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

USAID/Haiti, through the Feed the Future North Project contracting officer, identify activities that will have the greatest impact on project objectives given the remaining time and resources in the base implementation period, and reduce the scope of the contract accordingly.

USAID/Haiti direct Development Alternatives Inc. to revise its strategy for implementing Feed the Future North Project activities to address the dearth of capable local organizations in the northern corridor.

USAID/Haiti formally communicate to Development Alternatives Inc. the actual opportunities that exist for local organizations to bid on and receive direct USAID funding.

USAID/Haiti report problems staffing its contracting office in its next Federal Manager's Financial Integrity Act of 1982 annual certification.

USAID/Haiti, through the Feed the Future North Project contracting officer, amend the contract to define deliverables and results.

USAID/Haiti establish criteria for determining
whether to exercise the option years for the Feed the Future North Project.

USAID/Haiti, through the Feed the Future North Project contracting officer, realign the remaining fixed fee attributed to intermediate results 1, 2, and 3 to demonstrating "best-effort" toward achieving the deliverables and results defined in response to Recommendation 5.

USAID/Haiti, through the Feed the Future North Project contracting officer, determine whether the fixed fee attributed to intermediate result 4 should allow for making 2 local organizations eligible for direct USAID funding and 12 local organizations eligible for fixed-obligation grants, and modify the contract if necessary.

USAID/Haiti reflect concerns with project implementation, schedule, and staffing in its contractor performance assessment reports for Development Alternatives Inc. for the Feed the Future North Project, including revising the previous report as necessary, and maintain documentation to support the assessments.

USAID/Haiti begin a performance evaluation of the Feed the Future North Project by September 30, 2015.

USAID/Haiti remind contracting officer's representatives of their designated responsibilities to document performance concerns,
elevate the concerns to the contracting officer for timely resolution, and maintain complete documentation in the official project file.

USAID/Haiti document clear procedures, responsibilities, and timelines for requesting and approving waivers for restricted goods.

USAID/Haiti document clear procedures, responsibilities, and timelines for requesting and approving waivers for restricted goods.

USAID/Haiti document clear procedures designating the contracting officer's representative, or alternate contracting officer's representative as applicable, as the sole liaison between USAID and contractor staff unless otherwise specified, with procedures to document justification for any exceptions.

USAID/Haiti document clear roles and responsibilities for managing complex Feed the Future projects, and implement a plan to make sure these roles and responsibilities are respected and enforced.

USAID/Haiti set a deadline for Development
Alternatives Inc. to correct critical staffing deficiencies for the Feed the Future North Project and take formal corrective action if this deadline is not met.

USAID/Haiti review its requirement to approve all professional staff positions for the Feed the Future North Project, determine whether the requirement is in the best interests of the U.S. Government, and, through the project contracting officer, revise the requirement in the contract if necessary.

USAID/Haiti set a deadline for Development Alternatives Inc. to finalize the project-level environmental assessment for the Feed the Future North Project and take formal corrective action if the deadline is not met.

USAID/Haiti identify ongoing Feed the Future North Project activities that do not comply with environmental requirements and direct Development Alternatives Inc. to stop all identified activities until the required level of environmental review is completed.

USAID/Haiti incorporate procedures in Mission Order 204-1 to document, at the start of the award, agreement between the contracting officer's representative; mission-, regional-, and bureau-level environmental officers; and the contractor on procedures and timelines to meet environmental compliance requirements.