Project Description

Peace Corps Guatemala is seeking a Peace Corps Response Volunteer to serve as a Behavior-Change Program Evaluator with the Ministry of Health. Guatemala is ranked fourth amongst countries with the highest maternal and child mortality rate in the western hemisphere. Malnutrition is a significant health issue affecting the new generation of Guatemalans. In some of the sites where Peace Corps works, undernutrition is affecting over 70% of children under 5 years old. This problem affects future mothers and their children’s health and feeds the cycle of poor maternal health and poor children’s health. Past projects have focused on the promotion of health behaviors through in person training of trainers and training of women’s group and their family member on MCH topics, as well as raising awareness on community leaders’ role in addressing the issue. There is not enough documentation on behavior change intervention programs in the area where Peace Corps works. From 2013 to 2017, an NGO partnered with the Ministry of Health and implemented a very strong behavior change program that covered at least 5,000 families but the program was cut suddenly and no final evaluation was done in terms of how the program impacted the health of families.

The support of a Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) with advanced proficiency in written and spoken Spanish and an MPH degree in health behavior or behavioral science is requested to complete this evaluation. The project evaluation will consist of assessing to what extent the families that completed the cycle of behaviors have improved the health and more specifically, the nutrition of children. The findings and recommendation from the program evaluation will contribute to the improvement of the work of the Ministry of Health to promote behavior change. The PCRV will design a research project including methodology, tools, and a research plan and submit a written analysis of how the behavior change program was implemented. The final report of the evaluation should describe key findings, conclusions, and recommendations. All reports, data collection tools and presentation materials must be written in Spanish.

Please note that departure dates and other details of this project could change because of the uncertainties as Peace Corps and local partners resume Volunteer operations. Candidates selected for this position will be arriving in Guatemala together as a group, so while the departure dates for the whole group could change, dates cannot be changed for individual candidates.

Partner Information

Departmental office of Ministry of Health

Required Skills

• High tolerance for ambiguity and high level of flexibility – some details of this project could change because of the uncertainties as Peace Corps and local partners resume volunteer operations.
• MPH degree in health behavior or behavioral science
• Advanced proficiency in written and spoken Spanish.
• Experience in program/project evaluations.
• Strong public speaking and presentations skills.

The Peace Corps embraces and leverages the diversity of its volunteers as a reflection of America's diversity. Peace Corps Response is committed to reflecting the diversity of the United States in the professionals we send into the field to support the mission of world peace and friendship. Applicants with diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Serving in Guatemala

Learn more about the Volunteer experience in Guatemala: Get detailed information on culture, communications, housing, health, and safety -- including health and crime statistics -- in order to make a well-informed decision about serving.

Medical Considerations

Before you apply, please review Medical Information for Applicants to learn about the medical clearance process.

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