Recommendation Dashboard

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Chief Information Officer develop procedures for reviews of its personal digital assistants bills, including -
Requirements to maintain documentation that bills were reviewed, including certifications from those responsible for reviewing the bills.
A description of how the reviews should be conducted, including what items to focus on and organization-wide thresholds for when to conduct detailed reviews of an individual's charges.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Chief Information Officer document and implement procedures (a) describing the required documentation that supervisors must submit for program officers and above and full-time personal service contractors to receive personal digital assistants and (b) requiring supervisors to periodically recertify (in a predefined time frame) staffs' continued need for personal digital assistants.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Chief Information Officer review and revise the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Policy on Personal Digital Assistants to reflect the Corporations current management position regarding the issuance of personal digital assistants to staff who are program officers and above and full-time personal service contractors.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Chief Information Officer prepare and implement documented procedures to (a) define what information is required to justify the need for a personal digital assistant for staff below the program officer level, contractors, and intermittent personal service contractors and (b) require supervisors to periodically recertify (in a predefined time frame) staffs' continued need for personal digital assistants.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President of Compact Operations require the Millennium Development Authority to require China Railway Wuju to timely submit a report of all serious injuries occurring on the worksite to the supervisory engineer as required in its contract.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President of Compact Operations require the Millennium Development Authority to implement a process that requires the supervisory engineers for the Ferry Project and N1 Highway to perform and document periodic health and safety reviews in order to ensure that all employees wear their personal protective equipment.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation's Vice President of Compact Operations require that the Millennium Development Authority conduct a periodic review of China Railway Wuju's employee record-keeping system to ensure that it is organized and up-to-date.

We recommend that Millennium Challenge Corporation document and report its action plan to the Office of the Inspector General that outlines the steps by the respective parties to: (a) identify a new source of bitumen, (b) ensure that the bitumen is tested and meets quality standards and is approved by the supervisory engineer, and (c) ensure that Sinohydro revises its work plan to show how it will complete the project on time.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations require Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to make sure that new MCC school structures and latrines are constructed in an appropriate area on existing school sites and are protected from typical seasonal flooding. New structures should require some site-specific grading designs be included in future school infrastructure to alleviate concerns regarding water damage and seasonal flooding.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations require Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to develop and implement a plan to correct pre-existing building code, safety, and health violations identified during the renovation of school structures.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations require Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to remediate the roof of the community-built classroom under renovation at the Hashiyana School to make it comply with applicable South African National Building Standards, as required by the contract.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations require Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to improve their quality control processes on-site at the various schools, to improve all subcontractors work and to make sure that China Jiangsu International provides reasonably good worksmanship

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations develop an action plan to implement corrective measures to address the deficiencies noted in the Independent Engineer's Report dated January 24th, 2011.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations require Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to conduct periodic health and safety reviews and document in a report any risks to worker health and safety on the sites and institute a system of financial penalties and stop work orders as necessary to safeguard workers.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations requires Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to conduct site inspections to ensure that the contractor is in full compliance with the environmental requirements.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations require Millennium Challenge Account-Namibia to conduct periodic reviews of China Jiangsu International's payroll system and determine whether workers are receiving the wages specified in the 2009 Memorandum of Agreement.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation require the Millennium Challenge Account-Mali to ensure that Sinohydro (1) regularly inspects its vehicles for safety compliance, and (2) performs routine maintenance on the vehicles to keep them in good operating condition.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations require the Millennium Challenge Account-Mali to ensure that Sinohydro institutes a process to substantiate that all employees receive health and safety training.

We recommend that the Millennium Challenge Corporation Vice President of Compact Operations require Millennium Challenge Account-Mali to ensure that Sinohydro replaces, as needed, health and safety equipment such as masks and gloves, and installs first aid kits at the airport construction site.

USAID/Vietnam develop and implement a clear plan of action to expedite the approval process of the Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative Phase II with the Government of Vietnam.

USAID/Vietnam work with the contractor to finalize and approve a monitoring and evaluation plan that includes expected results with illustrative indicators, midterm milestones or benchmarks, and end-of-project results, as well as clear definitions, data sources, and collection methodologies for each indicator.

USAID/Vietnam revise its performance management plan to be consistent with the approved monitoring and evaluation plan.

USAID/Vietnam amend the Vietnam Competitiveness Initiative Phase II task order contract to require the contractor to submit periodic progress reports that clearly convey key activities/initiatives accomplished, achievements versus targets of program indicators, and outstanding issues and implementation problems and options for resolving them.

