Audit of USAID/Haiti's Feed the Future North Project

USAID/Haiti modify its initial environmental examination for the food security and economic growth portfolio to remove any ambiguity about the required level of environmental review for its projects, programs, and activities, and request approval of the initial environmental examination from the bureau environmental officer.

USAID/Haiti develop a timeline with milestones for Development Alternatives Inc. to complete irrigation activities for the Feed the Future North Project and take formal corrective action if they are not met.

USAID/Haiti develop procedures to make sure contracts for infrastructure projects include clear specifications for cost-benefit analyses.

USAID/Haiti, through the Feed the Future North Project contracting officer, modify the contract to remove road rehabilitation activities and put $9.93 million to better use.

USAID/Haiti include an in-depth review of Development Alternative Inc.'s internal controls for procurement and distribution of project materials in its upcoming financial review of the Feed the Future North Project.

USAID/Haiti, through the Feed the Future North Project contracting officer, determine the allowability of $10,028 in unsupported questioned costs ($9,746 from unsupported distributions in our test sample and $264 from the banana plants delivered to cacao farmers) and recover from Development Alternatives Inc. any amount determined to be unallowable.

USAID/Haiti implement alternative measures to estimate the impact of the Feed the Future North Project and the progress of outcome indicators in the absence of a valid baseline study.

USAID/Haiti implement a plan to confirm that its future Feed the Future projects establish valid baselines at the start of the awards.

USAID/Haiti establish a timeline with milestones for Development Alternatives Inc. to bring performance data for the Feed the Future North Project in line with USAID's data quality standards and take formal corrective action if they are not met.

USAID/Haiti determine whether its strategy for increasing food security in Haiti should include water, sanitation, and hygiene activities, document the decision, and modify the strategy accordingly.

USAID/Haiti, in consultation with the contracting officer for the Feed the Future North Project, determine whether the contract should be modified to meet criteria for the water, sanitation, and hygiene earmark, document the decision, and modify the contract accordingly.

USAID/Haiti incorporate reporting progress toward meeting earmarks into its biannual portfolio reviews, add a section on earmarks to its portfolio review project data sheet template, and include earmark criteria in the guidance disseminated to mission staff in preparation for its biannual portfolio reviews.

USAID/Haiti provide to USAID/Washington details on its water, sanitation, and hygiene earmark allocations for fiscal years 2012 and 2013 so that USAID/Washington can notify Congress as appropriate as to overall Agency execution of the earmark.