USAID Lacks Data To Inform Decisions About Construction Under Cooperative Agreements and Grants

USAID overseas missions use construction activities under cooperative agreements and
grants—activities that according to USAID amounted to $1.4 billion between 2011 and 2013—
not as ends in themselves but as a tool to advance country-specific goals. Consequently, mission officials do not track data on individual construction activities under cooperative agreements and grants. By not systematically collecting data on the type of construction, where it took place, the amount spent, the source of engineering design, or performance, Agency decision makers miss opportunities to learn what works best and use that information to effectively deploy technical expertise, including staff engineers. Further, the Agency cannot adequately address risks. The Agency agreed to draw on current systems to make comprehensive construction data readily available to mission and bureau decision makers and is proactively implementing broader actions to further improve construction data and oversight.