PL-480, Title II food programs, USAID/Ecuador

480 Title II Food Programs in Ecuador. Audit report covers the period 10/1/77-3/31/80 and is based on document review, site visits, and interviews with personnel from USAID/E and implementing PVO"s, CARE and Catholic Relief Services (CRS). Due to poor management of the CARE-assisted Maternal/Child Health (MCH) program of the Ministry of Health (MOH), the quantity of leche-avena (LA), which is made with the help of Title II oats, has been inadequate to keep the program running continually. As of 12/79, only 50% of planned recipients were getting some food. The MOH"s attempts to operate a nationwide program have been ineffective; a decision was recently made to concentrate efforts in six provinces. CRS programs have been well managed and moderately successful, with an overall upward trend in distribution under all programs, although its performance has been impeded by the MOH"s ability to use the Title II oats supplied by CRS to supply back to CRS only 54% of the LA needed for CRS"s MCH program (which is half of CRS"s total program), and by the reluctance of CRS"s counterpart personnel to distribute full rations to eligible recipients, seemingly for fear of running out of commodities. CRS also cooperated in a 3-month drought relief program in two provinces, providing Title II commodities to 7,000 families in Manabi, but leaving 3,520 bags of oats stockpiled in Loja after logistical problems forced cancellation of the program. Accountability for commodities needs to be improved. Both PVO"s consider oats turned over to the MOH for the processing of LA as distributed, and field surveillance is inadequate. In addition, the U.S. origin of Title II foods was not properly publicized. It is recommended that USAID/E: require CRS to include the receipt and distribution of LA on its reports, report on its attempts to retrieve the 700 metric tons of LA due from the MOH, dispose properly of commodities held in Loja, and consider taking over feeding programs vacated by the MOH; request both PVO"s to require the MOH to account for commodities received, improve their field surveillance, and publicize commodities as required; and itself undertake with CARE a program with the MOH to correct problems in the Title II program and establish an effective monitorship of the program.