers inthe process,andthatdo not
affordthemthe opportunitiestoachieve outcomesontheirowntermsandat theirownpace,are set up to fail. This
strategyseekstocorrect certainfundamental failuresinthe waysthatconventional strategies are often framedand
pursued.

4. 4
A PCV can act as a point account keeper.Reachingcertain pointlevelscanearna person,group,or village rewards.The
PCV can regularlyproduce “communitycontributionstatements”forparticipants,aswell asstatementsthatcompare
balancesforindividualswithincertaingroups(amongCHWs,school teachers,ordinarycitizens,villages, etc.).If people
reach certainpoint thresholds andearnrewards,pointswill notbe deductedfrom theiraccounts,butwill accumulate
alwayssothat each participant’soverall contributiontopublichealthcanbe quantified andproudlydisplayedona
“communityleaderboard.”Thismayinspire competition amongparticipants tobe the biggestcontributortocommunity
health.Beyondearningpointsforoneself orforone’sowngroup,to encourage altruism, participantscouldhave the
opportunityto donate rewards toothersor to a communitypool tohelp those inneedorto be used oncommunity
eventsorinsupportof largercommunityprojects.
Aside fromtrackingpointlevels,anaccountstatementwouldprovide ahistoryof communitycontributionactivity, in
manyways like arésumé.Itwouldnotrecognize participantsforthe passivefulfillmentof genericcommunityfunctions,
but ratherwouldrootrecognitionand praise inspecific,active communitycontributions. Forexample,CHWswouldnot
earnstatus forsittingintheirhome or office,waitingforsickpeople tocome tothem, andthentreating;rather,specific
outreachand preventioneffortswill earnthemstatus. Thismethod buildsmemoryintothe processof community
contribution;whatisaccomplished today—howeversmall—will notbe forgotten.Eachindividualachievementholds
value thatcarries intothe future,accumulates, andcontinuestobenefitthe participant.
I saidbefore thatCHWs are alreadystressed.Thisstrategywouldnotforce them orany othersimilarlyburdened
communitymembertoparticipate, butwouldcreate anenvironmentinwhichoutreachandactive contributionare
more appealing. If theircurrentsituationsreallydonotaffordthemanyspare time or efforttoparticipate inthe
strategy,thenthey wouldnotbe penalized.Butthe strategymaychange the calculusfor them, andall of a suddenthey
may findthattheydo have spare time andeffortto contribute totheircommunity.Itgivesthemthe freedomtochoose
when,where,andhowtheywanttocontribute;itdoesnotrestrictanyone to the PCV’sschedule. Thisstrategyis
designednotto“squeeze”people orincrease theirburdensbutrathertoactivate latentcapacity.
On a limitedscale,IthinkaPCV couldmanage thisstrategy.However, if the strategy hadthe sponsorshipof an
organization—whetheranNGO, a business,ora governmentministry—thatorganization couldleverage widespread
communityactionfora minimal investment. There are manyorganizationsthatcouldbenefitfrom, or thatexplicitly
strive toachieve,strong,developingcommunities. Inthiscontext,PCVswould be inprime positionto facilitate the
strategy locally inpartnershipwiththe sponsoringorganization. ProvidedthatPeace CorpsandHealthProjectgoalsand
objectivesalignedwithapotential sponsor’s,suchapartnershipcouldallow PCVstokeepdoingwhatPCVsalreadydo,
justwithnewtools andin a much more conducive environment.
Successful implementationof the strategyitself couldbe asignificantdraw foroutside organizationsorinvestorslooking
for promisingcommunities andprojects.The accountstatementsandcommunity leaderboardsmentionedabove,as
detailedrecordsof active communitycontributions,couldserve aspowerfulsupportingdocumentationingrant
applications,like astrongcredithistory, andcouldcatch the attentionof governmentofficialsandthe media. Inthis
way, implementationof the strategycould eventually earnacommunityaccessto neededresourcesand sparka wider
range of communitydevelopmentefforts.
While mydiscussionfocusesoncommunityhealth,thisstrategycould be adaptedandappliedtoothersectors. In
additiontosectorfocus,the strategycouldbe constructedwithacertainorientation:strengtheningcommunity,social
service,systemschange,helpingunderprivilegedgroups,etc. ThisstrategycanhelpPCVsachieveHealthProject
indicatorsaswell asPeace Corpsinitiative indicatorsandcrosssectorprogrammingpriorities.
Incentives
The most difficultpartof the strategyisdeterminingwhat rewardsmightbe offeredandsettingappropriatepoint
thresholdsforpoint“redemption.” Ideallyprogramrewards shouldpromotecommunitydevelopment,health,and
relationshipstrengthening.Ideally, theywouldalsocome fromorbe sponsoredfromwithinthe community.Some might
argue that thisstrategyassignsa monetaryvalue tothe contributionsof communitymembersbyequatingtheirtime
and effortwithcertainrewards.While small investmentsof differentsortsmightbe necessaryto supportthe reward

5. 5
structure,itdoesnot assignanyclear monetaryvalue tocommunitycontributions.Rather,the small investments
(rewards) are waysto leverage communityactionmuchcheaperandmore efficientlythanif communitymemberswould
be paidsalariesforthe contributions(work) we are tryingtoelicitfromthem.Thisstrategyisdesignedtoactivate latent
capacityin communities,takingadvantage of whopeople are andwhattheyalreadyknow how to do,ratherthan
turningthemintoprofessionals. Foradetailedanalysis of the significantdifferencesbetween certainnon-monetary
incentivesandmonetarycompensation,seebelow pp.26-40.
A systemof “pointbanking”would have tobe developed withcommunitymembers,andcouldbe tailoredtoreflect
differentparticipating groupswithinthe community. The particularrewardstobe earnedthroughthe programmust be
mutuallyagreeduponbetweenthe PCV andparticipants,notnecessarilycommunitywidebutbysubset.Withthe
rewardsdeterminedandthe processforearningthemlaidoutclearly,the strategywouldbe transparentandthere
couldbe neitherclaimsof favoritism towardcertainparticipants norexpectationsof entitlementtounearnedrewards.
Rewards mustbe realisticandtheyshouldpromote a“sharedvision of the world,”asCahn says. In otherwords,
ridiculousorexpensiverewardswouldbe off the table—unlessaPCV couldsecure a donationof,forexample,
computersfroman outside organization. A group of participants couldselectaparticularsetof rewardsthat reflecttheir
dreamsfor theircommunity,andthroughtheir programcontributions,theycanearntoolsor resourcestohelpthem
achieve those dreams.Once again,some mighttake issue withaskingpeople “inneed”toworkor “pay” for toolsor
resourcesneededtohelpthemhelpthemselves.PCVsshare knowledge andskillsandserve asassetstothose intheir
communitieswhopartnerwiththem.Theseare notone-waytransactionsof charity;communitiesgetthe mostfrom
PCVswhentheyworkwiththem andcreate value together.PCVsrequireactive partnerships—activecontributionsby
membersof theircommunities.
Thisnotionof community‘buy-in”isalsoestablishedinthe Peace Corps small grantsprogram throughthe requirement
of a communitycontribution.Similartothe strategyIpropose,withthe small grantsprogram, when promised
communitycontributionreachesacertainlevel,theyessentiallyearnthe releaseof fundsandresourcesforprojects.
Unfortunately,the communitycontributionrequired forthe grants couldbe entirelypassiveandundermine
sustainability;passive investmentmaygenerate communityinterest,butactive investmentgeneratescommunity
ownership.
PCVsintegrate intocommunitieswellandgraduallyestablishpartnerships;itisPeace CorpsGoal 2, and we achieve it
simplybylivinginourcommunitiesfortwoyears.Onan individuallevel,the nature of thatprocessand those
relationshipsisactive,butona communitylevel itremainslargelypassive.We are greatat impacting individualsone-on-
one,butwe are not goodat structuringoureffortstomultiplyourimpact andachieve largerscale.SuccesswithGoal 2
spillsoverinsupportof ourGoal 1 efforts,butthatis all itis—aspillover.Itdoesnotmatterhow well we integrate if the
same systemicconstraintsthatlimitdevelopmentremain.Iam notsayingthat we can or will impacteveryone inour
communities,butIam sayingthat opportunitiesexistforusto make a largerand quantifiable difference.
If there are no sponsoringorganizations,the varietyof incentivesavailabledependsonindividual PCVsandtheir
communities. Some PCVsmaybe comfortable withcertainincentivesandnotothers,ormay be able to contribute
particularknowledge, skills,orservices thatotherPCVscannot.There are manyincentivesthat PCVscouldreasonably
finance orprovide.Eachof the potential incentivesIlistbelow Icouldhave financedcomfortablyoutof myPeace Corps
livingallowance andincombinationwithotherincentivesaswell. However,whatPCVsdowiththeirmoneyistheir
choice;the amountof moneytheycouldpossiblyinvestintheircommunities throughthisstrategy, andtheirinterestin
doingso,mightbe limited. Basedonanecdotal evidence,some PCVsare already giving away incentivesattheirsites
withoutleveragingthemforcommunitymobilization. IncentivesfromPCVscanbe effective,butincentivesfromwithin
communities are ideal;they canbe sustainable andtransformational. Inthatrespect, a PCV shoulddiscusswith
interestedcommunitygroupswhatincentivesfrom withinthe communitymightbe appealingandappropriate,giving
themthe powerto choose whatthey earn.
The followingisbynomeansa comprehensive list of potentialincentives.Some maybe more appropriate thanothers
dependingonthe context.

6. 6
Incentives(things):
 Certificates
o Commendationforspecificcontributionstocommunityhealth.
 Printedpictures
o Picturesof participantsduringtrainingsessions, makingactive contributionsinthe field,etc.
o Picturesof participantspostedinpublicareas(CSB,commune office, fokontany office etc.) in
recognitionof contributions,like a“contributorsof the month”board
 School,communitycenter,oreducationsupport
o Supplies:pens,pencils,erasers,notebooks,chalk,etc.
o Materials:books,Malagasy-Englishdictionaries,worldmapposters,etc.
o Equipment:blackboards,desks,etc. (limitednumbernew orlimitedtorepairsof existing)
o Infrastructure:
 Water, sanitation,andhygiene (WASH):kabone(pitlatrine) orpartial construction materials;
tippytap or otherhand-washingstation;repairs tostructures
 Electricity:full orpartial funding forsolarpanelsorotherpower generationsystem,batteries,
lighting,etc.
o Assistance withconstructionorrepairs
 Publicsanitationandhygiene stations
o Kaboneorpartial construction materials
 The kindsof materialsneededforpropersanitationdependonthe particularregionof
Madagascar andthe particularsite.For example,atmysite inthe easterncoastal lowlands,the
mostbasic kabonecanbe builtentirelywithlocal,natural materials andwithlocal skillsand
labor.No rocks,bricks,cement,woodenplanks,nails,ortin and notechnical specialists are
needed,astheymightbe inotherregions.However,toimprove the qualityanddurabilityof
kabone at mysite, thisstrategycouldmake SanPlat,aspeciallydesignedandeasytocleanpit-
latrine floorslab,more affordableand accessibletocommunitymembers throughpartial orfull
fundingfroma sponsor,whetheraPCV or other.
o Tippytap or otherhand-washingstation
o Assistance withconstruction orrepairs
o Note:While there tendtobe issueswithownershipandmaintenance of publicfacilities, 1) if people
choose these stationsaspotential rewardsand 2) if people putinthe necessarytime andefforttoearn
those rewards,thenthose individualswill alreadyhave asignificant,active investmentinownership
overthose stations.
 CHW offices
o Miscellaneoussupplies:notebooks,pens,etc.
o Assistance withoffice organizationandsupplymanagement
o Partial constructionmaterials
o Assistance withconstruction orrepairs
 Minor road repair(toimprove accesstoneededresources:healthclinics,schools,markets,etc.)
o Partial constructionmaterials
o Assistance withconstructionorrepairs
 Breakfast,coffee,orsnacksat nextmeeting(applicabletogroups)
 Potluckmeals,withsome specialcontributionbythe PCV (applicabletogroups)
 Printedposters
 Printedchildhood nutritionbooks
 CustomT-shirts(promotinggroupormissionpride)
 Discountsfromcertain local vendorsorservice providers forprogrammembers whoachieveacertainlevel of
contribution orwhoearna minimumnumberof points eachmonth
o Discountscould be verysmall andstill be effective,especiallyinrural communities.The discountswould
not be available toeveryoneinthe communitybutonlytoprogrammembers.Evenmore,onlyprogram
memberswhoachievedacertainlevelof documentedcontribution,preferablyona monthlybasis,
couldearn the discount.So,forexample,Ihave identifiedavendorwillingtoparticipate inthisstrategy.
At the endof the month,I give himorher a listof the programmemberswhoearnedthe necessary

