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Open Recommendations (38 total)

Global Food Security: Improved Monitoring Framework Needed to Assess and Report on Feed the Future's Performance

GAO-21-548
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The Administrator of USAID, in consultation with FTF partner agencies, should (1) evaluate and revise, as necessary, which indicators should be required as applicable as performance indicators across the initiative to include only those that are used for FTF-wide performance monitoring; and (2) clearly and specifically explain the linkage of those FTF-wide indicators to the initiative's performance goals and strategic objectives. (Recommendation 2)
Open – Partially Addressed
In its response to our report, USAID agreed with this recommendation. In March 2022, USAID began a process to revise the FTF performance indicators, which it completed in May 2023. As a result of this process, USAID finalized a set of FTF indicators that they plan to use for performance monitoring and that are linked to the initiative's performance goals and strategic objectives. In February 2024, USAID provided documentation showing the linkages of the initiative's three performance goals to the associated five performance indicators and relevant strategic objectives. However, FTF has additional performance indicators that are not linked to performance goals and do not have FTF-wide targets, as stated in the status of recommendation three, and therefore cannot be used for FTF-wide performance monitoring. As of February 2024, USAID planned to provide additional information on these indicators by end of March 2024. We will continue to monitor USAID's implementation of this recommendation and provide updated information on its progress.

Global Food Security: Coordination of U.S. Assistance Can Be Improved

GAO-22-104612
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The Administrator of USAID should ensure that the country coordinator at the U.S. mission in each GFSS target country takes steps to ensure that all relevant U.S. agencies are included in the planning and coordination of food security assistance. (Recommendation 1)
Open – Partially Addressed
USAID concurred with GAO's recommendation and stated that USAID will work with GFSS interagency country coordinators to ensure all relevant U.S. agencies are included in the planning and coordination of food security assistance. As of March 2024, USAID has collected interagency points of contact for all GFSS countries and has disseminated that information through country support teams. USAID also drafted and updated their country plans outlining how regular interagency coordination will occur, according to officials. GAO continues to monitor agency actions related to this recommendation.

Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprise Development: USAID Needs to Develop a Targeting Process and Improve the Reliability of Its Monitoring

GAO-21-269
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The USAID Administrator should direct the Private Sector Engagement Hub or other appropriate entity to establish a method to identify the total funding subject to the WEEE Act's requirements in order to develop a process that provides reasonable assurance of compliance with the Act's requirements for targeting assistance to the very poor and women. (Recommendation 1)
Open – Partially Addressed
In USAID's letter responding to our report, USAID concurred with this recommendation. In its Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprise (MSME) Results Report completed after our recommendation, USAID clarified that the total funding subject to the WEEE Act's requirements is the appropriated amount of the congressional spending directive for MSME. USAID set targets for MSME resources to the very poor and small and medium-sized enterprises owned, managed, and controlled by women based on this amount. However, the Fiscal Year 2020 MSME Results Report, issued in 2021, notes that this methodology will be fully completed in the report on Fiscal Year 2022 MSME results. As of September 2023, this report has not been completed. We will continue to monitor USAID's implementation of this recommendation.

President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief: State Has Taken Actions to Address Coordination Challenges, but Staffing Challenges Persist

GAO-23-105347
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development USAID should work with the U.S. Global Aids Coordinator to ensure that USAID's funding pipeline policies are compatible for PEPFAR activities and that adequate pipeline funds are available to implementing agencies so that these activities can continue in case of funding delays. (Recommendation 3)
Open – Partially Addressed
As of March 2023, USAID officials said that they plan to coordinate with State on funding pipeline policies to ensure that sufficient funds are available, especially as USAID continues to shift programming to local partners. In June 2023, USAID provided an update on actions to address this recommendation. Specifically, USAID noted that it had reached an agreement with State and other PEPFAR implementing agencies for calculating the fiscal year end pipeline that is more aligned with USAID policies regarding accrual accounting. These changes are reflected in updated country operational planning (COP) guidance, provided by State. The updated COP guidance now allows pipeline funds to be used to pay for prior year costs, and according to USAID, this adjusted calculation provides a more accurate estimate of funds that may be applied to future implementation cycles. USAID also noted that it will continue collaborating with State to advocate for an increased number of months of "allowable" pipeline, especially for local organizations. This would bring State's pipeline policy more in line with local compensation plans, and with USAID's pipeline policies, according to USAID. As of February 2024, USAID noted that the agency is currently working with State to expedite the timeline for available funds using the State/GHSD PEPFAR COP 2023 Year 2 update and ROP23 Year 1 process. USAID requested additional time to facilitate alignment between State and USAID responses to the recommendation, and is working to complete this alignment by June 2024.

Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprise Development: USAID Needs to Develop a Targeting Process and Improve the Reliability of Its Monitoring

GAO-21-269
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The USAID Administrator should direct the Private Sector Engagement Hub or other appropriate entity to develop a methodology to ensure that it collects data from all relevant missions and bureaus with micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise assistance. (Recommendation 5)
Open
In USAID's letter responding to our report, USAID concurred with this recommendation. The Fiscal Year 2020 MSME Results Report, completed after our report issued in 2021, noted that USAID planned to change its methodology for data collection of MSME results. Specifically, for the Fiscal Year 2020 and 2021 MSME Results Reports, it used missions' and bureaus' Operational Plans to identify planned spending on MSME assistance, including for the very poor and women. USAID used relevant performance indicators in the Performance Plan and Reports (PPRs) to collect data from missions and bureaus who had reported on MSME-related indicators. However, the data collection for the Fiscal Year 2020 and 2021 MSME Results Reports declined, which suggests that this new process is not yet capturing all relevant assistance. We will continue to monitor USAID's implementation of this recommendation.
U.S. Agency for International Development The USAID Administrator should direct the Private Sector Engagement Hub or other appropriate entity to take steps to ensure the reliability of the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise assistance data reported to Congress. (Recommendation 6)
Open
In USAID's letter responding to our report, USAID concurred with this recommendation and identified plans to address it. USAID's letter stated that the full incorporation of data collection procedures in the PPR and use of standard foreign assistance indicators would provide reasonable assurance that the data in MSME Results Reports is reliable, noting that all PPR data is required to have a data quality assessment in order to meet USAID's data quality standards. However, USAID still needs to finalize new definitions and conduct data quality assessments on the revised indicators. We will continue to monitor USAID's implementation of this recommendation.

Foreign Assistance: USAID Should Strengthen Risk Management in Conflict Zones

GAO-24-106192
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The USAID Administrator should ensure that the Assistant to the Administrator of the Bureau for Planning, Learning, and Resource Management creates guidance based on a review of available remote monitoring tools for USAID missions to detect fiduciary, counterterrorism- or sanctions-related, and security risks in nonpermissive environments. (Recommendation 8)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Haiti: USAID and State Should Improve Management and Assessment of Reconstruction Activities

GAO-23-105211
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The Administrator of USAID should ensure that USAID/Haiti establishes a process to completely and consistently track and analyze data on awards made to local organizations, such as the amount and percent of total funding awarded and the percent of total awards provided to these organizations. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Central America: USAID Should Strengthen Staffing and Fraud Risk Management for Initiative Addressing Migration to the U.S.

GAO-24-106232
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The Administrator of USAID should work with the Secretary of State to institute long-term human capital solutions to address FSN staffing shortages in carrying out Centroamérica Local. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Foreign Assistance: USAID Should Strengthen Risk Management in Conflict Zones

GAO-24-106192
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The USAID Administrator should develop a mechanism for systematically sharing lessons learned among conflict-affected missions related to the management of risks that are common across conflict zones. (Recommendation 9)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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