Report Contents
What OIG Inspected
OIG inspected the Bureau of African Affairs from April 12 to May 12, 2017.
What OIG Recommended
OIG made 10 recommendations to improve the Bureau of African Affairs’ management of foreign assistance programs, including recommendations to consolidate duplicative administrative functions, standardize foreign assistance business processes, and improve risk management. In its comments on the draft report, the Bureau of African Affairs concurred with all 10 recommendations. OIG considers the recommendations resolved. The bureau’s response to each recommendation, and OIG’s reply, can be found in the Recommendations Section of this report. The bureau’s formal written responses are reprinted in their entirety in Appendix B.
What OIG Found
- The Bureau of African Affairs led or participated in at least 25 distinct political, security, and economic initiatives on the continent, which created a complex planning and program management environment.
- The bureau had not conducted a strategic review of its foreign assistance programs to reduce administrative fragmentation and duplication among offices and ensure that programs were clearly aligned with current policy priorities.
- The bureau returned $4.96 million in canceled foreign assistance funds to the U.S. Department of the Treasury in FY 2016 despite having statutory authority to extend the period of availability for most foreign assistance appropriations.
- The bureau had not established policy and procedures for identifying, assessing, and mitigating terrorist financing risks for its programs in countries where terrorist organizations, such as Al-Shabaab and Boko Haram, operate.
- The bureau continued payments to Somali National Army units during two periods of several months each—one in 2014 and another spanning 2016 and 2017—despite a lapse in Leahy human rights vetting approvals. Ten of 12 award files reviewed in this inspection did not include all required grants officer representative evaluation reports.
Report Terms
Report Recommendations
The Bureau of African Affairs should undertake a review of its foreign assistance programs to align policy, planning, resources, and program decision-making.
The Bureau of African Affairs should strengthen oversight of foreign assistance program offices by realigning responsibilities to provide coordinated senior-level leadership over foreign assistance program management.
The Bureau of African Affairs should document its foreign assistance business processes, including administrative responsibilities and internal control procedures for project planning, funds management, human resources, contract and grants management, and risk management.
The Bureau of African Affairs should identify duplicative and fragmented administrative functions related to monitoring and evaluation, invoice reviews, and procurement, and consolidate functions to improve program efficiency.
The Bureau of African Affairs should develop a bureau-wide process to reclassify foreign assistance funds before the funds cancel.
The Bureau of African Affairs should implement mechanisms to track information on foreign assistance programs and provide financial and program reports to the bureau's senior leadership on core program management responsibilities.
The Bureau of African Affairs should implement risk management policies and procedures for foreign assistance that incorporate measures to further reduce the likelihood that foreign assistance will inadvertently finance terrorist activities.
The Bureau of African Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and U.S. Mission to Somalia, should document its provision of assistance to Somali National Army units with lapsed Leahy vetting and identify corrective measures to prevent recurrence.
The Bureau of African Affairs, in coordination with the Bureau of Administration, should develop a customized risk assessment template for Federal financial assistance to accurately assess and mitigate risks specific to programs in Africa.
The Bureau of African Affairs should complete required monitoring and evaluation reports, as specified in individual Federal assistance monitoring plans.