(a) In general The Corporation shall provide, through grants or contracts, for the continuing evaluation of programs that receive assistance under the national service laws, including evaluations that measure the impact of such programs, to determine
(1) the effectiveness of various program models in achieving stated goals and the costs associated with such;
(2) with respect to the programs authorized under division C of this subchapter, the impact of such programs, in each State in which a program is conducted, on the ability of
(A) the VISTA and National Senior Volunteer Corps programs (established under the Domestic Volunteer Services
Act of 1973 (
42 U.S.C.
4950 et seq.));
(B) each regular component of the Armed Forces (as defined in section
101 (a)(4) of title
10);
(C) each of the reserve components of the Armed Forces (as described in section
10101 of title
10); and
(D) the Peace Corps (as established by the Peace Corps Act (
22 U.S.C.
2501 et seq.));
to recruit individuals residing in such State to serve in such program; and
(3) the structure and mechanisms for delivery of services for such programs.
(b) Comparisons
The Corporation shall provide for inclusion in the evaluations required under subsection (a) of this section, where appropriate, comparisons of participants in such programs with individuals who have not participated in such programs.
(c) Conducting evaluations
Evaluations of programs under subsection (a) of this section shall be conducted by individuals who are not directly involved in the administration of such program.
(d) Standards
The Corporation shall develop and publish general standards for the evaluation of program effectiveness in achieving the objectives of the national service laws.
(e) Community participation
In evaluating a program receiving assistance under the national service laws, the Corporation shall consider the opinions of participants and members of the communities where services are delivered concerning the strengths and weaknesses of such program.
(f) Comparison of program models
The Corporation shall evaluate and compare the effectiveness of different program models in meeting the program objectives described in subsection (g) of this section including full- and part-time programs, programs involving different types of national service, programs using different recruitment methods, programs offering alternative voucher or post-service benefit options, and programs utilizing individual placements and teams.
(g) Program objectives The Corporation shall ensure that programs that receive assistance under division C of this subchapter are evaluated to determine their effectiveness in
(1) recruiting and enrolling diverse participants in such programs, consistent with the requirements of section
125752 of this title, based on economic background, race, ethnicity, age, marital status, education levels, and disability;
(2) promoting the educational achievement of each participant in such programs, based on earning a high
school diploma or the equivalent of such diploma and the future enrollment and completion of increasingly higher levels of education;
(3) encouraging each participant to engage in public and community service after completion of the program based on career choices and service in other service programs such as the Volunteers in Service to America Program and National Senior Volunteer Corps programs established under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (
42 U.S.C.
4950 et seq.), the Peace Corps (as established by the Peace Corps Act (
22 U.S.C.
2501 et seq.)), the military, and part-time volunteer service;
(4) promoting of positive attitudes among each participant regarding the role of such participant in solving community problems based on the view of such participant regarding the personal capacity of such participant to improve the lives of others, the responsibilities of such participant as a citizen and community member, and other factors;
(5) enabling each participant to finance a lesser portion of the higher education of such participant through
student loans;
(6) providing services and projects that benefit the community;
(7) supplying additional volunteer assistance to community agencies without overloading such agencies with more volunteers than can effectively be utilized;
(8) providing services and activities that could not otherwise be performed by employed workers and that will not supplant the hiring of, or result in the displacement of, employed workers or impair the existing contracts of such workers; and
(9) attracting a greater number of citizens to public service, including service in the active and reserve components of the Armed Forces, the National Guard, the Peace Corps (as established by the Peace Corps Act (
22 U.S.C.
2501 et seq.)), and the VISTA and National Senior Volunteer Corps programs established under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (
42 U.S.C.
4950 et seq.).
(h) Obtaining information
(1) In general
In conducting the evaluations required under this section, the Corporation may require each program participant and State or local applicant to provide such information as may be necessary to carry out the requirements of this section.
(2) Confidentiality
(A) In general
The Corporation shall maintain the confidentiality of information acquired under this subsection regarding individual participants.
(B) Disclosure
(i) Consent The content of any information described in subparagraph (A) may be disclosed with the prior written consent of the individual participant with respect to whom the information is maintained.
(ii) Aggregate information The Corporation may disclose information about the aggregate characteristics of such participants.
(i) Independent evaluation and report of demographics of national service participants and communities
(1) Independent evaluation
(A) In general
The Corporation shall, on an annual basis, arrange for an independent evaluation of the programs assisted under division C of this subchapter.
(B) Participants
(i) In general The entity conducting such evaluation shall determine the demographic characteristics of the participants in such programs.
(ii) Characteristics The entity shall determine, for the year covered by the evaluation, the total number of participants in the programs, and the number of participants within the programs in each State, by sex, age, economic background, education level, ethnic group, disability classification, and geographic region.
(iii) Categories The Corporation shall determine appropriate categories for analysis of each of the characteristics referred to in clause (ii) for purposes of such an evaluation.
(C) Communities In conducting the evaluation, the entity shall determine the amount of assistance provided under section
12571 of this title during the year that has been expended for projects conducted under the programs in areas described in section
12585 (c)(6) of this title.
(2) Report The entity conducting the evaluation shall submit a report to the President, Congress, the Corporation, and each State Commission containing the results of the evaluation
(A) with respect to the evaluation covering the year beginning on September 21, 1993, not later than 18 months after September 21, 1993; and
(B) with respect to the evaluation covering each subsequent year, not later than 18 months after the first day of each such year.
