Multilateral Assistance: U.S. Participation in FAO's Technical Cooperation Program
Highlights
GAO discussed the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) Technical Cooperation Program (TCP), focusing on: (1) the degree to which FAO has conformed to its established criteria in selecting TCP projects; (2) FAO management of TCP; and (3) the role of FAO governing bodies and the United States in overseeing TCP and following up on auditor and evaluator recommendations. GAO noted that: (1) although recipient governments are satisfied with the program, some FAO goals for TCP are not consistently reflected in the criteria it has established to govern the selection of TCP projects; (2) weaknesses exist in the program and financial management of TCP including delays in the procurement of consultants and equipment, the absence of program evaluations, and FAO carryover of TCP allocations; and (3) although many of these weaknesses have been noted by evaluators and auditors in the past, governing bodies have not required corrective actions.