7. 7
amountof pointsforthat month. Onlythose membersonthatlistearndiscountsforthatmonth,and
everymonththe listresets. Thisarrangementwouldlimitthe riskforvendorsandservice providers
while potentiallyincreasingbusiness volume.
o It islikelythatvendorswouldbe unwillingtoriskpotential lossesinrevenue fromofferinganyformof
discount.Asa solution,aPCV couldoffertosubsidize the discountedamountforthe vendor,provided
that detailedrecordsandreceiptsare keptforall applicabletransactions. Additionally,thisarrangement
withthe vendorcouldbe treatedas a businessexperimentorstudy.The PCV and vendorcouldanalyze
the effectof the discount onbusinessperformance. If successful,the vendormay eventually become
comfortable adopting the discountincentive withoutsubsidization. Inthe course of the experiment,
otheropportunitiesforbusinessimprovementmightbe identifiedandimplementedaswell.
o Because discountswouldonlybe availabletoprogrammembers,membershipand community
contributionwouldearnpeople status. Participatingvendorsandservice providerscouldalsoearn
statusthroughtheirsupportof communitymobilizationanddevelopment.
Incentives(experiences andservices):
 Parties(applicable togroups)
 Learningspecial skills
o IT
o Documentdrafting
 For example, résumés,grantorprojectproposals,etc.
o Englishsessions
o Music or instrumentlessons
o Sports
o Unique crafts
 Writing(general)
o For example,writingnotes,letters,ordocumentsforsomeonewhodoesnotknow how towrite or who
has difficultywriting.
 Tutoring
 Oddjobs
 Delivery
o PCVscouldhelpremote villagesgaingreateraccesstoneededgoodsorresources.Forexample,I
conduct monthly healthycookingsessionsinaremote village 12kmawayfrom mycommunity’smain
town, whichisan additional 18kmawayfrom the districtcapital. Peanutscost800 Ariary per cup inthe
village,700 Ariaryinthe maintown,and 600 Ariaryinthe districtcapital. Withpeople inremote areas
oftenthe mostvulnerable,highergoods pricescanintensifytheirstressandforce themtogo without.
Proteinislimitedindailydietsandchildmalnutrition isaconsistentconcern, soaccessto cheaper
peanutscouldmake a difference inthe livesof villagers andhave long-termcommunityeffects.Asa
PCV,I have relativelyeasyaccesstothe districtcapital comparedtomany othersinmy community. In
exchange forparticipationinthe strategy,Icouldpotentially come toanagreementwithvendors inthe
remote village topurchase peanutsontheirbehalfinthe districtcapital anddelivertothemwhenI
conduct mycookingsessions. Tobe clear,the vendorswouldbe purchasingthe peanuts at600 Ariary
percup, not gettingthemforfree.Ratherthanprovidinganopportunityforvendorstotake advantage
of communitymembersandearnmore profit,theywouldhave toagree withcommunitymembersto
setthe price at 700 Ariary as inthe maintown.As an alternative, if Iwasfeelinglazyanddidnotwantto
travel to the districtcapital, Icouldelectto acquire peanuts inthe maintownandsubsidize the cost
difference (100Ariaryper cup),whichwouldbe minimal.Thismodel couldapplytoavarietyof other
neededgoods.If Iam alreadyspendingtimeandefforttravellingbackandforthbetweenthe district
capital and the village,the additionalefforttotransportgoods for themwouldbe insignificant forme,
but the savingsforvillagerswouldaccumulate.
 Businessconsulting
Incentives(psychological):
 Personal recognition

8. 8
o By communityleadersatpublicevents(PCVsshouldalwaysrecognizepeople’saccomplishments)
o Messagesonthe radio
o Statusearnedfromindividualsandfamiliesserved
 Regular“account” statements (personal andpublic) documentspecificcontributions

9. 9
Edgar S. Cahn, No Throw-Away People: The Co-Production Imperative, 2nd Ed.
Essential Books, Washington, D.C., 2004.
BellowIprovide excerptsfromCahn’sbookthatI findinterestingandrelevanttocommunitydevelopment. Eventhough
Cahn primarily critiques dynamicsinthe UnitedStates, Icommentonhow the excerpts potentiallyrelate tothe
experiences,work,androlesof PCVs inMadagascar and to the strategyI describe above.Myperspectiveis,of course,
limited, sothe perspectivesandcommentsof otherswouldbe neededtofleshoutthe issuesraisedandhowcloselyor
distantlytheyreflectdynamics andopportunities inMadagascar.
Cahn’spremise isthat systemicdynamics,andthe resultingwaywe are trainedtothink,devalue the contributiveforces
we need inorderto developandmaintain strongcommunities. Cahnsaysthatthe conceptual frameworkwe are taught
inthe UnitedStatesispredominantlya marketframework:toimprove qualityof life andaddressourgreatproblems,we
needmoney,trainedprofessionals,andspeciallydevelopedprograms. Cahnclaimsthatourmarket-dominated
framework blindsustothe fact that whenitcomesto addressingsocial andcommunitydevelopmentissues,the best
people forthe jobare not professionalsandthe besttool isnotmoney.Communitymembersthemselvesare the most
qualifiedandtheirtime andskills are the besttools. Because ourconceptual,economic,andpolicy frameworklacksthis
recognition,well-meaningandwell-plannedeffortswill invariablyand unintentionally producenegative, inhibitive
effectsinthe sphere of familyandcommunity. Cahnillustratesthe waysinwhichthe “non-marketeconomy”or“core
economy”—the sphere of familyandcommunity—issystemicallysubordinatedtothe marketeconomy. The result,
particularlyindevelopment,isthat oftenashardand as earnestlyaspeople tryto make a difference inthe livesof
others, fundamentally, little changes,andwe findourselves inthe same place we started.
Cahn’ssolutionistoelevate the non-marketeconomyfromarelationof subordinationto one of paritywithmarket. This
leadstoCo-Production,the recognitionthatunilateral marketsolutionsdonotwork—the active contributionof the
non-marketisessential.Co-Production meansthatteachersneedstudentstodotheirhomeworkinorder tolearnand
do well inschool.Teachersdonotunilaterallyproduce education;rather,it isacollaborative effort between teachers
and students(andparents).Co-Productionmeans thathealthworkersneedtheirpatients orfellow community
members toadopthealthybehaviors topreventseriousillnessand the needforextraordinary treatment.Health
workersalone donotproduce health.
Withoutsignificantcontributionfromthe intendedbeneficiary, manyprofessionalscannotachievethe ultimate aimsof
theirjobs.Unfortunately, preferenceformarketthinkingand solutionspervertsthe results andpreventsmanyfrom
achievingthose ultimate aims. Forexample,maybe teachersoriginallydreamed tochallengeand inspire studentsand
formthe mindsof the nextgenerationof greatleaders.Thatiswhatteachersare supposedtodo,right? But now, in
orderto advance in theirjobs,oreventokeeptheirjobs, some teachers mustbe careful nottodeviate fromthe
approvedcurriculumand have beeninstructedbyschool administrators to“give”studentspositive gradessoasnotto
angerthe “customer,”the parents.1
Similarly,healthworkersshouldultimatelydesireaworldinwhich people are
healthy, andthroughtheireffortstheymightmake the worldahealthierplace. Yetwithfocusoftenontreatmentover
prevention, tobe neededandtoearna living (andsometimestopayoff large studentloans),itcouldbe arguedthat
theyneedpeople togetsick.Some mightbe temptedto prescribe arange of overcautiousorevenunnecessarytests,
medications,ortreatments,atgreatexpensetothe patientandthe patient’shealthinsurance provider.2
Doctorsmay
alsofearangeringthe customer,the patient,fearingmalpractice claims,andsomighttendtowardpatient
appeasement.3
WhenCo-Productionisabsent orignored, we tendtogenerate results contrary tothose originally
intended.
1 “I would loveto teach but…,” The Washington Post, December 31, 2013, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-
sheet/wp/2013/12/31/i-would-love-to-teach-but/.
2 Aaron E. Carroll,“Doctors’Magical ThinkingAbout Conflicts of Interest,” The New York Times, September 8, 2014,
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/09/upshot/doctors-magical-thinking-about-conflicts-of-interest.html?abt=0002&abg=1.
3 Jordan Rau, “Doctors Think The Other Guy Often Prescribes Unnecessary Care,” NPR, May 1, 2014,
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2014/05/01/308731318/doctors-think-the-other-guy-often-prescribes-unnecessary-care.

