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VAC minutes 2007-12
Peace Corps Thailand VAC Minutes December 4, 2007
“The following is a list of issues, questions, and concerns presented to the Country Director (CD), from the Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) during their August 6, 2007 meeting. The VAC bylaws require the Country Director (CD) to respond within 10 days and to see that every volunteer is given a copy, along with the minutes of the VAC meeting.”
Members Present: Dan Bellefleur (118) facilitator for the meeting Welcome Bisson (118) secretary for the meeting Michael Collins (118) Bonnie Fontana (118) new member Melissa Dorso (119) Kerry Schaub (119) Jason Briggs (119) Absent: Anton Taruc (119) Guests: Dr. John Williams, CD Ren Nelson, AO 1.
1. Readjustment Allowance Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: The question was raised as to the possibility that Peace Corps would increase the amount of the readjustment allowance. Every PCV wants it. The dollar has fallen and it may be difficult for volunteers to attempt to find jobs abroad or adjust to living back home with such a small sum of money. It was agreed that Welcome Bisson will draft a letter requesting an increase and will provide a draft to all VAC members. Once a final letter is prepared, it will be given to Dr. John with the request that it is sent to the appropriate personnel at PC Washington.
CD Response:Dr. John Williams supports the request but explained that this isn’t a decision that is within a Country Director’s authority to make. Any decision to increase the readjustment allowance would have to be made by Peace Corps Washington and would likely take a significant amount of time. Dr. John stated that he will send the written request to other Country Directors and pass it on to the Regional Director at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington.
2. VAC By-Laws Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Jason Briggs has revised the VAC By-Laws. At the moment, no volunteers have expressed any extra changes. Jason will point out his revisions. Revisions Made:
3. Alcohol Policy Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: From what has been heard from PCVs, nobody seems to want it listed as a firm PC rule with the consequence of the PCV being sent back to America. Ideas such as a ‘safe driver’ listed on the site locator form have been suggested. Talking about drunk driving in regards to a PCV and the PCV/Counterpart Conferences.
4. Sticky Rice – Can it be on-line? Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Can it happen if content is more PCV generated? Technically, yes. There is a possibility of it being on Wiki Website. There was a suggestion of it being provided on a cd and mailed. What is the preference of PCVs?Decision: Melissa Dorso is going to work with all Sticky Rice editors in order to survey PCVs about their preference of how the publication is distributed. She will report back with her findings.
CD Response: Cautions about the risk of having anything on-line with someone’s name attached to it. With the increase of people ‘googling’ prospective employees, people run the risk of having things on-line that they might not want a prospective employer to see, or that might embarrass them later in life. Also, the editors of Sticky Rice have indicated in the past that the newsletter is considered by some as a place for PCVs to ‘vent’ about life as a PCV. Having it on-line might inhibit this sort of expression. The CD wants to make sure that all Volunteers understand that even in printed for only, there is not assurance that the newsletter won’t fall into the hands of some unintended reader; and therefore, it is important that Volunteers exercise good judgment in what is put into print.
5. Travel Allowance Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Jason Briggs has taken a survey amongst PCVs about their travel expenses. Jason can update everyone on the results and VAC can discuss any further questions with PC staff. After a long discussion about the new Travel Allowance policy citing results found by Jason Briggs and Ren Nelson (AO) the following outcomes were agreed upon by VAC and PC staff in attendance:
6. Breakdown of Reimbursement for Conferences and Living Allowance Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Can a breakdown of all monies deposited into PCV accounts and at the beginning of the month, not the middle? Yes. Email notification will be provided by the 2nd of each month, or the first Tuesday after the 2nd if the 2nd falls on a weekend or holiday. CD Response: No further comment needed.
7. Living Allowance Survey Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Can/should the living allowance survey be mandatory? Can the date that it’s distributed not fall during bid-term?
8. Beyond PEPFAR Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: PEPFAR funding ends in August 2008 and VAST funding ends in March or April 2008. As PEPFAR and VAST funding is ending, smaller, more localized and lower cost workshops will be held in the place of larger PC sponsored conferences. This is possible because throughout the time that PEPFAR funding has been available, the number of Thai counterparts has increased, and thus enabling more locally run workshops. The 1st potential workshop is to be held in Nong Khai. Additionally, PEPFAR funds 3 GIGs, PRC and 7 conferences.
CD Response: Volunteers are encouraged to be thinking of low-cost and no-cost strategies to keep the momentum of the HIV/AIDS GID going. Volunteers together with PHA groups and other members of their communities should also begin to explore more local resources, including NGOs that are active in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention activities.
9. Next Meeting Date The next VAC meeting is 9 am, Friday, March 7, 2008. Facilitator: Kerry Schaub (119) Secretary: Jason Briggs (119)
“The following is a list of issues, questions, and concerns presented to the Country Director (CD), from the Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) during their August 6, 2007 meeting. The VAC bylaws require the Country Director (CD) to respond within 10 days and to see that every volunteer is given a copy, along with the minutes of the VAC meeting.”
Members Present: Dan Bellefleur (118) facilitator for the meeting Welcome Bisson (118) secretary for the meeting Michael Collins (118) Bonnie Fontana (118) new member Melissa Dorso (119) Kerry Schaub (119) Jason Briggs (119) Absent: Anton Taruc (119) Guests: Dr. John Williams, CD Ren Nelson, AO 1.
1. Readjustment Allowance Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: The question was raised as to the possibility that Peace Corps would increase the amount of the readjustment allowance. Every PCV wants it. The dollar has fallen and it may be difficult for volunteers to attempt to find jobs abroad or adjust to living back home with such a small sum of money. It was agreed that Welcome Bisson will draft a letter requesting an increase and will provide a draft to all VAC members. Once a final letter is prepared, it will be given to Dr. John with the request that it is sent to the appropriate personnel at PC Washington.
