Memo Regarding My Departure

Memorandum

To: All Peace Corps Volunteers

From: Earl M. Brown, Jr. CD/Guyana

Subject: Jason Pearce's Departure

Date: August 22, 2002

As I am sure that all of you have heard that Jason Pearce has been sent home. Four your information the situation is as follows:

On 19 August, Terrence and I briefed Dr. Patrick Williams, Director, Guyana's Office for WWF-Guiana's as to the circumstances and reasons why Jason had not been sworn-in. I explained the circumstances leading up to Jason being given a memo outlining a set of conditions "conditions precedent" which are to be met before Jason could be sworn-in.

It was at this meeting, that Dr. Patrick William registered the concerns of the WWF-Guiana's in having Jason assigned to this project. Dr. Williams noted that while the needs of WWF-Guiana's for assistance with continued development and management of its Web page, other concerns about Jason had caused himself and Mr. M. Fountaine, the Director, WWF-Guiana's based in Suriname, to have serious concerns about having Jason join the WWF program. Generally, the concerns expressed by Dr. Williams were:

  1. 1. WWF-Guiana's is a non-political organization and serves in Guyana at the request and pleasure of the Government. The Mr. M. Fountaine, Director WWF-Guiana's had expressed strong reservation at having someone work within the organization who would be privy to vital and important information and who might not be sensitive enough to statements written or spoken which could cause the organization to be at odds with the government.

  2. Secondly, there has been an exchange of correspondence (via email) between Jason and the PCV who currently manages the WWF-Guiana's website based in Suriname. Dr. Williams was particularly distressed that the exchange of correspondence between Jason and this Volunteer that he had not been informed nor had Jason made any effort to clear such correspondence. His concern was that Jason seemed not to have an understanding of organizational protocol relative to correspondence from the WWF Guyana office. Dr. Williams remarked that even the job description and scope of work he had developed outlining Jason's work tasks with the organization had been sent to Suriname for approval. The salient point here is that the Director of the Guyana office is obligated to follow protocol and obtain concurrence from the overall WWF-Guiana's office. Incidentally, the PCV in Suriname copied Mr. Fountaine and others on all of her correspondence with Jason. However, Jason in his correspondence with her did not observe the same protocol. For Dr. Williams this breach was a very serious matter.

  3. Given this situation, the primary and most suitable site for Jason is no longer available. Jason provided a contact for the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) as a potential site and one that he had thought would serve as a secondary project. Additionally, I asked Terrence to review other potential IT sites in the "works" to determine if there was an opportunity, which might be suitable for Jason. I visited the THAG office to see the operation. In my conversation with the executive directory, there is a strong desire to have someone assist with the improvement of the agency's website. However, the director did state that this task would not take two years with THAG and that it would take some time for the agency to make a request and define how it would use technical assistance from a volunteer with Jason's talents. Terrence report that Jason had consistently been insistent on what he wanted to do. Jason had articulated during the interviews that he wanted to do web pages and work with small business development. Since no small business program have yet been developed in Guyana, a suitable site would be one in which web page development would be the primary task given the parameters that Jason, himself, had set.

  4. What then are the options available given this scenario? Since Jason has been quite consistent in his desire to be able to do web page development and/or work with small business development only. He has been equally forceful in not wanting to teach or work at the community level in the IT field. Given these parameters established by Jason, there were limited opportunities such that the WWF site would have been the best match. Therefore, best and only site available, which requires website knowledge and skills, was the WWF-Guiana's placement. The decision by the cooperating agency not to accept Jason Pearce, therefore, removed this site from consideration, has resulted in and Early Termination/Interrupted Service.

  5. Jason is being given an Early Termination/Interrupted Service per MS 284, 5.0. which states. "The host country (or other cooperating agency to which the volunteer is assigned) requests that the volunteer be removed from service for reasons that would not consist grounds for administrative separation." This type of termination is considered a non-disciplinary action. Jason can request re-assignment to another program in which his skills can be utilized, which is what I have advised Jason to do. Jason, as is the case with all trainees and volunteers, has the right to appeal this decision and has been given the manual guidance outlining the appeal process.

Cc: File
Country Desk Unit