10. 10
How dowe correctthese marketperversionsand achieveparity withthe non-market?How dowe elevate the value of
non-marketcontributionsandachieve Co-Production?Moneyisthe marketsolution, throughprogramsand paid
professionals, butmoney isaninefficienttool forthispurpose and caneasilycreate negativeexternalitiesforthe non-
market,as seeninthe examplesabove.Anotherkindof compensationorincentive isneeded tovalue contributionsin
the familyandcommunity—anothertool withdifferentcharacteristics.ThatledCahn to Time Dollars andTime Banking,
whichhas proveneffectiveinlocal applicationsinthe UnitedStatesfornearly20 yearsand hasemergedinmanyother
countries.4
Toput itsimply, withinalimitednetworkof individuals, one hourof yourtime andskills contributedto
anotherearnsyouone hourof someone else’stime andskills contributedtoyou.
For example,anelderlyman ona fixedincome mayneedhelpwithhouseholdtasks(changinglightbulbs,fixingleaky
pipes,doingyardwork,pickingupgroceries,etc.). He doesnotwanttobe a burdenonfamilyorneighbors,andhe
cannot affordtopay someone outof hislimitedincome,so beingamemberof the Time Bank network, he contactsthe
administrator. Youare in the network aswell,andyouindicatedyouare capable of these tasks,sothe administrator
contacts you to help.Youearn Time Dollarsforyourtime spentassistingthe elderlyman,whichhe earnedbabysitting
for anothermember. You,inturn,needhelpwritingabusinessplan,soyouspendyourTime Dollars gettingassistance
froma memberwithbusinessknowledge andexperience. Inthisexample,the elderlymandidnothave tobeg for
charityor be a burdento others,andhe didnot have to go withouttopay forthose services. Eventhoughhe lacked
physical strengthandmoney,he possessedskillshe couldcontribute,whichallowedhimtoearnthe assistance he
needed andpreserve hisdignity.
Cahn’sstrategy achievesakindof paritybetweenmarketandnon-marketbysayingthatthe time andeffortof
professionalscan oftenbe asvaluable asthe time andeffort they needfromordinarypeople inordertohave any
chance to succeed inthe ultimate aimsof theirjobs.Asinthe example Igave above,whyshoulddignitybe easyto
maintainforthose withcomfortable salariesandmoneytospend,when itishardto maintainforthose withlimited
income andlittle money tospend,butwhoare still capable of contributingsomuch? The elderly,the disabled,the
vulnerable,the disadvantaged,andthe poorare nothelplessobjectsof charity orindolentdrainsonsociety astheyare
oftencharacterizedfromamarketperspective. Thisperspective deniesthemdignityanddeniesthemopportunitiesto
contribute theirvastwealthof knowledge, skills,time,andenergy.
Sustainable communitymobilizationanddatacollectionare some of the greatestchallengesandprioritiesforPeace
Corps.Ideally,PCVstriggercommunitydevelopmentfromwithin,helpingcommunitiesidentifyandutilize assetsthey
alreadyhave. We all know thisishard work.It is hard work to mobilizeindividuals,letalone communities. Resultstake
time,andoftentake on intangibleforms.If achievingthe resultishardenough,capturingthe resultwithdatapresentsa
newrange of challenges. Inmanyrespects,itseemslikethe conceptbehindTime Banking—if notTime Bankingitself in
one formor another—couldmake adifference inthe workof PCVsand the developmentof individual sites. Time
Bankingissimultaneouslyacommunitymobilization,empowerment, anddatacollectiontool,whichPCVscurrentlylack
and need.Cahndiscussesnumerousexamples,acrossdifferentsectorsandfordifferentpurposes,inwhichTime Dollar
programshave successfullymobilizedprogrammemberstomeetpreviouslyunmetcommunityneeds,withthe tool
itself abuilt-informof measurement. Co-Production asa conceptisalreadyembeddedinthe role of PCVs,evenif itis
not explicatedtothe extentthatCahndescribesit.A tool suchas Time Dollarscould helpPCVsnotonlyapply Co-
Production butalsostructure it and measure itin theircommunities.
I am not arguingthat Peace CorpsshouldadoptTime DollarsorTime Banking,as developedbyCahn,orthat such
programswouldnecessarilyworkatPCV sites.However,Idothinkthat they at leastcouldprovide some toolsandbest
practices,or inspire newones, whichmightbe suitableforrural Madagascar and whichPCVsmightapply ona limited
scale.I imagine thatif there wassupportfroman outside projectororganization,alargerscale applicationmightbe
possible.
4 Time Banks,http://timebanks.org/.

11. 11
The active contributions of those “being helped” are essential for success.
“The consistentrefrainthatkeptsurfacinginall the expressionsof concern,anxiety,andfrustration[frommany
agencies] was howdifficultit wasto get and to sustain participation from thevery peoplebeing helped.The refraintook
variedforms:
--We can’t get them to turn out for meetings, even when they know it’s critical.
--We can’t get them to call for an appointment—even the ones who need itmost, especially theones who need itmost.
--We’re not charginganything.But no one comes in for help until it’s too late.
--It’s virtually impossibleto mobilizecommunity support on any sustained basis.No turnout means no return.
… Couldthere be a constant,a missingfactorthatcut across the full spectrumof social problems?Thatquestion
triggeredaninformal,highlyunscientificinquirytosee whetherthe same constantwouldcontinuetopopupin different
fields.Sure enough,itwasthere:
--Educators complain thatthey can’tsucceed if they can’t get students to do their homework.
--Doctors and health professionalscomplain thatthey can’t get patients to change their lifestyles:poor eating habits,lack of
exercise, smoking.
--Policeexplain thatthere is no way they can make a neighborhood safewithout getting people to organizesome kind of
patrol or look-out program.
--Substance abusecounselors and drugtreatment programs say,‘We can detox a person—but if they won’t go to a support
group or a twelve step program, there is no way we can keep that person off drugs or alcohol.’
--Gerontologists say,‘We can prescribepills,design a diet,replacea hip,provideby-pass surgery or angioplasty—butit
takes work by the patient to stay healthy, avoid depression,and reduce the risk of dis ability.’
--Politiciansand officialstell me they want to improve government efficiency, effectiveness, and accountability butthat—
regardless of laws passed,regulations promulgated,and money expended—without the backingand vigilanceof alertcivic
groups, nothingchanges.
--Housingauthorities describehow all their efforts to keep the buildings in good shapefail becausethey can’t get the
residents involved.
--Community Development Corporation staff say,‘We can build affordablehousingbutwe can’t build community by
ourselves.’
It didn’tmatterwhatthe problemwasor what discipline the personbelongedto;itbecame evidentthattheywere all
sayingthe same thing…:
--We can’t succeed because we can’t get the participation weneed from the very people we aretrying to help.” (20-21)
“Withoutlaborfrom the intendedbeneficiaries,nothingthatprofessionalsdocanreallywork.”(26)
Comment:PCVsfitcomfortablyinthe listabove of those whocannotsucceedintheirjobs,missions,orservice without
active participationfrom the communitymembers theyare taskedtoserve.Peace Corpsrecognizesthe necessityof
mobilizingcommunitiestoachieve sustainable gains,butasIwill discuss laterinmore detail,recognitionoftendoesnot
translate intosuitable implementation.
The job of PCVsisdevelopingpeople,notthings.Asimportantasourwork is,we cannot force people todoanything.
People alwayshave achoice.Forour jobsas PCVstobe successful,we dependonpeople inourcommunitieschoosing
not onlytolistentous, butalsoto followourexample andtochange theirbehaviorsasa resultof ourwork.It is easyfor
PCVsto focuson outputs:bigevents,publicity,murals,trainings,speeches,etc.Theyare immediate,theygenerateeasy
(andsometimesbig) numbers,andtheymake PCVsfeel like theyare doingthings.However,despite the widenetcast,it
ishard to catch manyfishwhenitcomesto outcomes.Manypeople mayrememberthe informationtheywere taught
and the trainingtheyreceived,buthowmanyactuallyact uponitin theirdailylives?
CommunityHealthWorkers(CHWs) are a prime example.Ihave conductedknowledge andskillssurveyswithmyCHWs.
I have seenNGOsconductthe same surveyswiththem.Ihave observed NGOtrainingsof CHWswhenthe trainershave
acknowledged,andthe CHWshave demonstrated,thattheywere alreadyknowledgeable.AndyetwhenIobserve
CHWs intheircommunities,Isee stillveryfeware mobilizedandproactive. EvenforCHWs whoearnestlyexpressa
desire tobe active,to domore,the impetusisnotthere,andtheyfindthemselvesstuckina frameworkthatconstrains
them.Programsdesignedtosupportandimprove the workof CHWs have beendoingthe same thingsoverandover
again,but the resultscontinue tocome upshort of the goals.Developmentprofessionalsare startingtorecognize thata
new strategyisneededtomobilizeCHWs.

12. 12
PCVsare workingwiththeircommunitymembers,butwhenitcomestomobilizingthem—convertingknowledge and
skillsintosustainedaction—we struggle andoftencome upshort. Generationaftergenerationof PCVsconfrontsthe
same problems;itdoesnotgetmuch easierforreplacementPCVs. We are missingthe full picture.Achievingpartnership
iseasyfor PCVs simplybyvirtue of livinginourcommunitiesfortwoyears.Butwe lack some of the skillsandtoolsto
turn partnershipsintosomethingmore—intoCo-Production.Co-Productionisimbuedwithasetof core values,witha
social justice perspective,thataimstoaddressthe systemicdeficienciesthatmake itso difficultforCHWs,and
communityactorsmore broadly,to fullyengage inthe sociallybeneficialwork theyare capable of doingandthat we
needthemtodo. Ultimately,asPCVswe donotneedourcommunitymemberstoattendtrainingsorbigevents,tosee
postersor murals,or to hearspeeches. We needthemtobe active anduse theirknowledgeintheirvillagesandintheir
homes,ontheirowntermsand intheirowntime.
“The historyof the past centuryor more isthe historyof the marketeconomytakingoverfunctionspreviously
performedby the family,kinshipgroups,neighborhoods,andnon-marketinstitutions—because of seeminglysuperior
efficiency.We have contractedoutas manyof the functionsof the informal economy,the non-marketeconomyaswe
can. McDonald’snowprovidesthe meals;Kindercare the daycare;publicandprivate schoolsthe education(suchasit
is);Nintendothe childcare andentertainment;HolidaySpaandGold’sGym the exercise;insurance companiesthe
protection;Medicare andMedicaidthe nursingcare—andonandon the listgoes.The superiorefficiencyof the market
turns outeithertobe illusory—ortohave hiddencosts.Itassumescontinueduncompensatedcontributionandsupport
fromthe verynon-marketinstitutionsthe marketisundermining.Employersassumethat employeescanmanage their
private livesandlive inneighborhoodswhere theycanraise theirchildrenandfromwhichtheycancommute safely.
Governmentassumesandcountsonsome minimal degreeof participationfromfamilies,neighborhoods,communities,
and constituencies.Allrelyonahidden,largelyunacknowledgedlaborsubsidyfromhome,neighborhood, and
community.Increasinglywe are comingtorealize thatthe householdeconomy,the non-marketeconomycannotkeep
contractingout functionstothe marketeconomywithoutdangerousrepercussions….The marketeconomypeddles
productsthat purportto be real substitutesforwhatfamilies,extendedfamilies,andcommunitiesproduce;theyare
not.At best,theycomplementandenrich.Atworst,theyprovide the illusionof adequacy—withthe real costforwhatis
lackingemerginglater,withamuchhigherprice tag….As we contractedout functionafterfunction,we leftemotional
ties,relationships,andvalueswithoutfunction,withoutsoil.”(114-116)
Comment:Whatdo we,as PCVs,assume aboutourcommunities? Whatdowe assume aboutthe people withwhomwe
work?SimilartoCahn’sremark,we somewhatassume butmostlyhope forthe “continueduncompensatedcontribution
and support”of individuals,families,andcommunities. We hope thatpeoplewilllistentousand understandthe value
of ourmessages.We hope thatpeople have ample time, energy,andmotivation todowhatwe ask of them “for their
ownbenefit.”Dothese hopesresemble the realitywe witnessat site?Theytendtobe furtherapart thanwe wouldlike.
The decisionsandactionsof othersare outof our control. However,the processdoesnothave tobe so tenuous. We can
take greatercontrol of the processand improve the environmentinwhichourcommunitymembersmake decisionsso
that we mightno longerhope for abstract outcomesbutratherguide people toconcrete ones.
“Cheaplabor,securedbysubordination,exploitationanddiscrimination,isnolongerthe infinitelyrenewableresourceit
once was.” (133)
“‘Howdid youtreat yoursubstitute teacher?’WhenIaskthat question,asmirkcombinedwithaslightlydemonicgrin
spreadsacross the facesof most people.Those dayswere like havingabreak.Evenwhenthe substitute teacherwas
reallytrying,noone listened.She couldtake downnamesandnote behavior;she couldthreatentocontactthe regular
teacher.But none of that wasreal to us as children.Those were the dayswhenwe wouldtrygettingawaywiththings
we wouldn’tdreamof doingwiththe regularteacher.That’sbecause itsimplydidn’tcount.Noactionhadconsequences
because thatsubstitute wouldsimplybe gone.Youwouldneversee herorhimagain.Memorydidn’texist.Ihave yetto
meetthe personwhocan rememberlearninganythingfromasubstitute teacher,ortryingtodo somethingspecialto
make a good impression.Nowtrytoimagine livingyourwhole school careerwithsubstituteteachers—orlivingyour
entire life inaworldwhere nothingyoudidhadconsequencesbecauseyouwouldneversee today’speopleagain.You
couldlie,andno one wouldfindout.Youcouldtake somethingthatbelongedtosomeone else;noone wouldevercatch
youor askyou to give itback.You couldaccidentlybreaksomething,andnoone wouldeverknow youdidit.Atfirst,

