Recommendation Dashboard

USAID/Pakistan reassess Government of Pakistan implementing entities according to Automated Directives System Chapter 220. If the mission is unable to conduct timely reassessments, it should document the reasons for noncompliance and specify a time frame for performance.

USAID/Pakistan implement a plan with milestones for fully complying with Automated Directives System Chapter 220.

USAID/Pakistan reconcile the discrepancies between Mission Order 200.2 and Mission Order 200.6 and update these documents to comply with Automated Directives System Chapter 220.

USAID/Pakistan implement a procedure to provide project managers with formal designation letters before they begin serving in that capacity.

USAID/Pakistan implement a plan with milestones specifying when it will validate capacity-building activities conducted for the Government of Pakistan entities implementing government-to-government projects.

The mission modify its Assessment and Strengthening Program cooperative agreement to reflect actual mission practices related to validating capacity-building activities, to facilitate the mission's compliance with the agreement.

USAID/Pakistan, in coordination with the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, implement a plan with a timeline to validate information in PakInfo and reconcile information contained in PakInfo with information contained in Phoenix.

USAID/Pakistan, in coordination with the Office of Afghanistan and Pakistan Affairs, implement a plan with a timeline for PakInfo to become operational.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President of Compact Operations coordinate with Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to implement an action plan to identify and address all outstanding contractor-related construction defects at completed schools.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President, Department of Compact Operation (1) review the 47 renovated schools to determine and document whether Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia can take any actions to improve temporary facilities at the overcrowded schools and (2) revise the Compact Development Guidance to include guidelines for countries proposing education projects.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President, Department of Compact Operations, require the Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to train science teachers at the schools renovated under the compact to use the new science equipment effectively and document such training.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President, Department of Compact Operation, coordinate with the Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to (1) determine and document the accuracy of the data reported in the Learners (any level) participating in the 47 schools sub-activity indicator and (2) describe and document efforts taken to improve data quality and accuracy.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President, Department of Compact Operation, coordinate with the Department of Congressional and Public Affairs to review the Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia's branding and marking efforts to determine whether additional marking of cars and textbooks to be delivered would be beneficial and document the results.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President, Department of Compact Operations, direct in writing that the Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia conduct and document audits as required in the compact.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President, Department of Compact Operations, coordinate with the Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to implement a process for transferring governance training subject matter to future conservancy board members.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President, Department of Compact Operations, coordinate with the Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to assess whether adding an indicator for training of conservancy members to the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for Namibia would help measure the project's effectiveness and document the results.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President of Administration and Finance revise the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Temporary Duty Travel Policy and Procedures to require its travel agents to document cost comparisons of coach and premium class tickets for the domestic legs of the trip prior to approval for travel.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President of Administration and Finance revise its travel approval form to document its cost comparison of coach and premium class tickets for the domestic legs of the trip prior to approval for travel.

USAID intensify its effort to expedite the completion of the reconciliation and make results available for periodic review.

USAID intensify its efforts to investigate and deobligate outstanding obligations, especially those that make up the $55 million that had no activity since they were established.

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer research all advances outstanding for more than 90 days to determine if they should be recovered, implement policies and procedures for establishing accounts receivable to recover outstanding advances within a reasonable period, and review and correct as necessary appropriations erroneously charged by the DHHS and recorded by the Department of the Treasury.

USAID's Office of Human Resources implement applicable work flow or business processes that clearly delineate roles and responsibilities within the Office of Human Resources for processing different types of actions, whether they were first entered manually or electronically, to make sure that records that support deductions from employees' salaries are easily retrievable.

USAID/West Bank and Gaza determine the
reasonableness of $2,272,626 associated with materials used at project sites that were not approved in advance, and consider whether it is appropriate to recover any part of the costs deemed unreasonable.

USAID/West Bank and Gaza determine the
reasonableness of $395,366 associated with materials used by the Palestinian Water Authority in the belief that it owned the materials but that were not transferred for its use, and consider whether it is appropriate to recover any part of the costs deemed unreasonable.

USAID/West Bank and Gaza agree in writing with the Palestinian Water Authority to implement a plan to differentiate pipes and fittings owned by USAID and stored in the Palestinian Water Authority's storage yards, and to update the inventory records to reflect USAID ownership.

USAID/West Bank and Gaza implement a plan to ensure that the Palestinian Water Authority uses the remaining inventory transferred to it at locations mutually agreed upon by USAID and the Palestinian Water Authority.

USAID/West Bank and Gaza perform an assessment of the Palestinian Water Authority's inventory management system and provide capacity-building assistance as needed before using its storage yards for future projects.

USAID/West Bank and Gaza implement control activities to monitor inventory held at the Palestinian Water Authority storage yards.