CD Response:Dr. John Williams supports the request but explained that this isn’t a decision that is within a Country Director’s authority to make. Any decision to increase the readjustment allowance would have to be made by Peace Corps Washington and would likely take a significant amount of time. Dr. John stated that he will send the written request to other Country Directors and pass it on to the Regional Director at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington.
2. VAC By-Laws Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Jason Briggs has revised the VAC By-Laws. At the moment, no volunteers have expressed any extra changes. Jason will point out his revisions. Revisions Made:
- Officers and Meetings – VAC is now a voting committee/no member may abstain from a vote put to the committee
- Review Consultation (Article IV, 4.08) – prior to a new implementation of a policy that VAC is requested to review and/or comment upon, PC will provide one week for all VAC members to review and/or comment upon prior to notifying all PCVs. If VAC is not given one week to review and/or comment upon, for whatever reason, PC will not attach VAC’s name/endorsement of said policy.
- Meeting Times (Article IV, 4.02) – meetings will be scheduled quarterly
- Several grammatical corrections were made
3. Alcohol Policy Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: From what has been heard from PCVs, nobody seems to want it listed as a firm PC rule with the consequence of the PCV being sent back to America. Ideas such as a ‘safe driver’ listed on the site locator form have been suggested. Talking about drunk driving in regards to a PCV and the PCV/Counterpart Conferences.
- A policy will be written up by Dr. John Williams and will be provided for comment/review by all VAC members.
- The policy will not indicate that any disciplinary action will be taken that penalizes the PCV (ie: removal from site).
- The finalized policy will added to the PCV handbook as well as the Counterpart handbook for group 120.
- The policy will be discussed/reinforced at PCV/Counterpart Conferences.
- Identification of a ‘Safe Driver’ will be added to Site Locator Forms for group120. Group 119 will add this information when they update their SLFs in April/May ’08. No identification will be required for group 118.
4. Sticky Rice – Can it be on-line? Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Can it happen if content is more PCV generated? Technically, yes. There is a possibility of it being on Wiki Website. There was a suggestion of it being provided on a cd and mailed. What is the preference of PCVs?Decision: Melissa Dorso is going to work with all Sticky Rice editors in order to survey PCVs about their preference of how the publication is distributed. She will report back with her findings.
CD Response: Cautions about the risk of having anything on-line with someone’s name attached to it. With the increase of people ‘googling’ prospective employees, people run the risk of having things on-line that they might not want a prospective employer to see, or that might embarrass them later in life. Also, the editors of Sticky Rice have indicated in the past that the newsletter is considered by some as a place for PCVs to ‘vent’ about life as a PCV. Having it on-line might inhibit this sort of expression. The CD wants to make sure that all Volunteers understand that even in printed for only, there is not assurance that the newsletter won’t fall into the hands of some unintended reader; and therefore, it is important that Volunteers exercise good judgment in what is put into print.
5. Travel Allowance Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Jason Briggs has taken a survey amongst PCVs about their travel expenses. Jason can update everyone on the results and VAC can discuss any further questions with PC staff. After a long discussion about the new Travel Allowance policy citing results found by Jason Briggs and Ren Nelson (AO) the following outcomes were agreed upon by VAC and PC staff in attendance:
- Kerry Schaub will edit the original FAQ memo distributed by PC staff regarding the new policy (originally distributed in late Sept/early Oct ’07). The edited version will be reviewed by VAC and PC Staff (Dr. John and Ren) and then distributed to PCVs.
- Ren Nelson will expand upon the already existing allowance scale with more tiers. Groups 119 and 120 will be given travel allowance based upon this updated version. Group 118 will continue to use the already existing scale. Four new tiers have been created and will be used.
- Any questions/comments/concerns a PCV has with the amount of travel allowance they receive should be brought to Ren Nelson directly. Ren will review each inquiry on an individual basis.
- Ren will provide a model document of a reviewed travel allowance to be sent at the same time as the updated FAQ memo. This example should be used by PCVs when an inquiry is made as it will help facilitate the review process.
6. Breakdown of Reimbursement for Conferences and Living Allowance Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Can a breakdown of all monies deposited into PCV accounts and at the beginning of the month, not the middle? Yes. Email notification will be provided by the 2nd of each month, or the first Tuesday after the 2nd if the 2nd falls on a weekend or holiday. CD Response: No further comment needed.
7. Living Allowance Survey Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: Can/should the living allowance survey be mandatory? Can the date that it’s distributed not fall during bid-term?
- It was the VAC’s position that the Living Allowance Survey (LAS) be mandatory. As with the Tri-Annual report, if the LAS is not returned to PC when requested, vacation days will not be approved.
- It was agree that the LAS will be distributed mid-August so as not to conflict with bid-term.
8. Beyond PEPFAR Discussion/Decision/Recommendation: PEPFAR funding ends in August 2008 and VAST funding ends in March or April 2008. As PEPFAR and VAST funding is ending, smaller, more localized and lower cost workshops will be held in the place of larger PC sponsored conferences. This is possible because throughout the time that PEPFAR funding has been available, the number of Thai counterparts has increased, and thus enabling more locally run workshops. The 1st potential workshop is to be held in Nong Khai. Additionally, PEPFAR funds 3 GIGs, PRC and 7 conferences.
CD Response: Volunteers are encouraged to be thinking of low-cost and no-cost strategies to keep the momentum of the HIV/AIDS GID going. Volunteers together with PHA groups and other members of their communities should also begin to explore more local resources, including NGOs that are active in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention activities.
9. Next Meeting Date The next VAC meeting is 9 am, Friday, March 7, 2008. Facilitator: Kerry Schaub (119) Secretary: Jason Briggs (119)
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