Audit of USAID/Ecuador's Environment Program

USAID/Ecuador develop and implement procedures requiring independent assessments of the impact of its activities and use the results of the assessments, along with the observations by USAID's technical experts and the regular reporting by the implementers, when reporting annually on its biodiversity projects.

Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade Bureau develop comprehensive guidelines to assist missions and regional programs in developing a common methodology for determining the number of hectares under improved natural resources management.

USAID/Ecuador develop a standard methodology for identifying beneficiaries receiving economic benefits that are clearly linked to sustainable natural resource management or conservation efforts.

Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade Bureau develop and implement a plan for improving the methodology missions and regional programs use in determining increased economic benefits derived from sustainable natural resource management and conservation.

USAID/Ecuador include a requirement for the periodic evaluation of coalition and alliance success and sustainability in the Chemonics performance management plan.

USAID/Ecuador develop a transition plan for sustaining and furthering the achievements of the Integrated Management of Indigenous Lands Project. The plan should incorporate to the extent possible the recommendations in the recently completed assessments mentioned in this finding.

USAID/Ecuador require the Fondo para la Conservacion del Agua to submit a water quality impact assessment as part of its 2012 closeout report.

USAID/Ecuador require the Fondo para la Conservacion del Agua to report on lessons learned from the problems it had with the Zamora water fund.

USAID/Ecuador require agreement officer's technical representatives to review the cost-sharing contributions required under the agreements and that the mission conduct training for program staff on cost sharing.