Audit of USAID/Afghanistan's Incentives Driving Economic Alternatives for the North, East, and West Program

USAID/Afghanistan modify the cooperative agreement to reflect changes in the program to date.

USAID/Afghanistan assess and realign the program budget, as necessary.

USAID/Afghanistan remind its staff in writing of the importance of documenting significant meetings, discussions, and decisions that affect USAID programs.

USAID/Afghanistan's Office of Agriculture develop and implement a risk-based monitoring plan for the program that includes periodic site visits.

USAID/Afghanistan remind its staff in writing of (1) the importance of site visits, (2) the purpose of site visits, the areas that must be assessed and the tasks that must be completed during site visits, and (3) the documentation requirements for site visits.

USAID/Afghanistan identify and issue designation letters to onsite monitors for the program and formalize the mechanisms for coordination and communication among the agreement officer, the agreement officer's technical representative, and the onsite monitors.

USAID/Afghanistan provide its Office of Agriculture staff with training on how to analyze progress reports submitted by its implementing partners.

USAID/Afghanistan require its implementing partner to develop and implement a formal monitoring system that includes the development and execution of annual monitoring plans covering the programmatic and financial aspects of the program; reporting and analysis against those plans; the inclusion of subimplementers in those monitoring plans, reporting, and analysis; and the verification of reported results, including supporting documentation.

USAID/Afghanistan provide its implementing partners with training covering (1) the definitions of, the collection of, and the reporting on performance indicators for the program and (2) the requirement for and the maintenance of evidence, including documentation supporting reported results.

USAID/Afghanistan establish procedures to verify on a periodic basis the accuracy of the reporting of its implementing partners, including the verification of reported results with supporting documents at the lowest operational level.

USAID/Afghanistan assess whether it still requires biweekly reporting for this program.

USAID/Afghanistan require its implementing partner to (1) develop a detailed written strategy for building sustainability into its activities and projects, (2) develop indicators of sustainability for its activities and projects as well as for the program's overall objectives, (3) develop targets for its sustainability indicators, (4) include in its annual work plan both a narrative addressing sustainability during the work plan period and annual targets for its sustainability indicators, and (5) report in its quarterly and annual reports on its progress in the area of sustainability and against its sustainability indicators and targets.

USAID/Afghanistan require clear value chain implementation strategies for each sector covered by this program.

USAID/Afghanistan have a gender assessment performed for each component of the program and incorporate the results of those gender assessments in its program activities to increase the participation of women.

USAID/Afghanistan require that its implementing partners provide training to their program personnel on how to integrate gender issues into activities, the constraints women confront to participation in the economy, and ways to overcome those constraints.

USAID/Afghanistan require program implementing partners to develop and implement a written plan to strengthen ongoing partnership and cooperation with the Department of Women's Affairs and other stakeholders that are key to increasing the participation of women.

USAID/Afghanistan develop mission-wide policies and procedures governing cash-for-work and community-constructed infrastructure projects. These policies and procedures should include the employment of minors, safety of workers, and responding to injuries in compliance with Afghan labor law.