13. 13
that mightseemgreat.Butif thatwere life,yourwhole life,if nothingyoudidmattered,whywouldyoueventrytodo
anythingspecial?All thatwouldmatterwouldbe whatfunyoucouldhave,whatgoodiesyoucouldget,here andnow.If
life feelslikeaseriesof one-time encounterswithsubstitute teachers,thenwhynottreateverystrangerassomeone to
take advantage of?Take the suckerfor everythingyoucanget.Why not?That isthe worldwe live in,manyof us.
Particularlychildren,andespeciallychildrengrowingupinpoverty.That’s40 percentof the childreninthiscountry—
and we are rich;maybe the richestcountryin the historyof the world.Nearlyhalf of ourkidsare growingupina world
where nothingtheydomatters.Noone cares.No one will remember.Forthe mostpart,the chances of gettingcaught
are prettysmall—fortakingadvantage of someone,forlyingorcheatingorstealingorhurtingsomeone.That’snot
exactlyasafe worldto live in.Notrust,no honor,no restraint….Trustand cooperationbecome possible onlyif there isa
future.Then,the shadowthatthe future casts onthe presentmakestrustandcooperationinthe presentpossible….
That is whythe Time DollarYouthCourt [inWashington,D.C.] seekstoestablishanew causal relationshipbetween
presentandfuture.Priorpractice inthe Districtof Columbiawasalmostuniformlytosendayouthhome at the first
arrest.The prosecutorwould‘NoPaper’the case.Itwasn’tworthtakingit seriously.The message thatsentwas:Youget
three freebiesbeforeanyone takesyouseriously.Thatmeantthree timesgettingcaught—andwhoknowshowmany
timesnotgettingcaught. By the time a youthcame before ajudge asa firstoffender,thatyouthwasalreadywell along
a road that said:Acts don’thave consequences.Nothingmatters.Justtryhardernot to getcaught.Guess where
youngsterscanturn for thatkindof savvy?The streets.These are the youngpeople whohave seriousdiscussionsabout
howtheyare to be dressedfortheirownfunerals,whatclothestheywantonthem, andwhatkindof coffintheywant
to be laidin.For them,there isno future.There islivingnow,goingoutinstyle andmaybe,hopefully,leavingababyor
twobehind.CreatingaYouthJury isnot aboutprocessingcases.Itmeanscreatinga peerculture where itissafe tosay:
Don’ttake thatrisk.It meansgettingyouthtobelieve thatactshave consequencesandthatthey,as jurors,can help
shape the future forthemselvesandfortheirpeers.”(170-173)
Comment:Itseemsthatthere islittle memorybuiltintorecognitionof the workof CHWs. Each actiontheytake mustfit
withingenericreportingcategories,whichthengetrecordedasnumbersandfinallysubmittedtotheirsupervisoratthe
CSB, andpossibly,inseparate reportingformstoanNGO. From whatI have witnessedatsite,bothCSBsandNGOsplace
emphasisonCHWsfillingouttheirreportscorrectlyandsubmittingthemontime. Mostof the praise CHWs receive is
for doingassuch. Much lessemphasisseemstobe placedon publicoutreachandsensitization. Inotherwords,the
message conveyedtoCHWsisthat the qualityof theireffortsisnot as importantasthe mechanical processof reporting.
Eventhen,once submitted,reports oftenseemtobe forgotten;the table resetsandeveryonestartsoveragaininthe
same place. Asan example tothe contrary, Mikolo,a USAID-fundedprogramrunbyManagementSciencesforHealth,
has begun awardingCHWsvarious ranksdependingoncertainperformance criteria. However,Ihave notyetreceived
clarificationonthese criteria;theymaystill onlyevaluate CHWsonadministrative tasksandnoton communityactivities.
Why make anyspecial efforttopromote communityhealthwhenthat extraeffortwillneitherbe recorded properly nor
earnpraise?The strategyI propose buildsmemoryintothe processand increasesthe focuson the qualityof CHW(or
communitymember) contributionstocommunityhealth relative tothe currentfocuson administration. Ratherthan
otherstryingto make CHWs more like professionals,CHWscouldbe more effective byjustbeingthemselves.
PCVs are not professionals, and yet professional-client dynamics still characterize our site relationships.
ProfessionalMonopolization: “Oftenprofessionalsincapacitate citizengroups.Citizenactionishardwork.Handing
thingsoverto a professionalfeelssafe, sure—andeasier.The resultisthatpeople buyadiagnosisof bothproblemand
solutionthatissanctifiedbyprofessional expertise.”(25)
ProfessionalExploitation:“The citizenenergyneededtoholdgovernmentandprofessionalsaccountableandtoeffect
real systemicchange can readilyendupbeingsiphonedoff intoactivitiesthatsimplyexpandorenrichsystemsthatare
ineffectiveorunresponsive.Citizensandneighborscancease tobe communitypeople drawingontheirownnative
strengths,if theydevote themselvesentirelytoactivitiesthatmake professionalsthe ultimate source of approval and
validity.”(25)

14. 14
Comment:Asdescribedabove, Ihave observed thisdynamicatsite withmyCHWs. If CSBor NGOworkersare pleased
by timelyandaccurate reports, thenCHWs may focuson paperworkmore thancommunityworkto attaintheir
approval. CHWswho have beentrainedandretrainedonhealthtopicsandproperinterventions,onmanagementskills,
and on newreportformafternewreportformwill notnecessarilylearnhow toserve theircommunitiesbetter.They
will,however,learnhowtoserve the professionalsbetter.The NGOswill reportthatCHWshave beentrainedandthat
knowledge andskillshave beenimproved,butbehindthe dataandbetweenthe sporadicNGOfollow-upvisits,littlewill
have changed inthe community.
Conductinghouse-to-housesensitization withCHWsearlyinmyservice,Iwouldaskresidentsquestionstogeta sense
of baselineknowledge andbehaviors.EventhoughIwassurveyingthe residents,onsome occasionsIwouldhave to
stopCHWs from interjectingandsupplyingthe answers. Theywantedtoshow off theirknowledge tome,orto make it
seemthattheyhad trainedothers well. ManyCHWshave beenconditionedinthisway. Validationshouldnotcome
fromprofessionalsbutshouldbe generatedbythe worktheydoin theircommunitieseveryday.Constantretrainingon
healthissuesandonreporting methods keepsCHWstrappedinthe same,old,“ineffective”and“unresponsive”
framework.A newapproachisneededtobuildtheirconfidence aswellas to adjusttheirsense of towhomtheyare
accountable.
Whena USAID teamvisitedmysite inAugust2014, I witnessedthe lengthstowhichlocal NGOworkersandcommunity
memberswill gotomaskactual fieldconditionsandpractices. All of myCHWsworkout of theirhouses,withno
buildingsavailable toserve asoffices,andyetduringthe visit,theyhostedthe USAIDteaminwhattheypresentedas
well-organizedoffices.Ihadthoughtthat, inpursuitof communityhealthgoalsdevelopedwithMikolo,mycommunities
had come togetherand establishednewofficesforthe CHWs.However,when the teamleft,thingsreturnedtothe way
theyhad beenbefore.Inone village,all equipment,materials,andmedicine were movedbackintothe CHW’shouse.In
anothervillage, the “newoffice”became ashop,sellingrice aswell asalcohol andcigarettes,amongotherthings,even
thoughthe signremains identifyingitasa CHW’s office.MyCHWs toldme that theyhadbeeninstructedtomove their
officesforthe visit. Ratherthanpresentingthe conditionsunderwhichtheywork,theypresentedwhattheythoughtthe
visitorswantedto see.
ProfessionalDomination: “Citizenparticipation,whensponsoredandstructuredbyprofessionalsandorganizations,is
not necessarilyaformof participatoryempowerment.Itcandegenerate intobusy-workthatkeepscitizensfromtaking
directpolitical actiontocurb or correct systemicmalfunction. All of uscan be seducedbythe illusionof powerwe get
frombeinginvitedtomeetingsandevensittingatthe table.We needtobe waryof beingrelegatedtoanadvisoryrole.
All toooften,we discover thatwe have genuine decision-makingauthorityonlywithrespecttotrivia.”(26)
Comment:PCVshave tobe careful notto trigger“professional domination”traps. We have beentrainedonthe
terminology—we knowhowtosaythe rightthingsaboutparticipation,empowerment,communityassets,etc.Buthow
manyPCVsreallyunderstandwhatthe terminologymeansorhow toput those principlesintopractice? PCVsare not
professionals,anditcannotbe expectedthattheyare experiencedincommunityempowerment. Forthe mostpart,we
learnby doing,andittakestime.I am notsayingthat PCVshave to be or can be perfect inthisregard,butI worry that
manyPCVs are strivingtoachieve symbolic“communityengagement”whentheyconduct ParticipatoryAnalysisfor
CommunityAction(PACA) andinprojectdevelopmentandmanagement.“Communityparticipation”becomesahoopto
jumpthrough,a task to complete,abox tocheck off,ratherthan a critical process.We may be talkingaboutsubtle
variationsinthe waysPCVsunderstandandapproachcommunityengagement,but itcanmeanthe difference between
projectsuccessand failure,betweenshort-termeffectsandlong-termsustainability.
Criticismof Peace CorpsoftenfocusesonGoal 1 effectiveness,while convenientlyignoring achievementsin Goals2and
3. While we mustalwayskeepthe largermissioninmind, successesin Goals2 and3 shouldnotbecome excusesforour
real Goal 1 limitationsandfailures. Itishardfor some PCVsto acknowledgethe failureswe sometimesexperience inour
effortsandwithour methods, butfailure isafactof life forall PCVs.We shouldevaluate ourselvesoneachgoal
individuallyandearnestlystrive toimprove ourperformance.We shouldhonestlyevaluate ourselvesonhowwell we
reallyinclude andempowerourcommunities.

