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Foreign Assistance: Progress in Implementing the Development Fund for Africa

NSIAD-91-127 Published: Apr 16, 1991. Publicly Released: Apr 25, 1991.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Agency for International Development's (AID) administration of the Development Fund for Africa (DFA) to determine whether: (1) DFA provided a stable source of development assistance funding; (2) AID implemented DFA according to congressional policy guidance; (3) administrative changes improved the delivery of development assistance; and (4) evaluation planning would measure the fund's impact on African development.

Recommendations

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
U.S. Agency for International Development The Administrator, AID, should direct the Africa Bureau to evaluate DFA procurements to date to determine whether AID Buy American guidance was too restrictive. If this evaluation shows that the timeliness or appropriateness of procurement actions has not improved, the Administrator should revise DFA procurement guidance to take greater advantage of the flexibility Congress provided.
Closed – Implemented
AID Africa Bureau has developed new guidance; publication is pending new legislation in Congress on Buy American options AID may be required to follow.
U.S. Agency for International Development The Administrator, AID, should direct the Africa Bureau and the Program and Policy Coordination Bureau to develop and provide missions with additional guidance for measuring the impact of DFA. Specifically, the guidance should: (1) describe appropriate approaches or techniques for missions to use in analyzing relevant baseline and monitoring data; and (2) address issues that missions should consider in evaluating the sustainability of DFA programs and projects.
Closed – Implemented
New guidance for impact evaluation has been developed.

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Topics

International Affairs
Developing countriesEconomic developmentEconomic policiesEvaluation methodsForeign aid programsForeign economic assistanceFunds managementInternational relationsProcurementEconomic assistance