USAID/El Salvador Needs to Improve Its Management of the Regional Trade and Market Alliances Project to Achieve Expected Results

USAID/El Salvador work with Nathan Associates Inc. to implement a plan for helping producers overcome obstacles noted by regional buyers.

USAID/El Salvador, in coordination with Nathan Associates Inc., implement a plan for expediting delivery of equipment that grantees need to achieve their export goals.

USAID/El Salvador document a plan to measure the impact of value-chain interventions on nutrition and income for small farmers supported by the project.

USAID/El Salvador review and document the choice of value chains to determine whether they met the nutrition and income criteria established in the contract and make adjustments as appropriate.

USAID/El Salvador document a meaningful indicator to measure the project's impact on supported producers.

USAID/El Salvador document the rationale for expected targets for the Regional Trade and Market Alliances project and make adjustments as appropriate for the remainder of the activity.

USAID/El Salvador develop written instructions to staff requiring them to comply with USAID policy by documenting targets.

USAID/El Salvador instruct Nathan Associates Inc. to verify the number of small producer units participating in regional and export value chains supported by the project.

USAID/El Salvador develop a joint training program for technical officers and the monitoring and evaluation specialist to review their shared responsibilities for performance monitoring and data quality, as described in Mission Order 203.

USAID/El Salvador formally request that the Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean review and issue a written decision on the curtailment of project activities in the Dominican Republic.

USAID/El Salvador perform a financial review of Nathan Associates Inc. to determine whether its systems meet acquisition requirements.

USAID/El Salvador determine the allowability of $172,570 in ineligible questioned costs for consulting contracts that did not follow acquisition regulations, and recover from Nathan Associates Inc. any amount deemed unallowable.

USAID/El Salvador issue written instructions to the contractor officer's representative on the proper procedures for contract approvals.