15. 15
There seemtobe twocompetingcurrentswithinPeace Corpsregardingthe pursuitof Goal 1 by PCVs,andit isunclear
to me if theycan be reconciledorif Peace Corpsis currently pushinginone directionmore thanthe other. AsIsaid
before,PCVsare notprofessionals.PeaceCorpscannottrainPCVsto be technical expertsorgive themall the answers.
The beautyof the Peace Corpsmodel isthat communitiesprovidethe traininggroundaswell asthe trainers. Itisa slow,
bumpy,andcomplex developmental process.The traditional PeaceCorpsapproach primarilyemphasizes the personal
and professional developmentof PCVs.Once PCVs andtheircommunitiesare finallyready,thenthe reallyimportant
workcan potentiallybegin. The drawbackisthatPCVsoftenreachthisstage of confidence andcompetence withtheir
close of service alreadyonthe horizon.Inthe July2014 Peace CorpsMadagascar post newsletter,one of the featured
“LessonsLearned”froma HealthPCV stated:“I've noticedthatmy confidence,mylanguage skills,andmyorganization
seemtohave come a little toolate aswell.Iguessthat'sthe interestingthingaboutPeace Corps,once youhave the
smarts andfeel comfortable it'sabouttime toleave”(15). Time isshortto applythe lessonslearned.PCVscertainly
benefitgreatlyfromtheirservice,butdotheircommunities—ratherthanselectcommunitymembers—benefittothe
same extent?
There iscurrentlya competingpushto“professionalize”the Peace Corps,asmanyhave commentedparticularly inthe
wake of the agency’s implementationof areformedapplicantstrategy. PCVsalreadyhave beenexperiencingthispush
inthe formof enhanced datacollectionand dataqualityefforts,betterdefined projectobjective indicatorsandcriteria,
and an improved VolunteerReportingForm(VRF) platform.More andmore emphasisisbeingplacedonGoal 1. Pushing
for improvementsindatacollectionwillnotimprove performance onGoal 1. It maycapture more outputs (more stuff
done),andmake PCVsappearbusier,butsustainability,outcomes,andimpactwill remainuncapturedandsubjectto
the same limitationsasinthe past.
I wouldask:What, specifically,are we strivingtoaccomplishthroughGoal 1? Are we takingthe right approachand using
the necessarytoolstoget there? IsPeace Corpsmainlyadevelopmental experience forfuture development
professionals,with “actual”developmentcomingaboutlate inservice, incidentally,oryearslaterwithanotheragency?
Thoughit mightsoundlike Iam beingharsh, Iam a firmbelieverinPeace Corps.Ijustthinkitisnecessaryto take a
critical lookat our understandingof whatwe shouldbe doingand compare itto whatwe are actuallydoing.
“In our effortstodeal withsocial problems,programskeepcrashing.We keeptryingtofix them, upgrade them,reinstall
them.But itbecomesclearerandclearerthatthe problemisnotwiththe programs;it isthe operatingsystemthatis
malfunctioning.More andmore of the thingsthatfamiliesandneighborhoodsusedtodoare notbeingdone —orare
gettingdone bymuchmore expensive,cumbersome,specializedagenciesthatare not designedorstaffedtohandle all
the thingsthat familiesandneighborhoodsusedtodoforthemselves.There were alotof thingswrongwiththe old
operatingsystem—butformuchof the past millennium,itworkedreasonablywell.If we are goingto be honestaboutit,
we will have toadmitthat the oldoperatingsystemworkedaswell asitdidbecause itwasheavilysubsidizedbythe
subordinationof womenandthe exploitationof minorities,immigrantsandchildren.Ittookalot of free laborand
cheaplabor to keepthatoperatingsystemgoing.Asidealsof equalityandopportunityemerged,asjobsopenedupfor
women,ascertainformsof discriminationandexploitationbecameunacceptable,thatlabor ceasedtobe available on
the same quantitative andqualitative terms.The lure of the marketandthe apparentrewardsof employmentempty
the kitchentable,the home,the neighborhood,whole communities,wholeregions.The arbitrarylimitationsbuiltinto
that oldoperatingsystem are nolongeracceptable.We needanew operatingsystemforoursociety,one builton
equalityandreciprocity,onmutualityandcaring….We are currentlytryingtofix the oldoperatingsystemwith
specializedprogramsoperatedbyprofessionalssupportedbymoneyandoperatingwithinthe constraintsof the market
economy.Sowe ask schoolstotake over the role of families,police totake overthe role of neighbors,the healthcare
systemtofunctionas a supportsystem,andspecialized,publicinterestadvocacygroupstofunctionas the equivalentof
an alert,engagedcitizenry.”(54-55)
Comment:We have newideaafternewideatoaddresssocial problemsandcommunitydevelopment,butwe rarely
alterour fundamental approach.Asaresult,we have seenmanyissuesfail toimproveorinfact getworse.Entrepreneur
and activistDanPallottasaysthat our model foraddressingsocial issues
doesn’tseemto be working.Why haveour breastcancer charitiesnotcomecloseto finding acurefor breastcancer,or our
homeless charities notcomecloseto endinghomelessnessinany major city? Whyhaspoverty remained stuck at12 percentof
the U.S. populationfor 40 years? And theanswer is,thesesocial problems aremassivein scale,our organizationsaretiny up

16. 16
againstthem,and wehavea belief systemthatkeeps themtiny.Wehavetwo rulebooks.Wehaveonefor thenonprofitsector
and onefor the restof the economic world.5
See commentonthe limitationswe place onourselvesin addressingsocial anddevelopmentissues p.28.See alsoCahn’s
claimabouthungerand homelessnessrates p.37.
“Professionalsdrivingnice cars,carryingcell phones,andgoinghome tothe suburbsat 5 p.m.will have ahard time
askingforsacrificesfrom people theyare seekingtohelp.Whoare theyto preachsacrifice forthe goodof others?
Professionalsgetupsetwhenthosetheyare tryingtohelpdon’tshow upfor meetingsorappointments.Butwe know
whogetspaid to attendthose meetingsandwhodoesnot.Andwe know whose liveshave atleastthe structure of an
eight-hourdayanda regularpay checkand whose donot.”(57)
Comment:PCVsare notprofessionals,though manyMalagasy donot believe us.We donot drive nice cars…but rather
reallynice Peace Corps-issuedbikes,whichourcommunitiesknow were notcheap. We carry cellphones,though
increasinglytheyare smartphones, oftenalongwithtabletsandlaptops. We docommute tomost of the villageswhere
we work,and we do try to get home before dark. We do ask forsacrificesfrompeople,tothe extentthatbehavior
change can entail sacrifice. PCVsare notsurprisedbylow attendance atmeetingsandevents.Itistrue,we get“paid”to
do all of the thingswe are doing,butno one is compensatingourcommunitymembersforthe contributionswe askof
them.Many inour communitieshave toworkwhenevertheycanandas longas theycan, day afterday,to earn a living.
PCVshave the luxuryof a monthlydepositintheiraccounts,whichincludesmoneyforleisure activities. We maynot
broadcast these differencestoourcommunities,butmanypeople notice. Integrationinourcommunitiestempersthe
negative effectsof these differences, butwe willalwaysbe well-offcomparedtothose aroundus. It doesnotmatterif
we seta greatexample forourcommunitiesif theyhave littleopportunityorincentive tofollowitandto contribute in
the wayswe needthemtocontribute.
Regardless whatwe believeandsayaboutthe role of PCVsat theirsitesandindevelopment,we canneverfullygetrid
of the professional-clientdynamicunderlyingPCV-communityrelations.The mere factthatwe are PCVsmeansthatwe
come to our siteswithspecificgoalsandobjectivesthatwe are tryingtoobtainwithand fromour communities. We
have a certaindegree of control overoutputreportingindicators,butwe have littlecontrol overoutcomes.We have to
addressthe dynamicsof our relationshipwithourcommunitiesinordertogetpeople tocontribute willingly andachieve
outcomes.
NewlyinstalledPCVsare oftenwelcomedbytheircommunitiesasif theyare professionalswhohave come toprovide
(free) services.Whenthatbubble isburst(“No,I’mnota doctor.No,I don’thave lots of moneytospendor medicine to
handout. No,I can’t snapmy fingersand buildnew clinicsandschoolsorrepairroads.”),we findthatthe percentage of
people whoare willingto mobilize andworkwithusdrops.The incentivesforcollaborationseemweakanddonot
outweighthe pressuresandrequirementsof everydaylife. There issomethingmissing,andthe resultisthatinsteadof
communitiesdevelopingandbecomingself-sufficient,theystaythe waytheyare and remaininstatesof dependence.
The problem?Whenitcomesto priorities,payingworkcanoftenoutcompete family andcommunity workforpeople’s
time andeffortbecause of howsome of us tendto assignvalue. CHWsgetpaida little,occasionally,toworkevents,
attendtrainings,andsell certainmedicines.There isacertainlevel of value accordedtothe positionof CHW,butthat
value doesnotextendtoregularoutreachwork.They getcompensatedtotreatpeople andsometimestosurvey
households,butnotto expendthe efforttotrack people downand seriously promote illnessprevention.Inotherwords,
they getcompensatedenoughtosit,butnotto go. In thisway,some CHWs do notpromote improvementof public
healthbutmerelyexpanddiagnosisandtreatmentcapacity.Whenthe workrequiredforcommunitiestoimprove
themselvesis definedas a burdenof civicdutyand earnsno rewardcomparedto whatpeople are alreadydoing,the
tendencyisforthingsto staythe same.
A groupof foundationexecutivesall notedsomethingtroubling:“Everytime foundationspickedaproblemtotarget,the
problemseemedtogetworse!Overtime,the groupdevelopeditsownanalysisof whattheysaw happening.They
5 Dan Pallotta,“The Way We Think About Charity Is Dead Wrong,” March 2013,
http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong/transcript?language=en, 2:25-3:10.

