GAO's Completed Haiti Work

GAO's Completed Haiti Work

Removal of earthquake debris.
Source: U.S. Navy/ Joan E. Kretschmer

In providing relief and reconstruction assistance to Haiti in a 2010 supplemental appropriations act, the U.S. Congress provided funding for GAO to monitor U.S. assistance efforts in Haiti. GAO has completed two reviews examining U.S. reconstruction assistance to Haiti.

The first review (GAO-11-415, May 19, 2011) addressed planned uses for U.S. reconstruction assistance and examined efforts by the U.S. and Haitian governments to oversee this funding. GAO found that:

• the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State (State) plan to allocate $918 million in supplemental appropriations to projects in three geographic regions of Haiti, selected for their development potential, and four key sectors;
• USAID intends to expand and enhance its internal control framework to address the increased risks associated with these funds and has taken initial steps to implement some new controls; however, it is still in the planning stages for other controls, particularly the new monitoring and evaluation unit; and
• the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC), a joint Haitian-international entity created by the Haitian government in April 2010, has established key governance structures and procedures, but is not fully operational despite the end to its mandate in October 2011.

GAO recommended that USAID take steps to ensure planned monitoring and evaluation activities are implemented in a timely manner and that State work with IHRC to make it fully operational.

The second review (GAO-12-68, November 16 2011), which focused on infrastructure construction activities, addressed funds obligated and expended, staffing issues, planning issues, and challenges to achieving project sustainability. GAO found that:

• of the almost $412 million allocated for infrastructure construction activities, as of September 30, 2011, USAID and State obligated approximately $48.4 million (11.8 percent) and expended approximately $3.1 (0.8 percent);
• USAID had difficulty staffing the Haiti mission after the earthquake, particularly key technical personnel such as contracting officers and engineers, and those staffing difficulties have contributed to delays in infrastructure construction activities;
• USAID has made progress in planning its infrastructure construction activities; however, some activities have experienced delays while others do not have planned start dates; and
• USAID has considered sustainability issues and is planning activities to strengthen Haitian government institutions; however, the sustainability of USAID-funded infrastructure depends, in part, on improvements to the Haitian government’s long-standing economic and institutional weaknesses.

GAO recommended that, to facilitate progress in planning and implementing its many infrastructure construction activities in Haiti over the next several years, the USAID Administrator ensure that U.S. direct-hire staff are placed at the mission within time frames that avoid future staffing gaps and delays.