Audit of the USAID-financed human rights activities in Colombia

Management Sciences for Development (MSD) is the implementing agency. Of 30 activities reviewed, 22 are on schedule. Of the eight not on schedule, four have not begun. In the prevention of HR abuses, the following activities are on schedule: develop the essential functions of an early warning system (EWS) and form the EWS team; establish a system for collecting and analyzing information on specific HR rights, risks, threats, or vulnerabilities facing communities; develop an EWS communications strategy and an EWS website; define a regional EWS strategy (to implement the strategy, USAID and MSD decided to accelerate the deployment of regional coordinators -- to date, seven are in place); support the national strategy room through the purchase of video equipment and peripherals; form a Government of Colombia (GOC) committee to coordinate HR issues; and create a national system on prevention, to involve high-level government officials, to make decisions regarding responses to alerts issued by the EWS. The following activities related to preventing HR abuses were not on schedule: establish public communication and education related to the EWS to promote public participation in collecting information. Curriculum development and training have been put on standby until all the EWS regional coordinators could be hired and deployed. Protection of HR workers. The following activities in this area are on schedule: (1) Equipment, facilities, systems, and training needs of the Ministry of Interior (MOI) that could be served by USAID"s HR program were identified. (2) The MOI"s beneficiary population has been expanded by extending program eligibility to municipal HR workers and city officials. (3) In the component to provide financial assistance, airline tickets, and communications equipment to threatened individuals, USAID has provided 2,448 awards vs. a target of 2,400. (4) USAID planned to upgrade security at 24 vulnerable offices by 6/30/02 and to provide 33 vehicles during the year. By that date, there were 30 upgraded offices and 17 vehicles delivered. Another 15 vehicles were scheduled for delivery in August. (5) USAID helped HR workers develop a culture of preventive security through workshops, seminars, or conferences; documented and reviewed the protection program"s status with the MOI"s HR Office; and provided office equipment and security upgrades to the MOI"s protection office. The following activities related to HR protection are not on schedule: (1) MSD has made efforts to secure additional funding for the MOI"s protection program, but has been unsuccessful to date. (2) Efforts to develop criteria and procedures for selecting protection program beneficiaries had not started as of 6/30/02. (3) The same is true of efforts to design and implement a risk assessment system to identify beneficiaries and train staff members responsible for analyzing risks and providing protection. The following activities related to improving responses to HR abuses are on schedule: provide TA to municipal HR workers to ensure effective response to HR needs in the community; provide community HR education; and create/strengthen HR networks in vulnerable populations throughout the country (as of 6/30/02, MSD had funded over 20 HR projects with a variety of implementing partners); developed an interagency framework to provide the basis for collaboration between GOC agencies; develop and implement a plan to strengthen training in HR (several universities have agreed to conduct research into HR and create teaching programs, and several have committed to send delegations to American University for training); develop an educational project with the national police; promote ratification of the International Criminal Court Statute (an explanation of the reasons for the bill is due for completion by mid-2002); and strengthen the capacity of the Office of the Vice President to define public policy related to HR. The following activities related to improving responses to HR abuses were not on schedule: develop a national network of HR promoters with the Ombudsman"s Office; train 400 HR leaders (about 6 months behind schedule); strengthen the MOI"s HR Office through seminars, workshops, and lectures; incorporate HR education into the school system (not yet begun); and formulate a National Action Plan on HR (stalled due to lack of GOC interest). The Mission has implemented a monitoring system for its HR activities in accordance with USAID policies, but has not defined data quality assessment procedures in its performance monitoring plan or developed an indicator to judge the effectiveness of the program"s early warning system.