17. 17
labeledthe institutionsandorganizationsthattheyfunded Squares.Hospitals,universities,communityservice
organizations,volunteerorganizationswereall ‘Squares.’ Theylabeledthe people incommunitywhoclustered
informallyintoaffinitygroupsandgrassroots associations Blobs.The Blobsseemedtohave the energy,the vitality,the
contacts,the gossip,the networks thatwere neededtodeal withthe problems.Butthe moneyinvariablywenttothe
Squaresbecause the Squaresknewhowtomanage it,account forit, spendit.Theyhadthe accountants,the
bookkeeping,the tax-exemptions,the equipment,the institutional capacity,the expertiseandthe presumptive
competence.The problemwasthatnomatterhow much the Squarespromisedtoreachout inthe communityandget
at the rootcausesof the problems,the Squaresnevergotthere.Theyreallyweren’table togettowhere the problems
were or mobilizethe energyof the community.A gulf separatedthe Squaresfromthe Blobs.”Theytriedpartnerships
withthe Blobs,butstill “the Squareskeptthe moneyand dominatedthe scene—throwingafew crumbsto the Blobs,
puttinga fewrepresentativesonthe Board,hiringsome ‘natives’asoutreachworkers.Butthe partnershipapproach
didn’tseemtopayoff as a wayto capture the energyof the Blobs.The nextstepwasan obviousone:Give atleastsome
of the moneydirectlytothe Blobstosolve the problem.Butwhenthatwasattemptedinthe formof grants and sub-
contracts, somethingstrange occurred:The Blobswere requiredtoturnintolittle Squaresinordertogetthe moneyand
account forit…. By the time [the Blobs] jumpedthroughall [the] hoops,theyhadceasedtobe Blobs.Handlingall the
reportingrequirementsandotheraccountabilitydemandsmeantthere wasnotime orenergytobe what theyhad
been….The Blobshave somethingthe Squaresneedif the Squaresare tomake effectiveuse of theirspecialized
expertiseandtheirinstitutional resources….If fundersreallyvaluewhatBlobscando,theydon’thave to give thema
grant and turn themintoaccountants.If theyearnthe Time DollarsbybeingBlobs,it’slike awalkathon.Walkersdonot
receive minimumwage.The purpose istocreate a wayin whichpeople canraise moneyforacause or an organization.
You start withwhatpeople cando,not whattheycan’t do. Walkathonsdonotrequire walkerstobe jumpersor
sprinters.It’senoughthattheycando what theydo….Time Dollarsenable Blobstofunctionasearnersintheirown
right.The BlobAssociationcanthenhave the choice of buyingwhatitneeds fromthe Squares.”(83-85)
“Giventhe talentsinvolvedingenuine communityleadership,how muchsense doesitmake toinvestlarge amountsof
resources tryingtoturn grassrootspeople intoparliamentariansoraccountants? Evenif we assume thatcapacity torun
a meeting,developanagenda,andhandle disputesisimportant,intheirabsence these ‘deficiencies’are oftenusedas
the basisfor deferringimplementationof aprogram. ‘Training’canbe usedto postpone anyshiftingovernance power
until the moneyisvirtuallyall gone.Technical assistance caninvolveafixationonwhatpeople can’tdoanddon’tknow
howto do—ratherthanbuildingonwhattheycan doimmediately.Muchof technical assistance andtrainingisjustified
as ‘teachinga persontofish.’Itrepresentsaninvestmentincapacitybuilding.Anassetperspective doesnotdispute
that trainingandknowledge are valuable.Itdoes,however, questionwhetherthere isanimplicitdevaluingof what
people canalreadydo,andan unnecessarydelayingettingonwithcritical objectives.”(93)
“People gointothe helpingprofessionsbecause theywanttohelpothers.Butthatmeans theyare lookingatpeople
throughone verynarrow lens:‘Doyouhave a needthatI can helptofill?’That’snotevil.Butitis the equivalentof
alwayslookingatthe emptypart of the glass….If we wantto fulfill ourowncommitmenttomake a difference inthe
livesof others,we needtofindaway to use ourexpertise tounleashthe capacityof the personwe are helping.”(94)
Comment:Thisisthe reasonwhyoutcome indicatorsare so importantforPeace Corps.If PCVsmostlyworkon outputs,
thentheyare notusingtheirexpertiseandnotunleashingthe capacityof people intheircommunities.HealthPCVs
wouldsimplybe substitutesforCHWsor otherhealthworkers, notimprovingthe waythingsare done andthe way
thingsare but doingthe thingsthe same way andleavingthingsthe waytheyare.
“Clientsandcommunitieshave decadesof experience inbeinglabeled‘atrisk,’disadvantaged,targetpopulations,urban
renewal sites.Sometimesthe language getsmore positive: model cities,empowermentzones….Butthe bottomline is
alwaysthe same:youget resourcesbypresentingyourneeds.Youlearnhow topackage themcreativelyfordifferent
audiences. The typical NeedsAssessmentorProblemStatement(the type requiredbyfoundations) findswhatone
mightexpect:unemployment,truancy,brokenfamilies,gangs,slumhousing,illiteracy,crime,childabuse,graffiti,
mental disability,leadpoisoning,drop-outs,andanimpossiblyheavycaseloadforsome beleagueredhelping
professionals. Focusingonneedsorproblemsmeansfocusingondeficienciesratherthanstrengths,resources,and
capacities.The deficitperspective prevailsasthe defaultmode of definingreality.Itisfashionableto paylipservice to
assets—butwithoutinternalizinghowwrong-headedadeficitperspective canbe or doingthe hard workof figuringout

18. 18
howa true assetperspective wouldbe operationalized….Fundinginvariablyseemstogoto professionalsandagencies
who‘own’the problem,define the ‘proper’intervention,andthereforeownthe resourcesneededforthe solution.In
orderto secure resources,leadersdemonstrateleadershipbydefiningtheircommunitiesintermsof problemsand
needsandby characterizing constituentsintermsof deficiencyandincapacity.A needsassessment [andaneeds
perspective] shiftspowertothe professionalsandawayfromneighbor-to-neighborrelationships.Keysurvival
relationshipsbecomethose controlledbyexperts—thesocial worker,healthprovider,funder. Improvementis
dangerous;itcan bringabout a lossof funding.Continuedfundingdependsonaproblemgettingworse,becomingmore
intractable.Otherdestructive consequencesfollow.A needsassessmenttendstofocusall fundingonsurvival rather
than capacitybuilding.Once onthattreadmill,itisalmostimpossible togetoff;all energy isinvestedinsimplystaying
where one is.”(94-95)
Comment:Manyof our communitieslackfinancial wealth.Withoutmoneytoobtainthings,needitself takesonthe
character of currency. Neediswhat winsthe audience of outsideorganizations.Needishow communitiesobtain
resources.Needishowimpoverishedcommunitiesbegintodefine themselves.PCVsanddevelopmentprofessionals
increasinglytrytofocuson assets,butno matterhow hard we try, the conversationinvariably startswithneeds.Thisis,
admittedly,adramaticdepictionof dynamicsinsome of ourcommunities.However,the cumulative effectsof these
dynamicsare significantandlongterm.
I imagine thata needsperspective inacommunityislike acommunityafflictedbychildhoodmalnutrition.Childrenmay
not be starving,butif the nutritional qualityof theirdietsislackingandremainsunaddressed,there will be inhibitive
effectsonthe communityforgenerations.Inthisway,moneyislike anunbalanceddiet fora community—itisvary (rice,
the Malagasy staple);we mayfeel fullona dietof money, soto speak, butwe cannotgrow and be healthyonmoney
alone.We needtoincrease the relative valueof humanassetsandactivate themtobreakthe holdof a needs
perspective. We needtoreclaimthe value due topeople. Communityisalivingthing;moneycannotbuyit—people
have to create it and maintainit.Communities needabalanceddiet;theyneed vary andlaoka (foodeatenalongwith
rice).AsPCVswitness,manyinourcommunities,bothliterallyandfiguratively,occupytheirplateswith vary butvery
little laoka.A change inperspectiveisneeded.
Rightnow, more people thannotinour communitiesmightsayaglassis half empty.Promotinganassetperspective
doesnotmean thatpeople shouldsee the glassashalf full.Itmeansthatwe shouldrecognize thatit’sbothhalf empty
and half full;there’sabalance.We cannotmake needsdisappearbyfocusingonassetsinthe same waythat assets
seemtodisappearwhenwe focusonneeds.AsCahnsays,we needtoachieve a kindof parity.We needa strategyand
toolsto helpanassetperspective compete withaneeds perspective andtomobilizecommunitiesinpursuitof
sustainable development.
Whenneedsassessments“focusonindividualsorfamilies,successinmeetinganeedtranslatesintoExodus—movingto
a betterplace—ratherthanbuildingthatcommunityandtransformingitintoaplace to live andcontribute.”(95)
Comment:One wayinwhichPCVslike topromote youthdevelopmentisthrough youthcamps,oftenGirlsLeadingOur
World(GLOW) camps.While these campscan reallyempowerandteachgirlsvaluable skills, PCVsoftendonotconsider
the difference betweenempowerment onanindividual scale and empowermentonacommunityscale. Itisgreat to
empowergirlstobe healthyandto pursue ambitiousdreams.We wantthemtostudyhard, go to college,andpursue
goodcareers.A consequence of individuallyfocusedempowermentisthatthe home communityoften getsleftoutof
the picture and remainsdisempowered. Individualsfromrural communitieswhosucceededtendtobe those wholeftto
pursue opportunityanddid notcome back. It isbraindrain.The brightest,the mostskilled,andthose withpotential
tendto getextracted. Everyone shouldhave the opportunitytogrow and to succeed.A girl has everyrightto be
empoweredandtopursue herdreams.However,Ithinkwe shouldencouragethe individualswe seektoempowerto
keeptheircommunitiesinmind. Intheirpursuitof empowerment—withthe skillstheydevelopandthe resourcesthey
may findtheyhave accessto—theyreallycould be catalystsforcommunitydevelopment.The strategyIpropose seeks
to empowercommunitymembers tobe assets fortheircommunities ratherthandrainingacommunityof assetsonce
theyare developed.

