Audit of USAID/Guatemala's Climate, Nature, and Communities in Guatemala Program
Recommendations
USAID/Guatemala work with Rainforest Alliance to review and document whether the program's established indicators and targets need to be revised to align with expected results, and modify the performance management plan and agreement as needed.
USAID/Guatemala work with Rainforest Alliance to prepare a data quality assessment and clearly define, develop, and implement data quality standards as stated in the data quality assessment completed in 2014 and include in the assessment the method and frequency of data collection, and
who is responsible for it.
USAID/Guatemala work with Rainforest Alliance to have its regional staff and consortium members trained on data quality standards for the program's indicators.
USAID/Guatemala work with Rainforest Alliance to develop a written sustainability plan as defined under the agreement of the program.
USAID/Guatemala include a sustainability analysis in the midterm evaluation of the Climate, Nature, and Communities in Guatemala Program.
USAID/Guatemala issue clear written guidance to Rainforest Alliance on how to report on new private resources that meets criteria, and revise the previously reported results based on the agreement.
USAID/Guatemala develop and implement a process to verify and monitor the amounts reported by Rainforest Alliance as new private resources to make sure it is properly calculated and supported.
USAID/Guatemala work with Rainforest Alliance to implement procedures to monitor, validate, and correctly report cost sharing in progress reports in accordance with USAID and U.S. federal regulations.
USAID/Guatemala work with Rainforest Alliance to modify the standardized sign-in sheet to accurately report the duration of training sessions held by the program, clearly define the difference between training and technical assistance, identify what training should be entered into USAID's Webbased participant training management system database in the future, and retrain regional staff on participant training matters to avoid misreporting.
USAID/Guatemala update Mission Order 253 to spell out implementers' responsibilities and procedures for verifying information entered into USAID's Web-based participant training management database to follow the requirements of Automated Directives System 253.
USAID/Guatemala review and update its training approval process in Mission Order 253 to prevent participants from attending training without undergoing background checks, and distribute the revised process to mission personnel and implementers.
USAID/Guatemala submit to the embassy the names of participants who attended the training session "Exchange of Experiences About Payment for Hydric Environmental Services" held in Olanchito, Honduras, to determine whether U.S. Government funds were used in violation of Automated
Directives System 206.3.9.