USAID/Iraq establish mechanisms to verify the contractor's significant reported results.

USAID/Iraq increase program oversight through the remainder of Option Period 1 to verify that the contractor focuses on expected results.

USAID/Iraq require its contracting officer's technical representatives to provide activity managers with copies of the applicable sections of contracts and agreements, such as the scope of work, and required deliverables to improve their ability to measure progress against expected results.

USAID/Iraq require the contractor to comply with its internal procedures by developing an adequate records system to support claimed subcontract costs and verify the contractor's completed actions.

USAID/Iraq suspend payments to the contractor for costs related to subcontracts until implementing actions are completed for Recommendation 4.

USAID/Iraq's Office of Acquisition and Assistance determine the allowability of and collect, as appropriate, $9,805,244 in questioned, unsupported costs for the 19 identified subcontracts.

USAID/Iraq (1) require the contractor to comply with its internal procedures and grant requirements within the contract by developing an adequate records system to support claimed grant costs and (2) verify the contractor's completed actions.

USAID/Iraq suspend payments to the contractor for costs related to grants until implementing actions are completed for Recommendation 7.

USAID/Iraq make a complete inventory of grants awarded by the contractor from program inception, review grant files to ensure that documentation is adequate to support required procurement and monitoring requirements, and question and collect amounts for those grants not adequately supported.

USAID/Iraq's Office of Acquisition and Assistance determine the allowability of and collect, as appropriate, $6,947,938 in questioned, unsupported costs for the five identified grants with special conditions.

USAID/Iraq's Office of Acquisition and Assistance determine the allowability of and collect, as appropriate, $6,296,758 in questioned, unsupported costs for the three identified grants to microfinance institutions.

USAID/Iraq review its evaluations issued during fiscal years 2009 and 2010 to determine whether they have all been appropriately shared with implementing partners, and if not, immediately share the evaluation results.

USAID/Iraq determine budget and financial reporting formats that will support its oversight role and instruct the contractor to provide budget and financial reports that meet this need.

USAID/Iraq (1) require the contractor to update the performance management plan so that it contains realistic targets and aligns with planned projects to clearly measure progress against expected results and (2) approve the updated performance management plan in writing.

USAID/Iraq conduct a data quality assessment of contractor performance indicators for increased gross sales and jobs created.

USAID/Iraq (1) require the contractor to submit its property accounting system for approval and (2) determine whether that system is acceptable for managing government property according to USAID Acquisition Regulation requirements.

USAID/Iraq require the contractor to submit annual property reports for government property for 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 according to USAID Acquisition Regulation requirements.

USAID/Pakistan develop and implement a risk-assessment model to use in determining which of the weaknesses identified in the preaward assessments should be addressed before or after the disbursement of funds.

USAID/Pakistan develop and implement a comprehensive tracking system with benchmarks and time frames for measuring the progress on resolving weaknesses that are identified in the preaward assessment reports.

USAID/Pakistan develop and implement a comprehensive tracking system with benchmarks and time frames for measuring the progress on resolving weaknesses that are identified in the preaward assessment reports.

USAID/Pakistan develop and implement written procedures for reviewing the preaward assessment reports, including guidelines for testing the supporting documentation.

USAID/Tanzania develop realistic targets to track its progress toward achieving the overall goals of the President's Malaria Initiative.

USAID/Tanzania develop and implement a reliable, cost-effective means of determining the availability of artemisinin-based combination therapy at health facilities in Tanzania.

USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance: evaluate shelter designs and construction processes in use to identify which designs can be reproduced at lowest delivered cost while best meeting requirements for space, ventilation, thermal comfort, security, and privacy and

USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance incorporate these best practices into future plans for transitional shelter construction.

USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance incorporate into its operational guidance the option to use competitive or set-aside awards to involve local organizations in transitional shelter construction.

USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance inforporate into planning documents the need for ongoing liaison with customs officials to avoid delays when dealing with future disasters.

USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance fund mechanized rubble removal.

USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance develop, implement, and monitor performance indicators that provide consistent and useful information regarding the program's status and impact.

USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance either realign its house repair goal or develop a strategy for funding and achieving this goal.

USAID/Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, in conjunction with its awardees, develop and implement procedures to identify available humanitarian resources so that vulnerable beneficiaries can be referred on a timely basis.