19. 19
“Everytime it comesdowntothe redefinitionof work,Ihita wall.I winthe argument—butthat’sall.Time andagain,I
have asked:‘Howessential isthisparticipationyouare seekingtogetfromthe client?How critical ishisor her
involvementtothe outcome youare fundedtoget?’ The answerisalwaysthe same:‘It’sabsolutelyessential.Without
theirparticipation,we can’tsucceed.’The follow-upquestioniswhere Ilose them:‘If yousayit’ssoimportant.If it’s
absolutelyessential toachievewhatyou’re being paidtodo,whydo you call itparticipation?Whydon’tyoucall it
work?’At thatpoint,theireyesglaze over.The brainshutsdown.Immediatelywe are backinthe zero-sumgame of
market,money,andscarcity.Work means‘they’getmoney.There simplyis nowayone can get enoughmoneytopay
everyone forthe laborthatis needed—andeventryingitateeny-tinybitwouldcreate adangerous,life-threatening
precedent.Inthatmindset,itishardto get recognitionoracknowledgementof the factthat if successis dependenton
that labor,thenan unwillingnesstocall itworknecessarilymeansone iscountingongettingitfree. One canbargain
abouthiringone or two outreachworkersfromthe community,puttingafew ‘client-consumers’onanadvisory
committee—butcallingitwork,never.”(124-125)
Comment:AsPCVswe try to getpeople tocontribute voluntarily toourprojectsand ourcommunities,butwe implicitly
treat those contributionsas“notwork”whenwe know andtheyknow that it certainlyis. Itisstrange that inaccounting
for inputsforgrant-fundedprojects,we are requiredtoassignvalue toall formsof labor,whetherpaidoras community
contribution.Yet,inourdaily activitiesandprojects,whenmoneyisnotinvolved,we donotrecognize inputtedlaborin
the same way. Inotherwords,whenmoneyisavailable,we seemwillingtorecognize all contributionsof time andeffort
as “work,”but whenitis notavailable,we resistthatlabel possibly forfearthatitmightundermine ourefforts asPCVs.
We shouldalso considerhowwe asPCVsare influencedbythispaid-voluntary,work-notworkdynamic. Before Peace
Corps,I servedasan AmeriCorpsVISTA,andbefore AmeriCorps,Ihadbeenvolunteeringfull-timewithseveral local
organizations inthe Washington,D.C.areawhile searchingforjobopportunities. Mylocal volunteeringexperience was
fulfilling,butmyprioritywassupposedtobe findingajob(earninganincome),andfull-time volunteeringwithoutany
formof tangible compensationwasnotsustainable. IthendiscoveredAmeriCorps andPeace Corps,opportunitiesto
continue full-time volunteeringinservicetomycountrywhile alsoreceivingtangible,thoughminimal,compensation.
“True” volunteeringwasnotsustainableforme,butprogramslike AmeriCorpsandPeace Corpsthatrecognize the value
of volunteerworkandmake full-time commitmentpossiblewere notonlysustainablebutmore appealing.Thismaybe
a significantmotivatingfactorformanyconsideringnationalservice.
Why wouldthe same motivationaldynamicnotapplyat PCV sites? PCVstryto generate sustainablesystemsand
outcomes.The participation,labor,orcontributionswe needfromourcommunitymembersmightnotbe sustainable
for themif we ask themto be “true” volunteers.However,if we pursue astrategy thatmakesthose contributionsboth
appealingandsustainable, we maysignificantlyimpactourcommunities. Unwillingnesstorecognize all formsof
contribution aswork, andcountingon gettingthatlaborfor free,meansthatwe make itdifficultforpeopletodothings
on theirowntermsand intheirowntime.Asoutsiders,we oftendefine the terms,setthe framework,andtryto
persuade otherstoact withinthose constraints.Those constraintshave real consequences.Itmaybe time we loosened
them.
“Believinginclients,recipients,at-riskgroupsdoesnotmeanwe mustrequire themtostartfromignorance,devoidof
all accumulatedknowledge,andreinventthe wheel.We need professionalsandwe shouldvalue whattheyhave to
offer.Atthe same time,we shouldbe clearthatprofessionalswillnotraise children—familieswill.Anddespite their
flaws,we shouldaffirmthe capacityof ‘uncertified’and‘unlicensed’parents,mentors,caregivers,tutors,peersupport
groups,and neighborhoodblockassociationstodowhattheydo supremely—andindeed,uniquely—well.Co-
Productiontranslatesintoamandate tocreate new hybridsthatmake use of both andthat do not give all the resources
to the professionals while dumpingthe face-to-face workonfamilies,neighbors,friends.Theyneedresourcestoo—and
theyneedcompensationinsome form.We have tostop pretendingthatworkineithereconomy,marketornon-
market,can be done withoutresources.”(134)
Jill Kinney,directorof afamilycrisisprogramwithCatholicChildren’sServices,createdaprogramcalledHomebuilders—
keepingateamof social workersalwaysoncall—tohelpfamiliesthroughcrisesandtostrengthenthem. The program
was gainingwidespreadacclaim.However,she startedtorealize thatthere were flawswithherprogram, stemming
froma reliance on professional intervention ratherthanbuildinginformal supportsystemswithincommunities.When

20. 20
she wentpublicwithherobservations,she wasremovedfromthe organization. “Jill daredtoobserve that manyof the
tasksperformedby Homebuilders donotrequire aMaster’sinSocial Work. Andshe couldprove itbecause she wrote
the bookon what Homebuildersdo….Inherclassictext,KeepingFamiliesTogether,she hadsharedanobservation:
‘Clientsare oftenthe mostwillingtoshare informationwhenthe twoof usare involvedinconcrete tasks,suchas
washingdishesorwaitinginline atthe welfare office.Teenagersare famousforopeningupwhilebeingdriveninacar.’
Why were social workersthe onlyoneslicensedtouse thatinsight?Whynottrain people withoutgraduate oreven
college degreestouse thatknowledge?Fromaprofit-and-lossperspective,thatwasa threateningidea.Howcould
anyone withoutaMaster’sin Social Workbill an hourof washingdishesasaprofessional consult?Oldfriendsand
professionalacquaintancesbecame concerned.Jill hadobviouslylostsightof whatothersthoughtshouldbe hertrue
purpose inlife:tofindanewway to bringrevenue toheragencyandto generate employmentformore andmore
licensedsocial workers. ”(134-137)
Comment:PCVs ideally are like the informal social workers Cahndescribes,buthow well dowe build“informal support
systemswithincommunities”?Howdowe know?Currently,we mostlyonlyhave anecdotalevidence. Outcome
reportingindicatorsattempttomeasure the effectivenessof PCVsinthisregard,andyetthe toolsfordata collection
and limited. Throughthe strategy Ipropose,we wouldgeneratequantifiabledataandactuallybe able to measure
supportive communityinteractions.
“In Miami,the Annie CasseyFoundationhadmade amulti-year,multi-milliondollarinvestmenttotransformurban
mental healthservicesforLatinochildren.The proposal hadmetFoundationspecifications—butthenproposalsalways
do.It promisedtoshiftmental healthfromamedical treatmentmodeltoa holisticmodel thataddressedprevention
and educationaswell ascrises—anditpromisedtoenlistthe communityinanefforttocreate a neighborhood
environmentdesignedtosupportthe developmentof mental health.All the trappingsneededwere there:evidence of
grassrootssupport,plansfora parentscouncil,commitmentstocommunityempowerment.Bythe time the granthad
passedthe midwaymark…professional servicesandstaffingwere absorbingmostof the funding.The systemchange
that had beenpromisedtothe communityandenvisionedbyfunderssimplywasn’thappening….There were lotsof
meetings.Communitypeople were toldtheywere beingtrainedtoassume governingauthority—butfirsttheyhadto
learnhowto do budgetingandinterpretby-laws.Itseemedlikelythatbythe time theywere ready,theywouldinherit
an organizationwithnograntmoneyleft.Hostilityescalated.There werelotsof meetings.Interactionbecame abattle
of attrition.Professionalswinthose battles.Theyearntheirsalariescomingtomeetings.That’stheirjob.Community
folkshave tosacrifice,find babysitters,change appointments—andsomehow freeuptime inliveswhere the only
certaintyisan unexpectedcrisis….Professionals,tryingdesperatelytomeetvastunmetneedsinanunfriendlyworldare
trapped.Eversince the participatoryrevolutionof the 1960’s, professionals,caughtindysfunctionalorganizations,have
learnedhowtofunctionasflack-catchers.Theysaythe rightthingsor at least,theyavoidsayingthe wrongthings.They
exude concernandrespect;theyexpressregret;sometimestheyevenacknowledgeerror(butonlypasterror).They
create a fewseatsonsome Board forunletteredcommunityrepresentatives.Theycommitsome fundingtoleadership
trainingandsocial events.Inreturn,theysecure anywherefromsix monthstotwoyears of passivity—whilethe
leadershiptraininggoeson,andthe leadershipisco-optedbyservingonboards,appearingatfoundationluncheons,
and travelingtodistantplacesforconferences.”Butbefore itwastoolate,the Foundationpassedoninformation about
Time Dollarprogramsto the organization,whichultimatelychangedthe nature of the organizationandsavedit.One
“Co-Productioninnovationiscritical [tothe program]:the professionaltherapistsare beingtrainedtoincludeTime
Dollarassignmentsintheirtreatmentplans.Therapistsare beginningtounderstandthattheycanbe more effective if
the familyengagesitsfriendsaspart of a formal Time Dollarsupportsystem.Thatrewardsthe friendsforhelping;it
givesthe familyandthe therapistaready-made teamtohelpguide,support,andif needbe,intervene—athourswhen
the office isclosed,inplacesprofessionalsdon’tgo,ondayswhenprofessionalsdon’twork. (138-140)
Comment:PCVs,CHWs,andCSB staff cannot be everywhere atall times.We needtodevelop“ready-made teams [of
ordinarycommunitymembers] tohelpguide,support,andif needbe,intervene—athourswhenthe office isclosed,in
placesprofessionalsdon’tgo,ondayswhenprofessionalsdon’twork.”We needamore holistic,consistentapproachto
publichealthratherthansporadicsurgical interventions. Ordinarycommunitymembersare the primaryguardiansof
publichealth,notprofessionals.

21. 21
“‘The Story of the DrowningBabies.The firstwomanwhoseesthe babiesfloating downthe rivertriestopull outas
manybabiesas possible,butshe missesmore thanshe helps.The secondwomandecidesthatif she canteachthe
babiestoswim,some will learnandsave themselves.The thirdwomandecidesthe onlywaytosave all the babiesisto
findthe bumwho’sthrowingtheminandstop itat the source.’(AstoldbyJenniferGordon)….Clientscangetthe bum
who’sthrowingthe babiesintothe water.Thattakesnocredentials—andprobablyalotlesstrainingthanrescuing
babiesthrownintothe wateror teachingthose babiestostayafloat.”(155-156)
Comment:Whichrole dowe occupy as PCVs?Inthe area of publichealth,CSBsandCHWs oftenseemtofill the role of
the firstwoman,primarilytreatingpeople asillnessesarise while toamuch lesserextentteachingillnessprevention.
The secondrole of teachingbabiestoswimmostcloselydescribesthe rolesthatPCVsplayintheircommunities. We
sensitize ourcommunitiesonhealthissuesandhope that“some will learnandsave themselves.”AsCahnsays,our
communitymembersare inthe bestpositionandbestcapable of addressinghealthissuesattheirsource. Forthis
reason,outcome reportingindicatorsare paramountinmeasuringPCV success.AsIobservedabove,outcome indicators
are aboutwhat communitymembersdo,notPCVs. We neednotonlya way tomobilize communitymemberstoachieve
outcomesbutalsoa strategytomeasure them. The strategyI propose accomplishesbothobjectives.
“We all—policymakers,helpingprofessionals,taxpayers,caringhumanbeings—needtoconfrontthe limitsof the ways
inwhichwe do thingswhenwe proceed,underfull steam, to doour bestand somehow,getnowhere.”(158)
“Neighborhoodsbecame ‘targets’forvarioushumanservice programs.Sometimesthesewere ‘outreach’programs
where downtownagenciessentinprofessionals.Sometimestheywereone-stopsocial service centersthatbrought
multiple agenciesrightintothe neighborhood.Sometimes,theywere like Homebuilders,whichbroughtsocial workers
rightintoyour kitchen.Butthe bottomline wasthat regardlessof where the serviceswerebrought,the moneyexited
on paydayfromthe neighborhoodsbeingservedtothe neighborhoodswherethe professionalslived.Multiple studies
have confirmedthatonlyaboutone-thirdof the moneyspenttobenefitthe poorevergetintotheirhands.Nowcomes
the welfare program.We have exportedthe jobs.We have exportedthe money.Now we are goingtoexportthe people
and require them,asthe price of survival,togo huntdownthe jobs.The onlyfolksleftduringthe daywill be the
children,the elderly,the homeless,the addicts,the gangs—andfrom9to 5 fromMonday to Friday,the professionals
engagedinoutreachand‘communitydevelopment.’….A parallel ‘depopulation’haslongbeenunderwayinrural areas.
Small townsandvillagesare losingthe youngbutretainingthe oldtimers….We have beendisinvestinginfamiliesforat
leasthalf a century.Much of ithas beeninthe name of progress.Assoonas grandparentsgotsocial security,the three -
generationfamilystartedtoevaporate.Grandparentsweredelightedtogetsome privacy,atlonglast.The women’s
movementhasmade majorheadwayinfreeingwomenfromastatusof subordinationbyopeningupjobopportunities.
But progresshasits costs.Increasinglythe two-parentfamilybecame the one-parentfamily.Now,increasinglyitisthe
no-parent-at-homefamilyandthe fosterparent family.Orthe no-family-at-all home:the shelterof half-wayhouse.”
(181-182)
What is Co-Production?
“Co- is a prefix.Itconnotesarelationship—apartnership.‘Co’doesnotnecessarilymeanequal.The co-pilotis notthe
pilot.Butbothdo share the cockpit—andexceptinanemergency,aplane can’tgetclearance for take-off withoutboth
on board.Combining Co andProduction signaledashiftinstatusfromsubordinationtosome kindof parity.There was
deliberateambiguityonjusthow‘equal’thatparitywas…. Production representedafindingthatthe consumercouldno
longerbe regardedaspassive,aninvisible factortobe takenforgranted.We were gropingtodefine analteredrole,
function,andstatusfor the consumer.The consumerwasto be involvedinproduction—andproductionmeantthe
actual creationof value.”(22-23)
Comment:The outcome reportingindicatorsare where PCVscanreallydemonstratetheyhave made adifference,but
communitymembersmustbe featuredactorsinthe reportingprocess.Co-Productionmeansthatinorderto achieve
“actual creationof value,”communitymembersmusthave the opportunitytobe themselves,speakforthemselves,and
setthe termsforwhy, how,when,andwhere theywill go aboutchangingtheirbehaviors. If we constrainour