USAID/Iraq reassess the progress made in all the areas under the administrative decentralization component, determine and document those activities that the Iraqi Government has the ability and will to implement, and direct Management Systems International Inc. in writing to focus resources on those activities.

USAID/Iraq modify its contract with Management Systems International Inc. to terminate work plan activities under its civil service reform component.

USAID/Iraq stop and document activities aimed at implementing standard bidding documents until the Iraqi Government revises its procurement regulations and the Ministry of Planning enforces the use of the documents.

USAID/Iraq conduct and document a review to determine whether Management Systems International Inc. will be able to support ministries in organizational development, fiscal management, and business process improvement as envisioned, and adjust contract deliverables and budget based on the review.

USAID/Iraq and Management Systems International Inc. analyze and document what the expected output is for each deliverable needed for the remainder of the contract, and what constitutes an acceptable product.

USAID/Iraq reassess the adequacy of the deliverables questioned by the audit and determine whether it should recoup the $1,071,658 in fees paid until Management Systems International Inc. fully satisfies the requirements and documents its determination.

The contracting officer's representative conduct and document field visits independently on a sample basis and discuss with the beneficiaries to assess the results of the project.

The contracting officer's representative implement documentation controls to record and capture program decisions made based on reviews of field monitors' reports, site visits, and technical direction given to Management Systems International Inc.

USAID/Iraq's contracting officer make a written decision on the changes that the contracting officer's representative made and modify the contract accordingly.

USAID/Iraq, in coordination with Management Systems International Inc., adjust in writing targets to measure the project's results more accurately.

In collaboration with the SSP, formalize in writing the system's issues and resolution process. This will include developing a standardized remedy ticket listing with relevant and historical information. (New recommendation)

Further review SSP data entries relating to MCA payment processing and related
adjustments. Perform reconciliation of AP on a monthly basis and proactively resolve all differences.

Develop audit procedures for the MCA audit to compare spending authority amount
granted against actual MCA expenses, and investigate and document significant
variances. MCC should maintain a library of historical MCA financial data. This
information may be used by MCC to validate or enhance its current methodology.

Continue to enhance the accrual methodology by: a. stratifying the MCAs based on variances in their spending rates and/or stages in the compact's life cycle; b. developing and implementing a process to ensure that compacts that are partially managed by MCC are fully addressed within the grant accrual process.
c. addressing situations where the MCA exceeds its quarterly spending authority;
d. addressing situations where the compact has expired and there is no spending
authority and disbursements are still occurring; e. obtaining detailed document level breakdown of expenses to be used to compare against the accrual estimates;
f. reviewing the disbursement patterns by compact to identify those with large
fluctuations to determine the cause so that adjustments can be made in developing the spending plan or in how the grant accrual is calculated to improve the accuracy of the grant accrual estimate; and g. other factors as deemed necessary to achieve an acceptable precision of the accrual
estimate.

Continue the collaboration between the USAID OIG and the MCC management to improve timeliness of the MCA audits; adequacy of the MCA audit procedures; monitoring and reviewing the quality and performance of the MCA audits; and tracking and conducting follow-up of corrective action plans with the MCAs timely.

USAID/Jordan require Development Alternatives Inc. to implement a sustainability plan so the Ministry of Finance will be able to continue the project management office without continued support from USAID/Jordan.

USAID/Jordan adopt USAID's standardized mission order on performance monitoring earlier than December 10, 2013, establish penalties for noncompliance, and inform (in writing and through training), all individuals responsible for performance monitoring of their responsibilities and the penalties for noncompliance.

USAID/Jordan perform an evaluation or assessment that covers the remainder of Fiscal Reform Project II and looks at previous assistance, accomplishments, and lessons learned from other USAID/Jordan projects to provide a vision and design for any new fiscal reform or related project.

USAID/Jordan deobligate $3,727,670 of funds from the trade and investment program area that will not be spent for trade-related activities, and reprogram the funds as necessary.

USAID/Jordan implement procedures to allocate disbursements that match the nature of the expenses.

USAID/Iraq prepare a written evaluation of the project activities to determine the extent to which they can be accomplished in the time remaining, and adjust the work plan and budget based on the results of the evaluation.

USAID/Southern Africa determine the allowability of $1,109,459 in questioned costs for excess compensation and collect, as appropriate, any disallowed amounts from the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund.

USAID/Southern Africa follow up to confirm that the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund has implemented the auditor's recommendations for Findings 2012-01 through 2012-11 (pages I-18 through I-25 and II-1 through III-2 of the report).

USAID/Southern Africa's mission director determine the reasonableness of $1.3 million in management fees SAEDF paid ICP and collect any amount determined to be unreasonable.

USAID/Southern Africa's mission director determine the allowability of the $360,000 that the Southern Africa Enterprise Development Fund paid for lobbying and collect any unallowable amount.