Emergency relief and rehabilitation for Grenada under the foreign disaster assistance program

Audit report covers the period 10/83-7/84 and is based on document review and interviews with AID/W, USAID/G and USAID/Barbados, and Regional Development Office officials. Although assistance was to have been completed by 4/84, supplies were still being provided as of 7/84. During the initial 60-day emergency period, the provision of foodstuffs, medicines, clothing, bedding, and other commodities was timely and effective. Assistance during the subsequent 90-day short-run rehabilitation period faltered, however, because A.I.D."s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) failed to effectively monitor procurement actions and commodity deliveries. A total of 125 medical items never arrived and some of the equipment delivered was either incomplete (e.g., borehole pumps and motors) or failed to work (e.g., x-ray units). Also, a petty cash voucher was improperly used to buy alcoholic beverages. While corrective actions have now been completed, the amount of time taken by OFDA to resolve procurement problems was longer than usual. More importantly, U.S. assistance either was not provided when needed or was provided in a way that occasionally embarassed the U.S. Government. The main problem was a lack of coordination between OFDA and senior A.I.D. officials and unclear definitions of their respective roles. It is recommended that the OFDA: coordinate with top A.I.D. management and other A.I.D. entities involved in disaster relief activities to prepare, obtain approval for, and issue a management directive to define respective roles and responsibilities (including those related to procurement); reconcile commodities ordered and received by USAID/G and resolve procurement problems hampering delivery of outstanding medical items; and identify the person responsible and recover $125.37 in billings for alcoholic beverages. Lengthy, critical, and conflicting responses to the draft audit by OFDA and the Directorate for Program and Management Services [M/SER] are appended.