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communitymemberswithourownimposedterms,processes,andtimelines,whetherexplicitlyorimplicitly,theywill
stoplisteningtous,stopfollowingus,andabandonusto our ownfrustrations.
“Co-Productionoffersthe visionof aworldthatrewardsdecencyandcaring,cooperation,altruism, andcollaborationas
automaticallyasthe marketeconomyrewardsself-interest,competition,aggression,andacquisitiveness….We can
create a societywhere everyhumanbeingwillingtohelpanothercanearn sufficientpurchasingpowertolive decently,
to developandgrow,andto passon to the nextgenerationaworldthatis betterforour havingbeenhere.”(46)
Co-Production“isaframework,aprocess,anda setof core valuesthatdefine outcomes.”(85)
“Co-Productioncombinesself-interestandaltruismonaninstitutional andprofessionallevel,justasTime Dollars
combine themforindividuals,transactionbytransaction.”(151)
“Most of us suspectthatregardlessof whetherwe paymore taxes,potholeswon’tgetfixedfasterandschoolswon’t
become instantaneouslybetter.Butwe alsoknow that if we had to serve onthose pothole crewsorif we had to take a
turn tutoringor helpingoverseeanafter-school program, we justmightsee some changeswe reallyliked.If we ask
ourselves,“Whatwill ittake tobuildthe kindof village we need?Justmaybe,itwill take ourownsweat.Maybe it’snot
somethingwe canbuy.Maybe it’sa formof investmentwe canmake withthe social capital generatedbycollective
effort.”(191)
Comment:Co-ProductionisembeddedinPeace Corps’mission inthe sense thatPCVsworkinpartnershipwiththeir
communitiestocollectivelyproduce developmentoutcomes.ButCo-Production,fromCahn’sperspective,isfarmore
than justpartnership;itisnotsimplyworkingtogether.Co-Productionisexplicitlyactive anddefinedbyasocial justice
perspective,anaimto correct forinjusticescreatedbyconventionaltheoriesof communitydevelopment.Itmeansthat
the contributionsof bothmarketandnon-market,professionalsandclients,PCVsandtheircommunitiesare essentialto
achieve the worldwe all wanttolive in.PCVsare not technical experts,buttheyare assetstotheircommuniti es.It
sometimestakesPCVsawhile,buteventuallywe discoverthe differentwaysinwhichwe are assets.Those waysare not
apparentfromthe start but are discoveredincontext.Throughourexperiencesandthe relationshipswe establishwith
our communities,we realize ourselvesasassets.Ourcommunitiesrequestedustohelpthem, butas eageras we may
be,we cannot begintounderstandhowwe mighthelpthemuntil we have livedwiththemandtheyhave shownus.Co-
Productionforcesusto recognize that developmentisatwo-waystreet—we needourcommunitiesasmuchas they
needus.We are assetswhocan benefitourcommunities,butwe cannotrealize ourselvesasassetswithoutthe
contributionsof ourcommunities.
Four Core Values of Co-Production:
1. Assets.The real wealthof thissocietyisitspeople.Everyhumanbeingcanbe a builderanda contributor.
2. RedefiningWork.Workmustbe redefinedtoincludewhateverittakestorear healthychildren,preserve
families,make neighborhoodssafe andvibrant,care forthe frail andvulnerable,redressinjustice,andmake
democracywork.
3. Reciprocity.The impulsetogive backisuniversal.Wheneverpossible,we mustreplace one-wayactsof largesse
inwhateverformwithtwo-waytransactions.‘Youneedme,’becomes‘We needeachother.’
4. Social Capital.Humansrequire asocial infrastructure asessential asroads,bridges,andutilitylines.Social
networksrequire ongoinginvestmentsof social capital generatedbytrust,reciprocity,andcivicengagement.
(24)
Comment:Cahn’sfourcore valuesstrike similarchordstoPeace Corps’mission.“Redefiningwork”mightnotseem
directlyrelevanttoPeace Corpsinitially.Itrecognizesthatall contributionstosocietyare important,andthatwe
implicitlysendthe wrongmessage topeople whenwe readilyrewardself-interestedworkinthe marketbutnotworkin
the familyandthe community.Asa HealthPCV,Iface thisdynamiceverydayinmywork. I workto promote behavior
change,witha primarygoal to helpfamilies “rearhealthychildren.”Whilenoone wouldsaythathealthisnotimportant
or that raisinghealthy,smartchildrenisnotimportant,earningalivingoftenoutcompetesfamilyandcommunityfor
people’stimeandeffort.Workingforpay,obviously,earnspeoplemoney.Everyonerecognizesthe value of money.I

23. 23
see people workhardtoearn enoughof iteveryday,and itwill dominate theirfocusif moneyisscarce and income
irregular.Familywork orcommunityworkmightearn a little respectora pat onthe backfrom a PCV or a development
professional,butforthe mostpart it istreatedas duty.People cannotearna livingoff of patsonthe back, so they might
not strive fortheirfamilies orcommunitiesashardas they will formoney.Whenwe collectively incentivize workinthe
marketbut notin the familyorthe community,there shouldbe nosurprise whenadisparityemergesandwhenit
becomesmuchharderto achieve meaningfulcommunity-leddevelopmentandbehaviorchange.
Assets: Do we really know what we are talking about? Are PCVs effective at drawing out community assets?
“We cannotstop at merelyinventoryingthose assets.We mustdeploytheminactual transactions,inexchangesbased
on mutuality.
“Why doesitmatter whetherwe call the glass half emptyorhalf full?Whatiswrong withpre-occupationwiththe
emptyhalf?Fixationonwhatwe don’thave,onhow we wouldlike otherstobe,onvariablesbeyondourcontrol
doesn’tsolve anything.All toooften,itisawayto avoidaccountabilityfordoingwhatone can withwhatone has.There
isa signpostedat gasoline pumps:Donottopoff.Do not keeptryingtofill the tankto the brim.It wastesa precious
resource.Worse,itcan create hazardous,inflammable conditions.A deficitperspective canprove incendiary.Anasset
perspective says:Maybe we alreadyhave enoughtogetwhere we are going.”(87)
Comment:See commentoncookingsessions below p.31-32.
“There isalwaysa way to use an asset.Usingwhat we have takesbeingproactive….It isn’talwaysobvious.We have to
findnewways,orveryold ways,of puttingpeople touse doingthingsforeachother.Ittakesingenuityandcreativity,
but it’ssomethingwe candoif we are determined….The worlddoesn’talwayssay,‘You’re exactlywhatIneed’—any
more than piecesina hardware store jumpupand say,‘Take me and putme togetherwithsomethingoverthere.’
Making use of humanassetsis nota neutral,objective process.Itiscontextual,anditisdrivenbypurpose,bya
determinationtocountassets.Mechanical methodsof makinganassetinventoryoftenomitreal strengths.InEngland,
for instance,the FairsharesProgramlistedassetsthatare oftenoverlooked:oncall at unsocial hours,spreadingnews,
providinglocal knowledge,organizingsocialevents,surfingthe net,andplantwatering.Anassetperspectivemeans
findingwaysforpeople whodon’tthinktheyhave skillstodiscovertheirownstrengths.Asone womaninTacoma,
Washington,toldme:‘Ididn’tknowhowmuchI knew until Iwas helpingsomeone whodidn’tknow whatIknow.’
Assetsdon’tfitnormal categories.Theycome outthe waytheycome out.We learnaboutthemby puttingthemtouse.”
(88-90)
Comment:Peoplehave tobe motivatedandchallengedtodiscovertheirpotentialasassets.Asthingscurrentlyare at
manyPCV sites,there isnomotivationforpeople tochallenge themselvesandseekcreativesolutions forcommunity
healthissues.The strategy Ipropose,however,providesbothmotivationandchallenge,bothcontextandpurpose.It
createsan environmentinwhichpeoplemaythinkcreativelytoaddresscommunityhealthissues.
“In September1999, The NewYork Times reportedanew surveythat foundthatolderadultshave a difficulttimefinding
meaningful volunteeropportunitiesandthattheyfeel thattheirskillsare notvaluedbyorganizations….Take aminute
to considerwhatwe don’tuse.Accordingtobestestimates,whenone countsthe numberof people whohave livedto
be overage sixtysince the beginningof recordedhistory,slightlyoverhalf of themare alive rightnow.Thisisthe
greatestreserve of knowledge,experience,caringtime,anduntappedenergyinthe historyof the world.Those over
sixtyhave livedthroughmore thanahalf-centuryof change—changethathasacceleratedatan unprecedentedrate
throughouttheirlives….Ittakesadeficitmentalitytoturnsuchan assetinto a problemof catastrophicproportionswith
dire fiscal implications.The message thatwe implicitlysendtothe elderlyisthattheirprimaryresponsibilityistodie
cheaplywithoutbankruptingthe countrybyrunningupMedicare and Medicaidcosts. That mentalityperceivesseniors
as a liability—excepttothe extentthattheyhave accessible cashandrepresentapotentiallyexpandingmarketniche….
In our post-industrial society,we proclaimthatbrainpowerismore importantthanmuscle power.Oureldersmaylack
muscle power,physical agility,anddexterity.Butwhenitcomestocumulative wisdomandinsightbaseduponhaving